Alvéole - The best alcoholic cream in Canada and also the only one 100% made in Québec available on SAQ shelves.
- La Miellerie King
- Apr 9
- 3 min read
The number of alcoholic creams at the SAQ has been growing year after year. However, it is surprising to note that the only alcoholic cream certified “Aliments du Québec” and recognized by Dairy Farmers of Canada is ALVÉOLE, the artisanal cream from La Miellerie King, distillery and meadery.
Many brands claim to be “from Quebec” by adding maple syrup to their products, but when you read the label closely, you’ll find they are all made using pre-alcoholized cream imported from abroad.
At La Miellerie King, we were committed to creating a cream truly rooted in our terroir. As you’ll see below, it was quite a journey to bring this unique and delicious product to life.
A crazy project!
When we first started, we had no idea what we were getting into. The idea of making an alcoholic cream came from a mix of inspirations.
First, our mother simply loves cream liqueurs! As a joke, we said: “Let’s make our own—it’ll save us money at family parties!”
Another key motivation was Frédéric’s lifelong love of cows. While René fell in love with beekeeping early on, Frédéric developed a deep bond with cows as a child. He even befriended one named Frisette, who became his favorite companion. He would spend entire afternoons lying on her back—even dressing her up with hats!
We knew we had to create something that honored all of our passions: beekeeping, cows, spirits, and our local terroir.
Developing a 100% Quebec Cream
Three years ago, we began experimenting at home to create the perfect recipe. While the flavor was promising, we quickly ran into a major issue: after a few days, the cream would separate from the alcohol.
We consulted several experts in the spirits industry, and they all gave the same advice:👉 “Buy pre-alcoholized cream from abroad and mix it with your honey caramel.”
For us, this was unacceptable. Our region is one of the most important dairy-producing areas in Quebec—if not Canada. We couldn’t promote local products while importing cream and ignoring the work of our fellow farmers.
It was essential for us to create a product made with:
our own honey-based alcohol
real Quebec dairy cream
our mother’s famous honey caramel
A True Challenge
We rolled up our sleeves and committed to developing a 100% Quebec-made alcoholic cream, despite all the warnings against it.
After extensive research, we secured an R&D grant and began working with a research center. Beyond taste, we had to create a product that was stable at room temperature over time.
This required:
countless recipe trials
testing different ingredients
experimenting with homogenization techniques and equipment
After several months, we succeeded in developing a stable, great-tasting product.
From Lab to Production
Next challenge: reproducing the process at our own facility with equipment we could afford.
After months of searching, we found the perfect machine—though it needed serious restoration. With the help of a specialist, our father refurbished it, allowing us to begin small-scale local production.
In total, it took nearly a full year before we could sell our cream in our shop.
Since launch, demand has steadily increased, pushing us to expand production capacity and bring Alvéole to SAQ shelves.
International recognition
Alvéole quickly received glowing feedback from visitors. Many encouraged us to enter international competitions.
So we submitted a bottle to the world’s largest competition dedicated to cream liqueurs…
👉 And to our great surprise, Alvéole won “Best Cream Liqueur in Canada” at the World Liqueur Awards in London.
This recognition confirms the unique and exceptional quality of our product.
Thank you Frisette!
For our SAQ launch, we wanted a creative and authentic campaign. As a small family-run business, we don’t have the marketing budgets of multinational brands.
So we went back to our roots and decided to honor Quebec’s dairy cows—starting with their spokesperson: Frisette, a beautiful Jersey cow from our friend Max’s farm (Ferme Alpenrosli).
We treated her to a “perfect day” across our region—visiting:
At the theater:
At the hair salon:
At the cheese shop:
At the microbrewery:
There is the little documentary on Alvéole (in french) :
There is the music clip about Alvéole (in french)
Endless Ways to Enjoy Alvéole
Alvéole is delicious:
neat
on ice
in coffee
or in cocktails
It also shines in recipes and has been featured by chefs and culinary personalities in our book Soif d’Apiculture.
It’s used in:
“La crème des Ouvrières”, a cocktail by mixologist Simon Faucher (restaurant Tanière³, Quebec City)
Maryse Belhumeur’s famous cheesecake
a brioche and apple recipe by Geneviève O’Gleeman
Comments