Ottawa's National Capital Craft Beer Festival

Last summer during my family visit, I decided I wanted to go on a road trip with my brother and after kicking around a few ideas we settled on going to Ottawa to check out the local beer scene as well as attend the 2014 National Capital Craft Beer Festival which was in its third year and takes place a short walk from Parliament Hill just in front of Ottawa City Hall.

We got the weekend passes so we could slowly enjoy the festival and not feel rushed in our sampling beers. It cost 30$ in advance vs 35$ at the door but after stupid internet service fees + taxes I guess the prices were pretty much the same. The festival featured about 30 breweries from all over Ontario and a few from abroad. It had a fun festive atmosphere - particularly on Friday when by the end of the evening it was pretty much a huge party with the DJ from Beyond the Pale spinning tracks and a large crowd dancing away(even though the fest had technically ended 30 minutes before).

I think for that reason the next night, Saturday, they cracked down and got rid of people really fast - the party seemed to be over... rainy weather over the weekend affected attendance which may be why they suddenly extended hours on Sunday from ending at 6pm to 8pm.

Overall, we had a great time with a few stand out breweries: Beyond the Pale was by far my favorite Ottawa Brewery, Beau's had solid beers & great swag plus Sawdust City, Flying Monkeys and Turtle Island Brewery all had some notable beers.

Sample prices were reasonable (1$-4$ for 2 oz or 4 oz pours) and for I believe 5 bucks I got a sturdy plastic footed pilsner style glass to use at the fest and keep as a souvenir. Pours were very generous and the festival had an incredibly fun atmosphere. It's well worth checking out.

beer float~!