I am writing this review with a splitting headache.
If you got off this week at Bonaventure metro and walked through the underground to Windsor Station expecting to find the beer fest, you probably (like I did) found yourself lost, confused and with an intensely whetted pallet for a “drop” of the sweet libation of the gods (also known as beer).
In that case, you would want to head in the other direction to Place Bonaventure.
The 18th edition of the Montreal Mondial de la Bière happens to be one my favourite summer festivals — especially when you crave a break from a Pabst/Trembay/Old Milwaukee/BB10 dependency. Damn you cheap beer!
At the new location you will find a whopping 550 different beers. 550! That is an incredible increase over past years, which have been limited in space and selection at the outdoor venue that is Windsor Station.
The new space is nearly double in size. Which means more elbow room for drinkers and less fights starting from accidental bumps between drunk patrons. Woo hoo! One of the main complaints about the original space at Windsor Station was that it was seriously overcrowded.
Seating will also be more available, as the new space can now seat over 2,000, as opposed to the 50 at Windsor Station. So instead of trying to find a place to rest your bum in a small patch of green (which is one thing I kind of missed) we can now all sit and be merry!
Two indoor pubs will be featured at this beer-fest, the Bistro Petit Pub Européen, which has beers from all over Europe, and Petit Pub Oktoberfest, which offers the brews of North and South America.
A bunch of Kiosks will be offering food, like Buffalo on a stick. Mmmm, extinct meat….but most of the time you would find me hanging out near the apricot beer. Which I have to admit, is my preference for taste. However you will find every kind of ale to appease your palate. And the currency system is pretty good. 20 bucks will get you 20 tickets and a beer mug, with which you can sample 3 or 4 beers. About 24 tickets later I was glad I found my way there…
I feel like Germany, Poland and Russia visited all the way from Europe to lovingly curb stomp me. But that’s probably in part because the approaching weekend came and resumed pouring rat piss down my throat. Thanks, depanneur beer.
So now, it is time for my after beer nap in the summer sun. See you later.
