Latest news with #brewing
Globe and Mail
20 hours ago
- 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.'
CTV News
3 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Saskatchewan brewers will soon benefit from a new incentive focused on growing production
WATCH: Local beer makers may soon be raising a glass thanks to a new provincial incentive. Angela Stewart reports. Changes are coming for Saskatchewan's brewing industry, as the province has announced a new incentive to help small and medium-sized producers of beer increase their output levels. The changes come in the form of reduced markup rates – intended to encourage Saskatchewan-based breweries to increase the number of beverages they produce daily. 'That's a good thing for small local breweries of all sorts but especially local breweries,' President CEO of Rebellion Brewing Mark Heise told CTV News. 'Small businesses are suffering across Canada right now for a variety of reasons whether it's tariffs or inflation. It gives us some opportunity to grow and not have to face additional steep taxes.' The new rules were rolled out on May 29 by the Government of Saskatchewan. However, some Regina breweries say it's a move that may not make much of a difference. 'Increasing it from 400,000 hectoliters, 500,000 hectoliters is a major jump. Obviously, that's a huge number, but those are capacities that most smaller breweries aren't going to be running at,' explained Hayden McPherson, who serves as the marketing coordinator for District Brewing Company. McPherson reiterated that many breweries in the Queen City simply aren't at the stage of production to take advantage of the changed rules. 'Places like obviously your Great Western and things like that are going to be a lot closer to that mark so it's going to help them out more get them to produce some more but your local brewers aren't going to see to much of an effect off of this one,' he said. 'We do about 5,000 hectolitres … that's equivalent to about a million pints of beer in a year,' he added. The markup is only applied to products sold in the province and distributed through the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) and third-party warehouses. 'How a given brewery is affected by these changes depends on their current and future production levels,' the provincial Crown outlined in a statement to CTV News. 'It also depends on whether their products are subject to markup, which is applied by SLGA to products sold in the province and distributed through SLGA's warehouse or through third-party warehouse.' The markup changes officially take effect July 1.
Forbes
4 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Why You're Suddenly Seeing Beers That Are All Foam
A Mlíko pour is almost all foam, but that is what makes it delicious, according to enthusiasts. John Robson Emblazoned on the home page of Cohesion Beer's website are the words 'Foam is beautiful.' The Denver, Colorado brewery is focused on brewing Czech-style lagers, using traditional ingredients—their malt is custom-made for them by a local maltster to meet their unique needs—and methods, including fermenting in open vats and conditioning tanks that are horizontal, rather than vertical. Cohesion is just one of a new wave of craft breweries embracing lager styles. The craft beer industry was largely built on ales, most notably hoppy IPAs showcasing a seemingly unending variety of hops. But new craft breweries, and some of the older ones, are now responding to a renewed thirst for lager. In addition to making beers in various Czech styles—from Světlý Ležák (Pale Lager) to Speciální Tmavé Pivo (Special Dark Beer)—Cohesion serves all beers in three traditional Czech formats: 'From a sensory standpoint, the foam captures aromatics and keeps them available for the drinker,' said Eric Larkin, brewer and co-owner at Cohesion during a telephone interview. 'It helps the drinker use all of their olfactory senses and helps everything come together. And it looks beautiful.' Foam on top of any beer is a protective barrier, keeping the beer from oxygen, which harms the flavor of beer in subtle ways. But Czech beer foam is special. Unlike usual beer foam, which forms atop a beer as carbonation settles, foam created in the Czech fashion is wet—if allowed to settle, that foam will settle into much more liquid beer than regular beer foam does. Usual beer foam is a byproduct of pouring the beer, while in the Czech tradition, foam is the point. Because the foam is wet, it has flavor. In a Šnyt or Mlíko, drinking the foam is the point. 'Obviously, the foam comes from the beer,' said Larkin. 'But it is made up differently at a molecular level. It has more protein separated out of the beer which gives it texture like a milkshake, or milk, I guess, which is where the name comes from.' The side pull beer tap is designed to let the bartender change the flavor and texture of beer. Courtesy of LUKR CZ a.s. The taps used to create the foam are different. Commonly referred to as a 'side pull' tap, the lever swings side to side, rather than tipping forward as with the more ubiquitous draft tap. While there are now 'side pull' taps that swing up and down, rather than side to side, the mechanism inside is what allows the bartender to control the amount of foam. And in a Czech-style pour, the bartender always makes the foam first, throttling the tap differently to allow liquid beer to flow only when the perfect foam has already been created, and that beer is only allowed to flow under the foam, so it is never exposed to ambient air and does not disturb the foam. 'There are three, most important parts which make the magic,' said Jan Havránek, international sales manager of LUKR, which makes side pull taps, in a video interview. 'Inside, there is a compensator, which regulates the speed of flow of beer through the tap. The tap handle moves a ball valve inside. This is where the foam is created. A smaller opening results in more foam. And the third thing is a special screen in the nozzle of the tap.' Havránek says LUKR currently sells about 2,000 taps per year. Ten years ago, they sold about 25. Use of the special taps and knowledge of the Czech-pouring tradition, which includes ensuring the glassware is kept wet and at the same temperature as the beer that will eventually fill it, requires specific training. There are even certifications available in Czech pouring. 'It can make your beer taste and feel better in the hands of a trained tapster,' said Havránek. 'On a violin, you need to hear and feel the tone. It's not about set positions. In the hands of a skilled bartender, the tap creates wet and dense foam that is full of beer. It creates amazing mouthfeel; it is not just good taste.' 'We treat the foam and the different pouring styles the same way a barista creates different coffee drinks which all contain the same liquids, but in different proportions and formats to create drinks that taste different,' said Larkin.
Fox News
7 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
Craft brewers navigate rising costs without passing hefty price hikes to customers
America's craft brewers may be facing the sobering reality of inflation and looming tariffs, but a number of them are using creative problem-solving to navigate tight economic times. Many of these artisans — traditionally known for their boldness and innovation — are finding ways to maintain quality and brand integrity without asking loyal customers to choke on the price. "Pretty much everything that goes into making beer got more expensive over the past five years," Bart Watson, president and CEO of the Colorado-based Brewers Association, told Fox News Digital. "In this competitive environment, it's hard for brewers to pass all that on to the customer because they risk losing sales. So brewers are faced with this dual challenge." Beer makers have seen a sharp increase in costs since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. "That's when the supply chain really shifted," David Stoneking, owner of Brotherwell Brewing in Waco, Texas, best known for its Belgian-style triple called Act of Faith, told Fox News Digital. "The tariffs and other related things are still an unknown. Everyone is aware of them, everyone is worried about them, but nobody has actually paid an additional price quite yet." Bill Butcher, owner of Port City Brewing Co. in Alexandria, Virginia, said he feels that, too. "We have rising input costs for our ingredients, rising labor costs for our team and rents are going up. Everything is getting more expensive," Butcher told Fox News Digital. "At the same time, people are being more careful with their money with all the uncertainty in the economy right now." Creative problem-solving helps craft breweries maintain price points without compromising the quality and variety their customers have come to expect. One way brewers are mitigating their costs is by sourcing local ingredients. "Our bestselling beer, Optimal Wit, is brewed with 100% Virginia-grown wheat," Butcher said. "We are happy to support our local Virginia agriculture. And as we've grown, we've become the largest purchaser of food-grade, Virginia-grown wheat in the state." In addition to supporting local farmers, Butcher said it reduces transportation costs and also allows the company to monitor inventory and not over-order ingredients that might go unused. Breweries in the same areas are also consolidating their orders for ingredients, Butcher said, as well as working together to ship their beer out to market when they have shared distributors. "We try to collaborate with our local allies in the market and work together in ways that make sense for everybody," Butcher said. Some brewers are expanding into other markets, such as kombucha, seltzers and non-alcoholic options, in order to bolster sales. "We make a non-alcoholic hoppy seltzer that we developed a couple of years ago as we saw the trend of 'Dry January' growing," Butcher said. "We wanted to offer something to people if they wanted to come to the brewery but not necessarily drink beer." Brotherwell Brewing also has some non-alcoholic offerings and Stoneking said he's always keeping an eye open for new options there, including food. "We don't have the resources right now to build out a kitchen," Stoneking said. "But we do partner with local food trucks as often as we're able." Beer and communities have always been intertwined, Stoneking said. For more Lifestyle articles, visit "Breweries and community beer gardens have developed as a space that was, throughout history, the place for people to gather," Stoneking said. "There's a little bit of shade and a little bit of beer — OK, let's hang out here as family or friends or community members. That has survived relatively unchanged for thousands of years." Compared with wine and spirits, even craft beer is on the low end of affordability. "With beer, we can stay kind of accessible," Stoneking said. "Whether you're paying $4 for a Bud Light or $6 for a craft beer, that $2 difference isn't huge. That means we get to cast a wider net," he said. "People specifically choose craft beer at that $2 up-charge over major domestics precisely for the quality of it and for the exploration of it. They find value in it."
Daily Mail
29-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Labour is offering 'no positive support whatsoever', says brewer Adnams amid mounting debt pile fears
Struggling brewer Adnams has said that hospitality firms are 'receiving no positive support whatsoever from the Government' as its debt pile remains 'unsustainable'. Simon Townsend, the interim chair of the Ghost Ship maker, said that hospitality businesses were 'facing a number of headwinds' this year, including 'questionable economic growth', increases in employment costs and 'unreliable consumer confidence'. At her first Budget last October, Chancellor Rachel Reeves whacked the sector with increases in employers' National Insurance Contributions and the national minimum wage, as well as a package of tax hikes. 'Businesses such as Adnams are receiving no positive support whatsoever from the Government, despite our role as an important employer at the heart of the communities which we serve,' Townsend said, adding that the group was currently pursuing a 'self-help story'. Pub operators and brewers have called on the Government to help them through offering a VAT cut on food and drinks sold in hospitality, as well as by reforming the business rates system, which they say would level the playing field with online giants. But their calls have fallen on deaf ears amid warnings of job losses and venue closures following the Chancellor's tax-hiking Budget. Cost pressures have added to Adnams' woes as it said its indebtedness was 'unsustainable', even as its debt pile fell from £15.9million to £15.3million over the year. It will start selling assets to slash borrowings, it said, after reportedly deciding against a sale of its business last year. It narrowed losses to £2.7million over the year to December 31, compared to £4million the year before. And bosses hailed signs of a turnaround, as sales rose 3 per cent to £68.1million. But it said that the sales of products in shops, including Southwold Bitter and Double Ghost pale ale, fell as 'trading conditions on the High Street remained challenging'. The beleaguered business replaced former boss Andy Wood with Jenny Hanlon last year, the first female chief executive in the 150-year-old firm's history. The brewer hopes to boost its fortunes by focusing on maximising the sales of its best-known Ghost Ship and Southwold Bitter drinks.
