Savouring Ottawa Breweries: A Journey Through the Capital's Breweries

Did you know that Ottawa has close to 50 breweries? From crisp, refreshing lagers to bold, hop-forward IPAs, and from rich, velvety stouts to zesty, tangy sours, there's something to satisfy every taste bud. From small tasting rooms to large industrial breweries, these are the breweries in Ottawa you will want to add to your next Ottawa itinerary.

What is great about this itinerary is that we give you places in the downtown core but also we will give ideas to discover areas in the city that are beyond the usual touristy spots. So, are you ready to hop in the Ottawa craft beer scene?

Where are the Ottawa breweries located?

Most of the breweries are concentrated in several key areas throughout the city. We will dive into each of the best Ottawa breweries right after this section.

Wellington West/Hintonburg is a trendy neighbourhood in West Ottawa known for its eclectic mix of shops, restaurants, and, of course, breweries. Here be sure to stop at Tooth and Nail.

Centretown is located in the heart of downtown Ottawa, Centretown is home to several breweries, offering a convenient stop for those exploring the city's cultural attractions or enjoying a night out in the urban core. Flora Hall is a must-stop in this area.

ByWard Market is One of Ottawa's most touristy places. The ByWard Market is not only a hub for dining, shopping, and entertainment but also for craft beer. Lowertown Brewery is the place to go.

Glebe/Old Ottawa South is a neighbourhood filled with shopping boutiques, restaurants and green spaces. Beyond the Pale Brewing Company is one of the leading breweries in this area.

Vanier is located just east of downtown Ottawa and is a historically French-Canadian neighbourhood just a few kilometres east of downtown Ottawa. The stop to do here is Bicycle Craft Brewery.

The best Ottawa breweries

Ottawa is a top destination for craft beer lovers. With more than soo many choices, it might be difficult to choose where to stop in your 1 or 2-day adventure in Ottawa. Luckily for you, I have compiled the best Ottawa craft breweries.

Lowertown Brewery

This brewery is in the heart of the Byward hood and celebrates its rich history dating back to the logging business in the area. You can enjoy a cold one along with great food from the in-house smoker. In Summer, you can enjoy the sunny patio. The brewpub is just a short walk from Parliament Hill, the Rideau Centre, the National Gallery of Canada and other downtown attractions. The popular beer includes a Mexican-style lager (El Camino), a creamy stout (Nitro Stout) and a summery fruit beer (Raspberry Wheat).

Kichesippi Beer Co.

This brewery loves Ottawa and it's a rich heritage. After all, it is named after the Algonquin word for the Ottawa River and they give most of its beers Ottawa-related names.

They are known for their classic beer styles. You can enjoy their products in the taproom or on the scenic patio in the summer. Besides beer, they also have a coffee menu and wraps and they host different food trucks and events.

Flora Hall Brewing

The brewery is located in a reconverted heritage building garage that kept its original charm. The welcoming atmosphere with wood, tile and dark metal interior is the perfect place to taste their award-winning beer ranging from experimental brews to classic ones. In the Summer you can enjoy their terrace. They also offer pub food combined with international cuisine. The brewery is a short 7-minute walk from the Canadian Museum of Nature.

I really enjoyed discovering their beers during our Ottawa winter getaway.

Beyond the Pale Brewing Company

As the name suggests, the brewery is known for its innovative and diverse lineup of beers. Their creative beers can be tasted in a sample flight or a pint. The bar has a strong community engagement and collaboration with local artists and businesses. They also offer delicious BBQ food provided in-house by the Smoquehouse team and they host several events per month.

Tooth and Nail Brewing Company

Renowned for its balanced and flavorful beers, Tooth and Nail Brewing Company has become a favourite among Ottawa locals. They are also an award-winning brewery that has a lot of European styles of beers. I really like the Vim & Vigor pilsner.

The brewery is housed in a historic industrial space. They offer pizza and sandwiches to go along with their products.

Vimy Brewing Company

They are named in honour of the historic Vimy Ridge battle of WWI. Vimy Brewing Company is known for their well-crafted and approachable beers. Visitors to their taproom can enjoy a rotating selection of brews inspired by Canadian history and brewed with passion and pride. The brewery was founded by two brothers, both former reservists in the Royal Canadian Navy and proud Canadians.

Bicycle Craft Brewery

If you like bikes and beers this might be the stop for you. The brewery is owned by a husband and wife duo who share a love for bicycles and beers. The lineup changes often, they range from NEIPAs and WCIPAs to Imperial Stouts and German Pilsners. The brewery is also very invested in the local community.

Looking for more?

If you prefer to stay in one place and discover several breweries, I suggest you go to craft beer-friendly restaurants and bars. Elgin Beer Project has one of the largest selections of locally brewed beer in the city. CRAFT Beer Market has over 100 beers on tap, probably 10% of their selection is from the greater Ottawa area. Finally, the Château Lafayette (known locally as The Laff) is Ottawa’s oldest tavern established in 1849. You can recognize it in the ByWard Market by the beautiful Ola Volo mural. The tavern has plenty of local brews. Small Pony Barrel Works specializes in barrel-aged and blended sour beers. They don’t have a taproom so you will have to buy their products at the LCBO or the Beer store.

The very popular Beau's All Natural Brewing Co. is located in Vankleek Hill just an hour outside of Ottawa on the way to Montreal.

Beer tours

If you want to experience several breweries in one day and you don’t want to do all the distance planning, then I suggest doing a brewery tour!

On our last trip to Ottawa, we joined the Brew Donkey Tours. On their different routes, you can taste 3 or 4 breweries that are perfectly paired with a small educational journey that teaches you a little bit about how beer is made and a little history behind each stop. The tour is done by a funky bus with an interior that looks like a bar with its booth and tables.

We embarked on the Y-East End Express Tour. The route takes you to lesser-known suburbs of the capital from Overbrook to Orleans. The east end of Ottawa is making some of the best and most innovative well-crafted beers around, including lagers, stouts and yes, IPAs too. The route takes you to 3 different breweries Broadhead, Dominion City Brewing Co and Stray Dog Brewing.

The tour includes all transportation, sampling fees, a light snack, an education session on craft beer and behind-the-scenes tours at each brewery. How much will you drink? You will try 3 to 4 samples of 5oz at each stop. Of course, if you like the beers, you will have time to buy an extra pint.

The tour is 4 hours in total and it includes a delicious savoury scone from Sconewitch. They will pick you up and drop you off at the same downtown location.

Dominion City Brewing Co.

This brewery holds a wide range of IPAs from rich stouts to creative seasonal brews. They have deep local connections with the community as they are Canada’s first Kickstarter-funded brewery. Many of their beers have historically significant names. The taproom is located in a suburb just east of downtown Ottawa. They collaborate with Ontario beverage makers, food producers and restaurants to organize pop-up events that support various causes. Their food looked delicious, they have rotating local chefs. The hubby really liked the barrel stout.

Stray Dog Brewing Company

The second stop was Stray Dog Brewing Company. This small brewery is known for its funky beers, we tried a peanut butter stout. Their most well-known beer is the award-winning Shaggin’ Wagon New England IPA. The brewery is very inclusive and has live music most of the nights. If you are a dog lover like me, you will enjoy the company of dogs in the brewery.

Broadhead

The last stop is Broadhead, by far the biggest production of the 3 stops. They serve eight classics and a range of limited-run releases. When we visited they had live music, they also hosted a variety of events from trivia to wrestling matches.

Beer events

The love of beer doesn’t stop at the breweries, the city celebrates the hops through multiple events. In May, you can attend the Tulip Festival and combine it with the Ottawa Beer Fest in Lansdowne. After a few years of hiatus, the festival is back with a large selection of beers, activities and live music.

Right on the other side of the river, you have the Gatineau Beerfest at the Place des Festivals Zibi. This is your chance to choose which beer to try among 350 craft beers created by more than 30 Québec and Ontario Brewers. They also have food trucks and live music.

Orleans Craft Beer Festival takes place in Orléans and is an outdoor event in June. Finally, Gatineau Winter Beerfest is held at the Canadian Museum of History every February. Have you ever seen a beer festival in a museum anywhere else in the world? I haven’t!

Accommodations

Of course, you shouldn't drink and drive so it is recommended that you stay the night in Ottawa. If you are looking for where to stay in Ottawa I suggest staying at the Le Germain Hotel. The elegant hotel is located downtown. The rooms are spacious and beautifully designed. The hotel also offers indoor parking (parking in the city can be a bit difficult sometimes) and a delicious breakfast buffet (I really enjoyed the charcuteries and croissants).

What will be your first hoppy stop in the capital? Let me know in the comments below. Cheers!

Disclaimer: The Brew Donkey tour as well as the night at hotel Le Germain were complementary by Ottawa Tourism Board. As always, all opinions are our own.

BRB acknowledges that Ottawa is built on un-ceded Anishinabe Algonquin territory. The peoples of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation have lived on this territory for millennia. Their culture and presence have nurtured and continue to nurture this land. The City of Ottawa honours the peoples and land of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.