Rating and Reviewing - My take on the Numbers

Reviewing like a Boss. Pinky's out baby!

  I often get asked about the ratings I give beer at the end of my Instagram reviews. It comes, of course, from the old days when we used Untappd and scored beers to try and help us remember whether we liked them or not. It has morphed into something different as my palate and education in beer have grown and that is what drives me when I put it to the test in my glass day after day.
 Taste is subjective, people differ on what style and flavours they like and this can be a cause for some difficulty when assigning a numerical value to that latest review. What used to be a "like this beer or not" number has become a test on how closely it matches my understanding of the style as well as how I feel about the beer. An IPA that is super malty or lacks bitter citrus will obviously receive a lower score than one that is well balanced. But what separates a 3.75 from a 4? That is where it gets tricky for me and can have me waffling over the send button on some reviews for a lot longer than you'd think. Here is a brief description of how I feel when assigning the specific numbers to any beer from under 1 to over 4.5.

• Below 1.00 - Not sure what I did to the universe to deserve this punishment. Way off the mark and almost offensive to humanity. A never buy for me and one I actively discourage their production or consumption to all. 
• 1.25 to 2.00 - Any beer below this number is lacking several distinct characteristics stylistically and will not make another appearance in my fridge unless someone buys it for me, even that is pushing it. Not worth your time or money.
• 2.25 to 3.00 - Something about these beers is just a little off. They are not horrible, but they are missing or have too much of something or reached too far and didn't achieve it. Would give another chance, with caution
• 3.25 - Better than average and eminently closer to the mark of what they are. Generally falls because the balance of flavours did not come together quite as well as the style suggests. To be tried again.
• 3.50 - Solid beer, sharable, will buy again. Not outstanding but hitting all the proper marks with decent balance.
• 3.75 - Stepping up with a little better flavour profile. More memorable and the palate is pleased but not blown away. Good beer that will be tried again to explore it further.
• 4.00 - The top end begins here. Balanced and on point for the style. Checks all the boxes for texture, flavour and finish. A candidate for regular pours and recommendations to friends. Buy this beer.
• 4.25 - Now we are talking. This is when beer gets exciting. Standout balance between flavours, above the norm and sought after for repeat purchases. Something special in these beers that makes them stand out from the crowd.
• 4.50 - Simply the best. Everything screams amazing from the pour, sniff and sip. Hitting and exceeding the mark on proper style notes, outstanding flavour and texture with memorable moments all the way through
• 4.75/5.00 - I've never been this lucky or able to appreciate a beer to either of these levels. Perhaps with time I can learn enough to take some of the 4.50 to these heights. Call them Unicorn beers, one day I shall ride the lightning.

  Anyone who reviews beer and gives it a number is always open to criticism and some of that is deserved. Passing judgement on someone else's work is difficult and even more so when you get to know the good people that populate your local craft beer scene. But the honest and open exchange of information and feedback can be helpful to the brewers and I rarely post scathing reviews because it doesn't help anyone to attack or belittle a beer. Ask me privately and I will always tell you the truth, but for beers that don't hit the mark, I generally log them into Untappd and move on, not wanting to waste creativity or my words on a longer review. If I have serious concerns I will and have contacted the brewery directly to seek answers because I always want to know more. If we really are fans of what Craft beer has brought to us, making it a better and more open for discussing things is only going to create a positive place for all.
  I know some people take the reviews I do to heart and will seek out beers I trumpet and avoid ones I pan, so I am conscious of trying to be as honest as I can with everything I write. I know many folks disagree with giving a score at all and I can respect that too. I do what I do because it is part of who I am and how I translate my experience to the world. The rating I give a beer combined with the mood I try to create with the words I use should help to paint a picture that is easy to understand. I take what I create seriously, but never myself. I don't get all caught up in followers, likes or anything of the sort. Writing about beer should always take a backseat to enjoying it and the people who've come into my life are proof of that. My reviews have brought me so many opportunities to meet new people and create friendships with a really diverse group of pretty awesome people. That is what it should always be about, fun and friends with better beer.
  So review your beer any way you want, give it a score or don't, but always be honest about what you taste. Take other people's reviews with a grain of salt and look to those you trust or who you seem to have a similar palate with for suggestions. Remember that what you taste is what it is, so be patient if you're just learning to experience what can found in all the different styles of beer. It took me a long time to get here and I still feel like I have so much more to learn. Take a class, get your Prudhomme or Ciccerone certification to get into what really goes on in your glass. Or just enjoy the fact that we are living in a golden age of beer right now and explore everything your local scene has to offer. Tell a story, take a picture, sing a song or make a video if that's what you want, have fun and create something that shows who you are. I'm going to keep doing it my way because that's what makes me happy. Hope you can stick around because this ride is just getting fired up.


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


Cheers!


Polk

2016 Polkies - Dubbels, Tripels & Quads, oh my! Ales Part 3

I wanted to include this as kind of a bonus post mostly because these three Belgian or Belgian inspired styles of beer have quickly become three of my favourite things about my growth as a beer drinker. I never thought I would ever clamour to try any of them and their fruity, malty and warming alcohol properties. Most of the best ones still come from Belgium and the very best from the recognized 11 Trappist Monastery Breweries, of which 6 are Belgian, 2 in the Netherlands and one each in Austria, Italy and the United States. They sell beer not for profit but to provide for the monastery's needs and any actual money earned after that is used in helping those in need. So you are kind of doing a bunch of good deeds just buy purchasing the beer and then drinking it so you can buy more. Circle of life stuff here folks.

The Dubbels, Tripels and Quads are in reference to the strength of the beer and as you will see, secular brewers here in Canada and around the world are now trying their hand at these styles...some with great success. At best I am scrapping the very surface of what is out there and in 2017 I vow to explore this even more. For now the ones I have tried are all available here in Ontario, usually at the LCBO for a very reasonable price, or at a brewery near you. Try them, I did and it has changed a lot about me.

Dubbels

1. New Limburg Brewing Dubbel

A late night thinking beer from the late summer, this 7.4 % slow sipper was the perfect antidote to a hectic day. Smelling plum and dark malt with a sticky dark fruit, plum and roasty body with licorice, brown sugar, caramel and raisins. Finish was warm and boozy with a tart and bold malty kick. It took my worries away and was a revelation that a Canadian brewer could indeed compete on the world stage in this style.

2. Scourmount Abbey Chimay Red (Belgium) - A classic any way you look at it and available in my local LCBO all the way from a Belgian Trappist Monk Brewery for a very reasonable price. $7.45 for a 750ml bomber...unreal. Toasty and sweet malts on the sniff with caramel, apple, plum, cherry and a crisp but filling finish with plum, figs and dates. Boozy backend but not overpowering.

3. St. Bernardus Prior 8 (Belgium) - Available in a seasonal Mix pack at the LCBO with 5 other beers from this Belgian brewer. 8 % and smelling sweet sugar, malty raisin and caramel. Creamy body with bready caramel, raisins, cherries, burnt sugar and a hint of coconut. Warming but not boozy...delicious.

4. Great Lakes Brewing Body Dubbel

5. Second Wedge Brewing Deraillier

Tripels

1. Cameron's Brewing Dry Hopped Tripel

The very first time I actually got the banana note from a beer and enjoyed the fruity earth tones of Belgian style yeast was this 7.5 % Tripel. It was an eye opener when I first tried it in February and was one of the beers that kick started my eventually abandoning macro beers altogether. Smelling that banana and then sipping to find more of it with bubblegum, clove,  candied sugar, orange peel, lemon zest and a peppery coriander finish that was a revelation. Many of my growler fills contained this golden beauty until it was gone.

2. Beau's All Natural Brewing New Lang Syne - A big slow sipper at 9.0 %, this one was shared on Valentines day and was a hit. Earthy and fruity on the nose, it had loads of orange peel, lemon zest, clove and banana with a tart, almost sour kick from the wine barrel aging. Lovely and available again this year, a great treat for New Year's Eve.

3. St. Bernardus Watou (Belgium) - Another gem from the mix six seasonal pack I grabbed in mid November. 7.0 % with a light fruity sniff of apples, peach and banana. The flavours were more of that with banana, clove, orange peel and lemon joining in. Earthy yeast with candied sugar and a peppery finish. So refreshing and smooth.

4. Sawdust City Brewing/Nickel Brook Brewing 11.05 (2016)

5. Brasserie St. Feuillien Tripel (Quebec)

Quadrupels

These are indeed the favourite of all the Belgian style beers I have tried. There are some outstanding ones out there that have yet escaped my glass and in 2017, I shall make them mine. Make no mistake though, the ones listed here are outstanding and should be on your must try list.

1. Abbaye St-Remy Trappiste Rochefort 10 (Belgium)

At this point, the discussion on Quads always begins with this Belgian piece of heaven. The fact that it is available at an LCBO (and online for home delivery!!) for $4.35 is almost larceny. This Trappist Quad is a premier slow sipper at 11.3 % and one of the best beers in the world, bar none. First poured into my glass on a humid August night, dark candied fruits, plums wafted up from the glass. Strong and bold with raisin, plums, chocolate, orange and cloves in a a velvety smooth body. Warming and sticky on the finish with more dark fruits and a sweet malty kick. I buy it often and with no worries because it always makes my heart sing.

2. St. Bernardus Abt 12 (Belgium) - Another Belgian giant, this was in both the big 750 ml. bomber format ($10.70) and the Mix six that hit shelves this fall. Available at the LCBO online and in store, it is another must buy. A slow sipper at 10 %, this one smells of sweet malts, plums and figs. Smooth on the sip with toffee, caramel, molasses, candied fruit, brown sugar, fig and plum somehow coming together in a creamy and warming body. Lingering with a sticky finish, it hides that ABV very well.

3. Block 3 Brewing Through the Quad - Quite simply, the best non Belgian Quad I've had. Big and bold with plums, raisin and a deep sweet malt note. Figs, molasses and candied fruit with a tart booziness make this 10 % slow sipper from St. Jacob's a reason to take what is happening here very seriously. Give us some time and we will challenge the best in the world in every damn style of beer there is.

4. 5 Paddles Brewing Midnight Paddler

6. Brouwerije Van Steenburge Gulden Draak 9000 (Belgium)

While the lists aren't long, my love for these styles continues to grow. Now to tackle the really hard stuff...IPA's and Pale Ales up next. This is gonna hurt, but what a way to go!

Cheers!

2016 Polkie Awards - Lagers

When contemplating my favourite beers from the last year, I must admit there are times when it seems to be all Porters, stouts and IPAs. But there is always a place in my heart and fridge for the well made and humble, yet often daring styles that can come from the simple lager. A straight up beer is not something I indulge in often, but with the variety and quality that I have found, it makes it fun to be able to share my favourite 3 picks for the 2016 Polkies in a few categories.
 Lagers make their appearance today, Ales have been pushed to tomorrow, there were just too many for one day. I know, what a wonderful world I live in when my problems are that I had too many great beers this year. See you back here tomorrow for the top fermenting lovelies.

Lagers

This bottom fermenting style of beer is the most popular on the planet. Long the only kind of beer I drank, I didn't know they could be made so flavourful and with such impact on the senses.

1. Muddy York Brewing Gaslight Helles

My visits to Muddy York are truly some of my favourite moments from the last year and now that Mrs. Polk loves their beer, its even better. This 5.2 % Lager brought me joy when I had it in early April with its caramel, cereal and malt sweetness followed by a light bitterness. Eminently crushable yet a delightful sipper too. It has become a must buy whenever we go to the brewery and one you should get into your glass.

2. Muskoka Brewery Craft Lager - A lovely crisp and clean lager that often is found in their various Survival Packs as well as in singles. Hints of lemon, grassy notes and sweet malt with a slight bitter on the finish.

3. Hockley Valley Brewing Classic Lager - A new label this year for the Classic lager but the same clean grain, sweet corn, grassy and lingering bitterness means it's one to enjoy with anyone.

4. Cameron's Brewing Captain's Log Lager

5. Old Flame Brewing Vienna Lager

6. Sawdust City Brewing Little Norway

7. Amsterdam Brewing 3 Speed

8. Elora Brewing 3 Fields

9. Nickel Brook Brewing Lux Lager

10. Beau's All Natural Brewing Vienna Lager

Dark Lagers/Swarzbier

For most of us, these two styles are one in the same. Dark roasty malts in a lager that are less aggressive than a porter or stout, which are ales. More carbonated generally and a bigger feel than a standard lager.

1. Silversmith Brewing The Black Lager

One of the first stops I made early in January, Silversmith Brewing in Virgil blew me away with this dark, roasty lager. Dark chocolate, coffee and a hint of dark fruit make this a contender to be in the top ten of the year. A repeat visit to this beautiful brewery to get more is a must.

2. Rainhard Brewing Dancing with the Devil - Big in the ABV at 8 %, this Swarzbier brought real balanced dark chocolate, coffee and a crisp hopped up finish to my life in March. Smooth and balanced, not a hint of that booziness in this one.

My first experience with Rainhard and I was an immediate fan.

3. Spindrift Brewing Abyss (Nova Scotia) - A gift from the east, this 4.2 % crushable beer drank bigger than it's ABV. Dark chocolate, nutty, coffee and a hoppy presence on the backend. It's only shortcoming is distance...Something I will fix when we hit the coast this summer.

4. Beau's All Natural Brewing Dark Helmut

5. Hop City Brewing 8th Sin

6. Cameron's Brewing Black Forest

7. Side Launch Brewing Dark

8. Grand River Brewing Enigma

9. Waterloo Brewing Dark

10. Brooklyn Brewing Insulated (USA)

Bocks/Doppelbocks

Traditional brewed in winter for consumption in spring, these strong, usually dark beers are a favorite of mine for their slow sipping smoothness.

1.  Silversmith Brewing Chubocka

It was by luck and happenstance that I stumbled upon the last bottle of this rich, bready caramel and toffee beauty. I had stopped in for more of The Black Lager and couldn't resist a new beer. Creamy, smooth and a toasted malt dream. Big at 6.3 % but not boozy at all. Hope to see it again someday, I'd buy many, many more.

2. Cameron's Brewing Deviator Doppelbock 2012 Single Bourbon Barrel - Released late in the year, this classic Doppelbock was taken to new heights when aged for 4 years in a bourbon barrel. Dark and rich, with plum, raisin, molasses and an oaky bourbon note to bring it all together.

3. Northwinds Brewery Nighthawk Bock - From cottage country and a wonderful brew house that makes outstanding food, a 6.5 % Bock to warm the insides. Chocolate, plums, nuts and a lingering cocoa and coffee with a warming backend.

4. Ayinger Celebrator (German)

5. Lake of Bays Midnight Bock

6. Schloss Eggenberg Samichlaus Classic (Austria)
7. Cameron's Brewing Deviator Doppelbock Oak Aged
8. Tree Brewing Captivator

India Pale Lagers

A relatively new style to me this year, the IPL is a hopped up lager that brings the best of both worlds to my glass.

1. Redline Brewhouse Kollision Hoppy Lager

A trip north resulted in meeting new friends and sharing beers. This is a very crushable 5.3 %, 35 IBU hazy grapefruit, pineapple and pine kicker of a beer. Toasted malt body for a balanced and juicy beer. Glad to have more of this in the fridge right now.

2. Cameron's Brewing 12 Mile IPL

Available in the Summer Brewmaster's Selection Pack, this 5.2 % crusher was a mainstay in the fridge for me. Balanced malt body with lemon, grapefruit and a dry but clean bitter finish. Every fans dream is to see this as a single next summer.

3. Amsterdam Brewing Pale Rider IPL - Another mix pack available beer that has Hop heads clamouring for a single release, this fall release was a very refreshing, 4.2 % crushable treat with orange, grapefruit and a toasty body that smooths out that bitterness just right.

4. Spindrift Brewing IPL (Nova Scotia)

5. Yuengling Brewery IPL (USA)

Whatever your drinking today, I hope you are enjoying it with your friends and family. May your Christmas be merry and the memories you make all joyous.

Happiness is found when we share our love and beer with those around us.

Raise your glass and your standards,

One beer at a time!

Cheers!

When you're the Beer Guy

I would like to think if you've been following along on Instagram, Facebook or YouTube, you know I am just regular guy who was headed down the path of an early grave thanks to his penchant for over consuming macro lager and throwing his life away by hiding behind getting hammered all the time.
That was until I met my saviour in Craft Beer and its wonderfully varied styles, flavours and textures. I have become far more present in my own life and it may sound odd, but drinking better beer has been the key catalyst in that transformation. Look back on my earlier posts for some of how I have worked good beer into helping me slow down and appreciate what I have in my glass.
But today I wanted to address being known as the "Beer Guy" (or Gal) to your friends is all about.

When you are known as the "Beer Guy" in your circle of  friends it is a cool responsibility.  But it comes with a host of things you should be careful of. I always try and respect my friends choices in beer and keep these things in mind when talking about beer with them.

1. Don't be a jerk about beer. Remember just because you drink craft beer, it doesn't mean your better than your pal who loves Coors. It's nice to offer a craft beer to someone, but perhaps it is the time spent with your loved ones and not their choice in beer that is important.

2. Take a moment and consider what your friends really asked you. Did they just want a beer recommendation? Ask a few questions and then give them one or two ideas, not a laundry list of hard to find beers that require travel documents.

3. Invite your friends to come along when you go to a brewery. Nothing was better than sharing my love of all the people who make Craft Beer than bringing my pals along and introducing them to the world of fresh beer and brewery specials.

4. Share your haul. If you want someone to appreciate the different styles of beer that you can rhapsodize on for hours (don't do that), get an extra tall boy or bottle and share it with a buddy. Split a growler or bomber and talk about what your getting from it. You might be surprised at what someone else thinks about your favourite beer.

5. Try something new with someone. I am guilty of wanting to try new beers by myself a lot of the time. It is just part of my work on being a better and more present person. I write about every beer I try, whether I publish it or not,  because that is what helps me slow down and consider the beer as opposed to just getting drunk for no reason. Having said that, I am trying to branch out and share new brews with my friends when I have them for the first time as well and it is a great experience to share a look with a pal when you both discover something amazing.

I was inspired by award winning beer blogger Ben Johnson's article Let's Stop Beersplaining. Check it out, he nails what can go wrong if your putting yourself above anyone else when it comes to your beer. I often find myself getting lost for hours reading all the different beer blogs and it is those that have gone before me who continue to help make my day brighter.

It's a thin line between being a promoter of great Ontario Craft Beer or your own local breweries and being an ass. I catch myself sometimes when I get going about beer with non beer drinking people because I don't just want to be just a Beer Guy. Life is better with great beer, but don't be only about the hops and barley. Try and expand your horizons a little. read, go for walk, watch a movie or just hang out sometimes and riff on life's little joys.
I will continue to explore what great beer can do for my life and I will always share those experiences with you on Drunkpolkaroo.com. For now it is a link to my Facebook page, but I imagine something grander in the near future. Stay tuned!
Cheers!

Celebrate Craftivus with the Drunk Polkaroo

My favourite person to share a beer with.

What is it about Craft Beer that turns people into such evangelists? I cannot think of another product that encourages such devotion outside of maybe wine. And even then, you don't see the sort of communal sharing, writing and dedication from regular folks like me.
I have noticed that many of my Beer Friends are alike, just wanting to spread the word of great brews for no other reason than they are amazing. I don't get paid to review beers. I do it for myself, as I have described many times, and also because I want to help my friends who may be new to all this in their decisions. It's fun to talk about beer, its history, my favourites, my not so favourites and what I  think about it.

It is not only getting together for a beer that makes my night, it is amazing when I get to treat my buddies to a beer they haven't had or couldn't get their hands on. It's a great thing to share beer with people and even better if it blows them away like it did to you.
It is in this spirit that I would like to introduce an idea I've had fermenting in the back of my mind for many years. In the long ago time of the lost years of the Drunk Polkaroo,  I used to refer to St.Patrick's Day as not only the high holy day of beer but also Alcoholic Christmas.  It was a way to cover up my ridiculous over consuming of shitty beer with some humour and while it was true, it also made me sad.
So while I no longer cram adjunct lagers down my throat like a man who is chasing his demons away, I do still love to enjoy this celebration of not only all things Irish,  but also all things beer.
So in the spirit of sharing the love of great beer and preaching the Gospel of the Craft that I will celebrate Craftivus; in conjunction with St. Patrick's Day of course.
 What is Craftivus you ask?
Much like Festivus does for Christmas,  this Holiday is a rejection of green beer, corporate sponsored overindulgence and the general  commercialization of this once genial holiday. To celebrate this wonderful day, all that is required is for you to share a beer with a friend. Maybe two. Get together with someone you love and spend some time enjoying not only each others company, but maybe a few beers that are new to you. Perhaps you can share a favourite Craft beer with someone who is just new to the scene or give someone who is in need of it the gift of great beer. It doesn't matter how you celebrate, it just matters that you share. With friends,  family,  coworkers, that weird guy, like me, who just loves to talk about all things Crafty.
I think it is high time we take back our holiday from the frozen glass, food colouring in the beer , shamrock shaming bastards who want nothing more than to watch you fade to black as they find a cheaper way to make beer. It is only in the compartmentalized world of pie charts, sales tactics and paradigm chasers that adding rice and corn to beer makes sense.
Craftivus is meant to embrace this day with the joy and happiness that only great beer can bring. Quality versus quantity is a battle worth fighting. Raise not only your glass but your standards and help spread the word of awesome local craft beer.
So if you going out today to celebrate the greenest of days, I encourage you to not only grab that pint of Guinness to honour the Emerald Isle, but to try something new and perhaps do it with a friend.
Craftivus is all about coming together in support of your neighbourhood bar, your local craft brewereries and you, the loyal exporer of delicious brews. Give it a try, it might change your life.
Cheers!



You Never Go Full Polkaroo

Hey you.
Yeah, you, the guy at the end of his rope after a bad day.
Wanna get a case of Old Mil and just drown your sorrows in shitty macro lagers? Sounds awesome doesn't it. But what you don't know is that all that is going to do is make your day worse and your morning a disaster. Chug away anyway but don't say I didn't warn you.

That was what I used to do when I had a rough day. Get hammered and ease my mind out of the conscious world into the unconscious one. It was so easy to just pound tasteless beers into my gut one after the other until I could barely remember my own name, let alone all the garbage that life was throwing at me. But of course this never solved what troubled me, it only made it worse because I would now be hungover and still have the problem to deal with.

I have many times explained how craft beer helped me to slow down, engage my beer in a responsibly and generally stop being such a jackass. I mean, I'm still a jackass, but with nicer beer glasses and of course, better brews. Check out one of my earlier posts, A Brief History of Me  for a summary of how I came to be here.
What happens now when I have a rough day? I still want to get hammered and forget all my problems. Sometimes it is very strong, that siren call of oblivion. But I no longer respond to her tasteless, empty cry. Instead I let my emotions run their course, vent a little to someone I trust and begin my ritual of choosing a beer for the night. I describe some of my techniques for slowing down in my post Just One Beer. The biggest thing I can do when I have one of those days, that we all do sometimes, is to remind myself that I have stared into the abyss of losing everything so many times and kept going. That's good solid advice there. How many times have you thought you can't possibly go on and look at that, you're still here. You and I are pretty awesome.
Last night was one of those times and I really took my time in choosing my beer. I wanted something to just sip and enjoy so that I could roll my issues around my head while keeping it clear. I have shared how I have developed a process I call The Ritual, that helps me to really consider what I am doing and choose my beer accordingly. It is important to me that I embrace all the flavours, aromas and textures of my beer every time I have one. A new beer means a chance to write a review, attempt to take an "artsy" picture and share it with the world. This is my favourite time of the day and I don't want to ruin it by just mindlessly pounding shitty beer. Or good beer. Never waste good beer on a bender. That's just stupid.

Artsy beer pictures are my thing now. Weird.

I chose a big 9 % ABV Cameron's Brewing Company Obsidian Rum Barrel aged Imperial Porter and it was delicious. A large flavour profile beer that I knew would keep changing as I drank it, so I really sipped and savoured. Just a great beer for helping to see that even the worst of your problems have a solution or an end. And if it's just not going to get better for a while, why not at least have an hour where all you do is embrace your beer. It worked for me, along with some tunes, and I felt like a human being again.
So the next time you think cramming shots and chugging flavourless macro brews is the only thing you can do to forget your problem, try to consider what I've shared with you. I am proof that you can still drink beer and not give in to that inner voice that wants all the beer, right now. Call a friend, take a walk or do something to get your mind moving. Then open the fridge, pick something amazing from your favourite brewery or maybe a new one. Pop the top, pour it into a glass and settle down to contemplate what's troubling you. Let the beer be part of the solution, not an addition to the problem.
And remember kids.
Even though it sounds awesome...
You never go Full Polkaroo.
It doesn't end well.
Cheers!



A Tale of Two Beer Nights

What a fine week this Polkaroo had. So many new and amazing Craft Beers and not one, but two beer festivals! One was a Cask Night at Collective Arts hosted by Nickel Brook and the other was the Toronto Winter Brew Fest at the Enercare Centre. The two could not have been more different in price, feeling and execution.

The Cask Night was held Thursday night at the brewery right here in Hamilton. It featured 6 brewers, Wellington, Stone Hammer, Great Lakes, Nickel Brook, Collective Arts and Cameron's. They each brought two casks of beer, some unique to the event and all of them were tasty. Cask beer carries no additional carbonization, unlike your local pub or restaurant, so it is less bubbly and the flavours are smoother. A definite must if you see one near you. It was a fairly intimate event and along with the beer, amazing food was served. The whole thing cost only $20 a ticket, all in, including a mug. No other costs and let me tell you a blast was had. There was background music, but it didn't overpower your conversation. You could really talk to all the people from the breweries, including some of the owners. Mrs. Polkaroo and I met some really wonderful new beer friends and had a great time together. It was a real experience and one I won't soon forget.

Friday night, we travelled to Toronto and the Winter Brew Fest. I won the tickets on Facebook from Cameron's Brewing and considering we hadn't planned on going, it was a surprise. The cost if tickets was similar to Cask night, around $20 and you got a nicely branded beer mug, but those were the only similarities. When we arrived, we were ushered through a few levels of security, heard the buzz of the crowd and the very loud thump of the music. In order to get beer samples (4 oz.), you had to purchase paper tokens at 10 for $10 and exchange them for your brews. This is where we encountered the first of several issues many people have been taking to social media to vent about. The lines were very long. Not surprising given the amount of people, but after the quick and easy access to beer the night before, it was a little off putting. But I am a good Canadian and know how to line up for stuff.

The next problem was the cost and portion size of the samples. Most of the beer cost between 3 and 6 tokens. For a 4 ounce sample. That is $3 to $6 dollars, People were quite unhappy with that. You could fill your glass by doubling the tokens, but $12 for 8 ounces of beer was a lot for me and I wanted to try as many as I could with the limited time frame we had because of work the next morning. I am sure if I had more cash and time, I would have pushed through, but I think my money is better spent at the brewery getting new beers and taking them home. Most of them do samples for free or for a dollar or so at most and while I understand that this is a for profit event, it was very expensive.

The music was very loud, very club-like and not in tune with what I am used to when in drink my beer. I didn't mind the style or choice in music really, for me it was the volume. I almost had to shout to make myself heard and when you are ordering a beer or trying to talk to your wife about anything, that isn't pleasant. I know I am an older guy, but this was a little much.

There was a  presence from the breweries themselves, with tents and staff on hand, but the majority of the beer was served by bartenders at islands with several breweries listed. I am sure this a logistical and space issue and perhaps that was one of the biggest problems my fellow craft beer drinkers were having. We like to talk about our beer, especially with the people who make it. On Thursday, I spoke to owners, people who work at the breweries and fellow enthusiasts, On Friday, with such a crush of humanity, it felt too loud and harried to do that. There was very little sense of the community that I love and cherish present. It was just too damn corporate and that is indeed something we bristle against. Perhaps it was not aimed at the regular craft beer drinker, like myself, but why alienate us to cater to people new to the wonders of Craft Beer. There has to be a better way to accommodate everyone.

The cost, long lines, overpoweringly loud music and overall vibe of Brew Fest was somewhat of a disappointment. I am not sure what I expected, but after the joy and happiness of Cask Night, this left a sour taste in my mouth. I am very new to the whole scene of Beer festivals and I am open to trying again. There are so many of them coming up as the weather warms that it is inevitable I will want to go. I just want the experience to be a joyous one about all that Craft beer can bring to your life. A celebration of the amazing things the people who create and run the breweries show us with their innovative and unique beers. I know these events need to make money in order to survive, but cramming us cheek to cheek with ridiculous lines, tiny pours and costly tickets isn't going to help the community grow.

I may be new to the festivals, but when I leave an event I got to go to for free and still feel that I didn't get value for my dollar, something is off. I am one of the most positive people when it comes to beer. I always look for the upside and I want this whole idea to work. When the breweries themselves run events, the sense of togetherness was pervasive. In a corporate one, it feels forced. We can do better and I hope people will continue to give the organizers feedback on what didn't work for them. I am not sure if we will be heard, but if they don't listen, we can speak with our dollars and take them elsewhere. I hope this isn't the case and will work diligently to be a voice for the change we all want. It is easy to vent your frustrations on Social media, but typing rants and doing nothing else is not really productive. Let's come together to make things better, not just yell at the things we hate. It is something I know I am trying to do myself.

So it was a very different type of week for this guy. I am not used to going to events like these and I hope to do it more as we come into the spring. I know there are so many breweries I want to get to and with all the growlers I am purchasing, I will have to revisit them to get refills on unique and one off brews. This is just the beginning and I am really getting jacked up on all that I am starting to see.

Cheers!

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Note from the Drunk Polkaroo

I am not going to be doing a Beer of the Week anymore. It was an idea that I had when I first started my journey, but one that seems forced now. I am getting so many amazing beers every week that the idea of choosing one isn't really fun or productive. I will still be working on lists for special days, like Super Bowl, St. Patty's Day or Christmas, but I think the need for me to pick one a week is a spent force. Instead I will continue to focus on my journey with Craft Beer and how it is helping me cope with my personal growth. I will be posting every Sunday for sure and when the muse strikes me throughout the week.

If you like my reviews, I do at least one a day on my Instagram account, check it out. And of course there is my new found love for the video review on my YouTube channel. New videos every Tuesday and Thursday, so subscribe and follow along. All of this will be easily available to you if you'd like by becoming a fan of the Drunk Polkaroo on Facebook. It ties all my different streams together  along with other unique content. Thanks for all the support and please feel free to stop by and say hello!

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