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Orléans
Brewing Co. owners Celia and Yann Lemieux have been
enjoying life since opening the local craft brewery.
Yannick Beauvalet Photography |
During
the past four years Orléans has undergone a gastronomic
renaissance of sorts with the opening of a plethora of excellent
restaurants that have made area residents question the need
to drive downtown for a decent meal.
The latest
addition to the local culinary scene is the Orléans Brewing
Co. on Innes Road.
Now, I
know what you're thinking... what does a craft brewery have
to do with food? Forget about the fact that the OBC makes
several excellent brews � more on that later � they also
produce some pretty good eats.
My personal
favourite is the Po'Boy Shrimp Sandwich, but the Beef Tartare
is also pretty tasty, as is the Torched Buratta, both of
which I sampled during a recent visit to the establishment.
The Orléans
Brewing Co. recently launched their new menu that is heavy
on sample plates, which is just another word for "best sampled
by two people�.
The Orléans
Brewing Co. is a perfect place to take that special someone
for a first date, or a date night, depending on whatever
status your relationship happens to be.
Besides
the main bar, they have a mezzanine level that can accommodate
small groups for special events nda patio that can seat
up to 40 people.
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The
Po'Boy Shrimp Sandwich is one of the stars of the Orléans
Brewing Co. menu. File photo |
The Orléans
Brewing Co. is locally owned and operated by Yann and Celia
Lemieux. Yann brewed his first batch of beer when he was 16.
After a lengthy hiatus through his 20s, he got back into brewing
after he after his daughters were born and the couple moved
back to Orléans. Soon afterwards Yann's "hobby� took over
their garage and eventually their basement.
In 2013,
the couple decided to explore the possibility of expanding
Yann's hobby into a business. After getting a tremendous
amount of positive feedback at a series of 26 festivals
that summer, including the Orléans Craft Beer Festival where
they officially launched their first beer � the Billy Bob
Bison APA � they began looking for a location for their
brewery. They settled on a space near the Innes Road McDonald's
that was previously occupied by Robertson Rent-All. The
rest, as they say, is history.
When they
decided to open their own micro brewery, Yann and Celia
also decided to hire someone with a more scientific knowledge
of the brewing process. Enter brew master Adam March. This
has allowed Yann to spend more time managing the business,
while Celia focuses on the marketing. They also hired hired
Anne-Marie For� help with the menu and and focus on front of
house.
They currently
serve eight different brews including March's latest creation,
Cody's BREW, an Oatmeal Coffee Stout, which was developed
in collaboration with former Ottawa Senator and Orléans
native Cody Ceci.
The also
have the Smokin' Brown Ale; the Wit Willie Belgian wheat
beer; the Kolsch Me Ousside lager; Sid's Vicious IIPA; and
BLACK HOP DOWN Russian Imperial Stout; along with their
flagship brew, the Billy Bob Bison and my personal favourite
the Hellz Ya IPA which is infused with a hint of orange
citrus. On
top of their regular lineup of brews, they launch a special
cask every Thursday at 4 p.m.
Besides
the items already mentioned, the new menu includes snacks
like home-made hummus, sardines, soft pretzels and chips
and salsa.
The Orléans
Brewing Co. Taproom is open 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesdays
and Wednesdays; 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday to Saturday;
and 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. They are closed on
Monday. The kitchen is open until 9 p.m. every night except
Sundays. To learn more visit www.orleansbrewing.com.
(This
story was made possible thanks to the generous support of
our local business partners.)