Soif de Révolution: Québec Drinking Business Pioneers Journey

As you may know, making alcohol in the Québec province is not necessarily the most profitable industry. Whether we’re talking about investment, profitability, competition and, of course, distribution! The Soif de Révolution TV Series, which airs on March 15 at 9:30 p.m. on the Historia channel (Québec’s History channel), follows three Québec companies (Grands Bois in the world of beer, Distillerie de la Chaufferie in spirits and Vignoble La Bauge in the wine area) in order to explore the reality of creating their precious liquids.

Soif de Révolution TV Series: Discovering outstanding products

Work, passion and a little bit of madness are certainly what ignites the various protagonists of Nicolas Houde-Sauvé’s series. Travel across Quebec through his lens to shed light on the different facets of their jobs in this vibrant industry.

In addition to the three ingredients mentioned above, there is always a mystery when tasting precious liquids, especially when it is mixologist Claudia Doyon who takes us into her mystical world of pear or plum liqueurs with her colleague and distiller Vincent Van Horn. It is certainly for her audacity and the quality of her various cocktails that Ms. Doyon was named the mixologist of the year at the Lauriers 2022 awards, an honour that, in the process, introduces us to the range of products of the Distillerie de la Chaufferie in Granby. A micro-distillery installed in a former Imperial Tobacco factory that can be seen in its daily life.

How about a toast now? To what? To the risk that Vignoble La Bauge Simon Naud’s parents of took when they transformed part of their farm into a vineyard in the mid-1980s, and even more so when Simon Naud, who took over in the 1990s, switched to organic wines, delicious products that are both a bit eccentric and delicious, with the help of living wine consultant Steve Beauséjour. In fact, it is to the two companions that we owe the series “Les Beaux jus,” which is a great success in the province.

As for the microbrewery Les Grands Bois, it is Mathieu Tessier, one of the four founders, which is being followed. It is easy to notice the companionship between the four friends from the small town of Saint-Casimir, in Portneuf, halfway between Québec City and Trois-Rivières. You can also sense that the microbrewery has revived the village a bit, with their popular festival and their delicious lagers, the specialty of the young company. In the first two episodes, which I was able to watch, we notice this spirit of brotherhood, communities and mutual aid of the four friends and the various other Québec province microbreweries, a magnificent story to discover.

In short, by watching the Soif de Révolution TV Series, Quebec has nothing to envy to the rest of the planet in terms of beers, wine and spirits, you just have to be patient and open to discovery and not hesitate to take risks and taste products from elsewhere to get inspired. Watch the 10 episodes from March 15, 2023, every Wednesday at 9:30 p.m.

Learn more about wines, beers and spirits in our “Fine Dining” section.