Beer Drinking

One of the greatest pleasures of summer in la Belle Province of Québec is to discover small neighborly places to eat and drink with friends and families in a casual atmosphere. My brother Pierre and his girlfriend Sylvie introduced me to a small micro brewery in the south shore community of Chambly about twelve miles from Montreal.

“Bedondaine et Bedons Ronds” has a unique style with its collection of beer memorabilia and its shelves of beer bottles lining its walls. It is also a beer museum which offers tasty and original brews.

But what appealed to me is that it is the story of a small Quebec entrepreneur, Nicolas Bourgault who matched his interests and passion for beer with a lot of hard work to start a business which became a success. It took a lot of planning with business and advanced brew master courses and also the much appreciated help of family members and friends as well as grants from the Quebec government.

The old garage was converted into a brewery which is part bistro and part pub and is located in the historic district not too far from the hiking trails and bicycle paths that bring in patrons in quest of refreshments.

Their signature beer is called L’Ensorceleuse but there are so many choices with unusual names that it is impossible to only try one. How can one resist “L’Amère Veilleuse”, ie. The Marvelous, “ La Dernière Brosse” ie, The Last Bender or " Sème Ta Graine” ie. Sow your Wild Oats.

All of these beers are created by Nicolas and his employees to bring joy to the palate of the most demanding beer drinker. My brother Pierre fits the description having sampled micro brews for many years, he has adopted Bedondaine as his favorite brasserie in a province where beer is serious business.