BY Jordan Duff

Dog and Pony Brewlab began quietly pouring their beer exclusively at Union Local 613 at the beginning of May. A less quiet release party will coincide with the opening of Union’s new patio mid-July.

Though the business is new, the three owners, John, Steve and Tristan are brewing-industry vets. The three met while working and brewing at Beyond the Pale brewing company (BTP). At one point, Steve was even a highly sought-after beer blogger. After perfecting their own recipes, the three savvy beer mavens were ready to take the big leap into the unknown. Partnering with Union, where Tristan was already bartending and leading beer tasting classes, was an obvious fit.

The brewery name, Dog and Pony Brewlab (DAP), inspires a light-hearted approach to this fun industry. Dog and Pony refer to the shenanigans the three would get into while working together at BTP. Brewlab is a nod to their desire to experiment with styles and flavours.

DAP wants to brew beer that they’d want to drink: “We enjoy beer that is light on superlatives and heavy on taste.” The brewers are excited to engage the beer-drinking community of Ottawa and encourage feedback: Be it through social media (@DogAndPonyBeer) or Untappd or directly through the Union 613 servers, they want to know what you like, or don’t, about their beer. Steve puts it like this: “You don’t have to like our beer just because we made it from the city you live in. Drink our beer if you enjoy how it tastes.”

They opened their offerings with a porter (such hipsters! Porter in the spring?!) followed by a Session IPA. Here are the provided tasting notes:

Buford T. Porter: Coming in at 6.5% with 40 IBU, the beer has an intense note of dark chocolate and roast coffee. Finishing dry and malty, the hops provide a near-imperceptible backbone of savoury and spicy, playing off the minute touch of smoke that also resides in the glass.

Jabroni Session IPA: Delivers a big nose of citrus, stone fruit, and soft malt on the back. Mouthfeel is solid considering the low alcohol (4.9%) and despite packing 60 IBU, it doesn’t come across as overly bitter but rather balanced. Vermont Ale yeast was used and provides some peach and apricot aromatics. (Yes, this beer is named in honour of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson)

Dog & Pony Brewlab creations are available exclusively on draught at Union Local 613. Watch for the mid-June patio party and beer release event!