Brasserie Harricana Closes After 11 Years in Little Italy

Brasserie Harricana, the Little Italy microbrewery that became a neighbourhood fixture over the past decade, has permanently closed its doors.

Owner Marie-Pier Veilleux announced the closure today on Instagram, ending an 11-year run that began in 2014. In a statement, she cited the challenges of maintaining an "innovative and resilient company" despite constant adaptation—particularly since opening their dedicated brewery in 2021.

"Despite our constant efforts, having now explored every possible option to stay the course, we must today accept a new reality," Veilleux wrote.

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The brewery at 95 Jean-Talon West was more than just a craft beer destination. Veilleux and co-founder Cynthia Santamaria built the space as a deliberate throwback to the original Brasserie Harricana, which Veilleux's mother ran in Amos, Quebec from 1975 until the late 1980s. Architect Alain Carle designed the 120-seat space with vintage fixtures salvaged from that first location—tables, chairs, and light fixtures that dated back five decades.

On tap, the brewery rotated through a dozen house beers with weekly additions, alongside Quebec ciders and visiting taps. The food menu leaned into comfort—recipes from "Maman Veilleux" that had been refined since the 1970s, designed for sharing across those big family-style tables.

Veilleux thanked employees, customers, and collaborators in her farewell message, noting the brewery had become "much more than just a place." She's now considering what form the Brasserie Harricana beer brand might take moving forward, though no concrete plans have been announced.

For everyone who spent an afternoon on that light-filled bleachers of its terrasse or grabbed a weekday lunch special, the closure marks the end of one of the city's more thoughtfully designed neighbourhood breweries.