Best Breweries & Bars in Gatineau

Gatineau's craft beer scene is younger than Ottawa's but punches above its size. Tourisme Outaouais lists five microbreweries that are the regional standouts, plus a craft distillery and a Vieux-Hull beer bar that anchors the live-music scene. 5e Baron in Old Aylmer holds a 4.9 Google rating across 476 reviews — the highest of any brewery in either Gatineau or Ottawa. Brasserie du Bas-Canada sits at 4.8/723. The whole sector — Aylmer, Hull, Plateau, Chelsea — is reachable in a single afternoon if you've got a designated driver.

Note: Brasseurs du Temps (BDT), the long-time Hull anchor on Rue Montcalm, closed in late 2023 (CBC News reporting on the vacant building). Gainsbourg in Vieux-Hull also closed. Don't make the trip for either.

Microbreweries

Microbrasserie 5e Baron — Old Aylmer (Google 4.9)

Microbrasserie 5e Baron sits on Rue Principale in Old Aylmer, registered in 2018 by three Gatineau founders and brewing on-site since 2020. The name comes from Matthew Whitworth-Aylmer, the 5th Baron and former governor general of British North America — for whom the village was named. Google 4.9 (476 reviews) is the highest brewery rating in the region.

The format is casual brewpub: a 188 m² brewing extension at the back, a kitchen turning out porchetta, brisket sandwiches, okonomiyaki, mac & cheese, and a sunny patio. Live entertainment and open mic nights round it out.

Address: 55 Rue Principale (Old Aylmer)

À La Dérive Brasserie Artisanale — Riverside Gatineau (Google 4.6, 1,039 reviews)

À La Dérive sits on the Ottawa River at 1015 Rue Jacques-Cartier, brewing since 2019 with 100% Quebec grain (per Tourisme Outaouais). The taproom runs 20 draft lines of house and rotating beers, with a riverside terrace facing the Ottawa River — one of the few patios in either Gatineau or Ottawa with a direct river view.

A sister concept, Méga Smash Burger, operates at 920 Boul. Saint-Joseph in Hull. The brewery emphasizes minimal-waste production (under 120 litres of waste every two weeks per Tourisme Outaouais).

Address: 1015 Rue Jacques-Cartier (+ Méga Smash Burger, 920 Boul. Saint-Joseph)

Brasserie du Bas-Canada — IPAs & Stouts (Google 4.8)

Brasserie du Bas-Canada is a Gatineau microbrewery + tasting room with two locations — the main on Boulevard de la Gappe and a second taproom in Hautes-Plaines on Boul. de la Technologie. Tourisme Outaouais lists them among the region's top microbreweries with a specialty in IPAs and stouts, plus a sustainability angle: 25–30 tonnes of brewing waste reused as animal feed annually. Google 4.8 (723 reviews).

Address: 455 Boul. de la Gappe, Local 103

Brasserie Artisanale Gallicus — Mixed Fermentation (Google 4.7)

Gallicus is a Gatineau microbrewery on the Plateau at 670 Rue Auguste-Mondoux, brewing since 2019. Tourisme Outaouais lists them among regional top microbreweries with a specialty in IPAs, seasonal beers, and mixed fermentation — the wild/sour niche that distinguishes them from the more conventional IPA-focused producers in Gatineau. Google 4.7 (212 reviews).

Confirm taproom hours and food policy via the official site or Google before driving up.

Address: 670 Rue Auguste-Mondoux, Unit 4 (Plateau)

Chelsea & Co. Microbrasserie — Gatineau Park Gateway (Google 4.6)

Chelsea & Co. Microbrasserie on Rue Douglas is Old Chelsea's microbrewery — positioned at the gateway to Gatineau Park and the natural post-hike beer stop. Tourisme Outaouais lists it as a regional microbrewery destination with a lighted patio. The lineup spans the standard styles done well: Blanche de Chelsea (Belgian white), Blonde de Chelsea, Rousse de Chelsea (Irish red), Côte Ouest IPA (7%), and the Scotch Ale Wee Heavy (10.5%, gold medal winner).

Address: 6 Rue Douglas, Chelsea

Distillery

AiR Distillerie — Quebec Craft Spirits (Google 4.7)

Artist in Residence Distillerie (AiR) is a Gatineau craft distillery on Rue Bombardier — gins, vodkas, liqueurs, and rhums per the official site. Listed by Tourisme Outaouais with a boutique on-site and guided tastings by appointment. The Concombre Gin (cucumber-forward) is distributed via SAQ and is the brand's most visible product.

Address: 243 Rue Bombardier, Gatineau

Beer Bar

Minotaure — Vieux-Hull (Google 4.6, 687 reviews)

Minotaure is the Vieux-Hull bar at 3 Rue Kent — drinks, food, and live entertainment in one room. The Monday jazz session has been running for 15 years (free entry) and is the venue's longest-running fixture. Themed nights cover the rest of the week: Tuesday trivia, Thursday karaoke, Friday DJ dancing, Saturday post-show. Cocktail program covers the classics: Moscow Mule, Paper Plane, Basil Smash.

The natural pairing for Vieux-Hull live-music nights — different from the brewery taprooms.

Address: 3 Rue Kent (Vieux-Hull)

Quick Comparison

Crossing to Gatineau — Practical Tips

• Bridges: Champlain → Aylmer (5e Baron). Portage / Macdonald-Cartier → Hull (Minotaure, À La Dérive). Highway 5 north → Old Chelsea (Chelsea & Co.).
• Designated driver advice: Hull-side breweries (À La Dérive, Brasserie du Bas-Canada, Gallicus, Minotaure) cluster within a 15-min radius — easy to multi-stop.
• Old Aylmer is its own trip — 5e Baron sits on the same Rue Principale strip as Antonyme, Beurre Salé, and Café Mulligan. Stack into a full evening.
• Currency & tax: Quebec uses CAD same as Ontario. Sales tax is GST + QST.
• Language: French is the working language but service is bilingual at all featured venues.

Why Cross to Gatineau for Beer

The scene is smaller than Ottawa's but has clear specialty angles you don't get on the Ontario side: À La Dérive's 100% Quebec-grain brewpub on the Ottawa River, 5e Baron's 4.9 brewpub in a heritage Aylmer strip, Gallicus's mixed-fermentation niche, and Chelsea & Co. as the Gatineau Park gateway brewery. Add AiR's SAQ-distributed Concombre Gin and Minotaure's Vieux-Hull jazz nights, and a Gatineau brewery crawl earns its bridge crossing.