Montreal's Culinary History

A creative, festive, exuberant and diverse city, Montreal is a gastronomic destination where the pleasures of the table are endless. Thanks to this 5-step tour, discover the unseen side of the city's culinary history through the buildings, milestones and cultural communities that have contributed to its development.

Not surprisingly, the history of beer in Montreal is closely linked to that of immigrants from the British Isles. They were not the first to make beer, since the French Intendant Jean-Talon had the first brewery opened in the country in 1668 (in Quebec City). If the adventure of Intendant Talon brewery short-lived, the religious communities established in Montreal did launch themselves into the brewing adventure without hesitation. 

It is said that after having founded the Congregation of the sisters of Charity, Marguerite d'Youville decided to continue the brandy trade of her late husband, a fur trader and alcohol dealer, in order to pay off the debts left by the latter. It was then that the mocking Montrealer’s renamed the congregation with the nickname of the Grey Nuns, Soeurs Grises in French. To be "grises" means to be drunk in old French. The Soeurs Grises Brewery on McGill Street, a nod to the urban legend, offers tasty Montreal ales just steps away from the actual headquarters of the Grey Nuns of Montreal. That's right! (metro Square-Victoria-OACI)

In 1786, the British immigrant John Molson, founded the first commercial brewery in the country, on the shores of the St. Lawrence River. Thus actively participating in the social and economic development of Canada. His brewing empire is said to be the second oldest company in the country after the Hudson's Bay Company. The emblematic red brick building that can be seen during a walk on the quays of old Montreal will eventually be transformed into a microbrewery or a museum.

In the 19th century, Irish immigrant Charles McKiernan’s alias Joe Beef, owned a tavern particularly appreciated by the Irish unemployed, workers and labourers who frequent the of the Old Port docs. Great protector of the working classes, Joe Beef distinguished himself in 1887 during the conflict between the workers and the bosses in the project to widen the Lachine Canal. He distributed 3000 loaves of bread and 500 gallons of soup to the protesters. His establishment on Saint-Claude Street was also known for housing all sorts of curiosities, including a menagerie of domestic bears feeding on beer in front of a most than amused public.

To keep discovering the history of beers in Montreal, you must go to Cheval Blanc on Ontario Street, (metro Sherbrooke), which embarked on the adventure of craft brewing in 1987. It became the first microbrewery in Montreal and the second in Quebec, or to McAuslan's brewery in Saint-Henri, another firsts to bottle microbrewery beer, the famous St-Ambroise Pale Ale. In summer, the fantastic outdoor terrace inspired by German biergartens with pizza ovens, is well worth a walk or bike ride from the Atwater market. On the banks of the Lachine Canal, the terrace is overlooked by the ghostly silhouette of the old Canada Malting factory, a haunt for daring urban explorers.

Continue your discovery of Montreal by clicking on the 4 thematic tours below