Ottawa Brewery Tour: Brew Donkey Experience
Brew Donkey offers professional and fun craft brewery tours all year long! In and around the Ottawa region, they have various themed brewery tours. You can choose between a full day or shorter tour, going east or west of the city, breweries only or include an activity, (fright fest or axe throwing anyone?). Private tours are also available!
The tours typically include samples and a tour at each brewery, transportation all day and a meal or snack in between. You will discover beers or even entire breweries you have not heard of before. It’s fun discovering all the local beer we have available to us in and around Ottawa.
These tours are like being a tourist in your own city, yet with other locals! It won’t be difficult to find something in common with your fellow beer lovers, and you may even leave with a new friend. Celebrating a birthday, a bachelor party, a weekend? The answer is Brew Donkey.
The Breweries East Tour Experience
The main pick up location is at Brew Donkey headquarters, inside the Makers Co. store on Wellington street West. If you ever rode the school bus as a kid, you’ll feel immediate comradery with your tour mates riding along together. Field trip time! The tour guide discusses the upcoming day and sorts out the details, before giving you the general low down on how beer is made. Prepare to feel the excitement already.
The founder and master brewer will have you laughing with his laissez faire attitude combined with a true passion for beer. As he goes through his personal story and process of brewing, he answers your questions and fills your cup of beer. As you enjoy your tastings, the tour moves from the back tour to the brew pub area. Order some beer to go or buy some merch; the need for a Tuque de Brue toque speaks for itself.
By unanimous vote, it is already lunch time back on the bus. Your pre-chosen meal option is handed to you, be it turkey club, chicken parmesan wrap, veggie wrap or salad. And as your morning buzz builds up, so does the excitement.
Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company
If you have heard of any of the breweries visited today, it will be Beau’s. You’ve probably heard of their most popular beer, Lug Tread, as well. Definitely the busiest and most popular, Beau’s is one of the original craft breweries in the area, now also one of the largest. Organic ingredients, treatment of employees and charitable efforts all matter to Beau’s. Their annual Oktoberfest celebration is not only a huge party, it is their signature fundraising event.
You will be provided with beer samples again, before taking a tour of the brew house. FYI tours at Beau’s are free even if you’re not on a Brew Donkey tour! You will be in awe of their story of origin, realizing now that their beer is available everywhere in Ontario and some other locations across Canada and the USA. The tour schedules a longer period to hang out here, allowing ample time to get a flight of beer, a pint… or 3 and a snack as well. Check out their vine covered patio that has its own bar!
Snack time on the bus means pretzel time! And you’ll likely be wanting more carbs at this point in the day.
The third and final brewery of the day is Cassel brewery. By this time of day, you’ll have noticed all the farm land that surrounds Ottawa, and how many small towns that are within a close distance to the city. The French influence of the east will have you wishing you were bilingual if that’s not something you can already boast.
At this stop, you can choose another few tastings or one full glass of beer. You can feel the unique touches and passion for the craft in every area of the space. Pay attention to the unique way they label their barrels of beer! After the tour of this brewery, spending time in this cozy local brew pub will have you chatting up your new beer loving friends in no time.
As you ride back to Ottawa on the excitement of the day, Brew Donkey provides you with dessert from Maverick’s Donuts company.
You’ll be dropped off in Hintonburg or on Sparks Street; perfect areas to find a great place for dinner.
Brew Donkey is back July 2020 with new safety measures - Register at https://www.brewdonkey.ca.