CATERING TO CRAFT-BEER SAMPLERS

As interest in trying more local offerings continues to increase, many pubs and bars are adjusting their tap selections to give consumers more craft beer choices. In some cases, businesses have opened in the national capital to cater exclusively to craft beer fans, giving those who want to sample more local offerings in one location.

Below are a few spots worth checking if you really want to delve into craft beer:

Bier Markt Ottawa: On Sparks Street, a stone’s throw from the National Arts Centre, this eatery has more than 150 beers available. The offerings include a healthy selection of local offerings, which include 40 beers from brewers across Ontario, but also dozens of imports from Europe and some of the top beers from the U.S. It’s a great place to sample beers from various locations without leaving downtown Ottawa. Craft Beer Market: At Lansdowne. Soon to celebrating its first anniversary in Ottawa, Craft has become known as a mecca for small-batch suds. The 14,000-square-foot restaurant has more than 130 beers on tap and a small patio along Bank Street, outside Lansdowne. Staff are extremely knowledgeable and able to help pick offerings from the massive list. Brothers Beer Bistro: In the ByWard Market. This isn’t a mecca to craft beer like the places mentioned above, but the well-located bar is known throughout the city for its craft beer offerings. With more than a dozen taps pouring hand-picked selections, Brothers always has something special worth stopping in for. Even if the tap selection doesn’t really have what you might be craving, the bistro’s extensive bottle selection will. Elgin Beer Project: This just-opened bar at 399 Elgin St. offers hyper-local beers from some of the best-known breweries in and around Ottawa. There are dozens to pick from, including several from our feature list of patio pleasers. Most of the selection comes in cans.