The Golden Taps Were Handed Out

This past Saturday, August the 21st the Golden Tap Awards were held at the Beer Bistro in downtown Toronto to celebrate the best beers, bars and people in the Ontario Craft Beer Scene – and it was quite the scene on Saturday. The event was filled with beer media, brewers, bar owners, publicans, and beer geeks – it was an amazing night to share great beer with some amazing people! It was also a time to recognize those who have achieved great things in the beer community in the past year – Beau’s All Natural Brewing took home 2 awards, Granite 3, and Bar Volo 2. See more for the full list of award winners. Congratulations to everyone!

What If Ontario Had a Craft Beer Revolution?

What a wonderful thought posed by Steve Beauchesne, co-founder of Beau’s All Natural Brewing. Steve was asked to speak at the Toronto Festival of Beer, but was unable to deliver his though provoking, and mouth watering speech. He did however post it on the Beaus Blog. If you like beer, and have any interest in the Ontario Craft Beer Market this is the most important read of 2010. I am going to give you the link again, go read Steve’s post, it is amazing stuff.

The whole idea is that Craft Beer is an under represented segment in the beer market here, but if given the opportunity to shine would revitalize the entire economy, all of our lives, and show people the true meaning of beer. Steve puts it so well, here are some excerpts from his explanation:

Tasting the Beaus Screaming Beaver Oak Aged Angry IPA

A month or so ago the guys at Beau’s were kind enough to send me a bottle of their brand new Vrienden, as well as their Screaming Beaver Oak Aged Angry IPA. The Screaming Beaver is the third installment in Beau’s Wild Oats series of beers; all one off organic beers brewed with no regard for convention, and plenty of imagination. This one is an Oak Aged Double IPA – a beefed up version of their spring seasonal, the Beaver River I.P.Eh.

The Screaming beaver was dry hopped and oak aged, comes in at 8% abv, 60 IBUs, and when available was in a 750ml ceramic bottle. This version is no longer around, but I expect another Double IPA will find its way into Beau’s experimental lineup of beers at some point. Double IPA’s, or any hop-focused beers are really picking up steam right now, and in Canada we are just starting to catch up to the hoppy beer revolution that was spread throughout the United States. Lets see how Ontario will fair.

Ontario Craft Beer Week Kicks off For Me at WollyStock!

On Saturday June 19th I ventured to Guelph Ontario to visit some great friends, and enjoy local craft beer, music and food at the Woolwich Arrow‘s 20th Anniversary Celebration, WoolyStock! I spent the day enjoying draught beer from F&M, and Cask Ales from Wellington while rocking out to a few local bands. But this was just the beginning.

I returned to the Woly on Sunday for their Ale Trail Craft Beer Festival to kick off the start to Ontario Craft Beer week! And let the mini-pints start flowing! Mill St., Grand River, Nickel Brook, McAuslan, Wellington, Creemore Springs, Flying Monkeys, Beau’s, and F&M were all there sharing amazing beer and great times!

In the next week I will be posting up a full overview of the festivities and all the delicious beer I was able to enjoy! Have a great Ontario Craft Beer Week everyone! Cheers!

Beau’s All Natural Brewing Take Home The Canadian Family Enterprise of The Year Award

From the small and beautiful town of Vankleek Ontatio, right between Ottawa and Montreal lies the Beau’s Brewery; a father and son run operatoin that, in its relatively short existence, has managed to impress beer drinkers across Ontario and more. A great accolade to their success is their most recent award; The Canadian Family Enterprise of The Year.

I recently visited the brewery on my way to Ottawa from the Mondial de la Biere. Very open and friendly staff treated me to beer samples and a tour of their brewery which really screams community at you. Pretty soon we will be seeing more than just the Lugtread Lager at the LCBO; which will make this beer lover very happy. Beers like the Vrienden have proven to me what Beau’s can really do!

Tasting the Beaus Vrienden

We don’t get much Beaus beer in Toronto unfortunately. The Lugtread Lager is around, but thats it. I was lucky enough though to get my hands on a bottle of the Beaus and Koningshoeven collaboration beer, Vrienden. Thank you so much to Beaus for making that happen!

Vrienden was created to commemorate the Tulip Festival and the 65th anniversary of the Netherlands liberation by Canadian troops; commissioned by the Dutch embassy. It falls in Beaus’ Wild Oat Series, and is a wheat beer brewed with juniper berries and maple syrup – ingredients traditional of the two collaborative countries.

It was handed to me in Beaus’ classic 750ml ceramic bottle, and is 5.0% abv. I was very excited to try this beer, and took the opportunity to do so on the beach during one of the most beautiful May 24 weekends I have ever seen.

Celebrating the 65th Anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands by Canadian Troops

We know Koningshoeven, I wrote some very positive things about their Quadrupel, one of my most favorite beers. You probably also know about Beau’s, but not because of me. Beau’s All Natural Brewing brought from Ottawa to LCBO’s across Ontario the Lugtread Lager; originally in 750ml ceramic bottles which flew off the shelves, they are now in custom 600ml glass four packs.

Now Beau’s and Koningshoeven have created a collaboration beer to celebrate the 65th Anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands by Canadian Troops. They have created a Belgian-Style witbier brewed with Juniper berries and organic maple syrup – designed to represent both countries.

This will be the second beer in Beau’s Wild Oak Series, named Vrieden, which is Dutch for friends. How touching. It was officially released today and beyond the Netherlands, will probably not make its way far from Ottawa. So if you are near, please buy me one!

2 new beers from Beau’s All Natural Brewing

As reported by The Bartowel, Beau’s All Natural Brewing is releasing two beers to the LCBO for the ever nearing summer season. The first is a re-release of their Beaver River I.P. eh?; this is supposed to be a traditional English India Pale Ale brewed with American hops for added punch and citrus excitement.

The second release is a new beer which is not yet detailed on their web site called Matt’s Sleepytime Stout. It is expected that it will be an Imperial Stout close to 8%abv, fermented with Belgian yeasts, and aged in oak. It is finished with american hops as well – this definitely could be interesting, so I’ll be excited to try it.

The unfortunate story though is that Beau’s LCBO releases from Ottawa dot always make it as far as Toronto.  The Lug Tread Lager did, so heres hoping that these two new beers do also!