Five things I learned on the Brew Donkey brewery tour today.

A few months ago, I met the owner of the Ottawa local Brew Donkey tour, Brad, and he offered me an opportunity to come on a free tour.

We did the amazing Y-EAST end tour, and yes, I'm a sucker for a good pun.

Here are seven things I learned on the tour:

1. Beer is made from only four ingredients: yeast, barley, hops, and water.

2. Hops are actually a cousin to cannabis

3. The warmer the beer is, the more head you'll experience on the pour—colder beer has less head. Needless to say, you should always have head on your beer.

4. Radler is German for 'cyclist' — they commonly consist of a 50-50 mixture of beer and sparkling lemonade. The origin of the name is lost to time but is presumed to relate to the popularity of cycling and the need for a refreshing, less alcoholic beverage on a journey.

5. Canada is 39 on the list for beer consumption per capita — the highest being the Czech Republic, followed by Seychelles and then Austria and Germany. 

What was the most important thing I learned? 

Support local. Think about the products you are consuming and support local entrepreneurs.