It is a Saturday morning and you wake up bright and early, fresh as the day because last night you made the decision to skip on the after work drinks and take a night to relax with some dinner and a movie and a glass of water. But today is not Friday, its Saturday, and you have this strong craving to consume something new, something different. As craft beer drinkers, drinking beer is like a game of Pokemon, gotta catch em all. And thus strikes the urge for exploration and to chase the satisfication of the tick. The tick is known as the craft beer drinkers need, like an addiction to check off a beer on the beer app Untappd. I’m looking at you Marc-Andre Veronneau!

Riverbend Microbrasserie opened a short three years ago in Alma, Lac-St-Jean by brothers Jean-Philippe and Sebastien Morasse along with Audrey Girard. Their focus has been on traditional brewing methods and English styles coupled with keeping the ingredients as natural as possible. Their philosophy is geared by staying local, their ingredients such as the hops, malts and cereals all come from Quebec. They even go as far as using fruits from the province of Quebec. The excitement that Sebastien has conveyed to me about his brewery is as head brewer he has been experimenting with different fermentation methods, like using Burton Union system for their English style beers and oak vats for their more Belgian inspired concoctions.

I met Sebastien at Mondial 2018, and we linked up right away, the beers I sampled at the festival were a delight and so my interest was sparked and I was ready for a new journey.

Riverbend Assemlage 1
Belgian Triple || ABV: 8.1% || IBU: –

Although belgian triples have not lured me in as much as other styles, im sure with time as my palate matures, and as I explore the options out there, they could be a style that grows on me. To my surprise this was a very pleasant experience. The aroma lends way to earthy funk with a complimentary coriander kick. To taste it is not so strong overall but has a big kick to start and as a backbone of honey. It’s hard for me to really talk about belgian triples, as I have not explored the style as much. But it is always exciting to explore new beer styles, or new breweries, because it creates perspective, which will develop over time as you continue to explore.

Riverbend IPA du Pacifique 
IPA || ABV: 6.0% || IBU: 65

These days the craze for IPAs is the North Eastern style IPAs known as NEIPAs, which don’t get me wrong I love as well, but sometimes I really just want a piney, bitter, aggressive IPA. The beauty of the haze craze is that it has brought along a mixed IPA, an IPA which has a soft mouthfeel, with tropical delicacy but also a bitter bite. This is such a beer, fruity, malty, honesuckle, balanced and easy to drink!

Riverbend Gose Aux Algues
Sour – Gose || ABV: 3.5% || IBU: 19

Gose is a style which I find a bit underrated, yes they are bursting with a saltiness, but it is a great mix of sour, salty, and a coriander which all swirls the palate in a hypertension mood. I enjoy the complex dance those three elements revolve and entwine around. Its hard to distinct the difference between different gose, because they tend to have the same elements and tastes, atleast in my opinion. This one from Riverbend is much the same, a great balance of sour and salty with that light kick of coriander.

Words + Photography by Hopcitizen