Attended: Festibière d'Hiver (Gatineau, Quebec)

 

Serving hot 2009 BDT Messe de Minuit at the ice bar. Reminded me of hot apple cider.

 

As much of a beer lover that I am I have not tried many of the craft beers available in Quebec.  Which is why I jumped at the opportunity to attend Festibière d'Hiver, Winter Beerfest, hosted at the Château Cartier in Gatineau, Quebec.

Admission was free but beer samples and food required tickets which could be bought for 50 cents / ticket.  For the average 5% ABV (alcohol by volume) beer 4 tickets were required for a 120ml sample but if you wanted to be adventurous and try some of the higher ABV beers you could expect to shell out 6-10 tickets.  The food available seemed perfect for a beerfest - bison pogo, foie gras poutine, beer risotto to name a few and were sold in small portions for anywhere from 6-10 tickets.

 

Sipping on my Milk Stout by the bon fire.

I tried a wide variety of beers from a wheaty Blanche de Chambly from Unibroue to a creamy Vache Folle Milk Stout from Charlevoix to the oh so delicious aged Messe de Minuit from BDT served hot at the ice bar.  The latter being my favorite beer of the evening because enjoying it warm, huddled around the blazing bon fire felt perfect.

 

I want to learn more about Quebec breweries and their beer and will have to do my homework before the summer edition of the Gatineau Beerfest.  I just hope the summer event can top an ice bar and dog sled rides..

 

Lining up to get the beer that will save us from the cold.

 

 

Sipping high ABV beer by the bonfire makes a person feel very warm.