6 mostly local craft beers to try in 2016

For those whose New Year's resolution is to drink better beer, you've come to the right place.

CBC Ottawa askedNick Ringuette, owner of Brother's Beer Bistro in the ByWard Market, to offer up a few ideas for local drinkers looking to expand their horizons in2016 or to just find the right beverage for tonight's festivities.

• What's open, what's closed in Ottawa for New Years' Day, New Year's Eve

Many local breweries remain open today, as dotheLCBOand the Beer Store, so you don't have to wait to dive into Ringuette's selections.

For someone new to the scene

Making your first forayinto the world of craft beer?The clean, crispNatural Blonde Ale by Ottawa's Kichesippi brewerymight be a good jumping-in point, suggests Ringuette.

"If you're not necessarily into craft beer, chances are you're drinking a lot of blonde stuff like, let's say Stella, Bud, Blue," says Ringuette.

The"supremely palatable" golden-hued ale is availableat Kichesippi's brewery, says Ringuette, as wellat the LCBOin six-packs.

"It's not crazy," Ringuette notes. "It's just good beer."

For someone who loves IPAs

Known for their supreme bitterness and theirboldcitrus and pine aromas, there's nothing subtle about a good India pale ale and Ringuette says for the best in eastern Ontario, it's worth making the drive to Kingston.

Stone City Ales' Uncharted IPA is a beautifully balanced version of the style that's got just enough hops to provide that bracing bitter quality IPAs are known for, Ringuette says.

"It's everything that I look for in an IPA. It's got very fresh flavours," says Ringuettte."It is hoppy, but it's not over-the top."

If a drive to Stone City's Kingston brewpub isn't in the cards, it's on tap at Brother's Beer Bistro and a few other drinking establishmentsaround Ottawa

For the dark beer enthusiast

When it comes to stouts, thecreamymouthfeelof Guinness is the international standard but there's a bigger, boozier, more flavourful riff on thatparticular beer available inGatineau.

Montreal breweryDieudeCiel'sPchMortel "mortal sin" in English is an imperial stout brewed with fair-tradecoffee, and it's the ideal choice for a dark beer lover tosavour on a cold December night, saysRinguette.

"You want something big and malty androasty,"saysRinguette. "It warms from the alcohol but is still really, really balanced. A ton of flavour."

It's also nitro-infused, the same process that gives Guinness its creaminess, saysRinguette.

That said, if you're scared off byPchMortel'sheavy alcohol content it's listed at9.5 per cent DieuDuCielalso makes a tamer vanilla-and-cocoa stoutcalled Aphrodisiac that's also delicious, says Ringuette.

Both are available at well-stocked beer stores and dpanneurs in Gatineau and west Quebec.

For someone who loves brown ales

A bit darker than a pale ale, a bit lighter than a stout, brown ales are all about those warm, malty flavours and AshtonBrewing Company's take on the style is a "really nice" example,says Ringuette.

"You get a lot of burnt sugars, you get caramel, sometimes butterscotch," Ringuette says of the local brewery's version.

Ashton's beers aren'tavailable at the LCBO or the Beer Store at least not yet but you can track them down at bars around Ottawa, as well as at the brewery's ownpub, about 40 kilometres southwest of downtown Ottawa.

For the wine aficionado

Finally, if you're looking to convert your wine-loving friends to something with a bit more barley this New Year's Eve, Ringuette suggests tracking down one particularlimited edition brew by Ottawa's Dominion City Brewery.

This year, Dominion City has taken their classicextra special bitter, or ESB (a style which, despite the name, isn't actually that bitter, says Ringuette) and aged it in Merlot barrels.

The resulting concoction is an English-style ale with notes of red wine that shouldappeal to fans of both beverages, says Ringuette.

And in case it's sold out at Dominion City'sOrlans brewery, don't worry: Ringuette says they'll soon be cracking open a keg at Brother's Beer Bistro possibly as soon as tonight.

"I'm going to brag about it, but we've got, I think, the only keg in Ottawa," he says."I'm super excited to try it. It's going to be phenomenal."