Caledon native having fun with local brewery Sonnen Hill

September 24, 2020 · 0 Comments

Written By ROBERT BELARDI

For the Hill family, soccer is what defined their lives. They were born to grace the pitch with a ball at their feet.

Steve Hill was a former Canadian International player who appeared for the national team at the U-20 level and also for the Hamilton Steelers in the Canadian Soccer League (CSL).

But once, Steve went to the University of Guelph and then, earned his physiotherapy degree at the University of Western, he turned his attention to coaching. Nurturing his children, Calum and Madeline was the easy part. He coached his son for numerous years at the Caledon Soccer Club, winning every trophy you can imagine with the Caledon Fireballs. Calum, remembered it all.

“I think we all wanted to either get some sort of scholarship or play at a high level. Looking back on it I don’t know how realistic that was but I think every kid wants to do that,” his son Calum Hill said.

Calum, was a natural midfielder. He loved Manchester United and former France international and World Cup winner Zinedine Zidane.

Following a long tenure with the soccer club, it was time to play in Britain. Calum, played for the University of Northumbria. When he returned to Canada, he played for his father at Caledon Soccer Club. In 2018, the club reached the national finals.

But, shortly after it was time to hang up the boots. He no longer wanted to play.

His sister Maddie, who played professionally for Sunderland A.F.C Ladies for three years, also turned her career around and just like that, soccer became a blissful past-time.

Maddie, turned to her father’s physiotherapy clinic in Brampton for work. Steve, has recently resigned as coach and technical director with Caledon Soccer Club.

As for Calum? He always thought about brewing and hey, why not? He finished his International Business degree at Northumbria and went to Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland.

He got a job, at Brew By Numbers, in London, England and while there, another thing was brewing within his mind. He realized, opening up his own brewery became his new goal.

“That’s when I made the move back to Caledon,” Hill said.

Over a year ago, he opened his own brewery, Sonnen Hill. Beer’s newest aficionado finally did it. It was time to take all of his inspirations from other breweries and manifest his own blend.

“I think that’s the main thing is to make something you like and hopefully other people like it,” he said.

“My recipes are very simple. I think it’s a technique thing more than anything and just an approach to making beer that I think makes our beers a little bit different. I’m constantly changing things still.”

That’s what he loves about it so much. It’s a revolving door. Brewing has no dead end but rather, you can make a u-turn and still find out things that you didn’t know or add elements to your style that you never thought of before.

And you can share it with others with the same passion. Back in February, Hill attended a beer festival in Manchester, meeting up with old friends. He provided samples of his beer, receiving splendid reviews on his craft.

Hill has been selling his beer to restaurants and bars in the local area and as far out as Toronto. He says, LCBO doesn’t seem to be the right fit. It’s only a team of two in the brewery. Keeping up with high demand would be arduous to say the least.

Since previously selling 90 percent of his business in kegs, Hill has had to resort to transitioning his business to sell in bottles and cans.

Customers in Ontario according to Hill, have bottle shops because of the new licensing, it’s easier to sell to the consumer.

Last weekend, Hill opened his bottle shop. Customers can enter the brewery directly and purchase beer.

Depending on how next year looks, Hill is interested in opening a beer garden at the brewery next Spring. He hopes to bring the community out to Sonnen Hill and further expand his clientele.

The bottle shop, is open Friday’s from 5-8 and Saturday’s from 12-4. You can stop at the brewery, located 20727, Heart Lake Road, just off of Highway 9.