Beau's Brewery takes Ontario, then the world stage

Just when you thought Beau's All-Natural Brewery was staying put, at least for a little while, the red phone rang at the home of the beer-brewing family team with another mission: fly to Vancouver and represent its home province at the 2010 Olympic Games.

And, in true Beau's fashion, all 3,000 litres of beer - carefully shipped out months before the games - had completely sold out by the time brothers Steve and Phil Beauchesne arrived in Vancouver last Tuesday, February 23.

"You know, it's definitely quite pleasing to know that it was that well received," laughed Steve, reached by phone in Vancouver this week. "It made us feel a little ineffectual, but obviously the beer spoke well on its own, thank you very much."

The Vankleek Hill-based brewery's trademark flavours were being showcased alongside three other provincial craft beers at the Ontario House Pavilion, something Beauchesne called "an honour."

"To be there, and at the athlete's reception, with Premier [Dalton] McGuinty walking around, telling people to try Beau's... it's a neat experience."

While a few Canadian provinces are featuring their own pavilions at the Winter Games, Beauchesne believes the Ontario House is fairly unique: "Where they really excelled, what they really showcased, is what Ontario has to offer in food and drink: high-end craft beers and local Ontario food being prepared for people in Vancouver. If you were visiting the pavilion, you got a full taste of Ontario."

The Ontario House was open daily from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. and received an average of 10,000 daily visitors. Perhaps, then, it is no wonder the beer taps had run dry by the second week - except for two small reserves. The brewery had marked one keg for the athlete's reception and another for the premier's reception.

"We had tastings planned, but our beers apparently sold faster than any other product," said Steve. "We showed up on Tuesday last week, and we were told the day we got there that they sold out of our beer."

The two Beauchesne brothers nevertheless spent the week touring the pavilion, playing hosts to Ontario's guests in Vancouver, meeting special guests and visitors from around the world, and answering their questions about the beverage they know best.

Of course, there was that celebration of the Canadian hockey team victory on Sunday.

"It was pretty awe-inspiring to be around that many people, all excited," said Steve of the Vancouver street party. "There were literally hundred of thousands of people singing O Canada at the top of their lungs. It changes the way you see Canada and you see being a Canadian... seeing people that excited, such a fairly tale ending to the Olympics... the atmosphere was really electric."