In Toronto’s west end, Callum Hay and Eric Portelance are brewing the first-ever batch of beer in their new operation — Halo Brewery. Hay is clad in industrial overalls, crouched over a pump to adjust settings that will transfer the contents of a stainless steel vat into a nine-foot kettle that sits adjacent.

Meanwhile, Portelance mounts a set of metal stairs to the top of the vat. His glasses fog up as he flips the lid, peering in to inspect the steaming vat of hot water and malt. After the liquid cools, Portelance and Hay add five different kinds of hops — earthy green pellets that lend a touch of bitterness to the beer and act as a natural preservative. Each hop variety carries a distinct flavour profile, combining to give their sessional IPA a woodsy, citrusy aroma.

But there’s one hop in particular — Simcoe, grown in North America — that proved a challenge to obtain in the quantity that the Halo brewers needed. Hops are a notoriously hard-to-source ingredient that suppliers sell to breweries through complicated contracts. But Portelance and Hay heard through the hopvine that veteran west-enders Bellwoods Brewery weren’t using their entire Simcoe hops contract this year.

“We would not have been able to make our Sessional IPA without the hops that we got from Bellwoods,” says Portelance, who has also sought advice on everything from regulations to equipment setup from fellow brewers like Jordan Rainhard at Rainhard Brewery and Jason Fischer at Indie Ale House. “Rarely a day goes by without me calling or messaging another brewer in the city with a question. Everyone’s been tremendously helpful.”

In an industry dominated by major beer labels — in 2015, craft breweries occupied just six per cent of the total beer volume sold in Ontario — smaller operations like Halo, Bellwoods and Rainhard are encouraged to support one another. “Right now, everyone’s fighting for the same thing,” explains Rainhard, who opened his Stockyards District brewery in 2015. “We all have the same goal — it’s to take a big chunk of the pie from the top macro beer guys.”

Without the high manufacturing demands of big brewers, microbreweries have the flexibility to experiment, producing complex brews that challenge conventional notions of what a beer should taste like. Jason Fischer at Indie Ale House, another west-end veteran brewery, explains how the nature of craft consumption contrasts with fierce, often lifelong brand loyalty to major beer labels. “Craft beer drinkers tend to be explorers, trying new beers and flavours,” says Fisher, who views small-scale brewers as allies, not enemies. “We all ‘share our customers’, so why not work together?”

When Shehzad Hamza and Stephane Dubois approached Fisher last year asking for his advice in opening a brew pub, he was keen to lend a hand. “They were passionate and determined and I was happy to help,” says Fisher, who helped tweak the facility’s layout and advised on sales forecasts.

Dubois and Hamza’s Bandit Brewery is the latest in a long line of small breweries that have reached out to Fisher: Left Field, Burdock and Muddy York, to name a few. A dozen new microbreweries have launched since Indie Ale House and Bellwoods opened their doors in 2012, with at least three more breweries or brew pubs slated to open by year’s end.

But Halo’s Eric Portelance is confident that the city’s increasing thirst for craft beer supports the growth of new operations while maintaining an atmosphere of friendly competition. “Most breweries do very well so we don’t feel like it’s cutthroat,” Portelance says. “Everybody wants to succeed — as long as you’re making good beer.”

Seven breweries you should know

Have a thirst for a co-operative craft brew? Here are a handful of places to try out.

Left Field Brewery END

Greenwood and Gerrard area — opened by Mandie and Mark Murphy in 2013

Try the Sunlight Park (5.3% ABV), a tart and refreshing Saison made with grapefruit zest. $6.50 for 650mL bottle.

Bellwoods Brewery END

Queen and Ossington area — opened by Mike Clark and Luke Pestl in 2012

Try the Jutsu (5.6% ABV), a refreshing pale ale with flavours of cantaloupe, grass, and nectarine. $4.50 for 500mL

bottle.Blood Brothers END

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Dufferin and Dupont area — opened by Dustin and Brayden Jones in 2015

Try the Shumei (7% ABV), a hop-forward IPA with notes of tropical fruit and a touch of bitterness. $6 for a 500mL bottle

Rainhard Brewing END

St. Clair W. and Keele area — opened by Jordan Rainhard in 2015

Try the Kapow! (6.7% ABV), a West Coast-inspired IPA with smooth bitterness, strong hop aroma and a crisp finish. $5.95 for 500mL bottle.

Henderson Brewing END

Dundas and Bloor area — opened by Steve Himel in 2014 (contract) and 2016 (brewery)

Try Henderson’s Best (5.5% ABV), a refreshing English-style pale ale with a mild floral nose. $5.95 for 650mL bottle.

Burdock Brewery END

Dufferin and Bloor area — opened by Matt Park and Jason Stein in 2015

Try the West Coast Pilsner (6% ABV), a citrusy and crisp beer with the bright aromatics of a West Coast IPA and the smoothness of a Czech Pilsner. $5 for 500mL bottle.

Muddy York END

St. Clair E. and O’ConnorDr. area — opened by Jeff Manol in 2015

Try the Diving Horse (5.6% ABV), a flavourful pale ale featuring a unique blend of four hops with notes of white grape, grapefruit and pine. $4.50 for 500mL bottle.

Correction – July 25, 2016: This article was edited from a previous version that misstated the location of Muddy York Brewing Company.