Eastern Ontario is Beerstern Ontario!

So we're a little blown away, and thanks--best microbrewery in Ontario!!! best beer in Ontario!!! Aw shucks, ya think???!! Here's a sneak preview of the press release that aint yet hit the presses.... I'd write more about how we couldn't go to the Golden Taps cause salesdude extrodinarre/Beau "family member" Jamie and his lovely fiancee Jenn were getting hitched that night (what a party!!!), and how we all had to get our post-wedding butts to Pridefest the next day, and how we ran out of beer at Pride, and how we ran around the city stealing beer from our favourite accounts, and how Greg ran up a pickup truck full of beer for us but only cause he was hoping for some topless action (thanks anyway!), and how we returned all the beer the next day along with the popcorn maker from the wedding, and ended up exhausted at the Black Dog Bistro in Manotick delivering a 50L emergency keg, and how awesome Dot there was for feeding us rib steak and calamari on the house...

but all you get is the press release, cause I got 6 episodes of Weeds to watch... cheers! Jen

Local Brewery, Beer and Pub Win Big at Golden Tap Awards
Beau’s All Natural Brewing Co. and The Manx pub voted best in Ontario for 2008
OTTAWA — (Aug. 28, 2008) Eastern Ontario’s Beau’s All Natural Brewing Co. and local pub The Manx were both winners at the 2008 Golden Tap Awards, an annual event celebrating the best in Ontario beer. The news was announced at an evening gala and beer-tasting held Saturday August 23rd in Toronto.
Vankleek Hill’s Beau’s All Natural Brewing was voted “Best Microbrewery in Ontario,” and their signature beer, Lug Tread Lagered Ale, was selected as “Best Beer Brewed in Ontario.” Elgin St. pub The Manx was chosen as “Best Bar in Ontario.” The competition was open to all microbreweries and pubs located in Ontario outside the Greater Toronto Area.
“It’s fantastic to see Eastern Ontario now getting a reputation for having great beer and great pubs,” says Beau’s All Natural co-founder Steve Beauchesne. “That was one of our goals when we started the brewery back in 2006. And The Manx was actually one of the first places to pour Beau’s on tap, so we’re thrilled to see them win too.”
This is the third consecutive year that Beau’s All Natural has won at the Golden Taps. Beau’s Lug Tread Lagered Ale was chosen as best-Ontario brewed beer in 2007, and in 2006 Beau’s All Natural earned the prestigious “Best of the Festival” prize, an onsite vote for best beer sampled that evening at the gala.
The awards will officially be given out at a celebration to be held Friday, October 24th at The Manx. Cass Enright, president of Ontario’s premier beer resource The Bar Towel, and host of the Golden Tap Awards, will be on hand to present the awards.

It's not too late to vote!

Hey everybody! This Saturday is the last day to vote in the 2008 Golden Tap Awards. If you think Beau's is the best beer around, make sure you let them know with your vote: click on this link to go directly to the ballot. Cheers!

http://www.goldentapawards.com/2005/index.php?sid=10

PS--You can also vote some of our best accounts as the best pub in Ontario, too! Black Tomato, The Manx, and Pub Italia are all in the nominees, or you can write in your favourite watering hole's name in the "other" category.

Kibbles and Bits

Hey everyone,

Just a quick post to give some updates about what's going on around Beau's, yo. First of all, the Jazz Festival was a smashing success. Thanks to everyone who did their part by raising a glass or two of Lug Tread along with Beau's new summer seasonal, Festivale. Anonymous quote from LCBO employee: "yeah, my buddy tried Festivale at Jazz a few nights ago, and then I find out he's going again tonight. Asked him who he's going to see, he has no idea. He just can't stop thinking about your Festivale..." Rumour around town is that Jazz sold more beer this year than in the history of the festival... but you didn't hear it here, ok???

We have a filling machine for our jugs and bottles now that replaces the old beer gun filling!!!!!Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, this incredible machine does the work of (steady yourself) two humans!!! That's right, it fills two bottles instead of one at a time. Does anyone else find it funny that the person running the filling machine around the clock is named Phil? Cause I sure do. We also have a nice packaging person now named Joanne. She calls Phil "Philly." Which I also find funny.

We have also thrown around some money at the brewery for some pricy upgrades. Come up for a tour and check out our:

a) Newly painted floor--not one, but two coats! You may need to wear shades.

b) New upright cooler in the retail space--not new, but covered in new paint and woodgrain mactac, and darn new to us! Using wizardry previously only available to LCBOs stores in the 1980s, this puppy creates a curtain of air that kind of keeps the beer cool!

c) Newly improved Matt's ribs! Our brewer Matt is back in gear again. They say your bones heal stronger than before you broke them, so I say Matt is new and improved.

d) New retail store and tour gal! Nikki (hey, that's how I would spell it) is taking over the smiling happy person role from Laura, who's spending the summer getting hitched, touring Newfoundland, and getting ready for teacher's college.

e) New flourescent bulbs in brewery! I helped dad change them myself.

f) New water heating system! Talk to Steve about this one. The gist of it is that now we can use hot water any day of the week, without screwing up cleanings, brews, or filters. Hoorah!

g) New policy for bottle returns!!! Olay, so there's less excitement about this one. Due to a bit of red tape we can no longer offer $2 in cold hard cash for your ceramic returns, but we will offer the standard 20 cents AS WELL AS $2 per bottle towards any purchase of promo items in the store. Save em up, cash em in, drink in style.

I'm sure there's other stuff, but it's time to do the real work. Happy summer, Lug Nuts! We're hoping to put out a new seasonal in the fall that's gonna knock your socks off... stay tuned!

Cheers, Jen