Menaud | When alcohol unties the poetry of the lands here

It is around Menaud, this character created by the writer Félix-Antoine Savard, that the range of spirits and beers from the distillery of the same name is deployed. The La Malbaie establishment has found in one of the jewels of Quebec literature the most beautiful pretext to fuel its philosophy and the creation of its alcohols, which are as many odes to the terroir.

On the Menaud terrace, the picnic tables are gradually filling up with customers who have come to sip a cold beer or an aperitif in a context that has become gourmet. Since the beginning of summer, the distillery and brewery has been enhancing its offer with a temporary food service, which it provides thanks to the collaboration of local caterers such as the Oui, Oui forest refreshment bar and Confit Épicerie-buvette.

The site, established in an industrial zone on the road leading to the Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie park, is surrounded by plants. It is also home to a pétanque court where you can sip one of the house products in a cheerful atmosphere. Inside, the decor is sober and contemporary, and shows off its laboratory. It would be easy to forget an identity forged in heritage and terroir, except that the stories of the past are less volatile than alcohol vapors.

The question quickly arises: who is this famous Menaud? We will always be ready to give you the answer on the spot, because the hero of Menaud, master log driverwhose fabric is woven into the landscapes and history of the region, is also the muse of the distillery.

Published in 1937, in the midst of the nationalist upsurge, this local novel tells the story of its character’s struggle to preserve the integrity of the lands he venerates. Menaud will live his revolt to the point of madness. The distillery sets the front line – to the sweet intoxication and the few sea sprays provided by its artisanal products inspired by the lands of Charlevoix.

What Menaud wants

Six years ago, Enrico Bouchard co-founded the Menaud distillery and brewery with the idea of ​​creating products that reflected the region. “We wondered about ways to showcase it. Menaud became an obvious choice. It is the entity that hovers over us and oversees all our decisions.”

The general contractor and engineer by training willingly disappears behind this romantic character who guides each creation. “Menaud was afraid of encroachers, the English, people who came to buy land in Charlevoix to make a profit. He is a protector of the region and like our grandfathers here.”

With this in mind, obtaining a neutral alcohol from elsewhere became inconceivable: Menaud would have strongly contested it! The distillery thus became the first in Quebec to produce its base alcohol, from grain to neck. Minimally filtered to preserve a sweet and fruity taste, this blank canvas is the origin of all its spirits.

It is in the fields of L’Isle-aux-Coudres, caressed by the salty air of the St. Lawrence, that the wheat and rye used to make the product grow. At the distillery, they are crushed, mixed with water from the Malbaie River, and then fermented. The flavors from the local flora and agriculture are then combined, giving Menaud’s alcohols their distinct character.

In the Apéritif, orange would normally have been used, Enrico Bouchard gives as an example. The distillery has instead opted for a blend of sea buckthorn, haskap, barberry and absinthe, to recreate the warmth and bitterness typical of aperitifs Italians. “Here, we rely on the past and on Menaud to write the present.”

The past in the present

The distillery also brews 25 beers with distinct personalities: from light beers, such as Grisette, to extra-strong Griotte. To preserve their artisanal character, they are produced in small batches and according to the harvests.

It’s not just beers that she brews: there are also ideas! Constantly seeking innovation, Menaud willingly shakes up tradition. She explores unusual tastes and blends, and stands out from the crowd with her sober and elegant style.

In bottles or cans, its products display the same simplicity and, always, this attention to detail. Under the spirits, we will see, engraved in the glass, some extracts from the literary fresco that oversees the distillery. “Look how beautiful it is” [c’est comme la prunelle de tes yeux]displays Absinthe. “Release the captive freedom in you”, we read instead under the bottle of gin. To leave all the space to the products and their history, only one is highlighted on the label and summarizes the nature or the star ingredient: Gin, Vodka, Camerise, Génépi, Rhubarb, Absinthe…

Maria, created in honor of Maria Chapdelaine and Menaud’s lover, is the exception. This gin, the feminine counterpart of the original Gin, reflects the distillery’s idealistic vision: produced only from grains, fruits and herbs harvested within 50 km of the premises. “It’s more expensive and takes longer to produce, but we’re proving that it’s possible,” says Enrico Bouchard as he pours a glass. “Long live Menaud and his descendants!”

Visit the Menaud website