Calgary brewery hosts Wednesday event to support staff of burned-down Ol’ Beautiful taproom

Ol'Beautiful, a popular Inglewood brew pub, burned down early Sunday morning

A Calgary craft brewer is hosting a party to help out the staff of another brewery that burned down June 30.

Tool Shed Brewing Company is hosting an Industry Brew Day event Wednesday night to raise funds for the employees of Ol’ Beautiful, the popular Inglewood brewpub that was destroyed in a fire.

Wednesday’s event will feature $8 pints of Ol’ Beautiful’s Polite Nights Light Lager and live music by Bad Bodies and Kue Varo as part of the Melody Music concert series.

“At Tool Shed Brewing, we believe that when one brewery thrives, the whole craft beer community rises with it,” said James Costello, CEO of Tool Shed in a media release. “Our Industry Brew Day is our way of fostering collaboration and innovation, ensuring that the passion for craft beer continues to thrive."

Costello will be joined Wednesday by Ol’ Beautiful co-founder Chirs Carroll and its community manager Heather Keegan, in addition to his Tool Shed partner Graham Sherman.

Sherman told CTV News that Alberta craft brewers are more collegial than competitive.

"Ol' Beautiful suffered a terrible loss," he said, "and it was a no-brainer the moment we heard (that their taproom burned down). We all knew that this next Industry Brew Day was going to be for Ol' Beautiful."

A crowd of over 200 is expected.

The event runs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Tool Shed Brewing, #9, 801 30^th Street N.E.

"We’re going to drink a great beer, celebrate Ol' Beautiful and we’re going to put a bunch of revenue towards their business," Sherman said. "We’re in the same province, doing the same thing for the same reason: we’re here to put the barley farmers on the map, to put the malt house on the map – Alberta and Western Canadian barley on the map with what we’re doing here.

"What’s great is being authentic and genuine and collaborative with the community around you," he added, "and the people that work in your industry together."

Toolshed Brewing's Graham Sherman is hosting a fundraiser for Ol' Beautiful, whose Calgary taproom burned down June 30.

A GoFundMe campaign set up by the Alberta Brewers Association and Keegan has raised over $25,000 for the staff displaced by the fire.

Ol’ Beautiful’s tap room opened in 2017 and hosted numerous community events, workshops and fundraisers, including multiple Pride events.

For more about Ol’ Beautiful, go here.