Located in North East Calgary, the Zero Issue microbrewery stands out within Alberta’s growing brewery landscape for its commitment to personality, creativity, and local celebration. Founded in 2017 by brothers and self-proclaimed comic book nerds Kirk and Mark Macdonald, Zero Issue features the unique mash-up we’ve all been searching for: awesome beer and all our childhood cartoon and sci-fi fascinations. The taproom offers a friendly, neighborhood feel where patrons can play board games and read comic books as they sample flights or enjoy their after-work pints.

The Zero Issue approach to brewing is rooted in science fiction and comic book creativity, beginning with the name itself, and extending into each individual beer created. Zero Issue products include brews like the Multiverse Pale Ale, Cryostasis German Pils, and the Nemesis IPA, along with a number of other seasonal and “one-time-only” brews. Each beer features its own mini comic book backstory, while the beer cans themselves stand out on the shelves for their brightly coloured original designs, all of which are drawn by local artists.

In addition to displaying local artwork on their beer cans, Zero Issue celebrates Alberta in more ways than one. The Zero Issue taproom in North East Calgary doubles as a gallery in which local artists can also display their work. “We wanted to use our taproom space to allow them to showcase what they do and give them an opportunity to gain exposure in a unique way,” says Mark regarding the taprooms Seasonal Feature Artist display.

“We all agree it is so important to highlight local artists,” adds Kirk.

As a microbrewery, Zero Issue faces difficulties similar to those of all small business owners, including competition with others within the craft community itself, as well as with larger brand beer companies. According to Kirk, the brothers are committed to “changing people’s ideas and pallets in regards to craft beer. [They] are always trying to show people that there is so much more to beer than just the macro breweries.”

When it comes to the craft beer industry, Mark and Kirk highlight that people may be shy of venturing out into their local craft breweries because of some existing stigmas that surround craft beer. These most commonly include words like “hoppy”, “pretentious”, and “unapproachable”. However, they are determined to change people’s minds. According to Mark, “You can still like lighter lagers and easy drinking brews and be a fan of craft beer. There can be something for everyone who enjoys beer, sometimes even for people who didn’t think they liked beer at all.”

And Kirk follows up with some sound, age-old advice, “You don’t have to know anything to try it, you just have to be open to trying something different.”

As such, the future of Zero Issue lies in a non-compromising commitment to quality beer (and comic books), and the continued support and expansion of the growing craft beer industry in Alberta.

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