Tool Shed Brewing Company
Calgary, Alberta, Canada · Est. 2013
Tally's Take
Why this matters
Two homebrewers in a backyard shed who then went and got Alberta's minimum production law changed. They rewrote the rules to make their own brewery legal.
The founding thesisGraham Sherman and Jeff Orr met doing military IT work in Kabul, came home, started brewing in a backyard tool shed — then took on the Alberta law that made small breweries illegal, and won.
The Museum
Timeline
- 2007Kabul
Graham Sherman and Jeff Orr meet in Afghanistan, working on government and military IT and satellite communications networks.
- 2012The actual tool shed
Back in Calgary, the two start brewing small batches in the tool shed behind Graham's house — the shed the brewery is named for.
- 2012Illegal by minimum
Alberta law required new breweries to produce at least 500,000 litres a year, so they couldn't even apply. They brew in Vancouver instead and import their own beer back into Alberta.
- 2013The law changes
On 5 December 2013 the AGLC announces its Class E policy, eliminating the minimum production requirement — the single decision that opened Alberta to small brewers.
- 2014Home at last
Graham and Jeff open their own brewing facility in northeast Calgary in the summer of 2014.
The People
Behind the beer
Met Jeff Orr in Kabul in 2007 working on government and military SATCOM networks. Drove barley to Vancouver and finished beer back to Calgary for years because Alberta wouldn't license them — reportedly putting 500,000 km on a new car doing it.
Co-founded Tool Shed with Graham Sherman after the two met doing IT and communications work in Afghanistan.
The Beer Library
Beers
People Skills
Year-RoundCream Ale
The flagship — the beer the brewery is known for province-wide.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Papa Bam Bam's Oatmeal Pale Ale
Year-RoundAmerican Pale Ale
Travel Guide
Plan a visit
- Full restaurant menu
- Food truck on site
- Board games
- Brewery tours
- Live music
- Large groups & parties
- Learning events
- Kids menu
- Non-alcoholic options
Dog policy not confirmed on the record.
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