The most common question we get is, “when are you releasing beer from The Monolith?” Fortunately, we’ve got a snappy answer of, “soon”. The second most common question we get is, “when is The Monolith Taproom opening?”. We’re not yet sure when we’re going to open, but we’re going to take this chance to explain why.
As you’ve already seen from our Supply & Demand blog post, the beer releases from The Monolith will be rolling out on a very deliberate, but unpredictable schedule based on the when we feel the beer is ready based on the whims of the complex microorganisms we use to create it. The availability of The Monolith’s beer is driving the opening date of The Monolith Taproom. We don’t want to open and run out of beer. If we are releasing small batches every few months, and lots of people show up to purchase the bottles, we are guaranteed to run out before we can replenish our supply. If The Monolith Taproom were open when we ran out, we would be forced to close the taproom. In a sense we’re running a grand experiment and when we start releasing The Monolith beers, we’ll have a key data point that will help to inform our plans.
In addition to determining when we’ll open the taproom, there are the usual unknowns in front of us, including operating hours, tour timing, and our mix of offerings. Lots of questions, but also some exciting opportunities that we want to take the time to work out for the best experience in the taproom. At the very least we know we’ll be pouring glasses and selling bottles of The Monolith beer to go, as well as selling merch. There are a lot of other possibilities for The Monolith Taproom that we haven’t decided on. For example; we may sell beer from The Market Brewery and Barrel Room (both by the glass and to go), we may have some small bites of food, and we may even have a patio! All these options need to be considered and prepared for in conjunction with maintaining a consistent operation and beer supply.
The last thing to consider is that The Monolith Taproom is quite compact. It will likely be one of the smaller taprooms in Edmonton. We want to create a personal, intimate environment to enjoy and learn about the unique beers that we make. And, now that we’ve already built a couple spaces (Biera and the Bottle Room at the Ritchie Market), we’re exciting to apply what we’ve learned in the taproom design at the Monolith.
It’ll likely be one of the smaller taprooms in Edmonton. We want to create a personal, intimate environment to enjoy and learn about the unique beers that we make.
Meanwhile we’ll be selling The Monolith beers by the glass and bottle at Biera (to stay and to go), so it’s a perfect place to get your fix and enjoy food specially prepared to pair with the beer (if you’re so inclined).
So, when will we actually answer the question of, “when is The Monolith Taproom opening?” I think time and experience will tell, as we’re going to start selling our first beer in the next month (December 2019). If it sells like gangbusters, we’re in a bit of a bind, but if it sells at a predictable, constant rate we’ll be in a better position to pick an opening date. Either way our beer is coming soon, and before too long you’ll be able to enjoy it at The Monolith.
