A tireless advocate of all things good and gastronomic, Stephen is perhaps best known for his work involving the partnership of beer and food, a passion that led directly to his involvement in the ownership and operation of beerbistro, one of North America's premier locations for creative beer cuisine, located in downtown Toronto. His work in the restaurant world has not slowed down his writing one iota, however, and Stephen still contributes regularly to a host of publications including Hemispheres , Flavor & The Menu and The Globe and Mail, and maintains regular columns in Paste, The Malt Advocate, The Celebrator, Ale Street News, Flavours, City Bites and the hospitality industry journal, Cheers. Stephen is also a member of the tasting panel for All About Beer Magazine and the Council of Advisors for The Gerson Lehrman Group, as well as a blogger for Adams Beverage Media and That's the SPIRIT.

An outspoken advocate of beer knowledge for bar and restaurant staff, Stephen has spent years expanding and refining his beer training techniques for clients such as Starwood Hotels and Resorts, the Prime Restaurant Group and the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers. He has now distilled this extensive experience into The 8 Hour Beer Expert, a highly intensive beer education experience that not only equips servers and bartenders with the beer knowledge they need, but also prepares senior staff and management to offer introductory training to future hires.

When not writing or educating, Stephen travels the world in search of great gastronomic experiences, and hosts beer tastings and dinners from Helsinki to Philadelphia and Montreal to Irvine.