John Ohler has officially been involved in the craft beer industry since 1996 when he was hired to help open Howe Sound Brewing in Squamish, but his introduction to craft beer, and to John Mitchell, dates back to 1982 when he was just 15 years old. With Horseshoe Bay as his stomping grounds during the summer months, John used to stand in the doorway of Horseshoe Bay Brewery and watch John Mitchell make beer. He loved the sweet smell of the malt and the wonderful aroma of hops and dreamed that he would work there one day. Well, as fate would have it, John Mitchell was the head brewer at Howe Sound when John was hired to help open the brewery. John Ohler led the brewery during its transition from a local brew pub to a regional production craft brewery with international distribution. John Mitchell and John became very close friends during his time at Howe Sound Brewing. It was there that he launched the famous John Mitchell Series of beers. John Ohler left Howe Sound in 2012. He started a boutique consulting company and went on to help open three other breweries and led several special craft beer collaborations. Before John Mitchell’s passing in 2019, John Ohler was formally entrusted to act as Steward of Mitchell’s craft beer legacy. John is now the founder and director of the John Mitchell Legacy Endowed Scholarship at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) brewing school in Langley, BC. He is also in the process of establishing the John Mitchell Lifetime Achievement Award for Brewing Excellence. John’s passion for craft beer is all-consuming and has evolved into a lifestyle.
