by Peter Bailey
There are many, many U of A alumni who took their degrees and did some pretty great things.
And then there’s Greg Zeschuk. He took his U of A medical degree and then made a sharp turn, co-founding BioWare, the hugely successful video game studio. Retiring from BioWare in 2012, Zeschuk turned to beer, launching Blind Enthusiasm Brewing, which includes Biera restaurant and two breweries. At the Ritchie Market brewery, they brew ales and lagers plus barrel-aged beers. A few blocks away is The Monolith, where they brew, age and blend barrel-fermented beers.
Located just off 99 Street (aka Happy Beer Street), The Monolith is a brooding, concrete three-story brewery and barrel house purpose-built to create barrel-fermented beers. Monolith head brewer Doug Checknita is the mastermind here, using knowledge gained from studies at Olds College and time working at Cantillon, the classic Lambic brewery in Belgium. We’re talking Old World beers—layered, complex beers made slowly and with care. It’s about combining traditional methods with modern technology and science. A tiny taproom on the ground floor hides the fact that there’s big things happening behind the scenes. Just past the taproom is the brewhouse, a state-of-the-art take on a traditional Belgian Lambic brewery. I’ve seen many a brewhouse in my day, and this is one of the most impressive anywhere. Zeschuk told me that brewery people visiting from around Canada and farther afield consider The Monolith a must-stop.
The brewhouse is just the entrée to where the real magic happens. Up at the top of the building is a room containing a cool ship (koelschip), an open, flat circular steel vessel into which unfermented beer (wort) is pumped. In the traditional Lambic (spontaneous fermentation) method, as the wort cools, it’s exposed to fresh outside air. The wort is inoculated with the yeasts and micro-organisms found in that air, making for a truly local beer. Next, the wort goes into barrels, located in barrel rooms throughout the building, where the primary fermentation happens, right in the barrel. The Monolith has nearly 500 barrels at work, mostly former wine barrels made of sturdy French oak—big puncheons of 400 or 500 litres. Beer in The Monolith barrels can ferment for one, two, three, even four years. Blending is next. No beer goes right from one barrel to a bottle—it’s all blended in anywhere from two up to eight different barrels to create the best possible beer. It was five years before The Monolith’s first release, A Measure of Patience, in 2019. Their first 100 per cent spontaneous fermentation beer, Spontaneous Manifesto, was released in 2023. About 75-80 per cent of The Monolith’s beers are made via spontaneous fermentation now.
But why go to all this effort and expense for beers that appeal to a relatively small audience? In answer to that, Zeschuk poured me a glass of Homage to the Old Ones, following a tour of The Monolith. Homage is a very special blend of spontaneously fermented beer from four-year barrels. It won a gold medal at the World Beer Cup in 2024. This is a gorgeous beer with depth and complexity, bright and gently tart. Drinking this beer, one understands Zeschuk’s enthusiasm. He and his team are doing something special, right here in Edmonton.
As Zeschuk put it to a visiting brewer from California’s Firestone Walker, “I know it’s crazy, but we’re doing it anyway!”
Barrel Beer Picks
The 2nd Blind Enthusiasm Barrel Fest on September 14 celebrates these unique beers and the people who make them. It’s a fantastic opportunity to try some special and rare beers. Greg Zeschuk picks some of his favourite beers (and a cider) coming to Barrel Fest.
Click images to zoom
Blind Enthusiasm Hands Across Canada, Edmonton
Launching at Barrel Fest this year is a malty, spicy amber ale aged in California port barrels for six months. It’s a collaboration among the out-of-province breweries from Barrel Fest 2023, including 2 Crows (Halifax), Nokomis (Saskatchewan), Low Life (Winnipeg), and Category 12 (Saanich, BC).
Brasserie Dunham Viti Vini Vici 17 Dunham, QC
A sleepy little brewery in Quebec’s Eastern Townships was transformed by Montréalers Sébastien Gagnon (owner) and Éloi Deit (brewer). It’s one of the hippest breweries in Canada, making many interesting beers, including a bevy of barrel-aged beers. The Fest is a rare chance to try one of their wine-inspired beers, as they are seldom available outside Quebec.
Dageraad Decade Burnaby, BC
Dageraad (Flemish for daybreak or sunrise) was founded with the explicit goal to brew Belgian-style beers in Canada. Decade is a blend of mixed-culture saisons, brewed with barley, wheat, oats and spelt, barrel-aged for up to three years and blended, bottled and released this year for Dageraad’s 10th anniversary.
Brewsters Blue Monk Bourbon Barley Wine, Calgary
Zeschuk calls Blue Monk one of the most underrated beers in Alberta, brewed for over 30 years by Brewsters. This 11 per cent ABV barley wine is aged in Jack Daniel’s bourbon whiskey barrels, making for a rich, spicy beer.
Cabin Chapter 5, Calgary
Brewed for Cabin’s 5th anniversary, this fruity, Belgian-style golden strong ale was barrel-aged in a mix of apple brandy and pinot grigio barrels. It’s fruit forward with big vinous white wine notes and complex apple fruit esters, balanced with moderate oak character from the barrels.
Uncommon Cider YYC Community Cider, Calgary
Zeschuk says Uncommon’s ciders are among Canada’s best and highly recommends everything they do. Their Community Cider uses apples donated from backyard trees all over Calgary, making for a truly local cider. They hand press every apple, then ferment with the wild yeasts found on the apple skins.
Beer enthusiast Peter Bailey will see you on the Fest. He’s on X/Twitter and Instagram as @Libarbarian.