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/

The Front Porch

When I was a kid, we played outside, a lot. My mom would shoo us out on warm summer days, cool fall or snowing winter ones and we'd head off on adventures not possible today. We wandered all over the neighbourhood, climbed trees and played in places we thought only we knew about. Riding our bikes everywhere with lunches tucked into our back packs, we would return home dirty and tired but oh so happy with stories and excitement from a day of freedom. We had the life but little did we know that there were always eyes on us and our parents knew where we were more than we thought.
 Growing up in the late 70's and early 80's was a time when people still sat on their front porches and neighbours looked out for each other and their own with the same care. We didn't hide in our yards like today, closed off and independent of the world. We were connected to those around us by a network of phones, open doors and hellos. The people who lived next to you were an extension of your parents and you were respectful of them just because. We would feel like we ruled the neighbourhood and felt safe without even knowing it.
  I think back to those days and wonder if that transition from sitting out front to the secluded fenced-in back yard has done some real harm to how we live our lives. I feel less connected to my current town and I've lived here longer than anywhere else in my life. When we first moved in I tried to emulate the memories of my youth and sat on the front porch most days after work, trying to connect with the people around me. I'd say hello to the neighbours as they hurried from their cars to the front doors of their homes, busy with their lives and routines. I found the street empty most days, despite the presence of young families, most stayed in their yards or at structured play at an indoor play place. Kids don't wander free despite the fact that the world around us, at least theoretically, has never been safer. Connected by cell phone, we should be encouraging more outside time not less. As the years went on, I would spend fewer nights out front and the ubiquitous back deck was built. I love what my Grotto has become, the refuge from the world and a place of great happiness for me, but I still lament the passing of that community feeling the front porch gave us.
  We didn't know that as we rode around the streets of East Hamilton the network of Mom's, Granny's and others at home was at work. Looking for fun, we would spin around the school yard, creek and fields, having fun and creating our own worlds wherever we went. From building forts to racing down dangerously steep hills, we didn't think anyone was watching and were thrilled to be so free. But the reality is that we were always just one door away from help if trouble arose, you knew who you could run to when you needed it. It's probably a bit of nostalgia but a whole lot of reality as we see the elaborate yards people have built, hiding and cocooning away from the world. We don't reach out like we used to, no one would dare dream discipline or yell at kids today like was done when I was young. You knew if you did something wrong and got caught by the neighbour, your parents would come down on you with a vengeance. We had a connection that belied anything but giving a shit about where you lived. They did it because it was right and made the world a better place.
  I'm not sure when it all went south, but I know in my heart that part of the transformation was the building of monster houses with tiny backyards that were almost all deck. High fences to keep out prying eyes, we turned inward at the expense of community and we are poorer for it. I wish I could say if we had kids I would be different but I am probably kidding myself because that infection of perceived danger has made its' way into my life as well. I have become the guy who comes home, gets comfy and lives for the routine life lived in the yard. Devoid of a connection, our world has shrunk and we are poorer for it.
 I am sure there are great neighbourhoods out there, awesome neighbours who hang out and have fun, but in the larger picture, this is becoming an anomaly. I observe how people interact and see the closed doors and fences becoming more prevalent not less. We trust fewer people and hold closer the small nuclear family, leaving the world to others. Scared by the media and perceived threats, the leash of childhood freedom has been choked back to the yard and other supervised places, never to return. It makes me sad and I don't know what to do about it.
  Can we ever go back? Am I just pining for "the Good Old days"? Or am I really seeing the future as it is. Have we retreated to our castles, drawn the bridge and filled the moat. Protecting kids from harm is what we say, but are we depriving them of experiences that would help them grow as people by hiding from the world and not being part of the larger community. I wave to everyone I meet and say hello, I have long been taught to make the small talk required to build friendship and that came from how I was raised. We wanted to know our neighbours because they were part of our lives, celebrating the highs and coming together for support when things weren't so good. Is it different now? Ithink it is and I know we are lessened because of it. Maybe it's time I start sitting on the front stoop again, at least then I'm trying to do something positive and maybe I'll make a new friend or two. See you out there, stop in for a coffee, I've got the time.


Polk

The Move

1987 Rob was a better dresser than 2016 Rob.

 Few events stand as life changing to me as much as our 1985 move from the gritty East End Hamilton neighbourhood to a relatively suburban Stoney Creek mountain one.  Growing up in the shadow of the steel plants shaped much of my character with its blue collar values, front porch sitting neighbours and the feeling that the whole community was looking out for you. The Move came at a time when our family was settling into its happiest time, yet it shook my life to the core.

As with any 12 year old, news that we were leaving all my friends and familiar landmarks behind was not greeted with enthusiasm. Who wants to leave their life and start over? Especially when you are like me and crave the simplicity and normalcy of routine. My best friend, Kevin, lived 4 houses away and we spent our free time on our bikes exploring the streets of the surrounding area. Adventure awaited every day and we felt safe no matter where we went. All that changed with a single move that led to some of my biggest triumphs and loves of my life, as well as some of my worst decisions.

We arrived in that semi detached house on Fuller Court soon after school finished and began to settle into our new lives. I had discovered a passion for hockey the previous few years and it was here that it blew up into a full blown obsession. The history, stories and numbers of the NHL gave me a foundation for stability and I grew attached to everything about the sport. I would spend hours in my room researching statistics and memorizing the players. With only 21 NHL teams, it was a simpler time and I immersed myself in everything hockey. Strapping on skates for the first time and taking to the net still remains a vivid memory and while my brief 5 year foray into actually playing hockey was filled with more defeat than victory, it stays with me as one of my happiest times. My talent never matched my heart but I soon found that those who cannot execute as a player drift towards coaching and that is where I found my calling, for a brief time at least. Our family became a Hockey one and we had a blast being part of that community for many years. This was my safe place, my refuge and these memories will always be close to my heart.

Old School Goalie!

My parents tried to ease the transition from our old neighbourhood, often bringing Kevin to stay overnight. But as any kid will tell you, when you are removed from the daily routine of hanging out, there comes a distance that cannot be filled. Not being part of the pulse of the old neighbourhood means you lose touch with the shared experiences. Drifting, I began to cut myself off from the world and live more inside my own head. I had a fantastic ability to create vivid imaginary worlds and inhibit them. With my love of books, I was never at a loss for material. The school year loomed and while I was in love with learning, the thought of being the new kid terrified me. This was a long time before any sort of anti bullying campaign and I knew what happened to the new kids. The larger problem occurred when it came to the actual school work. Several false starts and miscommunications about what I was actually supposed to be accelerated in led to a wasted few months and despite my best efforts, I started to struggle and that was new to me. I had been part of an advanced curriculum at my old school and remained so at my new one, but something had shifted in the transition. My grades remained high and my expectations hadn't changed, but the thrill of getting an A+ started to fade a bit.

I found out years later that my parents had discussed letting me return to the old neighbourhood to live with my grandparents because my depression was so deep. My struggles felt so huge and I was unsure what to do. I still get that feeling of sadness in my chest when I think of how lonely I was. But, as with most things when you're young, life changed. I met a kid from the next court over and slowly made friends at school. It was in trying to fit in that I first used humour, especially the self deprecating kind, to make myself part of the majority and it was then that I began a sideways drift towards what would be a lifelong battle with my self image. But in the meantime, I was finally happy. Our family was becoming part of the new community, especially at the arena, and life was once again appearing normal.

That time we met Gordie Howe!

The last two years of grade school present no real stand out memories. I functioned well as part of the leadership group in class and I remember mostly joyful experiences. We played road hockey, explored the ever expanding growth in our area and enjoyed many happy family times. But part of me never felt wholly present living there and despite everyone's best efforts, I yearned for a past that didn't exist anymore. Graduating from Grade 8, I tried and won a scholarship to a prestigious private high school in Hamilton and rather than continue with the friends I had made in the last two years, I decided to once again be the new kid. Looking back, I have no doubt that I was engaging in what has become a real theme of my life, Starting over. The feeling that if I just change everything about my circumstances, my life would be better. I lasted a year in that school before transferring to the local public high school because I couldn't fit in with the wealthy crowd that ran Hillfield. It was becoming obvious that I had no idea what I was doing and my grades began to drop. I started seeing school as an interference in my life rather than a help and even starting skipping class. My social network started anew, but with less than the best kind of results. No one knew what to do and while many tried to help, I was no longer listening. A theme that will present itself again in my life, many times, with the same results.

It's been almost 30 years since these events and most of reminiscing is of the happy kind, but that notion of changing everything and fresh starts remains. The next part of my life shaped the direction I would take for close to a quarter century. One decision took me off the path that most people, including me, thought I was on. One choice and I descended into over two decades of self medication and poor choices. It was a future wholly of my own volition and it started with The Party...but that tale is for another time.