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| Ottawa's Craft Breweries (click to enlarge) |
by Chris Cline
Beer lovers in Vanier are likely well aware of the explosive growth of the craft beer scene. In Ottawa and beyond, the craft beer movement seems to be expanding at breakneck speeds and, with it, the growing masses of beer aficionados waiting impatiently for the latest IPA, saison or smoked porter.
But the growth of the craft beer movement hasn't happened equally, at least in geographic terms. A quick glance at the map of Ottawa craft breweries I created (above) for Apartment613 in 2013 shows this phenomenon locally.
Simply put, the east end of Ottawa proper is something of a desert for craft beer. Sure, Beau's All Natural Brewing and Cassel Brewery are located east of Ottawa. And granted, Beechwood has an outpost for fans of the Clocktower Brew Pub. But otherwise, there's little else for east-enders to get excited about when it comes to beer, especially for those who don't want to leave the city. That certainly rings true in Vanier.
But things seem to be changing in 2014. Dominion City Brewing is set to open this year on Canotek Road and I personally can't wait to see what they come up with. And this Saturday, January 18th, the Black Irish Pub on Selkirk Street will hold its first ever Craft Beer Night in Vanier.
Attendees can sample a cross section of beers from four fantastic breweries, including locals Kichesippi Beer and Beyond the Pale Brewery, Vankleek Hill's Beau's and Toronto's Spearhead Brewery. Each of these breweries consistently delivers exciting new brews, so you could do worse than to head out and sample their wares on Saturday. And doing so might show business owners and breweries that there is a market for craft beer in Vanier and Ottawa's east end. Black Irish Pub owner Derek Marcotte is certainly thinking that way. If things go well, he told me, we may see more Craft Beer Nights at the Black Irish in the future.
Things kick off at 7 p.m. The Black Irish Pub is located at 15 Selkirk Street. Other online details are sparse, but you can follow the hashtag #CraftBeerNightinVanier on Twitter.
Map: Chris Cline