Repost This Article

Beer tasting heaven. Photo by sashafatcat

MONTREAL WAS MY first big city love. My first and only. A place with a subway system and skyscrapers and things that normally make me uncomfortable. But Montreal felt familiar, like I had been there before. The beer helped.

I talked to a few Montreal enthusiasts before my trip, and one beer expert told me that I had to swing by the Dieu du Ciel! brewpub. According to him, it’s the best brewpub in Canada. I don’t know much about brewpubs, but I do enjoy my brew. So after visiting the Tam Tams at Mont Royal and still nursing a wicked hangover from the night before, my friend Cailin and I dropped by to check it out. Hair of the dog…it works.

As if I needed another reason to return to Montreal.

Ale, real ale (cask conditioned ale), and lagers are all served up here, and the variety depends on the season. It’s been a few months since my visit, but the patio was overflowing and Cailin and I were confined to a table in the corner. We ordered some grub–typical pub stuff with nachos and wings–and found ourselves a little overwhelmed by the brew choices. The pub actually has 100+ different flavours, although they’ll only have a handful (like 17) on tap at one time. They tend to switch up the menu daily, so each time you visit, there’s something new to try.

The happiest I've ever been

Here’s just a taste:

I ordered the beer platter so I could have a healthy sampling of everything on the menu. The bartender unloaded the tray of miniature glasses filled with beer and named them all out automatically, without batting an eyelash. I was in a trance. I was in heaven. Oh, Montreal. I’ll be back!

If you visit, leave the car at home. With beers containing 10.5% alcohol, it doesn’t take long for even samples to hit hard.

Come early in spring/summer if you want a seat outside.

Dieu du Ciel!
29, Avenue Laurier O Montreal, QC H2T 2N2, Canada
(514) 490-9555

Hours
Monday to Wednesday, 11:30 AM – 11 PM
Thursday and Friday, 11:30 AM – 2:30 AM
Saturday, 2 PM – 2:30 AM
Sunday, 2 PM – 11:00 PM