A TASTE OF QUEBEC
1642 Cola is produced from local ingredients and features a hint of maple syrup
Many people agree with the philosophy of eating and drinking local products, but when it comes to our favourite sodas, there are fewer options on the market and more excuses to be made.
Bastien Poulain knows all too well that it can be difficult to compete with established brand giants like Pepsi or Coke when it comes selling soft drinks, but he believes there is still room to grow.
Poulain is the creator of a local soda called 1642 Cola, after the founding date of Montreal. The drink is flavoured with maple syrup from the Laurentians, and certified local by the Aliments du Quebec.
Poulain hired a chemist to oversee the recipe development, saying it took nine months to complete the recipe. They conducted a series of blind tests, before everyone finally agreed on the finished product.
“There’s just a hint of maple syrup,” said Poulain. “It’s not too sweet.”
On top of the ingredients, 1642 Cola is also prepared and bottled locally.
“The boxes are from Dorval, the bottling is done in Terrebonne, the labels are made in Anjou,” explained Poulain.
The company is intrinsically connected to Montreal — the bottle cap even features a silhouette of Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve.
The packaging and bottle design, which focuses on the local and historical connection to Montreal, was also done locally.
Poulain partnered with a small agency based in Montreal called Magma Design. He said it was a priority to be involved in the process every step of the way.
“It was a really cool experience, when you see an idea becoming a real product,” said Poulain.
Now armed with the finished product, Poulain still had to win over the hearts of customers and retailers.
“Distribution is the key to success,” said Poulain. “Try to convince a grocery store that your product is amazing and he’s going to sell a lot of bottles. When you’re new, that’s the most difficult thing.”
His fortunes took a turn for the better after he appeared on the French version of CBC’s Dragon’s Den (Dans l’oeil du dragon).
Poulain said it was an intimidating experience, with only 45 minutes to sell both the judges and the people watching at home on his product. Despite his nerves, Poulain managed to win over three dragons: Martin-Luc Archambault, Alexandre Taillefer and Serge Beauchemin.
He hasn’t yet received funding, it takes six to 12 months, but he’s benefited a great deal from the connections and publicity.
“My three dragons helped me to open major distributors like GFS, for example,” he said. “They are really good mentors for me. I’m really lucky to have them.”
The show aired on Radio Canada May 18. Poulain says he was bombarded with interest. Local retailers like Jean Coutu and IGA had already had people coming in to ask about Poulain’s product.
The first order of 1642 Cola was 9,000 bottles in January of this year. Poulain says he’s produced a total of 260,000 bottles since.
With sales doing well in Quebec, Poulain started exporting the soda to his home country of France, as well as Belgium. Now he’s looking to expand into the Asian market, where he says maple syrup-based products enjoy consumer popularity.
In the meantime however, Poulain isn’t resting on his laurels.
The company has formed a partnership with Chic Choc, a Quebec spiced rum company that operates out of Cowansville.
“It’s like a local Captain Morgan,” said Poulain. Paired with the original 1642 Cola, it makes for a “Cuba Libre from Quebec.”
This custom rum and ‘coke’ can be found every First Friday of the month at the Olympic Stadium during the regular food truck sales.
He’s also in the process of developing a 1642 tonic in a move to attract clients in the mixology and bartending industries. The tonic is expected to be released in midOctober.
Before making his foray into the competitive world of soda sales, Poulain says he was nervous to start out on his own. He credits the support of his family with giving him the extra push he needed.
“It was thanks to my dad and my grandfather, who are entrepreneurs, too,” he said. “They pushed me to do this adventure. I have no regrets at all now.”
Distribution is the key to success. Try to convince a grocery store that your product is amazing and he’s going to sell a lot of bottles. When you’re new, that’s the most difficult thing.
Bastien Poulain