The Ten - 2025's Best Sober Moments

  

  A whole year of beer boiled down to ten spots. Just ten moments that lingered in my mind and helped get me through the last 365 days make this list and while there were a lot of low points in 2025, these beers gave light and hope to an often dreary world.  It's been an adjustment talking about NA beers versus regular pints, the alcohol effect being absent makes for a whole different vibe to be sure. But the options are getting better and as the market for NA offerings grows, so should the quality. I'm here for the beer, so let's get on with this year's Sober Ten.

10. One for the Road Brewing Proceed with Caution Amber (January 26th)

  One of the first non-alcoholic beers that really wowed me this year, One for the Road Brewing certainly tries to deliver as close to the real thing in a whole lotta styles as anyone out there. Prolific in number, they try to find an NA offering for every taste and this nutty, toasted malt beauty hit all the marks. Lacking nothing, satisfying the promise of the style. 

Full video here.

9. Lake of the Woods Brewing No Wake Blonde Ale (October 23rd)

  With this full bodied, bitter and bubbly Ale, Lake of the Woods Brewing brings an ode to classics like 50 or OV. Easy drinking, absolutely bang on flavours and a really wallet friendly price are all positives in my book. It scratches that itch for a beer that tastes like a damn beer real well and should find a place in the fridge or cooler anytime of year,

Full video here.

8. Sober Carpenter Brewing Oktoberfest Lager (September 21st)

  I keep coming back to comparing what Sober Carpenter is doing in the NA world with what Beau's All Natural Brewing was doing in the craft beer one about 10 to 15 years ago and I really appreciate the style chances they've taken, even if I don't always dig what the result is. This Oktoberfest Lager was the best of the best this year from SC though, just topping out the Black and regular IPAs in my book. Bready with a caramel and rye spice feel, it was a grand addition to a sober September afternoon.

Full video here.

7. Cowbell Brewing Pretty Near Lager (April 19th)

  The ability to create an NA lager is profoundly difficult. Off flavours often abound and the appearance in the glass is sometimes secondary and ignored. Cowbell Brewing goes to great lengths here to not only bring a great but simple crisp and clean Lager to us, but it has the head retention and carbonation to make the entire experience just like a regular pint. That's golden.

Full Video here.

6. Harmon's Craft Brewing Jack Pine Pale Ale (January 23rd)

  The search for a non-alcoholic West Coast IPA/Pale Ale is perhaps my foremost desire when it comes to this whole journey through this NA world. I am an unabashed lover of malty, bitter beers and in Harmon's Craft Brewing flagship Pale Ale, I first found a spark to fuel that love. Toasty malt back with a floral, orange and pine bitterness caught my imagination and this one has found it's way back to my glass many times over the year.

Full video here.

5. Big Spruce Brewing Kitchen Partly Pale Ale (January 15th)

  A take on their classic Kitchen Party Pale Ale, this quickly became a must have whenever I placed an order with Designated Drinks. Big Spruce has found a fantastic way to bring an NA beer to life that is full bodied, has a real beer feel, lots of citrus and pine bitterness, leaning West into an almost full IPA hit. This one helped me start to feel like there was hope for this trip through the sober world, perhaps some joy could be found after all.

Full video here.

4. Left Field Brewing Everyday Player Lager (February 15th)

  There was little doubt when I first saw this Left Field Brewing offering available that it would be good. I trust and love the pedigree of LF beers over the years and this Lager raised and set the standard going forward for the style. Grainy, floral with a solid bitterness, a firm carbonation, crisp and clean with no aftertaste, nothing but real beer goodness all the way through. It remains the best NA Lager I tried in 2025 and one of the best beers overall. It found it's way into my glass all year long.

Full video here.

3. Guinness (September 4th)

  The best NA stout is widely available and comes with an international pedigree for consistency and quality. Guinness 0 was one of the first NA beers I tried back in 2024 and has set the standard for every stout that comes after it. I have encountered very few that can match up to it, most devolving into a smoky, ashy mess...but not Guinness. Rich and velvety smooth, it has dark chocolate and coffee with just the right amount of bitterness and has never let me down. A beer I've bought almost every month this year, it's one I know I can count on all the time.

Full video here.

2. Bellwoods Brewery Stay Classy IPA (January 11th)

  One thing I have discovered in the last year is that it's easy to release an NA beer, but it takes a real dedication to bring a quality product to the market. Bellwoods has long been one of the best breweries in Ontario (probably Canada and beyond, imho) and they don't fool around when it comes to delivering  great beer. This extended to their non-alcoholic Stay Classy IPA, a pint that feels like the real thing and you know you're drinking a Bellwoods from the sniff to last sip. A beautifully constructed beer with notes of white grapefruit, lemon and pine, bitter and full with lingering pithiness. A go-to IPA that made my world a better place. 

Full video here. 

1. Nickel Brook Brewing Wicked Tame IPA (September 1st)

  It wasn't difficult to choose my top NA beer from the last year, this one from Nickel Brook stood out from the first time I had it and was the most regular purchase and only 24 I bought in the last year and a half. Aside from its fantastic flavour profile of lemon, tangerine, pineapple and pine, the full bodied texture was such a lovely thing to behold. Many non-alcoholic offerings are thin and watery, but Nickel Brook delivers an as close to the full test IPA as possible and their care in crafting this shows. Along with their NA Blonde Ale, they've given us two great options when seeking sober living. Wicked Tame earned its spot at the top of my list by giving me the break from the worry of the world and just letting me enjoy a beer for beer's sake. 

Full video here.

  

Happy New Year!

Polk

December 29yh, 2025

  Drinking is personal.

  My relationship with alcohol is more complicated than anything else I've encountered in my life, because at the end of it all, it's really about my own internal struggle and conflict with how I live and what kind of reality I see every day. The past is hazy, I leaned hard into the mind altering, carefree way that a couple of beers could make you feel, nobody loved the 2 or 3 beer buzz more than I...nobody. I didn't want to get obliterated every night, my addiction was far less insidious and in front of me in a way that I wanted to escape but still seem in control. Just enough alcohol to numb, not enough to become a problem for anyone but myself. And without the health issues I encountered last fall, I don't see how I would have interrupted that pattern without some form of intervention, from the outside or within.

 I always say that nobody know more about how to diet and exercise than a fat guy, we know the stats and what we need to do, we just can't find the will or the way to do it...but baby, do we know the cheap, expensive and everything in between about it. Same goes for drunks. I can see through different, sober, eyes now, even though I always knew the problem existed. I watch how much everyone else seems to drink now, and know that I probably drank at least as much and probably more. Until you step back, you don't see how many you're putting back in a week, they all blur together into a mash of everything is okay...until the day it isn't.  

  We glamorize the new releases and beer fests, ignoring the underlying social and health issues associated with our favourite thing outside of paying homage to fallen pals and urging the "moderation" crew as long as it doesn't impact the bottom line. We don't want to talk about the societal issues, health ramifications and mental health problems associated with alcohol, we just want to see pretty reels and pictures about community and having a good time. We know deep in our souls that everything on social media is seen through a foggy lens of false perfection, all the while claiming authenticity and good times. I live in this world, it is my window and my door, the only way I feel like I belong anywhere is when I exist there and it is exhausting. The break I forced myself to take from most of it during my initial recovery was freeing in a way, but I still find myself drawn back into its orbit because I don't know what else to do or where I should go. I like talking about beer and how it feels, even the non-alcoholic ones have a way of giving you a break from the world, where you can focus on what's in your glass instead of the growing dystopia that seems to be gaining momentum around the globe. I know so many folks want beer and other alcohol based communities to be free of politics and a place for everyone, but as we have seen and heard for so long, the more things change, the more they stay the same when it comes to our problems and our inclinations. Is it wrong for people to want an escape? A place where the biggest problem is a beer style they don't like or an off flavour killing the lager vibe? The gathering of like minded individuals, who's political leanings may or may not be aligned, is possible, as long as no one rocks the boat or makes it weird. But making it weird means making it better. Making it weird for the majority means everyone can feel weird together. 

But what do I know, I'm a drunk...

Polk

September 29th, 2025

One Year Later...

                             

  I woke up this morning, knowing it's been exactly 1 year since the last time I indulged my inner drunk and had way too many pints, topped off with a big old glass of whiskey. One year since I could barely breathe after going up a flight of stairs or walking to my car and one year since my resting heart rate was somewhere around 170 beats per minute. In those 365 days, I have not let go of reality even once. No slip ups or "accidents", never having more than 2 beers in a single day and no hard liquor of any kind. Part of this is predicated by all the medications I'm on to help control blood pressure and keep my heart from running itself out of beats before my time is supposed to be up. But the other part has become a battle of internal monologues, each vying for supremacy and each with some good points to be made. 

  On one side, we've got the good times Polk, the drunkard who loves to let go and seeks the haze that only a half dozen beers and a full glass of whiskey can bring. He seeks the nostalgia of a past that sometimes isn't just seen through rose coloured glasses, it's outright delusional. But he relaxes. He takes the weary mind and the world gone mad and just let's them go. He watches his favourite movies and shows and has not a care in the world except for his next drink and he gets to drift away into the night, careless and thoughtless.

  The other side, Sober Polk, hangs off me like an ill-fitting suit two sizes too small. The biggest problem I have run into being sober for an entire calender year is the unrelenting reality of the world around me. Living through the entire last year without a hazy filter or escape has led me down some pretty dark paths and while I know intellectually that drinking too much is part of why I'm where I am today, I still can't help but miss it dearly. Sober Polk is a quieter guy, but he rages underneath and sometimes that bubbles through unintentionally. I feel like I have begun to care less about things that used to be important, maybe to not have to feel any emotion or maybe to shield myself from the temptation to say "Fuck it", and pour the last of my whiskey from a year ago and fire the whole thing up again. It would lead to my demise faster than I'd like, but somedays, sober me gets the feeling that he isn't afraid of that anymore.

  That I haven't given into my lesser angels this year has been a surprise to me for sure. I remember lying in that hospital bed trying to figure out and bargain with whatever the universe is to be able to just go back to living as I had been. What part of my intellect was I suppressing to try and make that work is beyond me, because I knew life was changing and would never be the same again...but then it kind of has been, just without any release from reality and responsibility.  I wanted it all to just be a big misunderstanding and it has turned into an internal struggle for my very existence. I know I am better now than I was a year ago and I have an incredible opportunity to further take my health in a better direction with the help of many professionals, part of a bariatric/heart health study I have agreed to be part of. I like when they ask me if I drink and I can honestly say 2 or 3 beers a week. 1 specialist asked if I could go completely dry and, without hesitation, I said "Yes.". 

And I meant it.

  I have come to enjoy my pursuit of the best in non-alcoholic beers over the last 9 months plus. I've found some incredible gems among the almost 200 different offerings I've been able to find. The ability to keep writing and talking about some kind of beer is part of what keeps me sane and around. I don't know what I would do if I couldn't do even that little escape into what I love to do. But as I have learned in the last year, I am capable of change, even if I fight myself all the way through it. 

  I need to lose a lot of weight still, apparently it wasn't the beer after all, I know, I was surprised too. I need to reevaluate my relationship with food and the how and why I eat the way that I do. I need to become more active, even if it scares to take the first step on a walk that could alter my life forever. The things I seek exist in the wisps of the future that stretch out into the unknown. I am not sure if I am truly capable of the next steps, I honestly have been fighting myself for so long that I am sometimes lost as to how to get myself unstuck. But I have hopes that with professional help, including some much needed therapy for my mental health, I can find some new tools to help me find a way forward into an even brighter future.

Thanks for all the support to everyone who's reached out in the last year. Your kind words have meant the world to this old fella and I appreciate every message, DM and comment I get. I don't wanna go anywhere, I still got a lot left to say.

Cheers!

Polk

09/22/25

Desperately Seeking Better (NA) Beer

  I often wonder how to rate or judge non-alcoholic beers and then communicate in a way that people who are looking for NA options can understand.  Realistically, the depth of the field isn't the best and there is a wild chasm between great and good, even more so between mid and bad. I guess it's a young(ish) industry that will need some time to really find its legs, if it can be profitable enough to force quality to the forefront and not just an add on to entice the DD to stick around so everyone can have a few more Pints before heading home with a six pack or two. Even some of the breweries that are entirely focused on making NA beers can have terrible products side by side with some really fine offerings. The lack of quality control, coupled with an uneducated and/or desperate consumer base has made for a rush to market for a lot of things and an acceptance of that's just how things are...but I think there is a real opportunity as we move forward in the Sober and Sober adjacent community if we call out poorly conceived, off style and badly executed pints and raise awareness and help promote good, on point stuff.

  There has always been an element to talking about craft beer on social media that doesn't want to rock the boat. They don't want to criticize a bad beer, they don't want to be seen as not part of helping to grow the community and promote local businesses. While all taste is truly subjective, off flavours and just plain bad beer is pretty evident when you find it. I'm not talking about a style you don't personally like, I'm talking about things that don't come as advertised on the can or that are riddled with off flavours and imperfections. Brewing beer is art plus science and a dedication to consistency and a commitment to only releasing a quality product. Accepting any less is not helping to grow anything, it only allows bad actors and bad faith to become ingrained in the industry and makes anyone who's dipping their toe in the water to see what all the fuss has been about feel like it's not worth the time or money spent to switch over from macros. I've seen great and innovative breweries fall by the wayside and loose their mojo, all the while being praised for making beer that should never have left the bright tanks. It can be disheartening at the best of times, but at least there are so many options available that avoiding shitty beer can be done with a little research and wise spending.

  The problem that has arisen as I've now crossed over to the other side of the ABV is that the options are severely limited at a local level and a lot of folks are not going to order beer online for delivery without being able to be assured that what they're getting is good and well, drinkable. What we find in most stores and the local LCBO's is limited by a ridiculous amount of macro sameness. It seems to be similar no matter which part of our monopoly riddled, oligarch driven grocery sector you shop at, familiar, big brand names pop up again and again. There are some good ones to be found in the Non-alcoholic section of the drinks aisle, but the rotation and selection remains very static, without fail the same things and usually only in 4 or 6 packs, from place to place. 

  The largest deterrent to growth in this industry, however, remains the issue of taste, perhaps the biggest roadblock for so many people who may be open to jumping on the sober(ish) bandwagon as we find the years adding up and the beers piling on. There is little control or accountability for poor quality, bad tasting beers and for far too many brewers, the public's low expectations have allowed a lot of them to release sub par products because that is what they can get away with. As with everything I've encountered in my decade of talking about craft beer, education and worthy products are the key to growing any segment of the community. We've seen the rise of the Hazy IPA side by side with barrel focused, funk beers and Lager only breweries delivering amazing things. Despite some consternation, the truth is there has never been a better selection of styles in the LCBO and while the IPA tends to still be the focus of a lot of people, there truly is something for everyone if you look around. This is partially true for non-alcoholic brews as well, although on a far smaller and less available scale. Breweries like Harmon's, Perth, Bellwoods, Big Spruce, Nickel Brook, One for the Road and Left Field (just to name a few) have delivered some truly amazing things, lagers, sours and stouts to yes, even IPAs. They bring things that still taste and feel like real beer for those of us who have chosen or have had chosen for us a sober lifestyle (or a semi-sober one, who am I to judge). I know a lot of folks think that if you can't or won't drink beer then you should just drink something else, but when I find really well made NA offerings, it warms my (slightly broken but recovering) heart that I don't have to give up on the things I enjoy entirely. I know without the alcohol, many people wouldn't drink, but what I've found over the last 5 months and 120 plus non-alcoholic beers and ciders is that I don't need it as much as I thought I did and I've found some incredible, go-to pints that leave me feeling whole again. 

  But what we cannot and should not accept is less than good products. We need to be more vigilant and demanding when it comes to NA beers. Do not accept that they can't be as full and flavourful as their regular strength counterparts or that it is inherent that off or weird flavours are just acceptable. I've tasted so many good things, I know it is possible to do. But there is a huge gap in our knowledge, a chasm of culture that we are trying to bridge with experimentation and learning. The only way we can see the kind of growth necessary to sustain and inspire breweries to deliver quality non-alcoholic options is to reward the ones doing it and spread the word about inadequate or poor tasting releases that shouldn't see the light of day. Just because someone okayed a beer to be sent out does not mean we have to accept it. Your dollars speak volumes about what you are wiling to accept. At any time that is true, and even more so in the current economic and political climate.

  I'll continue my crusade and exploration. I'll continue to advocate for better options and better quality in non-alcoholic beers, spirits and mixed drinks. I'll promise to always be honest, as I have always been, about what's in my glass every day.  I'll seek out everything I can get my hands on and share it with you, the good, the bad and the ugly. I know for a lot of people, switching to NA products isn't always an easy choice, but we should hope that it can be made easier by showcasing and spreading the word about what to buy and what to avoid.  

  It's been a wild ride and it's just getting started.

  See y'all out there.

Sober (mostly),

Polk

April 7th, 2025

Looking for a Place to Happen - Seeking Sober Spaces

 

 I've been on a lot of beer runs in the last 35 years, maybe just to the Beer Store in the beginning, but after 2015 we stepped it up in a big way, culminating in cross province, week long jaunts that left my fridge bulging and my glass overflowing with the new and interesting things Ontario had to offer. We've done multi day road trips, driving hundreds of kilometers in search of pints to explore and met countless people like ourselves along the way. Sometimes it was just popping into one of the nearby breweries for a bite and a beer, the simple pleasure of belonging to a community that supports the hopes and dreams of local small businesses and hoping to do our small part to help spread the good word. I love a solid beer run and this last weekend was perhaps the worst, most depressing one I've ever taken and it illustrates a real problem the sober or non-alcoholic beer world has when it comes to helping folks crossover or drink a little less if that's what they're after.

  For the last couple of months, I've been getting deliveries of non-alcoholic beer from a fantastic service, Designated Drinks (Check them out here) has really shown the wide range of what's available across Canada when it comes to this category and they will continue to be my go to when it comes to seeking new and interesting things to talk about.

But...

  Getting a beer delivery does not replace a beer run, visiting a taproom or wandering the fridge at the local LCBO. It brings, with ease, many selections to your door and while this is a boon to all of us seeking sober pours, I must admit to longing for that jump in the car and head off down the road moment we used to have when it came to grabbing some new beers. There aren't many options for a sober third space and while some breweries have NA offerings, good ones that aren't more than a cheap knock-off of something they toss on the menu for the DD are not as easy to find. The culture of raising a glass with your friends is missing, the fluid conversation and excitement of new and returning beers, old favourites and solid stand-bys doesn't exist and this past Sunday illustrated that writ large for me as we travelled across town in search of something new.

  I had yet to put in my monthly order for Designated Drinks and by Sunday morning, I figured we could augment the beer fridge until it arrived with a stop at a couple grocery stores and maybe the best LCBO in the province (located on Osler Road in Dundas). Surely they would have enough of an offering to satisfy my cravings and while I found a few things, for the most point it reminded me of the vast and empty wasteland we have when it comes to the non-alcoholic beer line-up around us. The same drab macro 6 packs, lots of NA Euro lagers and store brand knock-offs that often resemble bad homebrew beers crammed into a tiny section of the drinks wall, unrefrigerated of course and inspiring no one. The LCBO was almost worse, a reminder that we are indeed not like we used to be and with nowhere else to go, I headed home with a couple of shabby Joe's to add to the fridge, an embarrassment of emptiness not worth the gas money or effort to acquire. There was no joy in seeking them out, only a resigned indifference of a cold world, quietly slipping from any hint of community or camaraderie and into the night without a smile. 

  Now maybe I'm being a tad melodramatic, I have been known to be given to theatrics from time to time, but the truth is, I could not find inspiration or illumination at any of these corporately controlled stops, there is no excitement or anticipation in an experience that cannot be shared and is often one made only out of necessity, not out of inspiration. Giving people options is a good way to grow your business, there are some really fine non-alcoholic beers being made here in Ontario, but for most people, as is true with craft beer, access is the key to that growth. As I have already said, we do not have third spaces for the NA crowd, there exists no taproom to seek out or exciting new thing to explore. We do not get the anticipation at a returning favourite beer, nor do we feel joined in a communal raising of the glass at events we used to love to attend. Whether you're sober by choice, by necessity or just because, it means you have to adjust your expectations of not only what's in your glass, but also of what your experiences and memories will be...although, to be fair, at least we can remember them all now...

  All of this isn't to mean that all is lost. Delivery services like DD and Sober Sips (which has a storefront in Barrie), among other start-ups, have truly expanded access to a wide variety of alternatives to the boozy booze and I am eternally grateful for their existence and work at trying to help grow with the sober community. I will continue to use their services and steer other people to them when they are seeking the stuff I talk about on social media. What all of this boils down to is a need for more actual places for us to gather and feel that sense of community craft beer had brought us. A feeling that we belonged to something special and that we were all connected in the very best way, seeking a good time and a break from an increasingly chaotic world. While I can no longer imbibe with impunity, many can't take a drink at all, we still want to find a place to be part of that larger world. It can be lonely, for even the best of us, as we revisit fond memories of days gone by and nights full of friends and amazing beers. You wonder if you'll ever feel that type of connection and joy again and until we figure a way to do it, or some inspired individual gathers enough courage to create it, we will have to keep making our own, wherever we can. 

Stay sober, my friends.

\

Polk

Match 31, 2025

Bottles on the Wall...

Beer is my memory keeper

  

I have a couple of walls of beer bottles and cans downstairs in my little rec room and each of them contain many memories, moments in time that were special enough to warrant me saving the empty and displaying it for my own edification and enjoyment.

  I know a lot of folks may have something similar, maybe a shelf or two in the garage or basement for some unique or memorable pints, pretty things to look at that become part of the visual background noise of our house, another thing to dust and move on. 

More than a decade on the shelf. One of my first loves in beer.

  We save them to remember, but one day, they will become a memory of us before finding their way to blue bags and recycling bins when our time here is done. Their deeper meaning, of course, is a tangible, visible link to the past, often viewed through beer goggles and the distance of time. Nobody is saving an empty bottle of MGD from a random night in February of 2001 without a much deeper link between that beer and what it meant at that very moment. It means what it means to us and that's enough to warrant saving it, no matter what becomes of our path.

Maybe room for a couple more memories...

  A lot of people might consider them juvenile or frat boy decorations, a throwback to the carefree halcyon days of our youth, when household knick-knacks were more likely tied to drinking and frivolity than memory or decor. I'll admit it does have a bit of that at its core, but for a lot of us, it didn't start that way and the reason it still exists as part of the colour of our lives must mean it meant something more. Enough to have them around years and even decades later. I don't know that there is a story for each one that remains, I'll admit I have vague memories of how a lot of them even tasted, some have been gathering time for more than a decade at this point. I could part with a lot of them and outside of considering what I'd put on the shelves in their absence, (books would another space filler of mine that seems to grow without my knowledge or participation), I wouldn't give it a second thought.

But...

  I know there are cans and bottles that would give me longer pause. I know in my heart that there would be some, maybe only a select few, that I would refuse to part with, even if I couldn't tell you specifically why. I would not let them go. With over 500 in this modest collection, for no one else's enjoyment but my own, I can look around and see a glimpse of my past through the fading print on the bottles in my sight. I can link the gloriously happy, brutally sad, and everything in-between in my life over the last dozen or so years with a simple walk by and for that, I am grateful to have saved these few, hazy mementos...

  Life happens fast, do as much of what you can that makes you happy and even if you don't save the bottles, enjoy the moments.

They'll bury me with these two cans...

Polk

February 18th, 2025

What would you miss? Sober in Craft Beer...

  What do you think you'd miss?

  If they told you that you could never drink again or if you choose to give it up, for whatever reasons you have. What would you miss the most about craft beer in particular? Besides the warm and fuzzy feeling the alcohol gives you, what things do you think would disappear from your life that would leave a gap where your happy place used to be.

  I have given this a lot of thought since September, obviously my own circumstance and subsequent sober(ish) life caused me to make some radical lifestyle changes that remain ongoing and with various degrees of success. I haven't really been an active participant in a lot of beer events or even going out for a beer with someone in a couple of years, but I did begin to wonder what it would be like for someone who was more involved, more socially connected to the community and all it entails.

  When I first came back to social media in December, I was overwhelmed with comments and messages, much like when I talked about my experience as my heart went haywire in the late fall, so many folks reached out and I felt good knowing I still had a place to feel part of. Because I have been a solo drinker for the last couple of years, I didn't feel I was missing out on Beer fests, taprooms or sharing pints with friends. My situation was what it was and as I've got my legs under me, I've mostly been back to where I was before, albeit with 80% non-alcoholic beers and only a sprinkling of real pints every week. 

  What hit me this week was how would this affect a newly sober person who was an active member of the craft beer community, someone who did events, went to festivals and met up with other folks for beers. How would it affect someone who had a weekly meet up with pals to share beers or did road trips to breweries for fun and to meet online friends in real life. There would be a loss of community no matter the kind words and well wishes of their friends, in real life or online. The very real truth is that life does go on without us, even for the best of reasons, when you step back from something that was such a large part of who you are, it hits you a little different when everyone else moves on without you.

  I was not sure I wanted to write this whole thing, lest it be taken in the wrong way. There is no fault here, only the truth that whether we have to step back voluntarily or by a healthy choice, part of that means not being part of what was any more. I am incredibly lucky that I still can maintain an online community, despite my switch to mostly non alcoholic options, people in craft beer can be very kind when the road gets bumpy for one of our own and this helps a whole lot. But if I was one who went out and was deeply involved, I wonder how I'd be feeling every weekend when my new normal didn't include those aforementioned activities. It would be a little overwhelming and would only add to an already stressful time I would imagine. It's part of why it's so difficult to go sober, to separate yourself from the good times that feel warm and boozy because you can't be that person anymore. Change isn't easy, but letting go of alcohol seems particularly difficult, addiction or not. We've formed friendships with a basis of craft beer that have developed into something greater than the pint glass. We've built a spirit of being part of something bigger than ourselves and that is difficult to find in this world that is increasingly isolating and inward looking. 

  Part of what I try to do with getting after all these non alcoholic beers and spirits is to help normalize and spread the word that there are more options than most people know about, even if that trip is filled with more duds than I was used to in my regular beer drinking days. While it isn't always something available at every taproom or event, I hope we can make it easier to access and be seen as part of the community rather than a weird or special thing hidden on the bottom shelf of the fridge. Making good non alcoholic beer isn't easy, but from my experience and the sheer amount of people sending me messages about their own life changes and the difficulties contained therein, I know the market is growing and where the money goes, so goes the beer. 

  As a (somewhat) reformed drunk, I hope to help other folks on their own sober trips, whatever that may entail for them, to find a way to stay in touch and involved. I do also understand that there are some who cannot be around any kind of alcohol at all and stepping away entirely for their own mental or physical health is their only choice. Can there be sober beer events? An NA beer fest, more places that give space to such ideas and options, places where your choice of beverage isn't the odd one, but a way to find a new community to share experiences and friendships with? Does this exist and if not, do we have the collective will and more importantly, the buying power, to make it happen? I know there are folks out there more motivated and smarter than me working on finding such solutions. There is a lot of money to be made as a certain age of beer drinker begins to feel the years and needs something a little healthier while still wanting to feel like they belong.

  It's right there, just waiting to become reality...

  Take care of yourselves, you're the only you we got.

Polk

02/10/2025

From Bad Beer to Exceptional Pints : Rise Up

 I've been drinking beer for the better part of 3 decades and thinking more critically about what's in my glass for the last 10 or so, examining the context as much as the contents as it were, occasionally traipsing into philosophy while still operating as the low-key drunk that I am. I have scored thousands of pints in video and the written word, some in as short as a few sentences and others as long as is way past what any sane person would consider necessary for a beer, always with an eye to style and truth in advertising when it comes to what I encounter. I've led with my heart, held grudges and soft spots in my soul at the same time and tried to always seek the good in every beer I encounter...even when that isn't possible... 

  What all this preamble is getting to is that after all this time, as I seek more balance and even more value for the things I have in my day-to-day life, I wonder why some of the beers we see hit the market even bother existing? Why do some breweries set such high standards and benchmarks for themselves, never deviating or sending out inferior products and why do so many others just let anything ride as long as they think it will sell? There are more options than ever out there when it comes to beer and I understand not everyone can attain the very highest level of what can be described as art writ liquid, but the sheer number of low level uninspired offerings is disheartening from not only the standpoint of someone who loves to explore new things, but from the perspective of people who are new to this all and will walk away wondering why they should spend more for something that isn't noticeably different or better than what the big corporate brewers are offering. Releasing a sub-par beer and not investing in quality ingredients or time to develop recipes that exceed expectations doesn't sit well with me and I think the flatlining of growth, while not exclusively because of this, certainly isn't being helped by it. Legacy brewers who have let reputation drift them into irrelevance and ineptitude has left me pondering what level of beer we are willing to tolerate because we are "supporting" local or provincial business. Incompetence and ignorance shouldn't be something to applaud, your dollars give way to encouraging the things you praise, and we should be far more demanding of quality in this day of rising costs and diminishing returns. 

  Having said all this, there are bright and shining lights in this segment. There are people who care a whole lot about not only the highest quality, but also in delivering something that is what they say it is and to style every time. It matters and if we tolerate it any less, we will get the beer we deserve in the end. SO, let's talk about some categories I'd like to see the beer we are being offered put into and just how we should treat them going forward... 

1. Bad Beer 

  This is a simple category, although thankfully not the largest part of what we can find when we hit the liquor store or taproom. Without getting into the whole "macro beer is basically water" nonsense, I do have some respect for the consistent, if unimaginative product those multinationals offer, I am referring to what should be a premium product, priced as such, that is littered with flaws, off flavours and doesn't do what the label or brewer says it will. Whenever I find one of these offenders, I do my best to let folks know because it isn't right or sane to let such things fly. I don't care if it's a local business, bad beer hurts the whole industry because it cheapens the values we hold for our community and the decent standards of what we consume. Labelling a low abv pale ale an IPA to try and sell more? Knowingly releasing a beer that doesn't taste like you say it does? Sending an underwhelming, diacetyl ridden lager out before it is ready for market because you don't really care? All things I have seen, talked about and often been threatened with retaliation for. Bad beer hurts the cause, I'd rather take one for the good of all, review and spread truth and save you some money by keeping you informed. Don't encourage garbage marketing and shitty beer, call out that nonsense and lift up better things. 

2. Meh Beer 

  This is beer that isn't bad, it is meh and that may be just slightly worse in some ways. It's uninspired, lazy and seeks to somehow catch onto the trends of the day, without actually doing the work or inputting the quality ingredients or time needed to deliver such things. It is often found with a visually attractive label and all the right words on the can and then when you pour it in your glass, the thing you see, smell and taste is so underwhelming, you sigh, wonder what else you have as you quickly get past this and never seek it, nor think about it ever again.  A bad beer is something you'll remember, a Meh beer is something you'll forget as soon as the last drop is gone, never to return. 

3. Mid Beer 

  This is actually not a terrible beer, despite being something of a disappointment. It's someone's favourite thing, something neither a Bad Beer or Meh Beer will ever be and its most exciting characteristic is that it isn't special. It exists, it can be enjoyable, but ultimately it doesn't really move the needle when it comes to excitement and joy. It is the Wonder Bread of beer, it could be any style or ABV, but it is a minivan that just gets you from A to Buzzed without much else to discuss. 

4. Good Beer 

  This is one of my favourite categories, because there is a decent amount of this out there. We have a lot of breweries that deliver consistently Good Beer at different price points and styles and while this is not the most exciting kind of beer, it is the most common and includes most people's go to favourites and fridge fillers. It's the beer you buy most consistently and frequently. It's beer that lives in your mind when someone says "Wanna grab a beer?", it is what you picture when I ask you to imagine a pint. It's nothing special, but it certainly is worth having around. 

5. Great Beer 

  Here we start to leave the stratosphere and get into some of the seasonal releases, special beers and perhaps, big ABV offerings. But it also includes a lager that delivers pure joy, a saison that transports you somewhere special, or maybe a Mild that becomes so much a part of the day, you don't realize you've poured another and another. Great beer transcends itself sometimes, it doesn't have to be talked about outside of acknowledging what it is and eagerly awaiting its return. It can inspire misty eyes and wistful dreams, and it can be as simple as your everyday beer, if that is what you have chosen to seek out. Not perfect, but so close, you almost don't care. 

6. Exceptional Beer 

  There was a time when I thought all "craft" beer fell into this category. Some folks still do... 

  But after all this time and finding myself utterly left speechless by truly Exceptional Beer on some occasions, I know now that this category is not so easily attainable and certainly is where only the very best we can seek out will live. I am talking about Pliny, 2016 Kentucky Bastard and that first sip of Apocalypse Later. I am talking about beer that goes deeper than you understand and often leaves you with the sense that something special happened and you cannot quite grasp it. It exists outside time and space; it occupies a part of your mind that often casts a shadow you cannot quite catch a glimpse of. It is a moment you carry forward, knowing it may never come again, truly inspirational and often aspirational. It may be as simple as the perfect pilsner on a warm summer day, a soft and gentle wind bringing the laughter of a nearby park to your ears as you tip back that first wonderful sip and feel the cascade of everything good in life trickle down into you very being. It isn't just whales or bucket list beers, it is the very essence of life, the experiences we have, the people we love and the life we wish to have. Exceptional Beer is there, it just takes an exceptional brewery to deliver it to the world. Unafraid and bold, true to everything we hold dear about this thing we do, it makes me wonder why we demand any less, accept any less...this is the beer you see when your dreams become reality. 

I wish you all only the finest of pints as this summer approaches.

Polk

April 21st, 2024