What a difference a year made between the first and second editions of Gatineau’s Festibière.
While last year’s edition was a resounding success, “it’s much bigger this year,” explained Monsieur Guy Blain, founder and chef at L’Orée du bois in Chelsea. The number of kiosks increased from 32 to 63, doubling in size. This means there’s a lot more choice. Unfortunately, due to provincial liquor laws, don’t expect local breweries like Beau’s or Kichesippi to be present (I really wonder if someone’s working on fixing this issue).
Festibière is a wonderful opportunity to discover and savour local goods from Québec and stumble upon some delicious craft beers. The site located on the banks of Lac Leamy is composed of four sections garnished with numerous tents housed by restaurants and breweries. There, families, young couples and friends all gather to enjoy and discover new products.
The entry ticket is $10 and the prices at the kiosks vary. The average cost for a 4 oz glass is around $5 – a bit pricey if you ask me although numerous micro-brews offer cheaper options for Pilsners and Ales for example.
The rain didn’t stop Gatineau’s second edition of Festibière to get rolling at the Lac Leamy Park. The organizers were ready to weather the storm. “We were warned ten minutes before it started pouring,” explained Blain. “It allowed us to protect our equipment and our food from the rain,” said Blain. “You know there are electric wires and outlets all around here.” On Saturday, the weather was beautiful and the site was packed with people from both sides of the river. With the sun shining again, organizers expect another busy day today.
At the L’Orée du bois kiosk, an amazing duck fondant de foie gras beautifully paired my Imperial Stout from the Joliette microbrewery L’Alchimiste. The coffee and chocolate taste was the first beer to be had, but definitely not the last. The next beer was also a dark one, but this time it was a dark hemp beer from La Micro de Bromont.
The numerous beer and food enthusiast gleefully walked around the site laughing, drinking, eating and signing along to classics by the likes of Beau Dommage and Les Colocs. Live shows also take place in the Scène L’Autre Oeil. The food, the beer and the atmosphere all reflected the joy de vivre of Québeckers.
After exploring the site, another interesting microbrewery was discovered, serving products from Gaspésie. Le Naufrageur consistently had a lineup. The strawberry beer they poured was an aromatic fruity beer offering an herbal tea and jam smell. Not too bitter with a stingy feel, definitely worth a try, but a taste is all you need.
Another place worth a shot is the microbrewery Le Grimoire. There you will encounter Vie de Chateau, a sweet rare amber with a unique finish of brown rum. The beer is a viable combination of taste which won’t leave you indifferent. Désérable is another aromatic beer infused with – you got it – maple syrup!
There festival is open until 6pm tonight. Enjoy a beautiful Sunday afternoon by Lac Leamy!
