Where to find US Microbrewery beers in Montreal

[ptremblay]

Does anyone know where I could get a hold of some American microbrewery beers in Montreal? More specifically I’m looking for beers from Dogfish Head Brewery and Stone Brewery.

I tried the usual suspects such as Peluzo, Paradis de la bière, but no luck.

Thanks.

[Maximilien]

(just asking, since I'm not a huge beer drinker)

Maybe there are not enough production of those micro breweries to be able to ship in "comfortable" quantities to Quebec ?

Or not enough demand for them ? other than CH, I rarely hear about people raving about micro-breweries from the US or the ROC.

anyway, there's nothing preventing you from contacting private beer "importers" to ask them if they want to import some beers from the state or other provinces.

M.

[celfie]

notice how american manufactures actually bottle in canada- pbr for example
samuel adams which isnt widely available in quebec is distributed by moosehead

[Maximilien]

Is Samuel Adams considered a Micro-Brewery beer ? it's part of a big empire.

[SourberryLily]

Probably just as much as Unibroue is a microbrewery?

[artstate]

i would say it's definitely less of a microbrewery than Unibroue. Unibroue caries more specialty and limited edition/availability beers. You could say they still produce in volume, which is true. But you can at least appreciate their effort to relate to the microbrewery "image". Beer fest, you cannot come soon enough.. haha

[Haggisboy]

This online article discusses two Montreal beer emporiums you might want to check out.

http://www.midnightpoutine.ca/food/20...

[celfie]

they don't have these beers

you wont find them in montreal
i havent seen dogfish in ontario either

[Surf_science]

It is all Quebec beer there which is odd, the clearly have a commitment to diversity yet don't have imports which I think suggests their is something holding them back

[kpzoo]

Google

inter-provincial trade beer Canada

and you'll learn about all the reasons behind the current situation.

[Surf_science]

I've looked really hard and I haven't found anything inside of Quebec.

I'm pretty sure there is some kind of corruption going on. There is no reason why you should be able to find imported craft brew in NB and ON and not in downtown Montreal. The lack of craft beer from the rest of Canada (other than moosehead if that counts) is also really suspect. The SAQ carries something like 5 canadian craft beers.... it is a very very fishy situation.

[SnackHappy]

The SAQ barely carries any beer at all. They've given up on beer. The market in Quebec is controlled by multinationals. Find your conspiracies somewhere else.

[Surf_science]

If that was true than the Quebec microbrews would also be affected which is clearly not the case

[SnackHappy]

How many Quebec microbrews have you seen at the SAQ? The ones that are there are mostly legacy products from when the SAQ actually cared about beer.

If there are Quebec microbrews in deps and grocery stores it's because the brewers fought hard to get that shelf space. Small out-of-province breweries don't have the resources to do that here.

[Surf_science]

The SAQ clearly has no love for beer. You can however find a huge variety of Quebec beers at some deps, dozens of varieties, and in these places there is still an absence of imports

[SnackHappy]

Because they have no distribution here. How do you think markets work?

[Maximilien]

Maybe we (as a general population) do not really care about imported beer ?

It was wildly popular in the early 90's (?) when the SAQ opened a few beer store, but then micro breweries started to flourish and we changed our buying habits to support local businesses.

and we (as a general population) started to drink more wine (and porto) ...

M.

[celfie]

let's all just be happy that beer can be bought on every block in this province

[Surf_science]

That I agree is awesome!

[kpzoo]

As I mentioned below, there are historic and legal reasons relating to former inter-provincial trade restrictions, explaining why out-of-province beer is so hard to find in Canada - it's not just a Quebec phenomenon. I haven't researched it fully, but doing some initial Googling shows there are a bunch of documented reasons behind the current situation.

[westaust]

Not really a microbrewery but a good US beer, Sam Adams Boston Lager is now also available at SAQ

[The Chemist]

I have an interest in this topic too (was the OP on the previous locked thread). Anywho, I found Dead Guy Ale, an Oregon microbrew, at the big downtown SAQ on Maisonneuve. That's something, at least.

[Peaches to Poutine]

Once again, I'd recommend a quick jaunt over the border. Vermont, as well as having their own excellent beers, uses carries what you're looking for. I love Quebec, I love Quebec microbrews, but sometimes I just want something from home.

[MikeyMadness]

Just an FYI: a quick jaunt to Vermont will not allow you to cross the border coming back to Canada with any alchocol. I believe you have to be away two days before you're aloowed any back. Same as smokes.

[Peaches to Poutine]

Well, that's if you're honest! :)

[cherylmtl]

If I'm not mistaken, you can bring back alcohol if you're gone for less than 48 hours, but you have to pay duty/tax etc on it - still might be worth it if you really want something.

[Peaches to Poutine]

This is also true. Jaunting over to Vermont is the only way I can find certain liquors I want as well beers that Quebec doesn't sell.

[porker]

Also depends on how by-the-book the border guy is. I've been waved through plenty of times declaring groceries and a six-pack.

[SnackHappy]

FWIW, Le Saint-Bock has a lot of private import beers. Some of them are from the US. No Dogfish Head for sure. Don't know about Stone Brewery. I do remember them having Brooklyn beer amongst others. Be ready to pay about twice what you would for a local beer

http://www.lesaintbock.com/

[carswell]

Discussed recently in a now-locked thread: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/7218...

Why the sudden surge of local interest in Dogfish Head? Has it been featured on the Food Network or something?

[ptremblay]

I just came back from a trip to New York and spent my weekend trying all sorts of different US microbreweries and the Dogfish Head Imperial IPA knocked my socks off and unfortunately I didn't have time to go back and stock up before I left so now I'm desperately trying to find it in Montreal.

[carswell]

The LCBO -- not The Beer Store -- carries the Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA. No such luck with the Imperial, however.

www.lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/de...

[tibetanpeachpie]

I don't know if they were featured on TV, but I too just returned from NYC and had Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA and the 90 Minute IPA and it was GREAT.

Love the Brooklyn Lager as well.