Tuesday August 21, 2018

Beer? Check. Music? Check. Partner-carrying contest? Uhh… check?

We’re excited about Beau’s Brewing Co.’s upcoming Oktoberfest celebration, but don’t let them fool you — it’s actually in September! That’s not the only eyebrow raising feature of the independent Canadian brewer’s annual event, so we wanted to pick the brain of our own Beau’s Superfan to hear his top reasons to attend.

In short: Oktoberfest is awesome, has lots of weird and hilarious games and activities, amazing food and beer AND we’re giving away a Beau’s Oktoberfest VIP experience for four! Enter to win below.

Graeme Cunningham, Bullfrog’s Regional Sales Director based in Ottawa, has been a fan of Beau’s beer since his first sip at Chez Lucien, one of the first restaurants to serve Beau’s in Ottawa. Why is he such a huge fan of Beau’s?

“Beau’s produces so many unique beers! Some of them are incredibly innovative, even experimental, but they all strike the perfect balance of flavours, colour, and mouthfeel. And to top if all off, they do this while holding themselves to incredibly high standards for business practices; sourcing ONLY organic ingredients (even going so far as to help a local forager who provides bog myrtle get certified as organic), caring for employees and choosing renewable energy!”

Graeme has been attending Beau’s Oktoberfest event since its second year: after he won the malt sack race, he was hooked! Part of his prize was tickets for the following year and a tradition was born — he hasn’t missed one since.

We asked Graeme to share some of his favourite memories and “not-to-be-missed” activities:

5. The Homebrew Competition: Dozens of Eastern Ontario and Quebec brewers submit their homebrew creations. Taste and vote in the People’s Choice and learn about the Beer Judge Certification Program guidelines. The winning brewer will get to brew their recipe on the “pilot batch” system at Beau’s.

4. The Midway: Every year, Beau’s puts together a midway full of classic old games, like Ring Toss and Slap Shot, adding their new twists on old favourites. All funds raised by this year’s midway go to Hidden Harvest. Be sure to check out Roll In Zie Hay! and Three Wheel Drive, and don’t forget to give Graeme’s personal favourite a try — the beer case cliffhanger!

3. The Activities: Once you’ve had your fill of playing midway games, there’s still more to do! Beau’s has the Oktoberfest staples like the Sausage Eating Contest and Stein Holding Struggle. “I’ve been the champion of the malt sack race and the partner-carrying race in previous years, so I’m quite partial to those!” Graeme told us. “Whether or not you win and become a VKH All-Star, these are the stories you’ll tell about what a great day it was.” Make sure you visit the Activity Registration Booth at the start of your day to sign up.

2. The Music: What’s a great event without a great soundtrack? Beau’s brings fantastic acts to the Oktoberfest Main Stage and Black Forest Stage. This year’s all-Canadian lineup does not disappoint — come out to see Sloan, Joel Plaskett and The Emergency, Cancer Bats, Weaves and Fred Penner, just to name a few.

1. The Food: So many great restaurants and food vendors from Ottawa, Montreal and parts in between bring their best to Vankleek Hill for Oktoberfest each year. Back this year: the Graeme-approved, sustainably-shucked oysters from Whalesbone and House of Targ’s legendary perogies.

If you live in the Ottawa area or you’re considering a fall trip, be sure to add Beau’s Oktoberfest to your plans!

Tickets are on sale now at www.beausoktoberfest.ca. Weekend passes are $45, single-day tickets are $32. For children (18 and under), passes are $5 when they are accompanied by an adult. Camping passes are available to add on to a ticket purchase.

Enter to win a VIP Oktoberfest Experience

Beau’s Oktoberfest VIP Experience

Did you know? The partnership between Beau’s Brewing Co. and Bullfrog Power began in 2014 when Beau’s became the first brewery in Canada to choose both green electricity and green natural gas for its entire brewing operations. The two organizations also worked together on a solar installation at Ottawa’s Just Foods in in 2017.

2018 marks the 10th edition of Beau’s Oktoberfest on the Vankleek Hill fairgrounds outside of Ottawa, Ontario. Oktoberfest is Beau’s Brewing Co.’s signature fundraising event — last year’s two-day festival attracted 20,000 attendees and raised more than $100,000 for charity and local community groups. Since 2009, the festival has generated almost $620,000 in funds for good work projects. Beau’s Oktoberfest has also been reducing its environmental impact by choosing green energy with Bullfrog Power since 2014.

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