Metro Joanette

by Shannon Wand
(Beer Delegate, QC, Canada)

Metro Joanette in Verdun is one of Montreal's great beer stores

Few Montrealers have benefited from visiting the flats and avenues of time-weary Verdun; yet, there is many a hidden treasure to be found there. True, it is a poor area; true, there are seemingly more children than adults roaming the streets; true, Metro Joannette (MJ) has numerous local and imported brews. Huh?

In the heart of Verdun—de l'Eglise Ave. corner Wellington St.—rests a Metro grocery store. Browse through the aisles to find canned corn, beer nuts, diapers and the like. However, do not skip the left front corner of Metro Joanette or you will miss the most divine beer selection coming out of a major grocery chain ever. Really.

Featuring microbrewery beer from 19 Quebec locations, imported brew from 11 countries and a slew of mass-produced beer, MJ boasts over 150 bottles of beer for your tasting pleasure. Each bottle is sold individually and is priced appropriately.

Of particular interest are the brews from Brasserie Saint-Antoine-Abbé. Sweet (but not too sweet) and exceptionally bubbly, their brews still have that made from scratch sludge at the bottom of the bottles. They boast an amazing Honey Red that gets its distinct taste from the honey farmed next door.

You can purchase Saint Abbé's distinctive and crisp beers at MJ, or you can go straight to the source. An hour southwest from Montreal is their cozy brewery and restaurant. They open their patio doors in the warmer months for lunch.

The ambiance is pure Quebec countryside: checkered tablecloths, Quebeqoise music and local art. Sit back, enjoy the French culture while sipping on a freshly brewed brews.

Metro Joannette
349 Ave. de l'Eglise, Verdun
ph: 514.761.3406

Brasserie Saint-Antoine-Abbé
3299 Route 209, Saint-Antoine-Abbé, PQ, J0S 1E0
ph: 450.826.4609

Comments for
Metro Joanette

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Aug 22, 2010
Rating

beer selection
by: Anonymous

Drove from outside Toronto about 5 or 6 years ago on a day trip because I heard that Metro Joannette had a good selection of Quebec micro brewed labels,was not interested in "foreign" beers at the time,as Belgian beer is my favourite,and ,knowing that there were some good Belgian styles to be found in the province,picked up 2 cases plus,of separate beers ,not all Belgian styles,but;quite happy with the selection they had to offer as most of them were not sold outside the province.I give them 5 stars as the selection they had made it
worth the trip.Since then ,I am sure there are a wider variety of micros.

Apr 27, 2008
Rating

Great, but not as great as expected
by: Ashley Cotter-Cairns

I had read a lot of hype about Metro Joanette. Comments included "The best beer store in Montreal, bar none" and "A must-visit store if you're in Montreal".

Well, I found myself travelling to Verdun recently and made time to stop in for a quick look. I'll be posting a video of the store very soon, but for now I'll limit myself to written comments.

Call me a killjoy, but I found the whole experience rather too clinical. Sure, the fridges are huge and well-stocked with a great selection of Quebec microbrews. The imports were not as impressive, with nothing there I have not found offered elsewhere.

Of the two locations, I found Supermarche Rahman to have the better offering, and, if the store is more grungy and dark, dusty and dingy, well, that actually appeals to me more. There's a joy in the hunting through dark stacks of cases for a hidden gem that Metro Joanette can't match.

Certainly Rahman has the better selection of rare beers, with older Unibroue bombers and gift packs that were simply not present at Joanette.

So, Joanette is well worth a visit, but for me, Rahman is more fun.

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