Polk's 2021 Festivus Message

 

Happy Festivus fuckers!

Usually I'd be knee deep into my grievances...but this year, well, I'm just happy to still be around.

I can't hold onto that angry kind of energy anymore, life is far too short and way too precious for that kind of nonsense. I don't know, I'm a guy who holds grudges...some for decades...but what does that get anyone? I'm gonna try and be a better person in 2022, seriously, I've been doing a lot of soul searching the last few months, trying to find something, anything to spark that kind of love I used to feel for life and living, it had long been snuffed out and silenced by worry, anger and the sheer weight of a life gone off the rails. But I keep trying, even through a pandemic, the sheer stupidity of it all and personal choices that left me wondering what the hell I was thinking. 

But I'm trying, I'm laughing and I'm gonna have a couple drinks while the lights shine off the aluminum pole. Be kind to each other and yourself, it's been a helluva time for everyone. Cut yourself some slack, Lord knows you need a break, we all do...Happy Festivus, next year let's celebrate together! It's a #Festivus miraculum!

Cheers! 

A Couple, Three Pints with : Clifford Brewing

  We go to a taproom/bar/pub with thoughts of enjoying a respite from the world. We want to sit, enjoy a couple pints and then make our way home again, six pack in hand and some of our troubles left behind. I endeavour to do this more often in the coming year and I'm gonna take you along with me as I pull up a chair and grab a beer.

   'A Couple, Three Pints With :' will be my ongoing series of exploring different places to enjoy a beer or three while talking about atmosphere, quality, experience and whatever else happens when I settle in for an evening or afternoon at leisure, because life is for livin' and beer is for drinkin'.

Up first is the closest brewery to my home, a ten minute drive and we pull up to Clifford Brewing, a large interior that somehow feels like an East-end Hammer pub...seriously. The long bar and high top tables are accentuated by the additional picnic tables and odds and end tables and chairs that fill up fast on music nights, which prior to the pandemic was what Clifford was becoming known for. As a live music venue, the acoustics are quite wonderful and a mix of musical styles certainly lends to the atmosphere when the amps appear. 

 My usual stop in is on the way home from work, picking up something for the fridge at home and engaging in a pint or two of self-care...especially if Danny, Brad or Matt happen to be hanging around the bar. I'm not much of one for small talk, but a beer in hand and solid conversation is something I do enjoy and that is part of what brings me back again and again. 

  The huge variety of styles is another big reason I love it here, not overloaded with too many IPAs or sours, balanced and with an eye to making sure there truly is something on tap for every kind of beer drinker. The simple flavour profile of The Crusher (4% Light Lager) and easy going crushability of East Hamilton (5% Lager) open the palate for a little more adventure, although I will say that the 24's of each of these two beers must flow pretty well out the door when this blue collar town strides in at the end of the work week. Beer is for drinking for most of us and these two fit that bill of beer that tastes like a damn beer. If you're wanting to step things up a little bit, explore the next level as it were, you then could easily get into Chainlink (5% Vienna Lager) or Dark Streets of London (5.2% ESB). These two will change the game for some people, they bring a little more malt character forward and edge up the flavour complexity without getting too big or bitter. The journey continues with the flagship Porter (5.9%) and the latest stout, albeit a white one, Spider Palace (4.8%), challenging the everyday lagers with rich and robust dark roasted malt flavours. The classic Pinball (5.7% Pale Ale) and Devil's Punchbowl (4.8% India Session Lager) bring the senses up with more hops and bitterness, citrus and malt backbones give more zip to the proceedings. There are two IPAs on tap, usually only two and with an eye to not allowing an overwhelming list of this style to dominate the room, it ensures freshness of consumption and an appreciation for what each delivers. Currently it is the tropical citrus pineapple forward Valhalla (6.2% Kveik IPA) and the smooth, mango pineapple and orange All Roads (8% Double IPA, a collab with Grain & Grit). Both are very fresh and top of the game when they hit your glass\. I have and do enjoy them both, although All Roads has been really hitting the mark and may be one of the best beers I've had in 2021. By not having five or six IPAs on tap, it makes sure we get fresh product and don't see a style of beer that is best experienced fresh sit and fade because there are simply too many of them. A sour and seltzer round out the options and while Clifford does not currently have a kitchen, food trucks often are brought in on weekends to serve the hungry patrons. Bring your own food or have something delivered, it's all the same to the brewery, that is what makes it feel a little more like it belongs in my end of town.

  As for atmosphere or ambiance, it is decidedly laid back, laconic and easy going. Brad Clifford has a Big Lebowski-esque demeanor of cool that permeates throughout his like named brewery and that translates down to the staff and beer drinkers alike. You feel like the stress of your day disappears when you walk through the doors, it dissipates more after your first sip and you can feel the mellow vibe settle over you as you chat with fellow drinkers and those behind the bar. It is beer in an unrushed state, a congenial place that feels like what bars used to be, a meeting place to gather and enjoy the company for friends with some seriously good libations. There is a jovial feel to every conversation, no doubt a beer helps ease the anxious moments of the day, but it is something that radiates outward while you settle in for a spell. I am often struck by how easy it all feels to be part of the gang who call this their regular spot even if you're here for the first time. The people who make up the team at Clifford also offer knowledgeable directions to each beer to those who need them. Recognizing that there are a lot of people who don't know what each style has to offer and bringing them the information and finding something they can enjoy is a big part of making patrons feel comfortable and coming back again and again. It isn't about being flashy, this brewery has more than enough accolades and awards to showcase what they can do with beer, including the 2019 Canadian Brewery of the Year, but they do it with a sense of pride and commitment to delivering beer that is what it says it is and that is the kind of bottom line stuff that impresses me most. 

  It's not hyperbole to say that I enjoy my visits to Clifford immensely. The last two years have seen my ability to travel and sit down in a taproom curtailed by safety concerns and personal trepidation about the world gone mad. It has affected me in ways I couldn't have imagined, but I will do what I have done for the past 6 years and use beer and my love of writing about beer to bring myself back to the world. Starting this trip all over again, it seems right to begin at Clifford, where you'll find me coming back again because it feels like home.

 For more about Clifford or to order beer for delivery, check them out here : https://cliffordbrewing.com/

Goodbye...Polk love forever....

 

I drink beer because it makes my day a little better.

Sometimes it's just one...other times it's more...I'm a drinker, not an accountant, so numbers are often lost on me....but here we are.

Loss is tough, family means everything to me but I've been absent a lot in the last decade while I've just been trying to survive and come out breathing when I wake up the next morning...you know, regular stuff. I'm knee deep in reflecting on it all as we get ready to say goodbye to the Matriarch of half my family, 96 years seems like a blink of an eye and a long life at the same time when we find a huge hole where my Granny used to be, maybe I'll have a couple, three beers and wonder about what it all means. I know we tend to lean into the happy, the shiny new thing and all that jazz, but honestly, having a six pack of beer from Collective Arts Brewing Toronto in my fridge just because I can is not something I ever think about, it just is. I know the sadness of tomorrow, the goodbye to a very huge part of my life,  but tonight I'm gonna crack some pints, tell some stories and know that we are never really gone as long as someone remembers us...be good, be kind and be better because we only get one shot at this life and you want to leave a legacy of kindness and love  like my Granny has... 

She'll live on long after I'm gone because she was always ready to embrace and cherish the people who loved her so much. I used to think I had forever to get stuff done, but I feel that weight of years now and know I need to do the things I want to do in this moment because we have no promise of a sunrise tomorrow. 

Love from Polk, many thanks to everyone who messaged is over the last 24 hours, you made an old guy feel very loved....take care of yourselves,the folks you love and your community because we are all just trying to get by with a little beer, love and kindness ...Cheers!

Happy the Sads...

 

Happy the Sads.

Want to admit it or not, it's what the booze does...

The world is on fire, literally.

The pandemic marches on.

The arguments roll and roll and roll and fucking roll...

I'm out...for a bit...but not really...

Pour me a double, rocks, and be quick about it.

My heart is big, I love a lot, I want to see happiness expand and grow. 

I really do 

I want folks to feel safe and right and heard. I have looked deep into my heart and despite its inherent darkness, a spark of light exists. 

The next few weeks will be trying, they will be anxious and they will no doubt make us feel divided even more...I've been on that fence and seen the other side arm and prepare...but that shouldn't be us...aren't we better than that?

I'm here, drink in hand, a la Dean, saying let's talk, because shouting ain't getting us anywhere near love...but we gotta come together, otherwise we come apart...god damn it,  I just want to drink, laugh and be happy...and that's all I want for you too...

The choice is simple, we saddle up and ride this eternity together or we drift alone into oblivion tossing meaningless arrows at each other...what's it gonna be? I'm here and ready to be part of the next step....

Polk

6000 posts later...still here

 

We still out here...

6000.

That seems like a lot.

Is it though?

There is almost a decade of my life where there are no photos of me in existence. I was absent from the kind of life where people took your picture, save a mug shot...or an errant background capture at the family Christmas party where you showed up because you needed something to keep you going...life isn't always pretty, I've lived ugly for a lot of years...the scars are deep but they push up sometimes....that's why we have beer. Joke or not, a couple, three beers is an okay time to let the past go and the ache of what was lost goes away for a little while. I get maudlin sometimes, but I like where I have come to, where I've overcome and where I may go, I'm not done yet, but sweet jebus I like a few pints to take the edge off and I know that's not exactly the message in the echo chamber of beer instagram that's kosher or acceptable...but here I still am, intact, pouring another pint and telling y'all I love ya because I've seen the bottom, clawed my way back up and I'm here for anyone who needs a hand up or a shoulder to lean on. I don't know, I'm just a regular dude, maybe a little more into beer than someone should be but at my heart I'm a blue collar, simple man who just wants some love to find its place in the world and the emptiness to stop feeling so vast...thank you for all the indulgence you've given me, I'm trying to earn every moment you deem me worthy of having...

Polk

Set Adrift on the Memory Bliss....

 

A couple pints and I'm set adrift on a memory bliss...

In the mid 90s I was completely lost, emotionally and more, feeling the need to recoup and recalibrate my life. I returned home to my parent's place after a less than stellar couple of years and began hanging out at a local bar called Shuffles, a pub filled with the riff raff of East end Hammer life, myself included.

On occasion I would get to drink some beers and shots with a couple of my Uncles. To me, mid 20's broken hearted Polk, they were sage elders, bringing wisdom from the mountain top, along with whiskey shots and pitchers of beer. It wasn't many times, I drank alone or with whoever hung out the longest in the bar a lot of the time, but the image remains of getting to hang out with them and feel like I wasn't some dumbass kid who had completely fucked up his life at that point. I felt like I belonged and along with some other old drunks who'd taken me under their wings, I felt accepted. It was a weird time between loves and as life changed so did I, moving on and leaving behind that sacred temple of cabbage rolls, perogies and $5 pitchers of Canadian...but sometimes I reminisce about those days and smile a little at the time I had.

Then the other day I was thinking of those real good times and pondered just how old my late Uncle Tom and, (still with us, cheers!) Uncle Lloyd were back then and realised that not only weren't they old then, I'm damn near the age they WERE then now... when I though they were old guys drinking with me.

Seriously.

I'm the old guy who should be dispensing life wisdom at the local pub, listening to stories of love and loss and life and offering insights into a world the young folks are just dipping a toe in. I know it's a silly thing, but I feel a very real connection to them and all they taught me, whether they meant to or not, because it's lasted almost 3 decades and that means something to me. 

So when this is all done, or maybe before, I'll think I need to find a local spot to hang out, spend some time doing what I do best, drinkin', thinkin' and helping the next generation find their way forward.

To my Uncles, I say thank you....love you...

Polk

Inspired by Real Love

Be good.

Do good.

Drink good.

Gateway City Brewing dropped this tasty treat in collab with North Bay Pride and thanks to a good pal, I can enjoy it here in August still celebrating all the things we were supporting in June and should keep going all damn year. Real Love is a 5.2% Golden. lager that brings a solid biscuity toasted malt body balanced with a floral and grassy feel, a touch of rye spice on the finish, bitterness an object of affection as this one is terrific.

 Love is love and everyone deserves to be happy with who they are and who they love. Other people's religious beliefs should only apply to the narrow minded people who espouse them, the rest of us want to see a future where the bigotry, racism and homophobia of the world's religions disappear like they will as humanity sees truth and love over all. I'm a big believer in humans who see other humans ahead of doctrine and covenants with invisible deities...sky daddies need not apply. 

Reality comes strong as we move forward in this life,  being good to each other because it is the right thing to do, not to avoid punishment in the after life. I'm here to make the world better because I'm a human and I think everyone deserves a chance at happiness without compulsion. Believe what you will but leave everyone else alone to believe what they do to, your right to use a fictional book ends at your own life. Other folks aren't your problem but I will be if you try and impose your arcane beliefs on anyone. Be good and do good because it's the thing that makes this time on earth a little easier for everyone...just my two cents. Weird Tuesday flex but it's what the beer inspired so here we are...

Love from Polk.

Cheers! 4.5/5

Sunday Garage Beer Truth : Thinkin''bout Drinkin'

 

Outdoor day drinkin' on a rainy Sunday means hangin' out in the garage and listening to hurtin' country tunes while the pints flow nice and easy.

I know it's not kosher on social media to enjoy the drinking part of drinking beer, but after another 60 hour work week and another 50 hour one staring me in the face, a couple, three beers to take the edge off is a-okay by me. Let's stop pretending that beer isn't fuckin' beer and admit that part of the draw and shine is that it makes us feel a little bit less shitty about the things in life that try to bring us down. Should we indulge or over indulge all the time? Of course not, but let's stop with the nonsense that beer doesn't alter reality and we kinda like that...it's not popular but it's fuckin' true. Be nice to each other, but please be nice to yourself too, sometimes we are our own worst critics and we deserve a break from time to time. Enjoy your beer, enjoy however many you want to as long as you can live the rest of your life too...I know I do.

I like me enough that what other people think doesn't matter because I know I can pour another beer, raise my glass to the heavens and not give a shit...I also know I should maybe have a couple less a week, but I feel okay in my own skin and that's not for nothing. I don't know, it's such a tough thing, its way easier to talk about moderation and non alcoholic beers and all that stuff, but that's not me and I'm not gonna lie because that's just so easy to see through. 

Once again, this is just me rambling through my mind and things I think about. I don't want to glorify getting hammered, I rather enjoy that two or three beer buzz more than anything and hope you know, despite the folks who think otherwise, that I'm good with me and mine right now, but I'm always trying to be a little better every day. 

Beer me.

Polk

Friday night Rambling' Polk

 

Friday night by fire light... S'up Fuckers.

Things are okay, 

We keep on keepin' on and do the good things we gotta do to keep the world upright around us 

Masks? No problem.

Vaccines? Double up baby!

Listen, I know a lot of folks don't want to be political or rock the boat, but at the end of the day, this is just beer pictures and fancy words about it...life better be more than what we see on the internet or that's the saddest fuckin' thing I've ever seen.

Unless your making your buck off selling or serving beer, it's all just smoke and mirrors boo-boo. I love the folks I've met and come to know, even if it's just virtually, but we gotta be more than sharing other people's things and memes. Find a role in real life to okay, even if it's just giving some $$ to good people doing the real work. I know when to step aside, sign a damn check and let the wonderful people who actually make a difference do their thing. I don't know, I'm heading for the next half century of my life and I just want to see the world be a little more fair, a little more open and a little better than it's been...we can be part of that change, but it's gonna take a little heavy lifting and while I'm out of shape, I'll lend whatever heft I have, real, internet or imagined to making life better for anyone who needs a hand up to fight oppression or the systemic affects of the world that let this drop out, hobo Hefner live a life with almost no effort save working 80 hours a week...

Wait... that's not cool... fuck this shit...my least favourite part of this app is that 90% of folks don't bother reading any caption, save hashtags and I haven't used those in almost a year and a half because I'm equal parts train wreck, righteous deliverance man and indifferent drunk...beer me.

I mean, I ramble a lot because I spend way too much time alone and inside my head, so you do you and fuck anyone who tells ya different...even me, I'm a mess at the best of times. I love seeing the crazy love you have for beer, it's weird and crazy and makes no sense and it is who we are...

Polk

What you leave behind...

 

Sober-ish.

Near the orbit of moderation.

Getting that 2 beer buzz...on my third beer

S'up Fuckers.

Get to know yourself this summer, have a couple, three beers and listen to the music you love. Read the books you like, sit outside and do absolutely nothing but indulge yourself on leisure and self care.

The end game for all of us, rich or poor, is the same and no one will escape this mortal coil with anything more than the memories others hold of you. That's what lasts, that's what you leave behind. When your memory fades, that's when you cease to exist...make sure they remember you for the right reasons, leave behind love and a life you can say made a difference in the world, big or small. 

You live on in the lives and minds of those you've touched, that's your legacy and I hope it's a beauty one!

Polk

7 years ago...Nickel Brook Brewing & Polk : First Contact

 7 years ago, this very day, I visited Nickel Brook Brewing for the first time

7 years ago today, I drank Headstock for the very first time and had absolutely no idea the changes that were in store for me in the ensuing years as I fell in love with beer...all over again. 

It's a silly little thing, a Facebook memory triggering a flood of feelings and emotions over what seemed like, at the time, another random status update in a life that was filled with turmoil and stress kept inside and hidden from everyone I loved. I wasn't in a good place mentally back then, but the beginnings of something special and new were being planted and the end result, all these years later, is a better person, beer drinker and friend. 

Had to share some of those old school NB labels, the trippy Headstock, a Green Apple Pilsner I have vague recollections of and of course the earliest Naughty Neighbour and Bolshevik Bastard bottles. 

I remember struggling with how "hoppy" IPAs and Pale Ales were, likening them to pine trees, before I quit smoking and discovered the citrus pith and resinous pine inside that malty deliciousness that is Headstock. It's been a hell of a ride, by no means is it over yet, but damned if it didn't make me smile to see these memories and remember those early days when every beer was an adventure and the road ahead was filled with things I couldn't even fathom....

I ponder what I'll look back on in 7 more years, but I don't think I'll ever capture the sheer joy and excitement of the beginning, but I still love me some damn Headstock any day.

I'm sure glad I took the drive that day, I'm even happier I'm out here on the patio now, fresh NB beer in hand.

Polk

Good Monster Monday

 

On my best days, I'm a Good Monster.

On my not so good days...well, I have beer to help me along.

My go-to Collective Arts Brewing  pint, (apologies to OG Ransack, I still love you too boo-boo!),, Good Monster is an 8.0% New England DIPA brewed with Citra, Simcoe, Mosaic and Amarillo to deliver peach, orange and pineapple, grapefruit pith and pine, berry notes with a lingering touch of dank.

 It is one I always grab two or three of when I stop by CA for something new, I like having it here when the moment calls for happiness in a dark day. When I need to feel like the world is going to be okay, this pint let's me know I still touch ground and exist in the normal. It's a little silly maybe, but a couple tall boys to cap a swim make a bad day good.

 I felt that darkness on the edge of town today, so I put on some of my favourite tunes, dunked myself into the chilly Grotto pool for an hour or so and enjoyed this one(x2) with an eye to letting go the negative for the happy. Don't need to get sloppy, just happy and content, a two-ish beer buzz on a hazy July Monday....golden.

 Cheers! 4.3/5

Sunday Drinkin'

 

S'up Fuckers.

Sunday.

Drinkin' in the driveway, retreating to the garage when the rain drops fall a little too hard. 

It's been a weekend, good times, family and love and all that jazz. 

But a Polk needs a recharge and sometimes one day off don't cut it...but it is what I have. 

So despite a ledger of work, inside and outside the house, I binged watched 5 episodes of Mad Men, it's our thing right now, don't @ me, it's in its time and place and Holy shit watching it again 13 years later brings a whole bunch of new revelations about it and the changes in me to the table. Whenever I hear contemporary white dudes wish they could be in that timeline because it was "easier", I know I once felt that way, but I grew the fuck up and saw the world for what it was. Privilege doesn't mean you didn't have struggles, it just means your gender, sexuality or race wasn't one of them. Get over your bullshit, it's a tired trope boys, nobody cares. 

This got ranty, I mean, it went where it went and I'm okay with that too, I am who I am. I sit here with a beer in hand thinking about ways to make it a more equitable world, a more fair and honest place for good people to get their justice and peace. I know I'm lucky as fuck, I stumbled into a life I didn't know was possible and I wake up every day and look around in wonder that no one has come.by to escort me out. But I know my brothers and sisters don't all get that same feeling and until they do, I'll stick around to fight the good fight and to lend whatever credence this little profile can give to the causes of righteousness and honesty and equality every damn day.

Be fucking better, make this blue planet a little more level for everyone and do your part to see it through the eyes of those who haven't had the advantages given easily through birth or luck. You can make a change and a difference...

Let's go!

Polk

I go on...

 

No beer, no sunglasses, no barrier between you and I.

I'm closing in on half a century faster than I can imagine, quicker than I could think possible and when I look around me, I'm struck by the incredible luck that has landed me here. I've screwed up more times than I can count, blown chances and been down for the count so often, I'm never sure when things are truly good or bad, I'm waiting for the next shoe to drop and the cycle to begin again. 

I've seen my entire life get thrown aside, had the heat turned off in the dead of winter and my phone cut because I couldn't afford the bill. I've borrowed from Peter to pay Paul and then borrowed from Paul to pay back Peter. I've seen shit go down and been right to the fucking edge of walking off the ledge and never looking back...

But still I am here.

That message of never losing hope, of seeking help when you need it and of looking for some way, any way up from the depths of darkness mean a lot to me. I have been to the precipice of the abyss, stared right in the eye of the devil and turned back to live another day. 

I know a lot of folks are just about beer and how awesome things are on this app, I get it, I know that feeling. But after almost 6 years of doing this every day, I know that it means nothing without the truth of real life behind it. People question my "ratings" of a beer never stop to think maybe I'm just real fucking happy to be alive to enjoy that beer and damned if I'm not gonna embrace that feeling to the limit. I've made and lost friends because of silly shit, I've said goodbye to people I love a lot but who felt I was such a mess they couldn't stick around to watch and I can't be mad at that, because I'm not easy, I'm not going to change and I'm here until the time comes that I'm no longer here...

Take care of yourself, step back and make sure you're okay, I'm always here to talk, I'm always here to help make it less hard to be a person on this little.blue ball we call home. Beer is great, but you gotta be here to enjoy it, so stick around and let's see what happens next.

The darkness is real, but you and I can step back, lean into the light and try to make it work, life goes on...as do I.

Polk

Oh Canada...

 

By the light of the setting sun, this Canada Day hits it's apex as I can hear the fireworks go off around the normally quiet neighborhood I call home. 

Should I be angry that they callously celebrate a national holiday amidst so much sorrow for the Indigenous people who have called this land home long before any of our ancestors did? Or do too many of them live in the ignorance we all claimed to just weeks ago. The stories and truth about residential "schools" have been out there for a long time, but we turned a blind eye to the heart wrenching truth because it wasn't taught to us or it didn't cross our paths. We didn't have to live it because we live in privilege and no government ever tried to dismantle our family in the name of assimilation. I don't know, I'm angry at the church and the leaders who enacted these policies, but more than that I'm angry at myself for my own lack of understanding when it comes to the depths of sorrow experienced by the First Nations people in my name. Can we do better? Of course we can and while I know some things we see are purely performative, business and influence often meet at the corner of opportunity and social development, but I won't be so cynical...yet. What we know now needs to be actionable going forward. Money talks, donate to Indigenous charities, support Indigenous creators and educate yourself more and more. The Truth in Truth and Reconciliation is out there and we have a part to play in making tomorrow a better Canada for everyone. I've been thinking, I hope you have been too. Let's do the heavy lifting, next year can look a whole lot different but it's not gonna be easy. Stay the course, the winds will blow heavy and the news will be tough but together we can be better and do better. My own ignorance was no excuse, but now I must act and my dollars will tell that tale, my voice will direct that song and my life will be more blessed because I stand with those who deserve righteous deliverance. Tax the churches, end the court battles and enact all the recommendations of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission.

Done..but not done at all.

Polk

Wednesday Night....

 

It's Wednesday.

It's beautiful out here.

How you doin'?

I've poured another pint, just one more to soothe the day, one more chance to let go of what was and embrace what may be. To say it's about the styles and flavour notes isn't wrong, but without that ABV, would we care so much about our beer...would we? 

I don't know, I've tried some solid non-alcoholic brews, but at the end of the day, at the very end of every work day to be sure, I would like a little oomph for my dollar. I know it's not kosher to talk about that two beer+ buzz, but beer is beer and that's what it does. I'm not talking about getting shitfaced...not that we all don't get a little deep into our cups from time to time,...let's not kid ourselves. But I know it's more performative here, to maybe paper over that part of beer drinkin', but hey, I'm not the Hobo King because I pretend we don't like how beer makes is feel. I'm not advocating for getting sloshed all the time, but we like the buzz, don't we?

I think about this sometimes, let's be honest, I'm not the only one who likes a couple, three beers every night....but I'm the only one who'll own it...or not, maybe I'm just a drunk who should put his phone down and get on with livin'...be nice to each other and be kind to yourself, life isn't much more than doing the best we can with what we got.

Funny enough, I've poured another beer writing this because I wanted one and at the end of the day, that doesn't hurt anyone and I enjoy it, so why the fuck not, eh?

Polk

That Friday Night PBR Rant

 

Well now... wouldn't be a proper garage beer drinking good-bye without a little PBR...

Judging folks for what beer they drink isn't just boring, it's fuckin' sad.

Drink what ya want

Drink what you're able

If you're drinkin' with Polk

You'll be under the table.

I remember the early days of my evangelical craft beer conversion.

I remember railing against the macro and big beer.

Then I looked around and saw folks drinking what made em happy and figured let people enjoy the things they do, no harm to anyone, and to be honest, the craft beer snob thing is a fucking sad trope left to those with nothing else but hashtags and ambitions that will never be realised.

Support local, but let people enjoy themselves in the way that makes em happy.

Be better, be cool and know the righteous battles to fight have nothing to do with who owns what.

You wanna know why I don't collab with anyone or hustle to appear on podcasts or have merch? I'm a drunk with too many words in his head and I no longer give a fuck about what people think...it's pretty freeing, fat guy, hobo King, sober adjacent and finally happy.

Also....why would anyone ask?

 I'm a fuckin' mess on my best day...I'm good, I know what I am...

Polk

P.S. 

Also, if you've stick around this long...Polk fuckin loves ya and would be happy to have a pint with ya one day. Be kind to all you meet, we don't know the battles, often silent, they face.

P.P.S.

Giv'r.

The car in the garage...

 

How do you quantify a decade of hangin' out in a garage, using this car as a beer table, rings left in humour and love, arguments and make-ups, hockey pools, poker and much more. Kat's getting a new ride tomorrow and this Mazda 3 has been a faithful companion to the Polk family in more ways than just reliable transportation. It sits in the garage opposite the back door and its trunk has been the site of many an outdoor/indoor drinking session. It has left more than a fair share of drink rings on her, but I'll be damned if those memories aren't some of the finest I have. A lot of drunk conversations where we solved the world's problems, just to forget them when we woke up a little groggy the next morning. Friends and family who are no longer with us have rested a drink here, their memory is a blessing. Friends lost who meant so much and friends found who mean the same. It's been a helluva ride either way and it shall not be repeated.a classic for a classic as Muskoka Brewery Mad Tom joins us for the final night here in the garage. Big west coast citrus and pine, always welcome, always on point. Goodbye to this chapter of our journey, what a thing this was, I know I am failing to communicate this spot properly, but believe me when I say some of the best things and memories of my life happened with a beer being picked up from the back of this car. The picture can't do justice to the night, but we out here and we know...

Happy trails...

Cheers! 4.4/5

Life happens...

  

Beer goes on.

But life is way more than just pints.

Life happens writ large in moments of triumph and sorrow.

Life happens in the quiet margins of despair and contentment.

Life happens...

This week has been incredibly revealing for this country, so many people who lived lives in the darkness of the true history of what continues to be a tragic story of colonialism and genocide have woken up to see that all is not well in Canada, despite a lifetime of education that teaches otherwise. We are at a junction in the story of this place we call home where we, the people, can help change the narrative and direction of where we go next.

It's gonna be hard, because the whole story of the schools hasn't been uncovered yet and that is going to stretch even the most ardent defender of the church and state to come up with any sort of excuse or explaination. The click is ticking louder each day...

Anyway, I drank a couple of these tonight because writing about beer and life helps keep me sane, a task I am often chasing with equal parts devotion and hope that tomorrow will be a better day. 

I struggle some days with who I am and what I do, but in the end, I pour a pint, find some words and go on.

Collective Arts Brewing Toronto location has become a big part of this life, I must say the 8.9% High Vibration DIPA delivered happiness in a dark time today. Papaya, pineapple, mango and grapefruit with a smooth body and a solid bitterness with lingering tropical citrus made for an excellent mind opener and soother. Stories on this app are temporary, posts are on display forever if ya leave em, so this stream of consciousness may seem weird or odd to some folks, but if you know me, you know that this is who I am...Cheers! 4.4/5

Post Script : I wasn't sure I wanted to post this today, the heavy lifting my indigenous friends are doing every hour weighs in my mind. But I have always used the beer as a vehicle to have discussions and truths that need to be told, so here we are. I know some folks don't feel like they can post about what's happening, I know some folks don't care and I know some just don't see how they can help. Every moment you share, every message you send, every story and post helps...

Bear for The 215 Children

 I don't have the words today, but I'll find ones I think can get me by....

The @anishinabeknation has asked that we put our teddy bears out on the porch tonight and leave a light on to remember the #215 children found this week...

We need to do more, educate yourself my friends, no more shall "I didn't know about residential schools" get a pass. Ask the questions of your local MPs, donate much needed funds to Indigenous groups and charities and most importantly listen to the voices of those who have the stories to tell. Celebrate their triumphs, lift them up and get out of the way.

There is more to come, we must demand more of ourselves and we must make sure that true Reconciliation happens.

Thank you to @up_north_brewing for bringing this to our attention, my love to you and your family. I stand with you my brother.

Polk

My love will go on...A Leafs Guy confession

I'm a Leafs guy. 

Have been since birth, basically. 

Been a long road.

Still a lot of miles to go.

But I am who I am and I love the Blue and White with no hesitation.

They've lifted me up, let me down and broken my heart more times than I can count, disappointment is my middle name...but still I persist. Because.

Just because. 

If you were there in May of '93, you'll know why I can't stop loving them, this life isn't for the weak because being a Leaf fan means opening your heart up again every year and getting it broken when that final horn blows and we still lean into 1967 as the final championship. 

Go Leafs go...forever.

Pre-gaming with @spearheadbeer 4.0% Lighter Lager because it is crisp, clean and low ABV without leaving anything out. Light citrus notes, toasty malt back and a solid beer bitterness make for a great BBQ, watching the game or drowning your sorrows (eventually) beer. Cheers! 4.2/5

S'up Fuckers

 

S'up Fuckers, how's it going?

Gotta say, it's been a week of turmoil and change, voices raised and anger shown. Old Polk ain't always easy, he's nearly hit five decades and let's face it, copious amounts of malted barley and other assorted fermented things have taken their toll.

Why do I always think doing more, posting more, drinking more and generally being a big drunken hobo online means anything to anyone? Something I contemplate a lot, albeit 4 beers deep and slow sipping a fifth in one of the prettiest places on earth...

But I know this.

Be kind, because you don't know the battle other folks are going through.

Be better, because you're good too, and the people you love deserve the love you have to give.

Be more, because you have the capacity to do just that.

Step up, stand up and be counted, call out the things that aren't okay, be the voice for the voiceless and the one for the none.

It's not supposed to be easy, but if we all stand together, we can lean on each other when we need to and hold one another up.

You know when you think things are okay? Look around and see if that's true for everyone...because it's not and until we can all stand tall together, we need to lean hard into the work that needs to be done.

Too many folks think it's only beer, for me after all this time, I'll tell you that it is more than just "only beer" and I'll proclaim that from every roof top and insta story I can...I don't owe one mother fucker one moment of who I am...seriously. I work 60 plus hours a week, talking about beer is my happy place and my chance to make a positive difference in the world.... But if drinkin' sexist or shitty beer is super important to ya then I'm not going to waste a moment on your sad ass. I could walk away from all this tomorrow and still keep being me...I doubt a bunch of those easily offended conservative folks could. When I leave, you won't know because I'll just leave, no big sad "oh my lord I'm outta here" post

But I'm not going anywhere soon, too many fuckers to piss off and too many great folks to give props to...

But the end of all this, the reward for your patience with my ramblings is that I have infinite love...

Polk

The Last First Dance

 

The Last First Dance, 2004.

Seventeen years is but the beginning...

Someone I respect a lot once told me that you had to build the foundation of your relationship rock solid to support the frame of it when things go wrong. Because they will and that foundation will keep you safe and together through any storm. 

That's what we've done.

Damned if we aren't still standing, a little beaten and bent but finding the light and moving toward a future we hoped for all those years ago on this date. It isn't always simple and love isn't the only thing you need to make it this far in life with another human by your side. Compassion, understanding the foibles and traumas of what was and what can be, forgiveness, passion and dedication to the promises made but sometimes forgotten. Life is dirty, often unfair and we keep going because there has always been a hand to lift the one who's fallen down back up again. It's leaning on each other when the winds blow and the night is dark. It's laughter and inside jokes and joy when things go well. It's  memories made and kept ferociously close to your heart because they've become part of who you are to your core. 

That Last First Dance was the culmination of the bedrock layer of this life we call ours, but we've never stopped building it because in love there is strength and our love sustains me through every thing I do.

Love you Kat.

Someday we will talk about that ice swan though...hehe

Phantom Time...

 

Things feel a little sideways as we hit 15 months(ish) into this timeline and Wellington Brewery Phantom Time American Pale Ale seems like the most appropriate pint to pour on the patio right now. Do we even know what day it is anymore? I'm either working or not working, every thing else is kinda blurry...I mean, I guess the days of the week exist, months pass and the year of 2020 seems to have been a full and actual thing that happened, but at this point, I'm sliding into every day with little or no idea what I'm supposed to do or think except for to survive and try and lift folks up a bit when I can. It's weird and after almost half a century on this planet, it's getting weirder. Peach, lemon and lime with pine and pith on the back, this is a fine and dandy splash in the glass as the sun sets and whatever day this was ends and the promise of some kind of tomorrow sits on deck with whatever we feel we need to do to get by happening around us shines a light in our general direction. Rumination upon the information gives way to confirmation that we can only do what we can and being kind to those we encounter is a good place to start. Stay safe my friends, drink what you like and remember that history is being made, be part of it that will make you proud to talk about as the decades fall around us...

Cheers! 4.3/5

More days like this...

 

More days like today, please...

I was feeling burned out, beat down and tired.

And that's okay and real and true.

We all are, to some degree, but still we put on that smile and give it what we got left in the tank. 

But then you get a good day, a day that speaks to your fuckin' soul in a language you can understand. You feel loved, understood, even happy with a cautious look towards the not so distant future when, just maybe, things will be better...better and real and you can hug some fuckers just because you miss 'em.

I know it's been a helluva a long haul, the folks who've been doing the things right and proper feel that strain hard as fuck right now watching morons "protest" and demand "muh freedoms" while front line workers witness the stress of what's really happening. Nobody wants this to last a second longer than it should and our leaders have been less than stellar in communicating and following the science but we keep on being better than they ask because we fucking care about our fellow humans. 

I don't have the answers, I'm just a wordy drunk who just wants you to know someone cares about you and loves ya...stay safe my friends, get that shot when ya can and I'll be there with you on the other side, pint glass raised.

Polk

Polk the Truth 2021 - Spring into April or something wittier

   

After 4 months of daily beer tracking, I must say I'm feeling a little over the whole thing. I'm beginning to remember why I stopped using Untappd in the first place and the mere act of having to put every damn pint into it is beginning to feel like a second job. I mean, I've written a daily beer review on Instagram for almost 2000 days in a row...wait is that right...yep, 1997 and counting...there's a post in there I'm sure that will get somebody angry at me or something, but that's not what this is about. I gotta keep on, keepin' on

  I persist because that is what I do, always.

  So let's get into the numbers and what we've learned this month, the very first one to average less than 4 beers a day...albeit at 118 check-ins in 30 days it comes in at 3.93, so just barely. Honestly on the 30th I was gonna have a couple more beers but when I saw that number I kinda wanted to hold it down just to say I did it. Overall I liked the direction the month took, more than half the days were under 3 beers a day, especially pleased that on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday (typically work nights for me), that average was 2 beers or less, something I actively worked on. The struggle remains those evenings when there is no work the next day or the ones where I let my stress and anxiety get the better of me or just want to blow off a little steam with a couple extra pints.

 I'm trying to quantify the hard to quantify here, so I also don't want to come off as glib or dismissive of my life or how I live it. I like to drink beer and talk about what's going on in my world while I do it, so I'm trying to find the right balance in the whole thing and I hope this is helping somehow...

First 15 days rolled in with a solid 60% of the 56 beers to pour in my glass unique entries, a good indicator that this was part of trying to focus on talking about different beers and not just pounding a couple of go-to pints just because. There are still a couple days well over what I consider to be the upper, normal limit, but with the weather warming, I feel like this is an indicator of where we could be heading despite more than half the days being 2 or less.

The back half of April had some real work stress giving my ability to stay on that under 4 line a run for it's money. Toss in some real patio worthy afternoons and you can see that 33 of 63 beers were just for enjoying and not so much about the writing or discussing flavour profiles and the like. It felt like there were some days I wanted to just chuck this whole thing onto the waste bin of bad ideas, but I still think there is some merit to keeping myself honest and real, regardless of whether I like the numbers or what they say about me and my self control...or lack thereof.

    Perhaps I have just become bored by this or that the numbers seem to be relatively the same and constant. around 4 beers a day with a good smattering of single beer days coupled together with some nights of 8 plus pints seems to be the story every month. I am not sure it does much good, although I do enjoy breaking the information down, it gives me an inside look at things I already suspected were true. I do have a lot of free time away from work, I don't really have hobbies or people to distract me, I drink some beers, write about it and then go read a book or watch something to distract me from the dwindling hours of freedom left before bed time. I know this is a self indulgent look at a tiny slice of life that I dare share with the world. I am not pretty or tied up in a bow and presentable to an audience. I basically am as I seem, leaning into a life lived at full speed for a long time, now idling and waiting for the light to change. What's next isn't really on my mind as much as why? Why do we do this stuff? Why do we feel compelled to share our beer online or take time to write and photograph this fraction of who we are? Why are their people invested in what I do when I could care less myself? It's become an inward looking, outward facing 6 year experiment in examining my life using craft beer as a backdrop. I am compelled to tell stories and wander through the vague and never changing landscape that is my rather sedentary world.

  I re-read this last part and it seems a little maudlin. I could delete it, but let's leave it in for the sake of argument when we get to the end of the year and look back at each month. April was a stress filled slog at work and while I did get my first dose of vaccine, there were a lot of days I struggled to get motivated enough to get out of bed and head in for my ten-plus hour shifts. I feel better now, but something about last month was just off. Lucky for me I have beer to drink and talk about, pints to be inspired by and words to try and help me explain myself to you all out there doing you're very best at the same time. I'll put this out there now, May is off to a bit of a roaring start, so I'll see you in 3 weeks or so and examine what the hell that all turned out to be.

Stay safe.

Polk

Now for the raw numbers, nerd Polk approved...

Beers by the day 

Sunday -  13 (3.25 per day)

Monday - 5 (1.25)

Tuesday - 6 (1.50)

Wednesday - 22 (5.50)

Thursday - 23 (4.60)

Friday - 25 (5.00)

Saturday - 24 (6.00)

Unique Beers - 63/118 (53.4%)

Beers by Brewery

Collective Arts Brewing - 8 unique beers

Nickel Brook Brewing - 6

Fairweather Brewing - 6

Badlands Brewing - 5

Great Lakes Brewery - 5

Grain & Grit Beer Co - 5

Overflow Brewing - 5

Beers

Nickel Brook Brewing Headstock IPA - 8 times

Collective Arts English IPA - 4

Wellington Brewery Faces DIPA - 3

Fairweather Brewing Menagerie Motueka 3

Merit Brewing Young Rival IPA - 3

 

Revenge Bedtime Procrastination with Left Field Greenwood IPA

 

Because we can.

Shortie cans are okay by me, especially when I'm staying up late watching stuff that brings us happiness. 

Stealing hours tonight from tomorrow gives the semblance of control over time and while I can sleep in because I'm off, it's still pushing back bedtime to reclaim a little more time for myself. 

It happens alot right now, we struggle with control and time and the pressure to be okay. It's called Revenge Bedtime Procrastination and it's done in response to the piling on of duties, responsibilities and stress. You figure it becomes a "tomorrow you" problem because "today you" deserves a little more time before calling it a day. 

A good friend gave me some @leftfieldbrewery pints the other day, a friend I met through beer but who I haven't been able to sit down and have a beer with because, well, (gestures wildly at the world), you know. But our friendship has become very important to me and I know we will get to hang out someday, just staying the course till it's safe to do so. 

It's rambling, I know, but when you take this time, when you lean into a little of tomorrow to enjoy some of today, things can go from clean and crisp to a little gray and cloudy.

 Beer helps, good beer does double duty. Greenwood IPA continues to deliver an exceptional half pint of peach, pineapple and orange in a smooth tropical body with a soft citrusy finish. It's real good stuff and it's easily accessible at your local LCBO. You should get some, take a break and enjoy stealing some time from yourself, for yourself. Cheers! 4.4/5

Why not have 2?

 

Why not have 2?

Why not?

We do the things.

We wear the masks, keep the distance, got the shot, try to keep everyone safe and generally follow the best guidelines to do the damn right thing. 

We get to have 2...well, we get to have whatever the hell we want because it's a fuckin' pandemic and I'm tired of working and acting like it's no big deal.

It is a big deal. 

You're not just working, at home or out in the world, you're working during a global crisis.

You're not just helping your kids with school work, your navigating an incredibly difficult job of doing everything simultaneously and not at all feeling like you are doing anything at all. 

You're gettin' by and that's fucking pretty impressive 14 months in. 

So have a beer. 

Have 2. Doc Polk approved.

For me, Kat bought me 2 cans of @cliffordbrewingcompany 5.7%, 55 IBU Pinball Wizard APA, one ofy faves, and I'm gonna have both out here by the fire while I listen to my favourite hurtin' old country tunes and letting myself forget the world for awhile. It'll be there at 5 a.m. when I go to work tomorrow, I'll go back to it then.

Cheers! 4.5/5

Through the Glass

 

I was only gonna have one beer tonight, still a little worn out from the whole weekend thing getting my vax on and all that jazz. Feelin' good, just a little tired but I'm also feelin' that anger at what's going on around us and am trying to distract myself with a little beer and writing before calling it a night. 

  When I saw this one from Badlands Brewing lurking in the fridge, it seemed a necessary part of the day. Through the Glass is a solid damn IPA that rolls in at 6.5%, and brings notes of peach, mango and orange in copious amounts. Softly bitter and smooth AF, it's a beauty. That name got me though, that grabbed my eye and mind and didn't let go. I mean, we are way past the looking glass portion of this trip down the rabbit hole and with a long road ahead, some folks are cracking at the seams. I'm not talking but those Covidiots who March against masks or think it's some kind of conspiracy, they've got so many problems, I don't think anything helps them see the truth. I'm talking about you and me, the ones who've done as asked, hell, who've done more and listened to the science and the doctors and continue to do it even when we can feel that breaking us in many ways. We want to protect the ones we love and we want to come out the other side of this, not normal again, but maybe ready to embrace a new and better world where we try and address the inequalities we've seen magnified in the last 14 months.

  I don't know where I'm going with this, but I just wanted you to know you're not alone, you're gonna make it and we are gonna fill those taprooms and patios again someday. Stay safe, stay sane and take care of yourself too. Mental health is important and I know you're feeling that weight. Lean on someone you love, don't keep it all inside, people love you. Polk loves you.

Stay strong.

Polk

Beer in hand...

 

There's a time and a place for a beer.

And it's right now and in my hand.

I hope you have a good week ahead, I truly do. I know it isn't always easy, hell I go down a dark path myself every so often because it's often easier to feed that beast than embrace the little happiness we find in each day.

 It has been a hell of a year+, to be honest the last 9 years have been an incredible climb up and out of a place I found myself in. Working on my own mental health isn't a final endgame, it is a continual process of stumbling, falling and getting back up again. Failure happens, darkness happens but life does indeed find a way. The ability to write about whatever is on my mind because I drink a beer has become a great part of my own process and I enjoy stepping away from it when I'm done and leaving it to  sit and ferment while I ponder the next step. I look back and see things I know came from anger and then find ones of pure love. It's all part of the daily grind of being a human, we keep trying to be better each time we get out of bed. Be good to the folks around you when you can, be kind to yourself always and may your two beer buzz be the feeling you keep with you when you need it most. Stay safe out there and let's get to the other side of this with a little panache.

Polk

Livin' that Pilsner life..

 

Livin' that Pilsner life.

We look around us and wonder if anyone is paying attention...

I have been following the rules of lockdown for more than 14 moths and I'm fuckin' tired and I know you are too...but I also know you and I will keep doing the right things even if we are fucked mentally beyond comprehension because we care about the folks around us that we love..beer me.

You know, after more than 6 years of daily beer talk on this app, you'd think I'd understand when to post or perhaps what fleet or video would generate the algorithm love but I don't because I'm a hobo drinking and posting when he does. 

One thing I have learned is that I see the folks trying to game the system and I appreciate the hustle, but I kind of question the sanity...the beer gods see a lot, they bless less because they're fucking drunk...smile kids, the other side is a frown and a macro lager and I know we wouldn't want a beer that is the same every time and everywhere...but do we? The one thing the craft beer folks could learn is that kind of world we need is one that is inclusive and way more open minded than you thought it would be...am I doing this right? Fuck it, Polk out...

On Fuck.

S'up Fuckers.

Got beer.

Neither are questions, despite the syntax or lack thereof. While the first statement can be a question, it is most used as a greeting or introduction of sorts, meant for everyone and offensive only if you feel that the word fuck is not part of normal conversations you have everyday. It is in mine, I'd use it more often but I do work in an open kitchen that is customer facing, so the normies of the world must be kept safe from the foul language that we use to express love, hate and everything in between.

 It's just a word man.

 I used to listen to George Carlin a lot, still do but I used to too, the man understood language and I think spending most of my formative years secretly listening to him shred the thought police about words and so much more has given me the power to understand it better. Fuck is a good word. It does the heavy lifting for a lot of things in our lives, happy or sad. I like to use it because it feels like it's part of me and helps illustrate who I am better than other, tamer words. They lack the necessary punch where Fuck never does.

As for Got Beer, well let's just say it's not a question I ask but rather something I like the world to know...every fuckin' day.

Cheers and salutations from your pal with nothing better to do but drink beer and write random things,

Polk. 

Wednesday Polk

 

They've always told me I need to believe in something...I do believe I'll have another damn beer.

Nickel Brook Brewing Headstock IPA pours tonight. The best there is, was and will be. West Coast, writ Ontario, legendary and somehow everywhere...

Life is real and on the edge right now, I'm feeling that tonight, leaning into an old favourite because I seek comfort in the storm. Around me rages a pandemic, into its midst I head every workday, perhaps double masked but is that enough against the absolute unknown? We ponder mortality in a daily basis out here where I live, wondering if today is the day it all goes fuckin' sideways. We don't know, and while some folks may be quick to judge our 4th pint on a Wednesday night, they are absolutely not getting down and dirty and up close and personal with other humans tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow...Be kind and better to your fellow humans, we are just trying to get by and make it through another day. The tears shed in private, the sheer desperation and prayers to inconvenient gods to keep us safe mean little.in a world filled with algorithm posts at 9:35 a.m. because the Insta-computrom said to do it.

Everytime they say "I'm not an influencer" their influencer rank goes.up 12 points...keep it real, or don't...because at the end of the day, it's just fuckin' beer and we are all trying to keep that two beer buzz going.

  I've been there, I was there at the beginning I'm here now and I'll be there at the end...I'm still just a drunk, but with staying power.

Cheers! 5/5

Polk