Sean and I have a new favourite beer. It’s true. We’ve converted. And it’s not just because our first few days at Steam Whistle Brewery, located in downtown Toronto, have been surreal.
Elizabeth, our Steam Whistle rep and big CN Tower fan, picked us up at the airport and drove us to our accommodation for the night: a condo on the pristine downtown waterfront, mere steps from the Tower itself. It was a quiet evening, spent unpacking our gear and getting Sean pumped for his big introduction at the brewery.
Sean spent his first day meeting the staff, all the way from the brewery floor to the office. The most surprisingly thing for me was the fact that everyone in the office sits together in a big, hardwood space – including the brewery founders Greg and Cam. No corner offices here. In such an environment, the creative vibe is easy to feel, and it comes across in the interactions between all the employees. They really seem to enjoy their work.
A brief interview with Toronto personality Jojo Chintoh from CityTV livened up the afternoon. Since we’re from Vancouver, we’d never actually heard of him, but the Steam Whistle staff were buzzing during his visit.
That night Sean’s bartending skills were put to the test at a silent auction fundraiser for cancer, held in the adjacent event space in the brewery roundhouse. It’s a beautiful room with high ceilings, massive windows, and plenty of Steam Whistle on tap.
Early this morning we were driven out to Hamilton, ON for a radio interview at Y108 Rock FM, where Sean got to talk about his intimate dealings with cows during his stint as a Dairy Farmer. After returning to the brewery, Sean spent most of the day out on the line, packing fresh bottles of beer for delivery.
City TV reporter (and CommandN) Amber Mac dropped by for a quick interview.
Everyone here has been so incredible, it’s actually difficult to convey the experience accurately through writing, (which is mostly why we’re doing the TV Show). Steam Whistle’s business mentality, fusing your passion with your work, is exactly what the One Week Job project is all about.
Greg and Cam, the Steam Whistle founders have a wealth of knowledge about what it takes to envision and find your passion – after all, they did it. They built their brewery from the ruins of their previous workplace, combined the best of the old and the new, and now find themselves living their dream, everyday.
Anyway, it’s only Day 2 here, so Sean has plenty more lined up for the week, including an appearance on Breakfast TV tomorrow morning, a sampling at a yacht club, and a few client visits out on the road with the Steam Whistle sales team.
Until next time!
– Ian