Great Lakes Brewery 2017 IPA LCBO Release Schedule

Some of my most favourite beers from Great Lakes Brewery are getting widespread LCBO release this year in honour of their 30th birthday. Happy, happy!

Beer Saint 2.0

 

Sharing is caring!

Early last summer, I wrote about how sharing beer now was like making a mixtape for that girl I loved back in the day(Check it out, here). It echoed the sentiment that I was after when I would put together that collection of songs, trying to convey certain feelings and using the music I loved to do it. Being a Beer Saint is not just about trading beer, it's about spreading the love and joy that great craft beer has brought to your life. Whether it is a straight up trade, sending a care package of local brews, buying a pint or pulling something from the cellar or fridge, the act of sharing shows our commitment to not just drinking better beer, but preaching the gospel of the community. There is no higher recognition of what a beer means to you than to buy a few of them and share them with fellow craft beer lovers. Perhaps I preach a little much about sharing and maybe I am the lucky recipient of many beer saint moments, but the absolute joy I get when I open beer mail or meet up to trade beers is true and real.

Tabernac Crew from August in Quebec City

It should never be about hoarding or trying to one up someone. The truth about craft beer lies not in the singular experience or drinking alone. To be truly enjoyed, it must be shared and there is no better way to do that than with friends, new and old.

Meet up and swap stories with friends, new and old.

As the craft beer movement picks up speed and approaches the mainstream conscious of drinkers every day, its growth can only be enhanced by those who take up the mantle of being Beer Saints. From the singular bottle share to a night of multiple flights and pints at a local brewery, it can be the most wonderful way to bring people together. The next year will see more growth, new breweries, beers and experiences. To be able to do them all is impossible and sharing your latest discovery with the people who mean the most to you is but the start of what you can do to help keep our movement going. Social media is a great way to keep people informed of what's going on in your area, offering to trade that new find for something someone else has far away from you can spread that joy outward. I am a firm believer in the act of sharing coming back to you in double if you just put yourself out there. You will find a world of people who want nothing more than to see and hear what you think of their favourite brew and you will get that same feeling when you receive a notification that your friend tagged you in their post about that beer you sent them. Using the #beersaint to describe them is but one way to show the love.

 There is a real sense of excitement when I finally get to meet a friend I didn't know I had to trade a few beers or raise a pint or two in friendship. The smiles and handshakes are genuine and the banter quickly turns into friendly inquiries about your experinces and life before craft beer. How we got to this point, what we used to drink and what is your favourite beer now are questions that sometimes lead to an afternoon of laughter and happy new friends. Even the beer mail delivery can bring a smile to your face, especially if it is unexpected. It's like grown up Christmas morning when you open that box containing someone else's fave beer and their sincere gesture of sharing it with you.

Better than just sending beers and trading them, why not do what my friend Paul The Beer Guy is doing and organize a day of visiting a local brewery or two for some of your crafty friends who maybe haven't been to your area yet. Make it even better by having everyone bring something from their local or favourite craft brewer to share with everyone after the day is done and the party begins. Get the guys or gals together and do a beer run to a few places, then head back to someone's house for a night of new brews, styles and flavours. You might make some discoveries that you didn't know you liked and maybe make a few new friends along the way.

Beer Saints meet at Luois Cifer last Summer

Experience the feeling of becoming a Beer Saint not just because you want that limited edition barrel aged stout, but because you want to share that very beer with someone else. If you can truly let go of the macro and join the movement, it will change how you see beer, it will open a world you didn't know existed and you will be a better person for it. Go out and meet some new folks, share a pint and get to know them. I think you'll find, much like I did, that good people drink good beer.
Be a Beer Saint, it really does make the world a better place.
And we could all use a little more love right now.


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

Polkaroo Beer Saint Giveaway with Hockey Valley Dark Ale

Watch as I go full #beersaint with my windfall from the Hockley Valley Brewing

Company. Good Luck!

Three Craft Beer Thoughts on 2017

I'm not much of a prognosticator, leaving that to those who've been around the beer industry a lot longer and with more contact to what's coming down the pike. But I have been noticing some things and thought I'd share them with you because I always let my friends in on whatever happens to cross my path. Three things in particular have been floating around my mind for the last week or so and it has to do with the growth and direction of beer in this province.

Milkshake IPA's

I have noticed a newish trend coming from the west coast and decided to look a little deeper into the adding of lactose or milk sugar to ales, particularly IPAs. A brief history of the creation of the Milkshake ale by Pennsylvania's Tired Hands Brewing can be found at Punch Drink, but what we are starting to see coming from Canada's original craft beer scene in British Columbia is a hazy, silky smooth, IPA that has me intrigued. I have a few pals on the coast and have been following the slowly growing movement of these beers. Is it a matter of time before the juggernaut that is Ontario Craft Beer begins to experiment and put out this twist on the ever so popular India Pale Ale? We chase the hoppy dragon with higher IBUs and bigger, bolder bitterness but is the time coming where we see a smoother, yet still bitter style of this industry leader. There is little our local craft brewers won't try and experiment with and I think by the fall, we may see a few Milkshake IPAs come on to the market. Failing that, maybe I'll send a few of Ontario's best to my pals on the Left coast and ask for some of these hazy interlopers in return, in order to see what all the fuss is about. Science, my friends, is what it is all about. Keep your eyes peeled to see if this trend migrates east.

Expansion or Consolidation?

Late in December 2016, Ontario crossed the 200 bricks and mortar brewery threshold and that is quite rapid growth in the last few years. While there are many more new micro and nano breweries slated to come online this year and an ever growing list of contact brewers trying to shoe horn their product onto the shelves at the LCBO, I always wonder what the upper limit is before we are saturated. So far, most of the brewers seem to have found a dedicated local following, especially in the smaller towns where the one or two bars serve macro lagers and the breweries tend to place a premium on being both a place to get beer and a social hub. Many of them form clubs and hold events within the brewery (i.e. running, yoga, paint nights) to help connect to their community and it is this kind of place that will continue to grow their business as well as their footprint in my opinion. Being a part of the larger community not only raises your brand awareness, it connects your beer to more than just a drink, it makes it a part of peoples' lives.

While there are some who have gotten into brewing or contract brewing to take advantage of the current explosion and clamour for better beer, I can only hope that time will help shake the pretenders loose from the world I have come to know and love. There are real and passionate folks who want to make a living brewing beer, but also want to be part of something bigger than themselves; working tirelessly to bring amazing and well crafted beer to your glass and it will inevitably be we, the consumers, who direct the growth of our local brewers.

I don't think we've hit the top of the bubble yet, our love affair with craft beer is just beginning in many cases and while the time may come for consolidation and market corrections, I don't think it will be soon.

Does the size of your bottle matter?

One thing I think we will see for sure is the rise of smaller can and bottle sizes in 2017. The ubiquitous Tall Boy is favoured by most because that is what the LCBO finds easiest to carry. But there is a growing trend of craft beer drinkers towards the 355 ml. can or bottle. Many want to grabbed a six pack of their favourite craft beer to stick in the fridge and I think the brewers will respond in kind. Anderson Craft Ales in London opened last year and that was how they made their offerings available right from the start, along with, more recently, Descendant's in Kitchener and Side Launch from Collingwood with their Mountain Lager. There are others moving into smaller serving sizes and it is a trend worth noting. Collective Arts in Hamilton have long offered most of their core brands in 6 pack bottle format and they make an easy grab when heading to a party or poker game. While I personally love grabbing a mixed bag of tall boys and I am certain that will not change, I think you will see more of a mix of offerings size wise as the year goes on. As always, consumer demand will direct the market and with the growing number of beer drinkers coming to the craft side, we will see which way the can goes.

Another development worth noting is the just under 1 litre crowler, or can growler. A few brewers use this alternative to the glass growlers, including Redline Brewhouse in Barrie and the aforementioned Descendant's. While smaller sizes will drive that section of beer drinkers toward certain brews, this size promises to be a great way to share a pint with a pal or slow sip an evening on your own. Keeping the beer fresher than a growler or half growler is one advantage, the other being less chance of infection from improperly stored or cleaned bottles. Many people do not clean their growlers right when they finish them, leading to a sticky mess on the bottom. A quick rinse will not solve this problem and it can lead to some off flavours in your beer. The crowler solves these problems and still gives you a larger format to experience your beer with.

Take your pick, but I think the trend toward smaller sizes of both regular and growler options will be a continuing story in 2017. The Tall boy isn't going anywhere and the 750 ml. bomber bottle will remain the choice of many brewers, but I think we have glimpsed the future of many a craft brewer and it is trending smaller cans and bottles.

That's all for this Friday my friends, I hope you have great weekend and maybe it's time to take a little road trip and visit some Ontario Craft Brewers to see what is going on. Drink local and support your community at the same time.

Happy Weekend!!

Raise your glass and your standards,

One beer at a time.

Cheers!



A Saturday Night in Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls has long been a favourite spot for Kat and I. We honeymooned there 13 years ago and have been frequent overnight visitors since. It has always been a blast but of course it was usually fuelled by copious amounts of macro lagers and drinking way more than was healthy. Taking the sink over to keep my beer chilled to the point it was palatable was my number one concern and then the night could begin.

It's been a couple of years since we've visited and on Thursday night I decided it was time to head back and see what has changed. Of course, the fact that we could hit a few Craft Brewers on the way home and visit the Niagara Brewing Company on Clifton Hill in the Falls had a little bit to do with my wanting to go again. Both of us were off Sunday, so a room was booked for Saturday and we both were relieved to have a night away after a less than stellar holiday season.

Arriving at our old stomping grounds with but 3 beers and a bottle of wine, we had a quick drink in the room as opposed to power drinking as many as we could before heading out on our first brewery tour this year. I even brought proper glassware...because of course I did. Good start with a nice English Style Pale ale from Flying Monkey's brewery. New to Tall boys, Hoptical Illusion is a toasted malt, bitter easy drinker was the perfect kickoff to a night on the town.

We headed to the Hill and Niagara Brewing Company first, having heard mixed reviews on the beer, I wanted to check out this pretty amazing location and judge for myself. Located almost at the bottom of the hill with some beautiful views, it makes for a great way to spend some time planning your activities for the evening. Saturday nights are live music and we were treated to a couple of acoustic performances while we perused the menu. Having been a frequent visitor to Niagara Falls has led me to expect a certain up charge just because its such a popular tourist destination, but I was pleasantly surprised to find both the beer and food prices to be very reasonable, right in line with other breweries we have visited. We decided to order the Big Bang flight, which consists of all 8 of their regular or seasonal beers in 7 oz. glasses. Again, at $19.75, not out of the regular price range and that was a fantastic start.

The selection was pretty varied and we each tried the samples before deciding which ones we liked best. First up where the core brews. The lager was on point for the style, nothing outstanding, but sure to be a favourite of a macro drinker who stops in while vacationing. The IPA leans English with a toasted malt body and grapefruit/pine notes, while I found the Amber a little bitter for the style but not out of the ordinary. Finally for the regular brews, the stout was a little thin on body, but had a pleasant smoky and roasty note that I enjoyed.

The seasonal and one off selections was where I found some really unique picks and both of us found our favourite of the night. They've brewed three that I referred to as "Tourist" beers in an Ice Wine, Peach Radler and Maple Wheat. The fourth turned out to be the best of the night, a Marzen.

  We started with the big 9.7 % Ice Wine beer, which was a little extra to get added to the flight but I wanted to try all the beer, so add away was my philosophy. Clean and slightly scented of Ice wine, it was pretty easy drinking and hid that ABV well. Fruity on the finish, that was when the Ice wine kicked in. Sure to be a hit with those wine fanciers who want to try a beer, a little sweet for my liking. Next up was the very crushable (under 4%) Peach Radler Wheat. Loads of peach aroma with an unfiltered body that kept up the promise of that aroma. A pool beer in the making, it would be perfect for the summer months and again, a choice to showcase one of the regions most known attributes. The Maple Wheat was perhaps the most aromatic of all their offerings and smelled like syrup covered flapjacks and made me wish I could have bought some to take for breakfast the next morning. Creamy mouthfeel with a sweet maple flavour that would make this ideal for A.M. consumption or perhaps as a dessert beer. These three beers try to showcase the unique Canadian or Niagara flavours and would do well with visitors from all around. A little gimmicky but fun to try in my flight.

The biggest surprise was the Marzen. Very crisp and clean with a caramel note, toasted malts, bready texture and slight bitterness to give it a great balanced mix. Even Kat liked it and we ordered a glass (12 oz) and a Pint (20 oz) to sip while we enjoyed the atmosphere. It's a big space with two floors and an industrial chic look. The service was not only quick, it was friendly and that is all you can ask for when you hit the town for a fun date night. While we didn't get anything to eat, I saw a few items come out of the kitchen and again, the prices were not inflated for the pub style fare (Pretzels, Charcuterie board) that I would have enjoyed myself. I will say again that I was happy to see them keeping the prices reasonable despite the touristy location of the brewery.

The bottle shop had a nice selection but sadly none of the Marzen or Maple Wheat was available and we headed up the hill for our next stop.

Mrs. Polkaroo has always wanted me to go on the Ferris Wheel in the Falls and despite my crazy big fear of heights I agreed, on one condition...that I get to do a video beer review high above Niagara Falls. Check out the video on my YouTube page here. Suffice it to say that having a delicious Equilibrium ESB from Nickel Brook helped me have some courage while we soared into the night sky. The view was spectacular and I am glad I finally put my fears aside and tried it.

On the way back to our hotel, we decided to stop in at Kelsey's Restaurant at the top of Clifton Hill for something to eat and check out if their craft beer selection had improved since we last stopped in. It used to be near impossible to find anything that wasn't Molson-Coors or INBev while in the Falls and I was very happy to see a few great selections on the menu. The Black Lager from Silversmith Brewing in nearby Virgil was my favourite of that style last year and as soon as I saw it on the beer list, a pint was in front of me. Big smiles from this guy at a surprising and delicious improvement on what used to be in my glass. We enjoyed another acoustic set and meandered over to the bar for a nightcap and to my joy, Muskoka Detour was also on tap and helped finish the night with a hoppy kick.

Sunday morning found us headed home but not without a few stops along the way. We couldn't head out this way without popping in  at Silver Smith and Oast House in Niagara on the Lake and even managed to finds a new to us brewery in Port Dalhousie, Lock Street Brewing. Picking up some new beers and old favourites capped off a wonderful, albeit too short, couple of days. These types of road trips always fun and I would encourage you to be a tourist in your own area, exploring something new and revisiting places you haven't been in along time. It is eye opening to see things again for the first time with a new perspective. Plus, think of all the new beers you can bring home, that makes it a winning plan all around.

Until next time my friends,

Raise your glass and your standards,

One Beer at a time.

Cheers!

They used to call me Coach

Simply the Best.

Standing behind the bench will always be one of my favourite memories. Coaching hockey occupied everything about my life from 1987 to 1995 and there will always be a spot in my heart for those teams that became my extended family for 7 months a year. Looking back now, I long not only for those simpler days, but for the time when I could feel the vast and open possibilities of the future.

My seven years as a Hockey Coach run right through some of the most difficult, joyous and interesting times of my life. This are how I see them now, through the lens of nostalgia, tinged with love and a little bit of regret.

Goalie Coach (1988/89)

At 15, coaching was becoming my life.

It started after I had been playing for a couple of years and was coming to the realisation that my playing career (I wrote about it here) was soon to be over. My skills never quite matched my heart but I didn't want to walk away from the ice completely. We had become increasingly more involved at our local minor hockey association in  Stoney Creek and in 1988, I was asked by Al Kaine to help out with his goalies. I was so happy to help pass on some of my knowledge, as little as that was at the time, and leaped in with both feet. Mom or Dad had to drive me to the games still as I was only 15, but they did it because they could see how passionately I loved the game and knew it was good for me to be involved in the community. Al was a proponent of fast and aggressive attacking hockey and along with my minor hockey coach, Sid Nelson and later on, mentor Rick Ferroni, was instrumental in helping to form my style behind the bench. It was a glimpse into what I could do with my mind and of course the ever present numbers ( I was into stats way before today's obsession with them) to help shape strategy and plot a winning game plan.

Getting My Feet Wet (1989/90)

The very next season, Dad and my Uncle Jim volunteered to coach a team with my middle brother Dave on it and I went along with them as an assistant coach. It was also the year that I ended up with my own team as my little brother Mike needed a coach and I leapt at the chance to get behind the bench with a few of my pals.

I was always a student of the game and I strived to learn all about not just the skills I could teach, but ways to motivate and inspire these two groups of young people. From my own experience with both good and bad coaches, I took the lessons and applied them to myself when I grabbed the whistle. I swore to be true to who I was and treat each kid fairly, be demanding of performance but ultimately try to be a positive influence in their lives. I took courses to become a better coach and worked to bring interesting and new drills to practice to help them improve.

Coaching my first team with my pals, Kevin, Kyle and Mike.

That season saw many things occur, including The Party (read about it here) that changed the direction of my life and my first Championship as a coach. The Penguins finished last in the standings, but led the league in parties and it was fun to be able to help my brother Mike, a goalie, continue his development. Brother Dave's Pee Wee team was another story altogether and was a juggernaut in the playoffs. Led by Dave's swift skating and aggressive defence, this team was a throwback to the teams I had played on a few years earlier. Fiercely loyal to each other and never afraid to take it to the other team, these kids became an extension of my philosophy of going after what you want with reckless abandon. I will always have a special place for this team in my heart because it cemented my path after I stopped playing the next year.

These guys won it all. Dad and Uncle Jim brought out the best in them.

The Lost Year (1990/91)

1990 brought many changes to my life and I was behind the bench again coaching Mike's team as we moved into the Pee Wee division (12/13 year olds). I was in and out of my parents house at this point and it probably led to the teams struggles because I was not able to focus on doing my best. I always regret that year of my life, not only because of the hardship I put on my family and friends with my behaviour, but because I can't really remember much about this team. It wasn't a championship team but as '90 turned to '91 I started to get my own act together and the next season was to be the start of a two year run that gave me hope about a future in hockey.

Things Start to Come Together (1991/92)

An almost dream season and where I found my best coaching and managing
team.

Having cleaned up myself and returning to school, I was a little more focused as the 1991 season began. Once again coaching my brother Mike, I was joined behind the bench by my best friend, Kevin, who had been with me since the beginning and brother Dave, who handled the defense that was our hallmark. Mom came aboard as manager and she was the glue that helped form an amazing group of parents who were vocal and enthusiastic in their support. I began wearing a sport coat and tie to emulate a more successful approach and it worked. Look good, feel good was true then and now. I worked hard to create a positive environment and with my assistant coaches, built our practices into skill sessions that took us near the top of the standings. We won the local Christmas tournament with Mike playing perhaps one of his finest games ever in a 3-0 win that we were outshot 29-10 in. I'll never forget the smile on his face after that one.

Come playoff time, we took on my first real "rival" coach, Harper Appleton. While time has taught me that is a pretty funny thing to think that about another volunteer coach in minor hockey, at 18, I was full bore to beat this guy. We met in the semi-finals and our defense nullified their high scoring forwards with Mike doing yeoman's service in net. We moved onto the final and lost the first game of a 3 game series in overtime. A few days off before game 2 and I was boiling over with enthusiasm. I knew our strategy and close knit team were going to win despite the loss and my gut told me to go all out in my pre game speech. My old coach, Sid, had told me you couldn't try to gear the players up to high before every game and to be judicious when you brought in the big guns of motivation and inspiration. The next two games were not close (5-2 and 7-0) and it was a bit of a preview of what was to be my favourite team and year of coaching I was ever to have.

My Best Year Behind the Bench (1992/93)

The best team I ever coached. Period. Full stop.

The 1992 season dawned as the year I really felt I came into my own and began to coach with a true passion. I took a job working night shifts so I could be completely focused on hockey and it was a good move. The 1992/93 Bantam (14/15 year olds) Stoney Creek Lightning will always remain the very fondest memory of my time as a coach and it was equal parts the success, parent support and players who gave it their all. This was to be the height of my personal joy and it was once again the same people helping make it possible. Dave, Kevin and Mom were back with me and we knew that our success of the year before was but a taste of what we could do. Led by Mike in net, this was a talented but not easily corralled group of kids. I had purposely took on some of the players other coaches felt were troubled and difficult to coach because I knew I could get to them, help them and by extension the team have an amazing year. We started off a little rough as I tried to find the right motivation for each kid, but when the season really got going I could feel the team gelling and coming together. These kids quickly bonded and were often responsible for keeping each other honest. Lack of effort was the only sin I preached against and rarely did that happen. My "rival", Harper, was once again in the same league and after a loss in the Christmas tournament in overtime and his team leading us in the standings, he looked to have the upper hand. I felt the team was drifting, winning and losing with equal effort and it was after a loss to a team from nearby Grimsby (we played in a loop with a few other small communities), in which their goalie was late and they played with an empty net for half the game and six players on the ice. My guys had thought it would be an easy win and played selfishly, trying for goals instead of working as a team. I said nothing after the loss and when we hit the ice the next morning at 6 a.m. for practice, I told them to toss their sticks into a pile at center ice. Happily thinking we were going to scrimmage, they were shocked when Kevin and Dave calmly picked them up and took all their sticks and the pucks to the bench. I then told them that if they didn't want to play as a team and work together like we had seen the night before, they didn't need sticks. Thus began the one and only time I bag skated my team. Nothing but skating drills for the entire hour, followed by a heart to heart meeting after changed the course of our season. We never lost another game for the rest of the year, going 15 and 0. The commitment level, closeness and desire on this team came together and we just didn't win, we dominated. The Interlock playoffs saw us win 7 games by a combined score of 37 to 10, including an 9 to1 win in the finals. Our local Stoney Creek playoffs were pretty much a walk as we won 5 games straight, scoring 32 and only giving up 8. Defeating league leading and once again rival coach Harper in the City final was the icing on the cake as our season finished with an 8-1 Championship game win. One of my favourite players and fiercest competitors, Donnie Stacey scored 4 shorthanded goals and shutdown the league's leading scorer in the process. This was the year I thought seriously that coaching was going to be where I would stake my claim to hockey glory and the next season I took a step forward while also stepping back.

Moving on Up (1993/94)

As the 1993 season began, I had taken a role with one of my mentors, Rick Ferroni coaching a rep team in Minor Atom (10 year olds). It represented that step up I mentioned, as this was a higher level of competitive hockey. The step backward was going from head to assistant coach/manager. It was evident that I needed some guidance to be able to move up in the coaching ranks and my experience with this team was an eye opener. The parents were a lot more intense, the games seemed to take on more importance and the kids under a little more pressure. I brought my style of interactive coaching with me and learned from Rick the importance of not only skating drills, but doing things that others never would. We used some unorthodox Russian inspired drills and I was also left with the teams goalies as my charges. I hope we imparted some skills and made them not only better players but people in that first season of rep hockey for us. Both Rick and I were rehabilitating our often short tempers with those we disagreed and working together, we quickly discovered our common love of seeing the kids get better and of course, winning. Ultimately we fell short of our goal, but I was excited when we were awarded the Major Pee Wee team in AAA the next season, as it represented the highest level of competitive Minor hockey and a true step toward my goal of professional coaching.

The Last Season (1994/95)

1994 was to be my last year coaching. I was now coaching two rep teams, with my own Head coaching gig of an Atom A team to go along with my duties to Rick and the AAA Pee Wee team.

Over 100 games and an equal number of practices to go along with travelling all over the province and a full time night shift job at Tim Horton's was heaven to me and I could feel the strength of my future coalescing every time I took to the ice or got behind the bench. Both teams made the finals of their respective leagues but were ultimately unsuccessful in winning it all. Coaching at the higher levels was indeed giving me inspiration and I had plans to take even more advanced coaching courses to increase not only my knowledge, but my chances of someday finding myself behind the bench full time and getting paid to do so.

It was the end of one path and the beginning of another.

  

The End of Coaching (1995)

Life, of course, had other plans for me and it was while I was winding down this season and preparing for the next that I met someone who would help shape a new direction in my life. I was never one to do anything in half measures and when I fell in love for the first time, it was with everything I had. My choices in life have never been overly logical, often done with passion as opposed to thought and I abandoned my old dreams for new ones over the objections of my love. I should have taken her support of my coaching dream and listened when she implored me to keep at it. I unwisely didn't and will always wonder what would have been had kept my spot on the bench while learning to love.

But time is a great healer and to this day I'll run into a former player and he'll call me Coach. That is what makes me smile the most about my time as a leader and teacher of young people; to know I made a difference to some of these kids and I am humbled by their love, many years later.

Perhaps my own management style is patterned after my coaching one, I was always a players coach and to this day always work hard to build a team and help those in my charge achieve their goals at work and in life. Hockey taught me a lot and I hope one day to be able to give back a fraction of that.

The game will always mean more to me than the score and if you want to know the truth, there are times when I am slowly drifting off and I can hear the scrape of the blades on the ice, the slap of the puck off the boards and see myself on the bench one more time.

Cheers!





2016 Polkies - The 10

When I started to look back on all the great beer I tried this year (over 825...and counting), I was struck by not just the variety of styles and flavours, but the experiences this journey has brought me. I started to write as an extension of being mindful while I drank, a way to slow down and consider what I was having as opposed to chasing oblivion; now it is my passion to write about not just craft beer, but my life, past and present. My voice coming back to me is something I will always be grateful for.

2016 in one photo.

 The truth is, I still marvel at many of the craft beers that I find in my glass because I honestly never knew it could be this way. Sure beer was always a social lubricant, but I used it to hide my fears and anxiety from other people and I couldn't have envisioned what would happen when I left the macro brews behind and embraced the honest and true Craft Beer revolution. For my Favourite 10 Beers of 2016 I will give you what each one of them meant to me rather than rehashing the flavours and compositions. Those can be found in the various Best of posts from the last week but I want this to be a celebration of what Ontario Craft Beer has done for me and what it can do for you. My writing often focuses on the emotional side of the beer drinking experience and for the last post of 2016, I want to carry on that road. Next year will bring us many new and exciting things, may you always be open to them...I know I will enjoy sharing mine with you.
 

On with the tales of ales...

10.  Anderson Craft Ales Brown Ale

In late August I headed down the 401 to London on a spur of the moment post work road trip. My purpose was to visit one of Ontario's newest Craft Brewers, Anderson Craft Ales. I had been following the building of their dream all year and wanted to see the place and try a flight. Quietly I sat and soaked in the atmosphere, their running club had just finished and the excited voices and raised glasses to another great run made me smile. You could see the pride the Anderson crew had in not only their beer but in what they were experiencing in the moment on a hot August night. Eventually I had a chance to chat a little, made a few new friends and plans to come back that I still have in my mind.  This Brown Ale came home with me because it captured the essence of that night so clearly. It is aromatic, evoking my senses and with its rich flavours, I can feel myself smiling at the memory of my spontaneous trip. This one is a keeper.

9. Silversmith Brewing The Black Lager

In early January I started to step out of my comfort zone and head out on little trips to breweries. I took my non beer drinking mom with me to Niagara on the lake and we hit up Oast House and had a delightful lunch at Silversmith Brewing. The Black Lager is not just a great beer, it represents a triumph over my own fears. I wanted to try this beer so bad and could only get it by heading to the brewery. Once there and with my mom cheering me on, I started to feel like I could go further, take some more chances and have fun doing it. When I wrote my review of this amazing lager, I felt that day was captured in the glass. It's worth a trip to wine country to get some great beer.

8. Block 3 Brewing Through the Quad

It was spring and I was turning away from macro beers more every day. We had visited Block 3 Brewing a few times and loved its unique adobe look, great Belgian inspired beers and excellent people. What made this one special was its big and bold attempt at a style that was for me difficult to understand. I found it at the right time and place and it introduced me to an entirely new world of beer. It was one that led me to discover how a malty dark fruit beer could shine the light of a new day on my life.

7. Bellwoods Brewery Jelly King

A legendary bar and the first beer saint moment led me to this Bellwoods Brewery Sour Jelly King. After an amazing Brew Cruise around Toronto Harbour in June, we went to Bar Volo to pay our respects to this landmark Craft beer bar before it closed and it was there that my friend Steve bought me this tart and sour dream to end my indecision over the incredible tap list. I went to Bellwoods many times after this and had all iterations of this King of tartness. That moment when he bought that beer however inspired me to write about being a Beer Saint and my world grew even larger that day!

6. Innocente Brewing Two Night Stand

One of the first times I put a person to the beer I liked was when I met Steve Innocente during the KW Brew Donkey Tour in the early spring. This Imperial IPA is a damn good beer but it was that moment when I was talking brewing, marketing and an assortment of craft beer related topics with a man who had created some of my favourite beers that I really felt like I was doing something worthwhile with my reviews and stories. I have been back many times to visit and if Steve is there I am always lucky to have some of his time to talk about the world around us. A man who understands not only beer but the people who love it. He knows what we like and makes it with the dreams we all have inside.

5. Muddy York Brewing Porter

When I was planning a Toronto road trip during Polkapolooza in March, I looked for the farthest east post to start at and found Muddy York Brewing ... little did I know it would result in a most fortuitous friendship. Meeting Jeff then and Susan later helped to sell Mrs. Polk on not only their deliciously smooth and roasty Porter, but on the entire Craft beer movement. It was their open and engaging personalities along with great beer that made my solo journey a place where my partner wanted to join in. A favourite in our house and an inspiration for Kat's foray into home brewing.

4. Collective Arts Ransack the Universe

There was a time when I couldn't stand IPAs. I would run from them after only trying the smallest glass possible to get a check in on Untappd and then turn to Old Mil to drown my sorrows in. This year, all that changed and this big Hemispheric IPA was partly the reason. I have a real soft spot for Collective Arts not only because they are located in my hometown but because they are all about the community they are in. Huge boosters of the Hammer, artists of every stripe and makers of some of the finest beers in the province, CA just gets it. The people I have had the pleasure of meeting dring this year from my Hometown Heroes reinforce my love of this amazing IPA and all their other offerings.

3. Nickel Brook Brewing Café Del Bastardo

Perhaps the strangest thing about this year has been my growing love of not only stouts but the biggest and boldest of bourbon barrel and coffee ones. Nickel Brook Brewing makes some of the best, but it wasn't just the beer that made me a regular visitor to this Ontario Craft Beer legend. John and the entire team at NB made me and my friends always feel like we were the most important people to come through the door at the brewery and were always ready to help in any way possible. Having time for the people who love your beer and making them a priority over anything else is the hallmark of Nickel Brook and a reason that we make the trip over the bridge as often as possible. One offs and seasonal delights like this coffee forward stout make that trip an absolute dream.

2. Nickel Brook Brewing & Sawdust City Brewing 11.05

A yearly collaboration brew between genius Brew Masters Ryan Morrow (NB) and Sam Corbeil (SDC), whose birthdays fall on November 11th, I was fortunate enough to try it on the year when they brewed an Imperial Saison. This beer helped me to truly understand slow sipping and while it is still available in very limited quantities at Nickel Brook, it is not going to be around forever. Teaching me about the ephemeral nature of some craft beers and also helping to bring me a greater understanding of the bold citrus and fruity banana notes of a saison. This beer can change your perceptions of this style and make you smile no matter the day that came before you.

1. Great Lakes Brewery Lake Effect IPA

The most important lesson this entire year of beer has taught me is to have an open mind. Before lake Effect I struggled with IPAs, feeling the piney punch and not much else. This was the first time I really understood the tropical and citrusy properties of the hop and made me a Great Lakes Brewery fan for life. But it was once again the people who work at the brewery who took my beer expeience to a whole other level. Troy and the team at GLB always make you want to settle in and share a pint, trade some stories and hang out. Little comes out of this Etobicoke brewery without some clamouring and rushing to be first to try it. They have been a huge supporter of everything I do and often lend an expert touch to my rough around the edges life. This one will be back and in wide release soon, I implore you to get it into your glass and join me in saluting the fine team at Great Lakes as they embark on their 30th year of fighting the good fight.

There you have it my friends, the 10 Craft Beers that defined the Drunk Polkaroo's 2016. I hope you have enjoyed everything that this year has brought and I want to wish you and yours all the best in the coming year. Try to expand your palate and your travels as the new year dawns and may we get to raise our glasses together in 2017.

Raise your glass and your standards,

One beer at a time.

Cheers!



2016 Polkies - IPAs & Pale Ales - Ales Part 4

I pledge allegiance to the hop and raise my glass to those who bring it to me.

This is the one countdown that brings me the most pain and joy to do. So many of these craft beers were like my family and to leave them off a list of favourites feels like I've abandoned them by the side of the road. Pale Ales and their more popular cousin, the India Pale Ale were probably my favourite style of beer most of 2016 and as I began to appreciate the hoppier aspects of their flavour profiles I also turned to the Double and few Triple IPA's that I could find to really give my palate a treat. Onward to the countdown, doubtless many of these are in Saturday's Drunk Polkaroo's Favourite Ten of 2016 Countdown. The difference between my favourite and number 10 is almost infinitesimal and really, any of them could be number 1.


Pale Ales
Most of the beers on this list are in the style of American Pale Ales that is thought to have originated in the late seventies and early eighties with brewers like Sierra Nevada and Anchor from California the first to market them successfully.There is often a blurry line between some of the stronger Pale Ales and IPA's but I've stuck to the brewers description for the purposes of my list because it is their creation and I'll respect what they were trying to accomplish.


1. Halo Brewing Golden Ratio

Big pale ale at 5.9 %, a beer that had me wishing I had bought multiples from this Toronto brewer. Orange, grapefruit and a little dankness on the nose with a whack of citrus, tangerine, orange, peach, pineapple, lemon and a dry, bitter backend with grapefruit lurking. Just enough punch to grab your attention and make you sit up but not so overwhelming with bitterness to scare off a newcomer to the style. Delightful and one I hope to have again and again.

2. Northwinds Brewery Brew Mountain (El Dorado) - Set up to showcase a single hops characteristics, this relatively young (6 years) hop strain was a hit with me. Coming from Ontario Cottage country and boasting an amazing brewpub to go with their great beer, this brewery is a must stop when you head north. Orange and grapefruit on the sniff with a juicy orange, lemon, grapefruit on the sip. Pine and grapefruit on the bitter, dry finish. A hit in late October.

3. Innocente Brewing Bystander - A crushable pale ale at only 4.7 %, this hop forward beer is a favourite that is readily available at the LCBO. Toasty malt body with crisp and bitter pineapple and grapefruit. Piney and resinous on the finish, a delightful APA.

4. Great Lakes Brewery Canuck Pale Ale - The legend of Gordie Levesque is always in the mix when talking great Pale Ales. Loads of hoppy goodness with lemon, grapefruit and bitter pine. Best deal in the LCBO at only $2.65 a tall boy, its almost criminal at that price to get this much of a great beer.

5. Muddy York Brewing Diving Horse Pale Ale - One of my first MY beers, it kicked a love affair with this East Toronto Micro off on the right foot. Crisp citrus notes of mango, pineapple up front with a toasted malt body. Juicy with grapefruit and pine on the finish. A gem of a place with beer to match.

6. Sawdust City Brewing Golden Beach Pale Ale

7. Manantler Brewing The Citra Situation

8. Nickel Brook Brewing Naughty Neighbour

9. Bellwoods Brewery Monogamy (Centennial)

10. Great Lakes Brewery 666 Pale Ale

IPAs

No matter which 10 IPAs I put on this list, I know I am leaving one I dearly love behind. I went from being barely able to stand them to actively seeking out more hops in a year because great beer has made me a better drinker. Happily I will begin my search again in the new year and am forever grateful to the brewers of these hoppy beauties.

1. Great Lakes Brewery Lake Effect IPA

When I first tried Lake Effect in early January it was like someone opened my eyes for the first time to what an IPA could truly be. The Tank Ten series from Great Lakes has become a revelation to me when it comes to exploring flavour and could be deserving of its own top ten list. Citrusy pineapple, grapefruit, peach and mango in a creamy, toasted malt body. Some caramel with a bitter pine and grapefruit finish. We will see this beer again very soon, both in the LCBO and on this blog. This was from January and still I can remember what it tasted like...that's a damn good IPA.

2. Collective Arts Ransack the Universe - One of my go to regular IPAs due to its availability and my closeness to the brewery. Growler fills are a happy occurrence. Big and citrusy with grapefruit, pineapple, peach and orange popping. Smooth but piney and bitter on the finish with more citrus make this a very quaffable 6.8 % IPA that had me clamouring for a quick trip down to the brewery every week.

3. Great Lakes Brewery Octopus Wants to Fight - Another Tank Ten beauty, I wasn't kidding about that series. Wide release in the spring, this big hopped up aromatic beer was filled with dank and resinous pine before releasing the grapefruit bomb. A constant in the beer fridge during its release, it was as beautiful as it was brief.

4. Bellwoods Brewery Roman Candle - Another one that hit me early in the year, this was the first time I felt an IPA was best described as juicy. Dank and resinous off the scent with grapefruit, pineapple and pine tangerine on the warming finish. Sticky and more piney resin on the backend. One I am always happy to trek to Toronto to get when it reappears.

5. The Alchemist Heady Topper (USA) - A Beer saint trade brought this hazy, sediment filled beauty from Vermont to my glass. I experimented with drinking from the can like they advise, but I couldn't get the aromatics, so I poured it into my Spiegelau. Am I glad I did. Big old resinous pine and grapefruit on the sniff with more of the same in a juicy, toasty malt body. Dry, bitter and wonderful on the finish. Only had it once, but it will grace my house again someday.

6. Brimstone Brewing Sinister Minister

7. Halo Brewing Radio Silence

8. Driftwood Brewery Fat Tug (British Columbia)

9. Great Lakes Brewery Thrust

10. Le Castor Yakima IPA (Quebec)

Imperial IPAs

These big and boozy IPAs are where my journey has taken me. From barely able to stand the pine and citrus to actively seeking out bolder and more in your face flavours. These are not to be slammed, but rather sipped and savoured. The closest and most difficult decisions of the year were right here, so many beautiful bitter babies from 2016. My lovelies indeed.

1. Amsterdam Brewing Fracture

Hailed as the King of Hops, this 9.1 %, 105 IBU seasonal release is a constant pickup in the cold winter months. 6 pack on the regular and its dank but bold malt body barely contains it's explosion of resinous pine, grapefruit, tangerine and sweet mango. Warming and a little boozy on the finish, it has more pine, grapefruit and a lingering dankness to seal the deal. Something to be said for slow sipping and loving what Amsterdam brings to my life.  One of the best damn beers I've had. Period.

2. Great Lakes Brewery Robohop - At 8.5 % and 100 IBUs, its arresting in its presence on the palate. Tank ten at its biggest and boldest with a dank and tropical nose that leads to a beauty toasted malt body that has a piney, grapefruit, blood orange and hints of lemon all over it. Juicy and finishing with an evergreen finish with a pinch of mango sweetness. One I hope to see again as the winter turns to spring.

3. Rainhard Brewing Hop Cone Syndrome - A summer beer enjoyed on a hazy, humid day, this 8.5 %, 100 IBUs pool beer was awe inspiring. Loaded up front with citrus on the sniff, it had a crisp and bitter grapefruit, pineapple and tangerine citrus bomb in a smooth malt body. Lingering piney resin on the finish but drinks like a session with more mango and citrus in a balanced backend. Just a beauty.

4. Muddy York Brewing Dereliction D.I.P.A. - At 8.2 % and 225 IBUs (calculated), this was another real eye opener for me early in the year. Big citrus on the sniff with grapefruit, orange and pine dominating. A smooth and toasty malt body holds the grapefruit, pineapple and bitter pine in check before letting go on the bracingly sharp finish. A serious slow sipper that lingers with more pine and grapefruit.

5. Collective Arts Imperial IPA - A late entrant that caught me off guard when its release was announced in mid November. Close to home and fresh in my glass. 8.2 % and 100 IBUs that made me realise how lucky I am to be in the Hammer. This is a grapefruit smasher with lots of dank citrus on the sniff and more pineapple, mango and grapefruit filling that smooth but crisp body. Piney resin on the finish with more grapefruit and orange to round out this gem.

6. Indie Ale House Cockpuncher

7. Boxing Rock Brewery Vicar's Cross (Nova Scotia)

8. Sawdust City Brewing Twin Pine IPA

9. Bellwoods Brewery Witchshark

10. Flying Monkey's Brewery Super Collidor 2.0

Black IPAs

Along with sour beers and Quads, this is the most surprising style that I fell in love with this year. The dichotomy of the hoppy and roasted malt was mind blowing the first time I tried it and any time I could find one I was all in. Not as many made their way into my hands as the other two categories so it's my Favourite 5 on this list.

1. Collective Arts Black IPA

First making me take notice in the late winter, this roasted hoppy treat made a reappearance in December to great acclaim. Not overwhelming at 6.5 % and 75 IBUs, it had grapefruit lurking under the roasted malts on the nose. Dark chocolate, coffee and grapefruit, pine, pineapple and mango in the crisp and smooth body. Bitter with a hit of citrus and bittersweet dark chocolate on the finish. Wowed me when I first sipped and took me away when it came back. A seriously great beer.

2. Great Lakes Brewery Apocalypse Later - Not surprisingly, a Tank Ten beer appears on another list of amazing IPAs. Big and bold with a 10 % ABV and 100 IBUs, this jet black pouring, thickly lacing IPA brought dark chocolate that was laced with pine and grapefruit. Dry and bitter on the backend, it had a warming punch with more citrus and dark roasted malts on the finish.

3. Beau's All Natural Brewing Le Coeur Noir - Late January and my first Black IPA ever took me to a place I'd never been. Bold citrus and roasted malts on the nose with a grapefruit, pineapple and dark chocolate cruising in the darkness. Creamy but dry and bitter on the finish, it made many appearances in my fridge while it was around.

4. Rainhard Brewing Nosebeeratu

5. Nickel Brook Brewing Malevolant

Well folks, that's all the styles I could get my head around in 2016 and now the task remains to pick my favourite 10 beers of 2016. I am sure a few of today's will be there when it comes out Saturday. Until then, I am off to contemplate just what an amazing year this has been.

See you in a few days with the Grand Finale!

Raise your glass and your standards,

One beer at a time.

Cheers!!