The sommelier theory and closed practical examination will be held live earlier that day at Toronto’s Vintage Conservatory. The ticketed evening event kicks off at 3:00 p.m. with a gala reception and evening graze by O&B Hospitality, followed by the not-to-be-missed live sommelier skills competition, judged by a panel of international wine experts.

The evening’s walk-around wine tasting features an array of compelling international and local wines, plus a fundraising silent auction and a 50/50 raffle with prizes. The winners’ announcement and celebration toast will close the event at 9:00 p.m. The BOSC26 competition, now held under ASI competition regulations, challenges sommeliers with a series of skill-testing scenarios, including blind tasting and service components.

Last year’s BOSC winner, Christian Perreault Hamel, co-founder of Pelican Wines Import and a CAPS board member, is this year’s event’s technical director. A roster of award-winning Ontario competitors are in the waiting room, polishing their skills and showmanship for this year’s stage. The BOSC26 grand winner will enjoy an all-expenses-paid trip to Italy courtesy of Masi Agricola and move ahead to the 2027 Best Sommelier of Canada competition. The national winner then competes in the ASI Worlds competition.

“BOSC26 promises to be another thrilling event, with a retooled agenda designed to appeal to the sommelier community, the industry and wine lovers, with an action-packed day of high-stakes competition, camaraderie and celebration,” said Hamel.

“We are thrilled to present a terrific lineup of globally respected talent, competitors, judges, sponsors and donors, with heartfelt thanks to all, including our CAPS board members and students who volunteer to stage what will undoubtedly be the event of the year,” said Jen Wood, CAPS Ontario president. “Don’t miss it!”

Tickets are available online at capsontario.ca. Early bird tickets are $70 for CAPS members and $90 for non-members. Regular tickets are $85 for members and $105 for non-members. Follow CAPS Ontario on Instagram for updates and additional information.

Led by Abby and Erika Jordan, 1964 Beverages is a Canadian ready-to-drink beverage brand. Its first product, the 1964 Margarita, is made with just six ingredients: carbonated water, 100 per cent blue agave tequila, real lime juice, real orange juice, agave nectar and Himalayan salt. But the meaning behind 1964 Beverages goes far beyond what’s inside the can.

The story began in 1964, the year the two sisters’ grandparents committed to building a life together. Growing up in a small town, the sisters watched their grandparents work incredibly hard, but no matter how busy life got, they always made time to slow down, pour a happy hour drink and connect with the people around them. Those simple moments at the dinner table, on the dock or around the bonfire, surrounded by family and friends, shaped what Abby and Erika wanted 1964 Beverages to represent.

Since launching in Alberta this summer, 1964 Beverages has sold out of its first production run and quickly gained traction across Calgary’s retail and hospitality scene. The sister duo is now building on that momentum with new retail partnerships, tastings and events across the province, while preparing to bring 1964 to Ontario this November.

The 1964 Margarita marks the beginning of a much bigger vision for the brand. With new flavours on the horizon, 1964 remains committed to the values that started it all: real ingredients, transparency and connections.

1964 is now available in a 355 mL single-can format at select retailers across Alberta, including Market Wines, Highlander Wine & Spirits and Crowfoot Wine & Spirits, priced between $3.95 and $4.95 per can.

Sons of Kent Brewing Co. of Chatham, Ont., took silver for Mammoth, while Smithers Brewing Company of Smithers, B.C., earned bronze for Let’s Get Ready to Crumble. The competition also recognized producers across beer, cider and packaging categories, showcasing entries from across the country.

Among the beer category winners, Niagara College Teaching Brewery earned gold in English Bitter and Pale Ale for NC Craft Bitter, while Persephone Brewing Company of Gibsons, B.C., won gold in Non-Alcoholic (NA) Beer for its NA Dry Irish Stout. In Saskatchewan, Pile O’ Bones Brewing of Regina took gold in German and American Wheat Beer for White IPA, and Rebellion Brewing Co., also in Regina, won gold in Specialty IPA for Zilla Black IPA.

Cider producers were recognized across five categories. Sea Cider of Saanichton, B.C., won Best in Show for its Pomona, while Wooden Gate Cider of Pilot Mound, Man., earned bronze for Three Spirits.

The Canada Beer Cup is a national competition celebrating independently owned and operated breweries across Canada. The Canadian Craft Brewers Association organizes the competition, which recognizes quality and innovation in the country’s craft beer industry. Explore the complete list of winners: 2026 Canada Beer Cup Results.

SafBrew LA-02 is a specialized non-Saccharomyces yeast that uses oxygen for respiration while limiting ethanol production. The Visio® 0.0% system precisely controls oxygen intake during fermentation, allowing brewers to produce beer with zero per cent alcohol by volume.

The companies are also providing technical support to help breweries implement the process, combining Fermentis’ expertise in yeast and fermentation with Vivelys’ experience in controlled oxygenation.

According to the companies, the approach can reduce malt requirements by up to 50 per cent, while shorter production times may lower energy and water consumption. The system is designed to give craft and semi-industrial brewers more flexibility in developing non-alcoholic beer offerings without investing in complex dealcoholization processes. The companies also cite a neutral flavour profile and the ability to produce a range of beer styles without added sugar among the technology’s potential benefits.

Fermentis and Vivelys invite brewers interested in trialling the system to contact either company for information on training, installation and technical support.

The Summerland, B.C.-based winery is selling the wine exclusively at the winery for $27.99 per bottle. The release is intended as a trial, with the company inviting customers and members of the wine community to provide feedback as it explores future non-alcoholic offerings.

The project grew out of experimentation after the 2024 harvest freeze, which left the industry with a zero crop. Rather than sourcing fruit from another region, Okanagan Crush Pad began exploring alternative beverage styles, including Orchard + Field, a 5 per cent apple wine made with haskap and other berries. That experience helped inform the winery’s approach to the growing number of consumers reducing or eliminating alcohol while still seeking options for social occasions.

To develop Narrative XC Sparkling 0.5, the team evaluated hundreds of European and North American products. The goal was to create a dealcoholized wine that maintains the texture, balance and quality associated with the winery’s existing portfolio.

The new release builds on Narrative XC Sparkling, one of the brand’s established wines, which began as a small experimental batch and now ships more than 2,000 cases annually. Okanagan Crush Pad says the limited release will help inform its next steps in the non-alcoholic category. The launch also coincides with the debut of a new Narrative website and Instagram account.

The brand is scheduled to move to the Summerland Food Hub in spring 2027.

Brewers on the Hill

Hosted by the co-chairs of the Parliamentary Beer Industry Caucus, the reception at Bier Markt on Sparks St. welcomed more than 250 guests, including MPs and senators from all parties, senior staff and brewers of all sizes and regions. The evening offered a chance to highlight what the industry brings to communities across Canada: more than 1,300 breweries, 149,000 jobs and $13.6 billion in GDP.

“Monday’s turnout says a lot about how much beer means to this country,” said Richard Alexander, president of Beer Canada. “Parliamentarians from all sides of the aisle took the time to meet the people who brew Canada’s beer and had important conversations about jobs, farms, local businesses and communities in every province and territory. We are grateful to our beer caucus for all their ongoing and unwavering support, and to all the guests who joined us.”

Canada celebrates Canadian Beer Day

Two days later, Canadians from coast to coast to coast marked Canadian Beer Day under the 2026 theme, Brewed into Canadian Culture. Breweries, restaurants, bars, retailers and beer lovers shared their celebrations online and in person, including a special social media message from Prime Minister Mark Carney. The Canadian Beer Day giveaway drew more than 1,775 entries from across the country, and the winner was announced the following Friday, Oct. 9.

“Canadian Beer Day is about the people behind the brewing industry, from the farmers who grow the barley to the brewers, drivers, retailers and servers who bring Canadian beer to Canadians,” said Alexander. “Thank you to our member brewers, our partners and every Canadian who celebrated with us.”

Looking ahead

Beer Canada will carry this week’s momentum into the fall. As Parliament prepares for Budget 2026, the industry continues to call for the permanent repeal of the federal beer excise tax escalator so Canadian brewers can keep investing in the jobs and communities celebrated on Canadian Beer Day.

Canada’s spirits sector is economically significant. Canada produces nearly $2 billion in spirits annually, with about 50 per cent of domestic production tied to U.S. demand. In 2025, Canada exported $948.6 million in spirits to the U.S., accounting for about 93 per cent of the country’s total spirits export value.

The industry also contributes approximately $5.8 billion to Canada’s GDP, supports nearly 48,800 full-time equivalent jobs and generates more than $2.66 billion annually in government tax revenues.

Spirits Canada says it remains hopeful that continued dialogue between the two governments will help identify a constructive path forward, with the shared objective of restoring zero-for-zero, tariff-free trade in spirits and alcoholic beverages. A return to stable, predictable market access would provide much-needed certainty for businesses, workers and consumers on both sides of the border.

The Canadian visit follows Wine Victoria’s inaugural trade program earlier this year and reflects growing confidence in Canada as one of the most promising export markets for Victorian wine. As global wine producers navigate shifting trade dynamics and changing consumer behaviour, Canada continues to demonstrate strong demand for Australian wine, with export growth significantly outpacing many other international markets.

Wine Victoria CEO Stephanie Duboudin will travel to Canada with representatives from Victoria’s wine sector to meet with importers, provincial liquor buyers, retailers, hospitality professionals and wine media. Trade showcases will take place in Toronto on Oct. 15 and Vancouver on Oct. 20, featuring a significantly expanded portfolio of Victorian producers and wines.

“Canada has become a market we believe is worth investing in for the long term,” said Duboudin. “While recent trade conditions have created new opportunities, our focus extends well beyond short-term market shifts. We’re building relationships with Canadian buyers, educators, media and consumers because we believe Victorian wine has a meaningful place in this market. The response we’ve seen so far has reinforced that Canada is a priority growth market for our producers.”

In the 12 months to June 2026, Australian wine exports to Canada increased 13.2 per cent in volume and 19.6 per cent in value. Victoria’s shipments to Canada in the same timeframe rose 5.1 per cent in volume and 27.3 per cent in value, showing Victoria is driving value growth in Australian Exports to Canada.

The evolving Canada-U.S. trade relationship has also reshaped the Canadian beverage alcohol landscape. The removal of most U.S. alcoholic products from provincial distribution and retail systems beginning in 2025 created opportunities for international producers to expand their presence with buyers, retailers and restaurant operators.

For Victorian wineries, however, the opportunity is about more than replacing products from another market. Home to more than 20 wine regions, Victoria produces a diverse range of premium wines, from cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and emerging varieties. Wine Victoria’s Canadian program is designed to help trade professionals better understand that diversity while creating direct commercial connections between Victorian producers and Canadian decision-makers.

Building on early momentum

Wine Victoria made its first dedicated Canadian trade visit in February 2026, introducing Victorian wine to Canadian buyers, sommeliers and media through educational tastings and seminars. The October return marks a significant expansion of that effort. In both Toronto and Vancouver, Wine Victoria will present invitation-only seminars for leading trade and media professionals, followed by larger walk-around receptions featuring wines currently available in Canada alongside producers seeking new distribution and partnership opportunities.

John Szabo MS will lead Toronto’s seminar, while wine writer and educator Kurtis Kolt will lead Vancouver’s session. Rather than focusing exclusively on Victorian wines, each seminar will place the wines within a broader international context through curated tastings designed to explore style, climate, quality positioning and commercial relevance in today’s premium wine market. Participants will have the opportunity to compare Victorian wines alongside peer wines from other global regions, providing a more nuanced understanding of the region’s strengths and distinctiveness. Following each seminar, attendees will be invited to explore a broader selection of Victorian wines and meet representatives from Wine Victoria and participating wineries.

“Canadian buyers are increasingly looking for wines with authenticity, regional character and a compelling story,” said Duboudin. “Being present in the market matters. When buyers can taste widely, they quickly see that Victoria is not a single style or a single region. The diversity, quality and innovation coming out of Victoria are what make these conversations so valuable.”

For Victoria’s wine sector, Canada represents an increasingly important market for long-term growth. Through continued investment in education, trade relationships and market development, Wine Victoria aims to strengthen awareness of Victorian wine while creating new opportunities for producers across the state’s diverse wine regions.

This year, the conference theme is “Facing Our Future Together.” For an industry facing economic pressures, changing consumer habits and a rapidly evolving marketplace, the message is deliberate. “The craft beer world isn’t in that same kind of skyrocketing, everyone’s doing great, net-growth phase anymore,” said Jeff Talmey, chair of the OCBC education committee. “It seems like we’re all just putting our heads down and grinding through change after change.”

Those changes range from brewery closures and shifting consumer preferences to retail and distribution challenges that have forced breweries of every size to rethink how they do business. But rather than dwelling on uncertainty, this year’s conference aims to remind attendees of the collaborative spirit that helped build Ontario’s craft beer industry in the first place. “What made craft beer succeed was this notion that a rising tide lifts all boats,” said Talmey.

“We have to remember that we’re in this together.”

What’s new in 2026

That philosophy has shaped this year’s educational programming, with sessions designed to address the industry’s most pressing challenges. As in previous years, organizers have developed the conference agenda by combining attendee feedback, post-conference surveys and insights from an expanded education committee representing breweries of different sizes and specialties. The committee has grown to 10 members, comprising brewery owners, brewers, sales professionals, taproom staff and other industry leaders.

“We really wanted to diversify not only the size of the breweries these people work for, but also their roles within those breweries,” said Talmey. “We’ve cast the net pretty wide and have a really good idea of what people are looking for.” That diversity helps ensure the conference remains relevant whether attendees operate a small neighbourhood brewery or a large regional producer. “Other than scale, we all struggle with a lot of the same things,” Talmey said.

Among the biggest issues expected to dominate discussion this year is Ontario’s changing retail landscape. Recent changes affecting alcohol sales have required breweries across the province to adapt their business models, regardless of whether they sell through the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, grocery stores or their own retail channels.

“Advocacy is at the heart of OCB, which has been crucial given the changes and headwinds facing the sector these last six years,” said Scott Simmons, OCB president. “The conference and the Supplier’s Marketplace are the best places for the information sharing, networking and collaboration needed to navigate these massive changes.”

Talmey agrees that adapting to the new retail environment will be one of the conference’s most important topics of discussion. “It’s demanded a lot of time and attention from breweries of all shapes and sizes,” he said. Distribution also remains top of mind. “Making beer is not easy, but it’s a lot easier than getting it places,” Talmey said.

What made craft beer succeed was this notion that a rising tide lifts all boats. We have to remember that we’re in this together.

Jeff Talmey, Ontario Craft Brewers

Breweries are also increasingly focused on improving operational efficiency as rising costs continue to squeeze margins. “Five or 10 years ago, efficiency wasn’t something a lot of breweries were talking about,” said Talmey. “Now, it’s about asking, ‘How can we be more efficient as a business?’ If we can’t necessarily sell more beer next year, how do we survive selling the same amount?”

Those conversations extend beyond brewing operations to staffing, culture, customer experience and long-term business sustainability. “We’re always talking about making the best beer we possibly can,” he said. “But we’re also talking about treating our communities well, treating our employees well and becoming well-rounded businesses.”

Education for a changing industry

The conference will once again feature two keynote speakers – one from the beverage-alcohol industry and another who offers a broader perspective on leadership and professional development.

Award-winning journalist Dave Infante will deliver the industry’s keynote address. Known for his independent newsletter Fingers and his work with VinePair, Infante has become one of North America’s leading voices covering beverage alcohol and the business of beer. Complementing that perspective is former professional hockey player/coach, health care market strategist, public speaker and performance coach John Mark MacKenzie, whose keynote will focus on stress management, resilience and personal well-being.

While those topics may seem outside the traditional brewing conversation, Talmey believes they couldn’t be more relevant. “I feel like everyone is reaching their bandwidth,” he said. With brewery owners and staff facing ongoing industry pressure, increased workloads and uncertainty, conversations about burnout and mental health have become increasingly important. “These aren’t just businesses. These are passionate entrepreneurs who put everything on the line to start breweries. When the tide starts to turn, we need to stick together and support one another,” Talmey said.

The conference’s People and Culture education stream reflects that reality by exploring topics related to workplace culture, employee development and leadership alongside technical brewing and business sessions.

Technical programming remains a cornerstone of the conference, with sessions covering brewing science, quality assurance and sales. Discussions on lager production are increasingly popular as the style becomes more prominent in craft brewing. AI will also return to the agenda, this year with a stronger emphasis on improving business operations rather than marketing alone. Instead of focusing on AI-generated content, organizers plan to explore how breweries can use emerging tools to better analyze business performance, automate routine tasks and make more informed decisions.

“As craft brewers who don’t have huge budgets, we have to make smarter decisions,” said Talmey. “There are people in our industry who are using AI very smartly.”

The value of networking

While the educational sessions remain central to the conference, Talmey believes the greatest value often comes between presentations. Whether conversations occur on the trade show floor, during evening social events or simply while waiting for the next seminar to begin, the opportunity to connect with peers remains one of the conference’s defining strengths.

“At the end of the day, you want to leave the conference with a couple of nuggets – something you’ve learned, or a conversation you’ve had,” said Talmey.

Those informal discussions often provide solutions to shared challenges while reinforcing that no brewery faces today’s struggles alone. “Surrounding yourself with people who do similar things and struggle with similar things is invaluable,” said Talmey. “If you participate – even if your participation is simply showing up – you’re going to gain from it.” For first-time attendees, his advice remains unchanged from previous years: introduce yourself, ask questions and embrace the opportunity to meet new people.

The future, together

Ontario’s craft brewing industry has weathered significant change over the past several years, and conference organizers recognize that many breweries continue to face difficult decisions. Yet Talmey remains optimistic about the future.

“I think there’s a ton of hope,” he said. “People aren’t just going to stop drinking beer. There are going to be successful breweries in Ontario for the next hundred years.” For him, the greatest takeaway from this year’s conference isn’t a single business strategy or technical innovation – it’s the reminder that collaboration remains one of the industry’s greatest strengths. “We want people to realize they’re not alone,” he said. “This whole industry started and thrived because of partnership, collaboration and a sense of ‘us.’ That still exists, and that’s what will get us through this tougher period.”

As Ontario’s brewing community gathers once again in Hamilton this November, the message behind “Facing Our Future Together” is clear: the industry’s greatest opportunities may come not only from the ideas shared on stage, but from the conversations, partnerships and sense of community that continue long after the conference ends.

Register for tickets at ontariocraftbrewers.com/conference. Interested in an exhibitor booth or sponsorship? Contact ocbc@ontariocraftbrewers.com.

So, the Oakville-based company did something about it. Instead of waiting for the shelves to fill back up, Maverick started doing what any self-respecting whisky lover would do: going straight to the source, buying the barrels and bringing them home.

That mission has grown into BARNBURNER, Maverick’s bourbon, rye and whisky family, now seven bottles deep. It includes proper cask-strength bourbon distilled and aged in Bardstown, Ky., a Canadian-American blend that reportedly ended a small argument in the Maverick tasting room and the original 100 per cent Ontario BARNBURNER whisky that started it all.

Newest to the family: two rye whiskies fresh off the truck from Lawrenceburg, Ind., BARNBURNER Indiana Rye Whisky and BARNBURNER 21 per cent Rye Bourbon. Both were distilled and aged stateside, then hand-selected, finished and bottled by Maverick’s team in Ontario.

“We are not going to pretend the whiskey isn’t American; it is, and a very good one,” said Craig Peters, founder of Maverick Distillery. “What we bring to the bottle is everything that happens after it crosses the border: the blending, the finishing, the bottling, the jobs and admittedly a fair amount of arguing about proof points. Canadians shouldn’t have to give up great bourbon just because of what’s going on politically. So, we go get it ourselves.”

That “just go get it” attitude is a large part of Maverick’s personality. Peters started the company in Oakville in 2009 with the belief that Ontario could make spirits just as good as anywhere else in the world. He then spent the better part of two decades proving it, one category at a time.

What began as a small-batch vodka project grew into TAG No.5 Vodka, widely regarded as Ontario’s No.1 vodka, GINSLINGER Ontario Craft Gin, LUNÁTICO Tequila, CARGO Rum and the entire BARNBURNER bourbon, rye and whisky lineup. Maverick is still independently and proudly Canadian-owned and is still based in Oakville.

“Being a Canadian distillery doesn’t mean Canadians should stop enjoying great products from around the world,” Peters said. “Our job is to find exceptional whisky, bring the barrels home and put as much of the value as we can back into Ontario. Great whisky can come from anywhere. No politics, no borders, it’s just worth pouring.”

The full BARNBURNER lineup, including both new Indiana ryes, is available at select LCBO locations across Ontario and online at MaverickDirect.ca, with free shipping on orders over $150.