Specialty Beer Shops: La Consigne

I have been meaning to get around to this post for a while, but just have not found the energy to do so. Well, here we are in Ahuntsic, on Fleury near St-Urban, and guess what? Yeah. You guessed it. We are hitting up another specialty beer store.

La Consigne, a relatively new player in the beer retailing world, though already very well known, in no small part thanks to their marketing campaign. Their simple and witty slogans adorn the walls in tidy frames that really gives one the sense that these guys know what they are doing, and they do it well. Their logo, the bottle opener, appears in every frame, on every box, and in every corner of the store. They have done such a wonderful job of branding that it is no wonder they have been as successful as they have. Ale Yeah! is a great example of them getting their brand out there, brewed with Brasseurs lllimites, they created two easy drinking (session-beers) beers, a red and a blonde. I had the chance to try both and was rather happy with them.

SO the cover is nice, but what about the content? Does not disappoint! They have what you need, most beers are present - with some exceptions due to limited sales. Though the inventory is not large it is diverse and representative enough to keep you coming back. The displays are neat and well organized, everything is clear and visible, and the store appears perfectly balanced.

On the day of our visit there was still snow left on the ground and I was wearing my winter jacket. So what beer did I buy to warm us up? I bought the newest version of LaTribunAle 54, collaborative brew between most of our favourite specialty beer shops i.e. Bieres Etc., La Consigne, Veux-Tu Une Biere, Saveurs Unies, and Flaveurs d'Ici, and brewed by Dunham. If there are any left - which I doubt, but in case there are - you need to try it because it may just be the best Imperial Brown Ale ever!!

If you are unfamiliar with Fleury street, it is "la rue principal"/ "main street" of Ahuntsic, there are bakeries and butcher shops that seemingly have been there for decades, restaurants that cater to a chic clientele, and local shops that sell clothes and whatever else you can think of. Overall, Fleury is a great street to take an afternoon walk, eat on a terrasse, or buy artisanal beer at La Consigne. Why not make an afternoon of it?

Cheers,

- Jean