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- Hours:
Mon-Sun 4 pm - 3 am
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Music:
- Background
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Trendy, Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
41 reviews for La Distillerie
Review Highlights
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"Worth taking the Mason jars size." In 8 reviews -
"Strong drinks, good music, fun crowd." In 3 reviews -
"...make very interesting drinks and the atmosphere is great." In 3 reviews
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36 reviews in English
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Review from Mike V.
5/18/2012
Great crowd, huge drinks in mason jars (get the large, you won't need to order another, better deal), and great for groups. We all came here after dinner and had a blast.
if i lived here, this would be my go-to weekend spot to start the night, no question.
Our favorite drink was The Talented Mr. J, hands down. but the Manly Muppet was a close second. It's ain't easy being green. but at La Distillerie, at least you won't spend a lot of it.
Tip: if you want a real booth and they are filled, good luck, I never saw one group leave the whole time we were there. Early bird catches the worm, unless it's at the bottom of a tequila bottle. -
Review from Rawan K.
4/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
Small pub, massive line ups, strict about ID, but a great place to go to if you're willing to wait!
My friends and I "beat the system" by hanging out at the pub next door for a few drinks until Distillerie was free of a waiting line. As soon as we walked in, we sat at the bar and ordered 3 rounds of the best tasting lychee shots you may ever get, which have a few drops of Tabasco that give your lips the perfect sizzle. In all my Distillerie nights, I have always enjoyed their mojitos, which come in a mason jar like many other drinks they serve. They're quite possibly known for the best mojitos in town, and most definitely in all my experiences there!
The atmosphere is very cool, the pub itself is dark and dim-lit, the servers are friendly and always have great recommendations of what to have next when you're in doubt! It's just a solid 5-star, great place to come alive with a couple friends for some good laughs and good drinks!Listed in: Pubs/Bars
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Review from Stephanie S.
Beaconsfield, QC
2/19/2012 1 Check-in Here
I had heard about this place for a good number of years and although Mojitos are my favourite drinks, and the reviews raved about their mason jars, I had been procrastinating to go forever!
So here I was finally with the Queen Yelper Crystal and Megz ready to try the famous mojitoes in the mason jar!!!! The line up that I was told about was there, but we got in after I'd say 20 minutes or so. The lady at the door had a great attitude (and made us feel very young by carding us :)) - tip: bring ID, because even if you are over 18 or look it, you need to have it by-law!
Inside, the waiter was great! Smiling, polite, fun and brought us to a high table against one of the windows, where we shared with the two girls that were ahead of us in the line to get in. The menus are very cute. Little booklets with information and pictures! I ordered the 1L mason jar Mojito. And!!! for snacks, Gold fish in a jar! Very cute and only 2$. Drinks came fairly quickly. Great music in the background. Mix of 80s, 90s and alternative. We sang and had a great time. 1L of Mojito was quite enough to make my night and was only 17$! I will definitely go back to Distillery! And I hope you try it too! -
Review from Khanh L.
1/25/2012
went here last night for drinks with a friend,
It's located across the street from cegep vieux montreal (i think) so it reeks a little bit of college hangout, and the crowd is young...
A lot of the drinks, are served in mason jars which gives this place a little more laid back feel.
The music is quite ambient however I didn't have to scream at my friend to be heard so I think that was good.
We had a couple of drinks each, with peach, pear and passion fruit. none of them were great, but it was dark and lively place,, the waiter was friendly, and the ambiance was great I had a great time. But the drinks suck so one star less :P
would go back with a group, it's a fun place :) -
Review from CT M.
Montréal, QC
1/22/2012
There's probably little I can say about this place that hasn't already been said, so I'll go ahead and be redundant: the drinks are all very well mixed and worth the price.
They also have a "mason jar" size version of many of their drinks, and at $17, that might seem pricey, but it's worth every penny. The mason jars are as nicely mixed/balanced as the normal size but they're so chock full of booze, that I would caution against drinking more than 3.
This particular location is a bit small and can fill up quickly, but it's also cozy and a great place for a date. -
Review from Emily C.
Pointe-Claire, QC
3/20/2012
Went to the Distillerie on Mont Royal, and although we waited in the cold for about 40 mins, it was well worth it! Our waiter was efficient and friendly, the atmosphere was laid back, we were able to snag a couple of tables (we were a party of 12) and most importantly, the drinks were GREAT! I had the rock'a'rula, a concoction of amarula, root beer and lots of other yummy things. Loved that you could also buy a Mason jar of Goldfish for only $2! Lots of variety in the menu, plus there were 8 new drinks of the month. Everyone found a drink that they loved. Will definitely go back :)
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Review from Noha G.
Montréal, QC
2/15/2012
Great drinks, good prices, OK seating area...Good place to try out :) Keep in mind that it is quite small, and so sometimes lineups happen...
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Review from Zoë V.
8/20/2011
I visited Montreal for the first time this past week, and I had heard a lot of great things about this bar from yelp and from friends so I decided to check it out with my boyfriend. To sum everything up in advance, the drinks and atmosphere were great but the service was terrible, thus the 3 star rating.
First of all, there was a 40 minute wait outside of the bar from a line with only about 10 people in front of us. At first I figured this wait was because the bar was packed but as we approached the front of the line we saw tons of people leave and the bouncer still wasn't letting people in, but just kept looking at the time on his phone. When we finally got in the bar it wasn't even packed or full, which was nice for the atmosphere but made me think that they keep the line looking long so that the bar looks more busy and exclusive than it really is.
When we finally got in, it took the waiter 10 minutes to take our order, and then like 15 minutes to give us our drinks, and it seemed like he gave other people drinks who ordered after us before he gave us ours. I ordered the Hurricane, which was delicious and fruity and had just the right amount of alcohol. I loved the mason jar and the drink was large, and worth the high price of $8.50.
We're american so we have different customs, so we were surprised that we had to pay for the drinks as we got them rather than getting a bill at the end. When we paid the waiter we didn't tip him right away because we weren't sure if we were going to order more drinks or not. Not even halfway through our drinks, our waiter walked up to us, kneeled down in front of the table and asked us, and I am quoting his EXACT words "Are you aware that you need to tip?" It was EXTREMELY rude and my boyfriend and I were outraged because first of all, no one ever NEEDS to tip, secondly his service was extremely slow, and we weren't even finished with our drinks yet! We were just planning on leaving the tip at the end! After this incident we believed that the waiter shouldn't even deserve our tip but we gave him one as we left the bar anyway. IT WAS SO RUDE! Terrible Service!!!Listed in: Montreal
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Review from Valerie G.
Montréal, QC
1/8/2012
This is a great little neighbourhood pub, I must admit it is a summer spot for me because I like to go there and sit in the window seat when the windows are opened. Mojitos is the draw, they make a really good one with fresh mint, sugar crushed over ice, then they add the booze (in not so little quantities) and a splash of soda. Served in a mason jar! This is not the place to start and evening in my case, but rather after having eaten, the staff is friendly and the house rules written on the walls, confirm that this is a fun place to hang out. A great place to meet with with friends.
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Review from J O.
6/21/2011
How do you get a native California girl to stand in line outside in freezing February weather for 45 minutes? Offer her a cocktail with Amarula, angostura, egg white, and root beer! If you like root beer floats, you'll adore this cocktail (called the Rock'A'Rula)! I wish I would have ordered two instead of trying some grapefruit concoction. Not that the fruity drink was bad (it was great), but it wasn't as unique.
The scene is definitely young ... at 28 I felt like one of the oldest people in the bar. -
Review from Numa P.
Montréal, QC
7/18/2011
Bleh. La Distillerie is one of these places that you will always hear about in Montreal but please do not feel guilty if you haven't tried it yet. Not highly recommended.
First, do not - DO NOT - take the risk to come and wait in line for a heavy rainy night. There comes the first con: the place is surely small and breathable thanks to the golden rule of one out = one in. You can wait a long time.
Then once inside, surely the interior is charming (still feels like a pirate amusement in Disneyland at some point) but the atmosphere is quite common. Nothing special music wise for example. Certainly the drink menu is extensive but I didn't find their cocktail that good. Lots of different fruity flavors, too much hard liquor in it (a problem taste wise) and despite how many are there, I always had the impression of ordering fruit punch in empty jam pots - well actually that's cool I'll admit.
Overall: too much enthusiasm for this decent spot. Go there freshman and invite low alcohol tolerance mates.Listed in: Sin City
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Review from Krystle J.
Montréal, QC
5/30/2011 5 photos
Cool atmosphere with dim lighting, nice staff, good music and big drinks. Love the drinks they have there, new drinks on the menu each month.. and you never know what drink will be next, very creative. Pricey, but still a cool place to hang out with some friends on occasion.
I've only been to the one on Ontario street and it is quite small, and there's always a wait to get in, and then unless your lucky, you end up waiting for a seat.. -
Review from Eric M.
3/22/2011 2 Check-ins Here
What has six thumbs, 24 ounces of booze and three smiles? Some kind of alcoholic alien I would imagine but that's a strange thing to talk about here. The real star of this review is La Distillerie.
Yays:
Great company.
Great bar staff.
Sitting on full kegs with cushions on top.
Creepy old dude getting shot down by drunken college red head.
Good music selection.
Cozy atmosphere and mood lighting.
Bonus Yays:
8 ounces of booze in a large mason jar.
Spacious bathrooms.
Nay:
Bit of a macho turd working the door citing "maximum occupancy" as an excuse for not letting our friends in. Even if there weren't empty seats everywhere a quick scan might have counted 50 people in a bar that holds 75. I guess you have to look busy on St. Patty's though. -
Review from Daniel N.
5/3/2011
Highly recommended. They make very interesting drinks and the atmosphere is great. It's the only place I know where you can get a mason jar of alcohol!
This location is always packed! I would suggest you try the location on Mont-Royal. The drinks are just as good, but it seems to be larger, and takes a little longer to fill up. -
Review from Eliana M.
4/12/2011
I love perusing the drinks list here and treating myself to a giant jar of goodness. It's expensive, but they don't skimp on the alcohol.
This place is tiny, which means it gets full and loud very easily. Last time I was a bit annoyed when I could barely hear my friend who was sitting right in front of me. So if you're considering La Distillerie for, like, a first date, it might not be the best place to get to know someone. WHAAAAT? I SAID 'GET TO KNOW SOMEOOOOOOONE!' -
Review from Gillian A.
Toronto, ON
3/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
This bar was amazing. Flat-out amazing. I like the cozy ambience, the mason jars filled with alcohol that were the size of my head, the interesting drink selection and how good everything tasted.
This place would get a 5 star rating except there was an insanely slow moving line to get in. Our friends were 5 people back and it took them an hour to get into the bar even though it wasn't very busy inside. I hate it when bars insist on having a queue outside when it isn't terribly busy inside.
The massive, delicious mojito quickly helped erase any feelings of irritation about the line, though. Honestly, I haven't enjoyed a mojito so much for a long time. Por arriba, abajo, al centro y adentro! -
Review from Jocelyn C.
Updated - 12/10/2009
Not sure what happened between the first time coming here and the second trip back 2 years later... maybe I grew up, maybe the place was taken over by rejected applicants for that Tila Tequila show, who knows? The fact of the matter is, we came in here for a drink one evening just to see if the place held up to all of the fun we had before... and unfortunately, it didn't.
The bell is gone (maybe I was the one who killed it?), and it was super crowded with all of the worst kinds of people. The drinks are still stiff and served in large mason jars for good value, but I think next time I'm in town, I might pass and just keep my memories of a greater time.Listed in: Montreal, done right.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/7/2008 First to Review
By far, my favorite bar in Montreal. Maybe even anywhere. Bold statement, to be sure, but true.
… Read more »
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Review from Frankie L.
Toronto, ON
8/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great vibe, music and drinks. Small but lots of character. Do a great job not overcrowding the place so expect to wait in line but it is worth it.
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Review from Gen M.
1/1/2009
We were there for New Years.
Smallish local pub with great atmosphere, a short but good beer list and a very long, just as good cocktail list. The cocktails come in four sizes, lowball, martini, pint (yes pint) and mason jar. The jars are expensive (read $15ish), but well worth it if you can finish off a couple pints worth of well mixed drink.
If you're at the bar, there's a bell hanging off the column behind you. Ring it if you're feeling generous and the barkeeps will pour everyone at the bar (not in the bar) a shot, yes, at your expense. I don't know how often this goes off on a normal night, but it chimed quite a few times new years eve. -
Review from Jason L.
Montréal, QC
4/29/2010
The place is tiny, but the drinks sure aren't. Served in giant mason jars, drinks will run you $15 a pop, but it's well worth it. They're unique, delicious, and chock full of booze.
I would be careful, though, to not have more than 2 unless you can really hold your liquor, and it's probably not a good idea to ever have more than 3. Also, I'd get there earlier rather than later, because seating can be hard to find. -
Review from pete r.
6/14/2010
As Bars go this place is a winner! Tourists not many, atmosphere might fool you. Giant cocktails extremely well prepared in mason jars will floor you.
Now when I floor i mean both by the flavor and complexity, but also the size and booze.
Yes there will be line outside and no the place will not be packed inside, but that is part of what makes this place awesome. Not over crowded, not over priced and definitely a place you can enjoy your night with out being packed in or fighting for a drink not that you will need more than 2!
The large Mason Jar drinks are just "good"cocktails, they are amazing, they are creative and there served in Mason Jars how cool is that, like Canadian moonshine.
The drink or at least the drink that brought me back a 2nd night was a cool-lime/ginboree:
-take one large mason jar add ice
-add gin
-fresh lime juice
-triple sec
-simple syrup (i think)
-and orange bitters
-put cap on jar shake the crap out of it
-top off with ice and ginger ale and serve!
One of the best cocktails I have ever had! -
Review from Tee F.
Montréal, QC
7/1/2011
I love the classic Mojito but make sure you get the big Mason jar! I've had a few of the other drinks which were good too, but I always go back to the classic.
It's a nice atmosphere but a little loud (mind you, it's a bar after all). If you're looking for a place to relax after work, maybe try somewhere else but if you want some good rock music and a fun, trendy atmosphere I would recommend checking out this spot. -
Review from soy y.
4/28/2009
We were supposed to meet up with somebody at this place at 9pm. So...... we show up at 9:30 on a saturday night.
This place is SMALL. It took us at least a half an hour just to get in (and there were probably only 8-10 people in front of us in line)??? But they closely monitor the capacity so once we were in, we actually had a table to sit at. And 2 mason jar drinks later, I had definitely gotten over any jetlag or tiredness I was feeling earlier!
+ HUGE drinks (although they were sort of expensive. Probably comprable to what I would've spent at a regular bar)
+ watching other people get trashed off their huge drnks
+ having a place to sit the whole time
- the very long wait to get in -
Review from Ben L.
3/5/2010
Their signature drink here is the mojito, which comes in a massive 1 litre mason jar and is probably equivalent to at least 3-4 drinks. My favorite though is the gin and cucumber special. At $15 a pop, you get what you pay for.
Good music, mostly alternative rock.
It's a small, very popular place, so it tends to get crowded. You might have to wait in line.
Very close to the Montreal Jazz Festival if you need a break form the heat....or a break from the polar freeze during the other 7 months of the year. -
Review from Deanna D.
10/15/2008
Great bar!! Cool crowd, wonderful service and great music!! A fun place to hang out late night. The specialty drinks were very tasty! Got a little to drunk and spent way to much money =)
We will be back! -
Review from Gabrielle J.
10/6/2009
Why my sister waited until my last night to bring me here is probably for my own safety.
ANYBODY- do we have a bar in SF that serves up drinks in Mason Jars? If so, I will buy you a drink to tell me.
This place ROCKS. The most creative and delicious selection of drinks in huuuge jars- mojito probably my favorite.
2 of these and we were under the table- can't wait to come back! -
Review from Anthony N.
Montréal, QC
9/18/2010
One of the coolest bars around! This place serves many types of drinks but their speciality is definetly the cocktails served in jars! yes, jars! a pretty cool way of drinking and it has a pretty good amount of alcohol in it. A large jar will cost you just above $20 with tip. The bar looks really cool as well. Funky looking with blackboards and chalk.. a regular table next to a barrel that is used as a table.. a pretty chill place.
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Review from Devon S.
3/23/2011
This place was really cool, my girlfriend and I were the only english speakers in here, definitely a place with lots of local flavor. Huge drinks in those big jars were really cool, definitely a fun place to spend a few hours.
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Review from Nicole T.
5/3/2011
I've been to the Ontario location multiple times and have had varied experiences. The drinks are always delicious and are quite strong. However, the mason jar drinks were raised from $15 to $17, an even $20 with tip, which is steep for one drink, even if it is so big. They usually play excellent music and it is a fun, cozy atmosphere. However, I have been treated poorly by waitresses and waiters for being Anglo. Also, the bar is tiny, so there is sometimes a line. Twice I have been pressured to leave even though we were there on a weeknight and some of the only few people in the place. With large, $20 drinks, we were taking our time, and I didn't like the feeling of being pressured. Overall, I will be back because it is a fun place with good drinks, but I definitely do not make a habit of going there due to the service and the expense.
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Review from chris r.
Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha!, QC
10/21/2009
"DO IT!" the words left my mouth before i even thought about saying them. they were directed at a woman who was being egged on to do something by her friends. everyone started laughing. then the woman walked towards me with an ominous sheet of folded paper.
"well, as a matter of fact, maybe you could help me with this." as she said that, i noticed the tiara on her head. then i realized this was a bachelorette party. my heart sank. WHAT WAS ON THAT SHEET OF PAPER?
she unfolded it and it had an image of a guy dancing, and it said "make a stranger dance for you." suddenly, my friend, the table of the bridal party, and anyone nearby that knew what was going on started egging ME on to do it. so i did what any normal and well adjusted person would do: i lied. i told her, "i wish i could, but i have a knee injury." she quickly found someone else, and he ended up giving her kind of a half dance/half dry hump. it was much better than anything i could have done.
without four potent cocktails from distillerie, i probably wouldn't have yelled "Do it!". they have a bunch of signature cocktails, and slight variations of classics.
instead of the classic gin rickey, i had a cucumber rickey (also with gin.) good stuff, and would be my go-to summer drink if i lived in the area.
i liked the apple schmidtzel as well. bacardi superior, bacardi big apple, orange juice, apple juice and something else. the rim of the glass was dusted with cinnamon, so every sip you took included a nice whiff of cinnamon.
many of the drinks come in two sizes, regular "i'm a normal human being" size glasses, and the "i'm going to start yelling things like "DO IT!" to women i don't know" huge mason jar glasses. guess which i had? -
Review from C M.
Montréal, QC
11/27/2010
Strong drinks, good music, fun crowd! The bartender even ended up serenading my friend and I at one point. The wait to get in was a bit long and there wasn't that much seating, which is why it only gets 4 stars, but once you get inside, its amazing.
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Review from William R.
Montréal, QC
11/20/2010
Trendy, loud, expensive, dark, and unpleasant! I love it!
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Review from Indigonat M.
LaSalle, QC
1/4/2010
Best mojitos in Town. Worth taking the Mason jars size! Full of fresh mint and lime even during winter.
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Review from Igor M.
5/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
If you come to Montreal this is the must drink at place. Atmosphere is great. Staff is super friendly. Drinks aren't that expensive and of course the mason jars! :D We went there every night we stayed in Montreal. Loved the place.
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Review from Steven P.
3/28/2010
I had a bad experience there last night. I was refused service due to the bartender claiming that I looked impaired. In fact I was sober, having drank 2 beers earlier in the night, and even he admitted that I sounded fine, but he said my eyes looked red (I checked in the mirror later, they may have had a slight redness to them but nothing noticeable). Even after the bouncer told the bartender that we had just had a 30 minute conversation while waiting in line, and that I was not impaired, he refused to serve me. I don't know if he was just in a bad mood, or if there was some discrimination due to the language I was speaking (English) or my ethnicity/religion (it's easy to see from looking at me that I'm Jewish). But I will never be going back to the Distillerie.
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Review from Mathieu B.
Roxboro, QC
2/22/2009
Cocktail are for «wuss». Alright I was part of the school before I opened up my closed mind to the world of Drinks/Cocktails. My friends first introduce me to this place talking to me about the original design with Baril as table and some Jar Drink of 1 Liter. A Friendly staff, cheap drink of 11$-15$ for a Cocktail that has 5 onces or alcohol in it. That's a lot of alcohol! There is one problem when you're use to a beer with a chaser of whikey; this thing taste juice and hide those mot..fk.....ing 5 onces of alcohol! After 15 minutes, had my second jar and then after 1 hours I was at my third. Went home drunk. The other time was with some other friend with 250$ in my pocket in Cash Money! I bought drink for so many peoples, including myself. I drank 5 jars of 1 liter and 2 pint of beer before. I forgot lot of thing and woke up with no money in wallet, remember the shyiest friend had a girl that night. Pretty weird but somehow the quality of the drink was incredible
Read more reviews for this business:
French (4),
German (1)
