"So goodbye yellow brick road Where the dogs of society…read morehowl" (Elton John) The SAQ stands for the Société des Alcools du Québec. It's the network of government-run liquor stores in Quebec. It manages the sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages across the province and operates its own retail stores. We were fortunate enough to win a gift card to SAQ at a charity event last week, so one of our final visits in Montreal was to walk over to this small store at the Place D'Armes and pick up whatever we could for our C$50 prize. Although the store wasn't very large it was very neat and fully stocked, with prices clearly marked for every bottle and can in the store. One of their sales associates was very friendly and helped us find what we were looking for. I'm a big Bloody Mary fan, and from previous trips to Canada knew that "Bloody Caesars" are favored up here. The differ from a Bloody Mary by using Clamato juice instead of a tomato juice base. So, when I saw a shelf with plenty of Clamato choices, I knew one would be coming home with me. I selected a 16 ounce can of Clamato Caesar "With the Works" (Le Tour Garni) with extra spices, seasonings, hot sauce and horseradish (C$3.80). We rounded out our purchase with a bottle of Cliff 79 Shiraz (C$11.75), a bottle of Folonari Pinot Grigio (C$14.95), a bottle of Casa Santos Sangria (C$12.45), and a nifty little branded tote bag for (C$2.95). The only down note of our visit concerned a bottle of SIVO blueberry liqueur I had hoped to buy. I had some at a social function on Thursday night and liked it so much I took a photo of the bottle. When I showed the photo to the sales associate, he not only told me they didn't carry it, but he also told me it was just syrup, and not alcoholic. He said any grocery store would have it. I learned that he was wrong, it is an alcoholic product made in a Canadian distillery.

Excellent selection and what seems like decent prices. I found what I went for: maple whiskey and…read moremaple cream liqueur.

A couple years ago Maltéhops hosted this whacky horror street festival along Wellington. I found it…read morea little strange that a speciality beer store was hosting a horror street festival but didn't investigate further. I finally got around to visiting the shop itself and it alllll came together: it's a tastefully horror nerdy beer shop with all the fixings. I love it- everything about this store reflects the unique personality and passion of the owners. Honesty, I'm so impressed with the variety of speciality beer, spirits, wines and ciders. In fact, it's overwhelming. Also, as an occasional teetotaler their selection of alcohol free drinks was amazing. More and more brands are developing interesting booze-free alternatives and this place has a great variety. While I didn't buy a ton on the booze front today I epically indulged in their snack selection- the salmon jerky and chorizo were both great. I'm also really impressed with their extensive hot sauce wall. Overall, a great place to indulge and definitely a great spot for gifts for foodie friends.

Everything you need..or..ask and you shall receive. Handy location and late hours yo accommodate…read morethe bring-ur-own booze places in gentrified Verdun. The owner is super friendly..obviously knowledgeable and loves his beer. Go in..ask for something new..or buy a gift..their gift certificates are made of cool chunks of wood from his shop!

Amazing place! The workers are acknowledgable about the beer and sell beer that not really sold…read moreelsewhere in Montreal. Live the selection and the vibe!

Quick and clean store. Helpful staff…read more Only thing is they don't have as many selections like with Kim Crawford but if you go down the street there's another store.

HoMa beer-lovers rejoice! Le Bierologue is there to satisfy your need for some excellent craft…read morebeer. It's a small store right on Ontario but they do have a great selection selection. I wandered in here since I found myself in the area and thought it would be worthwhile to check out. Let's say it took a lot of restraint to not blow a ton of money here because they had some very interesting beers that I hadn't seen elsewhere including a spiced lager that looked very enticing. There is also a small selection of food products and cookbooks. Le Bierologue is definitely a small store that packs a lot of punch!

Goos service, grate stalf, lots of different porous. Thay know there beers lol. Id go there all the…read moretime.

Sold me expired cheese. I should have checked the date. Meat I had was decent but the service was…read morejust alright.

At first I thought the name of this business was the "avenue of flowers"...BUT, alas, since I…read morereally do not know french (at all)... Champfleury is a famous art critic and novelist, thus, the name of this butcher. Apparently there is a french "intellectualist" behind this business.. LOL. I find this butcher to be the perfect "yuppie" butcher. Has all the markings of being "yuppie-fied". Has artisanal beers, artisanal meats, charcuterie (also artisanal). Will also, cut a carcass in front of you if you want. But the most important thing of all, that makes this butcher more yuppie than most... is the fact that they have a chalk board that shows you the name and area of where they get each specific meat, locally sourced and super organically grown and farmed. All the buzz words that you have come to know and love.

Great option when downtown to stop in and pickup drinks for the weekend or after work for at home…read more They always have a great selection and their staff is always super nice. Usually amazing stock but I do notice it runs low around major holidays. So buy in advance. They have great shooters and different types of alcohol to try different times of the season.

Convenient wine and liquor store. The upstairs Signature boutique is pleasant and ritzy, and the…read moredownstairs SAQ Classique is like a clean mini-mart. Picked up a few bottles for dinner (not too expensive, credit cards accepted), then headed on our way. The cashier asked me if I wanted a bag (extra); next time I'll buy an SAQ wine tote! Neat trivia: This is the first SAQ I've ever walked into.