Tadoussac is the place where the Saguenay Fjord flows into the massive St. Lawrence River. The town is home to the Microbrasserie Tadoussac, which uses regional ingredients you wouldn’t typically expect to find in beer, alongside the standard ones. During our stay in Tadoussac, we put their beer to the test.
The brewery utilizes ingredients from two main areas:
- From the sea: Seaweed and salty beach plants.
- From the forest: Spruce tips, mushrooms, and wild berries (like the camerise) from the hinterland.
We were incredibly excited to see what new flavor experiences Microbrasserie Tadoussac had in store for us.ürde.
Microbrasserie Tadoussac
Founded in 2016, Microbrasserie Tadoussac is located right on the water on Rue du Bord-de-l’Eau. It is open year-round and serves as a popular gathering spot for locals and tourists alike.
We loved it there immediately. The atmosphere is relaxed and welcoming. There are board games, free popcorn, and the team went out of their way to explain the beers to us. Whenever we were unsure about what to order, they offered us a “taster sample” to make the choice easier.
The terrace is especially beautiful. From there, you can watch the ship traffic and, with a little luck, even spot a whale.
The Beer: What to Try
The brewery is known for using ingredients that are otherwise rarely found in beer. One glance at the menu told us it was going to be a long evening—there were so many different beers to choose from!
Signature Beers
These beers are the heart of the brewery. They feature ingredients that are rarely, if ever, used in brewing outside of Québec.
La Borée à la camerise (5.5% ABV)
Unlike many overly sweet fruit beers, La Borée is rather dry and slightly tart. The base beer (a Pale Ale) provides a malty backbone that supports the fruit’s acidity without being overpowered by it. I drank this beer and was very surprised by its balanced flavor. A fantastic summer beer, if you ask me.
- Style: Fruit Pale Ale
- Special Ingredient: The camerise (also known as honeyberry or haskap) is a local regional fruit. It looks like an elongated blueberry but tastes tarter. The bitterness of the hops plays wonderfully with the tannins from the fruit skin here.
La Mouk (3.5% ABV)
Unfortunately, this beer was out of stock during our visit. For this brew, the brewers combined a Berliner Weisse with a spruce flavor instead of the traditional woodruff syrup. They use real local spruce to produce an extremely light (3.5%), refreshing beer with a subtle lactic acidity and a resinous, citrusy top note from the spruce.
- Style: Berliner Weisse with Spruce (Épinette)
- Special Ingredient: Spruce tips (Picea) are traditionally harvested in the spring when they are soft and light green. They are rich in vitamin C and essential oils (pinene, limonene).
Suroît– Sour beer (3.5% ABV)
During our visit, the Suroît was on the menu essentially as an alternative to La Mouk. The beer stands out with a pronounced aroma of fresh conifers. It smells resinous, woody, and slightly citrusy, which is highly typical for spruce shoots.
I really enjoyed it!
La Krill (4.5% ABV)
I’m not usually a big fan of Gose. Gose is a historic beer style from Germany traditionally brewed with salt and coriander. In Canada, I learned that many brewers are enthusiastic about this style, and it’s also very popular with patrons. Microbrasserie Tadoussac replaces the rock salt with sea salt from seaweed and swaps the coriander/lactic acid for the fruity tartness of sumac.
- Style: Gose with Sumac and Seaweed
- Special Ingredients:
- Seaweed (Dulse): Red algae that grow in the cold Atlantic waters. They bring saltiness and umami (glutamate) to the beer.
- Sumac (Rhus typhina): The staghorn tree provides red, hairy fruits that offer an intense, lemony acidity (similar to lemon juice, but far more complex).
Other Beers on Tap
La Traverse (6.7% ABV)
Named after the ferry (traversier) that serves as the region’s lifeline.
- Style: American IPA
- Tasting Notes: An “old school” IPA (West Coast Style). Its defining feature is a “strong bitterness.” It is highly resinous, clear, and dry.
Pale Whale (5.0% ABV)
The name is a pun connecting the town’s main attraction (whales) with the beer style.
- Style: English Pale Ale
- Tasting Notes: A classic, malt-forward ale. Less aggressively hopped, with more focus on balance, biscuit notes, and pure drinkability.
Étoile du Fjord (6.4% ABV)
We “only” did a taster of this one. It tasted too much like cardamom for us and wasn’t quite our cup of tea.
- Style: Farmhouse Ale
- Ingredients: Star anise and cardamom
- Tasting Notes: A very bold combination. Farmhouse ales are rustic, and often slightly “funky” or earthy.
Capitaine Olsen – Hefeweizen (4,5%)
The Capitaine Olsen from Microbrasserie Tadoussac is a German-style wheat beer (Hefeweizen), but interpreted with local ingredients from Québec.
It leans heavily on the German brewing tradition. By using Québécois hop varieties like Galena and Crystal, the beer gains additional herbal and citrusy nuances.
The beer is mild, with very low bitterness. It is fruity, malty, and naturally cloudy due to the wheat content (about one-third).
Patrick, being a massive fan of wheat beer, thought this one was absolutely excellent!
Food: Poutine & Fondue
Microbrasserie Tadoussac serves uncomplicated food that pairs perfectly with beer. We ate there on two evenings, and our absolute highlight was the poutine (fries, cheese, gravy). The gravy in particular was incredibly savory, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if their house beer was one of the secret ingredients.
On the second evening, I ordered the beer fondue. The brewery collaborates with the company 1001 Fondues. They developed a cheese fondue made with the brewery’s La Triplette beer. The beer makes the cheese wonderfully savory and creamy. I thought it was fantastic!
Visitor Information
Address
145 Rue du Bord de l’Eau,
Tadoussac, QC G0T 2A0, Kanada
Directions
From the west (Québec City), take the ferry to Tadoussac. The ferry is free and runs 24 hours a day. The crossing takes only 10 minutes.
Then continue by car through Tadoussac.
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