Through the grapevine…barley stem?… I learned that Roy Bonisteel, host of CBC TV’s excellent Man Alive from 1969 to 1989, is a fan of this here beer blog. I sent word back asking for a few words and low and behold there is some background on the greatest beer related poem ever, Al Purdy’s “At The Quinte Hotel”, which I recently posted:
I like the beer blog….it’s very good. In interesting fact that a lot of people don’t know is that although Bellevillians are very proud of Al Purdy’s poem about the Quinte Hotel…it is not the Belleville Quinte. It is the Trenton Quinte…now called something else…where Purdy drank. At this same time I had a room at the Quinte when I was driving cab and working at the Courier. At that time we didn’t know each other…but year’s later over many a beer, talked about the fact that we had both been there at the same time. Tell your friend I’ll keep up with his blog.
Fabulous.
You know, from time to time I wonder who you all are and where you are. I received a very nice email this week in fact from a gent – Roshan from Kochi, India – who was pleased to tell me that he now takes a moment to smell his beer, because he now knows like Purdy that it is made of flowers I suppose. From Quite to Kochi.
Drop a line anyone of you now 3500 daily visitors. Always good to hear from you.
I updated the posting of the poem with this version by the late Gord Downie.