EXCLUSIVE: First Ranking Of The Top 100 Greatest Beer Stores In Quebec

After having launched two brand new rankings in the food industry last fall — the 100 most appreciated convenience stores and the 100 most appreciated grocery stores and supermarkets, DepQuébec is back with the 1st Ranking Of The 100 Greatest Beer Stores In Quebec.

As you probably know if you read DepQuébec (in French preferably), the terms “biériste” (or “beerist”), “dépanneur-biériste” and “épicerie-biériste” are now officially approved by the Quebec French language Office to designate a retailer specialized in craft beer and this, following a specific request from DepQuébec (see articles here and here and see the dictionary listing here).

This unique ranking is therefore timely to pay tribute to the creativity, talent and devouring passion of beer store owners, managers and employees who are fully invested in the divine art of quenching thirst with the grace of hops.

The 100 greatest beer stores… classified by their selection

While DepQuébec‘s ranking is titled “The 100 Greatest Beer Stores”, it is based purely on one single indicator, i.e. the variety of microbrewery beers and imported beers available in stores.

So yes, we might say, this factor alone is not the only one needed to make a “great” beer store.

Indeed, just because a retailer offers a wider selection than another does not necessarily means he is better or offers a superior shopping experience. Let’s keep that in mind.

On the contrary, a retailer who relies on a hand-picked selection of, let’s say, 400 types of beer and who has qualified personnel will be as great, if not more, than one who has 800 but blindly chosen and without offering any customer advice.

Now, that being said, we’ll all agree that selection is still pretty important! – DepQuébec

When it comes to beer, customers love to be offered a ton of choice. This is why most retailers advertise how many different beers they offer on social media or the web.

A useful and relevant exercise

By celebrating retailers, not the microbreweries that make beers (and who have a knack for choosing fantastic brands) or the restaurants and bars that serve them, DepQuébec‘s track record is breaking new ground.

And it’s wonderful everything we learn from going through the ranking!

First, there is a true monarchy of beer stores, to which we have devoted an article that you can read here.

Then, several of the 100 select few have opened just a few months ago.

This is the case for the Marché Houblonné (No. 22, 11th rank) in Plessisville and Ça Coule à Flots (No. 24, 23rd rank) in La Prairie.

This shows that despite its still marginal importance, the craft beer industry is booming and will continue to grow in the coming years.

To everyone on the list, CONGRATS and BE PROUD!

Whatever you say and whatever you do, if you are among the 100, it is because you simply run a great beer store. So, stop being modest and say it!

Proudly display your new status by putting the symbol of your success at the entrance of your business or inside it!

To all these wonderful owners who work hard to stay close to their customers and stand out, we say congratulations!

We are proud of you: your place in the ranking is fully deserved.

On that, enjoy your reading!

 

The DepQuébec Team

Note: As this is the first of its kind and despite our best efforts, it is possible that some deserving beer stores have been left out. If so, our apologies: write us HERE and we will correct the situation in the next edition, early 2019.

Methodology: To establish the variety of each beer store, we asked for the number of different flavors of microbrewery beers and imported beers available in store on average, excluding commercial beers (Molson, Labatt, Sleeman) but including micro products offered by the latter (ex: Archibald).

RANKING OF THE 100 GREATEST BEER STORES IN QUÉBEC

NO	RANK	BEER STORE	CITY	SELECTION
1	1st	Dépanneur de la Rive	Québec	1,567
2	2nd	Marché du Boisé	Trois-Rivières	1,330
3	3rd	Dépanneur Peluso (rue Beaubien)	Montréal	1,000
4	4th	Au Toit Rouge	Saint-Jérôme	875
5	5th	Dépanneur Peluso (rue Rachel)	Montréal	850
6	6th	Dépanneur 5 Étoiles	Trois-Rivières	800
7	6th	Dépanneur Grimard	Varennes	800
8	6th	Dépanneur Tout-Près	Lévis	800
9	6th	Marché Centre-Ville	Saguenay	800
10	10th	Metro Plus Riendeau	Beloeil	750
11	11th	Dépanneur La Ressource	Boucherville	700
12	11th	Dépanneur Parisoir	Montréal	700
13	11th	IGA Lambert Chambly	Chambly	700
14	11th	La Station des Bières	Beloeil	700
15	11th	Le Frigo de Bacchus	Montréal	700
16	11th	Le Monde des Bières	Beauport	700
17	11th	Le Monde des Bières	Lévis	700
18	11th	Le Monde des Bières	Neufchâtel	700
19	11th	Le Monde des Bières	Saint-Nicolas	700
20	11th	Le Monde des Bières	Québec	700
21	11th	Marché du Village	Saint-Césaire	700
22	11th	Marché Houblonné	Plessisville	700
23	23rd	Ça coule à flots	La Prairie	650
24	23rd	Épicerie du Carrefour Sportif	Amqui	650
25	23rd	La Boîte à Bière	Québec	650
26	26th	Bières et Finesses	Ste-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier	600
27	26th	Dépanneur As	Montréal	600
28	26th	Épicerie Prette	Pointe-Claire	600
29	26th	La Muraille des Bières	Pont-Rouge	600
30	26th	La Voûte du Malt	Trois-Rivières	600
31	26th	Supermarché Rahman	Montréal	600
32	32nd	Bières et Saveurs du Terroir	Victoriaville	550
33	32nd	Marché R. Éthier Express	Grenville	550
34	32nd	Marché du Coin Super Sagamie	Saguenay	550
35	35th	Accommodation 7-23	Saint-Georges	500
36	35th	Accommodation Triolet	Lévis	500
37	35th	À Chacun sa Bière	St-Marc-des-Carrières	500
38	35th	Alimentation L'Impact	Québec	500
39	35th	Dépanneur Brisson	Salaberry-de-Valleyfield	500
40	35th	Dépanneur Jessop	Rimouski	500
41	35th	Dépanneur Le Gobelet	Vaudreuil	500
42	35th	Dépanneur Maxi	Contrecoeur	500
43	35th	Épicerie Lauzière	Drummondville	500
44	35th	Gaz Bar Saint-Patrice	Rivière-du-Loup	500
45	35th	La Barik	Trois-Rivières	500
46	35th	Le Marché Lavigne - La maison des bières	Longueuil	500
47	35th	Metro Rigaud - Le roi de la bière	Rigaud	500
48	48th	Bière Dépôt - Au Vent du Nord	Sherbrooke	475
49	48th	Bière Dépôt - Au Vent du Nord	Rock Forest	475
50	48th	Espace Houblon	Blainville	475
51	48th	Espace Houblon	Laval	475
52	48th	Espace Houblon	Mascouche	475
53	48th	Espace Houblon	Saint-Eustache	475
54	54th	Épicerie Chamard & Fils	Repentigny	450
55	54th	Épicerie Thibault Marché Ami	Ste-Anne-des-Monts	450
56	54th	Commerce de Bière		450
57	54th	La Glacière de l'Est	Montréal	450
58	54th	La Maison des Bières	Montréal	450
59	54th	Les Marchands de Bière	Ste-Thérèse	450
60	54th	Maltéhops	Montréal	450
61	54th	Marché 7 Jours	Sept-Îles	450
62	62nd	Accommodation ChaLou	Québec	400
63	62nd	Boutique L'Abreuvoir	St-Félicien	400
64	62nd	Boutique Le Fridge	Lévis	400
65	62nd	Dépanneur Bonne-Humeur	Wakefield	400
66	62nd	Dépanneur du Lac	Matane	400
67	62nd	Dépanneur Patenaude Boni-Soir	Mascouche	400
68	62nd	Dépanneur Rapido	Aylmer	400
69	62nd	La Grange à Houblon	Sorel-Tracy	400
70	62nd	Les Assoifés	St-Lambert	400
71	62nd	Marché Omni	Gatineau	400
72	62nd	Marché Station 54	Montréal	400
73	62nd	Veux-tu une Bière? (Liège est)	Montréal	400
74	62nd	Veux-tu une Bière? (St-Zotique)	Montréal	400
75	62nd	William J. Walter	Blainville	400
76	62nd	William J. Walter	Candiac	400
77	77th	Dépanneur La Duchesse d'Aiguillon	Québec	375
78	77th	Dépanneur Voisin Esso	Drummondville	375
79	79th	Capsules Bière - L'Axe du Malt	Québec	350
80	79th	Capsules Bière - L'Axe du Malt	Québec (Limoilou)	350
81	79th	Dépanneur Chez Doub	Québec	350
82	79th	Dépanneur Renaud	Windsor	350
83	79th	La Porte des Bières	St-Jérôme	350
84	79th	La Saucisserie Bois-des-Filions	Bois-des-Filions	350
85	79th	La Saucisserie Sainte-Rose	Laval	350
86	79th	Marché Dunn Metro-Richelieu	Montréal	350
87	79th	Metro Beaulieu Laurier	Montréal	350
88	79th	Saveurs Unies	Terrebonne	350
89	89th	Au Coin Duluth	Montréal	325
90	90th	Accommodation St-Paul	Baie St-Paul	300
91	90th	Broue Ha Ha	Gatineau	300
92	90th	Dépanneur Chez Gibb	Rouyn-Noranda	300
93	90th	Dépanneur Metabetchouan	Metabetchouan	300
94	90th	Dépanneur Simon Anthony	Montréal	300
95	90th	Épicerie Unique Le Dépôt de la bière	Montréal	300
96	90th	Frigo des Dieux	Pointe-aux-Trembles	300
97	90th	Le Biérologue	Montréal	300
98	90th	Le Brasse-Camarade	St-André-Avellin	300
99	90th	Les Délires du Terroir	Montréal	300
100	90th	Willliam J. Walter	Salaberry-de-Valleyfield	300