If you find yourself around Lévis and you have a soft spot for spirits with character, do yourself a favour: push open the door of the Distillerie des Appalaches, on rue des Riveurs. It's the kind of place you stumble onto and don't forget. What we liked right away is the philosophy of the house. Here, they take their time. They bet on Quebec's own ingredients, they try pairings you wouldn't see anywhere else, and they own a real creative streak — without slipping into gimmicks. Craft know-how, modern technique, quality ingredients: the recipe is nothing revolutionary on paper, but the result in the glass speaks for them. The flagship line is Kepler, a collection of gins that travels from the classic to the boreal, the fruity and even the maritime. Special mention to the Kepler Sous-Bois, dominated by balsam fir with a fine touch of grapefruit — a true cottage gin, perfect with tonic and a late afternoon that stretches out. Anyone who likes saltier notes will fall for the Bord de Mer, where strawberry, rhubarb and wakame seaweed meet in a blend that shouldn't work… but does. Beyond gin, the distillery also plays in spiced rum with Lilly Queen, and even in maple eau-de-vie with Moins 40. And for those easing off the alcohol, the Zéro line offers mocktails that stand on their own — not just coloured water. In short, the Distillerie des Appalaches is a fine address to put on the map. A team that enjoys what it does, and you can taste it.
