Quebec Craft Beer Tour – From Ottawa & Gatineau

Quebec’s craft beer scene comes alive on this small-group evening tour, which takes you across Hull and Old Aylmer for brewery tastings, behind-the-scenes tours, and dinner. I like the mix of beer and brewing insight, and I like that round-trip transport lets you enjoy the evening without driving.

The tour includes pulled pork or plant-based dinner, unlimited minibus snacks, and pickup from central Ottawa or Gatineau. The main drawback is the fixed, non-refundable booking policy, so you will want to be certain of your plans before paying.

Key points at a glance

• Three very different brewery stops: Visit À La Dérive, Gallicus, and 5e Baron in Hull and Old Aylmer.
• Production-room access: Each brewery includes a behind-the-scenes look at how the beer is made.
• Dinner is built in: You get a smash burger, homemade chips, and salad, with vegetarian and vegan choices available.
• A small group keeps it personal: The minibus holds no more than 14 people.
• Pickup removes the driving problem: Round-trip transportation is provided from downtown Ottawa and Gatineau.
• Guide Brandon adds a welcoming touch: An English-speaking guest specifically noted that he made sure no one felt left out.

Three breweries in four hours

At $99.15 per person, this tour is aimed at people who want more than a flight of beer at one pub. In about four hours, you visit three Quebec breweries, taste a broad range of beers, eat dinner, and receive a short production tour at each stop.

I see the value in the compact plan. You do not need to arrange a designated driver, find three breweries on your own, or guess how much time to allow at each place. The evening has a clear rhythm: one hour at À La Dérive, one hour at Gallicus, and one hour at 5e Baron, with the remaining time used for pickup, travel, and transitions.

The group limit of 14 matters. That is small enough for a guide to keep the evening moving and answer questions without turning the tour into a large bus outing. It also means you should expect a social setting rather than a private tasting.

The tour begins at 5:00 pm, with your pickup time usually sent by email in a roughly 10-minute window about 45 minutes before the start. Check that message closely. Pickup is offered from downtown Ottawa and Gatineau, and you can send the operator your accommodation address, name, or a map screenshot if you are unsure if your location qualifies.

À La Dérive for beer and dinner

The first stop is À La Dérive Brasserie Artisanale in Hull. Here, four beer tastings come with a full meal: a pulled pork burger, homemade chips, and garden salad.

That makes this more than a quick opening sample. You begin with food in your stomach, which is useful when an evening includes several beer pours. The meal also gives the first stop a relaxed feel, rather than forcing you to wait until the end of the tour for something substantial to eat.

Vegetarian and vegan options are available, which is important to confirm when booking or before the tour begins. The supplied details identify the main meal as a smash burger with chips and salad, but they do not specify the exact plant-based dish, so ask if you need to know the ingredients.

The four tastings let you get a first sense of the brewery’s range. I would pay attention to how the beers differ in color, body, bitterness, and aroma, then ask the guide or brewery staff what makes each one distinct. Since the tour includes a guide, you should have someone to help connect the tasting to the local brewing scene.

One practical point: the tour description gives each stop about an hour. That is enough time for a meal and four samples, but not enough for a long, leisurely dinner. Eat at the pace of the group and keep an eye on the departure time.

Gallicus and its oak-barrel beers

The second stop is Brasserie Artisanale Gallicus, where you receive four beer tastings and a private tour of the production room. The brewery is known for using oak barrels and for experimenting with unusual beer styles.

The oak-barrel detail gives this visit a clear focus. Barrel aging can change a beer’s flavor and texture, so this is the stop where you will want to ask how the wood affects the final drink, how long the beer stays in the barrel, and which beers are made using that method. The available information does not promise that every tasting is barrel-aged, so consider the barrel work a feature of the brewery rather than a guarantee for each sample.

The private production-room tour is another strong point. You are not only sitting with a flight of beers. You get a look at the working side of the brewery and a chance to see how the makers approach new recipes.

I like the order of this stop. After a meal and an introduction to local beer at À La Dérive, Gallicus adds a more technical element. The change keeps the evening from feeling like three identical tastings.

The one limitation is time. One hour has to cover four samples and the production-room visit. If you enjoy asking detailed brewing questions, you may need to choose your topics instead of trying to cover everything.

5e Baron in Old Aylmer

The final brewery is 5e Baron Microbrasserie, located in the heart of the Old Aylmer community. The stop includes two tastings, a full beer, and a behind-the-scenes tour of the brew room.

This stop gives you a little more time with a single beer than the earlier flights. Two tastings let you compare a couple of choices, while the full beer gives you time to settle into one drink and enjoy the setting.

The description presents 5e Baron as a place to relax and learn about the brewing process. The brew-room tour keeps the educational thread going, but the structure is less focused on quantity than the first two stops. That makes sense at the end of the night, when a full serving is more satisfying than another rapid sequence of small samples.

The published inclusions state that the tour provides 12 beer tastings. The stop-by-stop details list four at À La Dérive, four at Gallicus, and two at 5e Baron, plus a full beer there. Since wording can vary between tasting portions and a full serving, ask the operator if the exact number matters to you.

Old Aylmer also gives the tour a neighborhood feel rather than keeping you in one central tasting room. You visit working local breweries in two Quebec communities, and the short route makes it possible to see more than one part of the Outaouais area in a single evening.

Why the brewery tours matter

A beer tour can easily become a moving bar crawl. This one is better suited to you if you want the making of the beer included in the night.

Each brewery offers access to its production area, either as a private production-room tour or a behind-the-scenes brew-room visit. Those visits help explain why two beers can taste so different even when both use familiar ingredients. You may see equipment, barrels, or production spaces, though the supplied details do not specify exactly what will be operating during your visit.

The tour also gives you a guide between the stops. That helps with pacing and with the practical side of crossing between Ottawa, Gatineau, Hull, and Old Aylmer. Guide Brandon is specifically associated with a warm, inclusive approach. An English-speaking guest who did not understand French said Brandon made sure they were involved in everything, which is useful information if you are concerned about language during a mostly French-Canadian brewery outing.

The tour is offered in English. That does not mean every brewery interaction will be exclusively in English, but you have an English tour format and an English-speaking guide.

Food, snacks, and responsible transport

The meal is one of the best reasons to compare this tour with a standard tasting walk. The smash burger, homemade chips, and salad provide a proper dinner, not just a few salty snacks beside your beer.

Unlimited snacks are also available in the minibus. The exact snacks are not specified, so do not plan around a particular item. Think of them as extra food between stops rather than a replacement for the included meal.

Round-trip transportation from downtown Ottawa and Gatineau is included. That is a major practical benefit because the tour involves alcohol and several brewery stops. You can focus on tasting and conversation rather than arranging a car, calling several rides, or deciding who will skip the beer.

Pickup details arrive by email before the tour. The operator says the pickup time is typically within a 10-minute window about 45 minutes before the 5:00 pm start. Give yourself a buffer and be ready at the confirmed location, since a small minibus cannot wait indefinitely at every stop.

The tour is near public transportation, but the supplied details do not promise a specific transit route or a return time. If you are staying outside the downtown Ottawa or Gatineau pickup area, contact Aventure Outaouais before booking.

Is $99.15 a fair price?

I consider $99.15 reasonable if you plan to use all the major inclusions. You are paying for three brewery visits, multiple beer tastings, dinner, snacks, a guide, transportation, and production tours. Buying comparable tastings and a meal separately could approach the same total, before adding transportation.

The strongest value comes from the logistics. Brewery hopping is much easier when someone else handles the route, and the included dinner means you are not paying for a second meal during the evening. The group size also gives you a more personal format than a large coach excursion.

The price is less attractive if you do not drink much beer, want to spend a long time at each brewery, or prefer choosing your own menu and schedule. Four hours is a fixed evening program, not an open-ended crawl.

The tour requires a minimum number of participants. If that minimum is not reached and the operator cancels, you are offered another date or experience, or a full refund. That protection applies to an operator cancellation, not to a change of your own plans.

Who should book this evening?

I would choose this tour if you are staying in Ottawa or Gatineau and want an easy introduction to Quebec’s independent brewery scene. It suits couples, friends, solo visitors who enjoy meeting a small group, and anyone who wants dinner and transport handled in one booking.

It is also a good fit if you are curious about brewing methods. Gallicus’s oak barrels and the production-room access at all three stops give the evening more substance than a simple tasting flight.

Vegetarians and vegans can take part because food alternatives are available. English speakers can also book with confidence in the tour format, especially if you want a guide who will keep you involved across language differences.

I would hesitate if your priority is a slow meal, a long visit at one brewery, or complete control over the beers you taste. The schedule is designed for variety and movement. You will sample several beers, learn a little at each stop, and keep to the group’s timetable.

Book only when your plans are firm. The experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed after booking for any reason. Confirmation is sent within 48 hours, subject to availability, so leave enough time for the operator to confirm your place.

Final call on the Quebec Craft Beer Tour

I would book this tour for the combination of three local breweries, real production-room access, dinner, and safe round-trip transport. It gives you a useful taste of the Quebec side of the National Capital Region without making you plan the route yourself.

The best match is a beer drinker who values variety and local brewing stories over a long, unhurried stay in one taproom. If that sounds like you, $99.15 buys a well-organized evening with enough food and structure to make brewery hopping simple.

FAQ

How long is the Quebec Craft Beer Tour?

The tour lasts approximately four hours.

What time does the tour start?

The listed start time is 5:00 pm.

Where does the tour pick up?

Round-trip pickup is offered from downtown Ottawa and Gatineau. If you are unsure about your accommodation, send Aventure Outaouais the address, name, or a map screenshot for confirmation.

How many breweries are visited?

The tour visits three breweries: À La Dérive Brasserie Artisanale in Hull, Brasserie Artisanale Gallicus, and 5e Baron Microbrasserie in Old Aylmer.

How many beer tastings are included?

The inclusions state that 12 beer tastings are provided. The stop details list four tastings at À La Dérive, four at Gallicus, and two tastings plus a full beer at 5e Baron.

Is dinner included?

Yes. Dinner includes a smash burger, homemade chips, and garden salad. Vegetarian and vegan options are available.

Are snacks included?

Yes. Unlimited snacks are provided in the minibus.

Is the tour offered in English?

Yes. The tour is offered in English.

How many people can join the tour?

The maximum group size is 14 people.