On my first full day in Ottawa, I was waiting in the airport for my colleague's flight to arrive, and decided to have a beer. When I asked the bartender what they had, she said "we have everything, just name it!" I had pity on her, and instead of requesting a Widmer Hefeweizen, I asked for a Weinhard's.
"A what?" she asked.
"Sorry," I said, "I'm from Portland, Oregon, and I thought maybe it was worth a shot."
"Oh, well I meant that we have all the Canadian beers -- Molsen, Labatt's, Bud Light... ."
I knew right then that I was not in Kansas, er, Oregon anymore!
Major's was a real treat to find. Reports were conflicting on whether it's one of two brewpubs in Ottawa, or whether it's the only one. Either way, it's worth visiting if you're in town.
Unlike the forty-'leven brewpubs in the Portland metro area, Major's has more than just pub grub on tap: I wasn't brave enough to try the sweet potato soup, but the sausage and potato stew was quite tasty. Also on the menu was blackened salmon, a shrimp dish of some description, and other actual food that bore no resemblance to the burgers, fish 'n chips, and pizza that are standard fare in a Pacific Northwest brewpub.
They appear to have only two fermenters, and the limited selection of microbrews bears this out. When I was there they were serving a spring bock, a stout, a pale ale, and a freshly decanted European lager. While it wasn't the best microbrew I've tasted, the pale ale was quite drinkable, slightly reminiscent of McMenamin's Ruby Ale. (If you're unfortunate enough to have no other context, it most definitely was not Bud Light!)
Also on the menu is music. I stopped in on my last night in town and caught a jazz quartet (apparently university students). They weren't fantastic, but they were sincere, and played a good set of what I'd call "conservative jazz" for the enjoyment of the patrons (most of whom seemed to be friends or family of the band), and one traveller from the wilds of Oregon who found a bit of something familiar at Major's.
Major's is located at 453, Sussex Drive (Promenade Sussex).
I left a note promising I'd write a positive review, along with a pointer to my travel page. I don't know whether anyone connected with the place will ever see this, but if they do, it'd be a kick to hear from 'em!