The Brewery bike loop is a unique opportunity to tour the Eastern Townships and visit the area’s renowned microbreweries using small gravel roads.

Our Program

This is the second year of the Eastern Townships Brewery Loop, designed by our guide Jérémie Bourdages-Duclot and very involved in the Townships bike-packing community. Jérémie created this circuit by himself, sleeping in a tent and validating the route for those to follow.

It is a pleasure to ride this amazing circuit that criss-crosses the highlights of the Eastern Townships, and punctuated with gourmet stops. The support vehicle that is at our disposal during the trip, is also our mobile fridge to keep the microbrewery beers that we collect cool throughout the trip. In total, visit about ten microbreweries along the way. The Ekilib guide transports our luggage between hotels where we have the pleasure of resting comfortably after our cocktails.

Gravel biking is an increasingly popular discipline, a cross between biking on asphalt and mountain biking in the forest. It allows you to ride free from traffic, while on routes not suitable for road bikes and where mountain bikes are less suitable for the long distances.

Itinerary

This itinerary gives us an outline of a trip (cities and sites). However, it is essential to understand that an itinerary is never set in stone. There are always unforeseen circumstances (such as weather) that often make up the best part of the trip.

Route description:

About 70% of the route is on rock dust secondary roads. The rest is on quiet back roads. It is important to be equipped with a gravel bike, cyclocross bike or other hybrid bike with tyres suitable for gravel roads. E-bikes are also welcome.

Day 1: Rendez-vous in Ham-Nord Cycling Towards Richmond (85 km)

We begin in the beautiful rural setting of Ham-Nord County, where we take a combination of gravel roads, paved roads and a short horse trail before taking a nice long descent to Asbestos (recently renamed Val-des-Sources!). The Moulin 7 microbrewery, well known for its delicious NEIPA "200 tons" is a must! Afterwards, we take the Chemin de la Vallée, which winds its way towards the Rivière Saint-François and the small town of Richmond.

Itinerary: 85 km, altitude gain +816 m

Day 2: Richmond - Bromont (92 km)

From Richmond, we leave the banks of the Rivière Saint-François and enter the countryside of Maricourt, Racine and Valcourt. Even though there is no craft beer, the stop in Racine is worth it: the church park is a very zen and relaxing area, not to mention the site of the prize-winning cheese producer La Nouvelle-France! Afterwards, a long stretch of peddling on both asphalt and gravel roads awaits you before reaching Shefford, where you’ll find a gold mine of microbreweries! La Ferme, a brewery that grows its own hops, has an exceptional terrace on the hills of Mount Shefford. Robin Bière Naturelle, a small microbrewery based in Waterloo, is the next stop; it is a favourite of the creators of the itinerary given the quality of the beer. We finish our day at the Le Brouemont micro-brewery in the famous ski and bike town of Bromont! 

Itinerary: 92 km, altitude gain+ 701 m

Day 3: Bromont - Sutton (70 km)

The discovery of local breweries has hardly begun! Leaving Bromont, we pass through the beautiful countryside of Iron Hill and Chapman, before stopping in Cowansville. The new le Sage Brasseur is due to open there this year!

The next stop is a must: the Brasserie Dunham, well known to tourists (and for good reason!), is located in an old train station. Its brick walls and great beers will make you want to stay. We cycle through Frelighsburg, a very cute little town in the south of the region. The Beat & Betterave, a nano microbrewery, is a dynamic company that also hosts shows on its stage and offers its guests a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. But we haven’t finished yet! Back into the saddle for the last time of the day, we take gravel roads up and down hills heading towards to Sutton, enjoying splendid views of the mountains in the region. The Sutton Brouërie microbrewery is also an inn built on the edge of a stream, specializing in welcoming the many cyclists who travel through the region, and where we end this beautiful day.

Itinerary: 70 km, altitude gain +887 m

Day 4: Sutton - Orford (69 km)

The creators of the route feel that the stretch between Sutton and Knowlton has some of that Vermont-New England charm, given its winding lanes shrouded in tall hardwoods and charming countryside. Knowlton Co, a relative newcomer to the brewing landscape, is the next microbrewery on the list/menu. Given the steep incline of the route, find ourselves climbing on certain roads, such as the chemin de la Montagne! After Eastman, we take Karthoum, a large gravel road, before descending the Cavalière trail to Orford Park. The young and trendy Canton Brasse and the Memphré microbreweries await us for a most enjoyable tasting! Finally to Lake Memphremagog, Mount Orford and the scenery of the downtown area that entice us to enjoy a well-deserved break. 

Itinerary: 69 km, altitude gain +840 m

Day 5: Rest Day (Rest or Orford Loop)

For a change of pace, Mount Orford is only a few kilometres from our accommodation, so take the opportunity to hike between 5 and 12km and climb the Pic de l'Ours via the Pic de la Roche-Fendue on the sentier des Crêtes!

Day 6: Magog - Sherbrooke (50 km)

This shorter day takes us on another chemin de la Montagne, up along switchbacks near Ayers Cliff to the side of a hill. We ride on tarmac with a breathtaking view of the peaks and summits of the region. We head back down to Sherbrooke on gravel roads on the bike path that enters the city. The Siboire microbrewery, practically a Sherbrooke institution, is along the way!

For the more adventurous, we can push further and do an extra loop through Sherbrooke's backroads, including the one that leads to the Shrine of Beauvoir, which towers above the city's landscape.

Itinerary: 50 km, altitude gain +593 m

Day 7: Sherbrooke - Coaticook (55 km)

The road to Coaticook is made up of a multitude of small rolling country roads with a diverse landscape. The Coaticook valley is a little paradise for gravel bikers. On arrival, let's enjoy a delicious ice cream at the Crèmerie de Coaticook, a good beer at Hop Station and end the day with a walk on the trails of the Parc de la Gorge.

Itinerary: 55 km, altitude gain +452 m

Day 8: Coaticook - East Angus (80 or 134 km)

Leaving Coaticook, we discover the backcountry of the Townships and its wilder side! Beautiful gravel roads take us to chemin de la Slouce, which is probably one of the most technically challenging parts of the route (but not impossible, even on narrow tyres). The Forêt communautaire Hereford is a natural haven that distinguishes itself by its covered sections. After a long descent, we climb the 4 x 4 roads that lead to the Mont Hereford pass. We descend to the road and then take the Chemin de la Rivière. We pass through the poetic Saint-Venant-de-Paquette, famous for its Poetry Nights! Let's stop at the Maison de l'Arbre to discover small treasures of history...

After climbing and descending the hills towards Malvina and Saint-Isidore, we return to the beautiful country roads that lead us to Cookshire-Eaton. The 11 Comptés microbrewery, associated with the Cuisinier Déchaîné, is a tremendous enterprise. Their terrace is superb, their beers are skilfully concocted from local produce and the summer atmosphere is very pleasant. 

Itinerary: 80 or 114 km, altitude gain + 134 km

Day 9: East Angus - Ham-Nord (65 km)

Between Cookshire and Dudswell, we ride along less traveled roads between maple groves and conifer plantations. After Dudswell Junction we take Chemin des Érables, one of our favourites. It's quite a climb to get to Ham-Sud, but it's worth it. The paths leading to Mount Ham are magnificent and the view, just before the mountain, is splendid. We finish our trip at the Grange Pardue, another dynamic brewery with a beautiful view from its terrace of North Ham amidst the large green fields of summer.

Itinerary: 65 km, altitude gain +491 m

** Picture courtesy of : Jérémie