Window of Hopportunity: Ottawa Brewers’ Best Beer Names

With the recent explosion of craft beers in the market, local brewers will do everything to make their specialty ale stand out from the rest of the (six) pack. Naming brews allows the maker to showcase their creativity and pun proficiency, and while some made us cringe with disabrewvement, we have high hops these Ottawa brews will live up to their lager-than-life names. With no shortage of witty, pop-culture heavy naming, we’ve limited the list to one beer per brewer, and only included brews currently in production.

Whitewater Brewing Co. – Farmer’s Daughter
“This blonde is proud of its roots. A selection of pale malted barley infuses with locally farmed hops to create a beer that is an eye-opener on a hot summer’s day. Light, yet defined flavours instil a sense of the hard work and drive for quality that has gone into this blonde.”

Beyond The Pale Brewing Company – Aromatherapy
“Brewed in the spirit of freshly canned Vermont beers, this IPA is intensely dry-hopped with Citra & Mosaic to produce a rich floral and citrus bouquet with bittering support coming from Amarillo and Centennial. The pale malt bill puts the sumptuous hop profile into focus, coalescing in a bright and refreshing east coast IPA.”

Nita Beer Company – Mr. Brown has gone coconuts!
“With our American Brown Ale as the base, Mr. Brown has gone coconuts! has been the hit of the summer. The addition of coconut to this gorgeously coloured beer brings you to that time enjoying drinks on a summer patio or swimming up to that tropical bar.

Mr. Brown has gone coconuts won the people’s choice award at the Ottawa Craft Beer Festival 2015.”

Broadhead Brewing Company – Tippin’ Point
“If you’re looking to tip back a few (or many), start drinking Broadhead’s new seasonal: Tippin’ Point! Tippin’ Point is a slightly hazy, pale copper-coloured North American IPA with a massive aromas of grapefruit and peach. It carries a bit of sweetness in the body and finishes strong with a fresh, pithy, lasting bitterness.”

Covered Bridge Brewing – Eternally Hoptimistic
“This American Pale Ale is loaded with hop flavour and aroma from lots of late additions and dry-hopping. While the citrus and floral flavours and aromas dominate, the toasty flavours of the malt are strong enough to support them. Not for the faint of heart!”

Kichesippi Beer Co. – Heller Highwater
“The Ottawa River was part of the pathway for much of the early exploration of North America. In the 1600s, the fur trade sowed the seeds for European settlement along the river with its trading posts stationed between Lake Temiskaming and Montreal. This beer is a pale, straw coloured Bavarian Lager. Brewed with German noble hops and a genuine Munich yeast. This is a classic example of the session beers enjoyed in Bavarian beer gardens. The beer has a clean malt flavour with a slight hop presence.”

Stalwart Brewing Co. – Dr. Feelgood
“Barley, wheat and rye give Feelgood a complex dry body, but the star of the show is its unrestrained use of zingy hops offering fruit, citrus and resin to the nose and palate. We always have Dr. Feelgood.”

Waller St. Brewing – French Connection
“Our interpretation of this French saison style respects the light, refreshing purpose of this beer style. Blonde and cloudy the grisette finishes off dry, perfect for the summer heat. The compliment of yeast and hops give French Connection pleasant spice notes and a herbal aroma.”

Evergreen Craft Ales – Hunky-Dory IPA
“Take the hoppiness of an English IPA the malt character of an ESB and what do you get? A Hunky-Dory IPA. An english IPA is not the hop bomb that many have come to expect when they see the letters IPA. Using traditional english hops we boosted the maltiness to create a slight sweetness to create a nice balance. A great beer if you are looking for a lot of flavour without any extremes.”

Big Rig Brewery – Release the Hounds
“Step into the darkness with this multiple gold medal winner. Unfiltered, dry-hopped and layered with roasted malts, this Black IPA blends big hoppy flavours with complex mocha notes.”

Dominion City Brewing Co. – Bonne Fête
Brewed with everything you’d need for a delicious 150th birthday cake. Bonne Fête is loaded with oats, blackberry, cocoa nibs and a hint of vanilla with hop aroma for days.

Header Photo: Joshua James