Tooth and Nail Brewing Company
During our Reading Week, I took a break from “reading” and went to Tooth and Nail Brewing Company with my friend and fellow classmate, Monique. Tooth and Nail opened its doors in September 2015, making it the newest craft brewery in Ottawa. The brewery is located in trendy Hintonburg on Irving Avenue, near the corner of Wellington Street West.
Tooth and Nail has a small beer shop near the entrance, where a continuous flow of people lined up to buy beers by the can. We sat in the modern open brewpub, at a candlelit table. The candles were surrounded by hops, which added a nice touch and smell to the place.
The pub started filling up with people of all ages (including a baby) for a post-work pint. The dim lighting, classic rock, and good conversations made for a relaxed and enjoyable experience.
There are large windows at the back end of the brewpub looking into the shiny brewery. I was able to watch the brew masters at work while enjoying the delicious fruits of their labour. We were given two menus: a drink menu, and a tapas menu, which was paired with their beers.
The beer menu offers:
- Housewarmer – a multi-grain ale, slightly bitter with citrus, brewed in collaboration with Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company.
- Stamina – a delicious Belgian Session Pale Ale (a favourite).
- Vim and Vigor – a hoppy German Pilsner.
- Tenacity – a tasty English Pale Ale.
- Rabble-Rouser – a strong, hoppy American IPA (a favourite).
- Fortitude – a delicious oatmeal stout, with hints of chocolate (a favourite).
With so many great beers to choose from, and a bit of a buzz, I decided to only buy 2 ‘crowlers’— of Stamina and Rabble-Rouser— on my way out. The crowlers are giant 946 mL cans filled by the order with a beer tap, and then sealed with a canning machine. The next time I visit, I’ll make sure to bring a backpack so I can carry more cans home.
At the end of our beer-tasting evening, Monique and I walked across the street to SuzyQ Doughnuts and indulged in post-beer munchies. Nothing beats sharing a doughnut with a friend after drinking great beer.
DAPHNE MACDONALD
Daphne is an aspiring writer from Ottawa. After completing a B.A. in Psychology at Carleton University, she decided to pursue her life-long passion for writing with the Professional Writing program at Algonquin College. Aside from reading, writing, and drinking beer, she also enjoys movies, cats, and wine.