Quebec beer
Encyclopedia
Quebec beer is the beer brewed in Quebec
, Canada
, often with ingredients from Quebec itself and generally following the recipes of the French, Belgian and British brewing traditions. Generally, the beers brewed in Quebec differ from the those in the rest of North America because of the relative importance of the French and Belgian traditions alongside that of Great Britain. German-type beers are also brewed, but the production is not very important compared to the others.
industry appeared in the 1980s, with small productions to be found all over the province today.
. Although spruce beer today generally refers to a soft drink
of the same name, it was in fact an actual beer in which spruce
replaced hops
. Sometimes roots or other "spices" were used. This gave root beer
.
According to historian Benjamin Sulte
, the first colonists of Quebec were from the regions of France where beer and cider are more important produces than wine is. They would have brought the bouillon, an alcoholic beverage from Picardie
and Haute-Normandie
. Pierre Boucher
, Governor of Trois-Rivières, was questioned regarding the colony during a trip to France. He reported: "Wine is served to rich families, beer is left to those who are less wealthy while others are contented by a beverage called the bouillon. The poorer ones drink only water which is of excellent quality."
The Relations des Jésuites for 1646 mention that brother Ambroise prepared beer for the inhabitants.
A marriage contract dated October 22, 1650 mentions the existence of a brewery in Montréal. It is written that the Governor of Montreal Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve
offered "a land adjacent to the property of the brewery" to the newly wed.
In 1690, the Sieur de Longueuil
built a brewery on his lands. It was in ruin by 1735. From 1704 to 1744, the Charron brothers, founders of the Hôpital général de Montréal, added a brewery to their building. In all cases, the distribution remained localized.
The first recorded commercial brewery
was that founded by Intendant
Jean Talon
in 1671. Located in Québec City
, it produced up to 4,000 barrels of beer a year. The beer was entirely made with Quebec products and half the volume was exported to the Caribbean
and Europe. It was however short-lived.
in 1786. O'Keefe
, from Toronto
, Ontario
, established itself in Montreal by the purchase of some 20 breweries including Molson's main competitors in Quebec, Dawes and Dow
.
Labatt, founded in London, Ontario
in 1847, established itself in LaSalle, Quebec in 1952. However, its main beers had been available in Montreal since 1878 through a distribution agency.
Molson and O'Keefe merged in 1989. In 1995, Labatt was purchased by Belgian Interbrew
(today InBev
). Molson merged with Coors
in 2005.
In 1982, Brasserie Massawippi located in North Hatley
produced the first craft beer meant for commercial distribution. La Massawippi, a 5% ale, brewed according to the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516
is no longer bottled, but can still be tried in a bar in North Hatley.
In the mid 1980s, the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux
started issuing new permits authorizing commercial establishments to brew their own beer and sell it on site. This started the phenomenon of brewpubs in Quebec, shortly after British Columbia.
On July 1, 1986, the Golden Lion Brewing Company served its first pint of beer at the Golden Lion Pub in Lennoxville
. One of the first pubs to serve its own beer was Le Cheval Blanc
on Ontario Street in Montreal, founded in 1986.
Microbreweries started appearing all over Quebec in the late 1980s: McAuslan
, Les Brasseurs du Nord
, Brasseurs de l'Anse, Schoune and Seigneuriale.
One of the most successful microbreweries, Unibroue
, was founded in 1990. It has since been acquired by Ontarian Sleeman
, which itself was merged with Sapporo in 2006.
Other breweries and microbreweries have also arisen since then, such as Les Brasseurs RJ
, La Barberie
, Le Maître Brasseur (Laval
), Hopfenstark (L'Assomption), La Gueule de bois (Saguenay
), Brasseur et Frères, Brasserie du Ham, Le trou du Diable (Brewpub in Shawinigan), and Belgh'Brasse
.
In March 2008, Quebec had some 59 active breweries producing some 402 different beers.
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, often with ingredients from Quebec itself and generally following the recipes of the French, Belgian and British brewing traditions. Generally, the beers brewed in Quebec differ from the those in the rest of North America because of the relative importance of the French and Belgian traditions alongside that of Great Britain. German-type beers are also brewed, but the production is not very important compared to the others.
History
The history of beer in Quebec goes all the way back to the early days of French colonization. Industrial production truly begins in the 19th century under British rule. A microbreweryMicrobrewery
A microbrewery or craft brewer is a brewery which produces a limited amount of beer, and is associated by consumers with innovation and uniqueness....
industry appeared in the 1980s, with small productions to be found all over the province today.
New France
In the 17th and 18th century, the colonists of Quebec made an alcoholic beverage which was characteristic of the region for a long period of time: spruce beerSpruce beer
Spruce beer is a beverage flavored with the buds, needles, or essence of spruce trees. Spruce beer can refer to either alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages....
. Although spruce beer today generally refers to a soft drink
Soft drink
A soft drink is a non-alcoholic beverage that typically contains water , a sweetener, and a flavoring agent...
of the same name, it was in fact an actual beer in which spruce
Spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...
replaced hops
Hops
Hops are the female flower clusters , of a hop species, Humulus lupulus. They are used primarily as a flavoring and stability agent in beer, to which they impart a bitter, tangy flavor, though hops are also used for various purposes in other beverages and herbal medicine...
. Sometimes roots or other "spices" were used. This gave root beer
Root beer
Root beer is a carbonated, sweetened beverage, originally made using the root of a sassafras plant as the primary flavor. Root beer, popularized in North America, comes in two forms: alcoholic and soft drink. The historical root beer was analogous to small beer in that the process provided a drink...
.
According to historian Benjamin Sulte
Benjamin Sulte
Benjamin Sulte , baptized Olivier-Benjamin Vadeboncœur, was a Canadian journalist, writer, civil servant, and historian....
, the first colonists of Quebec were from the regions of France where beer and cider are more important produces than wine is. They would have brought the bouillon, an alcoholic beverage from Picardie
Picardie
Picardy is one of the 27 regions of France. It is located in the northern part of France.-History:The historical province of Picardy stretched from north of Noyon to Calais, via the whole of the Somme department and the north of the Aisne department...
and Haute-Normandie
Haute-Normandie
Upper Normandy is one of the 27 regions of France. It was created in 1984 from two départements: Seine-Maritime and Eure, when Normandy was divided into Lower Normandy and Upper Normandy. This division continues to provoke controversy, and some continue to call for reuniting the two regions...
. Pierre Boucher
Pierre Boucher
Pierre Boucher and later Pierre Boucher de Boucherville, born and baptized 1 August 1622 in Mortagne-au-Perche, died 19 April 1717 at the age of 95 at Boucherville, came to Canada from France in 1635 with his father...
, Governor of Trois-Rivières, was questioned regarding the colony during a trip to France. He reported: "Wine is served to rich families, beer is left to those who are less wealthy while others are contented by a beverage called the bouillon. The poorer ones drink only water which is of excellent quality."
The Relations des Jésuites for 1646 mention that brother Ambroise prepared beer for the inhabitants.
A marriage contract dated October 22, 1650 mentions the existence of a brewery in Montréal. It is written that the Governor of Montreal Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve
Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve
Paul de Chomedey, sieur de Maisonneuve was a French military officer and the founder of Montreal.- Early career :...
offered "a land adjacent to the property of the brewery" to the newly wed.
In 1690, the Sieur de Longueuil
Baron de Longueuil
The title Baron de Longueuil is the only currently-extant French colonial title that is recognized by Queen Elizabeth II as Queen of Canada. The title was granted originally by King Louis XIV of France to a Norman military officer, Charles le Moyne de Longueuil, and its continuing recognition since...
built a brewery on his lands. It was in ruin by 1735. From 1704 to 1744, the Charron brothers, founders of the Hôpital général de Montréal, added a brewery to their building. In all cases, the distribution remained localized.
The first recorded commercial brewery
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
was that founded by Intendant
Intendant of New France
New France was governed by three rulers: the governor, the bishop and the intendant, all appointed by the King, and sent from France. The intendant was responsible for finance, economic development, and the administration of justice . He also presided over the Sovereign Council of New France...
Jean Talon
Jean Talon
Jean Talon, Comte d'Orsainville was a French colonial administrator who was the first and most highly regarded Intendant of New France under King Louis XIV...
in 1671. Located in Québec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
, it produced up to 4,000 barrels of beer a year. The beer was entirely made with Quebec products and half the volume was exported to the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
and Europe. It was however short-lived.
Industrialization
The first large industrial-scale breweries were founded by Englishmen like John MolsonJohn Molson
John Molson was an English-speaking Quebecer who was a major brewer and entrepreneur in Canada, starting the Molson Brewing Company.-Birth and early life:...
in 1786. O'Keefe
O'Keefe
O'Keeffe and O'Keefe, are the anglicised versions of the Irish Ó Caoimh, from Caomh, meaning "kind" or "gentle". Ó also means son of so directly translated the name means "Son of Kind" or "Son of Gentle"...
, from Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, established itself in Montreal by the purchase of some 20 breweries including Molson's main competitors in Quebec, Dawes and Dow
Dow Breweries
Dow Breweries was a brewing company based in Quebec, Canada. It was formed in 1952 in the facilities formerly used by the Boswell Brewery in Quebec City. It was acquired by Carling O'Keefe and stopped its activities on March 31, 1966...
.
Labatt, founded in London, Ontario
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
in 1847, established itself in LaSalle, Quebec in 1952. However, its main beers had been available in Montreal since 1878 through a distribution agency.
Molson and O'Keefe merged in 1989. In 1995, Labatt was purchased by Belgian Interbrew
Interbrew
Interbrew was a large Belgium-based brewing company which owned many internationally known beers, as well as some smaller local beers. In 2004 Interbrew merged with Brazilian brewer AmBev to form InBev, which is the now largest brewer in the world by volume, with a 13% global market share now...
(today InBev
InBev
InBev is a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev. The company existed independently for several years - since the merger between Interbrew and AmBev and until the acquisition of Anheuser-Busch. InBev has operations in over 30 countries and sales in over 130 countries...
). Molson merged with Coors
Coors Brewing Company
The Coors Brewing Company is a regional division of the world's fifth-largest brewing company, the Canadian Molson Coors Brewing Company and is the third-largest brewer in the United States...
in 2005.
Renaissance
During the 1960s all the way to the early 1980s, there were but three breweries, Molson, Labatt and Carling-O'Keefe, together monopolizing the market.In 1982, Brasserie Massawippi located in North Hatley
North Hatley, Quebec
North Hatley is a village of 750 people, located at the north end of Lake Massawippi. It is in the county of Stanstead, which is part of the Memphrémagog Regional County Municipality in the Eastern Townships region of Quebec, also known as Estrie or Cantons de l'Est in French. It is a haven for...
produced the first craft beer meant for commercial distribution. La Massawippi, a 5% ale, brewed according to the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516
Reinheitsgebot
The Reinheitsgebot , sometimes called the "German Beer Purity Law" or the "Bavarian Purity Law" in English, was a regulation concerning the production of beer in Germany. In the original text, the only ingredients that could be used in the production of beer were water, barley and hops...
is no longer bottled, but can still be tried in a bar in North Hatley.
In the mid 1980s, the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux
Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux
The Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux is the board established by the government of Quebec to regulate the alcohol, lottery, publicity contests, gambling, racing, and combat sports industries...
started issuing new permits authorizing commercial establishments to brew their own beer and sell it on site. This started the phenomenon of brewpubs in Quebec, shortly after British Columbia.
On July 1, 1986, the Golden Lion Brewing Company served its first pint of beer at the Golden Lion Pub in Lennoxville
Lennoxville, Quebec
Lennoxville is an arrondissement, or borough, of the city of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Lennoxville is located at the confluence of the St. Francis and Massawippi Rivers approximately five kilometers south of downtown Sherbrooke....
. One of the first pubs to serve its own beer was Le Cheval Blanc
Le Cheval Blanc
Le Cheval Blanc is a brewpub located on rue Ontario in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. In 1986, it became the first licenced brewpub in Montreal. Beers available on tap:* Blonde, continental lager, 5%* Stout, creamy stout, 4%* Amber, caramelized red ale, 5%...
on Ontario Street in Montreal, founded in 1986.
Microbreweries started appearing all over Quebec in the late 1980s: McAuslan
McAuslan
McAuslan Brewing opened in January 1989. It is a craft brewery in Montreal. After Moosehead Breweries Limited became a major shareholder, the brewery expanded into a new facility in 2002...
, Les Brasseurs du Nord
Les brasseurs du nord
Les brasseurs du nord is a Quebec microbrewery located just north of Montreal, in Blainville, Quebec.-History:Founded in 1987 by three students at the UQAM , who paid their way through school selling home made beer, decided to try their hand at establishing a commercial brewery. Thanks to a small...
, Brasseurs de l'Anse, Schoune and Seigneuriale.
One of the most successful microbreweries, Unibroue
Unibroue
Unibroue is a brewery located in Chambly, Quebec, Canada that was started by Quebec native André Dion and Serge Racine. It was purchased by Sleeman Breweries Ltd. in 2004, which itself was taken over by Sapporo in 2006. The company was incorporated in 1993, exporting to the United States in...
, was founded in 1990. It has since been acquired by Ontarian Sleeman
Sleeman Breweries
Sleeman Brewery Ltd. is a brewery located in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. John H. Sleeman originally began brewing beer in 1834. By 1933 the Sleeman brewery had ceased operations when their liquor licence was revoked for bootlegging, specifically, smuggling beer into Detroit, Michigan. The brewery was...
, which itself was merged with Sapporo in 2006.
Other breweries and microbreweries have also arisen since then, such as Les Brasseurs RJ
Les Brasseurs RJ
Les Brasseurs RJ is a microbrewery located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The company was born in 1998 from the merger of three microbreweries: Les Brasseurs GMT, La Brasserie Le Cheval Blanc and Les Brasseurs de l'Anse. Current annual production capacity is at 35 000 hL...
, La Barberie
La Barberie
La Barberie is a microbrewery located in the Saint-Roch district of Quebec City, in Canada. They have a few commerce points around the province of Quebec and are visible each year at the Mondial de la Bière in Montreal.- Cooperative :...
, Le Maître Brasseur (Laval
Laval, Quebec
Laval is a Canadian city and a region in southwestern Quebec. It is the largest suburb of Montreal, the third largest municipality in the province of Quebec, and the 14th largest city in Canada with a population of 368,709 in 2006...
), Hopfenstark (L'Assomption), La Gueule de bois (Saguenay
Saguenay, Quebec
Saguenay is a city in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec, Canada, on the Saguenay River, about north of Quebec City....
), Brasseur et Frères, Brasserie du Ham, Le trou du Diable (Brewpub in Shawinigan), and Belgh'Brasse
Belgh'Brasse
Belgh'Brasse is a Quebec micro-brewery located in Amos, in the Abitibi region of Northwestern Quebec. -History:The business was founded in 1999, but had to shut down due to business problems in 2001...
.
In March 2008, Quebec had some 59 active breweries producing some 402 different beers.
External links
- L'Institut de la bière - The most important association of francophone beer lovers in North America
- Bières et plaisirs - Quebec beer webzine.
- BièreMAG - Quebec Encyclopedia of beer