The Ten - 2021 in Ten Memorable Beers

  

Every year I sit down and go back through every post I made on Instagram and look for the spark of a joyful memory to help me find the 10 most memorable pints of the last 12 months. It took a little more time this year, I find my ability to decompress after work has been curtailed and my inspiration to write disappeared along with it. But this morning finds me suitably fired up and after sorting the data, checking my lists twice, I have arrived at the conclusion of this very strange year in beer. 

 This is not a best of list, taste and perception is subjective to the individual palate and while I will push out a post about my favourites in each style category later this week, today is
much more special and important. It is about beers that stick out in my mind, I can still feel that anticipation and appreciation for what was to come and did transpire. The following ten beers are what made a difference to me when I had them and resonate even months later or perhaps they have become part of my regular life and give me a moment of zen on a regular basis. 

I don't have a lot of rules other than I don't repeat any beer from year to year and to be honest, cutting down from the 748 reviews to 100 to 25 to just 10 took longer than I had anticipated, there were a lot of really great moments this year and for that I am grateful.

Let's go!

10. Clifford Brewing - Pinball Wizard American Pale Ale

  It seems each year I find a go-to pint and latch on for dear life, a port in the storm that is pandemic drinking. 2021 saw me stopping at Clifford Brewing more often than not and grabbing a pint at the bar or the patio on the way home from work. And that usually was Pinball Wizard, the classic American Pale Ale that is part of the early 1-2 punch of Clifford beers (along with the award winning Porter) from the very beginning. What struck me about Pinball this year was the ease of which it just rolled into my day when anyone asked if I'd had time for a pint at the bar. It wasn't a thought, it was a reflex, usually after I had tried the newest release, I'd have another beer and it was almost always Pinball. The bite of citrus pith and pine in a biscuity toasted malt body and a consistent flavour profile that always delivers makes it an easy choice and in another year of lockdowns, waves of uncertainty and a world on edge, it became a touchstone for normalcy and comfort. While it may not have the flash and dash of a hazy IPA or big bourbon barrel aged bastard, it is a beer that brings me joy just by being exactly what it is. 

  I wrote about Pinball 5 times last year, but I'll share the one that I remember best, a post work pint on the patio in front of Clifford's...can't wait to get back again...

"After work patio pint...midweek feels pretty good out here at the Clifford Brewing Company patio.

Pinball Wizard American Pale Ale is always an easy choice, on tap it shines even brighter. West coast vibes with pithy citrus and resinous pine. Beyond the ordinary day, a stop at my local makes it extraordinary. Cheers! 4.6/5"

Video review on Pints with Polk can be found over on the YouTubes...

Order beer from Clifford Brewing

9. Gateway City Brewing 503 Dark Rye Lager

   2021 was a lot to take in and with the constant swings in the world around me, I found myself gravitating to certain breweries and styles to steady the ship in the turbulent sea. My friend Paul delivered many a Gateway City Brewing beer to my glass and it is because of him that I found myself falling in love with this North Bay based brewery all through the year. I was so enamoured with what he brought me that when Kat and I decided on a late fall road trip, we knew it would have to be included on our itinerary. The visit cemented what we felt through osmosis, a working class brewery that delivered fantastic and innovative beer, making use of Rye as an ingredient better than anyone else...and more often too. But the standout was this dark and bready Lager, a smooth bodied pint that had me slowing down and relaxing to stretch out every sip. It had something special going on and I can still feel that moment after my first taste while sitting on the deck, the sun shining and the world fading away. 

  

What I said in October of 2021 : 

"This is a helluva beer.

Seriously.

 Gateway City Brewing 503 is a 5.1% Dark Rye Lager that delivers a big time flavour punch in a crushable ABV. Smooth and bready malted body with caramel and a solid bitterness that finishes with a rye spice that enhances the sweetness with aplomb. It's so easy easy going, if I lived in North Bay, this would be my go-to, everyday beer...absolutely no doubt. it enhances every moment it touches, bringing joy to a day that needs it or a way to slow sip and contemplate the bigger things. It's a damn good pint.

Period.

Cheers! 

4.8/5"

Video Review can be found over on the YouTubes.

Order beer from Gateway City Brewing

8. People's Pint Brewing Hey You Guys India Porter

  It was late March and we had just crossed over a year into the current pandemic with another semi-lockdown birthday and a world seemingly getting better with the vaccines arriving and a spark of warmth for the coming warmer months. The long, slow days of winter were fading and we thought a corner was being turned...good times. 

  Looking back through the year in beer means reflecting on the events around every pint and word and knowing that a lot of days were just one beer and done but that sometimes that one beer sticks in your head with an iron lock and it's memory is a joyful one to have in there. Such is Hey You Guys, a bold India Porter from Toronto brewery People's Pint. I'm a big fan of both their beer and their community minded work, plus they have Maris, a brewery cat with a heart of gold. Good folks making great beer is something to be celebrated and this slow sipping dark beauty was indeed just that, a celebration of hope over despair and love over hate. I invest a lot of emotion in beer that speaks to my soul and this one is that kind of beer...

What I said in March of 2021 : 

"One and done tonight and what a one it is! People's Pint 5.9% Hey You Guys! India Porter is a rich and hopped up beauty to soothe the working the weekend beast. Smooth but bold roasted malt backbone with dark chocolate, bitter black coffee, tobacco, molasses and a noble hop bitterness that ties it all together quite beautifully. It's got a bite and some legs and delivers a great single pint night experience to tide me over till tomorrow night when we will do it all over again. Cheers! 4.4/5"

Video Review can be found over on the YouTubes.

Order beer from People's Pint Brewing

7. Sawdust City Brewing Flapdoodle English Best Bitter

  I have all the time in the world for Sawdust City beers. They make some of my favourite seasonal and core beers, from Titania Bourbon Barrel aged Imperial Stout to Lone Pine West Coast IPA to Little Norway Pilsner and all points in between, Sam and the team in Gravenhurst are consistently hitting the high water marks with each release. I could have easily chosen any one of a dozen pints at least, but this one really stood out from mid-October and I think it set the benchmark on what I call "Sunday Beers". Flapdoodle was an ESB, a toasted malt, bready beauty that felt like it could be re-upped all day long on a patio or in a pub as we drank the afternoon away with some friends. From first sip to last, it gave rise to a feeling of happiness and would be the kind of pint that becomes part of the day, not the focal point, but an enhancement and a true companion.

What I said in October of 2021 : 

"Oh...my...

This is the epitome of what I call 'Sunday beer', the easy going Best Bitters and Milds that are made for hanging out with friends on a Sunday and just wasting the day doing nothing but drinking and eating together, swapping tales and chilling. It's my Sunday today so it fits real well...now to find some friends...

Sawdust City Brewing Flapdoodle is a 4.4% English Best Bitter that brings that bready toasted malt body to play with notes of toffee, light bitterness and easy going crushability. It's a delightfully put together beer that is absolutely what I seek when I turn to this style. Cheers! 4.8/5"

Video review can be found over on the YouTubes.

Order beer from Sawdust City Brewing

6. Willibald Farm Brewery Succession Triple IPA with Citra, Galaxy & Simcoe

  How does the memory of a beer stay with you for a year to the point that it makes this list through more than 750 other pints that came after it? By being so good that it demands your respect and attention long after it has disappeared down the scroll of the social media feeds. When this one came up as I went over every post of 2021, I could taste and feel it all over again and immediately put it onto my radar for The Ten and it stays here still out of sheer enjoyment. Willibald Farm Brewery has dropped some stellar stuff and while I have only had a smattering of what they offer, I have been impressed every time...none more so than this early January Triple IPA called Succession. Brewed with Citra, Simcoe and Galaxy, it was an ephemeral treat that I may never see again, but will always remember. It was 10%, but felt like an easy going crushable pint and delivered something real special in a style that often gets repetitive real fast, no easy feat.

What I said in January 2021 :

"Yes it's a scrimmage.

Yes I know it doesn't matter.

Don't care, just happy to have some Leafs hockey on a Saturday night for a touch of normalcy.

Leafs win, Leafs lose, I am here for the years and years of trying again and again. 

Beer helps.

Willibald Farm Brewery Succession is a 10.0%, Citra,, Galaxy and Simcoe hopped Triple IPA that is so smooth and tropical, that ABV is nowhere to be felt. Seriously good beer with peach, passionfruit, grapefruit pith and dank pine in a dance for the ages. Most assuredly a contender for the best of 2021 and we are only 9 days in. 

Boom!

Cheers! 4.8/5"

Video review can be found over on the YouTubes.

Order beer from Willibald Farm Brewery

5. Cameron's Brewing Beste Bock

  In the Lore of Polk, looking back way into the past, you find a special relationship with Oakville based Cameron's Brewing. Many an elbow bent at their monthly Cask Nights way back in the early days of my writing about beer and life, friends made and beers shared as we watched our community grow and change. It's been a while since we saw them for such a party, but hopefully one day soon we will return to the brewery for frivolity and pints. But 2021 did see a lot of exciting releases from the brewery and while I was leaning toward the retuun of the Rye Pale Ale for The Ten, this one kept nudging it aside in my memory...good beer. Beste Bock came out in February and returned again in their holiday mix pack, a rare double threat in a single calendar year that cemented it's position with a tasty roasted malt back and smooth presentaion. It harkened to a time not quite lost, but cloudy with many days passed by. It was delightful to feel the memories brighten and the skies clear from the first sip onward. 

What I said in February 2021 :

"Dang.

Well, better yet...damn.

Cameron's Brewing doesn't go crazy with new releases, but the ones they drop are so on point that I never miss one. First up for 2021 is the 6.6% Beste Bock, a smooth and delightful pint of awesome to kick off my night. Roasty and rich with toffee, caramel and cocoa, bitter but not overpowering, a great dark lager that is right what I want in my glass as the cold winds blow. Cheers! 4.6/5"

Video review can be found over on the YouTubes.

Order beer from Cameron's Brewing

4. Collective Arts Brewing (Toronto) & Great Lakes Brewery Old Timer West Coast IPA

  When I began looking back at the year in beer for 2021, I found that between Collective Arts (TO) and Great Lakes Brewery combined I had posted 94 times (59 CATO, 45 GLB) or 14% of all my reviews for the entire 12 months. It was not just the sheer amount of new and returning beers that made that happen, although it certainly helped, it was also that there were so many bangers included in there. My top ten of each style will be littered with beers from both of these breweries and it came as no surprise to me as I perused my lists that this one jumped out at me from October. The label is one of my all-time favourites, a pigeon in a Hawaiian shirt, and the tasty West Coast IPA in the bottle were a combo made in hop heaven. It was so good, such a bold old school pint of pith and pine, it gave me pause and inspired the words that followed...

What I wrote in October 2021 : 

"You know what...this is the kind of beer I dream about when I dream about beer...which is often...especially after the day at work I just had...#beerme

Collective Arts (TO) and Great Lakes Brewery collaborated on this absolute gem of a pint and now I sit here enjoying the fruits of that labour.

Old Timer is a 6.9% (alright, alright, alright) West Coast IPA brewed with Simcoe, Cascade, Centennial & Columbus hops and it is all that you think an IPA from these two giants could be.

Bold grapefruit pith, lush tropical citrus pineapple and orange, earthy, resinous pine, a little spice and a smooth body that leads to a bitter finish that invites another sip, another bottle, another song to be sung. It is sunshine on a cloudy day, if it's cold outside, it's the whole month of May. I guess, you'd say, what could make me feel this way? This beer. This beer? Talking 'bout this beer...it's real damn good...seriously. Also, the bottle art from Franki Ludwig is outstanding and shall take up a place on one of the Walls of Fame I have down in The Crease. Don't miss this beer, it's one to remember when talking about the best of 2021...

Cheers! 4.8/5"

Video review can be found over on the YouTubes.

Order beer from Collective Arts Brewing and Great Lakes Brewery

3. Third Moon Brewing Kills Czech Pilsner

 Here's the thing, I could do a top ten of just Third Moon beer and still have a dozen more clamoring to join the list. They produced a mega-ton of excellent IPAs, Double and Triple IPAs, rich and heavy stouts from pasty to barrel aged and still I would tell you if you wanted to see the true talent of the folks from Milton that this was the beer that showcases pure genius. Kills left absolutely no doubt that they could capture the magic of any style they choose to brew, a straight piece of ambrosia I called it then and I can still feel it now. Nowhere to hide and nothing to do but straight up put everything into this style which so many fail to deliver on. I know it's easy to dismiss a Czech Pilsner as just a beer that tastes like a beer, but this is so much more and I think it deserves a bigger audience and much more love. I can still feel the luxury of what it brought to my glass, the noble largesse of centuries of brewing in a single can of excellence.

What I said in April 2021 : 

"Because they can and because they can do it oh so well.

Third Moon Brewing drops a 5.8% Czech Pilsner like it ain't no thing and I would kindly like to acclaim them from the top of The Grotto to the bench in The Crease as absolute beauts. Banger of a Pils, this one is. Named Kills with a solid label art to back it up, pour slowly and let that head build. Fluffy, boo-boo. Solidly built piece by lagered piece, it is crisp, clean and a pure joy to behold. Blessed be the Saaz.

 Hay, toasty malt back, noble hop spice, touch of sweet, touch of bitter, touch of gold. Beautiful. Full. Rich for the style, little left unsaid. Constant sipping, angling for a little more each time. If ever a beer needed a second can just because the two beer buzz would be pure ambrosia...it is this. 

Cheers! 

5/5"

Video review can be found over on the YouTubes.

Order beer from Third Moon Brewing

2. Collective Arts Brewing English IPA

  The funny thing about a beer that comes roaring into your life and then disappears is that you begin to wonder if it was all just a fever dream. A brief respite from the swirling world of darkness that surrounds us today, a bright mark leading us up to the light of day. I don't know is this beer will ever return, but Collective Arts brought a spark of happy in April of 2021 and I carried it with me all year long. The simply named English IPA brought back memories of my early forays into craft beer, the malty toasted biscuit backbone accentuated with Mosaic, Chinook, Citra and Nugget hops amping it all up. It was so good, posted about it again a week or so later because I had gone back for another 6-pack and wanted more people to know about this gorgeous pint of love. I can still remember the joy it brought me and maybe one day we will meet again,,,

What I said in April 2021 : 

"Catch me outside, drinking beer.

Collective Arts Brewing 6.5% English IPA with Mosai, Chinook, Citra and Nugget hops dropped into my life today and I am very happy to find this little bit of sunshine amongst the gray to give life hope. Solid bready toasted malt body with a fruity bit of citrus, noble hop spice, toffee and a bitter finish that feels like you need another sip. It's an excellent damn beer, precisely what is needed right now amongst all the choices I have in my fridge. It speaks to me on a deeper level, taking me back to the beginning when all this started and this kind of bitter but accessible IPA was my introduction to a life much different than I knew before. Maybe another pint is needed to shake out some of the dread of the last few days, we need a break and a little self care could be more important than we know. Stay safe, stay sane, stay the fuck at home and get beer delivered...Cheers! 4.7/5"

You can find the video review over on the YouTubes.

Order beer from Collective Arts Brewing

1. Meuse Brewing Saison de la Meuse

  From beginning to end, this list is about not just excellence, it is about moments in time that live on in your mind with reckless abandon. It is about love and joy and life being lived in that moment with every fiber of your being and then finding a way to carry that with you as you move on and the hours and days become years and decades. Writ large in beer is a personal story each brewery has, the tales of beginnings and risks, of dreams laid out in every release and the hope that the world will see what you see and enjoy that with every pint they pour. This is a romantic view, I know, but if you've had a chance to visit Meuse Brewing in Scotland, Ontario, then you may have some sense that there is romance to be found in the stories and tales of dreamers who chase down rainbows. 

Saison de la Meuse is their flagship beer, a Saison that entered the market saturated with IPAs and sour beers and made a name for itself amongst folks who know their stuff when it comes to beer. Rising to the heights of the legends who came before them like Saison DuPont and (in my humble opinion) Saison Davenport from Shacklands, Meuse brought the truest form of Belgian beer to the world and in doing so gave us a chance to have a moment of real and true zen inspiration. They have a solid beer list of varied styles, their Cuvee is divine, but this working person beer is something very, very special and if you want to have a chance at a golden hour, find it and join us.

  I had zero hesitation in placing this beer at the top of The Ten for 2021, I can still enjoy it today, a small reserve stock in my fridge and finding it at some LCBOs for good measure means it can be brought out as needed for inspiration. The memory of that day I had it for the first time remains vivid in my mind and the pureness of what I felt is a much needed boost as we continue to work though what the world has been thought the last two years. This beer is joy and for that, my love is won.

What I said in May 2021 : 

"Well now, isn't this a beautiful beer for a lovely day. 

Meuse Brewing Saison De La Meuse is a 5.0% Farmhouse Blond Ale that is a world class entry from a very new brewery from Scotland, Ontario. It's got all the things I need from this style, bright with light citrus, herbal and floral notes, banana, clove and a solid peppery back, this is what we need more of in beer right now. You can feel the dedication and love in it, I'm a fan and will be adding this to our Grotto fridge rotation as Summer 2021 steams towards us. Get some at the LCBO, if yours doesn't have it, ask for it, this is a real and true genuine 5/5. Cheers!"

Video review can be found over on the YouTubes.

Order beer from Meuse Brewing

  That's a wrap on The Ten for another year, look for my Best of 2021 by style list later next week and of course, The Disappointments of 2021 and Predictions for 2022. I'd like to also drop a huge Thank You to everyone who's following along. I wish you happiness and love for the coming year and may your glass never be wanting of good beer. 

Polk

A Couple, Three Pints with : Clifford Brewing

  We go to a taproom/bar/pub with thoughts of enjoying a respite from the world. We want to sit, enjoy a couple pints and then make our way home again, six pack in hand and some of our troubles left behind. I endeavour to do this more often in the coming year and I'm gonna take you along with me as I pull up a chair and grab a beer.

   'A Couple, Three Pints With :' will be my ongoing series of exploring different places to enjoy a beer or three while talking about atmosphere, quality, experience and whatever else happens when I settle in for an evening or afternoon at leisure, because life is for livin' and beer is for drinkin'.

Up first is the closest brewery to my home, a ten minute drive and we pull up to Clifford Brewing, a large interior that somehow feels like an East-end Hammer pub...seriously. The long bar and high top tables are accentuated by the additional picnic tables and odds and end tables and chairs that fill up fast on music nights, which prior to the pandemic was what Clifford was becoming known for. As a live music venue, the acoustics are quite wonderful and a mix of musical styles certainly lends to the atmosphere when the amps appear. 

 My usual stop in is on the way home from work, picking up something for the fridge at home and engaging in a pint or two of self-care...especially if Danny, Brad or Matt happen to be hanging around the bar. I'm not much of one for small talk, but a beer in hand and solid conversation is something I do enjoy and that is part of what brings me back again and again. 

  The huge variety of styles is another big reason I love it here, not overloaded with too many IPAs or sours, balanced and with an eye to making sure there truly is something on tap for every kind of beer drinker. The simple flavour profile of The Crusher (4% Light Lager) and easy going crushability of East Hamilton (5% Lager) open the palate for a little more adventure, although I will say that the 24's of each of these two beers must flow pretty well out the door when this blue collar town strides in at the end of the work week. Beer is for drinking for most of us and these two fit that bill of beer that tastes like a damn beer. If you're wanting to step things up a little bit, explore the next level as it were, you then could easily get into Chainlink (5% Vienna Lager) or Dark Streets of London (5.2% ESB). These two will change the game for some people, they bring a little more malt character forward and edge up the flavour complexity without getting too big or bitter. The journey continues with the flagship Porter (5.9%) and the latest stout, albeit a white one, Spider Palace (4.8%), challenging the everyday lagers with rich and robust dark roasted malt flavours. The classic Pinball (5.7% Pale Ale) and Devil's Punchbowl (4.8% India Session Lager) bring the senses up with more hops and bitterness, citrus and malt backbones give more zip to the proceedings. There are two IPAs on tap, usually only two and with an eye to not allowing an overwhelming list of this style to dominate the room, it ensures freshness of consumption and an appreciation for what each delivers. Currently it is the tropical citrus pineapple forward Valhalla (6.2% Kveik IPA) and the smooth, mango pineapple and orange All Roads (8% Double IPA, a collab with Grain & Grit). Both are very fresh and top of the game when they hit your glass\. I have and do enjoy them both, although All Roads has been really hitting the mark and may be one of the best beers I've had in 2021. By not having five or six IPAs on tap, it makes sure we get fresh product and don't see a style of beer that is best experienced fresh sit and fade because there are simply too many of them. A sour and seltzer round out the options and while Clifford does not currently have a kitchen, food trucks often are brought in on weekends to serve the hungry patrons. Bring your own food or have something delivered, it's all the same to the brewery, that is what makes it feel a little more like it belongs in my end of town.

  As for atmosphere or ambiance, it is decidedly laid back, laconic and easy going. Brad Clifford has a Big Lebowski-esque demeanor of cool that permeates throughout his like named brewery and that translates down to the staff and beer drinkers alike. You feel like the stress of your day disappears when you walk through the doors, it dissipates more after your first sip and you can feel the mellow vibe settle over you as you chat with fellow drinkers and those behind the bar. It is beer in an unrushed state, a congenial place that feels like what bars used to be, a meeting place to gather and enjoy the company for friends with some seriously good libations. There is a jovial feel to every conversation, no doubt a beer helps ease the anxious moments of the day, but it is something that radiates outward while you settle in for a spell. I am often struck by how easy it all feels to be part of the gang who call this their regular spot even if you're here for the first time. The people who make up the team at Clifford also offer knowledgeable directions to each beer to those who need them. Recognizing that there are a lot of people who don't know what each style has to offer and bringing them the information and finding something they can enjoy is a big part of making patrons feel comfortable and coming back again and again. It isn't about being flashy, this brewery has more than enough accolades and awards to showcase what they can do with beer, including the 2019 Canadian Brewery of the Year, but they do it with a sense of pride and commitment to delivering beer that is what it says it is and that is the kind of bottom line stuff that impresses me most. 

  It's not hyperbole to say that I enjoy my visits to Clifford immensely. The last two years have seen my ability to travel and sit down in a taproom curtailed by safety concerns and personal trepidation about the world gone mad. It has affected me in ways I couldn't have imagined, but I will do what I have done for the past 6 years and use beer and my love of writing about beer to bring myself back to the world. Starting this trip all over again, it seems right to begin at Clifford, where you'll find me coming back again because it feels like home.

 For more about Clifford or to order beer for delivery, check them out here : https://cliffordbrewing.com/

Reflections on 1000 Days of Beer

 

Thinkin' about drinkin'

When I first started writing about my experiences with beer in 2015, chronicling the journey I was taking through the styles and flavours I had never experienced, I was wide eyed and optimistic. I curtailed my internal temptation towards negativity and focused instead on the positive and exciting things happening here in the Ontario Craft beer scene. I wrote about past mistakes and triumphs, rated and reviewed over 2600 beers and filmed more than 700 videos. New friends were made and some old ones lost, jobs have changed and even my outlook on life has been shaped by the liquid in my glass.

The olden days of Brava Light Polk

  It is not merely that I have drank and reviewed at least one beer every day for 1000 days, it is the very fundamental difference this community, it's purveyors and consumers alike, have had on me. I have changed, found solace once again in the expressing of myself through various mediums, all of them art to me on one level or another.  I was a smart kid but I didn't understand how to express myself once I left school. Adults, especially men, just get on with the business of living and providing, leaving behind the notion of sharing your emotions or thoughts with the world. Craft beer changed all that.

One of my first (and still) craft beer loves

  I found an outlet for talking about my past, addressing demons long held at bay by alcohol and poor decisions. I recognized the empty promises I made to myself and others about life and made attempts to change that as I went forward. To create, design or write about beer, sports, history or any of a myriad of subjects that interested me was almost as intoxicating as the beer I was drinking and no doubt the positive feedback and encouragement I found online was a factor in my continued pursuit.
  It hasn't been all sunshine and saisons though. I know drinking a beer everyday isn't a big deal, but the ones where that becomes four or five can come a little too frequent for my liking and I can acknowledge the fact that I am at the very least, a functional sort of alcoholic. Do I need a beer every day? I'd say the yearning to get hammered daily has dissipated somewhat in the last 1000 days and more and more it is but one beer pouring into my world each evening. But still there persists a thirst for the darkness I once had guiding me through life and I will have to stand on guard as long as I continue to use beer as a form of self expression.
  I don't miss any work, excuse myself from events because I can't drink there or use beer to mask anger or fear at the day. I know exactly what I was before this all started and have no desire to return to the days of blackouts, emptiness and the sad existence of a drunk. But still I want to enjoy at least a pint at the end of my day and that is probably not something normal folks do for as long as I have.
  My weight, such as it is, has fluctuated from a low of 270 pounds to the not so impressive 330 I'm packing now. Although I've cut far back from the days of pounding 12 tall boys of Old Milwaukee 5 or 6 days a week, I'm still taking on a lot of empty calories for a man in his mid 40's. No doubt my current job played a little in the weight gain, I've put on 30 pounds in the last year as my dinner hour pushed back the clock until almost 8 p.m. every night, combined with a pint or two a few hours before bed and little exercise. So that will be something I either address within my own sphere or I will have it forced upon me when the inevitable physical breakdowns happen. I've been scared of what my inability to lose weight will do to me as I get older and although I know I need to move more, our old pal anxiety can keep me on the couch longer than any beer could.
  I will say that being able to transform an Instagram account about beer with a funny name attached to it into a forum for mental health and expression has been my biggest surprise about the last 1000 days. I have learned that I am not alone and have built up a fine network of friends in real life and online that helps to prop me up when I cannot stand and leads me to light when I cannot see. This alone has been worth every pint poured or picture taken. The people who have reached out with their own stories and advice have been tremendous and I am grateful for that most of all.

It feels like art to me

  There have been bumps along the way, some people don't like how I rate beer, or talk about my life and the reality of what I am living. Some just don't like me and despite my incredibly insecure need to please everyone, I have learned to let them go. Life is too short to try and be everything to everyone. I will continue to share my beer and my stories with the world, poetry and videos will always make me feel better and I have no doubt in my ability to continue to seek answers for life's questions as I go along.
  I guess the entire 1000 days was a set up, a trip with peaks and valleys, a journey through life with beer as a catalyst to spark my creative side. I write and talk from a place of emotion, heart on my sleeve and a definite lean towards the positive of every situation. I feel the darkness just below the surface but it has weakened over time as I find more ways to express myself and release the emotions I kept bottled up for so long. I'm not sure this is something for everyone, but for me, this has been exactly what I needed to learn to live again.

1000 Days to find this beauty

  Will I not have a beer someday soon? The honest answer is I don't know but to really look hard at myself, I don't see why I should stop enjoying at least one pint a day. Maybe a few less days with more than one is in order, on this I can agree. But for now, I'll keep writing and drinking, sharing my thoughts with the world, one beer at a time.


Here's to another 1000 days!

Cheers!


Polk

Polk's 5 Stages of Craft Beer Life

  

  We've come a long way as beer drinkers the last few years and as our ranks steadily grow and our palates change with them, I look back on how we've come to be where we are in 5 stages. Now, granted, these are sort of simplified and reflect my personal journey in beer but I have no doubt you will see part of yourself in each one.  The pride we have in what we put into our glasses now comes from a place of our beer birth drinking macro lagers, the toe dipping exploration of the different styles, becoming a full on convert and then a hard core preacher and judge of what other people drink before finally reaching the nirvana of understanding that acceptance is the key to all.

  Like I said, simple, but a trip every craft beer drinker has taken in one form or another. Some are taking different ways to get there, but understanding that the path to enjoying life and indeed, your beer is never ending and being open to that kind of growth and change will make it an enjoyable one for all of us.

1. Denial
  In the beginning, there were lagers and ales. Perhaps we stole a sip from our father's bottle or a relative gave us a drink and laughed when we made a face at the bitter, sharp flavour we were unaccustomed to. For so many of us, our very first experience with beer isn't something we even remember and we move to those teenage years where intoxication is the only goal, flavour a far off consideration compared to the thrill of scoring a case and getting drunk at a bush party or in someone's basement.
  My own first experiences with beer were as a side to the whisky I chose for its "cool" factor and ability to get me hammered quick. Beer was what we drank once we were good and liquored up. This changed as I started to get older and beer transformed into a more social drink, still trying to get drunk, but finding hard liquor not as much fun once I hit my 20's.
  All through this, craft beer wasn't really on the radar, but as the scene was shifting and as local and imported choices of different styles made their way to the liquor store, we would deny ever wanting such weird stuff, touting the "Real men drink real beer" mantra and shutting down any conversation of trying a fruity, dark or any other beer that wasn't straight up beer.

  To be sure, Sleeman's Honey brown and the occasional British dark ale would sneak in when that one friend would make you try it, but for the most part, we just ignored the existence of any choice and kept on with whatever was our traditional and known choice...but things were about to change.

2. Exploration

  It begins without thought or foresight. Maybe you were at a friends house and out of your regular beer. Perhaps you found yourself at a party or a bar and someone just bought you a beer and you didn't want to be rude. Or maybe you just got curious and finally decided to see what the hell the fuss was all about. All of these or 100 other reasons could be how you started to explore the wider world of beer, but at some point you stopped caring about just getting hammered on the same old stuff and reached for the unknown.

  Today we take for granted the myriad of options and 260 plus craft breweries with taprooms and educated staff to help us try new things. Not so long ago, none of this existed and the tiny craft and import section at the local liquor store was like an exotic wasteland you went into unprepared and unarmed. For me, it began with a few "Guy's Nights" parties when the ladies would be away and we would have Beer around the World themes, each guy bringing a dozen beers not from our normal purchases and sharing them together. We'd still get drunk but once in awhile we would stumble across a new beer that caught our attention. This would be added to the rotation as a special beer and while our macro lager, 24 buying days were not done, the need to find new flavours and seek out interesting things for Untappd started to take hold and we were off. It became almost a contest to see who could find the most new beers and this tepid, toe in the water exploration soon led to the next stage, which sets the rocket alight and we ascend to new heights.

3. Conversion

  For a lot of us, the craft beer revolution was a slow build, a gradual addition here or there of a few new beers or styles as we still drank macro lagers. As the time went on and we began to visit more breweries and connect with like minded folks in real life and online, we started to feel part of something special, something unique and that appeals to anyone. We start to actively look for ways to get new beers into our glasses, we start to plan trips and meals around finding new breweries and places to go. We begin to feel like the money we spend on that 24 of Coors Light every week is being wasted as we eschew it more and more for a craft choice. The basic lager sits in the fridge longer each time, getting drank only when everything else had run out.

It becomes a bit of an obsession and as the macros fade into the background, slowly disappearing from our fridges, we turn and find ourselves becoming acolytes and preachers of a new gospel of a church made of hops and barley.  Eventually, you buy your last case of macro beer and something changes inside, you feel the burn of a fire you want to spread and you turn to the world, alight with energy and a new way to live.

4. Evangelical

  There comes a time for almost every craft beer drinker when you feel the pull of a need to share your love. You post pictures online, perhaps write about what you taste and then share that with the world. You bring a mixed dozen of your favourite craft beers to a party because you cant drink that 'macro swill'. You start to talk about your friends beer choices and deride them if they still drink Blue or Coors or any other non craft beer. You rail against Big Beer buying your favourite craft brewery and swear you will never buy any of their beer again because they sold out. You engage in lengthy debates about government policy and grants to help the industry grow and dream of cracking a higher percentage of the market. You check dates on your cans obsessively and post rants about pseudo craft and forget about one fundamental fact that helped drive you into craft beer in the first place...fun.
  You wanted beer to be fun and it has become a zero sum game of getting that latest, hard to get release and mocking what your friends and family drink. You start to feel like you've lost something on this particular Road to Damascus and begin to come down from your mountain top, enlightened and educated but also with a vision of the future and taking a new path, one of being a true lover of beer and of those times we have to enjoy each other.

5. Acceptance
  The final stage, the one hardest to reach for many Craft beer lovers, is this one. Learning to accept and let people drink what they like can be a difficult path to find, grown over with the sure knowledge that we know a better way and should shout it from the roof tops. Becoming an advocate and an acolyte are two very different things and as I've moved through these stages, it became easy to tap that righteous anger and superior feeling you get when you first fall in love to try to push the needle and force others to see the world as you do. It is easy to slam a fist on the table and openly mock people and their beer choices, forgetting that at one time, we too held fast to our macro lagers, not knowing what the future held.
  We started to drink better beer because it was fun to do. We went to events, visited breweries and met interesting people who had the same interest because we found it ourselves. Sure, we followed others who came before us, but the decision was ours. We sometimes forget that this journey started with one sip of one beer that made you stop and wonder what was happening. We lost sight of the joy felt at finding a new flavour or style that helped shape who we are now. We seek to recapture that moment so many times, we forget that everything was supposed to be about enjoying life, not judging others or chasing things to posses them.
  Be an advocate, an ambassador and a voice of passion. But approach every moment with joy and not scorn. Let light in where there is darkness when asked but be not the scowl of judgement on what other people drink. Give suggestions, share and be open to new things yourself. Be honest and let stand your opinion, with the knowledge that all of our palates are different and no one responds to mockery with acceptance.
  The end game is always to enjoy our beer without being an asshole about it. Pour, sip and ponder life while spending time with people you love. Respect the choices of others and always make room in your fridge for different things. Life is too short and often too hard to let that kind of stress in when it comes to beer.
  Have fun and be cool.

Cheers!
Polk


 

Barley Poet - Polk on Polk

It was always supposed to be about the beer.


It was never really about the beer.


  Life took many turns in the last 3 years as I took on the mantle of the Drunk Polkaroo and began sharing what I was putting in my glass with the world. It started as a lark and now I find myself on the precipice of a life I'm not sure I understand with the direction unknown.
  Almost from the beginning I started to share what I was doing or thinking as I drank my latest find. Little stories, props and asides made for a better time for me as I began to slow down and explore my past and my own demons that remained with me all these years. The beer was a way to communicate my emotions and thoughts, whether anyone read them or not. To put down and shine a light on some of my darkest moments as well as celebrating some of my triumphs was exhilarating, still is to be honest, and on I went.   Videos came next and finally Twitter, which despite many peoples warnings, has been where I have truly found my voice. The blog has slowed down a little in the last couple of months, but I probably still write somewhere around a couple of thousand words a day between all the other places I express myself. Not to take away from what I do here, it has a place and a time and that will be a little more frequent as I move on with the next steps of this walk about the world.
  I recently started to ponder why I bothered to do any of this at all. So many of my social media friends move in and out of regular posting, time constraints, kids and jobs get in the way and I think to a large extent, the sheer number of people doing the same thing has taken the shine of being one of a few away from the whole enterprise. It's not easy to cut through the noise and feel like you are actually connecting with people when the voices start to blend together and you feel like you've lost your way. Perhaps I read too much, but I have noticed things and paused to wonder why I have continued to do exactly what I do, without respite for almost 1000 days in a row.
  I like to think I make a difference for some people but I am not naive enough to think I move the meter on beer sales one iota with a pretty picture on Instagram or a funny (to me) video on YouTube. (Follow along here if that's your kind of thing : Pints with Polk )
   What I hope is that I have been able to affect is opening up the conversation on depression, anxiety, alcohol abuse and a host of other subjects I am constantly talking about in any post when the fire strikes me.
 It was never really about the beer at the end of it all, the beer was merely the vehicle I drive to find out where I'm headed next. I don't have a plan or even a clear agenda when I buy beer and talk about it. Coming home, I just grab something out of the fridge and have at it while I let the day ruminate in my mind. I talk of flavours and give my rating but in between all that, I leave a little of my soul online and with it, my only legacy. No children means when I'm gone and those few who knew me in this time, I am no more. But with my digital footprint, I will at least exist a little longer, maybe even helping someone long after I am gone.
  The videos give me a little glimpse into where I was when I made each one, some quick and simple, others drawn out with a message I wasn't sure I had when I started. I see myself and know that I exist, right here and now.  Putting myself in my photos recently just because I was feeling the need to be there, to see that I had that moment and outside of the inevitable slog of trying to keep the 50 hour workweek from dragging me down that I was still and truly Polk.
  I don't think I will ever stop writing now, it has become too integral to my everyday routine. Not everything sees the light of day and I will lean a little hard on the poetry because it has given me new light in my work. I enjoy thinking about every beer and where it fits on the style guide I have created from well over 3000 beers in a little under 3 years. My rating system is mine alone and I love it for what it gives me, despite the many misgivings I have about it. I will continue to make videos almost every day when I can, I rather enjoy the camera and watching them back, it means I'm never drinking alone.
 Instagram (link) will always hold a special place in my heart and as the streak nears 1000 days, I look forward to continuing to appreciate the wonderful art being created by beer lovers everywhere on this app. There is a more communal feel to the beers and I like to see the friendships online blossom as people seek out new beers and travel around having meetups and trades. It's a beautiful thing.
  Twitter (link) is where I spend most of my online creativity now, it is a rocket ship that I love to ride and see where it takes me. It has become a stream of conscious for me as I engage myself with mental health, workplace and life problems and of course, the ever present beer in hand. Poetry has become a huge part of my everyday life and rarely do I go more than a few hours without some kind of randomly worded rhyme coming from my fingers. Not all of them are what I would call winners, but I'll stand by them as genuine and truly from my heart.
  The whole enterprise is driven by my love of great beer, the people who drink it and those who work in the industry. You have all played some part in making me who I am now and I thank you for sticking around this long, as I do tend to go on a bit when inspired. I am not going anywhere, changing anything except that I will always follow my muse wherever it takes me and that will be perhaps the best thing to come.


Stay tuned, as long as I'm here, I'll be out there!


Cheers!


Polk

Serious Polk
Barley Poet

 

Why the Drunk Polkaroo?

  Why do I call myself the Drunk Polkaroo? What are the origins of the name? What the hell is a Polkaroo?

 The best place to begin is at the start.

 The Polkaroo was a character from a children's show on TVO called Polka Dot Door. On the show there are two hosts, a man and a woman. Whenever the Polkaroo would appear, the man was never around and when he would come back to the show later, he would always be so disappointed. When I was little, it never occurred to me that the man was indeed dressed up as Polkaroo and that is why he never got to meet him.

Regular Polkaroo.

  Drunk Polkaroo came about when I was in my macro beer pounding days. Routinely over consuming and forgetting what I was doing usually had no real consequence except for a pounding headache and a wasted day after. But sometimes, the Drunk Polkaroo would pop his head out and promise to do stuff the next day or week and I would have no recollection of these until prompted. Finally, after a night of stupid pounding of Old Milwaukee and then finding out that I had made plans I couldn't afford and had to cancel (yet again), I told my wife  " Sober Rob needs to meet up with Drunk Rob and have a talk with that guy, but he's never around when I am." And a little light bulb went off over my head. "I am the Drunk Polkaroo!" I shouted, and my wife just looked at me sideways and went back to her tablet.

  But a legend was being born that day and combined with the realisation that I no longer wished to lose control or drink huge quantities of shitty beer I began to play with my Instagram and lose myself in the flavours and textures of Craft Beer.

  But I never forget the lesson of the Drunk Polkaroo and work very hard to make sure I never go back to making plans I cannot remember or afford.

  Besides, it just sounds funny.

Cheers!

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