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Location:
#1, 5551 - 45 Street
Red Deer, AB T4N 1L2
587.802.1790
Taproom & Tastings: Monday to Friday 1-8pm; Saturday 11am to 8pm; Sunday 12pm to 5pm
Tours: Daily at 4pm
Website: troubledmonk.com
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: /troubledmonk
Twitter: @TroubledMonk
Products: Golden Gaetz Golden Ale, Pesky Pig Pale Ale, Open Road American Brown Ale, Homesteader Saison, seasonal brews
Availability:
Available in draft and cans.
Not least for its unusual name, Troubled Monk brewery of Red Deer, Alberta is quickly becoming known across the province. The brainchild of brothers Charlie and Graeme Bredo, Troubled Monk is now open to the public, and invites Red Deer into its uniquely decorated taproom — which features a mural of the fabled “troubled monk” — to have a pint or two.
Troubled Monk owes its name to an innovative time in the history of beer brewing. In medieval Europe, monks were the chief brewers of beer. Throughout centuries of experimentation and meticulous study, European monks gradually perfected their art, and much of what we know about brewing today we owe to them. The Bredos’ vision when selecting the brewery’s name was of a lonely, beer-brewing monk, whose diligent pursuit of his hobby leads his neighbours and friends to perceive him as slightly eccentric, or “troubled.” “It’s kind of a quirky name,” says co-founder Charlie Bredo, “which fits us in a lot of ways, I think.”
But the brewery’s “quirky” name is nothing compared to the names of its beers; Troubled Monk’s flagship beer, Pesky Pig Pale Ale, was named for Francis the Pig, whose escape from a Red Deer slaughterhouse in the summer of 1990 has become something nearing local legend. The ale honouring the fugitive pig captures Francis’s “free spirit.” Troubled Monk’s growing selection now features four different brews; each carries with it a story, distinct character, and sense of community. Troubled Monk’s dedication to detail and its homey, local feel distinguish it as a one-of-a-kind operation.
Troubled Monk’s taproom is open for business and tastings Monday through Friday from 1 p.m.-8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Tours are available daily at 5 p.m. For more information, please visit www.troubledmonk.com or follow Troubled Monk on social media.