Bad Bones Beer: From a bone-crushing car accident to an Eastern Townships brewery

How brewer Zack Heuff turned a life-altering car accident off black ice on a country road into something everyone can enjoy.

J.P. Karwacki

J.P. Karwacki

September 11, 2024- Read time: 6 min
Bad Bones Beer: From a bone-crushing car accident to an Eastern Townships brewery

TW: Images of injuries.

“My brother Dave Heuff and I, along with his wife Gillian Greenberg and my wife Éloïse Audet-Cloutier, are all big beer geeks. Dave and I traveled a lot for beer and started homebrewing together,” says Zack Heuff of Bad Bones, a new brewery out of Dunham as of August 2024.

Video: @badbonesbeer / Instagram

“I used to be a musician, playing bass and singing in bands. When I started bartending (at Old Montreal’s BreWskey Pub), I fell in love with the product and wanted to learn more,”.

“Brewing has the same balance of technique and art as music, and that’s what hooked me. Talking to passionate brewers inspired me, and I found that brewing gave me a similar creative outlet.”

Member-only story

Unlock Montreal’s stories. Join The Main community.

Read this story free.

Enter your email to unlock your first article and get The Bulletin — our weekly roundup of food, art, and local culture.

  • 5 free articles per month
  • Save your favourite places & guides
  • Weekly newsletter The Bulletin
  • Stay connected to Montreal culture

Become an Insider.

Join a community that supports independent Montreal stories and celebrates the people shaping its culture.

Subscribe
  • Unlimited access to all stories
  • Exclusive features & local insights
  • Special offers and event invites
  • 10% off in our shop
  • Support local storytelling

Already a member? Sign in

Related articles

Montreal gets its first German beer hall in 30 years with Wünderbar
J.P. Karwacki

Montreal gets its first German beer hall in 30 years with Wünderbar

The 3,500-square-foot beer hall on Plaza Saint-Hubert serves Bavarian drinking traditions with liter steins of German imports along long communal tables.

Brocard proves traditional Syrian food can feel brand new
J.P. Karwacki

Brocard proves traditional Syrian food can feel brand new

A young team, an open kitchen, and recipes passed down through generations: Meet Talal Sabbagh's new spot on Saint-Laurent.

How Monkland Tavern shaped Montreal's restaurant scene over 30 years
J.P. Karwacki

How Monkland Tavern shaped Montreal's restaurant scene over 30 years

The NDG institution and best-kept industry secret that helped launch some of Montreal's best chefs.

The Best New Restaurants in Montreal [November 2025]
J.P. Karwacki

The Best New Restaurants in Montreal [November 2025]

Lebanese home cooking meets halal Caribbean fusion, natural wine bistros, pop-up delis with house-cured meats, New York-style pizza perfected, and more.

Boulangerie Marguerita has been baking bread the same way for over a century
Ivy Lerner-Frank

Boulangerie Marguerita has been baking bread the same way for over a century

The Little Italy bakery that could: Still hand-rolling loaves in its original 1910 brick oven, still telling real estate speculators it's not for sale, just for bread.

Taking over Icehouse means inheriting a decade of expectations
J.P. Karwacki

Taking over Icehouse means inheriting a decade of expectations

Preserving the Plateau's Tex-Mex institution means proving yourself every single night.