A sommelier at the sugar shack
What do you drink with a hearty bowl of pea soup or some mouth-watering maple ham? We asked Marie-Hélène, a sommelier with both a sweet tooth and a refined palate, to enjoy some good eats at a BYOW sugar shack so she could suggest the best pairings.
Homegrown discoveries → celebrating local flavours
Inspiring
interviews
Discover the expertise and dynamism of local producers and learn more about their journeys often filled with surprising anecdotes.
The Eastern Townships, with Mount Shefford as a backdrop, is where the Bourassa brothers harvest some 2,500,000 litres of maple water per year, and where they nurture their second passion—the distillery.
When you stroll through the streets of Bedford in the Eastern Townships, you quickly notice a huge red-brick building. A vestige of the industrial era, this old needle factory has become a creative hub and an artists’ residence, and it’s where Samuel Gaudette and Vanessa Cliche have set up their stills.
Terroir
profiles
Meet passionate local artisan producers who proudly offer us the best of la Belle Province’s terroir.
Have you heard of Acerum? In this edition of Fresh, we’re looking at this newcomer on the fine spirits scene—an eau-de-vie made from the fermentation and distillation of maple sap.
Beyond syrup, maple-based liqueurs, wines, cream beverages and other spirits derived from the famous tree have become the delight of mixologists and adventurous amateurs alike.
Local know-how
After years spent patiently honing their craft, local winemakers, cider makers, distillers and other alcoholic beverage producers learned to instill their diverse heritage into delicious products.
The wine-making business in Quebec is growing fast thanks to the know-how, determination and ingenuity of our local artisans. Join us with 2 local winemakers: Isabelle Lafont from Vignoble Les artisans du terroir and Daniel Lalande from the Rivière du Chêne vineyard and La Cantina vineyard as we discuss the Quebec wine industry.
Do you know piquette? In French, the term has often been used to mean plonk or poor quality wine, but it’s actually a slightly tart, low-alcohol drink that’s been gaining popularity in the past few years. We look at the phenomenon in the latest edition of Fresh!
The first cider producers in Quebec go back to... New France. We owe them to Norman settlers, for whom production was a common thing. The first orchards were planted in Québec City and Île d’Orléans, followed by the Sulpicians in Montreal.
Articles about Quebec products
Le Mas des Patriotes winery grew out of a lifelong dream. In the early 2000s, France Cliche restored an old abandoned barn and planted the first few acres of vines in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu—becoming one of only a handful of women winery owners.
The Temiscouata Distillery, located in Auclair in the Lower Saint Lawrence region, is made up of some 40 maple syrup producers who decided to innovate, stimulate the economy and take charge of their industry by producing Acerum, a maple syrup-based spirit!
Chef Paul Toussaint from the restaurant Kamúy is here to put us in the holiday spirit. He recounts stories of his Christmases in Haiti as a child, the feasts he now cooks for his family, and the recipe for his famous rum and pineapple ham—served with ti-punch, of course.
It’s an ingredient you’ve tasted in many popular cocktails like martinis, Old Fashioneds, Negronis, and even Spritzes. And contrary to popular belief, vermouth is more than just that syrupy aperitif your grandparents used to drink. Thanks to local and international mixologists and producers, it’s making a big comeback.
It inspired 19th century poets and artists, and was banned, then legalized 100 years later. Absinthe is still shrouded in mystery to this day—but local distillers are doing their best to crack the code! Here are the secrets behind a spirit that’s winning over a growing number of Quebecers.
What does a meadow, a river or forest taste like? That’s a prickly question. One we boldly try to answer by exploring the province in the hopes of discovering Quebec’s taste profile, a bit like a large herbarium of flavours and aromas.
He has unfortunately left us, but the one who has always supported him in life and in the destiny of the estate perpetuates the mission they had given themselves together: To make remarkable wines from unusual grape varieties and techniques.
Tired of the same old traditional Thanksgiving turkey? Fall is the perfect time to breathe new life into your cooking! These recipes are super simple and easy to make, plus they’ll leave you plenty of time to mingle with your guests.
Annually crowning the best cheeses in Quebec, Sélection Caseus remains to this day the only competition to recognize and promote local cheese factories. Discover the winners and the ins and outs of this prestigious competition held on September 6th.
What does a meadow, a river or forest taste like? That’s a prickly question. One we boldly try to answer by exploring the province in the hopes of discovering Quebec’s taste profile, a bit like a large herbarium of flavours and aromas.
At the corner of Chapleau and Masson in Montreal’s Rosemont neighbourhood, Lilian Wolfelsberger is constantly experimenting. The co-founder of Distillerie de Montréal took us behind the scenes in his lab and revealed the creative process behind his chocolate and pineapple spirits.
At Entre Pierre et Terre in Franklin, in Montérégie, not only do owners Michelle Boyer and Loïc Chanut turn their orchard fruit into cider, wine and spirits, they also find ingenious ways to make sure nothing goes to waste.