What We Brew
Our Beers
We brew practical, honest beer meant to be shared and talked about. Every batch has a reason and a story behind it — from 1860s Ontario ale recipes to modern competition gold.
Our Approach
How We Brew
We keep homebrewing simple: clean process, clear intent, and no shortcuts in fermentation or conditioning. Over time, that consistency becomes the BeerShack house character.
Ed's years at Black Creek Historic Brewery taught him something most modern brewers never learn — how to make great beer with nothing but basic equipment and good ingredients. When you can't rely on digital controls, you learn to read the beer.
Lou brings the competition mindset. Every beer he enters is brewed to style, dialed to hit BJCP style guidelines precisely, with the kind of attention to detail that separates a good homebrew from a medal-winner.
Together, it's a combination of historical intuition and modern precision. We don't use artificial additives. We source good ingredients, manage water chemistry, and let time and temperature do their work.
Ed and Lou at Cask Days '09 — pouring Barley Days Harvest Gold Pale Ale and Beau's/BeerShack Tommy Gun Pale Ale.
Signature Brews
Brown Brawler
English Brown Ale · BJCP 13B
Lou's pride and joy. A rich, malty English Brown Ale with a nutty, caramel backbone and restrained hop bitterness. The kind of homebrew that rewards patient sipping. Took 1st Place at Brew Slam 2019 in the English Brown Ale category — out of 17 entries, judged blind alongside 819 total entries. See Lou's full competition record and awards.
1st Place · Brew Slam 2019 · Louis De Bourbon
Brown Brawler
English Brown Ale
Black Creek Era
Historical Ales
1860s-Style Ontario Ales
Ed's recipes from the Black Creek Historic Brewery years — ales brewed with locally-sourced roots, herbs, and seasonal ingredients using traditional 1860s methods. Ginger Beer, Simcoe Hopped Ale, Barrel Aged Beer, and more. No artificial additives, no preservatives — just what the Ontario land and the season offered.
Featured in LCBO via Trafalgar Brewery, Oakville
Historical Ales
1860s Methods
Across The Board
Styles We Brew
BeerShack's 100+ homebrew medals span nearly every major BJCP style category. We don't specialize in one style — we compete across the board and win across the board.
Beer + Food
What to Eat With It
Malty Beers
Browns, Ambers, Scotch Ales
Aged cheddar, warm pretzels, toasted nuts, or roasted root vegetables. The caramel and toffee notes play off savory and salty flavours.
Hoppy Beers
IPAs, Pale Ales, Bitters
Fish and chips, fried pickles, or kettle chips with sea salt. The bitterness cuts through oil and fat beautifully.
Dark Beers
Stouts, Porters, Dark Belgians
Dark chocolate, smoked brisket, charcuterie with dried fruits. A good stout with 70% dark chocolate is hard to beat.
Explore our full beer and food pairing guide for more ideas.
Interested in what we're brewing?
Get in touch. We're always happy to talk recipes, brewing process, or just Ontario homebrew in general.