By Beau’s All Natural Brewery, a certified “Good Food Fighter”
Beau’s All Natural Brewing is launching its 15th beer in the limited-release “Wild Oats” series, a spiced bock called Hogan’s Goat. Only 1,000 bottles of this beer will be sold, beginning Thursday, December 29. The beer can be purchased directly from the Beau’s brewery retail store in Vankleek Hill, and for the first time, also online at www.beaus.ca to Ottawa residents through BYBO, the home delivery service run by not-for-profit Operation Come Home.
The orange-hued Hogan’s Goat is a bock beer brewed to 6.9 % abv, with a light rye malt addition along with the barley. It first offers up mingling aromas of mint and herbs. Adventurously spiced, the malty, sweet taste gets a pleasant cleansing lift from the addition of cooling peppermint and herbal juniper. Light orange peel adds citrus complements in the flavour undertones. Head brewer Matthew O’Hara recommends pairing Hogan’s Goat with gingerbread, spring rolls, or traditional winter holiday fare.
And the name Hogan’s Goat? “It’s an old-timey expression we liked,” explains brewery co-founder Steve Beauchesne. “The expression ‘like Hogan’s Goat’ refers to something truly bizarre in both appearance and aroma. Traditional German brewers adhering to the Purity Law would consider adding holiday spices to a bock beer almost unfathomable — like Hogan’s Goat. But the Wild Oats series is all about non- traditional brewing and experimenting with unique ingredients, so it’s really kind of tongue-in-cheek.”
The goat image and the bock beer style also have a historical tie-in, and in fact bock beers often have goats on the label. In German, the word for a goat is ‘ein bock,’ and the beer style originated in a town called Einbeck. The two names were close enough, then add in some Bavarian accents to the mix… eventually people started calling the beer “bock,” and the goat association stuck with the beer.
The 600 ml bottles of Hogan’s Goat are individually numbered, and retail for $7.85. They can be purchased at the brewery retail store beginning December 29. Pre-orders have already begun online through BYBO, for delivery beginning on the 29th. The next wild oats release, Mates with Dates (#16 in the series), will be available in early February.
BEAU’S All Natural Brewing is a small, family-run company founded in 2006. BEAU’S brews interesting, tasty beers using the highest-quality all natural ingredients such as certified organic malts and hops, and local spring water. A member of the Ontario Craft Brewers, BEAU’S is a recipient of numerous international awards for brewing excellence, including a GOLD medal at Mondial de la Biere in Strasbourg, France, two GOLD medals at the Canadian Brewing Awards, as well as “Best Craft Brewery in Ontario” and “Best Craft Beer in Ontario” at the 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 & 2007 Golden Tap Awards. BEAU’S was also chosen by CAFE as the 2010 Canadian Family Enterprise of the Year. BEAU’S signature fundraising event, Oktoberfest, was selected as a 2011 finalist for Best Ontario Culinary Tourism Experience. BEAU’S flagship and seasonal beers are available at LCBO locations throughout Eastern Ontario, as well as Kingston, GTA and Hamilton. BEAU’s entire line of beer is certified organic by Pro-Cert Organic.
