The Price of Beer

  I used to spend a lot of money on beer.
  I mean I still do, but I used to too.
  A couple of 24's a week wasn't unusual around here and supplemented with a trip or two to the bar, we were dropping a bit of cash on our own personal social lubricant without much thought. While my choice in beer has changed decidedly, my spending habits haven't drifted much with the exception of going out, I've become a stay at home drinker for the most part, my beer fridge usually has a better selection than the bars in my area. But where my $100 would before yield 4 dozen bottles, that same money now lands me perhaps half that amount of beer and while I am very happy with the quality of the product I now consume, I can't help but think of what kind of lucky privilege it is to be able to afford Craft beer as my regular purchase.
  The cost of our beer is changing and our buying power is now focused more on quality than quantity. Some fantastic prices exist of amazing beer (Great Lakes Canuck for $2.80 anyone?), but generally we are spending more per millilitre on our beer than ever before and that is a choice we gladly make to support both the local craft beer scene and a shift in how we identify as consumers. The upwardly mobile buyer of craft beer is evident by the enormous growth and footprint this scene has acquired in the last half decade. But who is buying and when does it become too expensive for all but the upper middle class and beyond to be regular drinkers of what we term "better beer"?

  I do have a budget I have to stick to when it comes to anything, we are not wealthy people but rather that most Canadian of middle class folks.  Double income, but not too much, a little more than paycheque to paycheque living most months. We choose to buy craft beer exclusively because we love the options available and have adjusted our consumption and acquisition habits accordingly, but the fact that we have this kind of discretion and extra income available is definitely a privilege not accorded everyone.  The shift toward higher prices for a lot of places is simple business math. Spending more to make a unique product has costs all along the supply chain and at the end, the consumer must decide if that product is worth the money being asked. A 12% Bourbon Barrel aged Imperial Stout costs more than a pale ale based on a whole host of factors, including initial ingredients, storage, risk and loss of a beer that takes time and patience to see if it will even turn out.
  We may not have hesitated when we first started buying craft beer to pay any price for certain beers or breweries but as the industry grows, leaders in quality and value begin to emerge and our dollars gravitate toward those who return our investment with a product worthy of the higher prices. Past performance predicts future results seems to be what is happening when it comes to beer and some inflation and perhaps even price gouging seems to emerge when it comes to both the source purchase and subsequent secondary market. There exists low ABV Pale Ales retailing for $3.50 and above and this stinks a little of taking advantage of new to craft beer drinkers and those who want to try anything new alike. No doubt not all craft brewery owners are just in it for the love of better beer and the chance to own a small business in a thriving community, some are cashing in on the hype in hopes of making a quick buck before the inevitable contraction.
  Besides the obvious pricing issues of certain beers, we must also be mindful that the ability to travel all over visiting different breweries and buying whatever we want, when we want to, is a class privilege writ large.  I understand all too well the desire to have a cold beer after a long day at work and not having the discretionary funds to afford one. Being broke because you have just enough for bills and food isn't a unique thing and their are millions of folks who work 2 jobs, 7 days a week, just to keep a roof over their heads. Drained of any respite, they look for the best price they can get to have a few pints in the fridge for their all too uncommon moments of rest. Do they spend $5 a can (times 2) for a double IPA or $11 for 4 tall boys of Old Milwaukee, getting a nice evening on the patio with a buzz so desperately needed in a world that moves faster all the time. While you or I may choose to get the 2 double IPAs because we have changed palates and perhaps seek what we see as the better product, but for someone who is new to craft beer, this kind of math seems off and will send them back to the comfort of the known and the better bargain. There is no shame in drinking what you can afford and what brings you the most joy. It has taken me a long time to stop beer shaming and learn to enjoy life at my own price and pace. For sure I will have a little fun, at my own expense, to highlight why craft beer is a better deal in the end but  without needing to mock or put down anyone's choice in beer. Economic decisions about your beer can be as simple as quantity over perceived quality because you just want to have a beer.
  So while we may be blessed to have the ability to buy better beer and support local small businesses, but that is not always possible for everyone, all the time. A treat of a few tall boys of a favourite IPA may be all someone can afford in a pay period and despite working their fingers to the bones, we can't all afford to buy everything we'd like to, beer or otherwise.
  Everyone has a story and a struggle, try to remember that when your having a pint. Bottle shares are pretty awesome and it's nice to pour something special with your pals when you can. Beer choice shouldn't cause anyone stress, it should be a joyful part of any day when you get to have one. Be kind and be the one lifting people up, it makes the world better every single time you do.

Cheers!
Polk

Avoid Style Lock - Open your Mind and your Palate

 

 

Fridge Pic from one of our trips. Many styles and options available all over.

We all have that friend. The one who will only drink one style of beer and eschews any deviation, any offering not in their wheelhouse or any trip to the new and unusual. For many, many more years than you can imagine, I was that friend as only the cheapest of beers could find their way into my glass and only then if they tasted like I thought a beer should. I tossed aside any notion that a real man would drink anything but macro lagers (not that I called them that, it was all just damn beer), this craft beer trend was for hipsters and rich people who had too much money and little sense. I was as passionate about my defense of being a drunken fat guy as I am now about the world of beer I have discovered and it is part of the reason I am seeing things in a new light every time I open a can or bottle and sip deeply of someone's dream. But there exists in Craft Beer too the Style Snob, the person who has honed in on one kind of beer and will not budge an inch, forever caught in Style Lock, an endless loop of doing the same thing over and over again.

Such diverse options I used to give myself...

  The entire reason for me exploring Craft Beer was the new and different, learning things about the regions and places in the world where beer styles came from, said styles that transformed from brewer to brewer as minds came forward to try it a little different and discovering flavours I had no idea existed as an option for my beer. The sameness of macro lagers was once the siren call I answered and it makes absolutely no sense to go back to that kind of consumption just because I really like IPAs or Sour Ales. I can understand if there are styles that we may not appreciate or enjoy, Kathryn continues to seek sours or IPAs that she likes even though it has been a constant miss for her save the very odd one. But to cut out any further exploration of a style seems defeatist and could mean you miss out on the beer that could change your life.

Make a Connection...

  The thing about trying different styles and the variations created by individual brewers is that each one takes on a life of it's own and much like the current Haze Craze, it begins with the base style and someone taking a chance on something new. If we get so locked into one version of a style, these new and constantly changing things that could eventually bring the next great beer to your glass. Thinking since you hated one sour that all sours are the same is making the same mistake I made way back when I was crushing Coors Light and getting hammered multiple times a week.

  Call it palate fatigue if you will, but I find that after a few of the same style in a row, even with hop variations and the like, they all start to blend into one giant beer, devoid of character and missing that unique pop that one enjoys when switching up and moving around the style chart. I look to how many pints I think I will be having on any particular evening and then curate my beer choices based on that. Only having 1? I usually choose a slow sipping, high ABV and a little more bold than if I am going to be having 3 or 4. If it is one of those hanging out nights, I usually start with a milder profile beer and make room to grow on my palate as the night goes on. I find sours and wild fermentation ales tend to skew my taste buds for the rest of the night so I leave them until the last few beers to get into anything a little off centre. Same goes for any kind of Double or Imperial, barrel aged anything, leave it for the finale and keep it a little more sessionable to start.
  The growth of my personal palate was challenged by taking risks when it came to what I enjoyed. I could hardly choke down a sample share of any IPA a little over 4 years ago and now am a decided hop head, bring me the resinous pine and citrus pith and watch my smile shine. But I didn't get to where I am today when it comes to appreciating so many different styles of beer by solely focusing on one style and leaving everything else by the wayside. Look around and see all the excellent options available, you just might surprise yourself.


Cheers!


Polk

Circles of Style

  I've been talking a lot about my palate these days. Looking back on a half decade of changing beer habits and how I consume has been my mission since I started writing again and it isn't often that I don't talk to someone about how we got started and where we think we are headed next when it comes to styles, trends and the like. Seeking new and different beers has become easier since I began and anyone new to craft beer is now blessed with a myriad of not only local breweries, but a completely different LCBO approach when it comes to this emerging market of beer drinkers. What was a search and hope for a lucky find has now become a weekly stroll through the beer fridge and maybe a couple of brewery stops to round out the collection for the weekend. While there is no doubt room for improvement in the distribution and access to even more breweries from here and abroad, it is night and day compared to what I saw when I started to explore my options just 5 years ago.

    The development of ones own distinct palate and the subsequent training needed to continue that development falls squarely on the drinker themselves. There are so many styles and subsets contained therein that we could travel the world in an evening for a long time without repeating ourselves and this is the Circle of Style I refer to when I talk about my own trip. Starting with the most basic representation of any style is necessary to appreciate the deviations and off shoots of anything. From lager to pilsner to ale and beyond, the starting point should always help establish a base knowledge that you can then build a palate worthy of anyone who loves a good and adventurous pint. The English IPA or Pale Ale led me to classic toasted malt, pithy and resinous pine West Coast IPAs which bled into hard core Double IPAs before veering left into the soft and hazy dank tropical juice New England or Vermont style IPAs. Lambic beer styles are augmented in my mind by the wide variety of sour ales available close to home and those who mimic the traditional Belgian brewing styles help expand my knowledge with different takes on the iconic Monk beers I love so much. A quad in Ontario is growing my ability to appreciate the originals while also introducing some new world tweaks to satisfy my curious palate.

  The Circle of my beer drinking life was for a long time a tiny one, confined by lack of options and an ignorant view of what beer was. Drinking only to get drunk, the social aspect of pounding a case of beer with the boys was not about taste at all, just inebriation. As the UnTappd generation began, we sought out new beers to increase our score and get rewarded with electronic badges for our success, flavour was still not the end game of any night spent drinking.

  But the Circle widened.
  Life became a little more when we started to find that we liked a new style of beer and despite still not letting go of our macro lagers, we started to see Circles within Circles inspiring even more Circles until the Venn diagram of our consumption choices was a Spiral graph of epic dimensions. The ability to transfer the knowledge of what went before to what your are experiencing now will help you discover new and exciting flavours and subtle nuances you didn't know existed. You can take each successive Circle of Style and tie it backwards and forwards along any number of lines from hop choice, malt, body, texture and so on. This can only grow your palate and by choosing to push forward, you keep your self from both palate fatigue and style lock, the most depressing things for a beer loving person to see. There is nothing wrong with having a favourite style of beer, but don't let that be your only style of beer...that's what we used to do and no one wants to return to the days when your Circle of Beer was tiny and hidden from the world. I've come back around in my own trip to really appreciating a solid Pilsner and that is a beautiful thing indeed. But without all those other Circles interlocking and helping me grow, I truly do not think I could appreciate the simple joy of drinking beer for the pleasure alone.

Cheers!

Polk

 

Beer as Art

 

Brewing is a science. There is no doubt that it takes a serious commitment to brew great beer, from the cleaning and preparation, to the recipe to the execution, it all matters. Home brewing a 5 litre batch or making a commercially available 50 hectolitre tank come down to the same basic functions of temperature control, what you use and when and a little bit of the spark we all hope to see when we open the final product. It is that spark that separates the craft beer we drink now from the macro we used to consume with such devotion, the art of creating and designing something new is what we seek and that is what I celebrate today.
  To brew a consistently good beer, like Great Lakes Brewery Canuck Pale Ale or Collective Arts Ransack the Universe IPA is a truly brilliant thing. Maintaining the flavour profile batch to batch so that it never wavers from the original intent is the mark of pure and level headed brewing. Recipe locked and loaded, the steps known to everyone involved in the process and the final product something that is always the same, time after time. There is a subtle art to keeping this standard of excellence and it should be applauded, it is what the macro producers learned a long time ago and some craft brewers must either get on board with or perish as consumers start to expect that level of quality every damn time. But the unique experience of creating something new is not to be dismissed amidst the regular options we see available year round, for they are where art meets beer and we are most grateful for that.
  Waxing poetic? Perhaps, but the transformation in just a few short years of a dead palate and sombre consumption to a vivid and colourful exploration of a world of flavours is something to be damn excited about in my humble opinion. Taking a page from the artists of long ago, many brewers today seek to push the absolute boundaries of what we consider beer and with that embolden us to seek a new understanding of who and what we are as drinkers and consumers. When we see something new and shiny, we are drawn to it, craft beer has always been about that for so many of us. We want the next thing, the better and bolder expression, and with that comes a certain trepidation as others settle into a style lock and paying the bills means having an offering like everyone else and the public at large feels they need to seek at each successive stop. Hazy IPAs, lagered ales or even low level kettle sours become the pedestrian choice for so many to keep the lights on and without a doubt, there is a segment of beer drinker who will turn up their nose at anything but said IPA or sour if a brewery heads in another direction. I feel for the brewer that feels they must make these bill payers but understand completely the business of staying afloat.
  But let's now turn our practiced palates and perhaps slightly cynical heads a little at the beer list and begin to explore the world of one offs and creativity that really shines when given the chance. An old style revived with care and passion, brought to life in an injection of inspiration, lager made well, saison shown respect and given a spin never seen before or even the IPA hit with something from far out of what your mind had ever considered before.  I will assure you that not every idea will see fruition as a beer you love, no doubt some will fall short for your particular palate, but it is in trying and experimenting that so many of the things we love as our regular beers came to be real. It is the willingness of a brewer to step back, look around and say "I can do this differently.." that brings us to a next level in our pursuits.
  Bold changes in direction or style in any art is often met with resistance at first, we crave the comfort and familiarity of the known, even in the chase for the new, We circle back to the same breweries because we know them, we trust them and at the end of the day, the more choice we have, the more likely we are to default to that very setting. Breaking the chain means pushing yourself, much like some of our favourite places do, and being willing to admit that you can still learn more.
  Life is about balance, choices and challenges. Balance your expectations, choose to seek out the new and bold and challenge your palate...always.

Cheers!

Polk

Words about Beer

Words.

They're just words, but damn if they don't get people up in arms when it comes to their craft beer.

Writing about beer every day is challenging, how many times can I say an IPA tastes like grapefruit or some other citrus before even I begin to hate seeing those words. A low ABV beer being referred to as "crushable" or probably worse. "drinkable" can make some peoples' blood boil and don't get them started on the words "hoppy" or "mouthfeel". So many things can be annoying in the tiniest of ways when it comes to talking about our passion for beer and as someone who communicates with the world in mostly written form, I must consider how and when I use these words in their proper form and in context to what I am describing. Looking back at over 4000 different beer reviews I see a pattern of words and descriptions that I lean hard into many times because they fit the moment, the beer or the mood I am creating on that day.
  Here are a few words that drive people to madness, some I use and some I don't. At the end of the day, they're just words...
"Crushable" ("Quaffable")
  Perhaps the most overused word to describe low ABV beers that populate the summer months, crushable gives way to a whole host of progeny that are used to try and convey the fact that these beers are not meant for slow sipping or contemplating, but simply enjoying. Fun to use but will drive some people to small madness when they see it.
"Drinkable"
  One word I cannot bring myself to use as the opposite would be undrinkable and therefore this word seems fairly broad in application. If a beer is drinkable, it is by definition a liquid that you can drink. Avoid at all costs. It's just too stupid.
"Mouthfeel"
  Oh, this one. The "moist" of describing beer. Drives people mad with distraction but in essence it is not a terrible word. The feeling of the liquid in your mouth. How it feels. Is it bubbly? Is it smooth, rich and velvety? Perhaps too easy and lazy, trying a more accurate description is probably for the best when it comes to the texture of your beer.
"Hoppy"
  Hoppy? How? Citrus? Pine? Melon? Berry?

  So many choices when it comes to describing the flavours of our beer and hoppy falls into that lazy category. I usually understand it to mean a bitter beer but in reality it can be whatever the writer thinks it is. Pithy citrus peel or watermelon can both be flavours you find in a beer, along with coconut or dill. While these beers are hoppy, most would not describe a coconut tasting IPA as hoppy. Stick to specifics and if you can, check out the hops used to help you find a better description.

"IBU"
 What? But that's a good one, it tells us the bitterness of a beer. Well...in not so many words...no. The term is referring to International Bitterness Units, which is itself a scientific measurement of the amount of iso-alpha acids as opposed to perceived bitterness. While an Imperial stout may approach 80 IBUs and a pale ale only 30, the flavour intensity of the roasted malt in the stout serves to mask the bitterness relative to the pale malt. What you perceive as bitter is different than the person next to you. It makes for good copy on labels of high IBU beers but isn't really a true measurement of how you will taste it. Still gonna use it though, it's the best we've got for now.
"Cold"
  Cold is a temperature, not an attribute.
  Next.
"Craft Beer"
  Okay, okay, hear me out. Much like IBU, craft beer means something to us that it really isn't in the wider context. The line continues to be blurred between what the hard core beer fan or snob considers craft beer and what the wider world does. Large, multi national conglomerates own some fine breweries, making great beer and that is all well and good with the general public. They don't care about semantics, they just want good beer at a decent price. What we are talking about is independent beer. Independent from a large corporate structure in a company that's main focus is maximizing return to shareholders rather than growing inside a community.  Supporting a small local business seems to be the main focus and while we see the term Craft Beer as all encompassing, it has been taken to mean a whole new thing. Time will tell if things change but for now, craft beer is at best a placeholder as the industry changes and grows. This logo from Rebellion Brewing from Regina, Saskatchewan is a good place to start. Independent should be the watchword.

"Crispy"
  Much like it's close relative, clean, crispy (or crispy-boi) usually describes some form of lager. Generally a pilsner that is brewed correctly and with great care. Bringing joy, these true to style beers that taste like beer are hard to describe sometimes as they have little to differentiate from normal macro offerings to most beer drinkers. Sometimes a better texture or more flavour comes through but in the simplest of terms, crispy does the trick.
I like this word but know it stirs the pot in some circles.
"Juicy"
  This one is relatively new and is used to describe the softly bitter, tropical and hazy New England or Vermont style IPAs dominating the market right now. The word could also be used to describe any number of sour ales, fruited wheat beers or the like but at this point has become so synonymous with the haze craze that it lives inside the mind for any of them. At best it tries to describe what your tasting but like tropical or pithy, it needs a descriptor attached to really be useful. I'll keep it in the repertoire but try to make sure it is context of how and why I feel that way.
  A few things to ponder, many more words are probably missing from my list so a return engagement to this topic is possible. Agree or disagree, as long as we are enjoying a good beer, it's all relative.

Cheers!

Polk

 

Crushable Summer

 The very nature of beer has always been seasonal. The cycles of brewing were once dictated by environmental factors and availability of ingredients and without much change, we have leaned hard into these traditions even as modern farming and equipment make those notions obsolete. Saisons, dark beers and all the other styles and variations have their place on the timeline of brewing and while today we have available to us year round most IPAs, lagers and assorted ales, including porters and stouts, the summer seems particularly made for the low ABV or session beer. Call them crushable, patio pints or gone before you know it, these low alcohol beers have transformed from flavourless light lagers to a dazzling array of craft beer options in almost limitless styles and possibilities. It seems every brewery is tossing their hat into the ring as the temp goes up and people spend more time socializing outdoors with friends and family for our all to brief summer here north of the 49th parallel.

  While the term "crushable" is detested by many, toss "hoppy" and "crispy-boi" on that pile too, it is, to me, a proper term of endearment for these easy drinking pints of summer. Lighter in body, but not in flavour is the goal as craft beer has an opportunity outside of the traditional light lager style, although many release pilsners that are spot on technically and have that much desired lower alcohol content. Suffice it to say that if you have a style you love, you can generally find a version that will have a lower ABV without sacrificing any of the taste you've come to love from your favourite craft beer.
  There are a myriad of options available now at your local craft brewery, with many more already in stock at the LCBO and Beer Store. Wanting to be able to enjoy 3 or 4 pints on a hot summer night should mean enjoying it all, not getting hammered and I am all for this lovely low ABV option. Sometimes you want a slow sipper to contemplate or celebrate and other times you just want to crush a few and have a good time.
  I used to be a big consumer of light beer, Brava Light in fact. Barely registering on the scale of flavour, it was so light as to resemble barley water and I could down a six pack in minutes each day upon returning home from work.  That is part in parcel due to not wanting them to warm up in the summer heat, macro lagers do not do well if not ice cold, and also because you only drank them with one purpose, to get drunk quickly and cheaply. And while times have changed and I no longer down beer like I need it to survive, in the humid summer nights, a low ABV beer can be a godsend as you still don't want to drink a warm pale ale or pilsner. Not so much chugging as consuming a little faster than when drinking in winter, the availability of so many styles makes it an easy choice any day.
  The presence of so many craft breweries means that there is a local option available to almost everyone when it comes to finding your patio pint and while I would love to get into every one of them, I'll stick to recommending a few that I know are a little more accessible through the LCBO or Grocery store options. Depending on your own palate, sours or wild ale beers may not work as a summer crusher and perhaps a pale ale or pilsner would do the trick for that weekend BBQ or family party.

I'll undoubtedly miss a few, there are just so many options and even I can't keep track of them all. Under 5.0%, ready for the patio and available right now!

Nickel Brook Brewing Raspberry Uber has been a staple for many of us in Ontario for the last few years. Tart and full of berry deliciousness, it gives rise to the term dessert beer but is oh so good when poolside too. 4.0% ABV, 500ml Bottle, $5.95

Great Lakes Brewing Sunnyside Session IPA will surprise you with just how tropical this low ABV treat can be. Grapefruit and pineapple with a light pine and lemon finish. BBQ? Yep. Swimming? Hell yeah! 3.9%, 473ml Tall Boy, $2.90

Collective Arts Brewing Lunch Money Blonde Ale is a pretty much straight up, easy drinking Dad beer. I like it, my dad likes it and they sell copious amounts of it at the taproom to the blue collar folks here in The Hammer. Simple yet elegant. 4.8%, 473ml Tall Boy, $2.95

Great Lakes Brewery Over my Dad Body Pilsner continues the tradition of great and accessible styles of beer from GLB. Dry with a grassy, citrus hit of hops with a touch of noble spice. Made for hanging out all night, singing the songs we remember so well by the firepit. 5.0%, 473ml Tall Boy, $2.90

Henderson Brewing's Food Truck Blonde Ale is a maltier take that lends itself well to meal time. Light citrus with a biscuit malt body is spot on for a little more flavour without getting boozier.
4.8%, 473ml Tall Boy, $2.95

Lake of Bays Beach Break Lager with Lime will not blow the socks off anyone looking for a big beer but it is designed to be ready for the day long pool party and family BBQ. A simple lager with citrus punch, it's fine to drink out of the can and just enjoy. 3.5%, 473ml Tall Boy, $2.95

Nickel Brook Brewing Cause & Effect Blonde Ale is a long standing fave here. Floral and citrusy orange and lemon with a touch of pine, its got a cracker malt and is a conversation beer that is there but doesn't take you down the garden path. 4.7%, 473ml Tall Boy, $2.95

Bench Brewing Strawberry Grove Sour Ale hits the tart note and delivers a strawberry knockout punch for that sunny, humid day spent outside with nothing to do but relax. 5.0%, 500ml Bottle, $7.50

Muddy York Brewing Switchboard Session IPA arrives in a shortie can that delivers a big citrus pineapple and grapefruit in droves. Cooler filling, patio livin'. 4.9%, 355ml Shortie can, $3.00

Amsterdam Brewery 3 Speed Lager is a bready but light floral and spice lager that comes in a big old can of beer that is the post work, swimming pool BBQ one you need. 4.2%, 568ml Super Tall Boy, $3.00

Sawdust City Brewing Little Norway Pale Lager is a bright citrus and lightly malty lager that means you don't have to do anything but sit on the deck and let the world go by. 4.5%, 473ml Tall Boy, $3.10

Skeleton Crew Brewing Evil Genius Session IPA is the new kid on the block and it brings a west coast IPA vibe with a toasty malt body and citrus pith. New friends are summers greatest joy. 4.5%, 473ml Tall Boy, $3.10

Muskoka Brewery Ebb & Flow Sour Ale is a lime and grapefruit intro sour that will be an easy choice on a sunny afternoon or as the waves crash on the beach and your life is resplendent in relaxation. 2.4%, 473ml Tall Boy, $3.15

Black Oak Brewing Nut Brown Ale is an Ontario classic and delivers caramel, toffee and chocolate in an easily crushable body. Change of pace and that is a good thing. 5.0%, 473ml Tall Boy, $3.15

Spearhead Brewing Summer Ale brings a unique blend of simple ale and wine together for a stone fruit and bright citrus patio pleaser. 4.3%, 473ml Tall Boy, $3.15

Muskoka Brewery Detour Session IPA is a legendary crushable all season IPA that delivers pine and grapefruit to your glass as the sun shines and the pool beckons. 4.3%, 473ml Tall Boy, $3.35



Wellington Brewery Helles Lager has become a patio go-to the last year or so. Crisp and toasty with a nice pinch of citrus, drink it from the can as you float around the pool if you like, it's a beauty either way. 4.5%, 473ml Tall Boy, $3.15

  If nothing else, this gives you a good start and hopefully you will find your cooler filled with great beer that lets you enjoy the memories you are making in the Crushable Summer of 2019.

Cheers!
Polk



 

Trust me, Drink the Pilsner

  I have a confession to make.
  I like Pilsners.
 A lot.
 Okay, some other styles of lager too.
 But Pilsners...oh baby.

  The last few years have found me growing as a beer drinker, exploring new and different styles and the myriad of off shoots our craft brewers have come up with. From the evolution of the West to East IPA to Saisons and Sours, I have fallen in love with the variety and options available every time I crack open a beer. Little in the way of a regular or go-to beer is in my fridge now as I just have too many choices to be made on a daily basis. But something is changing and evolving as I grow a little older and feel a little more like indulging in a forward looking nostalgia that is a finely crafted lager, pilsners to be precise.

  Seeking out the latest Hazy IPA or tart puckeringly sour is not without it's joy. I love to see new releases and returning favourites from Double IPA to Barrel Aged beauties, but I feel the tug of a clean and crisp pils more now than ever before and I think it is a good thing to be in the mix of what I drink. A beer that tastes like a beer is probably a little simplistic but at the end of the day, all the adjuncts, dry hopping and kettle additions in the world cannot compete with the dry and bitter grassy, floral and lightly fruited lagers I find drawing me back to where I began.

But those beers from my past are but mere shadows in comparisons to the delights being brewed right here in Ontario. Flavourless and lacking depth, while technically and efficiently brewed, the ABInBev and Molson/Coors offerings have little to give us in the way of enjoyment outside of being served cold and consumed quickly. The pilsners and lagers I drink now have a whole other level of complexity to them and while it is still advisable to consume them cool, the rush to finish them and pound another isn't what it once was. Their is something in their flavour and texture that belies my memories of what was and has created a whole new level of what is. I drink them to enjoy them but also to release myself from trying to explore the deeper nuances of the more flamboyant of our options.

  Where as not so long ago I would have told you to drink a brewery's IPA if you wanted to know them, I now understand the technical prowess and sheer patience and dedication to brewing a clean, flawlessly crisp and refreshing pilsner with body and depth. There is no where to hide a flaw or a shortcut from start to finish and only true commitment from the very beginning will result in a divine product cascading into my glass. Much respect is given to those who understand the process, love and time involved in creating something so delicate, yet robust in so many ways. To crack through the haze-craze and tart puckers of today is to have crafted something so beautiful that it is a marvel in it's simplicity.

Pour me a golden hued, fluffy white headed, crisp and clean homage to the German and Czech fore bearers of today's tributes and I am yours for the afternoon. On a patio, in a pub or in the quiet of the evening after all my labours are complete, I will indulge myself with more than one and look to a future where my palate can continue to grow and evolve while appreciating the true classic pints of our times, now, then and forever.

Cheers!

Polk

What's in my dream Pilsner/Lager fridge right now? Well, a lot of it has to do with availability, so here is what is happening at the moment here in The Grotto...

Fairweather Brewing Donna Pils (Brewery only)

Anderson Craft Ales Summer German style Pilsner

Great Lakes Brewery Over My Dad Body Pilsner

Steamwhistle

Merit Brewing No Limit Lager (Brewery Only)

Clifford Brewing East Hamilton Lager (Brewery only)

Muddy York Brewing Gaslight Helles Lager

Beau's All Natural Helles Lager

Mascot Brewing Pilsner