The O.G.

It's been a while since I've done one of these. 

Maybe you're reading this. Maybe you're not. And who are you, even? I'm really bad at beginning things. Once I'm in them, I fall into a groove, into something. But right now? It's like, what the fuck do I even have to say? How I can I have nothing and a lot to say at the same time?

I'll tell you what I'm doing here, at least. Every night for over a year now, I've consumed one beer (sometimes two), typically made by an Ontario craft brewer. These beers usually end up on my Instagram with tasting notes and, occasionally, something vague about my day. I get some likes, but not a lot. 

Here's the thing: No one reads Instagram posts. So the other day, I was like "Michael, you oblivious idiot: Instagram is a visual media platform. No one is reading your essay and pretentious fucking beer reviews. People see your sometimes pretty pictures, and they like it or they don't." 

So that's what this blog is for; for me to write at length or at short about things I think are cool, all while drinking that daily beer. Maybe it's politics, or society, or pop culture, or theatre, or magic, or music, or performing, or weird thoughts about humanity, or delicious food, or stuff about Canada, or sex, or rants, or who the heck knows. 

Sometimes nothing interesting will come out. Sometimes I'll ramble in depressive, desperate searches for coherence or another voice out there shouting "that's like me!" Some days will be more fun than others. Some things you might not get. Some things I might not get. Some things might blow your mind, who knows? I won't rule it out. 

Whatever it ends up being, the goal is the same: every day, I find something I think is interesting and I write about it. 

And you read it. Or you don't.

I'm pairing tonight's post with a beer brewed locally by people making the best beer in Hamilton and decidedly some of the best in Ontario: Fairweather Brewing. This is Golden Hour, a 8.0% ABV sour double IPA with Vidal Blanc. 

Pouring a slightly cloudy, mostly brilliant gold with a fluffy white head, the nose showcases that Vidal Blanc grape in spades, with a subtle musty aroma and notes of stone fruit and pine. On the sip, it's smooth, almost creamy in texture, with the sweet Vidal Blanc dominating and a restrained tartness evoking peach and raspberry while the IPA base imparts tropical grapefruit, orange, pineapple, and melon notes. There's the tiniest hint of pine on the back end before a finish that's sweet and slow. Dangerously drinkable, with not a hint of that alcohol heat despite the sizeable ABV. This beer is a beautiful example of the things going on in Hamilton's craft scene, and another home run for the people of Fairweather, who keep knocking it out of the park with literally every release.