Looking for the original Bar Towel blog? You can find it at www.thebartowel.com.

We have a trivia question in order to register to prevent bots. If you have any issues with answering, contact us at cass@bartowel.com for help.

Introducing Light Mode! If you would like a Bar Towel social experience that isn't the traditional blue, you can now select Light Mode. Go to the User Control Panel and then Board Preferences, and select "Day Drinking" (Light Mode) from the My Board Style drop-down menu. You can always switch back to "Night Drinking" (Dark Mode). Enjoy!

Ottawa and area help

Discuss anything and everything about craft brewers from Ontario here.

Moderators: Craig, Cass

Provost Drunk
Posts: 346
Joined: Sat Aug 01, 2015 11:36 am
Location: Toronto

Post by Provost Drunk »

Thanks for the feedback! I'll probably scratch Black Tomato off my hit list and will consider venturing out a bit further on Friday night to check out Tooth & Nail and Hintonburg. Both Hintonburg and Brothers seem to have tap and bottle lists posted on their websites. Any idea how good these places are about keeping them up to date? It would be great to check back when I arrive in Ottawa and get a sense of what's available where. Brothers is only a 5-10 minute walk from my hotel so it's conceivable that I can time for a quick beer or two there in addition to my planned Hintonburg and Hull sessions.

Bytowner
Seasoned Drinker
Posts: 1318
Joined: Sun Nov 25, 2007 12:22 pm
Location: Mechanicsville, Ottawa

Post by Bytowner »

I find Brothers'list is often out of date (even the menu a at the restaurant). Can't speak to Hintonburg.
Craft beer hipster before it was cool

rejtable
Bar Fly
Posts: 632
Joined: Fri Nov 12, 2010 2:05 pm

Post by rejtable »

Brothers has been really good about live tweeting their tap updates the last few months. They also just recently started using either tap hunter or beer menus, I forget which.

While I love the Black Tomato and I really like Brothers, it just depends on your vibe. Yes, they will be more Toronto centric on the beer side. Although last time I was into Black Tomato I thought they had a fair amount of Ottawa beer??

I really love the Tooth and Nail taproom. Another option that end of the city is Wellington Gastropub. I don't get there that often but based on the tap updates I see on Twitter, they seem to offer a pretty decent balance of Toronto/Ottawa beer. But it is very much a restaurant, so not the best place if you are only drinking beer.

For me most of the local breweries that have opened the last few years are safely avoidable, although I find Dominion to be reasonably reliable, and of course Beyond the Pale, Big Rig and now Tooth and Nail have generally more hits than misses in my book.

I haven't had anything from Bicycle, Broken Stick, Covered Bridge, whatever that place that does the root of evil beer, or the ones outside the city that I'd have a second time. That's just me.

Beyond the pale just opened their new retail space today. The picture looks pretty neat. Looks like they may have sitting space for pints now??

The walk across the bridge is fine (and really beautiful), but like mentioned, if the weather is miserable, you will be too. Note that uber can cross into Gatineau to drop off, but they can't come and pick you up if you go that route. Otherwise, getting around here via Uber is pretty good.

Marché des brasseurs is pretty solid and kind of mid way between Gainsbourg and BDT, although watch out for the BB on bottles if you can see them. I often see Moralité >3 months old there. Should be able to score fresh Yakima if that floats your boat.

I have very much a love/hate relationship with BDT. I swear I leave there angry half the time I go. Service can be soooooo maddening.

Anyway to your original point any weekend that ends up hitting some combo of:
Tooth and Nail
Hintenburg Public House/Wellington Gastropub
Brothers/Black Tomato
Gainsbourg/BDT/Marché des Brasseurs

would be a pretty good weekend!

Other spots worth considering include Manx (ok beer list including rotating Beau's and Kich taps, and usually at least one BTP, but for my money the best place to drink a pint in Ottawa), and Arrow and Loon (reasonably Toronto heavy lineup but an Ottawa institution even if it makes me want to stab a fork into my brain).

User avatar
cratez
Beer Superstar
Posts: 2284
Joined: Mon Mar 15, 2010 8:29 pm
Location: Brantford, Ontario
Contact:

Post by cratez »

In Ottawa right now and was planning on hitting Wellington Gastropub tonight. Just wondering if they have a bar with seating, and whether anyone actually sits there, since I can't tell from the website. I'll most likely be alone so I don't want to go there if its strictly a sit-down restaurant. But if they have a bar I'll make the trip.
"Bar people do not live as long as vegan joggers. However, they have more fun." - Bruce Elliott

User avatar
El Pinguino
Seasoned Drinker
Posts: 1440
Joined: Sun Jan 02, 2005 6:02 pm
Location: Downtown TO / Galapagos Islands
Contact:

Post by El Pinguino »

cratez wrote:In Ottawa right now and was planning on hitting Wellington Gastropub tonight. Just wondering if they have a bar with seating, and whether anyone actually sits there, since I can't tell from the website. I'll most likely be alone so I don't want to go there if its strictly a sit-down restaurant. But if they have a bar I'll make the trip.
Funny. I wondered this exact thing years ago, and never went because I found other bar stool friendly spots.

Judging by this photo/link I think you're safe...but perhaps someone else can vouch from experience.

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/LocationP ... tario.html

User avatar
cratez
Beer Superstar
Posts: 2284
Joined: Mon Mar 15, 2010 8:29 pm
Location: Brantford, Ontario
Contact:

Post by cratez »

El Pinguino wrote: Funny. I wondered this exact thing years ago, and never went because I found other bar stool friendly spots.

Judging by this photo/link I think you're safe...but perhaps someone else can vouch from experience.

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/LocationP ... tario.html
Thanks!
"Bar people do not live as long as vegan joggers. However, they have more fun." - Bruce Elliott

rejtable
Bar Fly
Posts: 632
Joined: Fri Nov 12, 2010 2:05 pm

Post by rejtable »

THey have a small bar with seating, maybe 6 spots??? Not very isolated from the dining area. It would be ok to go to try some beer, but it definitely would not be a place I would normally want to sit and drink beer at.
EDIT: trying to find a way to say it that doesn't come off too negatively. I guess I'd look at it this way... if I was from out of town and wanted to see what the Gastropub is like, drink some good beer, I'd go. But if I lived there, it would in no way be the place I'd hang out in regularly to drink beer. Tooth and Nail is nearby, that is much more bar friendly.

Also, on the earlier note, looks like the new BTP bottle shop thing was an April Fools prank?? Bizarre. I saw the photo on twitter, but didn't bother blowing it up.

rejtable
Bar Fly
Posts: 632
Joined: Fri Nov 12, 2010 2:05 pm

Post by rejtable »

Also, really almost certainly the two best places to drink beer in the Ottawa AREA are Cheshire Cat and L'autre oeil, but they are way the hell out from downtown.

Bytowner
Seasoned Drinker
Posts: 1318
Joined: Sun Nov 25, 2007 12:22 pm
Location: Mechanicsville, Ottawa

Post by Bytowner »

Too late on this, but, for the record, the Welly doubles as pub, so don't feel intimidated about just going for a bar seat. It's a very casual place.
Craft beer hipster before it was cool

lplex
Posts: 31
Joined: Wed Oct 10, 2012 5:05 pm

Post by lplex »

Provost Drunk wrote:After my sessions at Gainsbourg and BdT, I plan to stop at Marche des Brasseurs d’Ici and pick up a few bottles to bring back. Would love to make it to Broue Ha Ha, but again I’m without a car so that isn’t in the cards. My goal is just to bring back a few things you don’t regularly see in Ontario.
Unfortunately, Marché des Brasseurs closed its Eddy st. location at the end of last week. However, just three blocks to the north on Eddy st., there's a little neighbourhood grocery store called Marché Monette. They have a decent selection et fair prices.

Provost Drunk
Posts: 346
Joined: Sat Aug 01, 2015 11:36 am
Location: Toronto

Post by Provost Drunk »

rejtable wrote:Brothers has been really good about live tweeting their tap updates the last few months. They also just recently started using either tap hunter or beer menus, I forget which.
Thanks! I checked and Brothers is listed on beermenus.com. Current line up is a bit TO-centric, but I'll be sure to check back on Friday and make a GTD on where to head.

Provost Drunk
Posts: 346
Joined: Sat Aug 01, 2015 11:36 am
Location: Toronto

Post by Provost Drunk »

lplex wrote:
Provost Drunk wrote:After my sessions at Gainsbourg and BdT, I plan to stop at Marche des Brasseurs d’Ici and pick up a few bottles to bring back. Would love to make it to Broue Ha Ha, but again I’m without a car so that isn’t in the cards. My goal is just to bring back a few things you don’t regularly see in Ontario.
Unfortunately, Marché des Brasseurs closed its Eddy st. location at the end of last week. However, just three blocks to the north on Eddy st., there's a little neighbourhood grocery store called Marché Monette. They have a decent selection et fair prices.
Thanks, I really appreciate the inside intel! Disappointing to hear about Marche des Brasseurs but not nearly as disappointing as it would have been to walk by next Saturday and discover that they are closed. I'll be sure to check out Monette.

User avatar
cratez
Beer Superstar
Posts: 2284
Joined: Mon Mar 15, 2010 8:29 pm
Location: Brantford, Ontario
Contact:

Post by cratez »

Ended up going to the Welly and other spots recommended by rejtable, Bytowner, etc. Shared my thoughts here. Thanks again for the help everyone.
"Bar people do not live as long as vegan joggers. However, they have more fun." - Bruce Elliott

Provost Drunk
Posts: 346
Joined: Sat Aug 01, 2015 11:36 am
Location: Toronto

Post by Provost Drunk »

Does anyone have a sense of how good Brasseurs du Temps is about keeping their tap list up-to-date? There are definitely a few I'll be keen to try if the current list is accurate:

http://www.brasseursdutemps.com/beers/on-tap-right-now/

If not, I'm sure I'll find something to my liking.

Also, does anyone know the English equivalent of "hors-horlage"? Some of the beers are listed under this heading and 10 years worth of French class in elementary/high school are failing me! Google translate it as "off-clock". I'm guessing it means "last call" and the kegs of these beers are about to run dry.

rejtable
Bar Fly
Posts: 632
Joined: Fri Nov 12, 2010 2:05 pm

Post by rejtable »

EDIT: Updating below

BDT does a giant flight they call the "horloge", I assume you get 12 tasters? Yeah, looking at the site that's what's going on. If you order the horloge flight you must get those 12 beer.

The hors-horloges ones I assume mean they are ones you don't get in their standard horloge (clock) flight.

I have no idea how up to date their website is. Half the time I'm in there I don't think the stupid board is even up to date!!! Oh, and if you can't see the board, they have these insane flip cards to tell you what beers are on. Not only are they not practical at all for figuring out what is on tap, I also can't vouch for how up to date they are.

My suggestion when you get there is to ask the server if the board is up to date. I've had times where they slip me a piece of paper with updates, but that's been awhile. Last few times the board was all they had, or at least according to the server.

Post Reply