Blind Enthusiasm
At Blind Enthusiasm Brewing Company, time, experimentation, and naturally occurring microorganisms are essential ingredients in making beer. Since 2018, founder Greg Zeschuk has built the Edmonton brewery around unusual beers made through spontaneous and mixed fermentation, combining centuries-old European techniques with modern brewing science.
The brewery’s purpose-built facility, The Monolith, is designed specifically for this approach. Its coolship — an open vessel where hot wort is exposed to naturally occurring microorganisms in the surrounding air — allows fermentation to begin naturally. From there, the beer is transferred into barrels, where fermentation and maturation can continue for years.
Patience is fundamental to the process. Rather than producing beer designed to be consumed immediately, Blind Enthusiasm creates elevated, bottle-conditioned beers intended to be opened, shared, and savoured. Zeschuk sees the beers as closer in character to sparkling wine, champagne, cider, or natural wine than conventional beer, making them particularly suited to food pairings and special occasions.
That distinctive approach has helped Blind Enthusiasm attract attention well beyond Edmonton. The brewery was designed from the outset with international distribution in mind, and its beers are now reaching Japan and Europe. The brewery has also earned recognition at international competitions, regularly receiving awards for its specialized beers.
Locally, Blind Enthusiasm focuses on introducing drinkers to a style they may not have encountered before. Small-group brewery tours offer an education in the complexity of fermentation, while The Monolith taproom and Relish Bar & Market provide opportunities to try the beers. The annual fall Barrel Fest brings together breweries from across Canada, along with producers from outside North America and Europe.
For Zeschuk, part of the brewery’s challenge — and appeal — is introducing people to something they do not yet know they want. Rather than simply responding to familiar demand, Blind Enthusiasm aims to draw drinkers into a different kind of beer experience.
Behind the ambitious operation is a specialized team, with each member contributing expertise to the brewery’s unconventional approach.
