When people in Calgary think of Graham Sherman, it’s probably with the picture of the outgoing founder of Tool Shed Brewing holding one of their signature beers in his hand.
A lesser known side of one of Calgary’s brewery magnates was his time as a civilian contractor in Afghanistan, where he installed encrypted tactical communication networks improving the battlefield readiness of NATO forces.
So, when Calgary Salutes came looking for a brewery earlier this year to celebrate the 30th anniversary of HMCS Calgary, it was no surprise that he jumped at the opportunity.
“Most people maybe don’t know the amount of time I spent as a civilian in Afghanistan supporting the Canadian Department of National Defence (DND) in all arms of the military. Coming home from the many years that I spent overseas, I came back with an absolute mad, lunatic love for our contribution to the world on that stage,” said Sherman.
“I made it a mission to make sure I share that pride with everybody in my life. So I don’t know if there’s any better way to do it than with beer.”
What the brewmasters at Tool Shed have created is a complex 4.5 per cent ABV pilsner, which itself is about to embark on its own special mission.
“Our goal is to make this beer available in all legions across Canada. So we’re hoping that the folks, the veterans, that go to their Legion will demand it. Tell people that this is something that they support, that they want to be they want to be a part of, and ask for,” Sherman said.
“The first thing people say is, ‘wait, HMCS, Calgary? We have a navy? Is it in the Glenmore Reservoir? ‘And you’re like, no this is actually a massive honour that our city’s namesake is on a really incredible piece of our fleet, and has done some incredible missions around the world.”
The beer is also the first to be licensed by the DND, with a WWII era dazzle camouflage painted HMCS Calgary on the label.
Fittingly for the history of the ship, which is the only one in the Royal Canadian Navy to enjoy such a close relationship with it’s namesake city, but also to be given special dispensation to do things a little differently.
A special relationship between ship and city not found anywhere else in Canada
HMCS Calgary is the only navy ship that allows a modification to the uniform regulations to allow sailors to wear iconic Smithbilt hats.
“I wasn’t entirely convinced that we would be able to get a project like this across the goal line with the Canadian Department of National Defence, allowing a brewery to have a licensed brand of beer utilizing the HMCS Calgary. Of course, it did get across the goal line. So it’s an incredibly special honour for us,” said Sherman.
“It’s never happened before, so we’re breaking new ground and I think that that’s a really neat thing.”
As part of the licensing agreement, the beer will not be available for purchase in liquor stores, only at Legions. All of the proceeds from the beer will be donated to the Poppy Fund.
“I go down to the Legion and I share beers with a lot of the veterans. I just want to hear stories and and honour the people that have gone before us and supported our country And other countries overseas, and the way we do that is over beer,” Sherman said.
Ward 9 Coun. Gian-Carlo Carra, who has for many years championed the special relationship between the HMCS Calgary and the city, said that having a beer brewed for the sailors was actually a full circle moment for Calgary.
“Calgary is a city that was built on beer. I’m a big believer that the reason why Calgary is the city it is today is because 100 years ago we started brewing beer,” Carra said.
“Instead of shipping out raw materials, we brought raw materials in. We created a value added product that went all over the world and created this benevolent cycle of commerce and culture that built the city that we live in today.”
A.E. Cross, one of Calgary’s Big Four, was himself the founder of the Calgary Brewing and Malting Company, 16 years before Alberta became a province.
“Beer makes a lot of sense. It’s part of our history. It’s part of our future. It seems to be at the forefront of who we are as we reinvent ourselves,” Carra said.
“As we talk about what it means to be Canadians as what it means to be Calgarians in the context of Canada, as we celebrate HMCS Calgary, which is projecting Canadian and Calgarian values into the world, it just makes a lot of sense to drink beer.”
HMCS Calgary will be celebrated by both members of the Canadian Armed Forces and Calgarians in Victoria, B.C., starting on June 13 with events that run through the weekend.
Calgarians unable to make it to the Victoria celebrations are being invited to join members of the Canadian Armed Forces in the annual Barn Burner celebration on July 2, at the ATCO Blue Flame Kitchen.
