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| - This is probably the nicest beer shop I've been to. We actually came back two days in a row just because of how nice they were. The selection of specialty beers is fantastic and the staff really know what they're talking about.
We were pretty surprised by the location-- it's not in the most upscale part of the city, and tucked away in what seemed to be essentially an open air flea market neighborhood, but oh man were we glad we stopped in. This business could easily be moved into Mile End and make a killing as one of the most upscale specialty beer shops in the city. It's gorgeous inside, and they carry fantastic beers.
What really made them stand out from just being an upscale specialty shop was the staff. The same man helped us two days in a row, and we actually went back specifically hoping he'd be working to help us with recommendations again. My favorite beers are Rauchbiers, which are generally hard to find, but he knew exactly what we were looking for and made a few recommendations. We walked out with three smoke beers instead of just the one we went in looking for, and the ones he recommended were two of the best beers I've tasted in my life! When we went back, we just asked for his recommendation for special beers we won't be able to find at home, and sure enough he did not disappoint. He recommended Oshlag, which we had never heard of before because it's only in Montreal and brewed with blue corn-- in the over 50 beers we tried in Montreal, this was the most unique, and each of his recommendations were in the top 10 beers we tried that week. We also mentioned that we were US tourists essentially in the city specifically on the hunt for awesome craft beers and poutines, and both days he made AWESOME recommendations about breweries and restaurants we hadn't yet tried or even heard of... he even drew us a map and directions from the shop to each place! And none of his recommendations disappointed-- he was our secret guide more or less! I wish we got his name because that kind of service should catch the eye of the manager if he's not the owner because not only was he knowledgeable, but he was also probably the friendliest and most helpful person we met in the city.
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