Crafted in the Capital

Sometimes, you need a break from the hustle and bustle of the city. What better way to escape than with a beer-inspired road trip? There are plenty of great breweries in the city of Ottawa, but have you ever ventured outside the city limits to see what the outskirts have to offer? Trust me, you won’t regret making a pitstop at any one of these breweries, all hidden in the depts of the Ottawa Valley.

Crooked Mile Brewery – Almonte 

There’s a lot to love about Almonte (I am slightly biased, I live there). You can grab a delicious fair-trade coffee from Equator Coffee Roasters, shop the local vendors downtown or grab a bite to eat at one of the many restaurants along the water. Almonte is the original hispter town (I can say that, I live there), so craft beer seems like a natural fit to its locally-owned, no-chain-store ambiance. And in the Fall of 2016, residents of Almonte finally checked the last item off their hispter checklist: Crooked Mile Brewery.

As a relatively new brewery, you would think Crooked Mile was still finding their bearings in the beer world. But much to the contrary, their beer is more like the product of seasoned veterans in the beer industry. They offer a variety of British-style ales, including their Standing Stone English IPA and Highland Walker Scottish Export. Each offers its own unique, well-balanced flavour that only comes from true craftsmanship.

While you’re there, you can also pick up some Crooked Mile swag (beer ware, t-shirts, etc.). The owners are friendly, knowledgeable and always up for a beer chat.

Located on Ottawa Street, right next to Equator Coffee Roasters, Crooked Mile Brewery is in one of the first buildings you’ll see when coming in from Ottawa (on March Road). It’s well-worth a day trip for the sake of beer.

Stalwart Brewing Company – Carleton Place 

Just ten minutes down the road from Almonte, you’ll find Carleton Place. (Insert Almonte is better than Carleton Place joke here. Hey, I can say that. I live in Almonte!) But this Almonte resident finally found an endearing quality in Carleton Place (last joke, I promise), and that’s Stalwart Brewing Company.

When I first moved to Almonte, I heard a lot about a new brewery located in the next town. Although it took my a while to finally give it a try, Stalwart Brewing Co. surprised the hell out of me with quite possibly one of the best IPAs on the market.

Although they feature a variety of beer styles, their specialty seems to be the aforementioned IPA. My personal favourite is the Dr. Feelgood.

You can find Stalwart beer at a number of locations throughout the city. But if you want to get the full brewery experience, and to try a number of their brews, it’s well worth a trip to Carleton Place. On the plus side, with Crooked Mile and Stalwart being so close, you can hit both in one day!

Whitewater Brewing Company – Cobden/Foresters Falls 

You’ll have to venture a little further down Hwy 17 for this one, but trust me when I tell you it will be well worth the trip. Whitewater has become one of the more popular craft breweries in the Ottawa area. You may have tried their Farmer’s Daughter or Class V IPA (both of which are delicious, by the way). But if you want to try more from their beer list, you’ll have to make the 45-min drive into the Ottawa Valley.

Whitewater now has two different locations: Their Riverside brewery in Forester’s Falls, and their Lakeside brewery/brew pub in Cobden. The Lakeside location recently opened just off of Hwy 17 in Cobden, and is a little easier to get to if you’re coming from Ottawa. But I can tell you from personal experience that no matter which location you choose, you’re in for a treat.

I visited Whitewater Brewing Company in Foresters Falls over the summer. Their Class V IPA was already one of my favourite brews, but this time I was able to try some of the options not available through the LCBO. They had a special IPA on tap that day, and it was even better than the Class V.

In addition to their beer, you can also try some of the brew pub food offerings. Even though I was in farm-themed restaurant located over an hour outside of the city, I thought I was in downtown Ottawa with the food on the menu.

Their menu is largely seasonal, so what I ate that day might not be on the menu anymore. But let me assure you, it was delicious. If you’re looking for a great meal paired with some great beer, to finish off a road trip, Whitewater should be at the top of your destination list.

Calabogie Brewing Company – Calabogie 

Now for one of my personal favourites. If you’ve read any of my previous posts, you probably know that I’m a huge fan of Calabogie’s Bogie West Coast American IPA, along with their Double Bogie Double IPA (delicious, but very dangerous… trust me). But the IPA family is not all that Calabogie Brewing Co. has to offer.

Here’s the thing about Calabogie’s beer: It’s really good. Across the board, I have never tried a beer from this brewery that I didn’t like.They have a beer for every style preference. From their Front Porch Kolsch to the Highlander Nut Brown Ale, every beer is delicious in its own way.

Truth be told, I’m not normally a fan of wheat ales. But when I tried Calabogie’s Whistling Paddy Wheat Ale, I absolutely loved it. Their Grassy Bay Saison is also a great choice if Belgian-style beer is your thing. I mean it when I say their beer is seriously good.

The only downside about Calabogie Brewing Co. is the fact that their beer is not available in the LCBO. You can find it at a few locations throughout the city and the Valley, but if you want to try multiple brews, you will have to make the trip to Calabogie.

The good news is, during the winter you can kill two birds with one stone and get a day of skiing in before stopping at the brewery. After all, beer never tastes better than apres ski!

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It’s time to take a break from the city, and explore the many different kinds of beer that the Ottawa Valley has to offer. Oh, the scenery is pretty nice too.