Budget Life

Drinking good beer on a budget isn't always easy and when you are a guy who loves to try new and different ones all the time, it can get downright difficult. I will admit this is a very first world problem and do not wish to diminish the struggles myself or anyone else has in their life when it comes to money and survival but this isn't about that, it is about how I spend what money I budget and still enjoy many different beers.
 Contrary to popular belief, I don't receive much in the way of free beer. I have had the occasional brewery send me a beer or two, sometimes it is people who I have met online or in real life that give the gift of beer to me. But that isn't a weekly or even monthly occurrence and while I treasure anything someone sends me, I don't rely on the largesse of others to explore beer. I buy the majority of what you see me consume either at the breweries themselves or the LCBO. It pains me sometimes to receive a beer saint gift because at the end of the day, I don't have the means to return the favour, no matter how much I want to.

Last year's Tabernac Craft Beer haul from my Eastern Beer Saint friends

  Years of poor financial decisions left me almost broken and with a very bleak future staring me in the face. For far too long, I spent money on what I wanted and damn the bills. Even repeated warnings, final warnings and actual disconnections didn't scare me, I just kept blindly throwing money everywhere without regard to anyone or thing. While I have documented how craft beer has helped me control my over indulgent lifestyle, I rarely touch upon how it has changed my life when it comes to money. In order to try so many new beers and make sure the bills are paid, I had to do something most people do automatically, make a budget. But not just any pre fab program or idea would work and it took a few years of trial and error, slip ups and mistakes to finally arrive at a workable plan that has me less worried about the hydro bill and more concerned with living my life.

Issues man...

  To achieve this I had to get myself back to even on all my bills and then plan out the entire year, with some flexibility for emergencies, to make sure the utilities, mortgage, and other necessary things were always up to date and even a little ahead. I tracked years back on the bills and laid out a reasonable bi weekly amount that went to each and every one of them. Looking at an entire year of Hydro bills, for example, led me to see that $130 a pay to them meant I would always be in the black when the bill came due without wondering how I would be able to pay the entire thing. I did this with all the bills and began every payday with a few moments reviewing and then paying a certain amount to each bill. It was scary at first because my bank account would dwindle so fast but the money left was truly ours to spend and not borrowing from stuff that really needed to come first. I am still digging my way out of my poor decisions in the past but the light at the end of the tunnel is just over a year away and I am chugging along with the plan that has got me this far.

It was cheap and got me drunk, not my best choice.

 For the most part, I only buy 1 or 2 of any new beer that I find. Would I like to have 6 or 10 to try and then share/trade with my beer pals? Of course, but with a very limited budget, I had to make choices that respect the course I have found to bring me back to where I need to be. So I keep track of who has sent me something and when there is a little room in the budget, I try to return the favour. But I am indebted to those folks who just send Beer Saint gifts with no demand for a return, your karma is growing and one day I will show my thanks properly. The beer fridge is mostly full of whatever is new at the LCBO or the odd trip to a brewery, stuff friends give me and the rare thing sent from a brewery themselves. I am so lucky to get things from my friends in the industry and believe me I know how awesome any beer mail can be. So a big thank you to anyone who does this wonderfully thoughtful thing and I acknowledge my debt to you.

Durham Beer Saints Bottle share

  Respecting my budget and buying new beers leaves me with some cash left for a few favourites and regular craft beers to have when I just want a beer. These are usually purchased at the Liquor store and given that my free time is limited, like most people, that's where I am forced to do most of my shopping. Grocery stores are getting better with their craft offerings and as they see the sales and demand grow, hopefully it will continue to expand their selections. There is little doubt in my mind that without my turn to better beer, I would still be living paycheque to 4 days before paycheque and I will always continue to sing the praises of our local and not so local craft brewers for all the good they have brought into my life. I choose my regular beers based on knowing their quality, cost and what style I am feeling. There are many options for all price ranges and stuff like Great Lakes Canuck Pale or Collective Arts Ransack the Universe still provide the most bang for your buck and deliver great flavour. Look around at your local LCBO and breweries, they are sure to have something to fit your budget and taste. I have learned to let go of not being able to get every release I want. Given the sheer amount of breweries in Ontario that is a good approach because there is no way I could afford to buy every beer that comes out. Even when it comes to the ones that I really do want when I see them posted on social media, I remind myself that what is important is to contribute what I can to the cause and be joyful that my fridge has so many amazing things already. I wish I had an unlimited budget and the time to get the beer I want, but I have finally come to a point in my life when I accept what is and embrace what I have. I have learned to appreciate what is in my glass without worrying about what is in someone else's. I hope to be able to keep sharing when I can afford it and when the tide of my life has fully turned for the good, I will make it my mission to do more. Keep sharing and let's never doubt that this community is pretty damn amazing.

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

Cheers!
Polk

 

Tour Durham Craft beer with the Beer Saints!

I strive to explore craft beer from around the province and this past weekend gave me a look into the amazing things happening just northeast of Toronto in Durham Region. While we tend to be hooked into the close by brewery or the latest trend on social media, it really is a good idea to hop in the car and trek outside your usual routine to see some pretty amazing stuff that is happening in Ontario Craft Beer.

Organized by my good friend, Paul the Beer Guy (Instagram and Twitter, respectively), the Beer Saints reunited to explore this untapped region of the province. His love of this area is evident and it was his hard work that resulted in a day I'll never forget. We made the trip to Paul's house and brought with us many craft beers from various parts of the province for the party and bottle share after the tour.

 Months in planning, days of waiting and finally we could head out to our first stop, Brock Street Brewing. Beer saints Away!!!

Stop 1 - Brock Street Brewing

 

Long touted by Paul as one of his favourite brewers, we made the quick trek from Michelle and Paul's house to the Brock Street Brewing Company to start the day off. Welcomed warmly as they tapped their weekly Saturday Cask day, we made our way in to check out their home that will soon give way to a new location downtown. Met by two of the owners, Mark and Victor, as well as engaging beer wizard/Brew Master Tanner, we felt right at home in this very busy local hot spot. Trying the Yarrow Pale Ale and talking past, present and future with these three passionate guys brought home why Paul wanted the Saints to visit. It behooves anyone who wants to experience the excitement and love of great beer and community to get to Brock Street and see that love in action. I did buy one of everything and am looking forward to experiencing all they have to offer. Onward we trekked...

Tanner is so very passionate about the beers he wants to and is creating.

Huge thanks to Mark and Victor for helping to kick off the Beer Saints tour!

Stop 2 : 5 Paddles Brewing Company

  

Just a stones throw away from our first stop was 5 Paddles Brewing Company, another of Paul's local haunts. A packed bottle shop greeted us as we came through the door and we made our way into the back to meet up with one of the founders/brewers, Spencer. Pouring from some bottles set aside for us, he regaled us with tales of building the brewery from scratch and even gave us a sample right from the tank of the latest batch of their signature IPA, In Your Face, which had just been dry hopped. A welcoming and engaging time, we again raided the fridge and hopped back on the bus for the journey to stop # 3.

Barrels on Barrels.

Paul the Beer Guy, 5 Paddles Spencer and a Happy Polkaroo.

Stop 3 : Second Wedge Brewing Company

 

A short drive later, we arrived in Uxbridge and yet another packed tap room at The Second Wedge Brewing Company. As we looked over the bottle selection with stars in our eyes, one half of the team that is the brewery, Rob, joined us and walked us through the back while relating the history of the building and their brewery. Joanne joined us  a little later and we chatted about their plans for the future and how the local community was so important to them. A constant theme from Saturday was how great it was to be involved with local artists and part of the city or region you are located in and that is what great beer is supposed to be about. They even cracked a bottle of the Porter that had been infused with Chocolate when Kathryn talked of her love of porters. We again bought one of everything and hopped back in the bus for stop # 4...

The Polkaroo's with Joanne and Rob, beauty folks!

That Tap list though!

Stop 4 - Old Flame Brewing Company

As the sun set, we arrived at Old Flame Brewing in Port Perry and were all struck by the beauty of the building. Located near the core, this young brewery is making waves locally and beyond. As Jack took us around, he regaled us of not just tales of growing a brewery, but the historic building in which it was housed. A real treat to see this passion again and a place to visit regardless of the season. Their cans are not your usual 473 ml, instead raising the bar to 568 ml, with the best bargain in Ontario Craft beer coming in at an astounding $2.95 a can. A brewery that not only wants to sell great beer, but makes sure its accessible to their fans at an amazing price says volumes about their commitment to the craft. Once again, one of everything from the fridge and it was on the road to dinner.

Jack filling us in on some local history and all things Old Flame.

 

A gracious and captivating host, I am excited to go back and hang out again!
Thanks Jack.

Stop 5 - Stuttering John's Smokehouse and a Surprise Visit by the guys from Manantler Brewing

 

Absolutely delicious and Crushable pale ale.

 

 

Time was running out on our tour and we were going to be unable to visit Manantler Brewing on our trip. As we pulled into Stuttuering John's smokehouse for dinner, we were ravenous and excited to try one of Paul's most highly recommended Durham eateries. When we sat down at our table, we were surprised to see Chris and Matt from Manantler not only bring some of their Belgian IPA, Hot Tropics, but that they were joining us for dinner. A surprise that Paul had planned all along, it was a topping on an amazing day. The portion sizes and flavours at Stuttering John's were stupendous and our group eagerly ate up both the food and the atmosphere, The guys from Manantler regaled us with tales of their journey and maybe Brett (Ifindbeerenjoyable on Instagram) and I gave them a few ides that could see the light of day...well, maybe not all of them, we are a little twisted sometimes.

It was a great way to finish the tour and we all made plans to visit this bustling new brewery soon. soon our plates were cleared and it was time for the short trip back to Paul and Michelle's for the next best part of a Beer Saint night, the exchange of beer saint gifts and the bottle share.

The Conclusion...

We arrived back at the homestead around 10 and cracked open the Sam Adams Utopia to kick off a night of great beer being shared by amazing people. The talk lasted long into the wee hours of the morning and the samples flowed freely as did the discussions of Ontario Craft Beer, life and everything else. We may have met because of a love of craft beer, but we became friends because we realised we had so much more in common. A huge thank you to Paul for putting all this together, Michelle for supporting him and hosting us in your home and to the bunch of Beer Saints who joined the tour. Robin, Jen, Dave, Tina, Brett, Danielle and of course Paul, Kat and Michelle, you guys made this a day I'll never forget.

Do yourself a favour, jump in the car and head out Durham way. The breweries are making some of the best beer in the province, the communities offer some great shops to visit and you will make new friends and memories along the way.

Until the next time,

Raise your Glass and your standards,

One Beer at a Time.

Cheers!

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!