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Welcome to the Shawn & Ed Brewing Company. Our story is forged in friendship and started more than 25 years ago at the McMaster University Campus here in Hamilton, Ontario where two friends shared a dream to one day open a brewery. Flash forward to summer of 2013 at Shawn Till's annual cottage gathering with fellow friends and McMaster alumni which included his partner in crime, Ed Madronich. With the two of of them sitting by the lake, beers in hand, they knew the time had come to bring their dream to life.
Authenticity and quality was as important then as it is now. This meant no short cuts and taking our time to find the perfect location to brew the best possible beer. When the old Dundas Curling and Skating Rink went up for sale, there was no question that they had found the perfect location. What Canadian wouldn’t want to put a brewery inside an old curling and skating rink? This building has a tremendous amount of character and history and our mission was to restore as much of it as possible. We wanted the Shawn & Ed Brewing Company to bring the building’s rich history back to life.
With a building this age came a great deal of restoration of the historic landmark that it is and preserving this was so important in keeping with our promise of authenticity and quality. What this whole dream was based on though, was great tasting beer. To that end, we at The Shawn & Ed Brewing Company strive to produce the best possible beer using natural ingredients and brewing with great care and craftsmanship. For us, opening a brewery has not only been a passion project but also the pinnacle of our friendship. We want to share a classic brew that everyone can enjoy with their a friends; a beer that’s Forged in Friendship.
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-Shawn & Ed
OUR BUILDING
THE HISTORY OF THE BUILDING
Our beautiful building was built by Richard Todd Wilson (mayor of Dundas from 1891-1892) in the 1860s. It is most known for its original purpose as the former Dundas Curling & Skating Rink. Between the years of 1923 and 1932, 65 Hatt Street was home to the Highway King Bus Line, using the building as a garage for their buses. From 1933 until 1974 it manufactured a multitude of things including crokinole boards and ringer-rollers for washing machines. In 1974 it was purchased by Valley City Furniture for storage and upholstery until 2012 when Shawn and Ed purchased the building.
THE RENOVATION PROCESS
Renovating a building that is almost 150 years old comes with many challenges. There was fire damage, countless structural issues, no plumbing and no updated electrical, just to name a few. The entire renovation process took one year to complete. We ran into countless issues which caused delay after delay. But, now that it’s completed we are happy to say that we were able to restore the building to its former glory and have a state-of-the-art brewing facility inside it.
THE DUMP TRUCK STORY
Back in 2001 a dump truck went through the wall after losing its brakes coming down Sydenham Hill. In this historical photo, you can see the truck itself is actually holding up the better part of this side of the building. Much of the wall needed to be reconstructed, which is why you see cinder blocks behind the brick in the brewery today.
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THE DESTINATION SCROLLS
The building was once used for Highway King Bus Lines, which ran from Dundas to Hamilton. The destination scrolls that hang in the brewery, were found in the attic when Shawn and Ed purchased the building. The drivers would have hand cranked the scroll to display the destination. The signs in frames were never sewn together or used, so they are nearly one hundred years old, but brand new!
THE PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT
Here at the Shawn & Ed Brewing Co. we don’t take short cuts; we do things the right way. From the building to the brewing equipment we strive to make everything about our brewery the best that it could possibly be. Our brewing equipment was purchased in Italy and took the long trek across the Atlantic until it was finally installed in its new home at 65 Hatt Street. Our equipment includes a fully automated brewhouse, two 40hL fermentation tanks, and four 80hL fermentation tanks.
THE BIG LARGE
ALUMINUM BOTTLE
Our LagerSHED Original Big Large aluminum bottle is the perfect brew to share with friends on a hot summer's day. It holds 473ml of delicious craft lager, that gets colder, faster. And because it's the size of a tall boy, you can enjoy it longer.