Squid Eats: Auberge Sutton Brouërie

It's an exciting time of year in my part of the world.  I love summer here in northern New England but it's no secret the more dazzling show comes in autumn.  Peak foliage is still weeks away but even the early stages are stunning.  It's a great time of year for a drive to pretty much anywhere.  The colors are just as rich in Quebec as they are in Vermont so northward is as gratifying a direction as any.

Sutton isn't too far from us, less than a 90-minute drive and only about 8 miles from the US-Canada border.  The English town name isn't accidental.  The region of Quebec closest to us - known as Canton de l'Est en Français, Eastern Townships in English - was settled by British loyalists during the American Revolution.  It is, in our admittedly limited experience, the most genuinely bilingual part of the province.  It's not unusual to sit at a restaurant near a group of teenagers who switch effortlessly between the two languages, often mid-sentence.  I can assure you, it is not like that for their (likely literal) cousins just a few miles away on the Vermont side of the border.  

Sutton itself is a charming little town, population 4,548, with nice restaurants and cute boutique shops.  Our favorite spot is Auberge Sutton Brouërie, a microbrewery.  They're open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and we've done all three.  Overnight lodging is also available and we've taken advantage of that, too, though not on this visit.  The cuisine is pub-typical with expected Quebecois twists like poutine.  I ordered the Beebop Cheeseburger, my wife the smoked salmon bagel.  Both were more than satisfactory.

The highlight is the beer.  My go-to is the Sutton-IK IPA.  It's a hoppy brew with strong citrus notes which makes it a happy medium between the beers I typically like and the ones my wife prefers.  Unfortunately, I don't think it's for sale anywhere on the American side but it's worth the trip.  We brought a couple bottles home.

And no, I have no idea what the "IK" is all about.