Enjoy the Core - Flagship beers in a FOMO Era : Polk's Opinion

  

2019 begins and once again we start our year in beer with a look at what we drink while we think.
 The last 4 years have personally been a tremendous period of exploring and finding exciting, unique craft beers from new and favourite brewers alike, but I was reminded last week of the other part of what we do. Drink those beers that got us here and those we have around almost all the time, or used to. Should we be going back more often to those original and introductory beers? Indeed and we should do it with an eye to seeing just how far we've come as consumers of this wonderful, happy elixir.

Enjoy the Core.

My first craft beer love

  We will always persue the new and different, the returning favourites and the one-off collaboration brews but it is the ones we pour week in and week out that we have come to talk about today. While the sheer number of breweries in this province means we are never short of the novel and shiny bright, new beer feel, we have favourites and that is okay too.

1st mad tom, 2014

  For me, the word core or flagship can mean a couple of things, especially given that not every beer hits the LCBO and your local craft brewery may have a beer that sticks around most of the time, enough that you have it pretty regularly anyway, and so it is core to you. When talking returning or seasonal beers, these factor into the conversation for the sake of their constantly appearing at a certain time each year to fill in a void in the beer calendar, but  For today, let's stick to the beers you can usually count on getting when you want them.
The Flagship journey begins with my first favourite beers...

my beer fridge circa 2014

  For as long as I can remember I was a Molson guy. My go to beers were almost always a Canadian or (blech) Molson Dry and I was content to sit around, day after day, just pounding back this tasteless, albeit well made and unchanging, macro beer. The odd foray into MGD or Stella when I wanted something fancy was not uncommon, although when a 24 of anything went on sale or had some cool swag, I would have no problem switching allegiance to save a couple bucks or get a new shirt. The market is filled with people like I was, like maybe you were too, buying case after case, unending and uninterested in Craft beer or any other such nonsense. As I started to drink heavily, I drifted to the discount brands to save even more money and increase the stretch of my beer money. Lakeport led to Brava led to Brava Light and that was rock bottom as 6 packs of BL would disappear within minutes and the beer barely registered on it's way down.

Brava Light birthday cake

An actual thing that I used to do

  Moving on and up, my trips into craft beer were slow and steady, pushing out the room I once made for the super light and crushable barley pops and I turned to PBR and Old Milwaukee as my own personal core and "cleanser" (what we called the cans we would drink between sharing a new beer) drinks, still loyal to the idea of drinking one thing all the time with little sparks of genius lighting the path far down the line. Slowly the tide turned and despite the Untappd check-ins and badge whoredom, eventually even certain craft beers became regulars amidst the pursuit of the new.

  My first loves and pints of much return were toasty and a little bitter as Great Lakes Brewery Pompous Ass and Grand River Curmudgeon gained a foothold in my heart.

I miss this

These were followed by Mill Street vanilla Porter and finally the big and piney Nickel Brook Headstock and Amsterdam Boneshaker before my much beloved Collective Arts Ransack the Universe gave me a hometown option I am still in love with to this day. I am an unabashed west coast loving IPA guy and it all stems from my core fridge beers moving in a slow but steady rise in bitterness. I buy the 1st one and the latter 3 fairly often and indeed in 2018 I talked about core beers over 180 times (out of 976 posts on Instagram) just because they still make me smile when I pour them in my glass. While they are decidedly hoppy in their nature, I love to look at the beers that helped bring to where I am now so I can see how much I've learned and if it is me or they who have changed.

vintage can, beauty beer

  Having said all that about my personal trip round the beer world, I was reminded of the core beer and their perceived decline in pursuit of the new when Stephen Beaumont (link here) tweeted about the drop in sales of certain classic American Craft beers like Sam Adams and Sierra Nevada Pale ale and had the idea of doing a Flagship February, sort of a look back at where we came from and what they meant to us then and now. A fine idea and one I am fully intending to get down with, as it is one I already do on occasion now. But more on that when February gets closer.

all time fave that is always on hand

  While I have no doubt market saturation fuels some of that and the sheer rise in options available to beer drinkers at a local level must come into play, I wonder if it is the same here in Canada, specifically Ontario. While I lack the data to say for sure, based on what I see in my extensive feed and the response I get to my own writing about those beers we get all the time, I don't think it is as bad as all that. A world that saw little in the way of choice at the LCBO and no local options would obviously have kept sales of personal staples like Muskoka Mad Tom or GLB's Canuck higher than they are now but that is not only the result of those who pursue what we like to call "Ticking" or checking in on Untappd or any other app for tracking your beer. There are simply more choices and that is excellent for beer drinkers. But still the question remains...
  Is it a bad thing to want to try and experience new and different beers?
  Isn't that what attracted us to craft beer in the first place?
  Innovation and the rise in the number of available options has had to have some impact on core sales but that doesn't mean we don't love them just the same. I seek them out fairly regularly and write about how much I have changed since I first tried them. Often I come to appreciate them far more now that I understand myself and my palate much better after exploring all that has passed through my glass. A look through the many good beer folk I know on social media shows a near constant thread of new beers but an equal number of them enjoying their local or first favourites. We love to share what we enjoy regularly and that is part of what we do on social media. Especially if it is your local craft brewery where you have come to know the people who work there and become a regular at the tap room.

Refilled many times with my favourite beers

  So while I will admit I feel like there is a decline in the long standing flagship beers of yore, it is not necessarily that we have turned away from them but rather that we now have close by and local options that have become our new regular beers. The changing landscape of craft beer in Ontario has been ramped up in the last 3 years and with the continued expansion into more towns and even neighbourhoods, we will see new favourite core beers emerge for those who live close by.

constantly one of the best

Life is all about exploring and learning, keep looking for new and wonderful creations but don't forget where you came from and who helped get you here.


Cheers!
Polk

 

The Ten - Polk's 2017 Most Memorable Craft Beers

 

The year comes to a close and it is time to say goodbye. Without a doubt, 2017 saw the explosion of Ontario Craft Beer reach lift off speeds. It became apparent early on that there would be far more beer released than I could ever hope to try and I came to terms with that in my own mind. Instead I focused on what I was able to get and then look a little deeper into what each of those beers has meant to me. The Ten is not meant to be a definitive ranking of the "best" beer of the year, but rather it represents the memorable, the important, the emotional and the community of craft beer drinkers that have made their way into my heart. So read on my friends and maybe contemplate yourself what this year in beer meant to you. It should always be about raising our standards, making friends and sharing a love of beer that motivates us going forward.
 These 10 beers defined the previous 365 days, much as the year comes to an end, so too does this man`s journey though Ontario. But have no fear, 2018 will see even more trips, giveaways and hopefully, connections with the people who love their beer just as much as I do.


10. Full Time IPA - Beau`s All Natural Brewing

  Beau's All Natural Brewing has long been a major part of my craft beer journey. Their constant and ever changing line-up a life raft at a time when the LCBO wasn't the sea of craft beer it is now. Many of my first exposures to different styles came from this Eastern Ontario brewer and it is no coincidence that we made the trip to visit them twice in a year just because I love to stop in and say hello to the crew. When we heard about their intention to release Full Time IPA and make it a core LCBO beer, it was both a surprising and happy moment. A well made Beau's beer is a thing to behold and when I first poured this into my tulip, I was sold. It just wasn't me, many of my crafty brothers and sisters were singing it's praises and buying them up. So for bringing a beautifully made new IPA to me any time I want to go buy one and for being a great supporter of the industry here and abroad, I couldn't think of this list without them. Thank you for always reaching out and making sure the people who love your beer know you love them back.




9. Shevchenko 9 - 4 Father's Brewing

  This list is about beers that caught my eye or made an impression so deep that I can still taste them, even months later. From 4 Father's Brewing and also my favourite Dark Lager/Dunkel of 2017 comes Svenchenko 9. Meeting some of the team from the brewery at the Albino Rhino Beer Festival in May gave me an insight into their passion for craft beer and this beer confirmed it. Beautifully balanced, I feel it is overlooked in a crowded marketplace and we need to correct that. A well made and easy drinking dark lager is just what we need in an overhopped and sour beer world. For being good people, making a great beer and bringing it to us with a wink and a smile, I am happy to include you in The Ten this year. Buy this beer!


8. Huronic Tripel - Side Launch Brewing

  Side Launch Brewing's core lineup is without a doubt one of the finest, to-style, 4 craft beer pickup anyone makes. They bring a simplicity and truth to the beer and while they seem safe and old school, most of my craft beer loving friends constantly have one of their beers in the fridge. For me it is the wheat beer and when I saw that they were finally going to bring something new to the LCBO that I could get, I was ecstatic. The Huronic Tripel was a delightful beer that brought me joy when I took my first sip. I love Belgian beers almost more than anything else and this one did not disappoint. Full of bright flavours, orange and lemon, with a pepper and clove backend, it was excellent. Showcasing the great things being done at the brewery and maybe a little under the radar to the larger community that is new to the scene or too buried in the hop craze, this one should be added to the must try list as fast as you can. For bringing the simplicity of good beer and never wavering in their dedication to brewing and selling only the best, Side Launch joins us on this year's The Ten.




7. 2016 Double Tempest - Amsterdam Brewing

  We don't really do beer release days. I won't stand in line for anything and too often the hype isn't worth the hassle. But starting last year and now a family tradition in the Polk household is the winter release of Amsterdam Brewing's Double Tempest. Throwing a huge party with a wicked beer lineup and food to pair it with on the waterfront is something we have come to anticipate, marking my last weekend off before the Christmas rush at work renders me the actual Polkaroo for the rest of the month. We aged this one for an entire year and while many people have way more patience and better cellars, we always make the pact to enjoy them in a year at the latest because beer is for drinking, not hoarding. This 2016 Double Tempest became even more balanced, losing some of the boozy heat and ramping up the vanilla bourbon and dark chocolate to a higher plane. Sublime and memorable, I will miss it until the 2017 makes it's appearance next Christmas Eve. The Ten is the perfect place for this delectable stout made by people who give a Damn!


6. Boxing Bruin IPA - Cowbell Brewing

  
 I opened my first Cowbell Brewing beer maybe a year and a half ago when they were contract brewers with a dream of something bigger. A nice Kolsch style ale, it was their commitment to donating 5 cents from every pint or can sold to local charities that really caught my eye. Early in 2017 I had their Doc Perdue's Bobcat West Coast Red ale and was convinced of their dedication. A later release of Kelly's Contraption solidified a lineup available at the LCBO and I eagerly awaited the brewery opening in mid year. Hearing great things, we made our way to Blyth and were blown away by the architecture, people, food and of course, beer. Meeting with brains behind the entire thing and the team putting it together added to the lustre. But when I was given their flagship IPA that was to be added to their core beer lineup I was blown away. Doc Perdue's Boxing Bruin is a beer any brewery would be proud to call their own, Brewmaster Stephen Rich is indeed making a name for himself with this and many other excellent beers available on tap at the brewery. For being good citizens, building a destination brewery and making beer that matches the promise of the people who make it, Cowbell joins The Ten.


5. Pineapple Milkshark Milkshake IPA - Bellwoods Brewery

  I had been calling for the milkshake IPA revolution late in 2016 and made it one of my 3 predictions for this year. Little did I know the genius minds at Bellowoods Brewery were 10 steps ahead of me and all of the Ontario Craft Beer scene. From the first release to the last, they just kept the pedal to the metal all year long. This iteration was a revelation with it's milky texture, pine apple juice like flavour and smooth backend, I couldn't believe this was a beer I was loving, imagining what Brava Light chugging me would have thought of this juicy vanilla fruit bomb. I savoured every bit and lamented it's end with much passion. While I have had many more great beers from Bellwoods, this one maintains its spot in The Ten because I just can't get it out of my head. I dream they bring it back in 2018 and even I might break my no line ups for beer rule.


4. Sour Goldie -Block 3 Brewing

  Sour Goldie from Block 3 Brewing makes The Ten not only because it is an exceptionally brewed beer that was one of the most memorable I had in 2017 and won my Strong Ale category hands down, but because of how it came to be in my possession. Attending a birthday party for my cousin Matt at the brewery, I happened to see brewmaster Kevin Freer sitting at the bar and wandered over to say hello and chat for a bit. It was so much fun to talk and get to know the guy who makes so many beers I love and when he told me he had a special release for me to take home, I was positively giddy. The beer in question was this one and I cannot praise it enough but it was that conversation with Kevin, his generous nature and my entire experience that floods back whenever I remember this beer. I always say that the people who make the beer can make or break your experience with it and for combining all of that and more, Block 3 joins The Ten with Sour Goldie. What a day that was!


3. Aggressive Jazz Hands - Redline Brewhouse

  The blending of styles into a hybrid can be fraught with peril and pitfalls. Redline Brewhouse and their Belgian Strong Ale/Double IPA release of Aggressive Jazz Hands was a hit and then some. Bringing together two of my most favourite things, Belgian beers and IPAs, they found a fantastic middle ground that had the best of both worlds. Their Double Clutch (Fave DIPA 2017) shook my world but this one brought me joy as a beer saint gift from my friend Verena. It reminds me of her generosity and love for craft beer and I can still remember how I felt when that first sip hit my lips. For a year full of great customer service, fantastic beer and many memories, Redline Brewhouse goes into The Ten with my highest regards. I so want to see this beer back in 2018, it needs to be in more hands so everyone can experience what a Canadian brewer can do with a legendary Belgian style. Well done my friends, well done.


2. Sundrop Wheat IPA - Fairweather Brewing

  My hometown brewery list grew exponentially in 2017 with 3 new brewers opening their doors with more promised for next year. None more prolific or consistent than the hard working folks over at Fairweather Brewing in Hamilton's West End. Every single release was spot on with little wiggle room for doubt and the family like atmosphere they have created brings a smile to all who visit. This Wheat IPA was so smooth, juicy and filled with bright citrus notes that I immediately regretted not buying a dozen, A work schedule that flooded my summer kept me from getting more but I can still taste it's bitter and dank finish. How does a brewery come out swinging with great beer right out the gate and make such an impression that people are drawn to them just because. Fairweather joins The Ten because of Sundrop but also because they bring a pure joy and effort to making absolutely beautiful beer all around. I am a fan of not just the beer, but the people who work at this sure to be legendary Ontario Craft Brewer. Come visit, you will be joining the Fairweather family once you've had your first sip.


1. Audrey Hopburn Belgian IPA - Great lakes Brewery

"I don't want to open my eyes, because it's like a dream."
 - me, September 28th after my first sip of Audrey Hopburn from Great Lakes Brewery (find the video here)
  My world is a better place thanks to the beer I drink, the people I've met and the experiences I've had. 2017 was GLB's 30th birthday but they were the ones giving the gifts with well over 100 releases this year. So many of them were new and creative things and then there was the return of a whole lot of classic fan favourites. 
  I had eagerly awaited the return of Audrey Hopburn because I could still remember it from back in 2015 and lamented it's non return in 2016, leaving me breathless when I spied social media telling me she was coming back. It is rare that a beer lives up to our memories simply because our palates evolve and the sheer number of beers we try trains us to appreciate new and different things. Audrey was not that. She was a beautiful beer 2 years ago and on that night in September and many more after that, she was absolutely sublime. A beer that celebrated a year given to the birthday of a Brewery that not only cares about the industry and making great beer, they want the people who drink it to have a good time, every time. Parties, giveaways, friendly chats and a bunch of awesome beers made for one hell of a 2017 and I will never forget my day spent brewing with the beer writers, Troy and Mr. Mike Lackey, brewmaster extraordinaire.
  I am not sure why this beer made such an impression, but it's still running through my mind even as I type. Perhaps it was the memory of those early days and the fact that it not only lived up to them but exceeded it. Maybe it is that I now understand better what I am drinking or the most simple explanation of all, GLB gets me and you and why we love beer. They love beer too, they make some of the best damn stuff in the province, maybe the country and I am proud to say that I am a fan. It is just beer, but to us and the good people at GLB, it is so much more.
  Thank you for everything you do, I appreciate the effort put into making great beer like Audrey and I look forward to seeing what year 31 brings because I have no doubt that Great Lakes will continue to lead the way for Ontario Craft Beer. My review from September says it all :
 " She's back and she's beautiful! Since October of 2015 I have patiently awaited the return of Great Lakes Brewery's Audrey Hopburn  a 6.2 %, 58 IBU Belgian IPA. It had stuck with me since that day and it did not disappoint. Pours a hazy golden straw colour with a thick long lasting and boldly lacing white head. Smells of banana, grapefruit and orange. On the sip, sweet ambrosia I am in heaven. Citrusy with lemon,  grapefruit and orange. Banana clove and a spicy pepper kick on the finish with more citrus lingering on the dry finish. The fact that I have waited two years to try this again and it not only lived up to but exceeded my memory is pretty damn outstanding. I love this beer. It's a combination of a lot of things that make my senses sing and I am glad I have one more to experience this again. Get yourself to Great Lakes soon, this one is a limited run and won't be around long. A contender for my Beer of the Year without a doubt. Cheers! 4.5/5"
  
  I can't think of a more fitting way to finish a weird and wonderful year than with this lovely beer. May 2018 bring you happiness and a glass that is full of the very best the world has to offer. Ask for and accept nothing less.

Raise your glass and your standards,

One beer at a time. 

Cheers!


Polk

My favourite Memory of 2017!

Do I drink too much? The Truth in May

 

  I sometimes wonder if I drink too much.
  Or too often.
  Or for the wrong reasons.
  I see my friends, real life and virtual, posting pictures every day or so and think to myself, "Do we have a problem?" Are we masking some level of alcoholism with our craft beer "hobby". We joke about it all the time, hell the memes are hilarious, but are they hiding a bigger truth?

I drink at least one beer every day and while my quantity of consumption is nowhere near the dozen or so I used to drink in a setting, I will have no problem downing 5 or 6 high ABV beers in a night. So my worry begins when I try to explain how it's different now. How by drinking better beer and enjoying the flavours I am not pursuing the demons of the past. But am I really or is it just a clever and not so subtle way of keeping the good feelings rolling with art and beer colliding,

  I don't post every beer I drink on social media, usually only one or two a day. I'm always a little self conscious about putting too many pictures up and annoying people with my passionate love for the Craft. I usually pick and choose which beers to post by seeing which are new releases, relevant to my day or returning favourites. I don't normally plan further ahead than my next beer and there is a sense of relief when I've made my posts for the day and can sit back and enjoy a pint without too much care into how to describe or display it to the world. I am not a professional writer or reviewer, I am a working guy who loves to write and craft beer has given me a way to connect with people I would never have thought possible. I'm always conscious of the fact that I am so lucky to be able to pursue this avenue because of my position as a child free, middle class person who has a very indulgent and forgiving wife. But the question always haunts me in the back of my mind, am I drinking too much?

  I think the answer lies not in an absolute either way. There were times when alcohol played a large part in the terrible and life altering things I did or didn't do. That is no longer true and I see that everyday when I am not stressing about how many beers I have in the fridge or how many I can squeeze into an evening before passing out. I largely consume with much more mindfulness and thought now, trying to maximize the quality more than anything else and I am pretty successful most of the time in keeping my count to one or two a night. But there are still times when that becomes 4, 5 or 6 and that is what I worry about. As an advocate of enjoying everything in moderation, I truly want people to understand that it is possible to enjoy a pint or two a day without falling into alcoholism and despair. Saying that doesn't hide the fact that I have no desire not to have a beer after work or during my day off. Can I go without drinking for an extended period of time? Most likely, but I always question why I would. What harm am I doing by enjoying myself when I can? Life is complicated and often messy, beer is simple and brings me peace and joy. I understand the disease of alcoholism is terrible and the grip it holds on people is all too real. Do I feel that hold on myself when I wake up or am at work? No, but there are still times I crave a drink and the easy, liquid confidence it brings me. So I am left to wonder, do I drink beer to share it with the world or do I share a few beers with the world so I can feel good about the rest of the ones I consume. This is what plagues me late at night and many a morning.

  So with all that being said, how do I address this issue for myself. Writing about whatever is in my head usually helps to bring me some relief and this one has been percolating there for quite some time. What dawned on me is that I have become too planned out when it comes to posting my beers and reviews. Saving some for the next day or spacing them to make it seem like I'm not drinking too much was not why I started doing it and I think it's time to see just what and how much I drink in a typical month.

  So, for the entire month of May, I will post every beer I drink, when I drink it. Using the hashtag #truthinmay and numbering each one, no pint, bottle or can will slip from the public eye and the challenge I set forth. For the purposes of not being a huge pain, flights will count as one beer, gotta make sense here, no need for 75 pictures of tiny sample glasses. But no saving that picture or review until the next day, no ignoring a beer because it's my second straight one out of a six pack or hiding behind any reason for not exposing what really goes in my glass every single day. Why bother? I don't know, but when this idea came to me one night, it burrowed deep into my brain and wouldn't leave until I brought it into the light. I will give you, my beer loving friends, a glimpse into what I really drink, when I drink it and why. I will try to expose the deeper meaning behind my pursuit of the perfect beer and how I use that to enjoy my life. Will there be days when I want to ignore my pledge because it will show that I am drinking too much? I imagine so, but if you have been with me for any length of time, you'll know that I am honest about my life and pledge to not keep one single beer away from the public eye. My hope is that I will be able to see that I am right about my consuming less beer and being more present when I do it. I think that in the next 31 days I will consume around 100 beers, some different and new and a few regulars because that is what I do now. Or perhaps I will discover that I do drink too much, turning to the age old relief of that haze to get rid of the pressures of the day. In either case, I want to challenge myself to expose what many of us may be hiding by talking only of enjoying craft beer and not the possibility that we are using that to shade our dependence on alcohol. We don't talk much about it and maybe it's time we did.
  Come along and see what happens when I pull back the cover and show you the inside of my mind. I hope to post not only reviews of beers, but perhaps the feeling behind why I wanted that second Imperial IPA on a Wednesday night. It's as much an exercise in exploring beer as it is in being honest with myself about my life. Perhaps at the end of the month I will have an insight into the next challenge I want to take on and then I can share that with you. Or maybe it will just be 31 days of great and not so great beer, sprinkled with some festivals, nights out and holidays. Either way, it will be the most honest thing I can do to share part of my life with you, my friends. Tomorrow morning will prove to be a most interesting start to a month in a long time.

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


Cheers!


Polk

Ode to My Lake Effect

 From the moment I pop the top and catch a whiff of the tropical notes, to watching the beer cascade down into my glass...the anticipation builds.

  I know what is coming, but still I wait. Swirl and sniff, smell it again, for the first time, the last time. Take a sip. Not a gulp, just a taste and get that pineapple, grapefruit and crisp citrus rolling around your head.

  Juicy, bitter and oh so good. I won't rush, savour and sip till it is almost gone. 

 And then comes that final moment. The one I love and dread at once. The last taste comes too soon and then I am done. 

 Until I grab another one.