Last Updated on December 24, 2023 by Pamela MacNaughtan
The last time I was at La Korrigane Brasserie Artisanale was in 2014 or 2015. I was relatively new to Quebec City, and meeting someone from the city’s tourism board. It was an autumn day, I believe, and we enjoyed a flight of beers while talking about Korrigane’s owner, Catherine Foster.
Opening its doors in 2010, La Korrigane has not only carved out a place for itself in Quebec City’s microbrewery scene but has consistently remained one of the best in the city. When possible, local ingredients are used, from fruits to herbs and grains. There are seasonal beers made with raspberries or pumpkin, and hefeweizens made with Labrador tea, to name a couple.
the vibe at la korrigane
There are days when La Korrigane is packed with people, often a combination of locals and tourists. Every table is filled and the bar is hopping. On its quiet days, the microbrewery is chill, and chatting with the staff about beer, the brewery, and Quebec City is a lovely way to pass the time.
A large black sectional can be seen in a corner, an ideal spot for hanging out with friends. Games can be found here, too, and there are nights are La Korrigane where it seems like every table is filled with locals playing board games and drinking beer.
the beer
La Korrigane brews seven beers on a regular basis, as well as a couple of seasonal beers. Aside from ingredients that are not available locally, the beers here are brewed with local ingredients. The Amaruq beer is an award-winning Hefeweizen made with Labrador tea, a medicinal plant used by local Indigenous nations.
As it’s autumn, sampling Mr Jack, a pumpkin pale ale was a must. The pumpkin flavour is slight, and I didn’t really taste the accompanying spices, but the beer was a little creamy and the more I drank, the more I enjoyed it. I was thinking of buying a growler to go, but it’s so popular that grabbing some to go is simply not an option.
Saison framboise was tart with a subtle raspberry flavour, quite different from the raspberry beer offered at Noctem which has a more pronounced flavour. It’s good, and I wonder how it would taste paired with a New York-style cheesecake or perhaps one of the microbrewery’s fancy donuts.
While I would love to try all of the beers available, I cannot throw back that many beers in one sitting, they are too filling (for me, at least).
but wait, there is food, too!
While beer is often the main reason to go to La Korrigane, it should not be the only reason. Over the years the food menu at the microbrewery is a shining star all its own. In fact, if you don’t love beer or you don’t drink, you should still go to La Korrigane and try their food menu.
The menu is filled with poutines, chicken wings, burgers, fish n’ chips, salads and snacks. Dishes are made in-house, often with locally sourced ingredients. The fires are some of the best I’ve eaten in Quebec City, perfectly crispy. They have a wide variety of vegan and vegetarian dishes available as well.
Oh, and let’s not forget the amazing beer donuts. Yes, BEER donuts.
don’t forget to tip your servers! tipping is customary in quebec (and canada), and 15-25% is recommended.
in summary
La Korrigane is chill and a fabulous place to hang out and relax, they are also open to people plugging in a laptop and spending a few hours working and drinking (ha!). The microbrewery has events quite often which can be a lot of fun. And, of course, there are game nights as well.
The staff at La Korrigane are wonderful, and if James is behind the bar, you’re sure to have a good time.
drink at la korrigane
where: 380, rue dorchester • saint-roch • 418-614-0932 • korrigane.ca • open: mon-wed & sun 11h30 – 12h, thurs-sat 11h30 – 2h • price: low to moderate
