Beer of the Week - January 3rd to January 9th, 2016

The first week of the year is usually filled with grumbled thoughts of going back to work for those who took a vacation at Christmas and the resumption of everyday life after the hustle and bustle of the season. I've even seen something called "Dry January" taking hold, with no drinking...at all... for 31 days. Maybe some people need that but I am okay with my choice to have a pint or two a day of new beer and report back to you, faithful reader.
When choosing my Beer of the Week (BOW), I am trying to be conscious of what makes a beer memorable to me. What stands out in the flavour and texture of the brew? Label and bottle choice can be important from a visual or tactile point, with some artwork grabbing my mind and not letting go. As I move forward in the Year of Beer: Project 366, I have no doubt that I will have weeks when one beer stands out above the rest without a challenge. This was not one of those weeks. Our journey to the States, combined with my usual stops to the local LC and a very pleasant afternoon in Wine Country with my mom at two breweries has left my cold cellar and fridge bulging with new beers to try. I really need to get a handle on what is in there so nothing expires or goes off its intended flavours. Something to explore another day.
I try to mix my American and Canadian Craft beers in an attempt to balance my stash. Getting the beer from down south involves a little more work than the stuff close to home, so there is little sense in plowing through them too fast. Plus, there is the fact that nothing made down there is better than what I can source locally. Canadian brewers are among the leaders in innovation and quality, so it is with great pleasure I choose a simple, yet tasty beer from a micro-brewery in Virgil, Ontario as my BOW.
The Dark Lager from Niagara's own Silversmith Brewing Company was a beer I had been waiting to get to for a while. Only available for bottle sales at the brew pub, I made the short journey down the QEW with my mom this week. I chronicle our short trip in my post Niagara-on-the-Lake Beers with Nana and I.

Sometimes anticipation of a beer can be a terrible thing. You build it up in your head and think it is something else and when you finally drink it there is no way it can live up to your expectations.. This is not one of those times. I'll quote my Instagram post, because I cannot do better than when I drank it.

"Finally, it is time to get into The Black Lager from Silversmith Brewing Company. I've been waiting all day for this one. Couldn't do it without a beauty glass from the pub. Pours black with some amber poking through the light. Nice creamy tan head that hangs on all the way through with some beauty lacing. Smells roasty. On the sip, those roasted malts spark this brew up into the sky. Just a wonderful combination of coffee and chocolate notes. Some dried fruit and sweetness in the middle, but it is the crisp medium mouthfeel that is taking me over the top. You see a dark brew and get that feeling that it's going to be thick and sticky. This is a black lager that plays bigger than the usual beer. Finishing with a nice bitterness that is complimented by a cocoa flavour. Glad I made the journey to the brewery, sad I only grabbed one of these angels of the dark. If this what the rest of my Niagara beers are going to be, it might be one of the best tasting weeks of my life. 4.25 / 5 "
I really wish I had grabbed two, but it's only a 40 minute drive and I didn't do the brewery tour, so a return visit is in the near future.
 This year is off to a roaring start that I hope leads to bigger and better things. What started off as a simple way to keep track of my beers has become a larger platform from which I can express so much more. I thank you for your continued support and hope you keep coming back to see what the future holds for this Polkaroo.

Congratulations to Silversmith and their delightful Black Lager on being my BOW this week. Please do yourself a favour and take a drive soon to visit them.

 Their pub is a gem, the food is amazing and the people who work there are fantastic .

The beer will speak for itself.

Cheers!

Check out their website for details and hours of operation.



One Less Bad Habit or A Smoke Free Polkaroo

I have another confession to make. I used to smoke and I liked it. I loved the way the first cigarette of the day would wake me up and get me going. Nothing beat a smoke and a beer after a long day at work. Take a break, light one up and inhale that lovely nicotine. Damn that was stupid.

I started smoking, like a lot of people, when I was a teen. Probably to be cool or something. Everybody I hung out with did and I wanted to fit in. I can still remember the foul taste and odour from that first pack. I coughed and choked and kept at it. Terrible, but slowly I began to need one. I needed the lift it provided or the calmness when I was upset. It was the last thing I did before sleeping and the first thing I thought of when I woke up. I have been addicted to many things in my life, but nothing can match tobacco for sheer destruction and cost.

I would imagine being smoke free, but it scared the hell out of me. What would I do when a craving hit? How would I calm my nerves? Would I get fat(ter)? I was never the best person at denying myself any pleasure, so quitting smoking seemed like something I could do later.

As I got older, I noticed that I knew less people who smoked. Many of my friends and family never did, so it was a non starter with them. Some people I knew tried many times to quit before it took hold and many gave up trying and kept on puffing. I may have tried to quit once or twice, but never seriously.

Sitting outside all winter to get my fix, I bought propane heaters for the garage and thought this was normal. Having to get up from a movie or party and traipse outside for a butt was something I did so often I should have just stayed out there. I was hooked, knew it and didn't care.

Summer was easier, I could stay outside all night and smoke while I drank my macro brews. Something about alcohol and tobacco just clicked and I associated them with each other. I would smoke like a chimney when drinking, often going through two packs at a party. This was part of the pattern of abuse I put on myself. I didn't care about the future, just right now.

A year and a half ago, I was in a wedding party and if you know me, you know I love an open bar. The wedding was in September, so the weather was still fine and I looked forward to a night of drinking, dancing and of course smoking. Many of my "smoke free" friends still puffed on stogies when we drank, so I would have company that night. A funny thing happened as the blessed day approached. I had seen people using e-cigarettes and thought no way that would work for me. Beside that, we were broke all the time and I couldn't afford it.  My cousin Angie and her husband Glen bought me one when I expressed a desire to try it and quit smoking. I hung on to it, trying it out now and then, but still spending upwards of $100 a week on packs of Player's. But with the wedding approaching and the knowledge that I would be stuffed into a limo with non smokers made me self conscious of the smell associated with it and I decided for that one night I would use the "vape" only.

My last cigarette was when I was driving back from Burlington after picking up the flowers for the wedding. As I puffed away down the QEW, I decided it wouldn't just be that night I wouldn't use the demon weed, it would be for good. I had half a pack left and put it in the ashtray of the truck in case I failed; I always hedged my bets.
 I threw them away a week later.

It was a wonderful evening and while I drank way too much still, I didn't smoke. I vaped away like a hipster (I know) and showed it to my mom and dad, both of whom had smoked for decades. Little did I know that by the end of the year Dad would have quit any sort of smoking altogether with the help of this little machine and Mom was not far behind. The next day dawned and I didn't smoke again. It continued that way as the winter came down over us and I had no desire to ever go back.

Early in 2015, we finally came up with our first workable budget and I knew I would never smoke again. The financial costs are out of this world. At $11 a day and around 9 packs a week, we were going broke one cancer stick at a time. My costs on keeping the e-cig going come in at about $40 every 6 weeks or so, just remarkable. Controlling my bad habits has not only improved my life, it has been a financial windfall. This is the stuff grown ups have to do I guess.

I realise that vaping is still not good for you, but there are far less chemicals and other nasty stuff coming out when you do, so it is a start. I am trying to work up the courage to give up even this device. I know there are serious concerns about its long term affects and have no desire to leave this world even a minute before my time is up, let alone accelerate it by poisoning myself. But for now, it keeps me off the cigarettes and that is a victory I savour.

I try to leave it at home if we go out and find myself using it less and less each week. Not binge drinking helps me to avoid temptation and I don't have the edgy feeling I would get when I couldn't smoke for a few hours.

I have made so many changes to my lifestyle in the last year that I kind of forget smoking. It doesn't lurk in my mind the way excessive drinking does. It doesn't creep up on me at night and tug at my sleeve. I wish I had done it sooner and hope I quit before much damage was done. My taste buds have roared back with a vengeance and it is partly why I have gotten so into craft beer. I can actually detect the subtle and not so subtle flavours the brewers are trying to impart in the beers and it is wonderful.

If you smoke, I want you to know you can quit. But don't beat yourself up, hate the habit. Look around at all the loving and wonderful people in your life and think about how much you would miss them if you leave. Think of the money you can save and what you can do with it. I use it to pay bills on time, but if your good with money, maybe you can save up and take a trip. Whatever your motivation, just do it. Your body will thank you and so will your wallet.

Cheers!



Niagara-on-the-Lake Beers with Nana and I

As I have wrote so many times since I started the Drunk Polkaroo, I want to get out of my comfort zone and explore the world. What better way to do this than by visiting where the brews I love come from and getting some tasty Ontario Craft Beers straight from the source.

Having a day off during the week is advantageous when you want to visit a brewery because it isn't quite as busy and you can really take your time. My mom was off, so I asked her if she wanted to come along on my first trip to Niagara-on-the-Lake.

I didn't plan ahead for doing any tours, I just wanted to go out, grab some new brews and head on home. When I started looking at the websites for Oast and Silversmith, I noticed that the latter was a brewpub and figured we could grab a bite as well. Off we go.

You can't miss this.

First up was the Niagara Oast House Brewers. It is located at 2017 Niagara Stone Road in a converted big red barn. Easy to spot and only about 40 minutes from my house. An open space that somehow feels quite warm and inviting as you as you open the door. The staff member who greeted us was cheerful and very engaging. She took the time to explain each beer as we inquired about it and was very informed. My mother is not a beer drinker, but she is willing to at least try them, taking a sip of mine. I tried the Chestnut Brown Ale and the Saison in the tasting glasses. The Ale was quite flavourful and had a biscuit and malt flavour that was light and refreshing, so sad it doesn't come in bottled form. I thought the Saison was sharp and earthy, but quite lovely overall. When the bartender found out Mom didn't really like beer, she poured her a taste of their sour beer, which she explained was a lot closer to wine with its acidity. What good customer relations it is when you can draw a non-consumer of your product in with a positive vibe and make them curious to see what you are offering. She liked it and when I took a sip, I found it quite tart, but complex. Needless to say, I purchased a bottle. Actually , I bought one of everything they offer. Not to worry, I didn't break the bank, they only have five different beers in their distinctive corked 750 ml bottles. Prices are in the $10 plus range, but you're getting a larger bottle with about two pints in each, so it is pretty reasonable. I am looking forward to getting into their take on Farmhouse Ales.

We will be coming back for a tour on a Saturday or Sunday in the near future. I hope I can expect to encounter this passionate level of commitment to the customer and great beer at all my stops.

Here's a link to their website.

Nana bought me some glassware to help
with the tasting later on.

As I said earlier, our next stop was for lunch and it was a good choice.

Great logo. Look for the Ivy
covered church.

 Besides the red barn, another iconic small town Canadian building is the church. Silversmith Brewing is located at 1523 Niagara Stone road in a converted Anglican one and the bar is the kind of a pub that makes me want to move to this part of Niagara. It is a nostalgic space that makes you want to sit down, put your phone away and have a deep conversation with your company and maybe a pint or two. Mom and I both loved the design of the interior and if I hadn't been having such a good time talking, I would have remembered to snap a couple of photos. Next time I'll try, but I'm not really sorry because we were having fun. Go check it out, you'll see.

I don't go out much and haven't really been a bar guy in long time, but this space is perfect for lunch or dinner. The staff are friendly and upbeat, with the whole atmosphere being geared toward helping you enjoy the people you are with. We both ordered the Bratwurst for something to nosh on and when they brought it out, I thought no way mom could finish it. Great portion and the bun was crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.

The picture doesn't do it justice. So damn tasty!

I had the sauerkraut and the mustard made with their Black Lager on mine and it was very good. I was pretty shocked to see that my mother had finished hers as well. It was that good. Since we were having something to eat I decided to grab a pint. Only $5 on a Thursday, imagine that. Good beer at a reasonable price. Or go pay $2 more than that for a watered down Bud at a sports bar. Your choice. I picked the Dam Buster British Pale Ale to drink with my meal and was I glad I did. It is a fantastically made beer with all the hallmarks of the best British Ales. Bready malt flavour with caramel notes and a slight bitter flavour made me smile every time I tilted it back. Good beer does that..

We lingered and talked about anything that came to mind. The layout allows for you to actually hear your friends and as I have been adamant about doing, I was being present. No need for phones, or writing about my beer, I just enjoyed the company. The bar was starting to fill up as we left and I noticed the people were reacting much as we did, enjoying each others words and not their chains to technology. Wonderful.

I bought all four of their signature beers and am most looking forward to trying their Black Lager. It is a German style beer that I have encountered before from other breweries and loved. I have no doubt their take on it will be great. Reasonable prices for both the beer and lunch. It was about $6 for each of the brews in 600ml. bottles and lunch for the two of us was only $30. Friendly staff, good food, great beer and an amazing space make this a place I will be returning to. If you want to go, book your brewery tour ahead of time online. We will be doing that next time, when hopefully dad and Mrs. Polkaroo can join us and see all that Silversmith Brewing has to offer.

A link to their website, check them out.

Looking forward to this one tonight.

This year is getting off to a good start and I have high hopes for all the other places we are going.

 Look out Ontario, the Polkaroos are coming for a visit!

Cheers!



Why Do We Have So Much Stuff?

I'm running out of room. Something has to go.

When putting away the Christmas decorations yesterday, I was struck by just how much stuff we have acquired in the almost 10 years we've been in our current home. It feels like it fills every spare corner of the house and garage. Not in a hoarder like fashion, but with a chaotic organization that we alone can understand. It isn't messy or dirty, it just sort of sits there.

I do downsize from time to time. Using the internet to sell some of the better items we no longer need and failing that we donate it to local charities. I go to the dump with the stuff that is broken or just plain worn out. But it seems we still have so much.

Some things survive the purges because of sentimental value or the fear that maybe I'll need that later. I know we all probably have those items that we just can't part with because it may prove useful in the future and we take it from place to place, never actually needing it. Our crawlspaces are full of things we cannot let go of and don't know why.

I have an old bottle of Orange Crush I found when I was a kid and I've taken it with me as I've moved all my life. It has been wrapped and packed 11 times in the last 24 years and serves very little purpose except I liked the design when I was a young boy and can't toss it out. It sits in a box somewhere. That's just silly.

There are things in totes that haven't seen the light of day in more than a decade and yet are important enough to survive the big spring and fall cleanings we do every year. Lugging them from their spots under the stairs or on shelves in the garage, checking the contents and then putting them back is a semi-annual ritual we keep alive. That seems ludicrous.

I don't want to imply that we should toss stuff with true sentimental value. If something is dear to your heart because of a love one or a cherished memory, then by all means that is treasure to you and not junk. The stuff I am referring to is those items that exist in a halfway zone between useful and useless. Old kitchen gadgets, knick knacks that collect dust and only get moved to put out the holiday stuff or any myriad of "vintage" consumer electronics that seem to clutter our basements. These are the things that need to go. We can downsize without going to extremes. It is possible to find space for cherished objects while still getting rid of stuff that no longer fits who we are.

I cannot even begin to imagine what my friends and family with children must go through. Having witnessed the influx of new things at Christmas makes me wonder where it all goes, given how much they already seem to have. Most parents have a good grasp on what their kids play with and are very active in keeping the toy room at acceptable levels of stuff. Many make it a life lesson with the child helping to decide what they want to keep and then teaching them the value of donating it to those less fortunate. Good stuff to teach your kids, but I bet they hang on to some things just because.
Most of us live in a pretty affluent community. By this I mean we are not living in the slums of Calcutta or subsistence farming in Africa. We live in the west and even at my lowest point, I never worried that I would starve to death.  Don't get me wrong, I know people right here in Canada live in substandard conditions and have real worries about food, but I am lucky that those I love have places to live and enough to survive. Poverty is a real problem and I wish it could be different. Consider yourself lucky and blessed to live the life we do. We might not be in the 1%, but we are better off than most of the world. Struggling with bills, repairs and the unexpected costs of life are commonplace among us, but no one is homeless and we all know we can rely on each other for support if things go bad. So when I talk about stuff and its accumulation, I understand it is by definition a First World problem.
So let's make 2016 the year we try to get a grip on our homes. Look around and be critical.
Do you really need it?
Does it serve a purpose?
Why do you want it?
What does it make you feel?
I want to be relentless in my pursuit of making my life simpler. I don't want to lug around bins of useless junk every time I clean the garage and neither do you. Part of reclaiming my life is making space for new memories and things. As I begin to venture forth from Polkaroo Manor, I will undoubtedly purchase brewery related souvenirs. Branded glassware is my most likely target and if I want to display them, I need room. I hope I won't buy anything to put in a box and stick under the basement stairs. that would defeat my whole purpose. So I will make a real effort to get rid of stuff that I have outgrown or that simply just needs to go.
My shelves are filled with "collectible" beer bottles, that has to stop. I only have so much room and cannot keep every new beer I try. This will prove difficult because I want to keep any unique design or label I find. Perhaps I can find a middle ground. I have pictures of each brew and it might be time to print them out, get some frames and display them on the wall at Merle's (more on my home "bar" another time). I'll keep the ones that are really awesome and if I find one that I want to add, a different one will have to go.
 The basement and crawlspace will be next on my list and I promise to be ruthless in downsizing. If it is covered in dust and hasn't seen the light of day in the last year, maybe it is time to go.
 The garage is organized for the winter and I have no desire to spend days in there purging things while the mercury cruises to minus temperatures. But when spring rolls around, I will load up the Jeep with the stuff that does nothing for us anymore and off to the dump I will go.  I have big plans for a home brewing station and workshop in there, so useless junk that is in the way will have to go if I want to have enough space.
Lofty goals inspire me to accomplish things. I have set the bar so low for so many years that the slowly building momentum of reclaiming my life seems to be moving at a more rapid pace than it really is. I try not to revert to a shell of anxiety and fear as I downsize and get rid of stuff. I can see the light of day approaching and I want our home to be a reflection of who we are and a place where all are welcome.
Now if I can just find the Crush bottle.
Cheers!



Time to de-Christmas the house. Booooooo!

Christmas was over two weeks ago and the Polkaroo household still looks like we await St. Nick's arrival. I hate the thought of putting away all my decorations for another year, but realise if I don't act soon, it is going to seem like I am just lazy instead of festive.


It's drier than Nevada by now

Growing up, my mom always took down everything by New Year's day so we could have a fresh start. I really think it was because there were 4 kids in my house going back to school and my saint of a mother needed her house to resemble some kind of normal before the tornado of a new semester took over the place.

We grumbled and half heartedly helped take down our growing collection of Christmas baubles and went back to the dreary days of winter. I always thought I wanted to leave the decorations up longer to keep that happy spirit alive, but in reality, I was just putting off stuff that had to be done.

Putting aside my aversion to taking down what I put up only a month and a half ago, I begin the process of hauling the 30+ boxes of regular household knickknacks to replace the assorted holiday gee-gaws. Trudging up and down the stairs, I start to envision a future where we do a minimalist Christmas. Maybe a bauble or two and that would suffice.

Why do we need so many damn decorations?

We don't even have kids.

 This is ridiculous.

I really hate taking down my Christmas stuff.

When I start to wrap the breakables, it brings a smile to my face as I put away certain ones because they mean something a little more. A musical Santa Mom and Dad fixed for Grampa.

It still plays music too

 Mrs. Polkaroo's ever expanding Christmas village that is starting outgrow its spot.

The picture doesn't do it justice, it is growing quickly.

These things remind me of why I decorate for this holiday only. The act of doing it reminds me of the excitement of childhood and who wouldn't want to relive Christmas Eve and morning as a kid one more time. When I take it down, it helps to put those feelings away until next year when I get to do it again.

New this year!

The process of re-decorating and hanging our assorted picture frames, paintings and wall ornaments is a nice way to consider what we have and if it really is necessary. I know no one needs any of the stuff we have, but they contain memories and feelings from what they mean to each of us. I am forever deciding if this piece or that has had it time with us and needs a new home. It usually ends up that I donate some stuff to charity and make room for new memories that we will acquire in 2016.

I have always been the one who decorates, it is just something I enjoy and Kat doesn't seem to mind. I have made all the picture frames in our house (and there are a plethora of them) full of pics from our few and precious trips to the Caribbean.


Fun times with my best friend.

Nothing is better than as you trudge down the stairs mid-January than seeing the fun times we've had on the beaches of Jamaica or Cuba and the hope that we may do it again. 

Almost twelve years.

Wedding pictures of course are a fixture as well, not forgetting that youthful snap from our engagement.

Oh, the matching blues.



As the house slowly returns to normal, it cannot help but look barren. Nothing can generate the excitement and colour that Christmas does, so you learn to cope. I have no doubt that part of my "blahs" of February are caused by the sharp contrast between the sparkling promise of Christmas and the regular everyday gray of our lives.

This year I approach it from a much better place and look forward to doing a little redesigning of the main floor with maybe some classy beer bottles sneaking their way onto our built-in bookcases in the dining room. Just one or four, I promise.

So much room for my beer collection!

I have long felt the depression of this time of year, but it was only recently that I began to understand it and fight back. It takes a concerted effort and the support of my lovely wife, who never gives in to the darkest days I have, to remain on an even keel. I have a much better grip on what causes my sadness and with that in hand, I am confident taking away my Christmas until next November will not put me in a funk.

Plus this year has so much to look forward to. I am off to visit some new places tomorrow and despite the chill in the air, we have committed to start our walking regimen. New shoes from the store always made me feel like I could run faster as a kid and I still get a rush when I lace up my new high tops.

But for now it is the careful wrapping of breakables, the packing of the boxes and the unhanging of funny snowmen wreaths.

These guys always make me laugh.

I put them away not with sadness, but with a happiness that comes from recognizing what a wonderful life I have and how much joy this past season brought to me. I look forward to the chilly walks and explorations the rest of winter will bring and am excited for the warming of Spring and the sun shining on my face as I work in the gardens.

Bye-bye penguins, snowmen and Santa. You will be missed and I look forward to seeing you all again as soon as the clock turns on November 12th, 2016.

Cheers!



Save a Life (in theory) with The Drunk Pokaroo

Working at Big Grocery means being prepared for all kinds of situations. Our customers come in all age ranges, shapes, ethnicities and sometimes states of sobriety. It was with this in mind that I was selected to be in the group to receive training in First Aid. This may seem surprising to you that a man of 42 years old has never had any sort of formal first aid training, but I though I had all the basics learned through years of taking care of myself, so why bother. Boy was I wrong.

I was apprehensive about taking the course, my anxiety rocketed up the charts at the thought of having to participate in any sort of group training and of course, acquiring new skills is always a little intimidating. But I understand the need for our store to have as many properly trained individuals, at least theoretically, prepared to help colleagues or shoppers should they need assistance. So in I went with a little fear in my heart.

It is a two day course with the first day being focused on CPR and the second on more basic first aid. I was pleased to learn that while I had a basic understanding of how chest compressions were done, but with a little instruction, felt more comfortable at my ability to perform this possible life saving measure. The simple methods used to keep blood flowing to the brain for people of all ages is an easy to learn skill that I honestly think should be taught in high schools. Make this very important process part of our young peoples education and I think it could help to save lives.

I noticed a couple of things about the training that I hadn't considered before and they are presented in a way to help the first aid provider feel like they can and should help someone in distress. First is the need for consent before helping someone. It is stressed that if someone is conscious and aware, you must never try to help them unless they give their permission. Sometimes you just stay with them and call 911. Respecting an individuals personal space takes precedence over your own feelings. However, if an individual is unconscious or unable to communicate, you must assume consent and provide whatever care you can until the professionals arrive.

The second thing that struck me as odd at first was the repeated urgings that when providing CPR to a person in distress, that person is already dead and nothing you do makes their situation worse, except doing nothing. This is a simple idea, that when someone goes into cardiac arrest and their heart has stopped, they are clinically dead, By providing CPR, you are trying to help keep oxygen in the blood flowing through the body by pumping it manually until the EMS arrives. I think the reason they stress this idea is that when we try to help someone and fail, we can feel a loss of self as well. The fear that we could do something wrong or would not be able to really save anyone might hold a person back from helping. One of the ways they try to make you to see that any assistance is better than none is to try and absolve your conscience of the fear that what you do did harm to someone. I like this in theory, but I wonder how I would feel if I tried to help and it wasn't enough. It is something I will carry with me to keep me focused on the person I am helping should I ever encounter a situation where these skills are needed.

 I am happy I did the course. It has strengthened my already present life skills with the proper knowledge of basic first aid. I am shocked we don't push this as a skill more young people should have and really think it should be part of the core curriculum in a secondary school setting. I understand the costs associated with providing this could be prohibitive, but surely the very easily absorbed skills of even the simplest method of CPR are worth it.
If you have already done some basic training, good stuff. If not, perhaps consider getting at least a course in CPR. It is worth it and the life you help save may be someone you love.
My new approach to doing things that are outside my comfort zone this year is a definite plus for helping me overcome my anxiety. I know I can continue to push the boundaries of who I am and by acquiring new skills or improving old ones, I make myself a better person. I appreciate what I have been able to accomplish with the help of my friends, family and co-workers and look forward to where 2016 takes me. This week is a good start, stay tuned. I promise some new beer related travels and reviews are coming too.
Cheers!

Who wouldn't want this well dressed
man saving their life.



Project 366 - The Polkaroo Challenge

2016 - 366 beers in 366 days!

When I woke up (admittedly a little hungover, come on it's a party) on New Year's Day and went for a lovely breakfast with my in-laws, my mind was churning with all the things I wanted to accomplish this year. 2015 was pretty monumental and the last few months were nothing short of miraculous. I quit binge drinking, started to face my dual demons of depression and anxiety and began to chronicle all that here, at The Adventures of the Drunk Polkaroo. Feeling the love from all the family and friends I have been reconnected with and basking in the afterglow of my best New Year's Eve in a long time was making me feel pretty damn good. But what to do next?

After the fun time I had with my Beer-vent 2015 and the daily joy of trying a new beer, I was struck with an idea. We have an extra day this year with the Leap Year, so why not attempt to do 366 new beers, one a day. Sounds simple, but as anyone who knows how hard it is to find new beers in Ontario will tell you, it will require some planning. My journey to the U.S. last week gives me a head start on this count, but I always choose my local brewers over anyone else and will make every effort to put Ontario Craft beer first in my work.

I am going to do this in conjunction with all I laid out in my post What I want in 2016. So it will require me to get off my ass and be active so I can achieve all the ambitious things I hope to accomplish this year.
My plan is quite simple really. The first beer every day will be new and I will post a review on my Instagram account, found here. I am not advocating drinking all the time and to be honest, most days that will be my only beer. But I no longer crave the black hole that binge drinking brings, so I hope you can follow along at home knowing I am not returning to those dark days.
My goal is to explore all the seasons, flavours and varieties that craft beer has to offer and by openly stating my desires, I hope to engage with you, my loyal readers, on a journey of discovery.
I will still make personal posts, they are my favourite kind to write and with the exciting chase to keep my fridge stocked with new beers for an entire year ahead of me, I am sure there will be interesting tales to tell.
I want once again to thank you for your taking time out of your day to read my blog. It is part of my continuing recovery and a large section of what I write about is the feelings I encounter as I try to reboot my life. Without craft beer, I don't think I would be here to do any of this and with The Polkaroo Challenge, I keep that connection alive.
Cheers!

With outfits like this, how can I not be the
Drunk Polkaroo!

Beer of the Week - December 27th to January 2nd

Back to my favourite subject. Beer! This was a crazy week for us here at the Polkaroo household. Post Christmas border shopping, work and a very fine New Year's Eve party combined to wear a fella down.

First up was our soon to be annual drive down to the Queenston bridge and a visit to our neighbours to the south. I love going over and shopping for beer in the States. The Wegman's has an unreal selection that we can only dream of here in the frozen tundra. I bought 46 new beers, so for me that was a pretty successful search.

One half of the haul

The ease of access and amount of choice available at an American supermarket surpasses that of even my own beloved LCBO. While I always try to support local craft brewers, I find it acceptable to also try beers from anywhere in the world. I wish we had access to more choices from all different countries, but we are limited by what is imported to the local LC.

So many new beers!

Working at a grocery store that is in a mall during the holidays is always a treat and I love the rapid pace and crazy busyness that run rampant through our store as we near the end of another year. A little more than a month until Super Bowl and then maybe I can look forward to a little vacation time.

Finally, New Year's Eve was a blast. Spending time with friends and family was a goal of mine during the Christmas season and I tried my best. We spent NYE with Mrs. Polkaroo's sister and her family. Lovely people and such a good time. I managed to keep my wits about me and did not go crazy as I would have in the past. Although I think next year I wont go with so many big beers. I went a little heavy on the stouts and porters. Lesson learned and when the calendar turns over next year, I will have a few lower ABV beers in the old cooler for refreshment, But I am proud of not cramming macro lagers at a ridiculous pace in pursuit of blackout drunkenness. Tasty beers made for wonderful conversation and a delightful New Year.

All of this leads to my Sunday morning ritual of trying to pick the beer that stood out among the pack this week. It was a unique week with all my new acquisitions and some old favourites making an appearance. That doesn't happen very often as I am pursuing my perfect beer, as I usually try to go for new beers every day. Bit despite all the beauties I tried this week, it is a local brewery that grabbed me by the throat and made my eyes bulge out.
Mill Street is a Toronto brewer that was bought by Labatt's last year but remains a quality beer maker and I hope retains some independence. I struggle with buying their products only in the sense that my love for craft beer means I need to make sure my dollars, for the most part, make their way to support the little guys. But a well made and tasty beer is what it is and I wont turn my back on anyone unless they let their commitment to quality brews lapse.
Having said all that, I saw a gift pack at the liquor store that contained two Tankhouse Ales and something called Bierschnaps. Reading a little on the box, I discovered that the schnaps is distilled from the Tankhouse ale and they compliment each other. Sounds great, different, but that's the spice of life.
It took me a week or so to build up the courage to try this little bottle that is 45 % ABV. But with the encouragement of my partner in crime, we dove in. When you poured it into the tiny mug-like shot glasses, you are smacked in the face with a grain alcohol smell. It is quite overpowering, The flavour is that of a paint thinner with a hint of malt sweetness in the back. But when we sipped on the beer with it, you could feel that punch slide away as it combined with its predecessor to create a warming feeling in your belly. It took the usual bitterness out of the Tankhouse and together made a pretty unique experience. We only did a small portion of a shot, so rest assured I will have some for you to try if you drop by Merle's for a pint in the next little while.
Just bring your sense of adventure and an open mind. But no open flames, this stuff is boom city.
Cheers to Mill Street for trying something new and the innovations we see hopefully mean they are going to stay true to their roots.
A truly different winner of the first BOW of 2016, but that is what I am after. Entice me and lead me to challenge what I think I know about beer and you have a fan. This is going to be an interesting year.

First BOW of 2016 and it packed a punch!

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!

Why am I still a Leafs fan?.

Sports is supposed to lift us up and show us the magnificence of the human spirit. Triumph over adversity and character in the face of insurmountable odds. That sort of stuff.

Blah, Blah, Blah.

My name is Rob and I have a problem.

I am a lifelong fan of Toronto Maple Leafs. For the majority of that time, this team has brought me nothing but disappointment, sadness and bitter, bitter endings. Why do I keep coming back for more? What makes a man come home from a long day at work, rush through dinner and sit down for three hours 82 times a season with nothing but a child like hope that maybe this season will be the ONE?  What could explain this slavish devotion to an organization that seems to delight in breaking my heart? 

Damned if I know, but I'll give it a try.

The Leafs were my Papa's favourite team. Whenever he and Grandma would come over, I of course wanted to spend time with them. So if there was a game on in those long ago days (the 1980's), I would watch it with him. Wednesdays and Saturdays were game nights, not like today when we are exposed to all the teams in the NHL on pretty much a nightly basis.  Only in the playoffs would you really get to see the other 20 teams and by then it was too late. I had been transformed into a diehard fan through osmosis.

My other Grampa was a Boston Bruins fan. That would have been so much easier on my heart. 2011 would have been the greatest year of my life. But it was not meant to be and now I bleed Blue and White with all the pain that comes with that damned team.

It was the mid 1980's when I really latched onto hockey as my sport. The Leafs were just about the worst run team in the NHL at that point. Their owner, Harold Ballard was a curmudgeonly sort who didn't care what anyone thought and ran the team through a series of coaches, players and executives in a desperate attempt to bring success to the city. Children today shake their fists at corporate owners, but at least they don't carry out personal vendettas against good players simply because they don't like them. Or hire and fire a coach in the same day. Or try to ban female reporters from the locker room. The man used the team as a Whack-a-Mole game for his own personal foibles. This was my introduction to the madness of Leafland. That should have chased me to another team, but I was hooked.

Two Leaf teams stand out above the rest in my memory. It is the 1986 and 1993 versions that cemented the team in my heart and probably why I can't let go.



In 1986 I was very lucky to be able to actually attend a few games at the storied Maple Leaf Gardens. I was awestruck at being able to walk behind the bench during warm ups for an up close and personal view of my heroes. The arena was like a holy place for me and I wanted to absorb everything about it. This team will always hold a special place in my heart for being the first Leafs team to make the playoffs since I had become a fan. Even better, my Dad got us tickets to Game 3 of the first round of the playoffs and it was the highlight of my year. Playing the heavily favoured Chicago Black Hawks, the Leafs appeared to be outclassed in every conceivable way.



Ken Wregget 1986. Love the mask and look at those goalie pads.

Rookie goaltender Ken Wregget became my hero for stealing the first two games of the best of five series at the Old Chicago Stadium. That meant our tickets to the third game held the possibility of seeing the Leafs sweep the Hawks and advance to the second round. I was nervous, but giddy.  I remember we went to the game with my friend Marty and his father Phil, both of whom are big Chicago fans. We had great seats and Marty and I walked down to the ice level to watch warmups. The players looked huge to 12 year old me and to this day I still think that Murray Bannerman, the Hawks goalie who was 5'11", was a giant.

The Leafs pounded the Hawks 7-2 and dad and I danced our way onto Bloor street with the other 15,000 fans. Marty and Phil have made out okay still being Hawks fans, I guess. I mean 3 Stanley Cups since 2010 is pretty good, but a 1986 first round victory is epic. I know, not really. We Leaf fans have so little, so let us have this one.

The team lost in the next round and for the next 6 years wandered in the wilderness until that fateful trade in 1992 that brought my all time favourite Leaf to town. Doug Gilmour's arrival from Calgary in a ten player trade came near the end of the season, but signalled greater things as the team passed from the Ballard estate to new owners.

Cliff Fletcher had come on as General Manager and hired Pat Burns as the coach. The new owners were making amends for the 25 years of hurt caused by Pal Hal and at 20, I was really falling in love with my team finally climbing the standings, but it was Dougie that captured my heart. He wasn't the biggest player and as the season wore on, he took on a gaunt look as he drove the team forward with his hard work and determination. The team tinkered and traded for parts and when the playoffs started, the Leafs were in. A surprise victory in the 7th game over the Detroit Red Wings followed by another 7 game nail biter over the St. Louis Blues left me with the real prospect that this team would be the promised Champion of my youthful belief.

Look at that hockey hair!

Then came the Los Angeles Kings. Oh, man. This one still hurts 23 years later.

I have to stop here for a moment because I think rarely does a discussion about hockey occur with my friends before I am compelled to remind them of the Great One's high stick on Gilmour in overtime of Game 6. The Leafs were up in the series 3-2 and a victory in L.A. would send them to the Stanley Cup Finals where our hated rival Montreal were already waiting. To this day I think if we make it there we win. But it was not to be. Moments after his uncalled high stick cut Dougie, Gretzky scored the game winning goal. Number 99 came back home and  put on a one man show in Game 7 and I was left with the memory of what might have been.

Seriously, I will talk about this play forever. Look on YouTube, watch this video and tell me Gretzky didn't deserve a 5 minute major for that high stick. Even Don Cherry knows the truth Sigh, I know I should just let it go. But I never will. it epitomizes everything a Leaf fan is. Optimism and never letting go of what might have been in 1993. That's what keeps me going.

There have been other close calls over the next 20 years. Toronto made the Conference Finals in 1994, 1999 and 2002. But none of those evoked the feeling I had in '86 or '93. There was something about having experienced unexpected joy while being a Leaf fan that sticks out with those two teams. The heart break happens almost every year when you are the fan of any sports team. Only one team can be the Champion and the odds really aren't in your favour in any given year. When your a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs, they are never in your favour. Ever. Damn.

The last ten years have been a dead zone for fans of the Leafs. On playoff appearance that resulted in blowing a huge lead in Game 7 against the Boston Bruins is all we have to show for a decade of hockey. It hasn't been pretty, but hope seems to be on the horizon. The team has hired Brendan Shanahan as President and he in turn has found Lou Lamoriello from New Jersey to oversee a young and dynamic front office team. Mike Babcock came over from the Detroit Red Wings, bringing his Stanley Cup and Team Canada Gold Medal winning ways with him. There is an optimism around this team I haven't seen in a long time. They are still not very good, but they have some grit and are in every game, The Leafs are a long way from a Stanley Cup contender, but we see improvement and a high level of compete every time they step on the ice. Time will tell if we are being led down the garden path of disappointment again or not, but as anyone who loves the Blue and White will tell you, There's always next year.

Keep your chin up Leaf fans. I believe in the future of this team and will continue to carry a torch for my boys in Blue. Somehow, someday we will win it all and oh, how sweet it will be!

I will be front and center for the parade and then we will show those other teams how to really celebrate a Stanley Cup victory.

Until then, we always have the grainy videos from 1967 to keep us warm. Plus beer to drown our sorrows in.

Game on!

Keep hope alive!