No, the House of Commons isn’t yet serving craft beer, but Ottawa is catching onto the craft wave.

During my spring travels east (which I talked about a bit here), I spent a few days in Ottawa. I have been to Ottawa a few times over the years and distinctly remember on my last visit (about 2006) being seriously unimpressed by their beer scene. At the time they had one brewpub (Clocktower Brewing) and, of course, the always reliable Beau’s out in the bedroom community of Van Kleek, but not much else.

What a difference a couple years can make. Over the past two years a dozen breweries have opened their doors in the national capital. During my free time I did my best to explore the burgeoning craft beer scene in the land of MPs and Senators.

I discuss my favourite stops in my latest Vue Weekly column, which came out last week (you can read it here). They include a couple of new brewpubs and a couple of breweries. I got to sample the first batches at Lowertown Brewpub in the Byward Market which just started brewing beer a few weeks before I arrived. The beer is decent, if not particularly memorable, but its location is prime. And while you are there, you might as well walk around the corner to the Brothers Beer Bistro (discussed here) which always has some great beer on tap.

The Mill Street Brewpub is most noteworthy for its location, an historic pulp mill right on the Ottawa River. A fabulous place to sip on a pint.

I got most excited by the new breweries I had a chance to visit or try. Beyond the Pale has only been in business less than three years but already has a national reputation. I can see why as their beer is solid. In particular I appreciated their oatmeal stout, Darkness. Bicycle Craft Brewery is more elusive but also received positive comments in my notebook.

But, for me, my highlight because it is something of a scoop, was Waller Street Brewing. When I arrived in Ottawa, I didn’t know they existed. I got tipped off by a brewer at Clocktower. Literally a hole in the wall in the basement of a downtown building hosting a pub and a games cafe, Waller Street is not a full-time operation and has only been open a few months. Despite dropping by three times, I never met anyone associated with the brewery (remember it is not a full-time operation). I also only got to try one beer, as the rest were out (again, not full-time). However Moonlight Porter stopped me due to its fullness, robust coffee roast and silky body. If this is what they can do after a couple months, just imagine what they will be doing in a couple years.

Ottawa has gone from being Borringville, in terms of craft beer, to one of the fastest evolving beer scenes. I wonder where it will be in a couple more years?