Some have dubbed it “The Parthenon of Booze.” But Bryce Parsons, CEO and founder of True Wild Distilling, said the business’s impressive Calgary headquarters is a showcase for Alberta agriculture. The $14 million destination distillery, restaurant and event space is housed in a decommissioned electrical substation built in 1911. It boasts an imposingly beautiful white edifice, hence the reference to the ancient architectural wonder.

For many years now, malting barley research has primarily focused on how to provide small and large brewers alike with the next great variety for their beers. An afterthought, however, is distillers, who often source their barley from other countries with a more established system of malting barley suitable for spirits.