You may have noticed that Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company is the brand spanking new sponsor of Saturday night’s hottest dance party Shake-a-Tail! Don’t know about you guys, but we are big fans of this beer and we sat down with our good friend Steve from Beau’s and learned a whole bunch about them. CHECK IT OUT.
Let’s start off by giving our readers a little Beau’s history lesson! How did you get started?
Sure…I’d been living in Toronto for about 10 years after moving away from my hometown, Vankleek Hill. Incidentally, I virtually lived at Sneaks for a good part of that time.
My Dad came to visit me one day and told me he was shutting down his old textile business and needed to figure out what to do with the building. We brainstormed a bit and when the idea to start a brewery came up, I said I’d gladly quit my job, sell my house and move home to start this up.
We spent that day dreaming up this new brewery we would start and when we sobered up the next day it still seemed like a good idea!
It took about two years of planning, but in 2006, we launched and have never looked back.
What keeps Beau’s All Natural Brewing Co. all natural?
Well, lots. Every beer we make is certified organic, we use local spring water, we don’t add corn syrup or other cheap ingredients, or add animal bi-products or chemicals to alter our beer. I could go on, but I think you get the point…we take this seriously!
Why is it so important to remain independent?
I grew up on indie music, and believe firmly in the DIY ethic. It’s important to me to feel like I have a real relationship with my customers and that we remain true to our ideals. If we sell out, how could I believe that some foreign-owned multi-global-hyper-company would give a damn about the things that matter to me?
Beau’s talks a lot about being passionate about beer. How passionate is passionate?
Passionate is as passionate does! This is a lifestyle, not a job - for all of us. We get up in the morning, spend all day thinking about beer, then spend the evening together talking about beer and enjoying a few as well.
What’s Beau’s essentials for a great night out on the town?
A great night is a rather simple thing, conversation, good beer and good tunes. Add a good meal to that recipe and presto!
Why did you choose to host Shake-A-Tail?
We believe strongly that a local brewery is an important part of a strong, sustainable community. Last year we supported 100 charities, community building events and indie arts organizations. It’s part of who we are.
What song can you not resist shaking a tail to?
The list is too long! We’ve got a lot of musicians at the brewery including members of Maximum RNR, The Flatliners, The Heatskores, The Peelers, Constable Brennan, Terry Gilespie and Chris Rayburn, so there’s lots to choose from right at the brewery. I got The Cramps ‘Stay Sick’ on vinyl last night as an early birthday present, so I was shaking my tail to that last night.
What Beau’s brews would you pair with our famous nacho dishes (Kings Crown, The Destroyer, Cactus in the Valley)?
It’s important not to underestimate the understated awesomeness of Sneaky’s plain nachos. It’s a lot like our Lugtread, when you do something simple perfectly, you’ve got something special.
Our wild oats selections remind me a lot of the Kings Crown. I get the sense they sat around for weeks trying to figure out how to fit more flavour into that plate of food, a lot like our recipe development for those bigger beers.
Anything else you’d like our fans to know about Beau’s?
That we love Sneaky Dee’s too!!
