That year, in the middle of a cold January day, I wandered into a small bar on Rue Laurier – Montreal. There was nothing special about the bar: dim yellow lights, jazz music that seemed to fall from the old ceiling, and a gray-haired bartender who didn’t talk much. I just asked: “Is there anything that reminds you of someone you used to love?”
He did not answer. He just placed a glass of dark beer in front of me, its foam as white as velvet.
“Aphrodisiac” he said “Be careful, it's easy to make people remember.”
And it was true. From the first sip, I could no longer remember the road I had come from, only the light cocoa scent mixed with vanilla, the bitter and sweet flavors intertwined like a love affair that had not yet ended. I did not drink beer. I drank a memory that I had never lived through.
1. The Passionate Journey of Ciel!
The story of Brasserie Dieu du Ciel! It started not with a fancy factory or a million dollar budget, but with a passionate heart and a small kitchen in 1991. Jean-François Gravel – then a biology student and homebrewer – together with two friends, Stéphane Ostiguy and a third person, began this passionate journey. They did not follow any classic recipe. They experimented, innovated and tasted every drop of beer like people reciting poetry on a rainy night.
By 1998, they officially opened their first brewpub in Montreal – where everything began to become clear. The bar is small, but inside is a whole world of fermentation: the smell of roasted malt, the aroma of hops, laughter mixed with live music. Aphrodisiaque was also born in this very place, initially as a small experiment but gradually becoming a wind that blew away all stereotypes about traditional stouts.
From 2000 to 2006, Brasserie Dieu du Ciel! expanded its production facility – Microbrasserie Dieu du Ciel Inc in Saint‑Jérôme – to meet the growing demand from the market. In addition to bottling, they also developed a canned beer line, taking the brand beyond the borders of Quebec. By 2017, the founding team had expanded with the participation of Isabelle Charbonneau and Etienne Tremblay – who continued the pioneering spirit of the original group.
Success doesn’t come from luck. It comes from creative daring, respect for ingredients, and the belief that beer can be art, emotion, and a language without words. Aphrodisiaque – now called Aphrodite – is the brainchild of that journey: a beer that tells stories with its flavors, that preserves memories with its liquid that flows like the night.
2. Flavor: When Vanilla Whispers And Cocoa Gently Leads The Way
Aphrodite is a typical representative of the line. American Stout, carry alcohol concentration 6.5% ABV – not so strong as to make people dizzy, but deep enough to draw the drinker into a rich, quiet and seductive world. For those who connoisseurs of stout, this is not just a glass of beer but also an epic of flavors.
From the moment the nose touches the glass, the organic vanilla scent rises like incense smoke, gently caressing the senses. The vanilla here is not simply for sweetness, but like a soft velvet layer paving the way for the rich cocoa to step in later.
Cocoa – not the industrial sweetness, but the smell of well-roasted beans, a little smoke, a little damp earth after the rain, and a subtle astringency like the flesh of a lover after a lazy afternoon. It accentuates each sip of beer, so that the drinker does not swallow quickly, but savors it, holding it for a long time like keeping a secret on the tip of the tongue.
- Dark chocolate: The main taste is rich, deep, and lingering like the aftertaste of a jazz piece.
- Light Bourbon: Like the footsteps of a stranger passing through a dream, leaving behind a bit of warmth, a bit of yeast.
- Roasted Malt: Creates depth, creating a base for the cocoa flavor to stand out.
- Light Hoppy: Just a glimpse, like the end of an untold story.
Medium bodied, moderately carbonated, and surprisingly smooth. The feel of a thin layer of silk on the tip of the tongue, each taste cell is slowly awakened. This is the type of beer that makes the drinker sit down, slow down, and let themselves be carried away.
3. How to Enjoy: Raise Your Glass Like Raising a Weak Heart
Don't drink Aphrodite like you would to get drunk. Treat it like an old love song that needs space, time, and a listening heart.
Let thin glass chilled slightly, so that the beer vapor is as hazy as a thin mist covering a winter morning. Pour slowly, lift your hand gently, don't rush to let the white foam rise like a small cloud and fall to the edge of the glass.
The ideal temperature to enjoy is about 8–12°C, that's when all the aromas, all the flavors of Aphrodite bloom like night flowers. Take small sips, don't swallow too quickly, let the vanilla and cocoa flavors melt in your mouth, flowing down your throat like a slow melody passing through your chest.
And if you want to go the extra mile, pair it with dishes that can add depth to the experience:
- Dark Chocolate 70–85%: like two old friends finding each other again after many years apart – understanding each other, complementing each other, and never betraying each other.
- Brownies, chocolate mousse, tiramisu: to turn a glass of beer into an emotional dessert – sweet without being harsh, rich without being overwhelming.
- Mature camembert or cheddar cheese: to create a pleasant contrast – salty, fatty, and irresistibly rich.
4. Medals Are Just an Excuse…
The world can love with its eyes and sweet words. But for Aphrodite, love comes from medals, silent proof that this flavor not only touches hearts, but also touches the most demanding judges.
Aphrodisiaque began to make a splash in the early 2000s, with its first win Silver medal at Mondial de la Bière Montréal 2003 – one of Canada’s most prestigious beer events. Not long after, 2006, this seductive stout once again brings Silver medal, as a firm nod from the experts.
But it doesn't stop there – 2008, Aphrodisiaque reached its peak with Mondial de la Bière Gold Medal. That same year, at the Independence Awards MBeer, this beer was awarded Grand Gold, marking a glorious milestone in the journey to affirm the international position of Brasserie Dieu du Ciel!.
5. Beer Label – A Piece of Legend
From the very beginning, Aphrodisiaque has captivated not only by its taste, but also by its appearance. The original label was designed by artist Yannick Brosseau – a miniature painting, where the goddess of love Aphrodite appears not as a classical monument, but as a modern muse – mysterious, enchanting and somewhat rebellious. The image of a girl with half-closed eyes, loose hair, in the midst of dark colors invites the viewer to enter a dream of chocolate and vanilla.
The illustration is not only beautiful, but also profound – as if each line is telling a forgotten memory, or recalling an emotion that has never been named. It makes people raise their glasses, but also makes them stop and look closely. Perhaps, that is what Dieu du Ciel! always wants to convey: beer is not just for drinking – but also for feeling, for seeing, for understanding.
By 2022, when Dieu du Ciel! restructured its branding and streamlined its design, the Aphrodite label was also updated. The new design was simpler, more modern, and focused on identity and the international market. However, for many veteran beer lovers, the old label remains an icon – a golden age filled with art and nostalgia.
6. Conclusion: Raise Your Glass, And Let Your Heart Drink First
The Montreal night is no longer too cold, only the coldness of an unnamed nostalgia remains. The small bar is still there – the yellow lights are tired, the jazz drifts like cigarette smoke, and the last glass is now empty. The beer is gone. But the story is not.
Aphrodite ended like a love song with a long note. Not intense. Not explosive. Just quiet, enough to make the heart absent-minded. The smell of cocoa still lingers on the glass. The light vanilla flavor in the breath. A night like that, a glass like that - for someone to understand once, there are emotions that don't need to be named, which are the most memorable.
There was no one in front of him. There was only the wooden table, the light shining through the glass door, and the echo of a whisper that had never been spoken. Aphrodite was not just a beer. It was a date with oneself, in the loneliest afternoons, with a memory that had never existed, but was as clear as the taste of yeast on the tip of the tongue.
“A glass of beer. A sob. A quiet love… like Aphrodite flowing through the chest, and lingering in the heart.”
