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 […]
December
21
Microbrasserie À La Fût – Still Brewing Quality
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest Microbrasserie À La Fût is one of the those quality Quebec breweries that has been around forever while at the same time being a brewery that is often taken for granted. It certainly has been from me. I don’t try nearly enough of their products, but when I do, I’m […]
December
11
Avant-Garde Returns with Their Second Bottle Release This Year
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest A few weeks back, Avant-Garde Artisans Brasseurs hosted their second ever barrel-aged bottle release at their home inside the Oshlag brewery in Montréal. This contract brewery, with Renaud Gouin and Shawn Duriez at the helm, has had a pretty exceptional year. Last April these guys dished out some tasty barrel-aged […]
December
05
The Wild Shack 3: This Time It’s Personal
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest About two years ago I wrote about The Wild Shack for the first time. Back then, you probably had no idea who they were. That has changed. The talented and sexy duo behind The Wild Shack are the illustrious Remi Galipeau and Maxime Dallaire. And this year, they have been […]
November
27
Microbrasserie Kruhnen Changes Their Look
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest As much as one can say that label art shouldn’t effect how we choose a given bottle of beer, it certainly still does. This is especially true for individuals who are first discovering craft beer (or any product, really). If you don’t know what you’re looking for, you’ll often end […]
November
21
Microbrasserie Dieu du Ciel! Releases “Caisse d’hiver” for the Holidays
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest This week, Dieu du Ciel! is releasing a new winter mix pack called Caisse d’hiver! Starting this week, it will be available for purchase in stores all across the province. This soon-to-be illustrious case of beer contains four different barrel-aged creations for us to sip on over the holidays. Three […]
November
14
Merit Brewing – Modern Beer with Traditional Inspiration
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest The Toronto brewing scene is blowing up more and more every year. Bellwoods is quickly becoming one of the best in the country, while countless other Toronto-based breweries produce some exceptional beers. Even when you venture outside the greater Toronto area, there are still some fantastic breweries. Half Hours on […]
November
06
Oshlag Releases Whiskey Fortified Imperial Stout Called “Fort Noir”
posted by beerism
An Article by Noah Forrest Barrel-aging beer is nothing new at this point. Whether it’s bourbon and whiskey barrels, or even wine barrels, it seems that at this point most breweries have dabbled in the process. Alcohol-infused oak lends new layers of complexity to the beer that’s being aged. Bourbon will impart lots of vanilla […]
November
02
Tasting Pit Caribou’s Perséides Spontanée no. 1 – Quebec’s First Spontaneously Fermented Beer
posted by beerism
An Article by Noah Forrest Spontaneous fermentation has come to Québec. Microbrasserie Pit Caribou will be the first to showcase this process with a brand new beer called Perséides Spontanée no. 1. It will be released tomorrow (Friday, November 3rd) at their brewery in Percé as well as at a handful of select stores around […]
October
30
Brasserie Auval Continues to Impress Throughout 2017
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest In the span of less than three years, Brasserie Auval has become one of the most sought after and hyped breweries in Canada. Whenever a new beer drops, the online trading forums light up with those seeking and trading these illustrious beers. To say they are hyped is a bit […]
October
23
A Look at Brasserie Dunham’s 2017 Fall Bottle Release
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest Two Saturday’s ago marked the 2017 Brasserie Dunham Fall bottle release, an event that helps one cope with the impending winter doom that awaits us. As usual, many incredible barrel-aged bottles were sold to thirsty patrons in the beautiful town of Dunham, Quebec. In previous years, the list of available […]
October
10
Dieu du Ciel! Releases Two New Fruited Sours: Symbiose No9 & Été Indien.
posted by beerism
An Article by Noah Forrest Dieu du Ciel! spoiled us last year. They released so many new beers that it was actually hard to keep up – especially for a fanboy blogger like myself. This year was a bit more restrained for DDC in the “new release” department, and instead, they seemed to fine-tune their […]
October
03
Examining Beer Glassware Part 2: Lehmann Oenomust at Alambika
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest A few months ago, I tested some handmade beer glasses from the Pretentious Glass Co. in order to examine how different craft beer styles work in conjunction with craft glassware. These glasses were smooth, durable and uniquely constructed. I was impressed with their design and general function. They had a […]
September
27
Brasserie Harricana Dives Head First Into the Barrel Aging Game
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest Last June I spend several hours wandering through Mondial de la Bière (Montréal’s largest beer festival), trying beer after beer from some of Quebec’s best. When I arrived at the Brasserie Harricana kiosk, I was greeted by an old friend, Francis Richer, who had recently taken the helm as head […]
August
17
The Trillium Brewing Company Basically Owns the IPA Scene
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest Most of my writing efforts center around the Quebec and Ontario brewing scene within Canada. That said, I’m changing directions today so that I can talk for a moment about pretty much the best IPAs in the world right now. And of course, I’m referring to Trillium Brewing Company in Boston, […]
August
10
Microbrasserie Trou du Diable Further Refines Their Barrel Aging Skills
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest Barrel-aged wild ales and sours have taken Québec by storm over the last few years, and I for one am more than happy to be one of this province’s guinea pigs. When breweries gain experience, their experimentation becomes tighter. As a result, innovative beers that are not only interesting – […]
July
27
A Look at Brasserie Vrooden’s Take on German Beer styles.
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest Let’s be honest, for the most part, the modern craft beer enthusiast isn’t particularly excited about traditional German-styled lagers and ales (with the exception of the hyper-trendy Berliner Weisse). This is certainly not the case for everyone, but I believe the success of the Pilsner and it’s aggressive annihilation of […]
July
24
Microbrasserie Labrosse – The West Island Finally has Beer
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest Like so many Montreal “Anglos,” I grew up in the West Island. I lived there for a good portion of my life. As a people, I don’t think we are particularly well-liked by the rest of the city. Many see West Islanders a people who act entitled in some way, […]
July
19
Brasserie Dunham Throws Surprise Summer Bottle Release
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest Summer is finally taking hold of Montréal, or at least we can hope. I was recently on vacation and the weather was garbage for the most part. That said, the colder temperatures allowed me to kill off a few imperial stouts. However, I think many of us are looking forward […]
June
28
Ultra Mosaika from Dieu du Ciel! is Here to Save Us
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest “Beer geek” is a popular term within the craft beer community. A lot of people (including those who label themselves as one) consider beer geeks to be an individual who knows a lot about beer, to the point where they see themselves an expert of sorts. And this isn’t wrong, […]
June
27
The Best Beer I Had at Mondial de la Biere 2017
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest Well, another Mondial de la bière has come and gone. However, this year I was able to make it out to the event for a few hours in order to take in some of the deliciousness. For the last couple of years, I’ve approached the event rather differently. I used […]
June
14
The Wild Shack Collaborates with Sutton Brouerie to Create “Sutton Goes Wild”
posted by beerism
An Article by Noah Forrest Not only is craft beer refreshing in a literal sense, but also from an entrepreneurial perspective. Countless breweries learn from each other, exchange ideas, and actually work on collaborative products. When these things occur, it challenges our traditional notion of what competition is and what it means to run a […]
June
07
New Sauvignon Barrel Aged Genèse with Brett from Dieu du Ciel! Launches This Saturday
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest Last year I blasted you all with an onslaught of articles about Dieu Du Ciel! Pretty much every month I had a new beer to talk about. It wasn’t my fault though, they just kept pumping out new bottle after new bottle – they were basically completely re-doing their Momentum […]
May
31
Surviving 15 bottles of Dieu du Ciel’s Équinoxe du Printemps – Verticals & Variants: Part 5
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest After drinking eleven different vintages (and variants) of Dieu du Ciel!‘s Solstice Hiver in one sitting last year, I really didn’t think we’d be able to top it, but we did… Over the last half decade or so, I’ve been collecting bottles of Équinoxe Du Printemps: Dieu du Ciel!’s maple […]
May
25
Microbrasserie La Memphré Releases Two New Barrel Aged Beers
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest With two very young children, it’s needless to say that it can be quite a challenge to go anywhere. Like, ever. However, once in a while my in-laws will take the kids so we can step back out into the real world and walk around without a toddler dangling from […]
May
12
A Look at Brasserie Dunham’s May 2017 Bottle Release
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest In the past, when writing about the various Brasserie Dunham releases, I always felt kind of bad because the bottles were only available upon pre-order, and at the point when the article when out, it was often too late. However, Dunham has been doing such a good job lately that […]
May
10
Build That Wall! Libertine Brewing Collaborates with Brasserie Dunham
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest Sometimes when you meet someone new, you instantly click. That was certainly the case when the guys from Brasserie Dunham met the folks behind California’s The Libertine Brewing Company during a St. Petersburg beer festival a few years back. However, as much as you connect, get along, and seem to […]
May
04
Microbrasserie Pit Caribou Launches an Array of Barrel Aged Sours
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest I’ve been a fan of Microbrasserie Pit Caribou for years. However, for some odd reason, this is the first post I’ve written about them. I remember the first time drinking their Robust Porter and being impressed with it’s luscious body and accessible drinkability. I’ve always thought that their products were […]
April
21
Brasserie Artisanale Maltstrom – The Best New Thing in Town
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest At this point, it feels like every week a new brewery opens up in Québec. I mainly notice this when one of the stores I follow on social media posts a lineup of bottles or cans carrying a logo that I don’t recognize. And if I’m honest, I tend to […]
April
13
Avant-Garde Artisans Brasseurs Celebrates One year Anniversary With Bottle Release Party
posted by beerism
Avant-Garde Artisans Brasseurs will be celebrating their first anniversary this coming weekend. To commemorate the occasion, they are throwing a bottle release party at the Oshlag Brasserie & Distillerie, where all theirs beers are made. Premier anniversaire d’Avant-Garde Saturday, April 15th 2017 13:00-15:00 Further details right here. Avant-Garde is the brain child of Renaud Gouin […]
April
10
Microbrasserie La Memphré Keeps Impressing the Quebec Beer Scene
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest So if you haven’t noticed, Microbrasserie La Memphré has been releasing some pretty damn impressive beers lately, and the local Québec craft beer scene is taking notice. Just a few weeks back, the trading forums were lighting up with people searching for Ralph Merry (Memphré’s delicious barrel aged Scotch Ale […]
April
01
Les Trois Mousquetaires Launches Interesting Beer Called “À la Bière Porter Baltique et au Bourbon”
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest Back in December, Les Trois Mousquetaires had their annual Double IPA Bottle release. It was delayed a few months, but thankfully it still happened! On the same day, they released a brand new bottle in their Baril D’exception series; an Islay Scotch barrel aged version of their Baltic Porter. I’m not […]
March
27
Examining Beer Glassware Part 1: Pretentious Glass Company
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest The beer community has strong opinions about proper glassware. Some think it’s of the utmost importance, while others think it’s complete nonsense. I think that maybe it falls somewhere in the middle. I love glassware. I collect it, and I very much enjoy tailoring the beer I’m drinking to a […]
March
14
Les Trois Mousquetaires Launches New Double IPA Bavaroise
posted by beerism
An Article by Noah Forrest Québec has historically been a bit behind the times when it comes to hop forward beers. I first started getting into craft beer about six years ago, and at the time there wasn’t much that fell into the American IPA spectrum within Québec. A few examples existed, but nothing in […]
March
06
Péché Day 2017! Time to Celebrate This Amazing Beer with a Brand New 4-Pack
posted by beerism
An Article by Noah Forrest If you are unfamiliar with Péché Mortel, I suggest you change that – you’ve been missing out. Let’s bring you up to speed. Péché Mortel is a coffee infused Imperial Stout brewed by Dieu du Ciel! It’s been around for close to two decades, is generally rated as the best […]
March
02
Brasserie Dunham Surprises us with Winter Bottle Release
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest Surprise! That’s right, Brasserie Dunham up and decided to have a small bottle release at the end of February. I usually like to tell you about these things ahead of time, but in this case, the release actually happened last Saturday. If you’re lucky enough though, they probably still have bottles […]
February
22
GLB’s Porters and Stouts – Let’s Put Down the IPA for Just a Moment and Drink Something Dark
posted by beerism
An Article by Noah Forrest Toronto’s Great Lakes Brewery has just celebrated their 30th Anniversary! This is a massive milestone in the craft beer community, making them one of the first craft breweries in the country. I’ve written several articles about GLB at this point. Generally, they have all centered around the pretty magnificent hopped […]
February
02
A Tasting Guide to Dieu du Ciel!’s 2017 Winter Bottle Release
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest 2017 has arrived. Trump is president. Sigh. At least there is good beer to be had. Perhaps all these delicious craft elixirs can numb the pain of watching endless videos of that floppy faced orange buffoon, as he tries to set us back fifty years. Sadly, I don’t think there […]
February
01
Vices&Versa Turns Thirteen – A Collaborative Celebration
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest By nature we are competitive. Some more than others of course, but our natural affinity towards competition manages to shape our lives in many ways. It has certainly shaped our economy. Businesses often grapple with one another, each trying to stay ahead of the other while generally viewing their peers […]
January
25
Le Trou du Diable and Hill Farmstead Collaborate to Create Argan, a “Gluten Free” beer.
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest What happens when one of the best breweries in Canada teams up with one of the best breweries in the world? Is the result perhaps the best “gluten-free” beer ever made? That’s right, Shawinigan’s own Le Trou du Diable teamed up with Vermont’s Hill Farmstead Brewery to create a collaborative, […]
January
18
Three years of Amsterdam’s Double Tempest – Verticals & Variants: Episode 4
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest When keeping a beer cellar, you generally want to fill it with bottles that can stand the test of time. However, that’s only if you can muster the self restraint needed to avoid drinking the beers you actually intend to age. It’s the ongoing internal struggle of the cellaring beer-geek. […]
January
12
The Wild Shack – Part 2: Revenge of the Fruit
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest “Hey Noah, when the hell are you going to stop writing so many damn articles about fruit beer!?” Well, maybe I’ll stop when fruit stops tasting so damn delicious! Alright, so no one has actually asked me that question, but I’m sure some people have thought about it. But I’m […]
January
03
Boréale Joins the Haze-Craze with their Latest Épisode: IPA du Nord-Est
posted by beerism
An Article by Noah Forrest Boréale is at it again with the latest edition of their growing Épisode series of beers. The beers from this lineup are innovative creations by Boréale’s brewmaster, Gabriel Dulong. Brewed in small batches in a eight hectolitre pilot brewery, the Épisode project allows Gabriel to brew interesting, craft-focused beers without the […]
December
29
Beerism’s Top 12 Quebec Beers from 2016 – A Terrible Year, but Certainly not for Beer.
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest So, 2016 was pretty much a giant pile of shit. Luckily though, the Quebec beer scene wasn’t a part of all this shittiness, and has instead continued to thrive and improve, exploding with new and amazing beers almost every week. Now, not all the beers were fantastic, that’s for sure, […]
December
20
Brasserie Harricana Celebrates Their Two Year Anniversary with a Bottle Release
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest I’ve been a busy boy these last few weeks. It seems like every couple of days yet another brewery is releasing amazing beers right before the holidays. I’ve been fortunate enough to drink them, and even more fortunate to have been given the opportunity to write about most of them. […]
December
15
Vox Populi’s Marché de Noël! The Next Step in Connecting with Customers
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest In June 2016, Microbrasserie Vox Populi hit the Quebec beer scene with their flagship Double Fruit Punch IPA. Shortly after came Anna, a hopped up Belgian Tripel, and then their Kettle Sour. The folks behind this gypsy brewery are constantly trying to improve their products; their philosophy is that they […]
December
12
Microbrasserie la Memphré – Balance & Drinkability Above All
posted by beerism
An article by Noah Forrest The beer landscape has been expanding and changing at an exponential rate over the last few decades. However, in the last couple of years, things have been progressing that much more rapidly. This means more brewers, more breweries, more beer styles, more trends, and more beer geeks. As all these […]
