I do not do beer festivals anymore. I work early in the morning and most weekends, so that has a part in it for sure. I struggle with big crowds of people and have little tolerance for drunken frat boy behaviour or jackassery. All told, I'd rather stay home and drink amazing beer in The Grotto in peace and quiet.
But.
I have a soft spot for my OG Hometown Craft beer heroes Collective Arts and when they asked if I'd like a pair of weekend passes to this years Liquid Arts fest, I couldn't really say anything but "Thank you" and "Can't wait to see you all". I haven't been writing about beer that long, not quite 4 years, but I haven't missed a CA release in the whole time either. So I come by that love quite honestly. I am enamoured with the community of craft beer lovers and with the closeness to my house, this fest seemed like we could at least go for 1 of the 3 sessions and then wander back to The Manor for a night cap. I joked that there was no way I could do all 3 Sessions without dying but in the end we did go to all 3 and had a blast at each one.
The vibe was super chill all weekend, little in the way of drunk and disorderly and anything untoward was addressed quickly by security and with no bullshit taken. A large concern for me going in was the "token less" nature of the festival, that is you only pay for your admission and then you drank what you wanted, no tokens or further money required. Rampant over consumption and rowdy drunks were not an issue as the volunteer staff was well versed and had no trouble cutting people off if necessary, not that I saw much of anything resembling that level of idiocy, although I am sure it existed. The upside to a non token festival is that you can get half pours, dump a beer you don't like and you don't feel like you've wasted your money. So many times I would take a few sips and feel like it wasn't for me and politely dispose of the contents and proceed to the next one. A green peppery tasting off flavoured Hefe met this fate along with a few stouts that rocked the smokey level too high for my style, but for the most part it was smooth sailing.
The layout of the festival this year was a solid plus as well. Spreading out over a larger footprint gave it a strolling component but not like you had to trek for miles for the next tent. It didn't feel overcrowded even when the place was jumping because you had room to move and sip. The grouping of breweries was easy to navigate and with little trouble we found styles to each of our liking every step of the way. Loads of IPAs, Double and Triple IPAs, NEIPAs, Imperial Stouts, Sours and even some Pilsners and Lagers for an old guy like me who just wanted a damn beer from time to time. Breweries from 14 countries meant we were getting stuff from all over, although I would have liked to see more locally or culturally significant to that particular country as opposed to another hazy IPA. But overall, there was literally a beer for everyone and any taste bud could find happiness in their afternoon or evening.
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| Meeting my Beeroes |
I will admit the art and music were not a huge thing, but my tastes in both run a little more old school so it wasn't really something I was putting much stock in as the day went on. For the most part, it was just noise in the background as the festival crowd rose and the laughter and pints flowed along with it.
Running into fellow beer lovers you only know online is a big part of why we did all 3 sessions. So many friends coming in at different times and I couldn't help but want to hang out a little and chat while we drank. As someone who does very little to no socialising, it was a safe and beautiful way to experience the community and make people as part of my day. Lots of folks stopped me just to tell me they enjoy the videos or the writing and to be honest, I am stunned and humbled whenever anyone tells me that. A lot of hugs and handshakes, although as the night went on the latter became more prevalent. Craft beer isn't just better beer, it seems to create some very strong bonds between strangers who quickly become friends.
While I am no longer an UnTappd kind of guy, it was fun seeing people's excitement as the added to their running totals and got badges all day long, well over 200 different beers available and that included a dedicated Ontario Craft beer tent that was often staffed with the brewers themselves. Things sold out and although there was the occasional long line for certain beers, I didn't have to wait long when I wanted something. Literal strangers would strike up a conversation and within minutes we were enjoying beer tales of days gone by.
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| Polk doing Polk Things |
For the most part, these things are the things happening every weekend at Beer festivals and breweries around the world. People like being part of something bigger than they are and this community is made up of a lot of regular working folks who just want a little tipple on the side of fun at the end of an often heavy and dreary work week. Family obligations, kids events and just plain old life are complicated and messy and if for a few hours we can escape that and just enjoy a couple of pints with like minded people, I think that is the biggest success of all.
Whether or not you enjoy yourself has a lot to do with what you expect going into the day and this year I think Collective Arts certainly took the things from last year that did not work (i.e. international bottle shop and a VIP that under delivered) and fixed them by keeping it simple. Getting in an hour ahead of everyone was worth a few extra buck for those with the Mothership Passes and with the other events, food trucks and even a complimentary Caesar/Gin Bar, hair cuts from Architect Hair design, Tattoo artists and more, the value was there for anyone who wanted it.
Thank you once again to Toni and the staff at Collective Arts for always including us in these events and for being open and accepting whenever I have a question or criticism of what they are doing. I do strive for honesty in all things and I can truly say Kat and I had a wonderful time that we will long remember.
Cheers!
Polk
I don't think there is any other way to do this. I mean I've known for a while my true feelings and kept them to myself. I tried and tried to get in line with popular thinking and experience the things like everyone else does. I want to be part of the good time gang but it is time to admit the sad truth about life as Polk.
I don't like going to beer festivals.
There I said it and I'm sure I will feel better at some point. I am not sure when this transformation happened, what kind of beer loving person wouldn't love seeing tens of great craft brewers in one place, hanging out with like minded people and experiencing all the frivolity a festival can bring? Apparently it's this guy and as I usually do, I have a theory.
At the beginning, beer festivals were novel and fun, Kat would drive or we'd take a cab and get bombed on great and not so great beer, one 4 to 6 ounce sample at a time. I always went to every event with the intention of only sampling a few beers and maintaining my wits but ten minutes in and I'm downing beer like Nic Cage in Leaving Las Vegas and trying to test every beer offered. It's loud and the lines may be long but all I can think of is pounding the next one, regardless of style or flavour profile.
What makes me like this? I practice self control all the time at home and this should be no different except for one thing...I have to be social and that's when the anxious nervousness kicks in and I turn to the one thing I know can calm me down. Every sample alleviates my fears, bringing a false peace that exists only if my blood alcohol reaches a state of pure drunkenness. I have never gotten comfortable in relating to other people without alcohol and that is something I guess I should work on but I'm not sure if a hall full of $3 beers is a place to explore and confront the demons of anxiety.
I don't like waking up the next morning feeling the effects of the previous evening. When I drink at home, I never go hard, preferring to enjoy every beer for what it is and not get hammered. I have no desire to see the return of the blackness and despite my best efforts, it always happens when I get together with a group of people and the beer flows. I chase inebriation in a crowd like a dog on a bone, my one skill as a former heavy drinker is the ability to put away a lot of beer faster than almost everyone else. The slurring words, half open eyes and poor motor skills are but a happy by product of a night filled indulging the worst of who I was and could be, I don't blame the festivals or the people I know, I just can't help who I am. That nagging voice comes creeping in whenever we hit the entrance and my self doubt about being able to handle a crowd without liquid courage roars into the front of my mind.
It is funny that I spend 50+ hours a week working with the public in my job and at no point do I crave a beer. I mean, who wouldn't love a pint at lunch but I don't need alcohol to be able to do what I do. I talk to and deal with so many people and their problems every day and don't let it affect me but put me in a convention centre with 20 breweries and 5 friends and I'm looking for a funnel and a keg. It's not normal but it is what I deal with. Maybe it's the bro factor, no matter where we go, it's creeping its way into this craft beer space as the scene becomes more popular and mainstream. Or maybe it's that I can't really enjoy and experience each beer the way I've trained myself to that makes me lose control. Not staying focused and present in the moment and scrambling to get to the next one is not how I drink anymore nor do I have any desire to return to that life.
It would be silly to say these festivals aren't about drinking a lot of beer. If you have 20 brewers show up with even 3 beers each that's 60 possible samples over perhaps 4 or 5 hours at best. After the 10th one, you're not really getting much out to them anymore except the ABV if you're being honest and that is fine for most people. They attend these events to have fun and let loose and I can support that whole heartedly. I will continue to promote and encourage people to go to these events but for me, right now, the cost in both money and my self worth is far too high a price to pay.
The answers I seek about myself aren't always the ones I like to find but my pursuit of an honest and open life mean that is what I get sometimes. I don't want to give the impression that I don't like festivals, the people who attend them or the breweries who participate, I just am struggling with the person I become when I go. Not everyone has that kind of problem and I do love to see the pictures and stories my friends share when they go to various events around the world. I hope someday I will be able to come back in a better state of mind and without the anxiety driving me to forget everything I've worked so hard on and lean in hard on getting my drunken stupor on. Life is funny but not when your knee deep in a sea of trying to bullshit yourself about being in control.
I'll be cheering you all on from the sidelines this year and hoping everyone has a safe and fun time at every event. The people who volunteer or work them are pretty awesome too and along with my extended beer family, those are the things I will miss the most. But after a lot of time spent reflecting on my own mental health, I do need a break from that part of my craft beer life so that I can keep my sanity intact.
Have fun and remember to try something new when you get the chance, that's a pretty awesome part of any festival for me.
Cheers!
Polk
With only 5 days left in the Truth in May, I have reached the most difficult day, The Albino Rhino Beer Festival. Not difficult because of the fun and friends to be had nor the 30 Ontario Craft Breweries that will be there. The problem I have is that I promised to document every beer I have for this month, (we currently sit on number 112...I'll be talking about that when we wrap up after the 31st), but I don't want to buried in my phone instead of having a great time. When I proposed the whole scenario, I recognised the real issue of flights and tasters. When do they constitute a whole drink and how should I account for them? At the time, I thought since most flights are four beers of 4 ounces each, that would be the post, 1 flight = 1 beer. So in keeping with that line of thinking, I am going to attempt to try at least one sample from each brewery and then do a post grouping 4 of them at a time. If I can make that work, the total will be about 7 pints over the equal number of hours at the festival. A pace that is not at all uncommon on a day off but will also allow me to enjoy both the beer and the company of my friends. I don't ever want to let writing and documenting my fun times to interfere with the actual events themselves because that is counter intuitive to what I am trying to accomplish.
So while I will try to put the posts up as I hit the 4th sample, I may push them back a bit as I converse with fellow beer nerds and have a good time for a good cause. But post them I will and as the day goes on, I hope to meet up with even more interesting folks and explore some craft beer I've never seen before and some old favourites that I didn't know I was missing. Keeping in the back of mind to always put people first and not retreat to writing as an excuse to disappear from the crowd. Fun and frivolity will be sure to follow as long as I let it happen. See you at the Festival!
Follow along at : https://www.instagram.com/drunkpolkaroo/
and https://twitter.com/DrunkPolkaroo for updates all day long!
Raise your glass and your standards,
One Beer at a Time!
Cheers!
Polk
