Latest news with #GrahamSherman
Cision Canada
24-06-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
The People Have Spoken: Tool Shed Brewing Co. Celebrates Summer of Culinary Excellence With Major Wins, Global Recognition, and a Naval Tribute
CALGARY, AB, June 23, 2025 /CNW/ - Tool Shed Brewing Co., Canada's Craft Brewery™, is making its mark on the culinary world—locally, nationally, and now on the global stage. With a trifecta of high-profile achievements— winning over the people at a marquee Stampede event, serving world leaders at the G7 Summit, and honouring the Canadian Navy with a first-of-its-kind commemorative beer —Tool Shed is inviting Calgarians to celebrate by visiting the taproom and tasting its brand-new menu launching June 25. Here's what's brewing: Voted People's Choice at the Calgary Stampede Cellar Uncorked, Tool Shed's bold Canadian BBQ offering won over 1,000 attendees and beat out 30 other invited top-tier chefs and their restaurants to take home top honours. It's a powerful nod to Tool Shed's grassroots culinary philosophy and commitment to approachable excellence. "Are you kidding me? We competed against 30 of Calgary's top chefs and won — that's wild!" said Ally Reeves, General Manager of the Tool Shed Taproom. "This isn't your average BBQ. We've got a three-time world champ award winner in Graham Sherman, and Chef Nadia Zissis is throwing down some seriously next-level Canadian BBQ with a Southern twist. There's nowhere else you're getting food like this — it's unreal!" Personally invited to serve their BBQ at the G7 Global Summit, Tool Shed proudly represented Canadian culinary excellence on the world stage, offering attendees, including delegates and world leaders a taste of our world class Alberta BBQ. "As a proud Canadian, Albertan, and Calgarian, I can't imagine a greater honour than having our country choose us—and our passion for BBQ—to represent our city and province on the world stage at an event as monumental as the G7 Summit," said Graham Sherman, Founder and President of Tool Shed Brewing. "It's not just a reflection of our dedication—it's also a celebration of the incredible Alberta pork and beef we're so fortunate to showcase from this amazing corner of Canada." In partnership with the Royal Canadian Navy, Tool Shed has brewed a special edition beer honouring the 30th Anniversary of HMCS Calgary. With $1 from every can sold going to the Legion Poppy Fund, the commemorative beer is a celebration of the ship's enduring legacy and connection to the Calgary community. "This isn't just a beer—it's a tribute to HMCS Calgary and everything it represents," said James Costello, CEO of Tool Shed Brewing. "We're committed to supporting both active-duty members of the Canadian Armed Forces and their journey as veterans as they transition into the next phase of their careers. This partnership is one small way we can honour that service." All this momentum leads to a fresh new chapter at Tool Shed: the launch of a completely reimagined taproom menu on June 24, featuring Canadian BBQ with a Southern influence —bold, approachable dishes designed to showcase Tool Shed's culinary evolution. As Canada's Craft Brewery™, Tool Shed is proud to raise the bar for what it means to represent Alberta on the local, national, and global stage —one plate, one pint, and one powerful story at a time.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The People Have Spoken: Tool Shed Brewing Co. Celebrates Summer of Culinary Excellence With Major Wins, Global Recognition, and a Naval Tribute
CALGARY, AB, June 23, 2025 /CNW/ - Tool Shed Brewing Co., Canada's Craft Brewery™, is making its mark on the culinary world—locally, nationally, and now on the global stage. With a trifecta of high-profile achievements—winning over the people at a marquee Stampede event, serving world leaders at the G7 Summit, and honouring the Canadian Navy with a first-of-its-kind commemorative beer—Tool Shed is inviting Calgarians to celebrate by visiting the taproom and tasting its brand-new menu launching June 25. Here's what's brewing: Voted People's Choice at the Calgary Stampede Cellar Uncorked, Tool Shed's bold Canadian BBQ offering won over 1,000 attendees and beat out 30 other invited top-tier chefs and their restaurants to take home top honours. It's a powerful nod to Tool Shed's grassroots culinary philosophy and commitment to approachable excellence. "Are you kidding me? We competed against 30 of Calgary's top chefs and won — that's wild!" said Ally Reeves, General Manager of the Tool Shed Taproom. "This isn't your average BBQ. We've got a three-time world champ award winner in Graham Sherman, and Chef Nadia Zissis is throwing down some seriously next-level Canadian BBQ with a Southern twist. There's nowhere else you're getting food like this — it's unreal!" Personally invited to serve their BBQ at the G7 Global Summit, Tool Shed proudly represented Canadian culinary excellence on the world stage, offering attendees, including delegates and world leaders a taste of our world class Alberta BBQ. "As a proud Canadian, Albertan, and Calgarian, I can't imagine a greater honour than having our country choose us—and our passion for BBQ—to represent our city and province on the world stage at an event as monumental as the G7 Summit," said Graham Sherman, Founder and President of Tool Shed Brewing. "It's not just a reflection of our dedication—it's also a celebration of the incredible Alberta pork and beef we're so fortunate to showcase from this amazing corner of Canada." In partnership with the Royal Canadian Navy, Tool Shed has brewed a special edition beer honouring the 30th Anniversary of HMCS Calgary. With $1 from every can sold going to the Legion Poppy Fund, the commemorative beer is a celebration of the ship's enduring legacy and connection to the Calgary community. "This isn't just a beer—it's a tribute to HMCS Calgary and everything it represents," said James Costello, CEO of Tool Shed Brewing. "We're committed to supporting both active-duty members of the Canadian Armed Forces and their journey as veterans as they transition into the next phase of their careers. This partnership is one small way we can honour that service." All this momentum leads to a fresh new chapter at Tool Shed: the launch of a completely reimagined taproom menu on June 24, featuring Canadian BBQ with a Southern influence—bold, approachable dishes designed to showcase Tool Shed's culinary evolution. As Canada's Craft Brewery™, Tool Shed is proud to raise the bar for what it means to represent Alberta on the local, national, and global stage—one plate, one pint, and one powerful story at a time. Now's the time to come taste what the people, the dignitaries, and the patriots are all talking about. SOURCE Tool Shed Brewing Company View original content to download multimedia: Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
CTV News
18-06-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
‘A shrimp cocktail and ice cream': G7 chef from Calgary craft brewery cooks for presidents and prime ministers
Toolshed Brewery owner Graham Sherman and his son Hugh cooked for world leaders at the G7 summit in Kananaskis country, including Donald Trump, who opted for shrimp cocktail, spaghetti and meat balls and ice cream.
Globe and Mail
05-06-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Reinvention on tap: How Tool Shed Brewing turned setbacks into success
On a cold February day in 2012, Graham Sherman stood in a modest shed in his Calgary backyard, crammed full of brewing equipment. He was 10,500 km away from his previous life, working in Afghanistan on contracts for the Canadian and U.S. governments installing communication networks. At home, he wondered if his love of his so-called 'geeky hobbies'—beer and barbecue—could turn into something more than just passion projects. 'I thought, what if I didn't have to go back to the war zone? What if I could brew beer for a living?' says Mr. Sherman. That 'what if' question became the foundation of Tool Shed Brewing, a company that has shown the benefits of being nimble. When Mr. Sherman decided to go all-in on his beer business, he discovered that it was actually illegal at that time to start a small brewery in Alberta unless you could produce over 500,000 litres per year. Many entrepreneurs would have given up. Mr. Sherman adapted. 'I just thought, okay, what if I import beer instead? So he exported Alberta barley to B.C., found Dead Frog Brewing just outside Vancouver that allowed him to brew his products in their facility, and imported his own beer back to Alberta. 'It was perfectly crazy, but that workaround allowed me to legally get Tool Shed beer into the market.' His tactic also lit a fire under provincial regulators, especially after Mr. Sherman engaged in a high-profile media campaign advocating for local barley and craft brewing. The Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission abolished the entire minimum brewing requirement, allowing craft breweries to start at any size. 'Now people go brewery-hopping in Calgary on weekends and it's part of the culture here.' Mr. Sherman credits his military background with instilling a mission-first mentality. 'With the military, there's no option but to make it work. It's adapt, improvise, overcome, and that's exactly what we did.' Tool Shed has faced setbacks. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, 75 per cent of their revenue vanished overnight as bars and restaurants shuttered. But the brewery has had a knack for reinvention. 'As an entrepreneur, one of your most important jobs is to be great at reading that crystal ball into the future,' says Mr. Sherman. He saw a trend towards non-alcoholic beer, and came up with Tool Shed's own variety. Working with his brew house manufacturer, Mr. Sherman developed a custom-built system that allows Tool Shed to dealcoholize their actual, award-winning beer, not just create something that tastes like it. 'We're not boiling it and killing the flavour.' At first, some staff pushed back, saying they didn't sign up to make this kind of beer. 'I convinced my team that what we actually do is brew great beverages using Alberta barley and Alberta water,' he says. To Mr. Sherman, the beauty of his products isn't defined by the alcohol by volume. 'We're here to connect people, sharing stories over great food and great beverages. The amount of alcohol in the beer doesn't change that. So as long as we keep true to our craft and the DNA of what we're making, this is still completely at the core, the essence and the passion of making beer.' He trademarked the term 'buzz-free beer' because to him 'non-alcoholic' sounds like a compromise. 'Buzz-free is a lifestyle choice, not a limitation.' It takes that sort of leap to stand out in a crowded marketplace, says Samuel Roscoe, a lecturer in supply chain and operation management at UBC's Sauder School of Business. 'That's essentially what he [Mr. Sherman] is doing, saying, we can offer something new and different, and target the next generation that's coming of age.' Tool Shed's current buzz-free lineup includes flagship offerings like Zero People Skills (a play on their People Skills lager), a version of their Red Rage red ale, a stout and a hazy pale ale. During a blind taste test at a local beer festival, Mr. Sherman says half the people couldn't tell which beer was buzz-free. 'That means it's working.' He used the days of the pandemic to pursue another passion: barbecue. It started when he noticed restaurant equipment was being liquidated at auction prices, so he scooped up a $20,000 commercial kitchen hood for under $100. Using a trailer, commercial pit and oven (he picked that one up for $500), Tool Shed now runs a thriving barbecue restaurant, serving smoked brisket and pulled pork to lunchtime crowds and beer lovers alike. Mr. Sherman was even invited to cook for the upcoming G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alberta. 'If I could see into the future and say, 'You know what, maybe I should risk everything and start a restaurant because someday I'll cook for the world's leaders', it sounds ridiculous. But here we are.' For many businesses these days, success hinges on the idea of creative destruction, says Mr. Roscoe, describing it as 'a process where new innovations and technologies come along and disrupt existing markets and ways of doing business.' That requires an agility that Mr. Sherman has shown. His original tool shed has been replaced by a 22,000-square-foot brewery. And from hacking provincial liquor laws to reimagining non-alcoholic beer to smoking ribs in a retrofitted trailer, Mr. Sherman can run a masterclass in entrepreneurial evolution. 'You don't know what's next, but I do know this: trust your instincts. Luck favours people who go after opportunity.'
