This was a bit of a surprise, and a lot of fun! I was introduced to Covered Bridge Brewing at another event at the Goulbourn Museum, 2 or 3 days before going to the brewery itself to check it out. Imagine having so much fun, out here in Stittsville, Ottawa's "True West End"!?
So this event we went to on a Thursday was a BBQ picnic where they were serving samples of Covered Bridge beer. But we could not buy any for consumption later. So on Saturday- we decided to check the place out to see for ourselves. I was surprised that I hadn't heard of this brewery before. The beer is good, and there's a variety to suit all tastes. We bought a flight and tried each of them before deciding what to buy. One thing I liked about the beer was that it tasted the same as we had tried Thursday evening. Hey, you don't always get that consistency, even with coffee! YOU try Tim Horton's and tell me if it tastes the same in Ottawa as it does on a quick stop along the 401, next time you do a road trip!
The location and setup is a bit intriguing; you don't really see the brewery from the street (I didn't really even notice a sign - hubby pointed it out) - it takes up a front and back unit about half way down a long strip building. There are other stores on either side of them, and the brewery is bigger inside than it looks from outside. We entered at the front reception and were greeted by 2 staff in the front shop. There's a counter on the right, and a fridge on the left with tall cans of a variety of their beers, but also they sell jugs of the different offerings. Big windows behind the counter show you the huge vats - at least 6 of them. There was another fridge just in the hallway leading to the back, and beyond that you could see another room, with 3 or 4 long tables and bar stools. We took our flight of beers back there to sample.
We ended up selecting 4 different beers to take home and enjoy later, and that came to about $20.
Edited to add: I just read on Yelp that they opened in 2013! Where have I been? And where have they been hiding?! read more