One sign that you are someplace is when you see a wine from the year you were born on a shelf in a retail store. Not like I was going to buy it at over $500 a bottle (oddly, compare) but I was happy to contemplate one of the younger bottles from one of my kids' years of birth even as the Earth's economy melted down. It's a little side collection I have going. Or is it an investment in my own retirement? It's not like I promised to actually give them to the kids.
I did hit one beery joint, Les 3 Brasseurs on St-Catherine Street West. We had just hit town and took a tour of a few blocks around the hotel. Who knew there was a statue to King Edward VII aka "Edward the Peacemaker" aka the guy who died four years before World War I, the great senseless slaying war he didn't quite avoid? Forgive them. They put up the statue in 1914. After thinking about the importance of timing - and noting the extraordinary amount of bird poo on Eddy's head - beer was in order. Les 3 Brasseurs was kid friendly, attractive with dark panel wood and plenty of bright flooring tiles as well as a hearty aroma of beer being made - even on a hot day with all the windows thrown open. The special release was a raspberry wit which both hit the spot on a hot day in a city centre and displayed a pretty reasonable balance between the tang of the wit and the fruit. I also had a half of their brown - which was a little disappointing as I could not tell if it was trying to be a English sort of brown or a Belgian one. I was thinking there was some interesting yeasty notes but they were so muted it sort of sat in the middle. Tasty but certainly could have been a bit more.
For supper? Wine with the seafood as we did a good manners with white linen lesson. Sadly, the beer list had only one Quebec craft beer and it could not have been a less thrilling offering.
Comments
Blork - August 9, 2011 1:19 AM
Alan, I'm sure you already have your itinerary, so you probably don't need recommendations. That said, you can do better than Les 3 Brasseurs, which is actually a franchise outfit from Fance.
For example, Dieu du Ciel on Laurier near St-Laurent is excellent (although there's not much of a food menu). Reservoir on Duluth (near St-Laurent) is also excellent, with good food and should be kid-friendly.
There's also Le Cheval Blanc on rue Ontario, which is pretty much Montreal's first (modern day) brew pub. (Probably not so kid freindly.) there's also Amere a Boire on St-Denis between Sherbrooke and Ontario. (Decent enough kitchen, possibly kid friendly.)
Alan - August 9, 2011 8:39 AM
Itinerary? There's no itinerary. Staggering behind a four year old who wants to see this, that and whatever's over there. That's about it. Reservior looks very good - near Schwartz's.
Ethan - August 9, 2011 5:00 PM
I am glad to hear that Les Trois Brasseurs in Montreal was alright; I went to the one on Youngs back in April or so had had just about the worst beer I have ever been served in a brewery- I was of a mind to send it back and be kind of a dick about it, but instead, I just left. I wasn't planning on ever giving them another chance, but perhaps I might.
Gary Gillman - August 9, 2011 5:36 PM
I must say about Trois Brasseurs, that the beers have (IMO obviously) a strong taste connection to northern French and some Belgian ales. Many of the latter have a strong, characteristic yeast bite ("chalky") that I found in the Belgian and French "originals" when there last December. Every time I tried these, it was, "oh that's the Trois Brasseurs taste". Chimay White has it for example, or Grimbergen blonde, amongst many others,
I found it in some standard lagers too. I believe it is yeast-derived, but maybe French malting barleys contribute to it (3 Brasseurs uses some of these).
Alan, I like that description of itinerary. I like Saint Bock a lot in Montreal:
http://www.lesaintbock.com/
It's further down from Amere a Boire on the same road. Nice vibe there, tres Montreal.
Gary
RS - August 9, 2011 5:57 PM
From my experience, kids are ok at Amere a Boire, Reservoir and the terrace at Benelux before 8 (not indoors). I don't think I'd bring a kid to DDC (not sure the official status but I've never seen one in many, many visits) though the St Jerome DDC might be cool with kids. "Bières et compagnie" might be an option too...
Jeff Alworth - August 9, 2011 7:45 PM
1963? Alan, you're screaming up on the big five-oh. Buy the port now.
Alan - August 9, 2011 9:48 PM
Here comes 50!!! wwwwwwwwwwwwWWWWWWEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Alan - August 26, 2011 2:04 PM
Montreal beer shopping info.