730 Days Later...One Beer at a Time

 

2 Years.  730 consecutive days.   Over 2000 Instagram beer reviews containing more than One Million words about craft beer. It's been a long, strange trip...and it's just getting started!

  On November 21st, 2015 I posted a beer review on Instagram, as I had been doing sporadically for a year or so. Nothing ground breaking or in depth, hell the picture wasn't even very good, but it marked the 1st day of that 730 in a row I drank and reviewed a beer. It was never my intention to do it, I couldn't imagine where the next two years would take me but it has become a part of who I am and I am proud of what I have accomplished.

November 21st, 2015

  I have always strived to be honest in what I write, be it a beer review or something more important. I haven't changed my style from when no one was reading my posts and I think that is why I have made so many new friends. I have no pretensions or goals when it comes to talking about my beer. I drink it, write what I taste and give it a score. The scoring a beer out of 5 has evolved a bit from how much I liked it to how I feel it meets the style requirements but that's about all I have changed since I first coined "On the sip,"

And counting...

 The writing part is almost more fun than the drinking and the fact that everyday I know I will be able to write anything from a couple of hundred words about a particular beer to many thousand in a blog post makes me happy. I look forward to finding a voice and a narrative each time and often it starts a whole other conversation as the evening rolls along. I am far past the age when I am given to dreaming about what I'll be when I grow up but I can at least say I'm a writer, even if it's just about my foibles, my past and my beer.
 

I understand that having a beer every day for 2 years isn't everyone's idea of a good thing. Most people I talk to think it's crazy and that I should seek some help. I try to explain that it is in having and writing about that beer that I have come to understand the demons that plagued me for so long, but a lot of them still think I'm getting hammered every night and partying my life away. The truth is that I do my job, enjoy a little time with Kat and then look in the fridge for the evenings libation. Most nights I have 1 or 2 and enjoy the game or a movie while talking to my friends on social media. I don't go out a lot because we are still digging our way out of the horrible financial decisions made in the past but I am pretty good with hanging out at home with my ladies anyway if you want the truth. But I do acknowledge it isn't a great idea without some more balance and continue to explore ways to make my life better.
  So I want to say Thank you to everyone who's come along for the ride, shared a beer or just stopped by to say hello. It's been a hell of a trip so far and I see no end in sight.  Will there come a day I don't have a beer? Absolutely,  but it will happen when it is meant to and I am okay with that.  Until then, I will see you every day, same Polk honesty every single time.

November 21st, 2017

Raise your Glass and Your Standards. 

One beer at a time.

Cheers!

Polk

Polkapolooza 2.1 - The Remix (Not feat. DJ Khaled)

Yes I do.

The world turns, days pass into weeks and the months fly by. 2017 has been an interesting year so far and despite my best intentions, this summer didn't turn out quite as I had planned. A promotion at work meant I couldn't take any time off until after Thanksgiving and thank the beer gods, that time is now! The second Polkaroo road trip of 2017 commences Wednesday and will continue for  4 days with stops at as many new to us Ontario Craft brewers as we can find. This should bring the skip back into my step and the bulge back to my depleted beer fridge. As always, the routes are planned using the awesome map from Ontario Beverage Network, an invaluable tool for any trip in pursuit of great craft brewery, distillery or cidery. So get ready my friends, Polkapolooza 2.1 - The Remix (Not Feat. DJ Khaled) gets under way tomorrow!

Look for the Fiesta filled with Polks this week!

Wednesday October 18th
 
  As the dawn breaks, we will head out on the road for a single day trip that should approach over 800 kilometres and take us as far north as I've ever been. Why do we do this route to start? Because our first stop has been so inviting and I couldn't pass up the chance to finally visit South River and Highlander Brewing Company. Ever since we met some of them at a beer festival and they were so fun and kind to us, we have been itching to check them out in person. At almost 350 kilometers, it is easily going to be the farthest we have gone for a beer and that alone makes for a great story. The drive through Ontario's north should give us some spectacular views and after we make our way to Highlander, we will turn our sights home, with several more stops along the way.
  Heading down the road another 100 klicks is one of my favourite Ontario brewers and one who's been hitting new heights this year with a rebrand and some seriously good new beers. Lake of Bays Brewing Company has long been part of my journey into better beer and I am especially excited for a pint at this one. The day will be turning to late afternoon but we have miles to go before we sleep still.
  Next up and only about an hour away is relative newcomer Boshkung Brewing. I have been wanting to make this type of trip for a while and it is exciting when I see so many new to me breweries "close" together and I can't pass up a chance to explore more of what small towns in Ontario's north have to offer. We will be stopping for some food along the way and supporting local when we do it. Lucky for us, only 10 minutes away is another craft brewer so we can get a few more treasures at Haliburton Highlands Brewing before turning our attention to the drive home.
  While we are focused mainly on those places we have never been, if time permits and the road is kind we will be popping in to say hello to some old friends along the way. Looking wistfully at my OBN map as the drive back to the homestead takes us past Muskoka Brewing, Sawdust City Brewing and the 3 giants of Barrie, Redline Brewhouse, Flying Monkey's Craft Brewers and of course, Barnstormer Brewing.
  Ambitious? Yes. Doable? Probably. Bringing a serious smile to my face to be able to even think about it? You know it.
  Heading home and pulling into the driveway close to midnight will leave us tired but happy and the next day will be a much closer to home journey with even more new breweries to cross off the list.


Thursday October 19th
 
  Say what you want about living in Hamilton, it leaves me close to so many great options for a quick craft beer road trip that I am always ready to explore or return to one I love. Day 2 of this Polkapolooza finds us headed to Toronto and at least a half dozen brewers that have eluded us so far this year. Up first is the highly anticipated Godspeed Brewery, with it's Asian inspired menu and a great place to lunch up before the jaunt across The Six (Mrs. Polk hates when I say that...hence it's inclusion here.).Rorschach Brewing will allow us to plumb the depths of our psyche with great beer and lead us to stop 3 just up the street, Radical Road Brewing. An invite always gets a positive response and it will be a nice time to take a break, have a pint and talk shop with some good folks. One that caught my eye as I scanned the OBN map was Saulter Street Brewing, a stop I will be happy to make to see what comes up in this neighbourhood next. Almost across the street, more like around the corner but you get the idea, is Eastbound Brewing Company and stop #5 within a very short distance as this city's beer scene continues to explode. As tempting as it will be to stop in at all our favourites, we will refrain and make our way to 2 more stops before heading home for the day. Kensington Brewing Company will be sixth on the list and we will be finally hitting Big Rock Brewing as we make our way back down the 401 home to the Hammer.


Friday October 20th
 
  Every Polkapolooza has an overnight trip built in and this time is no different, albeit the towns are smaller and the beer just as amazing. Another early start, this time with some luggage and a cooler or two in tow will begin the second last day of this rebooted road trip tradition. The smallest number of breweries visited because we really wanted to enjoy an evening at one of them, it will start off with a 200 km. trip west to Stone House Brewing, Huron's original craft brewer. The eyes then turn to the small but mighty Half Hours on Earth. While I visited here last year, Mrs. polk did not and I couldn't miss this opportunity to help her sample some of the finest in a province filled with great beer. We then head a little north and finally arrive at our destination of the night, Blyth, Ontario and the newly opened Cowbell Brewing. A big fan of their beer, their story and their commitment to being a responsible member of the community made this an easy choice for us to hang our hats and with a great recommendation from a friend, we found Queen's Bakery only a short walk from where the beer is made. Walking distance there and stumbling distance back as they say. This will be a fine way to end any trip but we still have the drive home and a few more gems to be uncovered.


Saturday October 21st


 For a lot of people, heading home from a vacation is a hard thing to do. For this family of craft beer lovers, the drive back to Hamilton is just another opportunity to visit a few more new to us breweries and bring home some treats for further "research". First up on the long way home is Shakespeare Brewing Company , which combines my love of the Bard with my love of small batch craft beer. A stop I should have made a while ago, but life never goes in such straight lines for me, Bittes Schon Brauhaus is a New Hamburg entry from the fine people that brought us Descendant's in Kitchener.  A turn southeast and we find ourselves at a couple of Cambridge breweries my retail schedule has kept me from getting my paws on. North Works Brewing and the elusive and only open 7 hours a week Barncat Artisan Ales. The journey continues as we slip into the west end of Hamilton and the latest addition to a burgeoning scene sure to keep growing. Grain and Grit Brewing is just around the corner from our pals at Fairweather, so why not have two and then call it a day, this Polk will be done.

No doubt a time will come when Mrs. Polk takes the wheel.

  The 4 days will be filled no doubt with some quick in and outs and others will be spent lingering over a flight or a pint and talking beer with brewers and new friends alike. We choose to try to hit up many new to us breweries to help illustrate all the growth in the industry in just a few years and to show you the world is an amazing place if you just take a leap and head into the unknown.
  I hope to inspire others to do the same, this entire journey has been an homage to the beer that helped save my life and it is a small thanks I can give to be able to help showcase as many of them as I can. Hit the road, have some fun and remember that it's always about having a good time.
 I'm setting the trip counter to zero, it's time to go!


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


Cheers!
Polk

On Winter

It has been one of the quietest winters I can remember. Not much in the way of snow and even the temperature has been mild. Not what I think of when you say Canadian Winter, but hey, no complaints from this guy.

My brother lives up north a ways and is amazed that people seem to forget we live in Canada and that in the winter, it snows. He laughs every time we get a little snow and social media explodes with all the exasperated posts about bad drivers, shovelling snow and bitter cold winds. He has a point. If you look around Facebook or Twitter, they are filled with the same posts everybody made last year. And the year before that and the year before that, forever and ever amen. What is it that causes us to lose our collective minds when the mercury dips down and the fluffy white stuff falls from the sky? And what makes us forget that it happens every damn year?

I work with the public and not a day goes by when someone doesn't mention the weather in some way. It's a safe subject and a very Canadian way of saying hello. What I have noticed over my 25 plus years in customer service is that the same people that bitch about the humidity in the summer, do the same for the cold in the winter. I am not sure what they were expecting. The weather is something that changes every ten minutes up here and you would think they were used to that by now.

I am a summertime guy myself. I love it all, from the warm sun and cool air of the May 24 weekend to the humid nights of late August and everything in between. I revel in the heat and spend as much time as I can outside in the Grotto.

This place is where I spend my summer. Beauty!

The winter on the other hand is not my friend. Cold, dark days that are too short. Lack of sunshine does a number on me and I struggle more each year to keep my spirits up while the snowy weather drags on. From the beginning of January until we start to see the first buds break ground in late March, I have to remind myself that summer is coming and I just need to hang in there a few more days.

Despite my struggles with the winter, there are things I love about it. Hockey is T.V. every night and my Leafs keep finding new ways to lose. There is almost nothing better than BBQ in the cold. It just seems to taste better when you know not everyone will brave the elements to have a wonderfully grilled steak and potato dinner. It helps that I have propane heat and a garage to hang out in while the 'Q does its thing, but the flavours seem to be brighter when it is out of season.

Nothing stops the Polkaroos from BBQing.

I also must admit to a bit of a dirty secret. I like shovelling. We have a rather long driveway for the suburbs and a double car garage behind our house. It is a lot of space, but I love when I get out my trusty 10 year old shovel and begin to clean up. There is something soothing about pushing the white stuff around to reveal the blacktop underneath. I never rush, no need for a wrenched back here. I love the feeling of my body heating up as the wind swirls around me. The steam when I take my hat off and accept a mug of Irish coffee when I take a break during a big clean up makes me smile. But most of all, I think I feel like I accomplished something. Small and not world changing, but by clearing the snow from our driveway, we somehow connect with the outside. I don't ski or snowboard. Being a fat guy and having a grasp of physics means that my weight on two sticks going down a hill would result in a funniest videos sort of ending and perhaps a cracked limb or two. But give me a shovel and I am just fine. Trying to work through the drifts that form as the wind pushes the snow around makes me move my body, and in Winter that is a big accomplishment.

Looking back at a job well done.

I would hazard a guess that this is what makes it so soothing for me. Struggling with anxiety and depression, especially at this time of the year, can leave me feeling lethargic and empty inside. Shovelling focuses my attention on an achievable physical task that also allows me time to work through some stuff that may be bugging me. I am not sure why, but as I work my way to the end of the driveway, I become more relaxed and let things that had been upsetting me all day just slip away.

We have talked about getting a snow blower many times and I always resist. I know it would make life easier for those 3 or 4 heavy snows that can take over an hour to clear and leave me a little sore the next day, but still I hold back. Some of that is the cost of purchasing and maintaining a quality machine. The other reason is far simpler, I am not ready to give up my big blue shovel.

Old Blue, she's held together with

Duct tape and love.

It still means something to me to look down at the back of the house and see a clean slate. Maybe we could all approach the snow with a little less hatred and embrace the seasons in the Canadian way, with a smile on our faces and a knowledge that spring is just around the corner.

 Well, not around the corner, but just down the street and kind of walking slow. I mean you think this season could pick up the pace a little. Come on spring, get your ass on in here.

It's okay, I know that when it comes, I will get out the garden stuff and begin the process of getting ready for the summer again.

I can't wait!

Cheers.

My favourite sign that summer is coming!