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The burgeoning of breweries across Ontario

Masters2017_3
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Ottawans can now enjoy a tall, frothy glass of Kichesippi 1855 with its refreshing malt flavours and bitter finish. For a more exotic flare, beer enthusiasts can turn to a ginger coriander cream ale. For something patriotic, the Big Rig Canadian Amber showcases 100% Canadian ingredients. These unique brews are now available in Ottawa due to a recent proliferation of microbreweries in the province.

According to data from the Ontario Beverage Network, the per capita number of microbreweries in Ontario has increased by almost ten-fold since 2011. Toronto has the highest total number of independent breweries per capita at 1.76 per 100,000 people. Ottawa falls second at 1.18 per 100,000 people, although growth in Ottawa’s brewery industry is more recent. The total number of independent breweries in Ottawa has more than tripled in the last five years, bringing the count up to sixteen. Bicycle Craft, Dominion City, and Tooth & Nail are just some of the breweries that have opened up in the last few years.

The variety of local brews can be savoured at Beer Craft Market, a restaurant that opened just last year. Beer Craft Market has over 100 brews on tap, and bar manager Josh Chamberlin said that around 60% of their beer selection is from the province. He said that featuring local products is one of the company’s goals. “There’s an attention in craft beer right now. People are looking for new and interesting things to drink, putting their heads to crazy IPAs, sours, and all sorts of things,” he said, “everyone’s catching on to what beer really can be.”

Chamberlin said that Ottawa’s supportive microbrewery community attributes to the blossoming industry. “It’s really a giant family,” said Chamberlin. Larger, more established businesses such as Beau’s Brewery are even lending out their equipment to smaller entrepreneurs. “They’ve really made a welcoming atmosphere for new breweries and really tried to be inclusive,” he said.

Chamberlin also attributes the popularization of microbreweries to easier marketing on the internet. “Some of the craft breweries that are out there right now have really taken advantage of the digital age,” said Chamberlin, “pretty much every craft brewery that is really successful has a very active social media presence.”

Local beer blogger Katy Watts said that the high per capita number of breweries in Ottawa may be due the city’s geography. Many of the new breweries in Ottawa are located in the outskirts of the city where they can appeal to the local neighborhood. “It blew up, and there are still more and more that are coming,” said Watts, “it’s easier to establish these new breweries with the fragmented communities of Ottawa.”

Although Ottawa’s last five years has seen a proliferation of microbreweries, Watts and Chamberlin only see the industry growing with increasing demand. According to Watts, the brewery industry in Ottawa hasn’t reached market saturation yet, but the market is becoming competitive enough to drive product quality. “We’re coming to a point where if a brewery doesn’t make a good product, it’s hard to compete,” she said.

Evergreen Craft Ales is one of the microbreweries that opened last year, and their website boasts being the smallest brewery in Ottawa. Owner Chris Samuels runs the operation with his wife from their garage. “Once I started home brewing it was definitely something that captured my imagination more than anything else,” said Samuels. Samuels said getting started in the brewery business was costly and time consuming, but the community was welcoming. He said that consumers are often interested in his small, home-grown business. “We’ve had a really good vibe from people, and people are really interested in what we’re doing,” he said, “It’s been really rewarding when you can actually sit down and talk to people one-on-one.”