MontreHaul and Vermont Sipcation. Part Three.
Ok save the best for last !
Montreal > Greensboro.
So after a nice day of bouncing around brewpubs we were not familiar with, it was time to go visit a standby whenever going to Montreal.
29 Laurier Ouest
Always a must stop, it was a straight shot two mile walk up to the brewpub from our hotel... but going up Saint Laurent and branching off for some bagels then hitting up a few record shops and lots of vintage shops and galleries we arrived at the pub around quarter past three.
One of the first few people to grab a seat, as always the service was top notch. We chatted a bit with our waiter about the beers on tap and ordered a few apps to accompany our research, haha !
Solstice d'Ete' aux Framboises on draft for the win !
This is a beautiful summer sipper and after putting 3 plus miles on the legs this was a nice first pour and by no means is this beer meant to be consumed as a sampler.
For kicks and because I just talked this beer up here is my review:
"Pours a deep ruby red with a finger of pink foam. Nose is beautiful raspberry fruit, some basement funk and light foggy grain. The palate follows the nose with great layers of earthy raspberry funk, tart ripe fruit and lingering musk. Really enjoyable from beginning to end !"
4.2 out of 5
Also on draft go figure at the brew pub... Disco Soleil which apparently used to be called "Fortunella" regardless its a kumquat infused ipa and was also enjoyable and refreshing.
From there it was on to half pours with 19 offerings we had our work cut out for us...
Another standout from the list besides the usual suspects was the Divine Comedie' which is a collaboration with Le Trou du Diable that I found very tasty. I actually liked it enough to forage around and score a bottle of each breweries bottled version and look forward to reviewing them side by side in the coming days.
I was so thankful the wife is becoming more of a beer fan and was able to help polish some of these offerings off. She really enjoys the two distant spectrums of beer... lagers and pilsners then quads and imperial stouts, especially those in bourbon barrels ! Her favorite was the Rigor Mortis from the line up.
It really doesn't take very long for this place to start filling up... granted we spent a good couple hours and ordered a nice salad, some pretzels and a pickled slaw that was so delicious we ordered another batch. Anyhow I can't say enough good things about this place the vibe and the quality of the beer they produce. If you live in New England put this place on your destination lists !
While on the topic about amazing stops... within a 20 minute walk of Dieu de Ciel is, in my opinion, the number one beer bar in Montreal.
6631 Saint Laurent
Sweet copper ceiling with just an overall good vibe, we were greeted by a couple folks working the bar and they told us we could sit wherever. They had a welcoming bar area and off that was another spot to the right that had a wall window that was wide open to let the breeze come through and then we saw a doorway in the back left corner that went out to the beer garden in the rear...
Yes please ! It was a perfect day with temperatures close to 80˚, and with a big old shade tree this was prime spot to sip some local Quebec brews!
The service was some of the best yet, the guy working the bar, I forget his name, ugh! Anyway he was super helpful and knowledgable and at some points I felt bad about how many times he would just walk over to the tap and pour a few ounces so I could take a sip of a few things I was curious about. Every time it tasted just how he described it would and I even told him he was being to good to me, but it was early and slow so he was excited to have us there experimenting with some local brews and was very gracious to lend his advice and offer some conversation about the local beer scene!
the draft list.
Great beer and poutine... why not !
This place made me so happy I actually allowed my wife to take a picture !
Some beers I had the pleasure of trying at Vices & Versa
Dunham Berliner Melon Weisse BMW
Dunham Swæfberht IPA
Pit Caribou BA Oude Brown
Hopfenstark 7 Sisters Maia
Hopfenstark 7 Sisters Merope
Les Trois Mousquetaires Gose
L'Alchimiste Pilsner Blonde
Cannot say enough good things about this place, go there and find out what all my hype is about.
Along the way we hit up a good amount of local bottle shops, none of which I found the need to take pictures of even though in hindsight that may have been nice. Anyhow, I will list them in my order of preference and talk about my experience at each spot:
"Sweet little spot, actually had the canards du lac brome store inside the bottle shop which if your looking for anything duck than it is the place to be. But now with the merger with Marche des Saveurs its a must go spot and l alway visit the sweet marche jean talon market across the street when Im in Montreal so its a no brainer , Go Here ! Anyhow they had some modern conscious reggae playing on the system and the clerk working the shop was super friendly and helped me scope out some saisons and other things that were fresh and sip worthy!"
"Nice little shop in a bustling strip of stores and people. Little rustic appeal with various local packaged Quebec goodies for munching and a decent and well laid out beer selection. The person working the counter was helpful and knowledgable. He steered me to a couple nice bottles I would have overlooked and the prices were pretty on par with other spots I’ve visited in the area."
Epicerie Unique - Le Depot de la Biere
"This spot is one I visited last time I was in town, its right on the main drag of Saint Laurent and just a block away from Schwartz's. I had a nice conversation with the owner last time I was in and he is actually originally from Cambridge MA. I reminded him about our conversation before and he remembered me and actually saved my life so I could take a leak there before shopping. Anyhow Im sure it worked out in his favor as I spent more money on an empty bladder than if I had to rush through... he was even nice enough to go downstairs and pull me a couple bottle of the Dieu du Ciel Solstice Framboises for me ! Guess its harder to come by up there than I thought. Anyhow its pretty crammed and a small market/bottle shop but the owner is very friendly and the selection is worth the stop if you find yourself strolling by! "
Epicerie Jose Inc.
Little corner looking store in the heart of downtown. Decent selection and pricing but cash only. Kind of similar to the independent corner store you would find in the US with cheap junk food snacks, cigs, magazines and lottery tickets.
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Well... that's the full wrap up of the Bottle Forager's best spots of Montreal... beer wise at least. I also posted a few non-beer related restaurants, galleries and farmer's markets to visit on my other blog that can be found here:
Now the long trip back to Portland, Maine... wait don't forget Greensboro!
Greensboro, VT
Everyone knows that I cannot come within a couple hours of this spot and not make a stop !
Things are really coming along... as we stood in line we peered through the old doorway of the brewhouse and old retail space !
Place was bustling as usual... the employees had a busy day ahead of themselves filling growlers including ours !
Lots of tasty treats on draft and in bottles.
The wait only ended up being about an hour and a half total.
The wait only ended up being about an hour and a half total.
Phase two of the expansion is moving fast... this place is going to be sweet when its
all said and done, hey I thought it was pretty sweet already!
Another successful journey to my favorite brewery !
Wow, spent and tired, ready to get home and haul all our goodies up to the third floor to share with friends and fellow foragers.
The final Haul:
Dieu du Ciel & Le Trou Diable selections.
Did I mention I like saisons... a few Dunham saisons and various other saisons from various Quebec breweries.
Another epic Hill Farmstead Haul along with a pick up from Fiddlehead Brewing added on !
You gotta get it while the getting is good.
Cheers.
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