That Beer Buzz...

  There is almost no better vibe in the world than when you're having a couple beers and that magical warm and fuzzy feeling kicks in. Be it after 1, 2, or more beers, we all have a sweet spot for when everything is right in the world and you just drift along for a little while in your happiness.  You're not quite drunk, not quite sober, but existing in a beautiful place known as the Beer Buzz.

  It's a real art form finding the right spot, knowing when to say when and when to say just one more, a delicate balance of slow sipping and quick chugging, sprinkled in with some laughs and a smile growing across your face. I took a couple of quick polls on social media last week and found that the vast majority of folks (over 75%) who are with me for this weirdly beer centric trip I'm on seemed to agree that 3 to 4 beers was that very place to be when it came to the best feelings, the place where it's just right. I'll admit that I thought more people would lean into the old 2-Beer Buzz territory and of course some people still do, but with more than 3/4 of 300 plus people answering at the higher end, it got me to thinking if my own levels had changed over the years or not.

  There was a time when I'd get home from work and think nothing of rocketing back a 6-pack of Brava or  Old Milwaukee tall-boys in quick succession and that would get me on the way to where I wanted to go, a stumbling start to the black-out I was seeking. Somewhere along the way, I did find a better way to drink, still slipping into old habits of course, but generally being more aware of what I was pouring in my glass and trying to appreciate it gave me some pause when it came to my beer consumption.

  It's been almost a decade of riding along this craft beer road and I have finally come to a place where the conversation turned to seeking a better balance in what had become a daily grind of trying to keep up with things I didn't really care about anymore. What I wanted was a way to enjoy what seemed like the perfect feeling whenever the fancy took me. Some days that's no beers, sometimes just 1 or 2 and on those wonderful days when it really felt right, the Beer Buzz hum of that third pint with a fourth in waiting. And therein lies the art of the entire thing, knowing where you are and not having the one that tips you from the Buzz to the Drunk. I'll say that I have found since the vast majority of my beers tend to be above 6% ABV, 3 is often the best place for me to slide into home with my eyes wide open. It's a really nice feeling to not have the next beer, to know that this one was the last one of the evening and savour every last drop. Sure, there are days when I make the decision to go a little past that last beer and drag myself to another place entirely, but in the last few months, I find myself intentionally stopping at the same spot, satisfied with where I was and how it made me feel. Too many mornings filled with self reflecting conversations of how I shouldn't have had that last beer, seemingly wasting a great pint on a night that didn't need another one. 

  Honestly, I feel like that is what the goal of this entire endeavour has been. It's about enjoying a couple, three beers, without extending myself into bad habits I know I have and mistakes I want to make less and less. Taking nights off of beer, stepping away from a toxic work environment and making peace with who I am and where I came from has been a big part of this too. Understanding myself makes it easier to know when I have found that very real feeling the Beer Buzz delivers and I can lean back to enjoy it without needing to go any further. I've spent a lifetime in search of this very peaceful place...

  I hope you find yours.

Polk

February 20, 2024

  

Close to Home - The Future is Local

We all love coming home at the end of a long day at work. The comforts and familiarity of our place gives us a stable base and a place to rest and relax after doing the things we need to do to earn our living. We crave the normalcy and routine of what we find when we encounter the familiar and warm embrace of what we know. This is also becoming increasingly true when it comes to craft beer as the number of breweries begins to approach the 400 mark and it seems everyone has a local that has quickly become a second home.
  Here in Hamilton, the growing number of breweries has luckily been matched by their quality and innovation when it comes to beer, so it has become even easier for me to eschew long drives or even the LCBO for weeks on end and still have enough new and interesting stuff to satisfy both my curiosity and my palate.  Of course, even in the city limits, beer lovers have an even smaller list of favourites and while a lot of that has to do with the beer and styles made at each place, proximity plays a larger part than most people want to admit. Although it is a certain fact that each of the 6 Hamilton area breweries have not only distinct flavour profiles but different personalities and core fan bases that reflect them in many ways. I've spent time hanging out at each one and can attests to the vibe being as unique as the beers each one brews and this bleeds over into their regular crowd and biggest fans on social media and real life.
  The closer you are to a brewery means the less you have to spend getting there if you're planning on having a few at a special event. If it's on the way home from work, even better because you can do the quick pop in to pick up something for the evening or weekend ahead. You get to know the people working there and in the case of the smaller breweries, often the owners and brewers themselves. You feel a sense of ownership, of pride when bringing people you know to your local or favourite brewery. It becomes part of your story, attaching itself to your narrative and blending into your life as an ingredient in its' daily or weekly composition.  Many people I talk to eschew the LCBO or Beer Store much more than they thought they would when they got a brewery close to home and often are inspired to seek out more and more breweries to stop at when out and about. They begin to learn and acquire knowledge about the process, the flavours and the character of their stops and bring home a taste for new things but still find comfort in their favourite spots and beers close to home.
  The rise of a brewery in every small town is a little far fetched, but most folks certainly have far better and closer access to local craft beer than ever before. It shows not only in social media, but in the fact that the viability of such operations can hinge on a close by following, developed and nurtured by business that is inviting and creative. Some do it with a stream of events attached to the space, making it feel like a community hub or even a whole lot of releases that seemingly never end, inspiring weekly stops to see what is new. Some are only open a few hours each weekend and the beer seems sent from heaven, a cult like following growing with each tank of beer sold. And while beer tourism is on the rise and road trips containing brewery stops as a destination rather than a surprise stumble upon continue to grow, people still fall back on the local, the known and the place where everyone knows your name.
  It isn't that I am positing an end to seeking out the best craft beer or that people will shrink their exploration if a new brewery opens close to home, but I do feel that the future of so many of the craft breweries we see will and does indeed depend on the voracity of its local following. The nerds like myself may visit once in a while and buy one of each of the releases, but the regulars will be in weekly, maybe more and spend far more time and money supporting that place where barley, hops, water and yeast meet the hopes of so many who dare to dream.
  Life has been changed forever as a beer drinker for so many of us and I hope we continue to explore a wider world around us while making sure we support the home team and keep the world close to us filled with beautiful moments at our local taprooms.


Cheers!
Polk