First Bites July 22 - Cool Runnings
Get it while it’s hot, but drink it cold
Otto Hall is no stranger to coffee — he’s been in the Ottawa brewing scene for some time. The pandemic gave him an opportunity to start his own endeavours in the caffeinated realm: what began as an at-home bottling for friends quickly became a viable business. Initially working out of Union 613 and now a shared workspace in Canotek Industrial Park, Otto’s Cold Brew has made significant waves over the last three years.
Hall’s flagship brews highlights a more traditional coffee profile loaded with chocolate and toffee notes, alongside a bright acid to keep the cold brew refreshing. He’s a fan of drinking it over ice, though he doesn’t shy away from mixing it; the brew’s depth of flavour and bright acid keeps it fresh and light in cocktails with or without booze.
To this success, he’s recently launched a wild, fruitforward and single-origin brew, a decaffeinated version and a collaborative cold brew with the Artery Coffee Roasters. Hall brews twice a week and offers home delivery, so subscribers always get it fresh. Though chances are, there’s also a retail spot near you that carries it.
Otto’s Cold Brew
ottoscoldbrew.com | 613.203.1412 | @ottoscoldbrew
Hippophae Rhamnoides by the Bottle
Patricia Larkin, a chef and the co-owner of Burrow Shop, has been crafting adult-inspired drinking alternatives for some time: Buchipop’s fun flavours and approachable stylings were one of the first kombucha options, circa 2015. Recently, she and her business partner have moved into the realm of creating a wholly unique and standalone line of bubbly bevvies beyond the ’booch.
Enter HIPPO, an intriguing orange sea buckthorn beverage. Larkin likens it to Tang. It’s appropriately coloured and citrus dominant, however HIPPO’s profile is more complex and far, far healthier. Hippophae rhamnoides, the berry’s latin name, is loaded with antioxidants and vitamin C.
The beverage, bright in colour and flavour, highlights local sea buckthorn from Hedgerow Orchard. The benefit of working with local farmers and growers for the shop means Larkin can play and experiment with flavours and ingredients that inspire her. HIPPO is just the beginning. Expect more intriguing and locally derived flavour combinations in the future from Larkin.
Burrow Shop
50 Beech St., Ottawa, Ont.
burrowshop.buchipop.com | @shopburrow
Auralis Botanicals
“Alcohol isn’t the default choice anymore,” Anders Duess, creator of Auralis Botanical suggests. Socializing has often been tied to alcohol consumption, and as a lover of spending time out and about with friends, he experienced this duality first hand when he decided to no longer consume alcohol. Two years of studying mycelial benefits, a fascination with foraging and finding flavours in forests and a newfound sobriety were the inspiration for Auralis Botanical.
With zero sugar added, all the ingredients are natural, sustainably foraged and farmed throughout Canada. Mushrooms form the base of these drinks — reishi, lion’s mane and chaga — known for regenerative properties that support improved brain functions.
Refreshing with plenty of depth, the three spritzes — chaga blueberry spruce; reishi elderberry and birch; lion’s mane, sumac and juniper — offer an alternative option for folks looking to enjoy a non-alcoholic drink that offers more excitement (and a healthier choice) than a soda. They can be cracked open and served as is or gilded into a complex and beautiful cocktail.
Auralis Botanical
1110 Elizabeth St., Sharbot Lake, Ont.
auralisbotanical.com | 416.301.9002 | @auralisbotanical
