Matt Tompkins & Adam Shier, True History Brewing

Some places earn their reputation one pint at a time, and True History Brewing on St. Clair West (Toronto) is exactly that kind of place. Co-founders Matt Tompkins and Adam Shier have quietly built one of the most singular brewery experiences in the city - rooted in German and Czech lager tradition, housed in a soaring former 1920s cinema and designed around one simple idea: make you want to stay for the “whole shift.” No gimmicks, no province-wide retail push. Just beautifully made pilsners, Helles, and lagers, and a space worth settling into.

In this one, Troy sits down with Matt and Adam for their first in-person meeting and gets into the full story - from high school friends to contract brewing at Junction Brewery, to building a taproom they designed themselves, wallpaper and all. They cover their lager philosophy, the glassware obsession, the evolution of their kitchen, and their honest take on what it actually takes to build something genuinely special in this city.
What's in this episode:

• How Matt went from film to beer via a Belgian brewing documentary, and how Adam quit private equity to home brew "Breaking Bad style"
• The contract brewing years at Junction Craft — what worked, what didn't, and why they eventually had to find their own space
• Finding the St. Clair West location, the hidden 20-foot ceiling discovery, and designing the space themselves
• Why Germany changed everything for Adam and how that shaped True History's identity
• Their lager philosophy — the diversity of styles, the obsession with quality, and why they think there's more variation in lager than IPA
• The glassware program and why they're not changing it anytime soon
• Handing off the kitchen and what Beisel's Viennese bistro food program has become
• Their candid take on the LCBO, expansion, and what's next for True History

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Hosted by Troy Burtch, Between Two Fermenters, a podcast brought to you by Toronto's Great Lakes Brewery where craft beer and conversation collide - straight from the tanks to your ears.