Review: Festibière — Gatineau Beer Festival

I had arrived early before the 4 pm opening and what a way to start. Within minutes the sky had darkened accompanied by a rumbling music that forecast a deluge. The stragglers took cover under the beer tent as the rain came down like rebar. Then, as quickly as it had arrived, it was gone and the sun came out.

“Let the drinking begin” said the gods.

At the tent I grabbed a blueberry sour from the Micro du Lac brewery to help me stroll the grounds. All four-ounce pours are paid with debit or credit only ($3.50 - $4) with tipping options for the volunteers behind the bar.

The Beluette sour had a gorgeous colour with a faintly sour finish but I struggled to find the fruit on the palate.

I was impressed by the large stage and the ferris wheel standing guard next to it. More impressive still were the water features: inflatable ponds, some with paddle boats and others just for splashing sitting on a warm, sandy man-made beach.

Back at the bar, I ordered the Old Fashioned from Montreal's Beauregard Brewery. Beauregard is famous for making 100 percent bieres noir: stouts and porters only and I think their products are masterful. This was only a four-ounce pour but at 11.9% alc. I was taking my time. I sat at the long table to contemplate this brew. It was rich and boozy with black cherry upfront followed by the long finish of coffee and caramel. I could bathe in this stuff.

At the beer tent, the staffing supervisor introduced me to the beer guru, Simon, who’s responsible for the festival's brewery selection. He very kindly poured me a sample of one of his favourites, Liquor Noire Bourbon Imperial Stout from a brewery named Le Prospecteur. I’m a fan of imperial stouts and advocate that beer and wine lovers alike collect the best examples in their cellars as they can keep for up to ten years. This example stands as one of the greatest I’ve enjoyed in more than a decade.

Before I could make my way to the next beer, Simon introduced me to Alex Van Dieren, co-president of Orkestra, the full-service marketing and event planning company behind Festibière. He told me how excited everyone was to have the festival back after missing last year due to COVID.

He further talked about future plans for the event and then remembered something and proceeded to show me the outhouse to the left of a bank of port-a-potties. He invited me in and we walked through the open back, up some stairs to a speakeasy disco with a lighted dance floor. Now this was novel. A beer delivery truck converted to a secret club. Fantastic.

Of course I was amused and told him so. We exchanged information and said our goodbyes. After all that strong beer I was ready to finish with something bright and refreshing.

I opted for the Cidrerie Lacroix chai tea cider wondering if this could possibly work. Most flavoured ciders don’t, but I drank this like a man who’d crawled the desert. Great acidity with just enough sweetness to highlight the spices. A terrific cider.

Festibière runs until July 30th so there is still time to experience some of Quebec's finest beers and ciders. You can find tickets here. By all means, don’t neglect some of the unique and delicious wines being served from the vintage VW camper wagon. Just so much fun.