Brewed in a Lambic style, the beer is now produced by Blind Enthusiasm thousands of kilometers away from Belgium. However, while the company is continuing its research involving the use of microbes with the assistance of the National Research Council of Canada, it is also expanding its operations geographically, especially after closing down its restaurant and “mass market” brewery. Indeed, this expansion reflects a new approach in terms of a greater focus on research, experimentation, and control, rather than just brewing for the sake of production. This represents a natural progression in the world of beer, as brewers have become more interested in gaining greater control over the process of fermentation, conducting yeast experiments, and small batch brewing for flavor over quantity.
An Edmonton Experiment the Beer World is Talking About
In Edmonton, Alberta, there is a project that is rarely associated with the Canadian Prairies. Blind Enthusiasm produces spontaneously fermented beer, and for all of North America, this is still unusual. The project’s key production site, The Monolith, was launched back in 2018; in parallel, a multi-year study of the microbiome is underway jointly with the National Research Council Canada. Sales have already gone beyond Alberta and Canada itself, marking its growing presence in the world of beer. The beer is available in the Netherlands, talks are underway about distribution in the U.S., and participation in Asia trade shows is planned for 2026. For a small brewery from a city of just over one million people, this is an ambition that borders on the fantastical.
Who is Behind the Project and Where Does the Money Come from
Greg Zeschuck, co-founder and co-CEO of BioWare Corporation, which has created such games as Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, is the creator of the Blind Enthusiasm brand. Once upon a time, BioWare was bought for $860 million by Electronic Arts. That money was divided among co-founders, shareholders, and employees, leaving Zeschuck personally with sufficient cash for financing the start of his own brewery business. “By the time I walked away from the video games industry, I really felt like I’d done everything that I could do in this industry… And I only realized this after I’d left – I really felt burned out.” This was not the end of his career, but rather its turning point. Such turns are common practice in the video games industry, especially for those who work in studios and create major products. In Zeschuck’s particular case, the next step turned out to be rather unusual. Usually, the professionals who work in the video game business switch to similar industries, where they can apply their accumulated skills and work under less stressful conditions.
Quite often, employees of large gaming companies move into the iGaming sector. It implies a more relaxed work format, while still offering a decent level of pay. In recent years, such a change of activity isn’t seen as downshifting, since online gambling is becoming increasingly popular worldwide, from Europe to New Zealand. Its popularity is ensured not only by the simplicity of the rules and variety, but also by the fact that online casinos offer players no deposit casino bonuses on registration, as well as a large number of other promotions. But to retain players drawn in by bonuses, interesting games are required. Every year, the demand for innovations grows bigger and bigger, attracting more and more people from other professions into this process. However, Greg Zeschuk took the opposite route by completely distancing himself from all norms and employing his expertise in a new industry. This trend is not atypical among beer producers. Some of the most exciting breweries have been created by people who previously worked in another profession, giving them the chance to look at things from a new angle and experiment.
How a Hobby became a Plan
A passion for beer accompanied Zeschuk, in his own words, throughout his life. Back in his youth, he became interested in craft beer, in particular the products of Big Rock, Alberta’s first craft brewery, founded in 1985. Later, during a medical internship in Ohio, he discovered Pete’s Wicked Ale. The turning point was 2006, when Zeschuk took on launching BioWare’s office in Austin, Texas. In his free time, he visited the legendary Ginger Man pub, known for its beer collection in the world of beer. “I tried Victory Storm King, and my whole world changed,” he recalled. After leaving BioWare, Zeschuk launched the YouTube channel The Beer Diaries, traveled to breweries, and one day, while at Funkwerks in Fort Collins, Colorado, he realized that he was capable of building his own production.
Betting on an “Impossible Task”
Zeschuk needed not just a craft business, but a challenge. The choice fell on spontaneous fermentation, a technology historically tied to the Belgian region of Pajottenland. The principle sounds almost alchemical: hot wort (wort) is cooled in an open, shallow vessel, allowing the microflora from the air and the room to “inoculate” the liquid. Within this unique fermentation process, the brewer adds no yeast. The result is unpredictable and complex in flavor. Different microorganisms produce substances that become food for others, adding layer upon layer. Aging takes years, and the final product is often obtained by blending several batches. An important caveat: the term “lambic” is protected in the EU as Traditional Speciality Guaranteed, so outside Belgium it is more accurate to speak of lambic-style or spontaneously fermented beer.
Three Names Under One Roof and the Painful Loss of 2024
Blind Enthusiasm functioned as an umbrella structure. In 2017, Market Brewery and the Biera restaurant opened, quickly receiving restaurant awards. In 2018, The Monolith began operating, specially designed for spontaneous fermentation. On its top floor, a coolship (coolship) is installed, a flat open vessel for cooling wort; louvered windows let in outside air, and oak barrels with their own microflora provide years of aging. However, in 2024, Biera and Market Brewery closed. “I thought I was a good businessman, but running a restaurant turned out to be hard,” Zeschuk admitted. The Monolith continues to operate, and the closure of the “mass-market” part helped sharpen the focus of the product. The project hasn’t reached profitability yet, but it shows growth every year.
Microbes Under Control, and Sales are Already Overseas
The partnership with the National Research Council Canada makes it possible to analyze the microorganisms fermenting the beer and track seasonal fluctuations. “Our metrics are ideal,” Zeschuk says about the stability of the wort. Differences in the final product are determined by microbes, barrels, fruit, and spices. Today, Blind Enthusiasm beer production is sold in four Canadian provinces and the Netherlands. Expansion across Europe via Dutch distribution is planned, while talks are underway in parallel about entering the U.S. market. In 2026, Greg Zeschuk intends to present the brand at trade shows in Asia.
For the former game developer, exporting spontaneously fermented beer from Edmonton to the global market has taken on the scale of a final boss encounter. In beer terms, that challenge runs deeper than logistics. Spontaneous fermentation relies on native microflora, meaning each batch carries a sense of place that doesn’t always travel predictably. Bringing that character to an international audience requires both technical precision and a clear identity, along with the kind of insights and thoughts many brewers spend years refining before stepping onto a global stage.
