When you're the Beer Guy

I would like to think if you've been following along on Instagram, Facebook or YouTube, you know I am just regular guy who was headed down the path of an early grave thanks to his penchant for over consuming macro lager and throwing his life away by hiding behind getting hammered all the time.
That was until I met my saviour in Craft Beer and its wonderfully varied styles, flavours and textures. I have become far more present in my own life and it may sound odd, but drinking better beer has been the key catalyst in that transformation. Look back on my earlier posts for some of how I have worked good beer into helping me slow down and appreciate what I have in my glass.
But today I wanted to address being known as the "Beer Guy" (or Gal) to your friends is all about.

When you are known as the "Beer Guy" in your circle of  friends it is a cool responsibility.  But it comes with a host of things you should be careful of. I always try and respect my friends choices in beer and keep these things in mind when talking about beer with them.

1. Don't be a jerk about beer. Remember just because you drink craft beer, it doesn't mean your better than your pal who loves Coors. It's nice to offer a craft beer to someone, but perhaps it is the time spent with your loved ones and not their choice in beer that is important.

2. Take a moment and consider what your friends really asked you. Did they just want a beer recommendation? Ask a few questions and then give them one or two ideas, not a laundry list of hard to find beers that require travel documents.

3. Invite your friends to come along when you go to a brewery. Nothing was better than sharing my love of all the people who make Craft Beer than bringing my pals along and introducing them to the world of fresh beer and brewery specials.

4. Share your haul. If you want someone to appreciate the different styles of beer that you can rhapsodize on for hours (don't do that), get an extra tall boy or bottle and share it with a buddy. Split a growler or bomber and talk about what your getting from it. You might be surprised at what someone else thinks about your favourite beer.

5. Try something new with someone. I am guilty of wanting to try new beers by myself a lot of the time. It is just part of my work on being a better and more present person. I write about every beer I try, whether I publish it or not,  because that is what helps me slow down and consider the beer as opposed to just getting drunk for no reason. Having said that, I am trying to branch out and share new brews with my friends when I have them for the first time as well and it is a great experience to share a look with a pal when you both discover something amazing.

I was inspired by award winning beer blogger Ben Johnson's article Let's Stop Beersplaining. Check it out, he nails what can go wrong if your putting yourself above anyone else when it comes to your beer. I often find myself getting lost for hours reading all the different beer blogs and it is those that have gone before me who continue to help make my day brighter.

It's a thin line between being a promoter of great Ontario Craft Beer or your own local breweries and being an ass. I catch myself sometimes when I get going about beer with non beer drinking people because I don't just want to be just a Beer Guy. Life is better with great beer, but don't be only about the hops and barley. Try and expand your horizons a little. read, go for walk, watch a movie or just hang out sometimes and riff on life's little joys.
I will continue to explore what great beer can do for my life and I will always share those experiences with you on Drunkpolkaroo.com. For now it is a link to my Facebook page, but I imagine something grander in the near future. Stay tuned!
Cheers!

Update to Polkapolooza 2016 and The Polkapocalypse!

It's been a tornado of activity for this normally sedate Polkaroo and my head is still spinning from all the new beer I've found on my travels.

On Tuesday, I made the solo trip to 6 breweries in the Guelph, Waterloo and Cambridge area. I made it despite the rather aged Jeep not being at its best. I nursed that baby through over 200 kilometers of Ontario's highways and biways and managed to grab a metric tonne of brews. Check out my Instagram for the pics and some more details. Needless to say it was a great lead up to my birthday that culminated in a surprise and impromptu beer share at my cousins house after we ran into each other when my parents took me out for dinner. Great night having a couple of brown pops with family !

Beer Road Trip!

Wednesday was up north day and our plan to hit up to 7 breweries was compromised when Mrs. Polkaoroo's car decided it was tired and stopped dead on the highway. Luckily we have CAA, so the tow back home to our mechanic was paid for and it was just 30 minutes into our journey, so not too much time was wasted. It took about an hour to figure out the culprit. It was a damn leaf. Somehow a leaf had bypassed the air filter and was covering the airflow sensor in the engine. Fluke of epic proportions and one that cost us almost $100. We managed to keep smiles on our faces and to be honest it wasn't the worst case scenario, so we laughed it off and continued north. Barrie brought 3 new breweries and then it was off to Gravenhurst and Bracebridge. Unfortunately due to the all the lost hours with the "Leaf of Much Trouble", we did not have time to make it to Lake of Bays or Collingwood. Next time.

Northern Beer haul.

So after 3 days I have logged over 800 kilometers or 500 miles. So now I know what I would walk 500 miles for. 11 breweries, 52 new beers, 10 new glasses and a lovely amount of time spent with my favourite person.

Today is Toronto day and this is one of my favourite cities in the whole world. Vibrant and constantly busy, it is energizing when I turn that corner on the highway and see its' iconic skyline. Lots to see and do there today, follow along on Twitter @drunkpolkaroo. Easier to post quick hits there, so I'll keep you updated.

One of my favourite places on the planet.

Saturday brings to an end all the travelling and searching. Along with 3 of my friends, we have decided to celebrate my birthday this past Wednesday and the conclusion of Polkapolooza 2016. It has been dubbed the "Polkapocalypse". We will be doing a road trip to 4 of my favourite local breweries to purchase and/or refill growlers, get beer stuff like new glassware and some other sundry items we may take a shine to. The four are Great Lakes Brewing in Etibicoke, Cameron's Brewing in Oakville, Nickel Brook Brewing in Burlington before finally coming to rest at my hometown favourite, Collective Arts Brewing. We will finish at C.A. for two reasons. One, it's the closest to home and two, I have come to think of them as an integral part of what keeps me from slipping back into bad habits. Their beer is always spot on, they have wicked can art and I always feel pride as a Hamilton boy when I walk into their bottle shop. Couldn't think of a better way to end this journey and when we are finished with our beer trip, and maybe have a nap, we will head to my cousins house where the true Polkapocalypse begins. We have decide to only enjoy the fresh beer we pick up that day, so growlers and half growlers will be our joy that evening. We will sharing them with other friends and family and that alone makes this trip worth it. With great craft beer like we are buying Saturday, it will lead to a thoughtful and delightful evening.

I will keep you updated on both Twitter  and Instagram as the day progresses and as always, we will be drinking not to avoid our lives, but to celebrate them. Stay safe my friends.

Before I finish, I was surprised with a gift from another cousin this week. He set up Drunkpolkaroo.com  and linked it to my Facebook page. Just awesome and if you need to find where all my stuff comes together, that's the place. For my video beer reviews, try Drunkpolkaroo.com/Youtube and you will be taken to my Youtube channel. Unexpected presents always make my day. Thank you Matt, I cannot express how happy this made me.

We will be working on making everything easy for you to find and share. plus I now have a sweet new email.  If you want to get in touch with me for anything, just send it to rob@drunkpolkaroo.com and maybe we can get together for a beer or two.

Cheers and thanks again for all the love and support.

I can't wait for Polkapolooza 2017!

Cheers!



Celebrate Craftivus with the Drunk Polkaroo

My favourite person to share a beer with.

What is it about Craft Beer that turns people into such evangelists? I cannot think of another product that encourages such devotion outside of maybe wine. And even then, you don't see the sort of communal sharing, writing and dedication from regular folks like me.
I have noticed that many of my Beer Friends are alike, just wanting to spread the word of great brews for no other reason than they are amazing. I don't get paid to review beers. I do it for myself, as I have described many times, and also because I want to help my friends who may be new to all this in their decisions. It's fun to talk about beer, its history, my favourites, my not so favourites and what I  think about it.

It is not only getting together for a beer that makes my night, it is amazing when I get to treat my buddies to a beer they haven't had or couldn't get their hands on. It's a great thing to share beer with people and even better if it blows them away like it did to you.
It is in this spirit that I would like to introduce an idea I've had fermenting in the back of my mind for many years. In the long ago time of the lost years of the Drunk Polkaroo,  I used to refer to St.Patrick's Day as not only the high holy day of beer but also Alcoholic Christmas.  It was a way to cover up my ridiculous over consuming of shitty beer with some humour and while it was true, it also made me sad.
So while I no longer cram adjunct lagers down my throat like a man who is chasing his demons away, I do still love to enjoy this celebration of not only all things Irish,  but also all things beer.
So in the spirit of sharing the love of great beer and preaching the Gospel of the Craft that I will celebrate Craftivus; in conjunction with St. Patrick's Day of course.
 What is Craftivus you ask?
Much like Festivus does for Christmas,  this Holiday is a rejection of green beer, corporate sponsored overindulgence and the general  commercialization of this once genial holiday. To celebrate this wonderful day, all that is required is for you to share a beer with a friend. Maybe two. Get together with someone you love and spend some time enjoying not only each others company, but maybe a few beers that are new to you. Perhaps you can share a favourite Craft beer with someone who is just new to the scene or give someone who is in need of it the gift of great beer. It doesn't matter how you celebrate, it just matters that you share. With friends,  family,  coworkers, that weird guy, like me, who just loves to talk about all things Crafty.
I think it is high time we take back our holiday from the frozen glass, food colouring in the beer , shamrock shaming bastards who want nothing more than to watch you fade to black as they find a cheaper way to make beer. It is only in the compartmentalized world of pie charts, sales tactics and paradigm chasers that adding rice and corn to beer makes sense.
Craftivus is meant to embrace this day with the joy and happiness that only great beer can bring. Quality versus quantity is a battle worth fighting. Raise not only your glass but your standards and help spread the word of awesome local craft beer.
So if you going out today to celebrate the greenest of days, I encourage you to not only grab that pint of Guinness to honour the Emerald Isle, but to try something new and perhaps do it with a friend.
Craftivus is all about coming together in support of your neighbourhood bar, your local craft brewereries and you, the loyal exporer of delicious brews. Give it a try, it might change your life.
Cheers!



Polkapolooza 2016 !!!!

I'm going to say that as I get older, I don't really celebrate my birthday with quite as much passion. It isn't that I fear getting older or that I hate not being 20 anymore, it is just that I have moved past the need for blowing out a 24 of Brava Light and forgetting my own party. I have been planning something special that I hope will become a tradition, the aptly named Polkapolooza 2016. What is this odd looking celebration you ask? Come with me a moment as we open up and see how the Drunk Polkaroo does things.

Not one for half measures when it comes to things I am passionate about, Mrs. Polkaroo and I are going on a 3 day quest to seek out new beers, friends and stories. We have both booked time away from our day jobs to embark on a mini-odyssey of Craft Beer.

First up will be a little solo Polkarooing. On Tuesday March 15th, I am heading out to some old favourites like Grand River Brewing and  Wellington Brewery, as well as a few places I haven't been. Stone Hammer, Royal City and Innocente. Hopefully a new growler or two and as many new beers as I can fit in the car.

On my actual birthday next Wednesday March 16th, we will engage in an ambitious travelogue of epic proportions. This is a big day trip. Up the 400 to cottage country and 5 breweries I can only get glimpses of down here in the Hammer. Barrie contains Flying Monkeys Brewing, Barnstormer Brewing and of course Redline Brewhouse. So looking forward to this one as a start. I've had quite a few of Flying Monkeys brews, but the other two have eluded my grasp thus far.

After we hit Barrie, we will head to Muskoka Brewing and Sawdust City. Again, I've had some of their beers as well, but they have so much more that never gets down to my neck of the woods.

We were planning on heading home after that long day of driving, but my mom and dad had a better idea. Why not stay overnight? A little outside this Polkaroo's budget for the week, but they didn't mean I should pay. Dad graciously booked and covered the cost of our room. I'm a damn lucky guy to have such wonderful parents.

We haven't figured out 100 % of our plans for the High Holy day of Beer, St. Patrick's Day. It used to be that I called it "Alcoholic Christmas", but since I'm moving to a different approach to how I consume beer, I think it's time for a change. So from now on I will consider this like a Craft beer Christmas and hopefully Hopsy, the Craft Beer Elf, will leave me some new beers for being such a good boy. I am sure we'll have some fun and we won't be all road weary doing it.

Friday brings me to one of my favourite cities in the world, Toronto. So many breweries that I am having a hard time deciding where we should go. No doubt that Amsterdam Brewing is our destination for lunch and I must go to Bellwoods Brewing and Left Field Brewery because everything I've read about them makes me feel like they have to be part of my pilgrimage. So there are a few spots left open on our travels to The Big Smoke and I am sure something will inspire me in the next week. The real nice thing about this day is that I can also stop in at old friends like Great Lakes Brewing, Cameron's, Black Oak, Nickel Brook and Collective Arts. I may or may not be trying to set a personal record for beer acquired and breweries visited in a single day. Whew. That is a little ambitious, but I will triumph in my search for new beer!

Finally, on Saturday evening, my quest for the perfect beer will culminate at a place I cannot believe I have never been to. BeerTown Public House. Seriously, if there is a place you think you would find someone named the Drunk Polkaroo, it's BeerTown. Just thinking about everything people have told me about this place is making my mind race with the possibilities. Not really sure what to expect, but if |I get to spend and evening with friends and family, you know it will be amazing. Luckily I have a cousin who lives relatively close by, so we don't even have to make it all the way back to Polkaroo Manor.

There you have it, my grand plan. Polkapolooza 2016 is a really big idea that I hope will become something I can grow every year. My biggest dream, after all the delicious craft beer, is that maybe I will get to meet some of the people I have come to think of as Beer friends. Maybe we can toss back a pint and talk about the crazy stuff we used to do and what we think this journey through amazing beer will take us next.

What a way to celebrate turning 43.

Cheers!

Why are my Instagram Posts so Long?

Artsy!

I am a naturally "wordy" person. I love to talk about just about anything, but to be honest, Craft Beer has become my passion and if you've been following along at home, you know why. My life has been transformed by these tasty and well made beers and I can't help but share that love with the world.

All this means one thing. When I post a review on Instagram, it can go a little long. I mean I've bumped into their character limit many times and it isn't small like the 140 you get on Twitter. Most people just double tap and scroll along when they are on this app, but I always make sure I read whatever is written because I am trying to find out anything about the beer in the picture, the brewery that made it and the person behind the account. I have been surprised by how many people I have met through the simple act of sharing pictures on a social media site. I suppose I shouldn't be, but being a person who struggles with anxiety means I often times miss out on things. On Instagram, I didn't have to leave my home to share stories, support my beer friends and even make new ones. This picture sharing site has helped me weather the winter in a relatively positive mood and it is due in part to those people who take the time to not only check out my pictures, but actually make their way through the often long winded stories that come from my beer.

 So back to the original premise of why are my Instagram posts so long. I would like to think it is because I can't control myself and get lost in the moment and to some extent that is true. But the most basic reason I will try to link the new beer I am drinking to a story from my life is that it helps me to slow down and appreciate everything about the brew. It makes me consider what I am drinking and not just reach into the fridge for another...and another...and another. I still feel the strong pull of just getting snackered on cheap beer and I know I have to remain vigilant against sliding back into that oblivion. Crafting a narrative about what is happening now or in the past and relating it to the picture I am taking or the name of the beer takes time and that is what I need.

  Along with expanding from just talking about the flavours and textures of my beer to tying it together with my past, present and even future in the description, I have been bitten by the artistic photo bug. I was never a "artsy" person, not surprisingly more of a wordsmith, so I have a ways to go to be as good as some of the people I follow in terms of presentation. But I really feel like I am stepping my game up every time. I am learning about lighting, depth, framing and other interesting photography related things. It has become a real challenge to think about how I want to present my beer and then tie it into a story I want to tell. This is how I bring calm to the chaos and reel in my old Polkaroo ways. 

Snow Beers!

   Perhaps the best part of all of this site has been the events I've attended and actual new friends I have made. When I decided to start this blog, do reviews on Instagram and subsequently post video reviews on YouTube, I did not think it would lead to helping me crack out of my shell and start to experience life again. I am grateful for the new people I have met in person and online and hope to widen that circle as the weather warms and we can get together on a patio somewhere for some delicious craft beer.

Going to breweries to get new beers, refill my growlers and pick up a new pint glass has become something I look forward to every day off. Ontario Craft Brewers not only make great beer, they have a passion for what they do and that translates into a great experience when you visit them. They are so welcoming and for the most part will talk about their brews all day if you have the time.

  So whether you just scroll on after the double tap to leave a heart or read all the way through and leave a comment, I thank you. Without this amazing community of Craft Beer enthusiasts and supporters, I wouldn't have found my voice again. My journey is truly just beginning and having new friends, old friends and great beer come together makes this Polkaroo's heart sing.

  That's an idea. Maybe I should start a singing beer review page. I do love a good tune......

Cheers and Thank you once again for following along!