Leap of Faith - One Polk's Dream..

 

I look into the mirror every morning and I see a tired man looking back at me. I am old at being young, but young at being old (to quote The Barenaked Ladies), but I feel every year sometimes. Life is rolling along at an ever increasing clip and as a blue collar guy who left high school and has worked in a variety of customer service jobs over the last 30 years, I don't have much in the way of plans for the future. Little savings from being self employed for 13 of those years and working for chains that don't offer retirement packages means I am most likely to work till I am well into my 70's or until I keel over at the grill one day. The prospect of another 30 years spent grinding out 50 hour work weeks with 2 off for good behaviour seems daunting at times as the entirety of my life will be spent working to just stay put. Not an appetizing thought by any means and I lack the self discipline or guts to trim my life to the basics so as to save and retire a bit earlier on a modest budget. But one day I had a thought, perhaps I could "retire" for a few years now while I can enjoy it and then toil away my remaining years with the wonderful memories I could create.
  How's that now, you ask yourself?
  Well, admittedly it isn't the smartest plan or the most stable but it is a dream to dream each night.
  We bought our house about 12 years ago, right before the market went ape-shit. Coming in at a very reasonable price, we looked at it as our forever home where we would raise our child (to come soon after) and enjoy the life we were building. A simple 2 bedroom home with a huge yard and room to grow, we hosted parties,a wedding and so much more before life got really complicated after I lost my business in 2012. The struggle to stay afloat was real but after a time, we found our footing and on we went. The real blow was when we found out that it wasn't in the cards for us to have kids, tough to swallow that one I will tell you, but once again, we refocused and strode on into the night with our sights on tomorrow.
  But I did get tired of it all some days. I looked at a future where we just keep doing the same things, day in and day out, a fait acompli until I take my leave of this mortal coil and no longer care. This cannot be all there is and one day, a mad plan, a decidedly crazy and unabashedly irresponsible plan popped into my head when I was a few pints in.
  We sell the house.
  Travel the world for 2 or 3 years.
  Come back and resume our lives, but with the tales and memories to carry us to the end while we still can enjoy them.
  Simply put, as madness usually thinks of itself, the profit from the sale of our house is going to exceed $300,000 and while we do have decent jobs, they are nothing we couldn't find again after a few years away. I don't have a career that needs saving, a life worth living should be lived well and hard. This is what I proposed one evening...
 We take half of what me make, maybe a little more and just go.  Leave with the wind at our backs and don't stop until we have to come back to ground and resume this life lived proper and true to what is expected.
We would head to Europe for a few months first, chasing beer dreams from Belgium to Germany and the Czech Republic. Drinking Belgian Trappist beers in taverns across from the monastery that produced them, sitting in a German Bierhaus during Oktoberfest and crushing Pilsner Urqhell on the patio in Pilsen would no longer be a dream and without a rigid travel timeline, we would be free to explore at our own will.
  Returning across the Atlantic, we would embark on the most ambitious part of my "retirement" plan; Polkapolooza : North America. Buying a truck and a trailer, we would start our journey in Newfoundland, exploring the local craft beer and food scene in every province and territory in Canada as we travelled across this great land. Timing stops for cultural events that pique our interest, we would search out experiences that will give us the memories promised but left unfilled in an uncertain future. Perhaps a year or so spent driving and stopping in to visit anywhere we fancy before we turn south and visit our friends and neighbours in the United States to do more of the same.
  Rather than looking for a reason or a purpose, we will simply go where the wind takes us and live the life that we cannot expect as our years advance. There will be no lazy senior days for this guy and this rather wacky and wholly un-thought out plan remains a dream that tantalizes my soul when the days get dark and the future a muddled mess of repetitive convention. Is it idiocy or madness that drives me to contemplate taking a risk and just letting go of all the routine and "correct" things we are supposed to do? Sure, a little of both but I do know one thing for sure, I was not born to just work until I die and pay bills.
  There you have it. The flights of fancy of a middle aged dreamer who will head back to work tomorrow with a little glimmer of what may be, even if that's all he has to keep him going.

Cheers!

Polk

All my Polk's in Niagara - Polkapolooza Day 4

 

  Heading round the Golden Horseshoe and driving south east lies the Niagara Region, home to wine, The Falls and a burgeoning craft beer scene. We ventured this way to check in on many breweries we had visited before, but not for quite some time. The changes we encountered were at times admirable and applauded and in a one instance, just not worth the time and money we spent on our stop there. Focusing on the positives is what we try to do for the most part, but those of us who share our beer and the resulting adventures in it shouldn't shy away from when things aren't quite right. The exceptions to what we find as good experiences are not overshadowed by a few poor ones, but we have a duty to our friends and the truth to uphold at all times. Niagara Day begins with pints shared among friends and finishes with a surprise extra stop in a small town ready for it's own spot in the Ontario Craft beer spotlight.
  We were happy to be able to sleep in a bit as this day started at Brimstone Brewing around noon and we took advantage to enjoy a leisurely morning slowly recovering from the 600 plus kilometres we travelled the previous day. This day was going to prove to be much shorter but with the added bonus of my 'work daughter' Shyann, who is a student at a nearby college, joining us on our jaunt around the region. We wanted to show her what craft beer could be and were looking forward to sharing a few stops with her after our first one.

  Pulling up at Brimstone, we were struck by the huge glass and steel enclosure covering a part of their patio that wasn't there when we last visited. On a chilly March day, it was warm and inviting the moment we stepped inside and that was doubled when our pals Preston and Len were already hanging out waiting form our arrival. As good of an excuse as any, I grabbed a pint of the delicious Belgian IPA on tap and we sat down for a much longer visit than anticipated. Trading stories about fave beers, trips and festivals, we lingered a while as the brightly lit cube gave us a warm and happy place to hang out. Brimstone is located in Ridgeway and it is also the home of the annual Albino Rhino Beer Fest, put on by the legendary beer YouTube beer reviewer of the same name  and at which all proceeds go to Ronald McDonald House. We went for the first time in 2017 and would love to repeat that appearance again, as many of our favourite brewers and plain old beer nerds like us converge to enjoy and do some good at the same time. Parting is such sweet sorrow but we had a member of our extended family to pick up and show around, so we trundled off into the day with a smile and some beer for further examination.
 

Grabbing Shyann after her classes for the day were done, we headed next to Fonthill and Kame and Kettle Beer Works in a new and improved space. As soon as we entered, we were greeted warmly and grabbed a couple of flights to try out everything on the tap list. Walking Shyann through how we try to work our way through the beer, I had her start with the kolsch and cider/beer hybrid to ease her into the larger flavour profiles. We encouraged her to try everything and then let her finish whichever ones she enjoyed the most. Not easy for a 20 year old to learn moderation but a skill much needed at any age. The beer was much improved from our visit of over a year ago and while they still have a ways to go, it serves the community well and that is exactly what matters as they grow and mature as a brewery. Nothing stood out but we also enjoyed the atmosphere which enhances any visit to a brewery and can play a large part in repeat business. We had many more stops to make and we bid farewell to Kame and Kettle to head to one of Canada's premier tourist attractions at Niagara Falls proper and the brewery staged on its' busiest street, Clifton Hill.
 

We had been to the Niagara Brewing Company once before in January of 2017 and wanted to come back primarily to see what had changed as the beer had been serviceable if not decent with the Ice Wine beer being our most sought after repeat. A busy joint on a Wednesday as it was March Break, harried parents looking for a break, excited kids and a bright and airy taproom with food, live music and the brew house taking center stage at the far end. We grabbed a table and order a flight with one of every beer on tap, even paying the extra for that premium Ice Wine beer just because. The service was quick and friendly and we were quite happy despite many warnings from beer friends to avoid this obvious tourist destination. That all changed once we had our fist sips of the beer put before us. Kat noticed it first on the Ice wine beer and commented that it tasted buttery, a sure sign of the off flavour diacetyl and a big no no when it comes to any brewery we've visited. Taking a sip, I noticed it as well and found myself trying to keep a happy demeanour as we explained what we found to Shyann and why it was so rare. I'll share what I posted on Instagram when I had some time to calm down and truly think about what we had experienced as I think I captured our reaction bang on :
  "Family flights Niagara Brewing Company on Clifton Hill. Taking my work daughter for her first mini tour of Ontario and I wanted her to see all sides of craft beer. While I'm not one to say an unkind word, my $28 flight had some issues with diacetyl or buttery flavours and that was unfortunate. I don't want to be an asshole but it was supremely disappointing to spend that kind of money of 8 samples that would run maybe $20 in most craft breweries. I'm not mad so much as upset, but let's face it, I'm not the target audience anyway...that's what the unsuspecting tourists and novice drinkers are for.
I appreciate seeing craft beer in one of Canada's premier travel destinations but shudder to think international or Canadian tourists will view this as indicative of our craft beer scene. It isn't our best foot forward and I know it can be better. If you know me you know how hard I struggle when I don't like something or feel misled by a Brewery but this tour is about the truth through exploration and someone else shouldn't have to experience this kind of off flavoured and over priced beer. I'm sad to say we won't be back anytime soon, there are just too many options and they deserve our dollars and our support. Hopefully one day I can return and report back wonderful things, but I highly doubt that. This is the first time I've come away saddened by my experience on a beer tour. Hope lies within our next stops and that drives me on."
 

At this point we needed some food and because I had never stopped in there before, despite us spending many nights in The Falls, we hit up Taps on Queen and grabbed some grub to fuel the rest of our day. Not fancy at all, but with the feel of a neighbourhood bar, we arrived on 20 cent wing night and that was just fine by me. Traditional bar wings are kind of my jam and these were right in that wheelhouse. Not gourmet but rather reminiscent of my old time hangouts, the ladies grabbed a burger each and I settled in for a flight and a few dozen wings. The beer is brewed in house and is fine to passable with the IPA being the most true to style and easily my favourite of the bunch. Our stops had been wholly uninspired so far and our next one was where true redemption of Niagara was to begin.
 

The Exchange Brewery is located smack in the middle of downtown Niagara on the Lake, one of Ontario's prettiest towns and we wandered in looking for some true innovation and adventure to give our young friend. We were not disappointed as they delivered some tasty beer that had us smiling and finally enjoying what was in our flights. A Peach pie and then a cherry beer made the biggest splashes with us and we marvelled at the sleek and lovely taproom that has the feel of a high end bar with fantastic beer. This was a solid choice for showcasing what wine country and craft beer makers can come together with and we left with a better feeling than we arrived.
 

For all the time we spent at less than stellar breweries earlier, we missed our chance to visit Oast House brewers just up the road and sadly drove past cursing our luck on this midweek winter trip. We will return in the summer no doubt for another go at the Strawberry Rhubarb Ale if it returns. Such a delightful beer it was...
 

What was supposed to be our final stop, but was ultimately the penultimate one, Virgil's own Silversmith Brewing was the very first Ontario Craft brewery I wrote about on this blog 2 years ago and I was stoked because I had a pint waiting for me on their "Buy Someone a Pint Wall" and who doesn't love that! Grabbing a glass of The Black Lager...yes it is indeed The Black Lager in my humble opinion...we settled in for our last stop as the ladies shared a flight of some one offs that were on tap that night. This former church now houses a beautifully appointed brewery that is in the process of a massive expansion to keep up with the demand for their on point beers. A community hub and tourist destination, I have always been partial to visiting here for both the beer and atmosphere where all things feel a little more like home. We dawdled a bit as after this stop we would be returning Shyann to her dorm before heading home, making plans for a summer trip around Hamilton now that she had the bug about trying all the styles and flavours craft beer had to offer. It has been my pleasure on more than one occasion to help someone discover this amazing scene and all it has in it and when its someone who has become part of your extended family, that's pure gold.

  Our tale should have ended here but for the Ontario Bev Net Map (found here) that popped up when I tried to plot our way home. I am a fan of this website and their map, having shared it many times and extolling it's virtues to anyone who is looking to do a road trip in Ontario. Just 15 minutes from the college, in the small town of Port Colborne lies Breakwall Brewing, opened less than a month at that point and we headed up the road laughing at ourselves because this is what we do now. Let the fates take us where they may and hope for some good beer at the end of the road.
 

Walking into this sleepy burg we were struck by the full and lively Wednesday night crowd at Breakwall. Still feeling the vibe of opening, the locals were buzzing with excitement over both food and beer while we stopped to try a sample of one or two of their beers before heading home. Again we were wrong, as the friendly conversation with founder Fred Davies turned into a full tasting and a preview of their next version of the 9 O'clock Whistle IPA (deliciously hazy and citrusy I might add) on this mid week capper to a very odd day. They are taking recipes from the original Port Colborne brewery and bringing them back to life as well and the honey ale was simply beautiful. Reinforcing the growing narrative of all beer being local once again, it was evident that this town had not only embraced Breakwall but damn near took all the beer in the fridge! Lucky for us, some of their Sailor Saison was still available in tall boys and we grabbed a few to take home. We left with the promise to return for dinner sometime soon so we could get the whole experience of what they were trying to bring to the community they live in and love so much.
  To say the least, Niagara is a dichotomy of clashing styles, goals and cultures when it comes to beer. The solid wine tourism industry is a good model for what can happen in this area, albeit with a little more blue collar crowd and a whole lot more collaboration between the breweries. We saw some of the finest examples of what good beer is and some of the worst. Craft beer has a long way to go in some aspects and it is up to us to help hold that mirror up and call out things that are less than stellar. If a beer does what the brewer tells you it will, that's all you can ask for. When it falls short or your experience is just not right, we have obligation as members of the community to ask questions or let our friends and family know when things aren't on the level. Never talking about things that aren't pleasant not only brings the whole industry low, it allows for creeping mediocrity to take hold and that is something I am passionate about not letting happen. We will be back to revisit most of these places, but our dollars must go to supporting those who value quality over everything.
  Next up was our annual overnight trip and this time we headed southwest to visit a town coming into it's own when it comes to Ontario Craft beer.


Cheers!
Polk




Niagara in a Snapshot!


1. Brimstone Brewing
Website - http://www.brimstonebrewing.ca/
1st Impression - sunny and bright
Favourite Beer - A Mountie and a Buffalo Walk into a Bar Belgian IPA
2. Kame and Kettle Beer Works
Website - http://www.kameandkettle.ca/
1st Impression - Improving
Favourite Beer - Schwarzbier
3. Niagara Brewing Company
Website - https://niagarabrewingcompany.com/
1st Impression - Nope
Favourite Beer - Water
4. Taps on Queen
Website - http://tapsbeer.ca/
1st Impression - Norm!
Favourite beer - IPA
5. The Exchange Brewery
Website - http://exchangebrewery.com/
1st Impression - Fancy
Favourite beer - Belgian IPA
6. Oast House Brewers
Website - https://oasthousebrewers.com/
1st Impression - Big Red!
Favourite Beer - Grandma's Strawberry Rhubarb Ale
7. Silversmith Brewing
Website - http://www.silversmithbrewing.com/
1st Impression - Beer Church
Favourite Beer - The Black Lager
8. Breakwall Brewing
Website - http://www.breakwallbrewery.com/
1st Impression - Rocking!
Favourite Beer - 9 O'clock Whistle IPA

Northern Polksposure - Polkapolooza Day 3

 

  There was zero chance we wouldn't be heading north during Polkapolooza : Rise of Polk this year, it just doesn't happen. Our first trip up 3 years ago was one of my favourite memories and we repeat it a few times a year because it is so beautifully Canadian. I get emotional just thinking about it. Driving through the Canadian Shield, surrounded by endless forests and lovely lakes, we travelled once again to 8 breweries in 4 cities that dot the northern landscape. Our earliest start to date, as our first stop opened at 9 a.m. meant another Timmies breakfast and some car rocking tunes to shake the rust off our bones.

  Muskoka Brewing in Bracebridge has long been a pal of Polk and we were once again greeted warmly by the people manning the taproom early on that Tuesday morning. Kristen and Steven made this stop memorable by inviting us to sit in on the daily sensory panel Muskoka does to ensure the highest quality beer makes its way out the door. Joining a room full of happy folks, we did a simple thumbs up or down on appearance, aroma and taste for 4 fantastic beers and while we did, I had the freshest Detour Session IPA I've ever had (hours old) and tried what may very well be the beer of Summer 2018, Tropical Summerweiss. A loaded mango and passionfruit take on their classic wheat beer, it was sunshine in a glass and a hell of a way to kick off any day. Lingering in the taproom talking about the changing landscape of craft beer in Ontario, we were struck by how much Muskoka had changed themselves in the three years since we started traversing the province. Growing from a small bottle shop to a full tasting room and outdoor space to the further plans and future for this northern light. We could have stayed hours but just a short trip down the road waited another favourite and it was time for a proper pint.
 

Located in Gravenhurst, Sawdust City Brewing looms large over the Ontario Craft beer world after an outstanding 2017 that saw amazing beer come out almost weekly. Solving the problem of getting those beauties late last year with the opening of their online store, a collective happy yell went up from beer fans all across the province. My purpose on this trip, as always happens at this time of the year, was the amazing Twin Pines Double IPA. Brewed with balance and bursting with big hoppy genius, I grabbed a glass for myself and ordered Kat one of the dangerously smooth 11.2% Titania Bourbon barrel stouts. As we were preparing to sit and take a picture, we were surprised to see the smiling face of co founder and brew master extraordinaire Sam Corbeil come into view. We had been to Sawdust many times before but this was indeed the highlight of any trip as his creations have delighted us so many times. Taking advantage of his offer to show us the brewery, we spent the next hour wandering the brewhouse floor, talking about his journey and all things Sawdust while we marvelled at everything we were seeing. Descending the stairs to the barrel room was out of this world as some of Ontario's most sought after beers were resting just below the bustling production facility upstairs. We peppered Sam with questions and he was too kind when it came time for us to leave, giving us a few treats from the cellar to take home. We left reluctantly but with happy hearts at a stop filled with so much fun.

 
  We paused a bit in our search for beer to seek out an under construction new Ontario Craft brewer in the town of Orillia. Filling the void between Barrie and the northern portion of this beer run, Couchiching Brewery is poised to bring good beer to another town. While we couldn't tour the construction sight due to safety reasons, we had a fine chat with Kaylea and walked around the large building as she described what amounts to a busy place with food and entertainment when they are up and running later this year. Lots of love going to be found for this place when the locals get to sit at their own craft brewery and join the revolution.

 The road next took us back south to a small town with three breweries that are also part of our annual tour every single year because of the people as much as the beer. Time was pressing a bit when we hit Barrie so we had to make a couple of quick hits in order to enjoy a flight and a pint with our good pal Brett, one of Ontario's finest beertographers as showcased on his Instagram channel(IFindBeerEnjoyable).

Flying Monkey's Craft Brewery has the funkiest taproom and a vibe that shows in their beer but this time we had but a few moments as we grabbed a six pack and looked around at the colourful and inviting room we had drank in many times before.

A short trip landed us at our good pals Barnstormer where Brett was waiting and our flight was solid. Brad and the folks at the brewery were welcoming as always and despite our itinerary, we lingered far longer than we thought we would as the beer talk compelled adjustments to what was quickly becoming a strained timeline. Another round of sad goodbyes and we headed for our last stop in town at another brewery that had a bunch of outstanding releases in 2017 and had just brought back one of the best Double IPAs in recent memory.

Redline Brewhouse and Double Clutch had captured so many hearts last year with its hazy, hoppy dankness and it made for yet another quick hit as we popped in and grabbed a few to take home to enjoy. I hate when we don't have time to explore each stop and Barrie was a prime example of what I'd like to change next year with regards to quantity over quality when it comes to the tour. But that's a story for another day, onward we go.

  Collingwood was but an hour away and housed 3 more stops that would include a much needed dinner and break before the long road home. Collingwood Brewery was up first and we made it just under the wire as they were moments from the end of their day when we pulled up. A quick scan of their fridge yielded a couple of great big boozy beauties and we loaded a few of them into the already full trunk as we headed on down the road to one of our regular stops on this tout and home to my favourite regularly produced wheat beer in Ontario, Side Launch Brewing continues to lead when it comes to hitting the marks with that banana, bubblegum and orange peel beauty and I sidled up to the bar for a fresh as can be glass as is my custom. We had a great visit with the Side Launch team and despite missing our friend Kat, who is a brewer there, we were surprised when she told us she left a few treats at the brewery for us to take home in her stead. A six pack and a barrel aged stout reminded us of all the great and generous friends we had made in the last 3 years and we will be back to stay over when she finally moves out of the city and we can truly enjoy a night of beer drinking fun!

  The 8th and final stop was a tasty one as Northwinds Brewhouse came into view and two weary Polkaroo's settled in for a much needed meal. A packed brewpub on a March break Tuesday meant a small wait so we hit up the bottle shop and by the time we had put them in the trunk, our table was ready and we happily plunked down for a spell. Chicken Wings done right with a flight to boot, we had wonderfully quick and friendly service that made the experience as we had remembered it. Never rushed despite to busy time, we soon said adios and hit the trail to make our way home.
  There is little doubt we were very ambitious on this leg of the journey but any one section would make for a wonderful day trip for anyone to explore. There are so many more northern brewers we didn't get to or have yet to visit so plans are afoot for a summer tour that focuses solely on our friends above the granite and I think that would be a fine way to spend a week off.
  The breweries we did visit are all fairly established in the Ontario scene but we noticed the changes happening at many stops as the marketplace demands more out of a visit than simply buying or even tasting the beer. We want to immerse ourselves in the ethos of the brewery, absorbing it's culture and feeling the vibe that comes with taking your time to explore everything. The beer matters and if it's your local craft brewer you may do quick stops more often than lingering, but for a road trip you want to see what goes on beneath the surface and try to understand where and who your beer comes from. The target has shifted and while the big boys of macro beer sold lifestyles that gave you the impression your life was shitty without their product, craft brewers want to tell a story and have you in it with them. This trip kept telling me this, even when I was too busy to listen to it. Lessons learned and as we progress through these posts about our trip, I am beginning to see where I want this tour to go as the years pass by. Tales to come but the conclusion is getting clearer every day.


Cheers!
Polk

Go North Old Polk Quick Hits


1. Muskoka Brewery
Website - https://muskokabrewery.com/
1st Impression - At the cottage
Favourite Beer - Twice as Mad Tom


2. Sawdust City Brewing
Website - https://www.sawdustcitybrewing.com/
1st Impression - Rustic
Favourite Beer - Twin Pines


3. Flying Monkey's Craft Brewery
Website - http://www.flyingmonkeys.ca/
1st Impression - Holy colours Batman!
Favourite Beer - Mythology


4. Barnstormer Brewing
Website - https://www.barnstormerbrewing.com/
1st Impression - Pizza!!!
Favourite Beer - Cocky Captain


5. Redline Brewhouse
Website - http://www.redlinebrewhouse.com/
1st Impression - Vroom Vroom
Favourite Beer - Double Clutch


6. The Collingwood Brewery
Website - http://www.thecollingwoodbrewery.com/
1st Impression - Where are we?
Favourite Beer - Whitney's Vintage Ale


7. Side Launch Brewing
Website - https://www.sidelaunchbrewing.com/
1st Impression - Tanks on tanks
Favourite Beer - Wheat


8. Northwinds Brewhouse
Website - http://northwindsbrewery.com/
1st Impression - Busy, hungry
Favourite Beer - Rainmaker

Polkapolooza 3 : Rise of Polk



On the Road again!



  I live my life out in the open, large and loud with no filter except the ones on my pictures to clean up my days. I proudly enjoy my beer and shout from the rooftops my undying love for those who make it. Rescued from a fate surely locked in to an early grave, my journey from macro pounder to appreciator of the finer things in malted barley has been one of joy and exploration. For the third year in a row, we are taking that gratitude on the road in a week long road tripping, beer running trek of Ontario Craft Beer.

  Polkapolooza was conceived in March of 2016 to celebrate Ontario craft beer and what it had come to mean to me. I conveniently selected my birthday week and we made 22 stops at breweries over 5 days and 1200 kilometres as we tentatively put our toes in the water when it came to beer road trips. Many day jaunts followed and we fell in love with time spent in a tap room, often surrounded by new and old friends talking about beers past, present and future. 


Our first Charcuterie at Barnstormer's (2016)

  2017 saw us take Polkapolooza to another level with the 2nd annual tour being dubbed "Electric Polkaloo", encompassing 2500 kilometres, 7 days and a point of pride, for me anyway, 50 Ontario Craft Breweries from Ottawa to London. It was a pretty epic journey that included a few snowstorms, some luck and a whole lot of great people we met along the way. We found our friends waiting for us at many stops and that was a hell of a thing to discover. Heading out with no expectations and being blown away by the kindness and friendship we discovered was truly a blessing we are eternally grateful for.



Always together! From 2017 Polkapolooza tour

  Polkapolooza 3 : Rise of Polk commences Sunday March 11th and will go 7 days again this year, sending us east and west in a joyous exploration and pursuit of our next favourite beer, taproom and hopefully some new friends. I have pushed the limit to 61 Ontario Craft breweries and well over 2200 kilometres as we once again want to use this week to showcase so many of our gratitude and love for all this community has meant to us. It's about the people, the beer and what we can do to help spread the gospel of a better way of life and drinking.

Meeting friends we didn't know we had in 2017!

  I chose Rise of Polk because I still feel like we have only scratched the surface for what we can become. a market share that hasn't yet surpassed 10% and so many people we can help see the light means our work has just begun. I join with my fellow beer lovers who share their pictures, stories, videos and reviews in wanting to make sure the next beer you have is one that may alter the course of your life. I do this because I am utterly convinced that craft beer not only saved my life, it changed it and me for the better. It helped me to come to terms with a life lived in the shadows, learn to express myself in a way I thought I had lost and helped me connect with who I truly want to be. That work isn't done yet either and as my 45th birthday rushes toward me near the end of the trip, I can hope the backend of my life will be filled with more happiness and positive experiences than I thought possible.
  Follow along on Twitter (@DrunkPolkaroo ) and Instagram (Drunk Polkaroo) as we start my favourite road trip of the year. The stops for this year's tour are posted below, with any luck we will be able to make them all. I hope to see some of you as we pass by your town, come out and say hello, I've always got time for friends I just haven't met yet!




Cheers!

Day 1 (Sun Mar 11th) -
Something Polk this way comes (326 km)
1. Manantler Brewing
2. Sir Monty's Brewing
3. Little Beasts Brewing
4. Brock Street Brewing
5. 5 Paddles Brewing
6. Town Brewery
7. Falcon Brewing
8. Rouge River Brewing

Day 2 (Mon Mar 12th) -
D.Polk in the 6ix (169 km)
1. Black Oak Brewing
2. Great Lakes Brewery
3. Muddy York Brewing
4. Left Field Brewery
5. Eastbound Brewery
6. Steamwhistle Brewing
7. Amsterdam Brewhouse
8. Bellwoods Brewery
9. Henderson Brewing
10. Indie Alehouse

Day 3 (Tue Mar 13th) -
Polk goes North (575 km)
1. Muskoka Brewery
2. Sawdust City Brewing
3. Flying Monkey's Brewery
4. Barnstormer Brewing
5. Redline Brewhouse
6. Side Launch Brewing
7. Northwinds Brewhouse

Day 4 (Wed Mar 14th) -
Niagara Polks and Rec (256 km)
1. Brimstone Brewing
2. Niagara Brewing Company
3. Taps on Queen Brewhouse
4. The Exchange Brewery
5. Niagara Oast House Brewers
6. Silversmith Brewing
7. Lock Street Brewing
8. Kame and Kettle Brewing

Day 5 (Thur Mar 15th) -
Westward Polk (343 km)
1. Sons of Kent Brewing
2. Frank Brewing
3. Sandwich Brewing
4. Brew Microbrewery
5. Midian Brewing
6. Walkerville Brewing
7. Chapter 2 Brewing
8. Motor Craft Ales

Day 6 (Fri Mar 16th) (Also Polk's actual B-Day!!) -
Take the long Polk Home (478 km)
1. Refined Fool Brewing
2. Rusty Wrench Brewing
3. Strathroy Brewing
4. Storm Stayed Brewing
5. Toboggan Brewing
6. London Co-op Brewing
7. Anderson Craft Ales
8. Forked River Brewing
9. Railway City Brewing
10. New Limburg Brewing
11. Concession Road Brewing

Day 7 (Sat Mar 17th) -
Home Sweet Polk (102 km)
1. Cameron's Brewing
2. Nickel Brook Brewing
3. Shawn and Ed's Brewing
4. Fairweather Brewing
5. Grain and Grit Brewing
6. Merit Brewing
7. Rust City Brewery
8. Collective Arts Brewing
9. Clifford Brewing

Beer Time in The Aleyards - Polk in Toronto

From the Stockyards comes The AleYards!

  A journey to Toronto is always a wonderful thing for anyone in search of great beer. So many legendary breweries like Amsterdam, Steamwhistle and Great Lakes call the GTA home and the explosion of new and innovative smaller brewers have driven the number to a mind boggling 39 with another 17 in various stages of planning. It can be difficult to see through that many places to visit when organizing a day trip or even just an afternoon but The Aleyards is striving to make that decision a little simpler, putting 3 fantastic Ontario Craft brewers within walking distance of each other.
  Formerly the largest livestock and meat packing district in Canada, The Stockyards or Junction was a gritty, industrial neighbourhood that was also dry well into the 1980's and has seen an explosive growth in both retail, restaurant and housing as Toronto's gentrification reached north and west. Our first visit to this area came in 2016 and every time we go back it is growing, including 3 breweries sure to meet anyone's needs when it comes to styles, flavours and palate. Take a walk with us as we visit The AleYards and spend an afternoon with great craft beer.

Shacklands Brewing
Location - 100 Symes Road
Website - https://www.facebook.com/shacklands/
Hours - Monday-Tuesday Closed/Wednesday to Friday 11 to 9/Saturday 12 to 9/Sunday 12 to 6
Personal Fave Beer - Bourbon Barrel Aged Porter
  Opening just a year ago in January of 2017, Shacklands has quickly gained a reputation for it's Belgian style beers, eclectic tap room and overall positive vibes coming from the incomparable Dave Watts, who mans the front of house. Jason Tremblay was already a well regarded brewer within the community when they opened and since then has taken it to another level with some of the best brett focused, barrel aged and Belgian beers in the province. Sold exclusively in 650 ml bottles for take home, the lineup for pints and flights is constantly changing as is the music and a collection of vintage finds that floods the senses with memories long forgotten. The vibe is very chill, laid back and welcoming. You feel like its a local bar, long standing and comforting as you chat beer, life and anything else with Dave ping ponging around the bar, serving up tastes and ringing out folks at the front. Not shy about being socially aware, it feels good to visit a place where the beer matches the people and you want nothing more than to spend the afternoon listening to stories and drinking great beer.

Rainhard Brewing Company
Location - 100 Symes Road
Website - http://rainhardbrewing.com/
Hours - Monday-Tuesday Closed/Wednesday to Saturday 12 to 9/Sunday 12 to 5
Personal Fave Beer - Revolution 8 Double IPA
 The first to build in this burgeoning area of Toronto was Jordan Rainhard and since our first visit back in 2016, his reputation has grown along with his brewery. Opening in May of 2015, Rainhard Brewing has become a destination for Hop heads in search of some of the finest IPAs and Pale Ales in the province. That's not to say there isn't something for every palate as they have a great variety of amazing craft beer styles, including some fine barrel aged and sour beers to go with a taproom that is flooded with natural light and a bar that begs for an afternoon of beer and friends. An expansion is taking place and that means more great beer is coming as production ramps up and Jordan can explore the limits of his imagination. We were lucky enough to find him behind the bar on our last visit and his passion for the community is evident as we talked about the challenges and rewards of the last few years and where he wants to see his beer go next. Never content means always looking forward and demanding the very best from everything you brew and that indeed is Rainhard Brewing. The OG to The AleYards, it behooves you to make this a stop every time you make this trip.

Junction Craft Brewing
Location - 150 Symes Road
Website - https://junctioncraft.com/
Hours - Every Day 11 to 9
Personal Fave Beer - Junction Road Black Lager
  Originally opened by Doug Paterson and Doug Pengelly in 2012 down the road on Cawartha, Junction Craft moved this weekend into a building that used to house the old Toronto works incinerator and comes by the nickname "The Destructor", which may be the best named building in Ontario Craft Beer. Their original space was a cramped but cozy space that they outgrew as their LCBO available beers ramped up sales and their desire to make even more great things lept to match that rise. Moving into a larger space will allow them to expand their lineup and also help other small brewers to realise their dreams with their larger capacity to accommodate contract breweries now available. More English style focused than their 2 cousins in The AleYards, their Conductor IPA and Black Lager are but 2 examples of an impressive tap list and bottle shop. Available in growlers, 650 ml. bottles and cans, I can see the possibilities of constantly rotating styles and offerings as they get their feet under them in their new brew system. While the new facility dwarfs the old one, the feeling of a close nit pub remains. Our visit was in the late afternoon and the taproom was a collection of young people tasting and snapping pictures, families with strollers taking a respite on a beautiful day and other regular folk just chatting and enjoying the sunshine streaming through the windows. The English focused beers in our flights that included an excellent Porter, also gave us a nice Black IPA and I think we will see Junction be able to really explore new and exciting things now that they have a facility to match their vision.


  So there you have it, 3 very different breweries making distinct yet complimentary beers just steps away from each other. The Belgian, American and English influences on Craft Beer cannot be understated and on one block in Toronto you can experience them all in an afternoon. If that doesn't call for a road trip I don't know what does, so find yourself some free time and make The AleYards your next destination. Bring a friend or 5 and really explore something special with a stop at each one but make room in the trunk because you'll be bringing a lot of stuff home.


Cheers!
Polk

You Need a Craft Beer Road Trip!

 

  As dawn breaks this morning there are 237 operating brick and mortar breweries in Ontario and we have been to 107 of them in the last year. According to Ontario Beverage Net's Brewery directory (here), there are a further 112 in various stages of the planning/building and another 71 (We've tried 31 of these) contract brewers operating right now. That's an amazing amount of growth and I hope we are merely at the cusp of an expansion that should continue for quite some time as under served communities begin to see what a driving force a local craft brewery can be when it comes to tourism and neighbourhood revival.

 We experienced it first hand when we travelled around last week to a bunch of small and new to the scene craft breweries. From husband and wife operations (Shakespeare Brewing) to full scale Cathedrals of Beer creating hundreds of jobs in a small town (Cowbell Brewing), we saw every variation on the story of how they got started, their plan for the future and the differences in their beer. Part of why we like to go out on the road in search of these newer and out of the way (for us anyway) breweries is my interest in helping to spread the word about what happens outside the big cities in this country. We tend to become myopic when it comes to a lot of things, even beer and if it happens outside of a major city centre, everything is seen through a muted lens.

  Leaving behind the road always taken means experiencing different styles and explorations of them by people who maybe don't adhere to the usual way of doing things. Half Hours on Earth in tiny Seaforth, Ontario started right off the bat with online ordering in addition to creating unique farmhouse and mixed fermentation sour ales. They have developed quite the cult following and will be a force to be reckoned with as they continue to grow. There are a lot of small towns who are opening up to the idea of a craft brewery with a tap room as part of their planning to help create jobs and drive that niche tourism only this industry can provide.

 There is a pride to having people come and try "your" beer that we see whenever we post about going to these smaller towns on our trips. People want to share the stuff they can get close to home that never seems to make it to the bigger centres. There has always been a chip on some shoulders at what they see as big city navel gazing and after going out and visiting so many of them I have to agree. We tend to follow the crowd when it comes to the next big beer, trend or otherwise and become enamoured with the latest darling of social media. The fear of missing out on that whale everyone is raving about takes over and we lose sight of all the amazing things happening just outside our usual life sphere.
 We tried a lot of beer in the last week, splitting samples and talking with the people who man the counters as we visit and can attest to the fact that not every single one was a home run or an amazing success. Some places still don't get customer service and the people can be like any other industry, there for a paycheque and little else. We have also been to places where they can't do enough for anyone who comes in the door, proudly relating their story and pouring the beer they dearly love for you to sample. Many times the beer was underwhelming, perhaps overly ambitious or just not quite there yet. You could see the promise of good things to come and despite the fact that we could have just gone to our usual haunts, our world is better because we took chances and stretched our legs. Conversely we found some absolutely outstanding craft beers of many different styles that we had no idea about until we crossed the threshold of the doors and said hello to our new friends. From big juicy IPAs to Belgian strong ales and Dopplebocks, we were finding hidden gems that deserve to be brought to the light and given their due as good damn beers.

  The world of craft beer is expanding at a rapid rate here in Ontario and pretty much everywhere else you look. There are people looking to make a buck, exploiting the latest trend for profit before moving on to the next thing and those can be difficult to spot until time shows the lack of dedication and care in the beer. But for the most part, we saw people who actually are deeply committed to making and selling a part of their life in every bottle or can. They are passionate about the beer you are trying, sharing tips on where to go next and other businesses in their town you should be visiting. They genuinely want to see the industry prosper because a rising tide does indeed raise all boats. Quality people crafting good and consistent beer will only help everyone and those who are in it for a quick buck will hopefully be shunned and left out of the conversation in the coming months and years. But all of this is moot if you don't get out there and make exploring this land part of your life. The trips can be short, long, epic or standard but the key is to go and get outside of your routine. The rut you're in may be filled with great beer already but your next favourite beer could be sitting in a fridge in a tiny town you've never heard of with a new friend saving you a seat at the bar. It has to be more than just beer though, stop in for lunch at the local diner, get some sweets at that bakery beside the brewery or stay overnight at a local B&B. Sit down and have a conversation, ask about the community, the beer or anything else that you think of. People want to share what makes their town special and you just might make a friend you didn't know you had.

 
See you out there, one day our glasses shall be raised together!


Cheers!


Polk

The Road Home - Polkapolooza 2.1 Day Four

The road home on the last day of Polkapolooza is usually a straight shot with no stops but since this was a truncated tour to start with, I wanted to keep the good vibes going with a few more Ontario Craft breweries that just happened to be en route. The first stop was bang on at 11 a.m. in Stratford at Black Swan, where a half dozen ladies of the senior persuasion were waiting out front for their porters as part of a chocolate tour that was happening that very morning. The best part was they all tasted the beer and then proceeded to purchase a litre bottle each to take home. It was pretty awesome to see to be honest.

We gathered ourselves to the bar and ordered a pint of said porter for breakfast and stayed for a little under an hour for some conversation with the guy keeping things moving. A hopping place that had people wandering in for refills, pints and more refills, we grabbed an Elixr (1 litre) of the IPA and made our way out to take a photo of the street sign, which was most appropriate for the soundtrack of our week after the death of Canadian icon Gord Downie.

Gord

  A little up the way was a fairly new to the scene brewery in Shakespeare Brewing Company. Founded by husband and wife team and still in its' infancy, it nonetheless has some legs and is perfectly situated on a busy stretch between KW and Stratford.

Grabbing a flight of their three available beers, we chatted with Ayden about how they got started on a farm in England and took that six month unexpected apprenticeship and are trying to grab hold of a piece of this crazy craft beer dream we see exploding all over the place.

We took our leave after filling up with one of each from the fridge and Mrs. Polk eyeing the Merlot barrel holding their Farmhouse Ale with a promise to return as the weather turned colder and the stouts appeared.

  New Hamburg was just a short hop up the road and is home to Descendant's off shoot Bitte Schon Brauhaus, a salute to the area's German population and an homage to the culture of tiny brewhouses that dot the landscape there. Greeted warmly and taking a short tour, we marvelled at the equipment and heard about their experimental but leaning traditional brews. Of course we grabbed a flight in the cool Bauhaus looking tap room and were happy to find a very good Hefe and an show stopping Doppelbock that left me wanting more. We kept our heads about us and after a quick stop at the bakery next door, because of course we did, it was on to Cambridge and two more stops.

  By nature of their operating hours, I had yet to get myself to Barncat Artisan Ales. Open only 4 to 7 on Friday and 12 to 4 on Sunday, I was happy to finally have a weekend off to see what all the fuss was about. Easily surpassing what I had heard, a small sample of both the Grapefruit IPA and Rye Porter were enough to convince me to purchase a litre of each with the nagging suspicion that I should have bought three times that much. While they currently aren't as accessible as I'd like, given the high quality of their beer, I'd say that dream of long term success is almost guaranteed.

  A hop and a skip away was another in and out stop as time had become pressing. Northworks Brewing was host to a few thirsty travellers as we sampled the Jamaican Pumpkin Ale and I couldn't help but grabbed a couple of those Crowlers they sell their beer in. A SMASH IPA with mosaic and my ever favourite style, a Black IPA found their way into the trunk as the old Fiesta turned its shiny Ford nose toward home and our final stop.

  Hamilton's latest craft brewery to open was jumping as we pulled up to the open garage doors and full as could be patio at Grain & Grit Beer. Finding a pair of chairs at the bar, we ordered a flight and spent a little time chatting with the good folks who were living the dream they had worked so hard for. Pride, joy and love could be felt as we talked about the process of transforming this former garage into a gleaming but down home kitchen party feel of a space. The laughter and conversation came easy all around us and we once again grabbed one of everything and left to finally get home to Jinx and some sense of normalcy...Polkaroo style.

  The final moments of any road trip fill me with a poignant sadness because I always think I could have done more, visited this brewery or that and I of course don't want that feeling of what the Craft Beer community has come to mean to me to ever end. Getting to share that with Kathryn makes it even better as we can now talk about our favourite and not so favourite moments, beer and breweries. She helps me flesh out my ideas for what we experienced and gives me the support to keep going no matter what. So this 1400+ kilometre, 24 brewery tour comes to and end and I am left with some great memories, more new friends and a fridge full of Ontario Craft Beer that will help me remember all of that every time I pop one open.
  I hope this has inspired you to step outside your normal routine of visiting the same breweries over and over again. While I too have my own personal faves that I go to often, after making it to over 100 different Ontario Craft Breweries this year, I can attest to the reward of hitting the open road with an open mind, an empty cooler and a song in your heart.


Cheers!


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


Polk!