The beers from the Monolith come with a recommendation that they can be cellared for 10 years. It’s fair to say that we were conservative when we made that estimate and based on the evaluation of the 5 year old beers in our cellar at the time of this writing it’s looking really good they will last much longer. A little known secret is that we’ve kept and faithfully cellared hundreds of bottles of every one of our prior releases for eventual release. This will be taking place at the 5 year point, which is just around the corner for the 2019 releases. We’ve been tasting these and they’re progressing really well; we can’t wait until those of you that missed our original releases years ago get a chance to try these special beers.
So why do our beers last so long in the cellar? There are a few factors that come into play that promote successful long term cellaring, and some of these are quite similar to fine wines. In terms of wine, people talk about the “structure” of the wine being suitable for aging. These are things like levels of fruit, acidity, and tannin – all of these contribute to success when cellaring, Funny enough our beer has many of the same elements – fruit, acid, tannin and we’ve also got a live microbial culture in the bottle. Over time these microbes go into suspended animation but they’re still there and available to grab and oxygen or other interesting chemicals that might serve as food. The processes in the bottle over time are both biological and chemical, with reactions of various types taking place over time to slowly alter the beer.
Our beer’s suitability for long term cellaring also dictates our choice in vessel to hold our beer – we use a crown cap and a cork (like the Belgian Lambic beers) to provide two methods for closure during long term cellaring. If one type fails the other is a backup.
Also, glass is proven inert and acidic liquid like wine and our beers can last for decades in glass, but that’s not the case for cans. Research has shown that the plastic lining of cans deteriorate over time with acidic sources, like beer.
We’re trying to create a special experience with our beers and the ability to successfully cellar them for years is something we aspire to do for your long term enjoyment of everything we make.
We're honoured to have been awarded three golds for the second year in a row at one of Europe's biggest beer competitions! Spontaneous Manifesto 2023, Fruitful Pursuits: Cherry 2023, and Substantially Complete 2023 were all judged to be gold standard by a demanding panel of judges from across Europe.
The Monolith is looking for a food and beverage aficionado to join our team full time. We are looking for a charismatic individual with a passion for cooking and working in a kitchen who also possesses enthusiasm for our specialty beer. In this customer facing role, you will provide friendly, responsive service to our guests, while also cooking food for the taproom. Our ideal candidate has a passion for our specialty beer, delicious locally sourced foods, and is excited to share their enthusiasm with our patrons! If these areas aren’t your area of expertise yet, we are willing to offer detailed training for the right person!.
The Monolith is looking for food and beverage afficionados to join our team in both full time and part time roles. In this role you will provide friendly, responsive service to create an exceptional experience for all of our guests. Our ideal candidate has a passion for the specialty beer we make, delicious foods, and is excited to share their enthusiasm with our patrons! If these areas aren’t your area of expertise yet, we are willing to offer detailed training for the right person!.
Greg Zeschuk
Author
Greg’s career has ranged from physician, to videogame developer as founder of BioWare, and now trainee brewer. Greg is the prime enthusiast behind the Blind Enthusiasm Brewing Company.