The sun explored the 2,000 square meter (22,500 square foot) premises during a media tour of the owner. The current restaurant which until now formed the main part of the Arsenal & Co. Distillery is located in a former cartridge factory in the Saint-Malo industrial park, in the La Cité-Limoilou district.
“From the start, in our extensive plans during the pandemic, we started with a very small distillery project, then a restaurant was added, then a larger distillery and a whole complex. After almost four years, here we are!” launched our guide for the visit, Carl Desruisseaux, associated in the adventure with his partner from the Top Resto Group (Maison Livernois, Birra & Basta, London Jack, etc.) Marc-Antoine Beauchesne, the founder of Archibald François Nolin and Marie-Pier Roy.
These business people say they have invested more than $10 million in this megaproject. The different facets of their plan should gradually be opened to the public over the coming days.
Carl Desruisseaux, one of the four partners in the adventure of Distillerie Arsenal & Co. (Frédéric Matte/Le Soleil)
Become a tourist attraction
“We’re not just making a distillery, it’s a tourist attraction,” announces Mr. Desruisseaux. The most exciting thing is that we want to bring at least 20,000 tourists per year here. With our cocktail lounges, the boutique, the museum, there really is a whole complex that we are building.”
This approach should help the company diversify its offering. “The problem with distilleries in Quebec is the distribution model limited to the SAQ. If we want to stand out, we have to go play elsewhere. This project makes our model stand out, adds partner François Nolin, present for part of the visit. To become a tourist destination, we have already started to create links with hotels, concierges, banquet people, taxi drivers to make them aware of our product.
The roof terrace will accommodate 200 guests under the sun, in the middle of the vegetable gardens. (Frédéric Matte/Le Soleil)
A roof terrace
The team created a terrace on the roof of the immense red and black building, visible from Charest Boulevard. With 200 seats, we can accommodate almost as many customers on the balcony as in the dining room. The exterior menu will share dishes with the interior menu, but exclusives will also be served there.
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The elevated location will have several herb and aromatic vegetable gardens. The harvests from this urban agriculture will supply local and fresh ingredients to the creators of spirits on the floor below. A second phase of work will add greenhouses.
“We want to work from roof to bottle. We will be able to develop our original recipes inspired by the environment and the circular economy. For example, the mint that grows here this summer will be used to make our homemade crème de menthe!” Mr. Desruisseaux comes to life.
The distillery now has four stills with a total capacity of 7,000 liters. (Frédéric Matte/Le Soleil)
A distillery with four stills
To create and distill its future products, Arsenal has acquired four stills of varying sizes and capacities. These new facilities will make it possible to distill even more house spirits, intended for sale in SAQ branches or in stores.
First there is a 2500 liter “hybrid” still which will be used to create purified gin, rum, whiskey and vodka. Then, a “traditional” 2500 liter Scottish still for rum and whiskey with more assertive characters. Without forgetting two more “modest” devices: a “spirit» of 1500 liters and a small hybrid of 500 liters.
The objective is to combine drinks produced in large volumes with smaller artisanal and experimental production. “It will be the best of both worlds. We want to offer around thirty alcohols permanently in stores, not in SAQ [pour les] people who like to make discoveries, explains M Desruisseaux. Then, if our customers are excited by some of our small batches [boissons en petites quantités]we can then develop them on a larger scale.”
This workshop will offer lessons on the basics of cocktail creation. (Frédéric Matte/Le Soleil)
A cocktail creation workshop
With around fifteen places, the new cocktail creation workshop will be the place to teach visitors the ABCs of mixology. We are already imagining courses on the Tiki theme, in particular, in French and English.
In addition, a private lounge will allow you to take part in the tasting game during “high-end” guided tours.
Guided tours at the museum
A museum will bring together archival elements to highlight the history of the place as well as to demystify the manufacture of spirits. Among other things, a short presentation video and period photos will pay tribute to the women who assembled at this same address the ammunition necessary for soldiers fighting during the Second World War.
“Being a museum, we have two missions: to make known the history of the building and to highlight the artisan distillers, ours and those of Quebec. To do things well, we drew on the best ideas from abroad. What I liked the most from all my visits to distilleries in Ireland, I take it and I reproduce it here,” says Mr. Desruisseaux in the middle of the cellar filled with 500 to 600 barrels of cognac which will be used to age the spirits.
The new shop and welcome center for future visitors to the museum. (Frédéric Matte/Le Soleil)
A shop and other restaurants
Finally, a boutique will allow customers to purchase a variety of exclusive products, alcoholic beverages (such as house spirits and small batches promises) or other types of food proposals (caramels, mixed spices, smoked maple syrup, etc.)
For the future, we are toying with the possible project of a chain of restaurants to develop the Distillerie Arsenal & Co brand. These new addresses could emerge “somewhere over the next three years, in strategic locations in the province.”
