a peek inside the fishbowl

What’s your go-to beer? We have a few in rotation here at Casa Fishbowl and one of those is Beau’s Lug Tread. So when I received an invitation* to check out the Beau’s brewery in Vankleek Hill my answer had to be a resounding YES. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for awhile and the timing couldn’t be better.

HELLO ROAD TRIP.

So last Saturday, Mark and I piled into the car and went. It wasn’t until we got there did we realize we could have brought the kids. Ha. Yes! This is a kid-friendly brewery! You do need ID to sample though.

Beau’s is a real success story. I want to call it an Ottawa success story, but seeing as though they’re located in Vankleek Hill this wouldn’t be entirely fair. I do think Ottawa has adopted Beau’s as its own because there is some definite pride that bubbles over quietly when ordering up a local beer. SO CANADIAN EH? ;)

You may have read about Beau’s in the news. It’s been a banner year for them. (Actually, this year marks their tenth anniversary!) In June it was announced they were the official brewery of the Ottawa 2017 celebrations. On July 1, Beau’s began the process of making its 160 employees into owners of the brewery and THEN they announced their “local” beer will be distributed across Canada. Pretty amazing news for a employee-owned, independent Canadian craft brewery!

Anyway, yes, it was a peaceful and pretty drive to Vankleek Hill. I didn’t really even realize that it’s only an hour from Ottawa, which instantly made me regret not going sooner.

I didn’t know what to expect when we arrived, but it was quite understated. :)

We arrived at noon but it got busier later in the day. It also rained, so everyone on the patio migrated indoors at one point which totally filled up the retail and tasting space.

This is what it looks like inside:

Tours and tastings at Beau’s are free (in case you need more incentive to visit)! It’s a great way to sample their different brews, both new and old. We met up with a young lady named Shalya, who lead us through an informed tasting…

… followed by a short tour and Beer Brewing 101:

It was really cool to get the inside scoop and I really appreciated the time our guide took to answer all of our questions. As a bonus, we discovered a couple new beers to add to our rotation. The Buenos Dias and Buenas Noches (“…an intensified and imperialized version of Buenos Dias, brewed with organic lime juice, organic lime and organic peel, and a touch of sea salt”) were a very nice surprise.

The plan was to stay for lunch and I’m glad we did. It was a gorgeous day and the patio is quite pretty and a relatively new – and smart – addition to the brewery. Also, there is beer!

My advice: if you’re hungry it’s a good idea to get in there a little earlier. We hit a lineup and our tummies were rumbling:

It’s a short menu, and it changes every week so you might like to check it online before you head out. (It’s pulled pork and zucchini tacos this weekend!) During our visit, Mark ordered a ham and cheese stromboli, which was good and I totally should have ordered it! I opted for the charcuterie board instead. A couple of the breads were a bit on the dry side – they struck me as homemade – but the cheese and egg (and the mustard, yum) made up for it and my dish paired quite nicely with my beer overall:

I wish I had a better photo of the patio, but this will give you an idea of the space.

Seating here is largely shared, Bavarian-pub style, (think: long tables with benches) which is enjoyable and fits the locale and overall vibe. There were quite a few cyclists there too, which makes me think this must be on a cycling route. If so, what a neat place to stop!

We weren’t able to linger on the patio for very long. Unfortunately, a big storm rolled in as we were close to finishing our meal. Even though the patio is covered we would have gotten soaked, that’s how much it poured!

It was nearing time to leave anyway, so we picked out some beer, said goodbye, and went on our merry way.

If you’re looking for a fun way to spend a few hours on a weekend, I definitely recommend a visit. Have you ever been? Are you a Beau’s fan? I’d love to hear about it.

* We received beer and lunch as part of our visit to Beau’s but there was no promise of a post or review. My views are my own.