An article by Noah Forrest Another year in beer has gone by, which means that I’m somehow compelled to put together a list of my top new Quebec beers from the last 12 months. The first time I wrote a top 10 list-type post was largely to pick fun at all the awful articles floating […]
December
12
Kahnawake Brewing Co. Continues Their “Building Bridges” Series with Another Bottle Release
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest Kahnawake Brewing Co. opened their doors in early 2018. Located in – well – Kahnawake, they have been delivering a wide range of offerings with an emphasis on providing something for everyone – whether it’s a clean and simple blonde, a hazy New England IPA or a luscious stout. At […]
November
26
Avant-Garde Throws First Bottle Release After Expansion
posted by beerism
An Article by Noah Forrest Avant-Garde Artisans Brasseurs have been on the scene for quite some time, but this year, things really changed for them. They began as contract brewers out of Oshlag alongside several others. However, as the winter came to an end earlier this year, so did their time with Oshlag; Avant-Garde opened […]
November
21
Brasserie Champ Libre Hosts November Bottle Release
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest The holidays are approaching, which means that breweries are going to be releasing more and more special offerings leading up to Christmas. It’s the time every year that we see an influx of barrel-aged beers hitting shelves as well as bottle/can releases happening almost every weekend. This weekend specifically, Brasserie […]
November
13
The Dark Side of Brasserie du Bas-Canada’s 2nd Anniversary Release
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest This coming Saturday, Brasserie du Bas-Canada is celebrating their second anniversary with a big bottle and can release! If you can manage to drive out to Gatineau for the festivities, I’m pretty sure you won’t be disappointed – this year’s lineup is particularly impressive. It’s actually pretty mind blowing that […]
October
29
Half Hours on Earth Delivers Near Perfection Across the Style Spectrum
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest Although Half Hours on Earth has become well known in the Canadian beer scene, I feel like they are somehow still our best kept secret. In a climate that had people lining up for a Bellwoods Milkshake IPA or trading their Lambic for Brasserie Auval, I’m often perplexed that Half […]
October
24
A Guide to Brasserie Dunham’s Fall 2019 Bottle Release!
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest When the leaves start changing colour and falling off the trees, we all know that Halloween is around the corner. And sure, I guess that’s fun and all, but more importantly it’s also the time of year when Brasserie Dunham releases a bunch of barrel-aged beers. Yes, that’s right, this […]
September
18
Messorem Bracitorium – Are We Heading Towards Greener Pastures?
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest Messorem Bracitorium opened their doors only last month, yet for the Montreal beer geek, they are essentially a household name at this point. On August 3rd there was a soft-launch, where their first canned IPA was released. It sold out within a couple of days. Let’s just say they’ve been doing […]
August
29
Five Months of Lagabière’s “Balade En Radeau” – What We’ve Seen So Far
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest I first discovered Lagabière back in 2013 after trying a bunch of their stuff at a visit to Festival l’Oktoberfest des Québécois. The brewers were two young brothers who had some impressive potential. Over the years they grew, honed their craft, and established themselves as one of the better breweries […]
August
13
Our Love Affair With the Never Ending Brasserie Auval Honeymoon
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest Brasserie Auval first hit the Quebec beer scene back in September 2015. Located in Percé within the Gaspésie region of Quebec, the brewery is headed by owner and brewer Benoit Couillard, who also co-founded Microbrasserie Pit Caribou before leaving to open this new endeavour. Auval arrived with beer styles that […]
July
26
Robin – Bière Naturelle: Another Eastern Townships Treasure
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest Robin – Bière Naturelle opened their doors in February this year. Located in Waterloo, about an hour and a half east of Montreal, this townships-based establishment isn’t your typical brewery. In fact, they don’t actually brew at all. Instead, Robin purchases un-fermented wort from a fellow townships brewery called Brasserie […]
June
28
Champ Libre Hosts Summer Bottle Release
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest Summer is finally here! I’m very excited to stop complaining about the cold so I can jump right into complaining about the heat. I can just see myself now, laying half naked on the couch dreaming of snow flurries; feeling like a damn hypocrite. Summer also means that there will […]
June
20
Brasserie du Bas-Canada Continues their Hop Dominance
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest Within a couple of years, Brasserie du Bas-Canada has gone from being one of the many (and I mean many) new breweries on the block, to producing some of the most sought after beers in the province. Their level of hype at this point is massive; certain bottles are even […]
June
13
Microbrasserie À la Fût: The Wild Pioneers of Quebec
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest Mixed fermented beer with fruits and other adjuncts are pretty common now in the modern craft beer spectrum. Some are brewed with either wild yeasts or acidifying bacteria, or perhaps both. There is something magical about the combination of Brettanomyces and acidity, especially when coupled with wine (or spirit) barrel […]
May
23
Brasserie Harricana Continues Refining their Wild Barrel-Aged 7205 Series
posted by beerism
An Article by Noah Forrest Back in 2017, Brasserie Harricana launched a new line of bottles entitled 7205, which are aptly named after their address. These beers would become experimental one-offs showcasing the wild and barrel-aged side of things. Each is categorized numerically, having begun with 7205-001. I’ve had most of them to date, and […]
May
08
Small Pony Barrel Works Launches 2019 Culture Club
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest Small Pony Barrel Works are now well into their second year of existence. This brewery and barrel house is located in Kanata – a suburb just west of Ottawa – where they exclusively create barrel-aged sours. I did a deep dive review of the four first bottles that dropped in […]
March
26
A look at the latest Wild Beers From Microbrasserie Le Castor
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest Breweries in 2019 have the challenge of trying to balance consistency with innovation. The insatiable craft beer nerd wants a new beer every week, so the pressure to pump out products in a conveyor belt-like fashion is all too real for the contemporary brewer. As well, not only do we […]
March
23
Brasserie Champ Libre Throws Spring Bottle Release!
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest Today might be Péché Day, but Brasserie Champ Libre is also having a pretty epic bottle release! That’s right, they are releasing a slew of new barrel-aged variants as well as a brand new beer altogether. Read about the event right here. If you’re not already aware, Champ Libre is […]
March
20
Beerism’s Guide to the 2019 Péché Day Pack
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest Wait, another Péché Mortel article? Yes, that’s right, two Péché articles in one week. What the hell is wrong with me. If you missed last week’s post, five friends and I attacked 18 different versions of Dieu du Ciel’s Péché Mortel in one sitting. It was quite the ordeal. You […]
March
14
Death by Péché: That Time we Drank 18 Péché Mortel Variants and Then Died
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest Last Saturday I set into place a tasting that was as high in caffeine as it was in alcohol. It wasn’t an easy task to overcome, but it was certainly delicious – until it wasn’t? Over the years I quietly collected various vintages of a particular beer that is often […]
January
30
A Quick Guide to Dieu du Ciel!’s 2019 Bottle Release: Marché du 11ème
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest Well, the weather might be trash right now, but at least we can look forward to strong beers and bottle releases. Once again, it’s time for Brasserie Dieu du Ciel!‘s Winter Marché! This annual party out in St. Jérome is a much needed celebration where you can drink amazing rarities […]
December
28
Beerism’s Top 13 New Quebec beers of 2018!
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest With every coming year, the Quebec beer scene changes and grows. New breweries continue to pop up and new styles get created, while old ones get tighter and more refined. I love seeing the progress with each coming year. 2018 in particular was an interesting year for beer. Although I […]
December
20
Brasserie Harricana Celebrates Their 4th Annivesary with a Party and a Bottle Release
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest It seems like just recently that I was reading about Brasserie Harricana opening their doors for the first time. But in reality it was four years ago! The brewery has come a long way in that time. They have always had a flair for eclectic beer styles and combinations, using interesting […]
November
12
Brasserie du Bas-Canada Celebrates Their First Anniversary with a Bottle and Can Release
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest I can’t believe Brasserie du Bas-Canada has only been around for a year. In this short period of time, they have brought a rather contemporary angle to the Quebec hoppy beer scene; something some would argue was lacking. I’m not always huge on fruited or Milkshake IPAs, but these modern interpretations are […]
October
25
A Guide to Brasserie Dunham’s Fall 2018 Bottle release!
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest October is here. Winter jackets are being pulled from closets, leaves are hitting the ground, and there are far more pumpkin spiced things out there than we need. And although everyone is exited about Halloween, I’m actually more excited about Brasserie Dunham‘s 2018 bottle release. It’s happening this weekend! Brasserie […]
September
20
Gatineau’s Brasserie du Bas-Canada is changing the Quebec IPA scene.
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest Back in January of this year I barely knew who Brasserie du Bas-Canada was. Their unlabeled bottles with simple tags hanging from the neck were starting to show up on social media, but I wasn’t quite paying attention yet. As far as I knew, they were just another one of […]
September
06
Brett Never Sleeps: A Beerism and Brouerie Sutton Collaboration (100% Brett Brut IPA!)
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest A couple of months ago no one around here was talking about Brut IPAs. It was all haze, all day, everyday. If an IPA was filtered and clear, it had no place on the shelf in this modern New England-focused IPA landscape. And damn it, that’s how we liked it. […]
August
16
My Thoughts on Brasserie Dunham’s Foudre Unis 2018
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest This past weekend was Foudre Unis. We survived. If you are not aware, Foudre Unis 2018 was the first in a hopefully long series of beer festivals hosted by Brasserie Dunham (held about a ten minute drive from their brewery in a small eastern townships town called Frelighsburg). The festival […]
August
09
Ottawa’s Tooth and Nail Brewing Company Releases Barrel Reserve Series
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest I’m excited to write this post. Tooth and Nail Brewing Company is a gem of a brewery that I always recommend to people when they are visiting Ottawa. There is something special about the quality, consistency, drinkability, and care behind their products that elevates them to another level. I’ve been […]
August
02
Flora Hall and Brasserie du Bas-Canada Create a New Kind of Collaboration
posted by beerism
An Article by Noah Forrest Gerald Comeau (a new Brut IPA from Brasserie du Bas-Canada and Flora Hall Brewing) was named after the man who’s been fighting inter-provincial Canadian alcohol restrictions for the last few years. First and foremost, the idea was to brew an innovative collaborative IPA between two breweries that are very close […]
July
31
Avant-Garde Releases a Rainbow of Barrel-Aged Funk
posted by beerism
An Article by Noah Forrest 2017 was great for Avant-Garde – Artisans Brasseurs. They definitely stepped up their game from previous years, hosting two separate bottle releases and dropping a ton of barrel-aged beers for us to pine over. These bottles were rather well received, helping solidify their place in the province as one of […]
July
24
Microbrasserie 4 Origines Opens in Pointe-Saint-Charles
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest Microbrasserie 4 Origines opened its doors in April this year, but they are already starting to garner a reputation for quality beer. Located at the eastern tip of Point-St-Charles, patrons can have a beer in their beautiful tap room, or purchase bottles and cans to go. They are currently producing […]
July
13
Brasserie Distillerie Champ Libre Hosts Their First Bottle Release!
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest Hey! Guess what? Brasserie Distillerie Champ Libre is having a bottle release tomorrow, Saturday, July 14th, 2018! I provided some details about this a few weeks back, so I decided to write a follow up post to let you know how the beers turned out. Guests are welcome to arrive […]
June
28
Champ Libre – An Interview with Alex Ganivet, A Review of their Core Line-up, and an Exclusive Look at their Upcoming Bottle Release
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest Do you ever just find yourself rooting for someone to succeed and prosper? That’s how I’ve felt about Alex Ganivet-Boileau pretty much the second I met him four years ago (as he hacked into a cask of the first ever batch of LTM’s Saison Brett during La Cuvée). At the time Alex […]
June
19
Boreale Continues to Step Up Their Hop Game
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest There is just so much to say about Boreale these days. Les Brasseurs du Nord, Boreale’s parent company, has been making quality beer for decades. The Boreale brand is a Quebec staple. For me, their beers were always reliable, very well priced, and usually the best option in a sea […]
June
07
Brasserie Artisanale Maltstrom Starts Barrel Aging – Yes Please!
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest Brasserie Artisanale Maltstrom may have only been around a couple of years, but they are already on their way to becoming one of the most sought after breweries in the province. Helmed by owner and brewer Michaël Fiset – as well as brewer Elaura Bussiere – this Notre-Dame-des-Prairies brewery is […]
May
24
A Preview of Brasserie Dunham’s May 2018 Bottle Release
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest With the approaching summer weather just around the corner, it also means that the infamous Brasserie Dunham May bottle release party is arriving! And this year is as sexy as ever. This Saturday on May 26th, brasserie Dunham invites you to drive out to the eastern townships for an afternoon of […]
April
24
Sutton Brouërie Brews Some Big and Burly Brett Beers to Finish off the Winter
posted by beerism
An Article by Noah Forrest Most of the time when we think about the illustrious wild yeast genus brettanomyces (or brett for short), we picture sours, lambic, American wild ales, brett IPAs, or maybe bretted saisons. Basically, we think of beers that are dry, or hoppy, or tart, or sour, but generally rather drinkable. However, brett […]
April
11
Microbrasserie La Memphré Continues to Bottle Some Brilliantly Balanced Beer
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest The folks at Microbrasserie La Memphré have been busy over the last few months, delivering several brand new beers to the public as well as some returning classics. This Magog-based brewery is a must visit if you find yourself in Quebec’s eastern townships. The stand alone brewery and restaurant has […]
March
20
Half Hour on Earth is Releasing a Steady Flow of Barrel-Aged Sours
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest Back in November 2016, I was fortunate to get my hands on a slew of bottles from Half Hours on Earth. This small brewery from Seaforth Ontario was creating beautifully tart farmhouse ales, and they simply blew me away. Since then, Half Hours has gone from a relatively obscure brewery […]
March
13
Brasserie Harricana Nailed 2017 – An Interview with Head-Brewer Francis Richer
posted by beerism
An Article by Noah Forrest Brasserie Harricana is becoming more and more known for their deliciously tart barrel-aged blends. They just released the forth and fifth bottle from their 7205 series and more are coming very soon. I got my hands on the full line-up, including a sneak peek at number six, which I’ll get […]
March
05
I think I have Survived La Cuvée 2018
posted by beerism
An article byNoah Forrest Have you ever wondered if you could die from a hangover? Well, I had some time on Saturday morning to ponder this, as I hovered over my toilet bowl. The night before I attended the 2018 edition of La Cuvée d’hiver 2018 – and I think had a pretty good time? […]
February
27
Finally Discovering Microbrasserie Ras L’Bock
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest Microbrasserie Ras L’Bock hit the Quebec beer scene in 2015. This charismatic bunch is located Saint-Jean-Port-Joli, which is about 3 and a half hours north west of Montreal. Self-proclaimed as having La Plus Belle Terrasse au QC, Ras L’Bock appears to be a place of beer, music, and general partying antics. I’ve […]
February
20
Microbrasserie Riverbend Releases Three Barrel-aged Beers
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest Microbrasserie Riverbend is a brewery based out of Alma, QC (about 5hrs from Montreal). The brewery has been on the scene for about three years now and exclusively can all of their beers with a wide Quebec distribution. I tried a hand-full of their offerings a couple years back and […]
February
14
Brasserie Dunham Hosts Winter Bottle Release and Foudres Unis Ticket Sale on Same Day!
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest A couple of months ago, Brasserie Dunham announced that they will be hosting a spectacular beer event near the end of the summer. It’s called Foudres Unis. This event is a celebration for exceptional brewers and passionate beer lovers alike. The line-up of breweries is pretty earth shattering, including names […]
February
06
Péché Day 2018 – Another Péché Mortel Mixed Case to Excite us!
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest It’s February, and the cold has been around so long now that my anger has transformed into a form of cold-complacency. It’s depressing, demoralizing, and I want it done with! Luckily, it is also that time of year where imperial stouts are found in abundance. And more specifically, Péché Day is on […]
January
30
Small Pony Barrel Works – Ottawa’s Beer Scene Just got More Exciting
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest Small Pony Barrel Works opened its doors to the public at the tail end of 2017. Located in Kanata (just west of Ottawa), this new and innovative brewery focuses solely on Barrel-aged products – and in particular, sours. Barrel-aging is nothing new, the modern craft-beer scene is loaded with various […]
January
24
Dieu du Ciel!’s Winter 2018 Bottle Release Yields Several New Barrel-Aged Variants!
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest 2018 is upon us. And before we can even scratch the surface of amazing beers to come, Brasserie Dieu du Ciel! is about to release a plethora of new variants for us all to salivate over. That’s right, this weekend is Dieu du Ciel! St. Jerome’s 10th anniversary party, as […]
January
16
Never Ending Barrel-Aged Sours From Microbrasserie Pit Caribou
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest In 2017, Microbrasserie Pit Caribou had a spectacular year, and that’s probably putting it lightly. Early on, they released an ambitious, extremely well received barrel-aged sour blend called Neuvin, and it just snowballed from there. Countless barrel-aged sours came down the pipeline – so much so, it became very difficult […]
December
28
Beerism’s Top 13 New Quebec beers of 2017!
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest 2017 has been a pretty momentous year for the Quebec beer scene. Several new breweries opened their doors, all kinds of new and amazing products hit the shelves, and for some annoying reason, lactose is on the rise (to be fair though, we didn’t start it). That said, there were […]
