That Seems Like a Lot - A real look at what I spent on Craft Beer in 2018

I got nuthin'



10%
  By itself, not a terrible number. Well, maybe if it was your chances of surviving the year or something like that but saying you spent 10% of your money on something over a full year doesn't sound so bad. Groceries maybe? Sure, that would be a pretty good guess but if you know me you know where all that money went...
Craft beer.
Yep.
I know, right?
Wait, you heard I got everything for free and was basically a paid spokesperson or (according to some) a shill? Oh, don't I wish...
Numbers Don't Lie
  Why I thought I should go back through 2018 and see exactly where we spent all of our hard earned cash is beyond me but with the dawn of the new year I guess I hoped it would be beneficial for us to look what we bought and how we could do better when it comes to our finances. But still, the total even shocked me. At that level, we could have enjoyed a vacation somewhere warm a couple times over and still spent less than most people do on beer, with money for Starbuck's coffee every damn day left.
  How did this happen? To be honest, it kind of crept up on me without me even knowing. We visit a lot of breweries in a month, some for the first time, others because we love returning for the beer and the people but even I was not prepared for just how much money we laid out. So let's break it down and see where we went and how we spent.

we do this often

  In 2018 we visited 91 Ontario Craft Breweries, primarily in the first half of the year as the last 6 months were a trying time personally with 2 job changes and some anxiety issues. Of those, their were 22 we went to more than once and 7 we visited more than 10 times. A part of why our number of individual breweries visited was lower last year than the previous one was the 5 Hamilton breweries that I could hit up easily whenever they had a new release available or just wanted some fresh beer made longer trips unnecessary. Collective Arts (25 times), Clifford (23), Fairweather (19), Merit (12) and Grain and Grit (11) make up 90 of the over 220 times we visited a brewery in 2018 or around 40%. Having great beer so close to home made it easy to not go exploring when I wasn't feeling quite like myself.

Collective Arts Ransack the Universe
Our most visited brewery in 2018

  A lot of numbers and I have no doubt that many people visited more breweries or hit up their locals more than 25 times but it is what it is. To get into what we spent is a little too much but I will use the most extreme example of what this hobby costs us, also taking into account the cost of lodging, food or gas when we travel around Ontario in search of stories to tell and beer to drink.

one of our favourites, Muddy York Brewing on Toronto's East side
10 visits in 2018

Polkapolooza 3 : Rise of Polk 2018

 Most of you know we take a week every year, for the last 3 years, to celebrate Ontario Craft Beer with the Polkapolooza tour. This year was the largest and most ambitious as we hit 61 breweries in 7 days from Windsor to Muskoka and all points in between for a total of over 2400 kilometres. We did day trips for most with one overnighter in Windsor mid week. Lodging, food and gas ran us a fairly reasonable $850, not bad when you are travelling from early morning to late at night and need that Timmies to fuel your passion. It was what we spent on beer that caught my eye as I examined our purchases month to month. At just a little over $1060, we perhaps were a little too generous in our support and despite some freebies along the way, we wanted to spread the love and make sure we bought something at each stop. It only averages out to $17 a brewery, but when you're visiting 61 of them, it adds up fast.

a good chunk of Polkapolooza

  Now I know a lot of people will be taken aback by spending two grand on a week of driving around visiting breweries but for us it is a passion we have and we enjoy each others company as we travel the long stretches of Ontario's highways. It was a most wonderful vacation filled with new friends, old friends and memories to last a lifetime.

meeting Sam for the first time was amazing

LCBO and Asking my Pals

 That one month was a big chunk of what we spent and the 100 plus LCBO visits were perhaps the other. Hitting different ones in the city a couple times a week wasn't uncommon as I sought out new releases and old favourites alike and while I should perhaps stop going in so much, it is still the most convenient way to get beer from further a field and of course a few international gems. My overall average spend was much lower, under $10 for the most part as I usually only bought one or two things.

  As I compiled all this data I got curious as to what the beer people around me were spending and I did a Twitter poll and another one on Facebook. The vast majority of beer drinkers who I know tend to fall (they think) into the $100 to $200 dollar a month average when it comes to their beer. Even a decent macro lager consumer is probably at say 2 or 3 cases month and hitting the hundred easily so I am pretty comfortable with that being the average. While I am not comfortable posting the actual total of what we spent because at that point I am pretty sure I would have way too much explaining to do to concerned family members, let's just say I was way above average when it came to monthly expenditures in beer...

  Perhaps the only time in my life that I am in the 1%.
  But what fuelled this mad spending? I have a few thoughts and I know that most of them are about my love of sharing my day with the world. I enjoy the posts I get to make everyday on Instagram and the short videos on YouTube. It is like leaving a part of me that will last long after I have left this earth to say that I was here and I existed. It is my legacy and my way of communicating with a world I often have trouble being a part of. Outside of work and home, I sometimes struggle to go anywhere. Visiting a taproom makes me feel like I am part of something special and it brings me peace to hang out or even stop in for a little bit to just get a few beers for home. I enjoy trying new and unusual beers and while I have gotten better at not buying one of everything when we are at a brewery, I think that is where I could learn a little self control.
What I learned and what I hope to do 

 It would be a lie if I told you I will now totally cut back my beer purchases and pledge to cut back on our trips to breweries. I know myself well enough to know that it doesn't work that way but this exploration of where our money went in 2018 has given me enough pause to see that as part of a new way to approach beer in 2019, I need to add this delectable beverage to the budget and try to stick to it as best I can. I need to learn to just buy the beer that truly interests me and not think I have to one of everything or multiples so I look cool or some other nonsense that pops into my head. I need to drink what's in my fridge and maybe make a little room for new beer. And finally I need to find a way to accept that I am so very lucky to have a good job, an active partner in this and a community that is so much fun to be a part of that I don't have to buy all of the damn beer I come into contact with.

  I promise I am looking at myself with a jaded eye after all of my past forays into trying to be moderate but I do have an end game in mind when it comes to saving some beer money for something a little more grand and I hope that goal will help me along the way. Spending a week somewhere with some cold cervezas, warm sun and white sand would be a right proper thing to aspire to and it is just what I am going to do.

 The empties most certainly won't pay for that...well, not all of it anyway.

Cheers!
Polk

Don't Give in to Style Fatigue

  The other day I was perusing Twitter, as I do(a lot), and I came across this tweet from the Beer Scribe (@beerscribe) :

  It hit me that I do this unintentionally almost daily and I wanted to explore why. I see so many people who never leave their comfort zone of IPAs, sours or whatever it is they love. They eschew any other style as boring or not for them while what Jordan St. John (@saints_gambit) described as hop creep begins to take hold. 

  Clearly after a month of discount lagers, your taste buds would be more susceptible to intense hop flavours, but what If the opposite is true as well? What if drinking nothing but IPAs, sours or any other style exclusively led to some sort of flavour diminishment or fatigue?

  As a general rule, most people don't keep going to the well once they have decided they don't like a particular style and that's a damn shame if you ask me.  To get stuck in a rut of one or two beer styles seems to me to defeat the true reason we all got into craft beer in the first place, the hatred of homogenous pint after pint. Whether it was an IPA, saison or bitter, I had to learn to appreciate the nuances, flavour profiles and textures that come with each one. Variations on the styles led me down a path of real exploration as the only limit seemed to be the creativity of the brewers who express their art in liquid form. Not everything I've had has been perfect or sometimes even workable, but onward we go in search of the next beer to enjoy.

  It is very easy, however, to get caught up in what you love. I think this happens more with people who subscribe to brand loyalty, even if they won't admit it, when it comes to macro lagers. It used to be you were a Blue or Canadian drinker and that still exists today, albeit in a more diverse way but still with the same downward spiralling results. As a beer drinker, you owe loyalty to nothing but a well made product and an enjoyable experience. Getting caught up in a particular brewery or style of beer makes the whole thing a little reminiscent of our not so distant past and that's a place I for one have no desire to return to.

  Now this is not to say that just because a beer comes from craft brewery that it is automatically the best thing in the world. Indeed, we all have had some beers that completely miss the mark in every way and it's important to be honest about what you are tasting if you choose to share your thoughts with the wider beer world. To not tell the truth because you don't want to rock the boat or you're afraid of some kind of blowback is no reason to pad out a beer that isn't on point. There is no need to be an asshole about not liking something, but it gets tiresome reading that every single beer some people try is awesome, it's just not possible. Want to be taken seriously? Tell the truth. Always and in a way that is productive and open to discussion.

  To return to the initial point of where this was headed, I will refer simply to my own approach to how I drink and share my beer. I look to be as diverse in style as I am in brewery. I want to know about as many different variations on classic and new flavours and I want to experience as many different brewers ideas on those that I can get my hands on. Having visited 135 Ontario Craft breweries in person and having tried a beer from at least 500 different brewers worldwide, my pursuit is wide ranging and never ending. I love big hoppy IPAs, dank and juicy as well as the malty west coast hop bombs. I am a fan of saisons and farmhouse ales, so many directions to go with those that I am surprised almost monthly by what I find. Sours are still relatively new to me and I embrace the opportunity to explore them further. This is to say nothing of the other 20 plus recognized styles and their many, many sub-styles we have access to at any given moment. The only limitation remains the imagination of those who brew and those who drink.

  To find yourself in a never ending loop of one style can only be broken by a conscious effort to diversify what's in your fridge. There's nothing wrong with having a whole whack of your favourite style but try to include something different whenever you are going to enjoy more than one. I usually have the newest beer or the style I am working to understand the most first and then will happily go to whatever suites my fancy next. Sometimes it's Ransack the Universe or Canuck Pale Ale but I always look to find a new beer or brewer to spice up my life.

  Break out of your hop lock, saison straightaway or porter porthole, make the next beer you try something different and let the world into your glass.

Cheers!

Polk



Do we have a Problem?

  Tap takeovers, festivals, special releases and events of that nature have been exploding in the last year as Craft Beer in Ontario hits new highs in sales and prominence. We can find something happening almost every night if we look around and it is hard to miss out on anything our friends go to. But is there an underlying problem that we are ignoring and covering up by claiming we are drinking better beer? Do we have a quiet issue that remains unacknowledged because the community doesn't want to talk about it? I'm probably the last guy who should discuss excessive consumption but maybe I'm the perfect one to do just that.
  As chronicled in my Truth in May and the follow up, 150 - The Real Truth in May, I tracked every beer I drank for a month and was shocked at just how much I had consumed. It was far more than I had envisioned and in the next few months, I took greater care to slow down and consume less, not stopping, but definitely no where near that much. As I look around my social media, I notice there are an awful lot of folks who are just like me, posting one or more beers every day and being fine with it. We got this under control we say, no drunken stupidity coming out of here and look at how I don't drink a dozen MGD's anymore. But is it all a shaky premise built on a façade that is at best pretty loose with the facts.
  Reading back on those two posts, I can see a distinct chip on my shoulder as I tried to justify a really ridiculous amount of beer for anyone in a month. Regardless of your situation in life, 5 beers a day isn't a thing you should be okay with. Last night I had just one and it was a little weird, I kept wondering if I should just have another to take the edge off the day, troubling as that thought was. It took a bit more discipline to keep myself from heading outside and another round.  I was honestly struggling with it and as I look at my friends, in real life and online, I know many of them are in the same boat, consuming almost daily with a wink and a nod about sharing our love of this community. But perhaps we are missing the bigger, more shady picture that is developing.
  Addiction is very real and I have no doubt that it plays a large factor in what some of us are doing. Chasing that darkness is perhaps not at the forefront any more but is drinking two huge ABV barley wines really different from pounding a sixer of macro lager? I would have to argue no and am the prime example of how we justify a few pints a day by talking about it and posting a picture on social media. I have no doubt that I have a need for beer, I think about it way more than I should and although I don't let it interfere in my work life, anything after hours is fair game. Frequent day drinking is something we joke about, but I see it often enough to wonder what is really going on.
 We know what beer does, regardless of its' origins and to try to be cute about why we drink is part of the problem. We want to engage other people, go and do fun things with our friends and try the new and exciting creations of our favourite craft brewers. But I have begun to wonder if this pursuit of the pint allows some of us to be alcoholics with a good cover; I can take great pictures and put words to them as well as talk to anyone about my love of beer but do I use that to allow me to drink more than I should? Is there a rush when you get "likes" or comments on your latest post? Do we begin to create things so we can get more people following along and gain some sort of prominence in the craft beer world? People are paying actual money for fake followers to help promote their "brand", which boggles my mind. The end game is always personal promotion but once again are we overlooking our addiction for the false feeling of being on the inside. Everyone always wants to know the scoop on new releases or special things their local brewer is up to and being part of what is now the cool thing has it's own feeling of superiority and exclusivity. For most of us, we are just regular working stiffs, so getting to feel like we matter and have a stake in this burgeoning world gives us something that may be missing from our everyday lives. We cannot overlook the factor getting access to things others can't plays into all this. It's human nature to want to feel special and when you become a grown up that is something that rarely happens. Being a craft beer fan allows us to join a unique club, one that is growing everyday.
  The long term impact of Craft beer is mostly positive. Smaller breweries are more involved at a local level in community work and it is pretty awesome to be making new friends as an adult through sharing our favourite thing. They provide jobs, fun experiences and a chance to explore things we could never have imagined from our beer. But it should not cloud over the very real addiction and mental health issues that still are with us because it is, at the very end, alcohol. The dangers exist no matter the way in which it is made and some people cannot help but over consume because of their personal mental health issues.
 This is not to say that there isn't an inherent difference with Craft Beer, I believe there is something that can help us to curb our consumption when we really start to experience each beer for what it is. My concern is that some of us are getting our fill and then going over the top without seeing a problem. I don't come home to a fridge filled with macro lagers and want to get hammered. It's become a more nuanced approach to consumption and I believe in some way that this community has helped me to change and grow in my personal approach to my beer. I just think it's time to have the conversation and make sure we listen when someone needs help. I know I have problems with limits and will take care to continue to work on myself, but I also know that my world is indeed different than it was just 2 years ago. I can have just one beer and not feel angry. I don't actively try to get drunk to hide from my problems and want to be a better person who is engaged in life and not slurring his way into an early grave. Should I quit drinking altogether? I honestly don't know, I hope I have grown enough to recognize the nature of every beer I drink and my relationship to it. But the question persists.
  I don't have all the answers, but I know it's time we stopped pretending there isn't a problem. I want us to be a better community of drinkers and help those who need it. So think about what your consuming and try to make moderation part of your evening, the beer tastes better when you take it one at a time.


Polk

150 - The Real Truth in May

150.

  The number of beers I drank during the Truth in May was just that...almost 5 per day. That seem like a lot to you? Because it seems like way more than I thought I consumed when I set out to document what was a craft beer lover who maybe tipped back a few more than the average person. I didn't or couldn't imagine that as the final number because I was convinced I was having one or two most nights with the occasional evening of 5 or 6. What I found was as the month went on that most were 4 or 5 and some came in at 9...even with sharing, that many beers more than once in a blue moon is troubling to say the least.

Beer No 1 just after midnight on May 1st

  I only had one evening where I would say I chased the darkness and given that it was at the Albino Rhino beer fest with a whole whack of my friends, I have no issue with that particular day, even though it topped at least 12 pints all in. We were sharing beers and having a great time doing it, nights like that are few and far between for me, so I again am okay with it.

A Rhino and a Polkaroo!

  The other ones though are the ones I want to talk about here.

  I like beer, that is pretty easy to see. I've always liked it, for different reasons, but historically for how it made me feel and as a social lubricant. When I fell into craft beer, it opened my eyes to what I was really doing with my macro loving overindulgence and I could feel the brakes come on and my consumption plummeted. I went from 3 or 4 24's a week to a much lower count, albeit with higher alcohol contents and bigger formats. But I wasn't getting hammered every night and that was something really positive. That continued through to the Truth in May, I still drank less than I used to but more than I thought I did.

Posted 3 times during the Month. A slow sipper I usually kept to myself.

  One thing about my consumption that I have struggled with has been that I didn't feel I was drinking for the wrong reasons. I was enjoying every sip, writing and talking to my virtual and real life friends and doing all the stuff I had to do in my normal, non beer

life. I went to work every day, did my chores at home, went out a few times when the budget allowed it and generally lived my life in a positive and mindful manner. So how to bring that together with the fact that by any definition my drinking is both binge and alcoholic in nature when I don't feel that way personally. Craft beer and the community of people I have met have brought me much happiness and a renewed sense of purpose. Writing about beer every time I drank one and finding a picture was challenging but fun and I was glad to share the boring, mundane late night pint as much as that special edition Imperial IPA that I go all out to showcase. Am I making excuses to deflect from the fact that I drank 150 beers in a month and cannot stop on my own accord? I hope not and that is why its taken me a week to finally sit down and start to comprehend what it all means.

One of my favourite beers from May. So good.

  I started this post 6 times, each one different and none giving me satisfaction. That you are reading this means I found my voice and it both soothes and troubles me. To any normal person I am an alcoholic, a high functioning one, but still alcohol dependant. I cannot dispute that fact, I want to have a few beers every day but not to the detriment of my necessary tasks. I could not imagine drinking before work or getting smashed every night. It doesn't fit in with my life now but I do want that new or favourite beer and I enjoy writing about them several times a day. I discovered that it was those validations from social media that were driving a lot of my drinking. I always drank 4 or 5 a night but would save a few to post the next day so I could spread them out over a longer period. So I didn't drink more to post it, I merely posted it when I drank it and saw the truth in pictures every day. It bothered me a bit but didn't stop me in the least. That I didn't drink too much was always my argument and with every beer that went on Instagram, that façade was crumbling.

  Working in the service industry for 30 plus years certainly drives a good part of my love of beer and its' calming nature. I do not love what I do but it pays well and I am far past the age where I search for validation from my employment. When you're a blue collar working man, you care about doing a good job for a salary that pays the bills and maybe a little extra. I work to live but I do not live to work. Let me win the lottery and I will be the same guy but way happier. So my drinking is a reflection of a life in service to others and a way to let go of the anger that must be reined in when people treat you like a piece of furniture. Abuse of service people is a whole other topic and the stories I have from the trenches would make you question your humanity. People are good but the ones who we often spend the most time dealing with would make a teetotaller drink...a lot.

A few new breweries opened in Hamilton during the Month. Merit was first.


  Another large and usually quiet reason I do what I do is that we don't have any children. While we wish we did, and honestly every few days I wonder if we gave up too soon, the fact is that after work, I have absolutely zero responsibilities. I have to do my household maintenance and cook the occasional meal, but in terms of things I must do, there is nothing. I don't give in to familial guilt about things and without children we don't get invited to or feel comfortable attending many of the kid centric events that surround people with large families. Our friends are now largely craft beer folk so events we do with them tend to exacerbate rather than alleviate my consumption. But the very simple fact that when I have done what I need to for survival, I am free to do or not do anything I want. It is freeing, a little selfish and the truth in my life. So I have to admit that it is a large part why I can enjoy so many beverages, especially on my days off. Mow the lawn, clean the house, do a little laundry and then the rest of the day is mine. I can't apologize for a life that I stumbled into and I have no doubts that if there were children in our lives, I would not be doing the things I do now. At least, I can hope.

Fairweather Brewing in Hamilton opened just before the end of May.

  So with this long and meandering piece have I learned anything about what last month meant to me? I think so, I understand that my child free lifestyle has allowed me to claim a future that is focused on myself and those I choose to let in my life. My work schedule of long shifts, working most weekends and with the public leaves me feeling a need for a few pints after a long day, no harm in that on my part. I like the way 2 or 3 drinks make me feel and the release they give me, but I don't want to escape into the blackness that I used to chase. I understand that drinking 5 beers a day is not normal, not necessarily healthy or productive, but I see no reason to stop. I will make a better effort to find something to occupy my time but creating art with beer pictures and getting to tell stories of my life are important to me and my mental health. I am a caring and loyal person but I guard my free time jealously and plan for days when  I have almost no interaction with other people because I can. I feel a lot of sadness that I will never be someone's dad and want nothing more than to see that change, but it will not. I will work harder in my job, more hours, stress and I will be fine with that because it will give me the money and freedom to do the things I want when I am not there. I do not hate my life. I only get one, so I value every moment and day.

Beer #150 for the Month.

 Do I drink too much was the question I asked and the answer is way more complicated than I could have imagined. Yes, by every conventional standard, I do qualify as a heavy drinker. Clinically I am an alcoholic and if labels make people happy, feel free to call me that. Do I crave beer at the expense of living my life and doing the things that I need to do? Not at all and the knowledge that I have the ability to limit what I consume is something I probably need to spend more time on. I love my family and friends and want them to be happy and successful but because my path is now non traditional and child free, I will have to find out where that leads me. I do drink too much but in my life, that's what I do. I was for many years a person who put everyone else first and while I have wonderful memories, I plan that the second half of my (hopefully) long life is when I learn to say no and live a little more for me. The craft beer revolution has found me a way to express myself that I thought was lost forever and given me opportunities for adventures I didn't know existed. My own personal evolution as the Drunk Polkaroo has given me a platform from which to help others and myself. I want to think I learned something but the real truth from May is that I am having a good time and with everything else in the world feeling like it is headed to hell in a handbasket, my enjoying 5 beers a night and talking about them is the least worrying thing in my life.

  So thank you to everyone who followed along, hung out for a few pints during the month or dropped in from time to time to see where I was. It wasn't my intention to drink 150 beers in a month, but having done so, I must accept what it says about my life. I wish I could say I will drink less, but I will never lie to you my friends, Let's just say I am more aware of what is going into my glass and I am looking forward to a bright future with tales and great times with more of you.

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

Cheers!

Polk


The Numbers from the Truth in May
76 Different Breweries.
(W means I worked that day, O means Day off)
1st - 5 W
2nd - 4 O
3rd  - 4 W
4th - 4 O
5th - 1 W
6th - 2 W
7th - 2 W
8th - 6 W
9th - 4  O
10th - 3 W
11th - 7 O
12th - 4 W
13th - 4 W
14th - 3 W
15th - 5 W
16th - 4 W
17th - 4 W
18th - 6 W
19th - 4 W
20th - 6 W
21st - 4 W
22nd - 9 O
23rd - 7 O
24th -  2 W
25th - 5 O
26th - 3 W
27th - 12 O
28th - 3 W
29th - 5 W
30th - 8 O
31st - 9 W

My Beer Philosophy - How I got here.

So many choices I could have made better.

To be honest, I am probably not qualified as an expert on anything...except how to screw up your life in 10 drinks or less. Long a blind consumer of the cheapest beer I could get my hands on, I will always be the first to admit my knowledge of the craft beer industry, scene or whatever we choose to call it is growing by leaps and bounds but still pretty new and generally positive due to my recent conversion and what it has done for my life. While embarking on the Truth in May (check it here) to examine what I actually consume seems like a silly idea to some, to me it speaks to a past that never goes away and a darkness that could return every time I open the beer fridge.

My Beer fridge not so many years ago.

 The real truth about macro beers for a lot of us, for myself at least, is that they scare us. They scare us with their tasteless, easy drinking consumability. They scare us with their overwhelming presence and cheaper prices. But most of all they scare us because it is so easy to slip into sweet oblivion without ever having to stop to consider the what you're drinking.

A good night?

  When I would get home from work or finish my chores around the house, that first sip of PBR, Coors Light or Old Mil would signal my brain that we were done for the day and it was time to chase the night. Did I ever pause to taste my beer? Hell no, that was for hipsters and douche bags. Just drink your beer and then get another. They all tasted the same and for years that what was what I wanted. 

50 Selfie

Uniformity and consistency is one thing Big Beer learned early and made their hallmark. A Molson Canadian tastes the same every damn time, anywhere in the world. An admirable trait in any food or beverage business and it has led to huge profits and global domination by the few Multinational giants that control most of our beer consumption. I am not an economist, but when selling a product like beer, consumer confidence in said product is paramount to repeat purchases. And for years I did exactly that. Pursuing the most drunk for my buck became my goal and it led me to some pretty bad beer, even by macro standards. Brava Light was literally as close to tasting like nothing while getting me drunk as I could find. It was not unusual to find myself 3/4 deep into a 24 several nights a week. Drinking them so fast that I would grab 2 or 3 out of the fridge at a time because I could down them before they warmed up and I didn't want to have to get up every 5 minutes. Be it any other brand, I followed the same suit and rarely considered what went into my glass. For a lot of people this is still true and they often view craft beer just as I used to. But the times they are a changin'.

My beer fridge game is much better now...in my opinion anyway.

  As I became more immersed in the world of small batch (and not so small batch) craft beer, I discovered flavours I never considered, styles I didn't know existed and friends I couldn't have imagined meeting. Leaving macro lagers behind at first seemed like an impossibility because I couldn't let go of that comforting numbness they provided. As I pursued even more and different beers, I found that I didn't need those "filler" beers as often and eventually phased them out altogether. I still have to check myself to not slip back into bad behaviour, even with better beer the darkness flirts along the edges of my consciousness. But the conversation of what is craft, what is macro and why it matters continues to rear up from time to time.
  I watched a few online discussions this week and that is what has prompted this from me today. I am a guy who goes out of his way to try and be a positive voice in a world that can be negative far too often. I give every beer a chance and when I don't like one, I usually just don't post it or give it a second thought. I don't drink macro lagers because I no longer enjoy them and what they represent to my life. I struggled early in my journey into craft to not fall into the criticizing of other people's beer choices but found myself judging them nonetheless. I never wanted to be a guy who did that and it has taken some effort on my part to remember that in the end, beer is supposed to be about fun and bringing happiness to our lives. Be a nerd not a snob has become my favourite saying and while I will make an effort to actually show beers I try that perhaps are not up to my personal standards of flavour and the like (looking at you Freedom 35), I want to make sure I don't discount someone because they like Blue. I have learned to separate the beer from the drinker, lose the stereotypes and give people a chance.

I couldn't have appreciated this even a couple of years ago.

  So I will leave the definition of what craft beer is up to the experts. I know what I like and feel that many people are in the same frame of mind. We want to buy local, supporting friends and family in our communities in the process. We want to try new and different style and flavours in our beers and we want it to be better. But we also want a consistent, well made product and that sometimes is the problem with craft beer. With the burgeoning (200+) amount of Craft brewers in Ontario alone, there is bound to be some duds. Will the marketplace ultimately weed out the pretenders? I think so, but it will be up to us, the beer buying public, to vote and support with our dollars the future we want to see in this or any other jurisdiction. I will continue to do my part to spread the gospel of drinking better and more mindfully and hope to use my love of craft beer to bring more people with me. I hope to remain your humble and honest friend in this endeavour and want nothing more than to keep meeting really good people and talking about our favourite or not so favourite beers. I am an open book with most of my life and I think that is why I am able to help show the regular side of the brave new world we are living in when it comes to beer. I love it when people reach out and ask me about a beer or brewery and I will try to connect them with someone who has the answers if I do not. I want to be part of the future that craft beer has come to represent to the regular beer drinking guys and gals of the world and hope to continue to share my life while I do it. So if you want to drink PBR, do it, make yourself happy and be damned the haters. But if you think its time for a change and want to start your own trip into a pretty amazing place, I am more than happy to show you around.


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


Cheers!


Polk

500 Days

Cheers to 500 more!

  On November 21st, 2015 I did not have a beer.

  This was the last time that happened and now 500 days have come and gone with at least one pint in my glass.

  I'm not sure if I need a meeting or another beer.
  In those 500 days, I have written 1197 Instagram reviews, recorded 148 YouTube videos, composed 149 (now 150) blog posts and tried well over 1500 new craft beers. More importantly, I have met some truly amazing people that have brought much joy to my life. I wrote about making it an entire year last November (Has it been a Year Already?) and the sentiments still ring true another 135 days later. We have travelled to many new cities in search of great beer, seeing Quebec City for the first time is a prime example of that and become part of a community I didn't even know existed. 

Quebec City Taberbnac Beer Saint Crew

I never imagined that as I passed 40 I would be making so many new friends and getting to live a little of my dream of being a writer. People I would never have met in ten lifetimes have become dear friends and I am inspired daily by them.

With the OG Beer Saints in Durham

 It wasn't a goal to keep going every day past December 31st, 2016 and I gave some serious thought to doing the whole "Dry January" thing as I woke up on the 1st of this year clear headed for the first time in over 25 years. I admire the people that can have that kind of discipline and who are able to resist the temptations a delicious craft beer offers. I let the idea percolate again after my birthday week trip to 50 breweries around the province. Maybe just a day or a week without a beer wouldn't be so bad, I have a lot of great pictures and reviews just waiting to publish and could keep right on posting on social media without missing a step. I took a moment and stepped outside myself to look at where I was in my life and what not having a beer would do for me.  I considered if I needed the beer or just wanted it. Did it still have the power it used to over me or was I truly past the need to bury my problems behind an alcoholic haze.

Always a good day when I spend it with this lady.

 There are many nights I come home stressed to the very limits of my ability to deal with life. Work, family and the everyday worries of millions of people give rise to all manner of coping mechanisms and mine was always drinking. So where I used to come crashing through the door and within minutes be knee deep into a six pack of Brava Light or Pabst, I found myself resisting the urge to have a beer at all. Partly because I don't drink macro pounders anymore but also because I no longer view beer as a way to escape from my life. I purposely will settle into my chair and close my eyes to think and let go of whatever is bothering me. I may turn to writing down the issue so I can work it out through my own rambling style of communication. There are literally dozens of posts not published but merely written so I could let go of the problem that was troubling me and causing the return of my demons. It is only after I feel at peace that I will head to the fridge for, most often, my only beer of the day. This is what really happens here most nights. I know many people think I get hammered every day and I'll admit, it is very tempting sometimes to slip back into that comfortable numbness that used to envelope me as my mind slowly devolved into the darkness. But I do not want to find myself staring up at the ceiling surrounded by empty reminders of a night I drank to forget. I don't want to run from my problems, I've learned they just follow you anyway. The ability to understand why I drank so much allows me to identify and stop that behaviour more often now. Do I slip up sometimes? Rarely and becoming even closer to non existent. I don't want to miss out on the people who are a part of our lives and places we are getting to go. Being blackout drunk doesn't mean you had fun, it means you missed out on everything that happened.

A highlight I'll never forget. Brew day at Great Lakes!

   Craft just isn't better beer, it is a better way of life. So while perhaps I may or may not have a beer tomorrow or the next day, it is now my choice and not that of a man who was scared of his own mind. Clouding the "could have been's" and making it worse by getting drunk has lost its appeal despite the appearance of a non stop party on Social media. The beer I choose to drink now is for enjoying, savouring and exploring. It is a vehicle to a new and different way of life that still is evolving and changing as we go. I am grateful for all the new friends who embrace what I do and encourage me to pursue my dreams, no matter how crazy they seem. The people who read my posts, watch my videos or just hang out and talk  in real life are the real treasure I have gained in the last 500 days and that is what matters most.

One more because Kathryn is always making me look better!

 Thanks for hanging around and know that I am always and forever just a regular guy who wants to enjoy his time on this planet with some great friends, awesome beer and maybe the odd road trip. It's always a good day when you can wake up and not have to worry about what happened the night before. This train is just leaving the station and I don't want to miss a moment.

Raise your glass and your standards,
One beer at a time!


Cheers!


Polk

Share your love of beer anyway you want.

 

  When I first started writing and reviewing Craft beer, I had no idea what I was doing. The flavours were new to me and I would research and agonize over every thing I said. I wanted to describe what I was tasting but lacked the knowledge to find just what that was. So I took to the internet and sites such as Beer Advocate, Rate Beer and of course, Untappd. I would drink my beer and read the reviews of other people, acquiring the descriptions of what it was I was tasting and training my palate to find them each time. It took a lot of trial and error, experimenting with actual citrus fruits, dark chocolate, black coffee and other foods to grasp the notes in my beer. It was that kind of insatiable quest for information that helped me to pursue the path I have.  I try to learn more every day because it is in knowing that we can understand not just the beer, but why we drink it and what it can say about us.

  Many people have written me and asked how to get started or to ask questions about my reviews or larger journey. I always love to talk beer and life with anyone who takes the time to ask and it is a real pleasure to help people discover their own specific voice.

 My advice to anyone who wants to review or share their views on craft beer is to do what makes you happy, be open to new things and don't be a snob.  

 Want to write in depth, critical reviews? Do that. Why not go get the proper Ciccerone or Prud'homme training and become the master of beer.

  Want to share what beer you're drinking in a fun and less informative way? Do that and speak with enthusiasm about everything you do.

  Just want to be part of the larger craft community but don't want to get into rating or describing your beer? Do that, share your pics on social media and just be yourself.

  My point is always the same, do what brings you joy, not to please anyone else. I get the odd person who criticizes my flavour description or rating but I don't let that interfere in my process. I taste what I taste and so do you. Beer ratings are highly subjective and while many people don't do it, I will continue because that is what I like to do. Don't feel pressure to rate a beer 1 to 5 or 10 or 100, in the end it only matters if you liked it or didn't. Someone challenges what you taste, tough on them, it is your beer, your palate and you taste what you do. I am always open to an honest discussion about my rating, tasting or love/hate for a beer. If someone wants to have a genuine talk and help bring me information, I am all for it and you should be too. But there is nothing that I tune out quicker than negative or angry people.

  At the end of the day, it is just beer. Great beer, but still just a beer nonetheless. I do wax poetic on the subject and feel an affinity for the industry because it has truly changed my life. But you should never feel like your review or sharing of your thoughts or pics doesn't matter. It is a community that thrives when there are more voices, more stories and more opportunities to learn and grow.

  So take that picture of your beer on the table while you watch TV, head outside and get arty if you want or just drink it, it's really up to you. Sharing your beer and thoughts on social media is a great way to meet new people, it encourages you to find new and different beers, explore the local breweries for the latest releases and become part of something that is bigger than you are. I love it when someone is just starting out and they connect with me, I want to be the voice of happiness and encouragement for anyone who is brave enough to share a piece of who they are and if you follow along on my Facebook page (click here), you will see that I am constantly sharing the blogs, videos and reviews of other people. I am a firm believer in the people of Craft beer and am overjoyed to help them spread their voice to a wider audience.

  There are those who have an opposite view, looking only to themselves and leaving the wider community in the background, insisting on their own perfection or omniscience as the only beer writer/reviewer that matters. I see this and know that not only are they setting themselves up to be left behind but they are missing out on all the amazing people in the craft beer world. My life has been made infinitely better because I share so much of who I am. I believe in being humble, open and friendly because that is what I want in return. One of my favourite beer writers, Ben Johnson, told me to always be honest and that is exactly what I try to do. Give people an unblemished account of your beer experience and they can see that right away. Be not afraid to say what you mean, but try to be a good person about it. Negativity, sexism and anger only bring more of the same into your life and while I have made mistakes, I recognize, apologize and change with the acquisition of more knowledge. Grow, learn and always give the best you have to anything you share.

  It is the beer that brings so many people of different background and lifestyles together under one hoppy roof and I have met people and done things I couldn't even imagine. So if you're thinking of starting a blog, video, Instagram account or any other social media to share your love of craft beer, I encourage you to do it.

  Don't do it because you think you'll make money, get famous or are better than anyone else. Do it because you love great beer, the folks who drink it and the people who make it. Give a little of yourself to this wonderful community and it will come back tenfold.

  Below is a list of some of 20 of the writers and beer reviewers I love to follow and share. There are literally hundreds of great people but I wanted to keep it short, so my apologies to anyone I missed. Check them out, follow along and then join the craft beer world yourself, it's such a great place to be!

Beer Writer - Website (2 other social media)

Ben Johnson - Ben's Beer Blog (Facebook, Twitter)

Crystal Luxmore, Tara Luxmore, Erica Campbell - The Beer Sisters (Facebook, YouTube)

Adam Kemp - The Brew Head (Facebook, YouTube)

Robin Leblanc - The Thirsty Wench (Twitter)

Jordan St. John - Saint John's Wort (Twitter)

Don Redmond - Brew Ha Ha (Twitter)

Mike Burton, Matthew Renda, Beth Hughes - The Bottomless Pint (Twitter (Mike, Matthew, Beth)

Glenn Hendry - IPA Tales (Twitter)

Steven Beaumont - Beaumont Drinks (Twitter)

Chad McGee - The Albino Rhino (Facebook, YouTube)

Tiffany Martin - The Travelling Pint (Facebook, YouTube)

Christophe Paquette, Max Monet - Hops & Bros (Facebook, YouTube)

Paul Meloff - Paul the Beer Guy (Facebook, Twitter)

Some of my Instagram friends who are just killing it with their photos and reviews -

Phil C. - Keltic Devil

Sean A. - Moonstone Brewer

Brett H. - I Find Beer Enjoyable

Southern Ontario Beer Boys

Michael K. - Michael Kras

Ryan, Nathan, Dave - RND Blast

Robin C. - Beer Core Droid

 

There are so many more, have a look around and you will find your own favourites.

Raise your glass and your standards,

One Beer at a time.

Cheers!

Polk