I have been living in Montreal now for seven years, much of that time was spent in the downtown burrow and my go to spot for buying copious amounts of craft beer was Peluso which was a quick 10 minutes drive away from my apartment. But then something wonderful yet scary happened, after six years of living in downtown San Francisco, and four years living in downtown Montreal I moved over to Lasalle in the south west. Not downtown, but not really the suburbs. Now Peluso sits a crappy 30 minutes drive away through painstaking traffic and construction. My solution? Lets find a local store that has everything that Quebec has to offer and more. My answer? Maltehops.

Maltehops is a small craft beer store which sits on Wellington Street in the heart of Verdun, the store is small yet has a vast selection of great local craft beer from Quebec. Along with their great craft beer selection, they hold other goodies that an epiciere would hold. Spices, sauces, and more! Fronted by some very awesome people who really contribute to the Verdun community in many ways than just beer, this store is the epitome of local.

Since my move to Lasalle two years ago, I have converted to a Maltehopsian from a Pelusoan, and I couldn’t be happier. The crew working Maltehops are always welcoming with a smile, always helpful, and in part a lot of my articles since moving over to Lasalle would not have been possible without their help.

Having this store so close by has certainly been a great welcome to the neighborhood for me and an even better one considering the staff. There are so many small shops which promote and sell local Quebec breweries around the city, and I urge you to spread the love whenever possible or probable. Whenever I find myself walking around unknown neighborhoods, the minute I see a craft beer sign in the store front, I simply can’t resist but to check it out. It is these businesses along with microbreweries that will continue to elevate and surge microbreweries to the masses. Lets keep that going! And check out this awesome shop while your at it!

Words by Hopcitizen X Photography taken from online sources