Les Bières du Québec

Though I make a special trip to Vermont just for beer, I am quite content drinking almost exclusively Québec brewed ales and lagers during my three weeks in Montreal. Though tax is higher here, beer is much cheaper and it’s sold in the grocery and corner stores. In fact it’s pointless looking for beer in most SAQ and liquor stores where basically only wine is sold.

I manage to pick up some brews in the store to try out and visit a handful of brew pubs. I discover that IPAs have arrived in Québec. Two years ago, it was dominated by Belgian styles – abbey ales, saisons, wits, etc. These are still here, but the added exploration into IPAs and sour ales make the experience all the richer. In all I sample 61 different beer brewed in Québec over my time in the province and in New Brunswick.

This is what I get the chance to try. I’ve bolded the exceptional ones. Note many of these were 4-5 oz samples…

Péché Mortel, Double Stout (Dieu du Ciel)
Les Catacombes de Paris, Belgian Dubbel (Dieu du Ciel)
L’Or Des Marais, Saison (Dieu du Ciel)
Choco-Bleuets, Stout (Dieu du Ciel)
Libra Échange, Foreign/Export Stout (Dieu du Ciel)
Pale Ale au Houblon, American Pale Ale (Dieu du Ciel)
Chai Ale, Experimental (Dieu du Ciel)
Moralité, American IPA, (Dieu du Ciel)
Mosaïca, American Pale Ale (Dieu du Ciel)
Rosée d’Hibiscus, Witbier, (Dieu du Ciel)
Rigor Mortis Blonde, Belgian Pale Ale (Dieu du Ciel)
Mild-End, English Mild Ale (Dieu du Ciel)
Disco Soleil, American IPA (Dieu du Ciel)
Rescousse, Altbier (Dieu du Ciel)
Houblon Api-Hop Cidre, Cider (Les Vergers de la Colline)
Dublin’s Pub, Cider (Vins Arista)
La Divine Comédie, Wheat Pilsener (Le Trou du Diable)
SMaSH Mosaic, American IPA, (Le Trou du Diable)

Corps Mort, English Barleywine (A l’Abri de la Tempête)
IPA Hallertau Blanc, American IPA, (L’Hermite)
Saison Brett, Sour Saison, (Les Trois Mousquetaires)
Oud Bruin, Flanders Oud Bruin (Les Trois Mousquetaires)
Gose, Gose (Les Trois Mousquetaires)
Berliner Weisse, Berliner Weisse (Les Trois Mousquetaires)
Double IPA, Double IPA (Les Trois Mousquetaires)
Yakima IPA, American IPA (Le Castor)
Saison Rustique, Saison, (Dunham)
Leo’s Early Breakfast IPA, American IPA (Dunham)
Lambic Fruit de la Passion, Passion Fruit Lambic (Ferme Brasserie Schoune)
La Vie de Chateau, Spiced Beer (Le Grimoire)
St-Ambroise Cream Ale, Cream Ale (McAuslan)
St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout, Oatmeal Stout (McAuslan)
St-Ambroise Pale Ale (Blonde), Pale Ale (McAuslan)
St-Ambroise India Pale Ale , IPA (McAuslan)
Barbar, Belgian Strong Pale Ale, (Les Brasseurs RJ)
Coup de Grisou, Spiced Rye Ale (Les Brasseurs RJ)
L’Assoiffé 8, Belgian Dubbel, (Brasseurs du Monde)
Houblonniere, American IPA (Brasseurs du Monde)
La Saison Tradition, Saison (Brasseurs du Monde)
L’Interdite (90 Min), American IPA (Brasseurs du Monde)

RIP Brett, Sour Imperial Porter (Le Saint Bock)
Malédiction, Stout (Le Saint Bock)
Envieuse, Cream Ale (Le Saint Bock)
Old Ale, Old Ale (Le Saint Bock)
Bison Mécanique, American Pale Ale (Le Saint Bock)
Abomination, Gose (Le Saint Bock)
Buffalo Bill, Sweet Grass Beer (Le Saint Bock)
No. 13 Tennessee, Imperial Porter (Pit Caribou)
La Gaspésienne No.13 Robust Porter, Porter (Pit Caribou)
Simple Malt Imperial Stout, Double Stout (Brasseurs Illimités)
Messe de Minuit, Winter Warmer (Les Brasseurs du Temps)
El Lapino, Chili Beer (Microbrasserie du Lièvre) (with a chili pepper in the bottle!)
Eau Bénite, Belgian Tripel (Unibroue)
Raftman, Belgian Pale Ale (Unibroue)
Éphemère Pomme, Fruit Beer (Unibroue)
Don de Dieu, Belgian Strong Pale Ale (Unibroue)
Blanche de Chambly, Witbier (Unibroue)
L’Écossaise, Scottish Ale (Alchimiste)
Bock de Joliette, Bock (Alchimiste)
Claire, American Blonde Ale (Alchimiste)
India Pale Ale, English IPA (Alchimiste)

In all I tried 39 different styles – the darkened ones on this chart (some styles aren’t on this amazing chart though).