The Honest Review - Advocating for better beer.

 

   I think we have all been there. You grab a couple new beers at the Liquor store and rush home with your treasures, eagerly anticipating a night of exciting things. Chilled and waiting after dinner, you open the first one and watch the cascade of liquid fill your glass, hoping for the aromas and flavours to match what the brewer has promised. Watching the final drops flick into the foamy head, you sniff and feel like something's off. A little deeper perhaps and still, it comes up short. No worries though, clearly the first sip will reveal the true depth of character this beer has been presented to us with, flavours will surely come forth to justify you spending your beer budget on this exciting looking new beer.
  Except it doesn't and now you aren't sure what to do. Do you keep drinking it, clearly it isn't hitting the style marks or descriptions given to you. The early excitement fades and the promise of a fun night has morphed into a disappointing evening of self doubt and recriminations. You could have stayed with your tried and true craft beer favourites, but you want try new things because that is what this whole thing is really all about. While every beer certainly can't be the very best ever, they should at least hit the level of competent and close to style.

Who wants to go back to the old generic beer days?

 The rush to market feel I have seen recently looks like the tip of the iceberg and this Titanic voyage is just getting started. I can understand people who have been home brewing for years banding together with like minded friends or family and making a go of commercial brewing. Be it as a contract brewer or an actual brick and mortar shop, those dreams are worthy and I support anyone willing to undertake it with an honest and open plan. But we all know the ones that just don't feel right. Slick marketing, glossy photo spreads, product placement for money and a general sense of a disingenuous approach to a community that still feels very grassroots at its base. The heart we so often speak of cannot be found in such places or brands and the slimy feeling you get is because deep down you know what you're drinking.
 There can be some difficulty in trying to separate the real from the fake because it can subjective but the people who make up the strength of the craft beer movement, the drinkers and lovers of well made, independent beer can sense when someone is feeding them bullshit. Poorly made beer that is sent out because they have deadlines or investors isn't just the calling card of a contract brewer, some long term brewers have reputations for sub par releases that make you wonder how gullible we appear. Getting a listing at the LCBO means you've passed some kind of quality control but it doesn't ensure that quality translates into something resembling good, on point beer.  Malty IPAs when they're supposed to be balanced, watery lagers to try and capture that borderline segment who want to experience craft and labels meant to catch the eye but with little in the way of substance inside. I have only found a few of these kinds of pseudo craft beers but I fear the time is upon us when the market fragmentation and the pursuit of a share of a still pretty tiny pie is deluged with witty slogans, artwork and not much substance. My experience buying wine (a story for another day entirely) gave me an inkling what it is like to be new to the scene, relying on labels and descriptions, guided by names that sound like I should know them or perhaps something someone has told me to help influence my purchase.

I'm always learning

  How do we combat this invasion of the flavour snatchers? It starts and ends with us, to be very simplistic. We who have come before must be the voices that sustain the revolution. The advocacy for better beer and more honesty in that must be paramount. The toehold craft has in the overall beer marketplace is solid but not huge and the potential is there for exponential growth in the coming years, but a flood of poorly made or executed beers will turn people off and send them back to the bland, yet always consistent macro brands. Helping your friends who are new to craft beer find good transitional beers that are to style and full of flavour will help stem the tide of gimmicky bullshit that is starting to pop up and can ensure we don't let this cold turn into pneumonia.
  I say we try to keep our social media filled with honest and straightforward discussions about what we are drinking. You will know I am not a person who ever trashes a brewer or even a beer as being intentionally bad. Rather I let the world know that it's not for me, missing some key mark or flavour along the way to explaining why it wasn't a beer I'd buy again. You don't have to be an asshole about it but your friends deserve and will appreciate your opinion when they seek it out. Advocate the best in beer and try to help them when it comes to steering them into beers that match what they like about flavours and textures. Ease them into it, a triple IPA for a dedicated Bud Light drinker isn't doing them or the beer any favours.

It's always been true for me,

 If you're an explorer of craft beer like me, you're going to try every beer you can get your hands on and as long as you try to see them for what they are stylistically rather than trying to attack them, you will help the cause go further with those who are asking your counsel. Let's make the conversation about what is the best side of our beer but not without acknowledging the weak spots and poor decisions we see on the shelves. Call them out, be truthful and always use your words wisely as those who seek your council will be grateful for your candor. Let the light of truth shine on your pursuit and always keep a sense of wonder about just how amazing this time is for people who love great beer.


Cheers!


Polk

Thoughts on Selling Out

  

The future is generic? No way!

The last few days have seen the Craft Beer world in a bit of an uproar as Wicked Weed Brewing from North Carolina sold out to AB-InBev and it caused the usual lamentations and chest beating to occur. I want to be honest with you and tell you that until they sold, I had never heard of them. I am certain many of my friends were in the same boat and it isn't really a surprise as we tend to focus most of our attention on our local brewers and some of the more well known American or European counterparts.

Sweet logo, never heard of them until the other day.

This is not to dismiss what happened as not consequential, I have read about the amazing beer and rapid growth that perhaps led to this moment. I know many folks have already sworn never to buy their beer again and the brewers have, as is usual, come out with talks of strategic partnership and expanded distribution and capacity. I am not here to talk about them, or Goose Island or even our own beloved Mill Street selling to Labatt's not so long ago. No, what I want to talk about has kept creeping into my thoughts many times since this story first broke, that being what the future of our favourite craft brewers might be and how we will react to it.

  I want you to imagine for a moment that your favourite craft brewer has been approached by someone from Big Beer about a "partnership". They have been told they will receive a huge cash payment, but will remain in control of all aspects of their brewery, only now with greater distribution and money for expansion. How would you feel? In many cases, we have gotten to know these people personally, raised pints with them and felt proud as they grew and more people discovered them. How would you react to your friend getting a windfall after years of hard work building and sacrificing so much to grow their business? We may be shocked and sad but how can we deny someone the golden dream because we want them to remain small. The answers are, to me, not so black and white and despite my own personal feelings, I am unsure on how I would react.

An old favourite now no longer bought

  I struggled with Mill Street when they sold because they were among the first Craft Beers to help me shake off the demons of the past and focus on better made, more flavourful beer. The Vanilla Porter was my favourite beer of 2015 and remained so until I started to discover my changing palate could take me to so many other styles. Since "selling out", they have grown across Canada, with brewpubs opening East and West and each is "independent" and unique. But the spectre of corporate overlords can not be discounted and we see it in the beer. A corporation is duty bound, by law, to maximize shareholder profit and if we accept that to be true, have we seen a drop in the quality of beer from any of the local brewers who've cashed in? Some, like my friend who still loves Unibroue even after they sold out Sapporo, say no, it is possible to remain a relevant and good brewer even after signing for a fat cheque from new bosses. Others, too many to name, swear off anyone who takes a dollar from the "evil overlords", like Lagunitas in the States selling 50% to Heineken. 

  Where do you fall? I have my own troubles with getting too entrenched in either camp but my feelings certainly lead me to lean one way indeed.
  I am a massive supporter of the drink local ideal, supporting, visiting and promoting the craft beer scene here in Ontario is my mission and I have gotten to know so many wonderful people who work in and around the industry. From owners to brewers to social media and event staff, I have been lucky to get to know these passionate and dedicated lovers of great beer. So I wonder how I would feel if one morning I wake up and X Brewing company has now become part of the "diverse portfolio" of Molson Coors. It is bound to happen and for all we know that time is sooner rather than later. Will you abandon everything you love about your favourite local brewer because of their parent company, despite assurances that it will be business as usual? Or will you stick to some core principal and say good bye to years of loyalty because you feel betrayed. I think that is the emotional response many people haave nd it is the driving force behind that faction, the feeling of back door dealing, abandonment and just plain frustration. Drinking craft beer, for so many of us, is not just about the beer, it is about the community we have found surrounding it. Sending beer saint gifts across the province or country to share our local faves with far flung online friends is becoming more commonplace and helping connect us like never before.

My conscience is always keeping me on my toes when it comes to beer.

  I think for many of us who came to discover it later in life we cling to this feeling and revel in being part of it because so much of our lives have become programmed and corporate. Craft beer has led me to discover small restaurants and local shops I didn't know existed. I am starting to make an effort to make my voice heard with my dollars but then I also shop at Walmart and work for one of the biggest supermarket chains in the country. So I can attest to wanting to shop local but also wanting to save money and have a job that is reliable. The dichotomy of my beer purchases and some of the other points in my life does trouble me so, but that's a whole other thing to write about another day.
 The result of all this meandering is that I love what craft beer has brought to my life and I have a hard time giving the big three any of my hard earned beer budget money. So while it isn't a hard and fast rule, I bought a new Session IPA from Mill Street the other day, I do my best to keep my regular purchases crafty in nature. I will be honest and conclude that I would like to think I would give anyone a chance even if they sold a stake to a corporation, but it would be difficult to sustain my enthusiasm as the culture and even the beer would be sure to change. So choose your path wisely and with honest, open eyes. No matter what happens, this is a discussion sure to crop up many, many, many times in the future. I just really hope it's not about any of my favourites, I'm not ready for that one yet.


Raise your glass and your standards.
One beer at a time.


Cheers!


Polk

Do I drink too much? The Truth in May

 

  I sometimes wonder if I drink too much.
  Or too often.
  Or for the wrong reasons.
  I see my friends, real life and virtual, posting pictures every day or so and think to myself, "Do we have a problem?" Are we masking some level of alcoholism with our craft beer "hobby". We joke about it all the time, hell the memes are hilarious, but are they hiding a bigger truth?

I drink at least one beer every day and while my quantity of consumption is nowhere near the dozen or so I used to drink in a setting, I will have no problem downing 5 or 6 high ABV beers in a night. So my worry begins when I try to explain how it's different now. How by drinking better beer and enjoying the flavours I am not pursuing the demons of the past. But am I really or is it just a clever and not so subtle way of keeping the good feelings rolling with art and beer colliding,

  I don't post every beer I drink on social media, usually only one or two a day. I'm always a little self conscious about putting too many pictures up and annoying people with my passionate love for the Craft. I usually pick and choose which beers to post by seeing which are new releases, relevant to my day or returning favourites. I don't normally plan further ahead than my next beer and there is a sense of relief when I've made my posts for the day and can sit back and enjoy a pint without too much care into how to describe or display it to the world. I am not a professional writer or reviewer, I am a working guy who loves to write and craft beer has given me a way to connect with people I would never have thought possible. I'm always conscious of the fact that I am so lucky to be able to pursue this avenue because of my position as a child free, middle class person who has a very indulgent and forgiving wife. But the question always haunts me in the back of my mind, am I drinking too much?

  I think the answer lies not in an absolute either way. There were times when alcohol played a large part in the terrible and life altering things I did or didn't do. That is no longer true and I see that everyday when I am not stressing about how many beers I have in the fridge or how many I can squeeze into an evening before passing out. I largely consume with much more mindfulness and thought now, trying to maximize the quality more than anything else and I am pretty successful most of the time in keeping my count to one or two a night. But there are still times when that becomes 4, 5 or 6 and that is what I worry about. As an advocate of enjoying everything in moderation, I truly want people to understand that it is possible to enjoy a pint or two a day without falling into alcoholism and despair. Saying that doesn't hide the fact that I have no desire not to have a beer after work or during my day off. Can I go without drinking for an extended period of time? Most likely, but I always question why I would. What harm am I doing by enjoying myself when I can? Life is complicated and often messy, beer is simple and brings me peace and joy. I understand the disease of alcoholism is terrible and the grip it holds on people is all too real. Do I feel that hold on myself when I wake up or am at work? No, but there are still times I crave a drink and the easy, liquid confidence it brings me. So I am left to wonder, do I drink beer to share it with the world or do I share a few beers with the world so I can feel good about the rest of the ones I consume. This is what plagues me late at night and many a morning.

  So with all that being said, how do I address this issue for myself. Writing about whatever is in my head usually helps to bring me some relief and this one has been percolating there for quite some time. What dawned on me is that I have become too planned out when it comes to posting my beers and reviews. Saving some for the next day or spacing them to make it seem like I'm not drinking too much was not why I started doing it and I think it's time to see just what and how much I drink in a typical month.

  So, for the entire month of May, I will post every beer I drink, when I drink it. Using the hashtag #truthinmay and numbering each one, no pint, bottle or can will slip from the public eye and the challenge I set forth. For the purposes of not being a huge pain, flights will count as one beer, gotta make sense here, no need for 75 pictures of tiny sample glasses. But no saving that picture or review until the next day, no ignoring a beer because it's my second straight one out of a six pack or hiding behind any reason for not exposing what really goes in my glass every single day. Why bother? I don't know, but when this idea came to me one night, it burrowed deep into my brain and wouldn't leave until I brought it into the light. I will give you, my beer loving friends, a glimpse into what I really drink, when I drink it and why. I will try to expose the deeper meaning behind my pursuit of the perfect beer and how I use that to enjoy my life. Will there be days when I want to ignore my pledge because it will show that I am drinking too much? I imagine so, but if you have been with me for any length of time, you'll know that I am honest about my life and pledge to not keep one single beer away from the public eye. My hope is that I will be able to see that I am right about my consuming less beer and being more present when I do it. I think that in the next 31 days I will consume around 100 beers, some different and new and a few regulars because that is what I do now. Or perhaps I will discover that I do drink too much, turning to the age old relief of that haze to get rid of the pressures of the day. In either case, I want to challenge myself to expose what many of us may be hiding by talking only of enjoying craft beer and not the possibility that we are using that to shade our dependence on alcohol. We don't talk much about it and maybe it's time we did.
  Come along and see what happens when I pull back the cover and show you the inside of my mind. I hope to post not only reviews of beers, but perhaps the feeling behind why I wanted that second Imperial IPA on a Wednesday night. It's as much an exercise in exploring beer as it is in being honest with myself about my life. Perhaps at the end of the month I will have an insight into the next challenge I want to take on and then I can share that with you. Or maybe it will just be 31 days of great and not so great beer, sprinkled with some festivals, nights out and holidays. Either way, it will be the most honest thing I can do to share part of my life with you, my friends. Tomorrow morning will prove to be a most interesting start to a month in a long time.

Raise your glass and your standards,
One beer at a time.


Cheers!


Polk

From drunken to Drunk - My Journey is not over.

I don't know if I've seen my rock bottom, but I sure as hell hope that I have. Broken hearts, crushed dreams and a future dashed against the rocks of reality have been with me many times over the years, mostly of my own doing. I've made impetuous decisions that altered the course of my life and suffered, at my own hands and actions, the results of not looking forward. It was never a conscious decision to throw so much of my life away, but I did it nonetheless. Entering my 20's without an anchor or a dream, I married a lovely lady despite the fact that we were not ready or good for each other. I thank my lucky stars that she was smart enough to cleave the knife on our ill fated journey early, that both of us have found happiness apart and now are friends with a history that brings smiles and not tears. I wandered from job to job, always with alcohol keeping my mind at ease about the fruitlessness of my empty life. Covering up the fact that my early promise of a life of substance was blown away by my lack of focus, addiction and apathy. It was always about today, to hell with tomorrow. I lived for that immediate satisfaction only several beers, shots or the occasional foray into something harder could bring and it is with some shame that there are large parts of my life I do not remember or have only the haziest recollections of.

Meeting Kathryn come at a time when my wheels were spinning and life had no direction. What was supposed to be a friendship blossomed and despite my continued troubles, she stood by me and our love grew. I wish the tale would take a turn for the better in that summer of 1997, but it still had miles to go and a darkness that had several shades of black to be added. Opening a business, getting married, buying a house and then trying to start a family brought some joy to my life, but still the rampage of alcohol abuse continued. Not all the time, not every day, but often enough that I developed and earned a reputation as a functional alcoholic. I never drove drunk, missed work or got into fights, but my lack of remorse for my actions is shameful for me to this day. Having found my niche as the party guy, I threw bigger and more drunken bashes, always focused on getting as much beer into me as possible, often more than a 24 in a single sitting. It was my only focus of any time alone to drink as many beers as I could before my body gave up and I would pass out, mind at rest but not at ease.

When you wake up and the thing you've built for over a decade is starting to come crumbling down around you and you have no idea why, it should be a sobering moment. Once again, I was not stopped by losing my way, even when financial ruin stared us in the face. The depression that had always been held at bay by alcohol, in a sense, came crashing down as I took a job that kept us in our home, but crushed what was left of my soul. Taken as a failure, I was treated as a liability but at least I could fill the roll of a simple line cook and pay the bills. The cheap beer continued to flow, only now it was every day and it was with purpose. That fleeting moment when the drunkenness took over the pain of my actions and I briefly felt a glimmer of joy, even though it was false.

While working 60 plus hours a week to keep the wolves at bay, I was certain I would die with a fryer basket and a beer in my hand. There was no hope, no future and as we had ended our pursuit of fertility treatments, no kids or family. It was then that Untappd came into my life and a world of new beer opened up. It isn't too much to say that this app changed my life, it literally did. I began to pursue the badges that you would receive for trying different styles of beer, for exploring new ones and leaving your everyday macros behind. I found a world of interesting flavours and people were waiting just outside my regular sphere and all it took was letting them in. I stopped pounding 8 or 10 beers every night and found my footing, scoring a better job and some self respect at the same time. For many of my old friends, my slow but steady transformation from drunken idiot to slow sipping craft beer lover was viewed with trepidation. many who knew my 20 plus years of self abuse could not believe that I would change for something as simple as better beer. I didn't for the longest time either, falling into a depression because I could no longer party like I used to but not really understanding that I didn't want to be that guy anymore. It has taken a long time for me to come to grips with my own past, to confront the demons I grew myself and to let go of my hate for myself for throwing away so much of my promise. I have had to leave some of my old life in order to grow a new one, many times I turn down invitations because I still have a weakness that can be hard to control if I begin to feel anxious. The old expectations are still there for so many who used to know me and now that I have turned the corner, I feel them looking at me as if I am a ghost of drunken Rob past.

The new friends that I have made because of the decision to begin writing about not only beer, but my life, have been a real blessing. They too appreciate the way craft beer has changed our lives and we all seem to share similar stories about walking that fine line between happy drunk and the gutter at one time or another in our lives. I am grateful to anyone who has ever been part of this life I've led and while I am feeling everyday more hopeful for the future, I know there are those who will never see me for anything but an drunken asshole. I cannot change the past, I can only acknowledge my roll in my own destruction, apologize and hope that they will come to see that it is indeed a new day in my world. I may take a bit of ribbing because I wax poetic about craft beer so much, but it is not being facetious to say that this community and the people in it have helped to save my life from what was sure to be an early and painful ending.

Writing about my beer on Instagram brought me into another level of interaction with the world and it has spawned into what you all now know as the Drunk Polkaroo blog, videos and well, adventures. I now use craft beer to enjoy, not escape life.

I have written about parts of this many times, my life seems to go in circles and I have learned that I cannot ignore something that is in my head, demanding to be written. I no longer fear the past or the future and despite losing so many years to depravity, excess and hubris, I want to believe that this is just the beginning of the second (or third) act of my life. There is so much to explore and if it takes me the rest of my days, I am going to pursue a life of passion, love and honesty about what I want.

Raise your glass and your standards,

One Beer at a time.

Cheers.

Rob

How many Beer Glasses is too many? I clearly have no idea...

The first 100 Beer Glasses

I get asked a lot of questions but the one that comes up most often after where I got the name Drunk Polkaroo (answered here), is about my ever growing collection of beer glasses. What started out as a way to commemorate a visit to a brewery and get something to use in my beer pics has morphed into a multiple level storage question in our house. I try to be judicious when purchasing glasses, but with this year's Polkapolooza Ontario Craft Beer tour less than a month away, I know I'm going to break down and buy more. It's not that I need them as much as I want them and who I am to refuse myself happiness. Do I need another tulip/snifter? Pint Glass? Teku? No, but that doesn't mean I won't buy them, I have poor impulse control and an appreciation for a good looking logo.

Every IPA is better in this German made beauty.

The reality is that I really only need two glasses and often that can often be scaled down to just one. My go to for any IPA is the German-made, American Craft beer influenced Spiegelau glass. Noted for its ribbed shape and thin, delicate feeling body, it keeps me coming back for more. Generating a repeat head with the cascade as you sip is a beautiful way to experience your hoppy treat. Your nose fits into the top but its tapering focuses the notes of citrus right at you. Generally sold here in Canada at The Bay (the glass page here), they have started to make appearances at some of the breweries in branded form. The Spiegelau company makes a variety of style focused glasses in consultation with brewers and to be honest, I would struggle to justify spending the suggested price of $60+ for 4 glasses. We've looked around and they can usually be found on sale in the $30 range for that same 4 pack and I am okay at that price point. $10 a glass isn't too unreasonable for a well made beer glass.

Truly, the only glass I ever need to use.

The other style that I cannot do without and the one I drink almost every other beer out of is my tulip or snifter glass. 

Again a Spiegelau or perhaps a heavier version from a brewery, I love this stemmed glass for its feel in my hand, the tapered top that focuses the scents on my nose, allowing me to get a good whiff every time I sip and the large bowl, which allows for good aeration. Something about holding this glass  makes me feel like I am slowing down and really appreciating what's inside. Perhaps it is just the perception of cupping it in my hand, but it just feels right. Stouts or porters go so well in this glass, lagers taste better and even a sour can be appreciated more in this bulbous beauty. This style makes up more than half of my 100 plus glasses(not counting macro or novelty glasses) mainly because it is so versatile and the one style that I see brewers drinking from themselves when we visit breweries.

So many things wrong with this photo, starting with that Brava Light.

For the vast majority of my time as a beer drinker, I was a straight out of the bottle or can kind of guy and that probably was a good thing as there isn't much in the way of smell or any reason to warm up your Coors or Brava Light. I wouldn't dream of going back to that now that I understand a little better the properties of aroma, flavour profiles and aeration in my beer. A good old fashioned (clean!) pint glass is all you really need to enjoy a craft beer and despite my own insistence on buying so many, it is that humble glass that often finds itself pressed into service for pictures. The fact is that most breweries go with this style is the main reason it remains a staple in my work. I must say that I am seeing more and more of them move to the appropriate and different styles as the breweries grow and mature.



Pint glasses travel well and make for great pictures.

The glassware issue is always being debated and will continue to be something beer geeks talk about ad nauseam for infinity.  The truth is a clean glass is the best glass but everyone has their favourite, be it for individual styles or just in general, myself included. And while we may never agree on the perfect glass, we can always agree that with craft beer, any glass is made better by its presence in it.
Cheers!
Raise your Glass and your standards,
One beer at a time.



Beer Saint 2.0

 

Sharing is caring!

Early last summer, I wrote about how sharing beer now was like making a mixtape for that girl I loved back in the day(Check it out, here). It echoed the sentiment that I was after when I would put together that collection of songs, trying to convey certain feelings and using the music I loved to do it. Being a Beer Saint is not just about trading beer, it's about spreading the love and joy that great craft beer has brought to your life. Whether it is a straight up trade, sending a care package of local brews, buying a pint or pulling something from the cellar or fridge, the act of sharing shows our commitment to not just drinking better beer, but preaching the gospel of the community. There is no higher recognition of what a beer means to you than to buy a few of them and share them with fellow craft beer lovers. Perhaps I preach a little much about sharing and maybe I am the lucky recipient of many beer saint moments, but the absolute joy I get when I open beer mail or meet up to trade beers is true and real.

Tabernac Crew from August in Quebec City

It should never be about hoarding or trying to one up someone. The truth about craft beer lies not in the singular experience or drinking alone. To be truly enjoyed, it must be shared and there is no better way to do that than with friends, new and old.

Meet up and swap stories with friends, new and old.

As the craft beer movement picks up speed and approaches the mainstream conscious of drinkers every day, its growth can only be enhanced by those who take up the mantle of being Beer Saints. From the singular bottle share to a night of multiple flights and pints at a local brewery, it can be the most wonderful way to bring people together. The next year will see more growth, new breweries, beers and experiences. To be able to do them all is impossible and sharing your latest discovery with the people who mean the most to you is but the start of what you can do to help keep our movement going. Social media is a great way to keep people informed of what's going on in your area, offering to trade that new find for something someone else has far away from you can spread that joy outward. I am a firm believer in the act of sharing coming back to you in double if you just put yourself out there. You will find a world of people who want nothing more than to see and hear what you think of their favourite brew and you will get that same feeling when you receive a notification that your friend tagged you in their post about that beer you sent them. Using the #beersaint to describe them is but one way to show the love.

 There is a real sense of excitement when I finally get to meet a friend I didn't know I had to trade a few beers or raise a pint or two in friendship. The smiles and handshakes are genuine and the banter quickly turns into friendly inquiries about your experinces and life before craft beer. How we got to this point, what we used to drink and what is your favourite beer now are questions that sometimes lead to an afternoon of laughter and happy new friends. Even the beer mail delivery can bring a smile to your face, especially if it is unexpected. It's like grown up Christmas morning when you open that box containing someone else's fave beer and their sincere gesture of sharing it with you.

Better than just sending beers and trading them, why not do what my friend Paul The Beer Guy is doing and organize a day of visiting a local brewery or two for some of your crafty friends who maybe haven't been to your area yet. Make it even better by having everyone bring something from their local or favourite craft brewer to share with everyone after the day is done and the party begins. Get the guys or gals together and do a beer run to a few places, then head back to someone's house for a night of new brews, styles and flavours. You might make some discoveries that you didn't know you liked and maybe make a few new friends along the way.

Beer Saints meet at Luois Cifer last Summer

Experience the feeling of becoming a Beer Saint not just because you want that limited edition barrel aged stout, but because you want to share that very beer with someone else. If you can truly let go of the macro and join the movement, it will change how you see beer, it will open a world you didn't know existed and you will be a better person for it. Go out and meet some new folks, share a pint and get to know them. I think you'll find, much like I did, that good people drink good beer.
Be a Beer Saint, it really does make the world a better place.
And we could all use a little more love right now.


Raise your glass and your standards,
One beer at a time.
Cheers!

2016 Polkies - A preview of My Favourite Beers this year

Last year I had only begun my craft beer journey and was able to name my favourite 10 beers with little difficulty. I had tried perhaps 400 different beers in 2015 and to be honest it was only the last 3 or 4 months where I was starting to make a conscious effort to really try and experience everything that was happening in my glass.
That is not this year...this year is when everything has changed and with it, so go the Polkies, the 2nd Annual celebration of my favourite beers.

To commemorate what has been an absolute gem of a year in my life, I want to try to and give you, my friends in beer, a glimpse into what made it so damn special. My criteria is simple, the beers I pick are ones I would buy again, want to share with friends or those that have made the biggest impression on my beer life in 2016. There could be 10 beers on each list or less, depending on how each category plays out.
I hope many will be ones you can find over the next year to try for yourself and I will be looking for them myself to see how much I've changed since all of this started.
 Starting on Festivus, December 23rd, I will release a post every other day with two different styles. I put them together for convenience and will list my faves in each separately. It will culminate in My favourite 10 beers of 2016 on New Year's Eve.
I had so much fun this year and while I look forward to an even better 2017, this look back most certainly brings a smile to my face. The "research" was just this side of heaven and I can't wait to share the results with you.


Cheers!
Raise your Glass and your standards
One Beer at a time.
 

Sunday December 23rd - Sours & Saisons

Tuesday December 25th - Lagers & Ales

Thursday December 27th - Porters & Stouts

Friday December 29th - IPAs & Pale Ales

Saturday December 31st - The Polkies - Favourite Ten of 2016

Bonus Post - Worst Beer of the Year -December 25th


2015 Polkie Favourite 10

2015 Polk's Fave

1. Lake of Bays Old North Mocha Porter
2. Great Lakes Brewing Pompous Ass
3. Sawdust City Brewing Long Dark Voyage to Uranus
4. Forked River Brewing Riptide Rye Pale Ale
5. Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA
6. Flying Monkey's Coast to Coastless Imperial ESB
7. Beau's All Natural Brewing Farm Table Marzen
8. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
9. Nickel Brook Brewing Kentucky Bastard
10. Grand River Brewing Curmudgeon

Has it been a year already?

On Saturday November 21st, 2015 I came home from work, had dinner and watched a little TV. Pretty standard night for someone who works the weekend except for one little thing...it was the last day I didn't drink or review a beer. It wasn't my intention at the time to drink a beer every day and talk about it. Indeed, I had been doing Instagram reviews sporadically for many months beforehand and I had been toying with the idea of doing a blog to talk about my life and how craft beer had impacted it. I had several posts saved up and waiting for my anxiety to pass so I could put them out in the world. But at no time did I have an idea of what changes would come from the simple act of opening a beer and adding my thoughts to a picture on the internet.

The scope of what I was embarking on was not evident to me at the time and while I can look back and marvel at what the last year has brought me in terms of experiences, people and of course, great beer. I was not planning any of it. To some extent, I still don't really plan anything. I open the fridge every day and try to decide what I want to drink, why I want to drink it and even how I want to remember it with my picture or video. I still do it for myself and to share with my friends and family, but now that group of friends has changed and grown and I am always talking beer with someone, every day.

I still usually only have 1 or 2 beers most of the time and have noticed a drop in my desire to have any more than that. My fridge is usually full of singles and that means I don't want to waste one that I could share. I love to tell stories and the beer has given me a platform to do so. Exploring beer has led me down many paths and the experiences are changing me every time I go out. So while there are still 39 days left in Project 366 and I will proudly write about everything that has happened in 2016 in January, I am more than pleased to have made it pillar to post with amazing craft beer here at the end of November. I understand it maybe isn't up there with life's biggest accomplishments, but given that I used to get blackout drunk several times a week and only didn't drink when I was too hungover to do so, this one makes me feel good about myself. I have no intention of stopping any time soon and will continue to be honest, straightforward and maybe even more adventurous with my personal challenges. Moderation and mindfullness took me a large portion of the year to fully grasp and I continue to pursue the perfect balance between indulgence and temperance.

Here's to many more interesting experiences, great nights with friends and of course, amazing Craft Beer.

Raise your glass and your standards, One beer at a time!

Cheers!

Life is Better with Craft Beer

 

 

Raise your glass and join me for a pint.

Every day is one that I know will end with at least one new beer and therefore, another Instagram story. I have been posting at least once a day since January 1st this year and have described over 700 beers or events that I have encountered. That's a lot of words, somewhere over 200,000 when you get into the blogs and while I've never been known to keep it short and sweet, this surprised even me. I am sure others have written more and investigated deeper about craft beer, but my open and honest style and what that has done for me is nothing short of a miracle.

If you've been following all along, then you already know that I use my life, past and present, in my work and that is not always the easiest thing to do. So many people keep their emotions inside and are afraid to let go. I was there and I discovered that by opening my life to the world through beer, I changed it forever.

Tabernac in Quebec City 2016

I've met some amazing people through Craft Beer as well and am always ready to go out and meet more any time someone wants to raise a pint with me. New experiences and people keep entering my life and it's only getting better.

Nothing could have prepared me for total strangers wanting to share a beer with me or meet up and become real life friends. I didn't start anything with that intention, I just liked writing about what I was tasting with a little of what I was doing at the time. I am actually quite introverted and it can be difficult to force myself into new and different situations; But with Craft Beer, I seem to have found a way to talk to and engage people I don't know. It gives us a common ground from which to work and we always seem to find a whole lot more alike when we meet up and order a flight of beer. I am certain it is the way I have chosen to share my life that encourages people to reach out and I want that to continue as well. I want to hear your stories, your journey and be part of your narrative. I want to do these things because it has made everything so much brighter in my life and the more people I can add to my circle, the clearer I can see.

I am an emotional guy. I react with my gut and go with my intuition about things. I have yet to meet someone from my online life who didn't live up to their digital persona. I'm sure not everyone who drinks craft beer is nice or personable, but the people who I have had the pleasure of meeting have been singularly spectacular. Open and caring, they continue to amaze me with their generosity in bringing me beer to try and spending time sharing our life stories over a pint makes my heart sing.

Some people have reacted negatively online to my openness. I pay them no mind, they seek to bring people down to their level and I encourage everyone to aspire to be better. Fly above those who do nothing but criticize and eventually they no longer can be seen or heard because you have left them behind to wallow in their own self loathing and sadness. I don't understand that type of person because why wouldn't you want to be a positive force when the world needs it so much.

I tend to write about the good and seek to stay that way. I veer a little evangelical now and then in my praise of Craft beer and I am okay with that. What it has brought to me is beyond my capacity to repay with my words or pictures. Every experience I have is born out of a desire to find a new beer, a story or to meet a new friend. Seek and you shall find is how I begin every day. The truth in my life found waiting for me when I opened myself up to it. 

Nights like this are not to be missed.

I am constantly pushing people to get out and explore their communities through their local breweries. I want to not only share my tale but read and see yours. It makes me happy when people chronicle enjoying an event or trying a new beer that catches their fancy. The breweries themselves are constantly coming up with fun things (think Yoga, running clubs, paint and a pint) to do either at the actual destination or throughout the town. This kind of involvement in local events is how they grow organically and cultivate the good will of not only the people who are already fans but those who didn't even know they existed. Every day someone tries a craft beer for the first time and if we can associate that experience with a great memory, it reinforces my notion that better beer can make a difference if people will only try it.

Today I write because I can't imagine not doing it. Either here or in my personal blog (Needs to be Said), Instagram, Facebook or Twitter, I always try to bring you something to think about in a positive and happy way. I want to continue this journey and hope to keep meeting those who travel this road that meets at the corner of Hops and Barley.

Raise your glass and your standards, one beer at a time.

Come by and say hello if you see me out and about, we can sit down and share a pint and a story.

Cheers!

Time for a new adventure

The Answer

Many years ago at my local watering hole, a barfly named Frankie told me that the answers to life lay in the bottom of the glass. I must have thought that was sage advice as I spent the next 25 years searching for that answer. Bottle after bottle, pitcher upon pitcher, I drank on. Bleary eyed and hungover I would wake and the answer would be just out of reach, hanging in my mind like a spider's web and then gone with the rain of macro lagers I pounded in vain. What damage was wrought by two plus decades of silencing my voice with beer? Who knows but the Polkaroo the evil caused and done by drowning your troubles in tasteless, over chilled, mass produced brews? Time and time again I would vow to stop, to moderate, only to find another morning surrounded by empties, shame and a hazy memory of what had occurred.

 Then into my life came a light, a small flickering one at first; Growing slowly as it took down the ancient castles of ignorance, depression and anxiety. To taste a beer and enjoy it without losing yourself to the darkness was new to me. It wasn't a quick lesson, my life is not that simple. But it was a presence, a force and as time went on, Craft Beer became a way to be in the moment, not disappear and hide. You look deep into your glass because you know it will be a singular experience. This liquid is someone's dream, their hopes and passion brewed with care and quality. To pound it back and disregard that love is not only an insult, but a waste of what your vessel contains. Beer should not be an excuse to leave your friends and enter your own world. It is meant to be shared, to enhance and grow your life and maybe even bring some joy to a dreary day. Be it an old favourite or something you've never tried before, each one is waiting for you.

I chose better beer because I know the answer now. Where I searched frantically before to gain a moments joy from the fleeting haze of a drunken state, I slow down and ponder. I look not to the bottom of the glass, but into the full one that sits before me. I imagine the brewmaster planning the recipe, preparing to brew, firing up the kettle and then waiting to see the final results. It is a leap of faith to send your creation into the world and it is that act that has changed my life forever.

So I will go on. I will preach my thankful words and high praise for those who make this magic elixir. I will raise my voice in joy at the opening of a new beer and I will watch with a patient eye as the liquid hits the glass. The building of the foamy head, the scent of hops, malt or perhaps even coffee fills my senses. Before you sip, look at what has been carefully constructed and placed in your hand. Pick it up, say "Cheers!" and enjoy what is the answer I was looking for all along.

To raise your glass in happiness and drink in all that life has to offer is what I wanted. To see new and wonderful places, to meet amazing people who share a passion for something and to learn new things was all right there for the taking. I just had to remove the only obstacle in my way.

 Myself.

I learned to let myself experience life and despite my own trepidations, step out of my routine and comfort zone. Without Craft beer, this never happens and I am left bereft with nothing but sadness and that empty feeling. But I now know the thing that was missing, I choose MY path less travelled and it has indeed made all the difference.

This poem from Robert Frost of often quoted for its last three lines; It is also misunderstood just as often. Both paths are equally worn, but your memory and your choice will be what you are left with when your time comes to an end. I keep it close because it reminds me that while Frankie had good intentions, that path of macro was well worn with sad results. The Craft beer one is also well travelled, but when you look back, it will be this way that brought the most happiness to your life. Take a chance, try something new and explore all your local Craft Brewers have to offer. It is your choice, make it wisely and be brave.

Cheers!

The Road Not Taken

Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveller, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less travelled by,

And that has made all the difference.