I Don't Love Every Beer I Try, Here's Why...

Perhaps this label would work .



I was drinking a beer the other day that didn't do it for me. It was uninspired, bland and tasted like what a group of marketing executives thought a beer should be. The logo was minimalist, finely tailored to stand out in a fancy restaurant as craft but not to challenge the esthetics of the beautiful space it was being consumed in.  I see these "brands" more as the craft beer segment of alcohol purchases continues its surge. I'm nowhere near an expert on beer or the industry, but I drink new beers all the time because I love the journey and flavours that I find. The adventures and beers I've had are not unique to me and I actively encourage everyone I meet to get out and experience all that this amazing community has to offer. But lately I've seen some stuff that doesn't sit well with me and my own life.

The search for a profitable business while brewing well crafted beers is not a bad thing. If they didn't make money, your local Craft Brewer wouldn't last long and we would be left with the same old choices we've always had. I applaud anyone who can figure a way to take their passion for brewing great beer and make a life from it, that's the dream of many a home brewer. It's not the person who wants to share their beer with the world that has caught my eye though, it is those who seek only to profit from the rising trend that leave me with the wrong kind of bitter aftertaste in my mouth.

It's not that I am against anyone wanting to grab a share of an ever growing market, but many times I feel that some are in it for the wrong reasons. Watching places like Muddy York and Anderson Craft Ales grow their brand and spaces slowly as the money comes in and their dreams get bigger is pretty amazing. The people behind the beer are in it for more than just a quick buck (I hope) and it is a joy to share a pint with people who seem to genuinely care about their community. There have been other times where I hear about a beer, try it and find nothing behind it. I'm just a regular guy who loves to try new beers, I don't have the time or expertise to investigate every new brewery that opens. I rely on those who have the connections and links to keep me informed of the business end while I pursue my emotional one. That is what I write about and when I get a beer and hear about or feel the lack of substance behind it, I am at a loss.

I know what drives a man to want to share a beer, I do that all the time. But to create a beer with the sole purpose of making money, regardless of how that gets done seems counter to everything I've learned in the last year. It has occurred to me that some of these brands have been created with the singular purpose of being grown just enough to get the attention of the executives at Big Beer so that they can affect a buy out and the windfall of money that could generate. I don't know if that's true, but in my gut, I'm certain that discussion has occurred and those are the ones that scare me. Because what has been built can be torn down. Some of the brands I'm seeing get widespread distribution in the LCBO have little behind them but a "group of friends" and a "dream". Many of my favourite Craft Brewers are still waiting for that kind of exposure. The money they make goes into upgrading equipment and expansion, not photo shoots and lobbying for another SKU at the liquor store.

 I hate to be negative and always try to find the best in any beer I try. Knowing that something might just not be for me and my palate, I never slag a beer or the people who make it. But there have been times where I wonder what I am drinking and who I am supporting by buying or talking about this beer. I don't buy macro because I've given them enough of money over the years and my dollars should go to those who are making a difference in the beer world. But when the contents of my glass are billed as craft and I find out its little more than a lifestyle marketed as a beer, I feel cheated.

The best way to support local craft beer is to go to the source. Not only do you get to experience the atmosphere and people who work there, more of the profit stays with them. There are good examples of people who work hard at creating beer, contract brewing it to get going and then turning that into a brick and mortar brewery. Descendants in Kitchener is one of those. They took a real leap of faith, leaving everything behind to pursue learning brewing in Germany. Returning to contract brew and get that elusive LCBO listing to finally getting their own brewery that has quickly become a community hub with events happening all the time. Great people making better beer. That's a story I can get behind.
 I'm not sure what the future holds, I am certain we will see even more "brands" coming unfortunately. I can only hope that we will be able to tell the difference and choose our next beer wisely.

 I know I will.

The Polkaroo approves this message

Celebrate Craftivus with the Drunk Polkaroo

My favourite person to share a beer with.

What is it about Craft Beer that turns people into such evangelists? I cannot think of another product that encourages such devotion outside of maybe wine. And even then, you don't see the sort of communal sharing, writing and dedication from regular folks like me.
I have noticed that many of my Beer Friends are alike, just wanting to spread the word of great brews for no other reason than they are amazing. I don't get paid to review beers. I do it for myself, as I have described many times, and also because I want to help my friends who may be new to all this in their decisions. It's fun to talk about beer, its history, my favourites, my not so favourites and what I  think about it.

It is not only getting together for a beer that makes my night, it is amazing when I get to treat my buddies to a beer they haven't had or couldn't get their hands on. It's a great thing to share beer with people and even better if it blows them away like it did to you.
It is in this spirit that I would like to introduce an idea I've had fermenting in the back of my mind for many years. In the long ago time of the lost years of the Drunk Polkaroo,  I used to refer to St.Patrick's Day as not only the high holy day of beer but also Alcoholic Christmas.  It was a way to cover up my ridiculous over consuming of shitty beer with some humour and while it was true, it also made me sad.
So while I no longer cram adjunct lagers down my throat like a man who is chasing his demons away, I do still love to enjoy this celebration of not only all things Irish,  but also all things beer.
So in the spirit of sharing the love of great beer and preaching the Gospel of the Craft that I will celebrate Craftivus; in conjunction with St. Patrick's Day of course.
 What is Craftivus you ask?
Much like Festivus does for Christmas,  this Holiday is a rejection of green beer, corporate sponsored overindulgence and the general  commercialization of this once genial holiday. To celebrate this wonderful day, all that is required is for you to share a beer with a friend. Maybe two. Get together with someone you love and spend some time enjoying not only each others company, but maybe a few beers that are new to you. Perhaps you can share a favourite Craft beer with someone who is just new to the scene or give someone who is in need of it the gift of great beer. It doesn't matter how you celebrate, it just matters that you share. With friends,  family,  coworkers, that weird guy, like me, who just loves to talk about all things Crafty.
I think it is high time we take back our holiday from the frozen glass, food colouring in the beer , shamrock shaming bastards who want nothing more than to watch you fade to black as they find a cheaper way to make beer. It is only in the compartmentalized world of pie charts, sales tactics and paradigm chasers that adding rice and corn to beer makes sense.
Craftivus is meant to embrace this day with the joy and happiness that only great beer can bring. Quality versus quantity is a battle worth fighting. Raise not only your glass but your standards and help spread the word of awesome local craft beer.
So if you going out today to celebrate the greenest of days, I encourage you to not only grab that pint of Guinness to honour the Emerald Isle, but to try something new and perhaps do it with a friend.
Craftivus is all about coming together in support of your neighbourhood bar, your local craft brewereries and you, the loyal exporer of delicious brews. Give it a try, it might change your life.
Cheers!



Get Up and Write Something

I like to get up early. 6 a.m. is a great time of the day. It's quiet, the day ahead filled with promise and I can write. One of the side effects of my not pounding beers and getting drunk all the time is that I find myself going to bed at a pretty reasonable hour, then waking up earlier than before with far more energy. Not having a hangover with a pounding headache and sore stomach is quite the joy. I woke up that way more days than not and how I thought it was normal is beyond me.

Getting my day started 2 hours or more before going to work means I have to do something with myself. I don't want to just veg out in front of the T.V. and watch something I PVR'd the night before. I suppose when the weather gets a little warmer, I could go for a walk. But that's something I can do to spend some time with my wife, so maybe I will wait for a stroll. I decided I should try to write something. Anything. Every day, for at least an hour. It might be nonsense, something serious or funny. But I want to write. It feels good to be able to put all the jumbled thoughts that run around my head into the laptop and read them later in the day. Sometimes I decide that what I wrote in the morning is on to something and work on it some more. Other times I see where I was headed and change directions. But I never dismiss my creativity anymore. If I wrote it, I keep it somewhere. I may find a use for it later and I don't want to waste any more time.

When I was young, I wrote all the time. I thought I would be a writer of big stories one day and loved creating something new all the time. Life took a different path when I was in my late teens and I took myself off the university bound path I had been on and started to work full time and party more. Not a wise move, but when you are 18, you know everything about life. Right? Man if I could do anything it would be to send a message to myself and try to make me see the light. I know it wouldn't work, mostly because I was a stubborn ass back then.

In the long run, life has tuned out pretty good. I am sure I will take some time as I go along to revisit my youthful indiscretions and share with you the lessons learned from a quarter century of following the path of least resistance.

But for now, I write. For you, my friends and family and for myself. If no one reads what I write it doesn't matter anymore, because I read it. When I go back over the last month, I see growth and want more. Will I ever get it right? I hope not, because the pursuit of the truth drives me forward and I don't want to stop. It is with great care that I scroll these words across the screen to help heal wounds open for far too long. There is a cathartic feeling in letting your feelings be exposed to a wider world and it is a vulnerable, open way to live. I have been closed off for so long, it feels like I have stories bursting out of my mind all day long.

I like to write about beer a lot as you may have noticed. That was the original intent of my blog, To chronicle my journey from drunken idiot to respectable craft beer guy. And I think that is still true for the most part. My choice to explore beer as a metaphor for my life is a good place to start my path. But so much more has come to me as I share my thoughts with people. I have had friends and family tell me how much they enjoy what I wrote and encourage me to keep going, I have reconnected with old friends through my words and it warms my heart that we may be able to break bread together soon.

I hope 2016 will be a good year. I want to experience new things and share them with you. Maybe we can do some of them together. That would be pretty cool. I know my struggle with depression and anxiety can sometimes cause me to shut off from the world, but I hope I can keep those demons at bay with a conscious effort to keep pushing forward. Writing helps because it makes me think about what I want to say, but also gives me the time alone to work it out. I don't want to miss anymore moments in life, big or small. With the help of all of you I think that is possible and this is a big step in the right direction.

Finally, I want to encourage you to do something you want to. Maybe it's writing a story, building something with your hands or trying to learn a new skill. Do it. The sooner you get started the better. I am proof that it is never too late to begin again. I believe that you have the capacity for greatness in your own life and I know you can do anything you want to.

Let's make this year the best one yet and share yourself with the universe. It gives great things back if you only try.

Cheers!