Montreal (Canada) Energy Drink Journey 2019

Hunting Before Arriving at the Hotel

Since this was my first time in Montreal, I expected to buy a large number of energy drinks. So, I decided to get off just before the hotel and buy as many as I could before checking in, to pack them into my suitcase and carry them back. After dozens of energy drink trips, this was my first time buying in bulk before checking in! Σ(´∀｀；)

First, I headed to the store I had my eye on.

I placed my suitcase next to the register and started my investigation.

The first thing I spotted was the new summer release for 2019, Monster Energy’s Mule, which was featured prominently.

It was released in Canada ahead of the US, and I just happened to be traveling at the right time for this new product. I had booked my flight to Montreal in 2018, so I was lucky (●´ω｀●). One of the joys of being an energy drink traveler is being able to enjoy special displays and large stock at each store.

And even more! The fridge was packed with Rockstar drinks specially made for the East Coast.

In Eastern Canada, there are many variations with different color tops and tabs, and recently, Rockstar has become even more popular. When you visit during this changing period, it’s a must to buy in bulk. It was definitely the right choice to pack them into my suitcase before heading to the hotel.

Since there were no shopping baskets in the convenience store, I placed a few cans on the counter at a time and told the cashier, "I’ll pay for them all at once later." After about 20 minutes, I had picked everything up.

In the end, I spent about ¥20,000 here. The staff was probably surprised since no one else had ever bought that much. They even helped me pack everything into my suitcase, and thus, the first hunt was successfully completed. I was able to buy about half of what I needed for this trip here (●´ω｀●).

The Behind-the-Scenes of an Energy Drink Traveler

Let me share a little behind-the-scenes of being an energy drink traveler.

When I get back to the hotel, I line up everything like this to keep track of how many of each drink I bought. At home, I have enough stock to last for years, so I want to avoid buying duplicates. It’s a waste of money, and drinking too much isn’t good for the body.

Even though I lay everything out and check, sometimes I still end up buying duplicates by mistake Σ(´∀｀；)

A Compact City to Enjoy from Morning to Night

Montreal's downtown area is very compact, so walking around the city is not a hassle.

Although it’s not like Japan, where there’s a convenience store on every corner, there are enough stores, so even with a quick shopping trip between sightseeing, you can still enjoy hunting for energy drinks in downtown.

Mount Royal, which offers a great view of Montreal, was perfect for relaxing. It doesn’t have many famous tourist spots, so it’s ideal for a slow, enjoyable stay. It’s a city I’d love to visit in each season—summer, autumn, and winter.

Late-Night Montreal

During the day, I focused on sightseeing, but I usually do my hunting at night or into the early hours. First, let’s check out some supermarkets that close early.

It looks a bit messy. I visited several stores, but the supermarkets didn’t seem to have the best selection.

During this period, Rockstar's GEARS5 collaboration cans were released.

There were also Monster Energy Live Nation cans. While they had some stock, Monster Energy’s original flavors seemed to be selling out fast.

If you want the collaboration cans, it might be a good idea to visit different cities. Vancouver has beaches in summer, and in autumn, you can enjoy the beautiful fall colors in Montreal, Quebec City, and Toronto. Sounds fun, right?

I also found Rockstar alcohol.

It didn’t seem like it was displayed neatly but rather stacked up in a pile.

In Montreal, they sold two types of Rockstar alcohol—5.4% punch and the original.

It was also found in liquor shops, though it didn’t seem very popular in Eastern Montreal.

At the counter, there were stacked mixed packs.

A chaotic display, but it kind of felt like a treasure chest, which isn’t too bad (*´艸｀*)

I bought about 30 cans at this supermarket.

I packed them into boxes of 12 and also bought eco-bags to squeeze them in perfectly.

Around 10:00 PM, my bag was heavy, so I decided to take an Uber back to the hotel.

Here’s a perfect packing job for an energy drink traveler’s daily routine.

Back at the hotel, I took a break in the lounge. It was still before midnight, so I decided to go out for a walk. I love walking around the nightlife and hunting for stores that are open late.

You can see a case in the center of the store.

Chain stores lock up at night, but I had to have them unlock it from the inside.

Here’s what was inside the case.

They stacked cans horizontally like this. It’s a type of display you don’t often see in Japan!

The fridge also had a decent selection.

A Japanese person enjoying late-night shopping while carefully choosing items to get the best deals.

Since I already had about 10 cans before coming to this store, I asked the cashier if I could leave my bag at the counter and chatted with the staff and security about energy drinks. It’s pretty strange to buy energy drinks after 1 AM as a foreigner, right?

I moved to a local liquor shop. At night, the fridge is locked, and you can’t buy alcohol.

LGBT Bud. Doesn’t it have great style!?

You can find hidden gems in these kinds of stores.

There was only one can of this pale-colored drink in all the stores I visited.

Then I headed to another store.

The mixed-floor display is so exciting ((o(´∀｀)o)) I love wandering through these kinds of stores at night!

On another day, I found a store with plenty of stock, and I was able to buy almost everything I wanted here.

What an impressive sight!

But unfortunately, I couldn’t find the GEARS5 Pure Zero Silver Ice anywhere. I wanted to collect it during this Eastern trip, but I just couldn’t find it...

Even though I visited many stores, I couldn’t find a single one. Maybe it hadn’t hit the Montreal downtown stores yet (I visited that many places).

Bonus from the Montreal Hunt

I encountered a few stores just a little outside downtown that seemed to be under construction.

Since I came at night, I thought they might not be open yet, but they were actually operating. You’d never see something like this in Japan. Exposed wires, unfinished interiors, and the shelves were almost empty.

A crushed Gronk due to a fall.

This happens sometimes, right? It even happens at home sometimes!

However, it’s rare to see a can this crushed.

Strangely enough, even though it was crushed and leaking, it didn’t seem to be leaking at all. Maybe that’s why it was still on display (^_^;)

So, this was my first trip to Eastern Canada, and I went a bit overboard, resulting in my first time ever exceeding the checked baggage weight limit. I went over by 7kg Σ(´∀｀；)

This has never happened before. But since this trip was full of firsts, I guess it’s understandable. Even though I can carry more than regular travelers, I ended up with this much. You can probably imagine just how much that is. It’s an unimaginable amount (^_^;)

With the launch of direct flights, it’s much easier to visit Montreal, and I highly recommend it! Next time, I want to visit during the fall foliage season.