Beer Thirty With Mathieu Vilandre of Fuck the Facts

Who's ready for some Grindcore? 

Yeah?

Who's ready for Grindcore on VINYL?

Yeah?

Whos' ready for Quebecois Grindcore on WAX? 

Yeah!

Get over to BANDCAMP and check out the new record by Fuck The Facts.

While you're streaming the angry goodness, let's talk about some beers with a world traveller.

1. My personal favorite beer style is the mighty Double India Pale Ale. The best DIPA in the world is STLIPA by Urban Chestnut. Tell me about your favorite style. 

I’m actually really enjoying Pilsners right now, I try to stay away from the heavy stuff during summertime. Had an amazing Champagne inspired Pilsner from Auval during my vacation in eastern Quebec. 

I’ve also enjoyed a few sours, especially the haskap sour from À La Dérive Brasserie Artisanale here in my hometown of Gatineau. 

2. Many international people have laughed at me for this, but American Beer is the best in the world. Not American Lagers, that piss water is best used for drinking 15 of them while you're at the karaoke bar, but American Craft Beer. Which nation is pumping out the best beer? 

I won’t lie, I’ve drunk more Michelob Ultra than anything else this summer. What can I say? Sometimes, you just want the piss water. 

But seriously, I think it’s a common misconception about the American beer market. I’ve been working in bars for over 12 years now and I’ve had this discussion multiple times. For a lot of people, American beer is Budweiser, Coors Light, and PBR...

That’s it. In their defense, American craft beer is particularly hard to get over here. Hell, it’s hard to get beers from other provinces within Canada.

One of the things I’ve learned from touring is that every country I’ve ever been in makes the best beer in the world. At least, that’s what the locals kept telling me. It makes sense, it’s a source of pride for lots of people. 

I remember getting shit from someone at a show in Holland cause we posted a picture of ourselves drinking a Heineken at the Amsterdam airport just after we’d arrived like a week prior. I guess he was insulted. 

That’s pretty much when I realized that wherever you are is where the best beer is. 

3. Even though I'm a giant beer snob, I'll drink beers that break the Bavarian Purity Laws. My personal favorite is Schalfly's Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout. It's a might 22oz of 10% ABV Stout aged in bourbon barrels. 

It'll warm your heart and soul. What beers do you love that break Reinheitsgebot? Admittedly, I don’t really care about the Reinheitsgebot apart maybe for its historical significance. 

Unless I’m in Germany, it’s obviously insignificant. And anyways, did anything good ever come out of Bavaria involving “purity?"

I do enjoy the stouts from La Brasserie du Bas-Canada, here in Gatineau, Quebec. It’s like drinking a birthday cake (in a good way). 

4. Right now, you couldn't pin me down and get me to give my favorite St. Louis Brewery, though Urban Chestnut's STLIPA does put them in the lead...but if you put a gun to my head, it's Schlafly Brewing. 

What do you think of your local brewers? 

We were kind of behind the curve, to be honest. We had a couple of brewpubs here and there but not what I would describe as a serious brewery. Something owned and operated by beer nerds, you know. But a lot has changed in the past few years and I’d say we have a pretty healthy scene right now, especially if you include the Ontario side (we live on the border between two provinces).

La Brasserie du Bas-Canada is by far the most popular microbrewery in the region. Just go on Untappd, browse by country, and select Canada, you’ll see what I’m talking about. 

People line up for hours to get their fix. I also really enjoy À La Dérive Brasserie Artisanale, they have great beer and a fantastic spot next to the river. Other places to check out: Brasserie Gainsbourg, 5e Baron Microbrasserie, Brasserie Artisanale Gallicus, Les Brasseurs Du Temps. 

5. Hops or Malt? Personally, I feel like a jerk for asking the question. Give me a malty Scottish/Scotch Ale or a hoppy DIPA...and I'm happy...but you gotta pick one. 

I’m assuming you are talking about the prominent flavor in those beers? I think it’s a question of balance. You can’t have a great beer without it. 

I guess it’s not a question of one or the other as both elements are necessary. It’s just like a well- built cocktail; balance is the key. 

6. Whenever I'm road tripping. I'm always bringing back beers. Ohio, Great Lakes Brewing. East Coast, Yuengling. Western New York. Genessee. What do you bring home? 

I mostly bring back spirits that I can’t find here in Canada. I have a pretty decent collection of bottles at home and I’m always looking into adding to it. There’s no such thing as having too many bottles of bourbon. 

We usually don’t have a lot of space in the van so it’s harder to bring back a bunch of beer while on tour.