Brutopia's flagship brew is India pale ale, an assertive version of the style. The draft choices also included brown ale, Scotch ale, and, on the lighter side, honey, raspberry blonde, and extra blonde ale. The beer selection isn't limited to the well-made house beers; there are also Quebec microbrews and, of course, plenty of Guinness Stout.

Le Cheval Blanc (809 rue Ontario, a short walk from rue Saint-Denis; 514-522-0211) is Quebec's oldest brewpub and a magnet for beer seekers. My first impression was that it had to have been a diner; it's long and narrow with a big picture window, soda-fountain style stools at the counter, and a row of booths lining the wall. Actually, Le Cheval Blanc has been a bar for generations, though its sleek Fifties Revival look does a good job of hiding its pre-brewpub existence as a gritty drinking hole.

The beers, for the most part, follow the great styles of Europe: they include Noire, an Irish stout; Blanche, a Belgian-style wheat beer; and Lager, a Continental pilsner. Bock and framboise (a Belgian lambic flavored with strawberries) are also available, along with rotating specialties like cranberry and maple ale. Thanks to the hard-working air conditioner, you can enjoy the robust styles even on summer's hottest days.

Brasserie Artesienale l'Amère à Boire (2049 rue Saint-Denis, just north of rue Ontario; 514-282-7448), in the heart of the café and restaurant quarter, is a popular nightspot in its own right. It's a modern, airy pub with two levels of seating at blond-wood tables, walls painted in soft, dark colors, and lots of hanging plants. I grabbed a seat on the tiny front terrace, watching people stroll past and wondering why that parking meter was looking over my shoulder (in Montreal, it turns out, the meters are set back from the curb).

La Taverne du Sergent Recruteur (4650 Boulevard Saint-Laurent; 514-287-1412) is named for the men who, centuries ago, went into taverns and dragooned unsuspecting drinkers into His Majesty's service. You're won't find any AWOL's from the Canadian Forces here; nowadays, this comfortable, lived-in place attracts artists from the Plateau Mont-Royal neighborhood. Upstairs, the quirky decor features a large Madonna and Child hanging near the bar, lamps inside tin cans, and plenty of art posters on the walls. There's a huge--and literally cavernous--drinking area downstairs.

Bitter du Sergent, a reddish-colored English-style bitter, is said to be the only cask-conditioned ale served in Montreal. It's joined on the beer list by the likes of Criminelle, a modern interpretation of cream ale, a style with a following in Canada; La Boutefeu, a strong amber-colored beer; La Raconteuse, a sweet blonde ale; and--you knew this was coming--Prêt à Porter. Ales from local micros round out the menu.

Montreal's newest brewpub is Dieu du Ciel! (29 Avenue Laurier West; 514-490-9555), which is on a quiet corner in Plateau Mont-Royal. Once the site of a Russian restaurant, the premises--after painstaking renovation--house a neighborhood hangout where people carry on the tradition of European café society. Only three years old, it looks like it's been around forever: there's a sea of wooden tables, a small wooden bar in the corner opposite the brew kettles, and gargoyles and votive candles evoking the days when the Catholic Church ruled Quebec.

Brewmaster Jean-François Gravel's handiwork is audacious and successful. In addition to turning out high-quality versions of the classics, he's created interesting beers that cross stylistic boundaries. The chocolate-flavored porter was one of the best I've tried; the Belgian white was almost in a class with Hooegarden; and the smoked beer, a lighter-colored, more subtly-flavored rendition of German Rauchbier, was joy in a pint glass.

The poetry of Dieu du Ciel!'s beers extends to their wonderfully descriptive names, like "The Fog Drifter," "Sunday Morning Mass," and "The Key to Freedom." And the pub's name means "Oh my God!" in English. My sentiments exactly when I left.

Tips: Montreal caters to night owls; most establishments don't open until mid- to late afternoon, but stay open long after midnight; call ahead to make sure they're open. Brewpubs offer a limited food selection, so consider breaking up your pub crawl with a leisurely dinner; Montreal is one of North America's great restaurant towns. The city's walkable, but public transportation is cheap and efficient. Although French is the predominant language, most brewpub staff are bilingual and glad to help.

This article originally appeared on Suite101.com in July 2001.