My latest CBC column, which ran last Friday, was put on the website yesterday. It was an overview of my recent trip to Quebec City. What I found – and this becomes the theme of the column – was a beer scene that is mid-sized but passionately local. Quebec City sees millions of tourists each year because of its historic old city. I swear 99% of them leave never having had a sniff of local beer. Local beer is just that – for the locals. You gotta know where to find it, because it isn’t in the tourist areas that is for sure.

However, once you find it, you appreciate its commitment to community, the diversity between the different breweries and the vibrancy of the scene. All under just under the surface.

I highlight three places. First there is Corsaire, which is actually a ferry ride over in Levis, a young brewpub that offers original interpretations of traditional styles. Second is La Barberie, which is a microbrewery with a pub attached. It is a worker coop that specialized, in my opinion, in taking traditional styles and adding a creative twist to them – like adding ginger to a pale ale, or creating a beer-sangria hybrid beer. Third is a brand new brewpub (not quite open when I was there, but should be now), La Korrigane, which aims for accessible, well-crafted beer. As I said an interesting diversity among the three, which makes them less competitors and more comrades. I talk more about them in the column (and in upcoming columns in Vue and Planet S). Hear the full CBC column here.