Tool Shed Brewing Company

What Tool Shed Brewing Company does

Tool Shed Brewing Company is a privately held craft brewery and brewpub founded in 2012 by Graham Sherman in Calgary, Alberta. It operates from a single 22,000-square-foot facility combining a brewing operation with a taproom and full BBQ restaurant (brisket, ribs, pulled pork, smoked wings, Josper-fired cooking). The product portfolio spans six core beers (People Skills, Golden Hour, Departure, Late to the Party, Prairie Berry Sour, Red Rage), two seasonal releases (Flat Cap Stout, Pete's Pilsner), and three non-alcoholic "Buzz Free" variants at 0.5% ABV (Zero People Skills, Zero Red Rage, Zero Golden Hour). Brewing is differentiated by precision recipe development using specialized hop varieties (Citra, HBC 638, Cryo Columbus, El Dorado, Riwaka, Mosaic, HBC 586), proprietary yeast strains (Vermont, LAX, Einstein, Sourdhievey), and prairie-region inputs such as Saskatoon berries and Kananaskis water.

Revenue is generated through three primary channels: direct-to-consumer taproom food and beverage sales (with daily happy hour 2–5 PM and weekday specials), online food ordering via DoorDash and Uber Eats for pickup, and B2B wholesale distribution including ticketed brewery tours and private events. The strategic center of gravity is shifting decisively: in June 2026 the company signed a five-year exclusive agreement making it the sole beer provider for all eligible WestJet flights, launching July 15, 2026 with an initial 6,000-flat shipment and projected potential to double or triple production capacity. Tool Shed also operates private event hosting, merchandise, and growler fills. The company is founder-owned and bootstrapped, with 11–50 employees, and signals long-term ambition under its "Canada's Craft Brewery" tagline to expand beyond its single Calgary location into national distribution via the WestJet channel and its non-alcoholic product line.

Name

Tool Shed Brewing Company

Legal name

Tool Shed Brewing Company

Website

https://toolshedbrewing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tool Shed Brewing Company is a privately held Calgary craft brewery and brewpub founded in 2012, operating a 22,000 sq ft facility with a taproom, BBQ restaurant, and 11-beer portfolio (core, seasonal, non-alcoholic). It serves local consumers, private event bookers, and, via a five-year exclusive WestJet deal beginning July 2026, airline travelers nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Brewing

NAICS

Breweries (31212), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082)

akta.pro primary industry

Microbreweries & Craft Breweries (THAFALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG), Beer Brewing & Brands (CRADAIAA)

Keywords

• Craft beer brewing
• BBQ restaurant
• Brewpub taproom
• Non-alcoholic beer
• Airline beverage services

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Taproom Food & Beverage Sales: On-site dining and drinking at the 22,000-sq-ft brewery/taproom in Calgary. Revenue from beer flights, pints, growler fills, and a full BBQ food menu including brisket, ribs, pulled pork, and wings. Happy Hour 2–5 PM daily drives mid-day traffic.
2. Online Ordering & Pickup: DoorDash and Uber Eats integration for online food ordering with in-store pickup. Orders prepared in advance for efficient fulfillment.
3. WestJet In-Flight Beer Sales: Exclusive beer provider for WestJet flights with paid food and beverage service. Three craft beers (Local Legend, People Skills, Golden Hour) served on all eligible WestJet flights. Five-year partnership beginning July 15. First shipment: 6,000 flats of beer. Potential to double or triple overall production capacity.
4. Private Events & Group Reservations: Birthday parties, anniversaries, corporate events, and group reservations booked through the taproom. Revenue from food, beverage, and event space rental.
5. Ticketed Events: Saturday Loonie Tours ($1), Friday Brewery Tours, Live from the Shed music events, and National IPA Day celebrations generate ticket revenue and drive incremental beer and food sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Tool Shed Brewing Company is a Calgary-based craft brewery that produces and sells a portfolio of core, seasonal, and non-alcoholic craft beers. It operates a 22,000-square-foot brewery and taproom restaurant featuring award-winning BBQ cuisine (brisket, ribs, pulled pork, smoked meats), and supplies craft beer through an exclusive five-year partnership with WestJet for in-flight service beginning July 15, 2026.

Product overview

Tool Shed Brewing Company is a Calgary-based craft brewery founded in 2012, operating from a 22,000-square-foot facility. The company offers a portfolio of 6 core beers (People Skills, Golden Hour, Departure, Late to the Party, Prairie Berry Sour, Red Rage), 2 seasonal releases (Flat Cap Stout, Pete's Pilsner), and 3 non-alcoholic variants (Zero People Skills, Zero Red Rage, Zero Golden Hour). The company operates a taproom restaurant with barbecue cuisine and offers brewery tours, private event hosting, and online ordering through third-party delivery platforms. A significant five-year partnership with WestJet will place three beers (Local Legend, People Skills, Golden Hour) on all eligible WestJet flights starting July 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• People Skills A crushable, light and refreshing lightly hopped ale with smooth mouthfeel and golden crystal-clear appearance, 5.2% ABV with Hallertau Tradition hops. One of three beers featured in the WestJet in-flight partnership.
• Golden Hour A hazy pale ale with peach, mango, and pineapple flavors reminiscent of tropical punch, 5.5% ABV. One of three beers featured in the WestJet in-flight partnership.
• Departure A West Coast IPA featuring grapefruit, stone fruit, and citrus notes, built for those who carve their own path, 6.7% ABV with Citra, HBC 638, and Cryo Columbus hops.
• Late to the Party A vibrant New England Hazy IPA brewed with Citra, El Dorado and Riwaka hops, featuring bright citrus notes, pineapple, and pink grapefruit, 7.2% ABV.
• Prairie Berry Sour A sour ale featuring Saskatoon berries grown in the Canadian prairies, inspired by prairie berry picking memories, 5.9% ABV, brewed with Sourdhievey yeast.
• Red Rage A red ale that is roasty like coffee, toasty like fresh bread, medium-bodied and easy to drink, 5.6% ABV.
• Local Legend A craft beer featured in the WestJet exclusive partnership, served at 35,000 feet on all eligible WestJet flights with paid food and beverage service beginning July 15, 2026.
• Flat Cap Stout A deeply roasty and rich stout with a surprising presence of hops and a smooth, dry finish, 5.2% ABV.
• Pete's Pilsner A Czech-style pilsner brewed with water from Kananaskis, featuring Hallertau Perle and Hallertau Tradition hops, with pour options of Hladinka, Šnyt, or Mlíko, 4.5% ABV.
• Zero People Skills Non-alcoholic version of the People Skills beer with the same ingredients and flavor at 0.5% ABV.
• Zero Red Rage Non-alcoholic red ale with all the same character of the original Red Rage at 0.5% ABV.
• Zero Golden Hour Non-alcoholic hazy pale with the same golden haze and tropical notes of peach, mango, and pineapple as Golden Hour, at 0.5% ABV.
• Taproom and BBQ Restaurant On-site dining experience at the 22,000-sq-ft Calgary brewery featuring barbecue cuisine including brisket, pulled pork, Memphis-style ribs, smoked wings, tacos, and build-your-own BBQ platters (2-4 meats plus sides), served with happy hour pricing 2-5 PM daily.
• Brewery Tours Guided tours of the Calgary brewery offering history, the story behind craft brewing, and tasting experiences, including the Saturday Loonie Tour ($1) and Friday Brewery Tours (includes welcome pint and post-tour tasting of core lineup).
• Private Events and Group Parties Group reservations and private party hosting at the Calgary taproom for birthday parties, anniversaries, corporate events, and other group celebrations, with customizable catering and event space.
• Online Ordering for Pickup Food and beer ordering for in-store pickup via DoorDash and Uber Eats delivery platforms, with orders prepared in advance for efficient fulfillment.

Quantifiable outcome

• First WestJet shipment: 6,000 flats of beer
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• WestJetflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 June 2026Five-year exclusive partnership making Tool Shed Brewing the exclusive beer provider for WestJet flights with paid food and beverage service. Three craft beers — Local Legend, People Skills, and Golden Hour — will be available on all eligible WestJet flights starting July 15. The first shipment comprises 6,000 flats of beer. The deal could double or triple the Calgary brewery's production capacity, representing the most significant milestone in the company's history.
• AccountTouchcoreTechnology or Integration · 26 April 2026AccountTouch, a provider of route-to-market CRM solutions for the beverage industry, is expanding into Canada through a strategic partnership with Tool Shed Brewing Company. Tool Shed implements AccountTouch's platform to enhance field sales operations, optimize account management, and improve data visibility across its distribution network. This is a key milestone in AccountTouch's North American growth strategy and supports Tool Shed's operational scaling as production doubles/triples with the WestJet deal.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Major US craft brewery with broad national distribution and taproom experience. Larger established player in the craft beer category with a comparable brewpub-plus-distribution model, though operating at substantially greater scale.
• Stone Brewing: Major US craft brewery with flagship IPAs and broad distribution plus taproom locations. Broader incumbent in the craft beer space with overlapping portfolio strategy but significantly larger scale and geographic reach.
• BrewDog: Global craft brewery with extensive taproom network and airline/hospitality partnerships. Larger established player that has pursued similar B2B distribution strategies including airline partnerships, providing a model for Tool Shed's WestJet deal.
• Goose Island Beer Co. Established US craft brewery (owned by AB InBev) with broad distribution and taproom experience. Larger incumbent with comparable brewpub-plus-distribution business model and similar craft beer portfolio structure.

Direct peers

• Village Brewery: Calgary craft brewery with a taproom and core lineup of beers distributed across Alberta. Closely comparable in scale, geography, and business model to Tool Shed, competing for the same Calgary taproom visitors and Alberta retail accounts.
• Cabin Brewing Company: Calgary-based craft brewery with taproom and restaurant, known for approachable beers and on-site dining. Direct same-city competitor with overlapping beer portfolio and taproom-plus-food business model.
• Big Rock Brewery: One of Alberta's oldest and largest craft breweries, founded in Calgary with broad retail distribution across Canada. Direct competitor with longer heritage and established retail/wholesale presence in the same Alberta market.
• Banded Peak Brewing: Calgary craft brewery focused on mountain/Albertan identity with taproom service. Comparable in regional positioning and craft beer portfolio targeting the same Calgary and Alberta consumers.
• Annex Ale Project: Calgary-based craft brewery operating a taproom and restaurant with experimental small-batch beers. Directly comparable as a same-city craft brewery with on-premise dining and taproom experience, competing for the same Calgary craft beer consumer.

Regional players

• Wild Rose Brewery: Alberta-based craft brewery with taproom and broad Alberta distribution. Regional peer operating in the same province with comparable product range, primarily serving the Alberta market rather than competing head-to-head in Calgary taproom traffic.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ToolShedBrewing
• Instagraminstagram.com/toolshedbeer
• Xx.com/toolshedbeer
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tool-shed-brewing-company

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tool Shed Brewing Company