#3. they give weather reports (from their own hosts) usually at the top of every hour and this is pretty much the only way i get weather new

[tealin]

Cape Crozier: The Outward Journey

As always, please visit the original blog for proper formatting. Sigh, Tumblr.

I am telling this as the last of my field trips, because it was without doubt the climax of my Antarctic adventures.  In actual fact, this happened the day after the previous climax, which was when I flew over the Beardmore Glacier. If time was invented so everything didn't happen at once, and space was invented so it didn't happen to you, then Time and Space were apparently out on a girls' weekend in late November 2019.

There was one major journey yet to undertake, in my visits to sites of historical importance.  It was the location of a minor side-quest in the story of the Scott Expedition – one could, theoretically, leave it out of a retelling with no narrative consequences – but it's the central episode and emotional fulcrum of The Worst Journey in the World, and gave the book its title.  In June and July 1911, the dead of Antarctic winter, three men set off from Cape Evans to reach the Emperor penguin colony at Cape Crozier, on the other side of Ross Island, to fetch some eggs when the embryos were at the right stage of development to yield potential clues to the evolution of birds.  The adventure ended up being more of a test of human endurance than avian ancestry, and the results got from the few specimens they did collect did not advance the theory they were hoped to prove (though scientists would remind us that negative results are still results).  However, it is an amazing story of what people are willing to undertake for the sake of intellectual progress, and in this instance, of how cast-iron character can make the unimaginably awful endurable, and as such, it very much warrants the retelling.

Unlike Cape Evans, Cape Crozier is hard to get to, hostile, and not very well documented.  There was no way I could ever visit it at midwinter, but, having almost no clue what the place was like beyond the written word, it was vitally important to me to stand there myself and get a sense of the geography, so that I could draw figures groping around it in moonlight and blizzard when the time came.  Luckily the NSF agreed that it was important I go, because it was the most complex and expensive trip to arrange.  It would necessitate a helicopter ride; helicopters cost so much to fly, and are so necessary for shuttling people and stuff around any part of Antarctica that is inaccessible by plane (which is most of Antarctica), that their use is very strictly rationed.  I had exactly enough helicopter time allocated to get me to Cape Crozier and back.  Therefore, we had to fly on a day when it was absolutely certain we would not have to turn around, because an aborted trip would mean I didn't have enough flight hours left to try again.  Antarctic weather is unpredictable and Cape Crozier has a reputation for turning very nasty very fast, so this needed to be a careful judgement call.

The first day it was posited I fly, it didn't happen – I forget why; I think there was a backup in other jobs, and mine, being of low importance, got dropped to make room.  The second time, I was slotted for 3:45pm, though with one eye on the weather and the other on resources, the right was reserved to cancel at any time.  A little after 2:30 my coordinator called to say we were, as far as anyone could tell, good to go, so to meet at Helo Ops at 3 for the safety briefing and helmet fitting.

Accompanying me to the far reaches of Ross Island would be my coordinator, who had been a few times before; the pilot, who was one of the best in the biz and had flown for pretty much any Antarctic documentary you care to name; and a biologist, who was required to go because Cape Crozier hosted a rare and fragile species of Antarctic lichen, which we must be careful not to step on or disturb in any way.  The biologist who usually went on these trips was feeling unwell, so she sent a replacement, who was very happy to have the opportunity as he had never been to Cape Crozier before.  Of course, this meant he didn't know what the lichen looked like, but we would doubtless find out when we got there.

Team assembled and briefing done, we had only to wait for the flight to be activated.  The last possible moment came and went without cancellation, so we were on.

The latest weather report from the station at Cape Crozier was that it was 30% cloudy with winds at 7 knots.  Keeping an eye on the wind was important for obvious safety reasons; the cloud conditions, though, were important for less obvious reasons.  The helicopter pilot needs shadows and detail to be able to tell how far away the ground is, either to stay in the air or to make an emergency landing.  When clouds diffuse sunlight, a snow-covered surface looks perfectly blank, and no details show up to give a sense of scale or distance, so it's unsafe to fly.  

We were supposed to have flown along the south coast of Ross Island, following the route that Wilson, Bowers, and Cherry-Garrard sledged at great cost in 1911.  That side of the island was cloudy, however, so we were redirected to fly around the other side.  From a historical perspective this was a bit of a disappointment, but from an artistic one, the north side of the island was absolutely stunning, and I very quickly came to see why people with money to burn choose to travel by helicopter.

Plus, it meant we started out journey by flying over Cape Evans.

All of Ross Island is volcanic, and near Cape Royds is a small parasitic cone which was explored by the expedition's geologists, who were also the first to climb Mt. Erebus.  I thought it was named Mt. Sis, after someone's sister, but in fact it is Mt. Cis, after one of their dogs.  Our pilot had been this way before and had something special to show us:

On top of Mt. Cis is a pickaxe.  I don't believe there's any historical record of anyone leaving it there, but the Nimrod Expedition is not my speciality.  It has been checked out, and the pickaxe is a model that was in use in the early 20th century, so either an early explorer stuck it there and didn't bother writing it down, or a later explorer found an old pickaxe and stuck it there to give the impression an early explorer had done so.  Anyway, it's been there as long as anyone can remember, and doesn't seem to have suffered much, so will probably continue to be there for some time to come.

From there, onwards up the east coast to cross over the shoulder between Mt Erebus and Cape Bird, then over the snowy slopes of Terror, and the dissipating sea ice, to reach our destination.

Our first sight of Cape Crozier was the Adélie penguin rookery.  This is one of the largest in the world, where upwards of 250,000 penguins congregate to make the next generation of penguins every year.  I had not seen a penguin yet, and though my eyeballs were pointed directly at them, I was too far up to see any now, but their presence is evident in the vast, vast amount of light brown penguin poo.

On this side of Ross Island, the ice shelf is unimpeded by smaller islands or awkward quirks of geology as it is around McMurdo.  As it grinds around the corner, here, it crinkles, and then as it straightens out again, the crinkles break, and the ice lets in long fingers of sea, which freezes during the winter.  It is on these frozen fingers, sheltered from the worst of the blizzards by the taller segments of Ice Shelf, that the Emperor penguins incubate their eggs through the Antarctic winter.

It was these finger bays that our intrepid explorers were trying to reach, but they needed to establish their base camp somewhere a little more secure, on the solid rock of Cape Crozier.  We were on our way to do the same.

The hill coming up was incredibly exciting to see, perhaps even more exciting than Observation Hill.  When the Terra Nova first arrived at Ross Island, it was not on the McMurdo side of it, but rather here, because Cape Crozier was posited to be the most sensible site for Expedition headquarters. It had been explored on the Discovery Expedition, so they knew there was permanent access to the ice shelf, and thus the road south, unlike Hut Point or Cape Royds which would be cut off by miles of open sea for half the year.  It had reliable fresh water nearby, and the Emperor penguins would be right next door.  On the day the Terra Nova arrived, though, the swell on the sea was too high to permit a landing, and when they sent out a scouting party on one of the whaleboats, they discovered no suitable landing place. So they had no choice but to make for the old familiar haunts on the other side of the island.

Now, this is so much historical trivia, except that as part of exploring my desired artistic style and putting together my grant proposal for this trip, I had drawn that scouting journey, and prominent in the scene is this very hill, with its orca eye-spot of snow.  The early explorers called it The Knoll.

This was based on a photograph taken on that day, which clearly shows The Knoll, and also that in January 1911 the ice front was a very long way back from where it is now.

As you can see, what is open water in 1911 is thick and pressured ice in my own photo from 2019.

Now, before you jump on this as proof that climate change is a lie, you may like to hear about my conversation with a scientist who has been studying the Cape Crozier Emperors for over forty years.  He said that, while usually the leading edge of the ice shelf crumbles into small icebergs, occasionally enormous chunks drift off in one go.  When they do, they take a whole generation of Emperor chicks with them, long before they are ready to swim, and that generation is lost.  There is another Emperor colony at Beaufort Island, off the north coast of Ross Island, and following a catastrophe at Cape Crozier, a lot of breeding pairs move to Beaufort, and vice versa. 

When the Crozier party arrived at the Emperor rookery in July 1911, Wilson was expecting the two thousand birds he'd seen when he visited with the Discovery, but there were only a hundred.  Therefore it is plausible that, sometime between 1903 and 1911, a very large chunk of ice had pulled away from Cape Crozier, pushing the shoreline back and scaring off the penguins.

Back to the present, now, or at least last November.  We had just passed The Knoll and were on our way to our landing site, a short walk away from the site of our penguin hunters' stone igloo.  The place they chose to call home is the thin little ridge sticking out into the mist at the left of this photo:

Here we come …

And there we are.

When the Crozier party set off on their science trip in 1911, the three men hauled two sledges for two and a half weeks, through deep soft snow and temperatures that broke known records – down to -77°F one night, according to the thermometer slung under the sledge.  The transcendent misery of marching in frozen clothes, not being able to get proper sleep for the shivering, and burning their precious fuel through the night just to survive, is carved deep in Cherry's writing of the experience.  To say it was hellish is no exaggeration: Cherry points out that Dante put the circle of ice below the circles of fire in his Inferno, and thought it was apropos.  The greatest challenge of our own journey out was landing the helicopter: given the sensitive environment and the fragile lichens, there was a specific landing site that was supposed to be marked out with stones.  Our pilot circled once to find it, and came back around because he couldn't spot it the first time, then finally landed right on the GPS waymark because there was no visible clue where the actual site was supposed to be.  As difficulties go, it hardly bears mention.  Whether we'd earned it or not, however, we were there.

[hibibun]

A Series of Wagers (2/3)

Series: The Magnus Archives Pairing: Elias Bouchard/Peter Lukas Summary: "An interesting gamble for one who consorts with The One Alone… up to something are we?”

"Wouldn't you like to know?" He throws back, face contorting into a facsimile smile that rings hollow despite the amusement that has to be there ghosting his lips.

Peter was right though. He did want to know. He always did. And if it weren’t for the mirage now obscuring that information from him, it wouldn’t be necessary at all. Frankly, it was interesting enough on its own that he was finding himself getting the attention now when this was hardly the first time they had met. It’s been a good night overall though, and he isn’t complaining about the game. There’s something surprisingly lively in the pale sea weathered man across the table he hasn’t seen from any of his family in a long time.

"And if I win?" Elias asks, even though he is already picking his cards from the deck.

Notes/Warnings: Canon Compliant, Time Skips, Mind Games, Canon-Typical Behavior, Blindfolds, Mentioned Past Barnabas Bennett/Jonah Magnus, Bondage, Unhealthy Relationship AO3 CH1 - CH2 - CH3

Chapter 2: 2002 - 2011

DECEMBER 2002

While normally Elias has no issues in, and even to a degree, enjoys planning events it came as a relief to not be in charge of it this year. The end of the year is always a busy time between responsibilities to the Institute, its employees, planning the usual office party, and making sure every loose end was knotted off—nothing left lingering on his check list.

So it’s a bit of a reward when all is said and done. And despite their disposition, the Lukas family threw a good party. The venue contained plenty of spots to hide away, and after giving the necessary greetings to donors also attending, he’s able to find a nice view point from one of the tables at the top of the staircase, and comfortably watch the night unfold.

With the amount of catching up between those attending, it’s easy to glean a succinct summary of how everyone else spent the year. The things they admit, the things they think they should keep as a card up their sleeves. The tentative boundaries they draw around each other and where those alliances overlap or remain prickly as ever. Elias sits and watches them all, sipping at a flute of champagne.

It’s no surprise when Peter finds him, as usual not caring to properly announce his presence.

“Being a nosy voyeur again?”

“I believe I am allowed to enjoy a party in my preferred method. I don’t see you out there mingling either, dear,” Elias retorts, turning his gaze away from the crowds flittering down below to watch his partner steal a swig of his drink.

“That’s Nate’s job. Company head and all that—I’d rather be out on the water again, but…” He does a shrugging motion both in reference to statement’s obviousness, as well as a vague indication he was supposed to be here doing… something. Given his family was hosting, putting in an appearance that he promptly turned away from most likely.

Elias is already accustomed to this and only makes a mild noise of understanding without vocalizing that the concept didn’t seem so bad at the moment. He was feeling rather weary and in desperate need of a vacation himself, though with the length that the captain preferred to be out on the water, he doesn’t think that would be enjoyable. A weekend sounded nice though.

“I take that it was another year spent well isolated then? Certainly sounded like you had little to report.” There’s a thread of humor unsaid in how quite a few of his calls went unanswered, which spoke for itself well enough.  

“Oh, nothing too strenuous, no. Did some spring cleaning of the crew; spent a couple months in València,” Peter looks wistful as he recalls it. As if by imagining it, he’ll be back in that Spanish seaside losing himself in crowds and drawing others to become just as lost. Not that Elias was peeking, much.

“Ah yes, I received your ‘care package’. Can’t say I’m too fond of potentially disease causing artifacts, but the Cuva Vella was nice to see.”

“I don’t have the same skill sets as your lot, so there’s no knowing if it’s really from the hospital they claimed, but it looked like a nice vase either way.”

“Well it’s in Artifacts now so…” Elias responds hiding how distrusting he feels in regards to the man’s true intentions, knowing for a fact it did have something attached to it. He, of course, is going to continue to feign disinterest—something he’s seemed to pick up as a reflexive instinct to match Peter.  

“And here I was going to get you flowers,” The captain laments, though the sincerity of it is muddled behind a grin which appears to contradict his words. Elias doesn’t care to look to clarify for himself, and only answers him with an eye roll.

They stay the remainder of the party, out of sight and catching up themselves. Elias shares what gossip he feels like discussing, despite knowing Peter likely only cared to the extent of using the information to avoid as many extra conversations or meetings of his own. At some point, he must get sick of hearing about it though, and abruptly raises his head from the perch of his palm and suggests they leave.

It’s the free time Elias has to spare, he tells himself, beckoning him to follow Peter out into the night, leaving his own car to be picked up in the morning. The venue is closer to Kent and he knows they aren’t too far from the Moorland House, but isn’t surprised when it’s that same building Peter sometimes calls a home they arrive at instead.

They exchange coats and a chill settling in the room, an imitation of the past times they’ve been here—along with it, there’s an underlying hunger, once more waiting to spring free. He hadn’t been looking or expecting a longing to be there, and yet, after so many, many months apart, why wouldn’t it be?

They follow similar, yet different steps this time. Elias is more familiar with this place now despite only having been in it a handful of times before physically. He is a detail-oriented man. The model ships and carved wooden birds are still tucked away in corners meant to be dismissed. No new paintings aside from the empty coastlines he’s already seen—no doubt a gift from Simon if he detects something else alongside the strokes of that vast ocean captured in the frame.

It’s pleasant, the way Peter stares at him. Equally ravenous for what they no doubt came here for and for attention he doesn’t want to admit, all wrapped up with a lovely sheen of genuine discomfort at how deeply Elias is seeking out the person hiding behind this farce of a home. This room is nothing like the cabin he has never actually set foot into on the Tundra, and it is a place he doubts he will ever be allowed to visit.

No, this place is nothing to Peter. Merely, a place to sleep when he’s forced to anchor. A reluctant tie to society and its dregs, which Elias has happily helped wrap around his legs.

Something in his expression must have changed for Peter reaches out to him, a cold embrace at his back and an even colder kiss at his nape. He doesn’t turn to face him right away, enjoying the strange pleasantry. If he gets his way tonight, giving Peter this now is only fair.

“For a moment, I thought you were taking us back to the Moorland. Though, we are still a little ways off from an actual holiday aren’t we? You will take me there sometime, won’t you?” Elias asks, placing a hand over the one holding his side. They both know he isn’t talking about the house itself. Peter may not know it, but he remembers visiting Mordechai there—truly, it had more to do with that basement and what Peter felt about it than anything else.

“That eager to see? I keep telling you, if you accept my proposal—” He breathes, by his ear, amused until Elias twists around and cuts him off.

“And when exactly would we fit in this ‘wedding’? You’re hardly moored for long and I have an Institute to run. You always struck me as the type to remain engaged for as long as you could, so I would think this arrangement is far better than the alternative.”

Peter’s eyes darken, and it strikes Elias for the first time how deep those still waters really run.

“You… actually like the thought of it. You’d like to call me your husband,” He moves his hands up to cup the man’s cheeks, before delicately moving them down along Peter’s beard to play along his neck. His fingers trace down his pulse enjoying the rapid thoughts accompanying it.

“A connection of your own definition, but one none the less… Are you that worried I’ll leave you behind? Bit hypocritical don’t you think?” The smile he directs isn’t necessarily meant to be cold, but it is piercing in a way he knows is uncomfortable.

“Not really. I’m aware it wasn’t as common in your day, but anyone can get a divorce rather easily now. Marriage isn’t the contract you’re imagining it to be.”

“No, maybe not, but that’s all the more reason for me to wonder what it is you imagine it to be. You can ignore it all you want later, but right now you will look at me and tell me,” Elias starts, stilling his hand to hold at the back of Peter’s neck, keeping him in place to meet his eyes. He doesn’t have an Archivist’s compulsion, but he has intimidation and the invasive, burning reminder gripping tight into the pale man beside him that he cannot run right now.

“Peter Lukas, do you really want to marry me?”

For a man capable of having almost anything he could desire, arranging his life to be as self-indulgent as possible, it’s uncommon those desires ever actualize in the form of wanting another person. Someone so used to the world around him rejecting his existence that he’s learned to soak in it, and pretend he loves it, wearing it as a second skin. And maybe, to a degree he does actually love it. The utter and unabashed way you can love yourself when there isn’t a need to think about another soul in the world.

And that is why at the root of it someone like Elias is both perfect and terrible for him. Because he’s so afraid of being seen, it’s only natural the Eye would show interest. And Elias wishes to know him so intimately exactly because he hides. All the while, he can know with certainty that such a fascination is surface level, having very little to do with the fact it is Peter specifically he is showing interest towards.

It is why Peter spells all the justifications in the world for their relationship. It is why he can indulge in the easy nature of being seen, but not being cared for, until sometimes, it feels like he is wanted—like he wants and wants and will be denied. Abandoned once he’s been found because he knows Elias doesn’t hold on to anything for long.  Besides bones that is.

“Yes,” is all Peter will admit to, impossibly small, but it reaches Elias and warms him in a way that he knows is more than just affection. He rewards the admission, stroking his cheek before learning up to kiss him properly. It doesn’t even occur to him immediately the words were never actually spoken, but plucked from the captain’s head.

There will be many nights where this doesn’t mean anything, but for tonight, there is a vulnerability Elias doesn’t know when or if he’ll have the pleasure of seeing again. In truth, there isn’t really a way they could right now, and he had never imagined himself a married man. Defining what they have would be too much for both of them, but making it a comfortable illusion confined to a ring that he doesn’t have to think about if he doesn’t want to is a preferable solution.

The kiss is chaste, and this time, it is him breaking away and walking to the bedroom, removing his clothes with a practiced patience, expecting Peter to follow suit. Peter flips from fidgety to irritated, finally catching onto what was just discussed, and Elias soaks in the emotions radiating off him hidden in the rustle of clothing. Without a word, he retrieves some coils of rope and lubricant from the bedside drawer, and simply waits and watches.

Peter’s second guessing why he brought him here and Elias is patient—the captain will come to his own conclusions in the end. Either way, Elias knows he will play into the game set up tonight and he only smiles when Peter finally lies on the bed. After a beat, he resigns and raises his arms to the headboard.

Methodically, Elias twines the rope around those presented wrists, and prompts Peter to test the tightness.

“Comfortable?” He asks, looking down. It’s just the ropes he is referring to here, and the flicker of a scowl he receives is indicative that at least Peter has accepted how things will go.

“They’re fine,” He answers him, muted and tense. It pleases him to see him restricted like that, such an easygoing man who usually was so fond of startling others looking instead so impossibly small for someone of his stature.

“Excellent,” Elias murmurs, tone light and notably excited. He stays on top of him, and resumes the languid kisses he’d intended to give before their conversation began. While Peter had been annoyed minutes prior, he can feel the interest in his prick as it hardens, bumping into his backside. He bites the pale man’s lower lip, feeling all at once a rush of cold air exhaled with a moan.

Elias begins to trail those kisses south. Unlike his partner, he prefers to not only take his time, but leave a lasting imprint. There isn’t any doubt who he’s with when it comes to Peter, no, but the man is so obsessed with giving just enough to make a person want more. A lingering note of dissatisfaction, enough to draw in that hungry voracious need for contact he feeds on.

For Beholding though, it is about the experience. About learning and cataloguing all those little things, people don’t even know about themselves necessarily until they’re in the act. Especially the things they don’t know—don’t want to show.

It’s unavoidable like this for Elias not to look. Once the captain is drawn in, feeling really comfortable, he opens that eye and takes a gander at just what marriage means for a Lukas like him.

When he looks, he sees shadows of people. More like impressions or ghosts really, and yet, all come together to welcome a new member. The Moorland House from the outside is about the same as he remembers it. A foggy almost forgotten place that only served as a temple and a tomb.

He sees dances where there is no feeling, stilted haunting music, and tables so far apart from one another that you’d think the room was empty even with the party clearly going on around them. Even the couple in question, once their vows and first dance finished are far apart from each other. As if they were strangers on separate sides of a dance hall—which perhaps, they were.

And that was the problem though wasn’t it? Elias isn’t meant for the Lonely—isn’t willing to truly join that family. Peter knows this. He knew it from the beginning and knew what he was getting into when approaching Elias with even the semi-serious notion of a date, but he’s comfortable with it. With maintaining the distance they already have, only with the facsimile promise of belonging that he could and would never truly have.

Truly what a heartbreaking notion that is so very pitiful and suiting of the situation. Something finally that Elias understands.

As he comes away from that, it’s written across Peter’s face with trails of unwanted salty tears, and etched into his heart. All Elias is doing is plucking away at scabs, poking at a raw gaping sore he never had any intention of soothing.

“Oh Peter,” Elias says softly, no real sense of comfort in his voice. He’s enjoying how far he can stretch this, and it’s with a reluctant, rare mercy he withdraws from the other place he wanted to see in that house. If he tries to look anymore, well, there won’t be anything left—and that wouldn’t be any fun, would it?

DECEMBER 2005

They never do marry. Even when a legal approximation could be considered, there are too many things, and good reasons, that stop it from ever happening. Still, in the end, Elias goes far enough to accept an engagement ring and they make believe it is real, knowing it isn’t just him who often removes it. Honestly, he’s more surprised Peter didn’t take this as a proper sign to simply end the game, not that he’s seen him for longer than necessary the past couple years. Whether that’s his attempt to instill that loneliness he’s so craving or… something else, Elias is too busy to care.  

How do you love a man who has no ability to perceive it? Who, in fact, reflexively rejects every attempt at genuine affection?

Elias even hesitates to necessarily ascribe that much feeling to whatever it is their relationship has become. It has enough characteristics for the applicable term of lovers, but there is a history Jonah holds with that word, which has always had an underlying cruelty he can never seem to shake. The both of them do really.

He’s had lovers in the past. Strings of men who’d sing his praises until they saw the depths of him and either were in too deep to get away, or ran as far as they could. Peter was neither of these types of men. They were similar in such a way that it was both a relief and irritating. Men of their nature can attribute as many pretty words and intentions as they want to the way they treat each other, and he knows for as much as Peter can feel for him, what they share is mutual. Perhaps, it’d be better to say they tolerate each other.

Even if there are times that Elias wants to bridge that narrowing gap and see what else is lurking under the surface, he knows such a reality would never exist. And further that he cannot describe the feeling which draws him into wanting that as anything but the endless need to unravel that which does not want to be seen. An itch caused by mere fascination that could and would only end in painful tragedy. If he were a kinder man, maybe he could see himself comforting what he found behind that empty smile, but he knows himself too well. If he had his way, he would utterly destroy Peter and maybe regret it, but he knows he would still do so.

That is why he does not entirely begrudge the man his fleeing and disguises. The way he will run hot and cold and pretend so frequently that he could drift away at any moment, leaving Elias a forgotten memory. It’s his own way of dealing with it, and it’s fitting payback to only scratch at wounds Elias himself pretends don’t exist.

They don’t love each other so much as the idea of what it would be like to be with each other. A thing that in practice never quite turns out the way it’s played out in the imagination. A momentary lapse where it’s easy to pretend that affection is real, a relationship forged on understanding unperceivable to anyone else around them.

Someday, it’s going to destroy one of them—and Elias does not plan on it being him.  

MARCH 2006

“Yes, Peter? I do believe this is the first time that you’ve actually been early to an appointment,” Elias addresses the now sudden form of his partner in the chair across his desk. He doesn’t look up from the stacks of department expenses he’s trying to catalogue and update to a budget’s spreadsheet, also laid out on the desk.

“I’m here to cash in a favor.”

“Right, my unfortunate guess regarding Mr. Rayner last year,” he starts, waiting on the captain to prod the conversation along.  

“I’m not asking for much, just to give a little back you could say for a project of mine. Requires some specific construction, placing and people in mind, which that eye of yours would be just great for,” Peter explains, laughing at his own joke.

“Your project, yet my work, I see. I wasn’t aware you were looking for a secretary,” He muses, reading over the budget expenses from the research department as he listens. He had hoped to have this aspect of his day squared away before dealing with whatever it was his ‘husband’ wanted to talk about.

“Real estate agents and contractors are so annoying. You love talking to people though, so you’ll probably have a blast. And it’s not like I won’t be there—I have it all planned out, I just need to find the right people to do it. So all I’m asking is for you to do a little research, which is something this place does, is it not?”

“And will I be privy to this project, or will that be a secret for me to figure out?”

“Haven’t got a name for it yet, so no. It’ll be fun—certainly more so than the little experiment Fairchild’s gotten my family sucked into,” He sounds bored, maybe even a bit bitter at that.

“Oh? Right, I heard about that. Do wish I could see how well that will work, but with Mr. Rayner involved, it’s doubtful. Although, if they make it out, maybe I’ll see about them giving a statement.”

Peter shoots him a withering look over his priorities, but Elias ignores it. Luckily, the whole thing has nothing to do with him.

“It just seems like a waste overall.”

“Sometimes it’s about the quality, not the quantity.”

“Say that when you can fund your own Institute,” Peter quips back. There’s no arguing with that necessarily, but it is funny enough that Elias gives him a bemused smile not deeming it with a response.

“Well, I’ll let you know how thoroughly afraid whoever gets stuck up there is and we’ll decide on it later. Now, is there any sort of time table for this other juncture of yours?”

Peter hums, deciding finally to give Elias just a few more pieces to work with.

“Soon as possible, I’ll send over what I have in mind. I’m sure you’ve already heard the rumors, but a supposed extinction might be coming, so the sooner the better. While I’m at it, I’m also including that you won’t interfere when things kick off, but that’s to be assumed, of course.”

For all the rituals attempted over the years that Elias has witnessed, none of them—including his own first attempt—completely worked, so he really doesn’t have any intention of trying to ruin things. However, he also has been paying a little attention to what his current Archivist has been up to and knows that there’s always the chance she will do something. In that regard, perhaps it would be kind of him to give Peter a warning, but he doesn’t control and can’t consistently predict the things Gertrude Robinson deems necessary to handle. She appears to have her hands quite full with stopping other rituals, so for all he knows it will slip under the radar.

“Well, if it comes, it comes. You know I’d much rather watch and see what happens than make any effort to stop either you or any new power emerging. I’m simply curious as to whether it’ll be enough to do anything.”

“Right. Of course, you would say that.” Peter says, and it should bother him that he can’t quite tell what he means by it. Though, from the stare Elias is receiving that feeling is mutual. He has his own pieces being moved along right now and the coming of another power matters very little in regards to what he’s attempting to do. He, unfortunately, also just hasn’t found the right person for it, yet.

SEPTEMBER 2007

Time and technology has diluted it, but there is nothing quite like starlight on an open deck far, far away from any overpopulated, glaringly bright city. Such a sight almost makes Peter understand what it is that Simon sees, but it isn’t the Vast, which is capturing him right now.

It has been a rather bad year for Peter Lukas.

While he hadn’t done much more than provide resources and keep an ear out, the Daedalus experiment had eaten up a chunk of time and money that he couldn’t even feel arrogant about. His bet with Elias on that may have been won, but the man had seemed oh so indifferent to his other little project being ruined. They’ve spoken before about Gertrude and the type of woman she is—still the thought of having all his work tossed away over a newspaper article is infuriating and humiliating.

The waves of the Atlantic can never disappoint him, and for Peter that is a relief beyond measure right now.

There was no need to ask Elias if he knew. If Gertrude was set on it, she would have done it just based on the rumors being passed around, and of the indistinct and few impressions he’d garnered, even he likely couldn’t have done anything. No, what Peter really didn’t want to see was the absence of interest—a blank gaze, perhaps with a hint of that smile he always held, which further spelled dubiousness. He isn’t even sure why it feels vaguely like a betrayal on Elias’s part when technically he hadn’t done anything. When did that start to bother him though? It should be a comfort, a reminder.

Peter watches the waves idly lap at the side of the Tundra and wonders what changed. Moonlight faintly glints off the ring on his finger, and he imagines throwing it into the ocean.

Alone, he can gaze at the stars and the moon and feel at peace knowing there is no one else to share this sight with. No one else he would want to share this sight with. He sailed over eight thousand kilometers away from the one person who he might have considered wanting to share it with, and he’s not entirely sure just when it will be that he returns.

JULY 2011

Vardø, Norway

Peter stares at the phone buzzing on the hotel’s nightstand, wondering once again what possessed him into getting one, let alone keeping it on his person. Convenience in this era often requires time specific urgency, he supposes, but it still didn’t have to be something he liked, let alone abided. As such, when he sees the caller ID as none other than Elias Bouchard, he has half a mind to ignore it. It wouldn’t be the first time, and whatever it was he wanted to talk about could easily be contained to a voice mail.

So he lets it ring. He turns another page in his book, but instead of the notification of a waiting voicemail, the phone lights up once more. Elias is still calling and that is new.

With a sigh, he picks up. Unsurprisingly, the man doesn’t start with any pleasantries. He must know that since Peter has actually decided to answer, he doesn’t have long.

“You’ll still be in Vardø for a few more days correct? I need a favor.”

“Maybe. Depends on exactly what you’re asking for?” Peter complains, shuffling the phone to better squeeze between his ear and shoulder. If he can tune his sometimes husband out well enough, maybe he can still focus on his book. He’d long stopped bothering to chide the other man for keeping an eye on where he is, so he wasn’t planning to even ask how he knew.

“I need you to pick up Ms. Robinson and one of her assistants in Dikson. They need a lift to Zemlya Sannikova, and I figured you would be in the area and have a working vessel.”

He barks a laugh because while he understands, the request is ridiculous.

“Oh you are something else, Elias. Exactly why should I do this favor for you, let alone her? You’ve already racked up quite a debt with me already.”

“Because dearest, you might also want to ensure that the Distortion doesn’t get its way. Of course, if you’d like to exist in that kind of world, who am I to stop you? I’m sure knowing her, there’s another plan up her sleeve, but I figured why pay the extra expenses for a ship when I have you.”

He frowns reflexively at that wording. It isn’t necessarily that he doesn’t like the notion—the implicit possession they both hold of each other and the ease with which that label doesn’t have to mean anything. Peter himself was a firm believer of absence making the heart grow fonder and steadfastly pushes that to its brink, finding the delightful way Elias tries to pretend like he didn’t miss him at all when they next meet. He also ignores the fact that sometimes it was actually true.  

“Hm, so you won’t be paying for the fuel needed to get there and back? What payment should I expect then?” Peter’s voice dips at that, finally finding some ground in this conversation that feels comfortable.

There’s a shift of clothing barely audible on the other side of the phone. A pause and he can almost see the calculating and playful smile on Elias’s face.

“Hurry back and you’ll find out.”

The phone call ends before he can answer, and it’s a strange, vaguely defeated sensation caving into his chest at the prospect of returning. Of seeing whether Elias felt anything by his absence and if that will sustain him or preparing for Elias to try and take something else from him.

Doing what he does best, Peter simply shuts the phone off entirely and returns to his novel.

Dikson, Russia – Arctic Sea

A few days later, he finds himself docking at the port town Dikson. Gertrude is waiting with someone who must be the assistant Elias mentioned, flitting and looming around her as if he can keep the blustering winds from reaching her. What really gets Peter about the sight is that he is the one who looks like he could be flattened at any moment, wild blonde hair lashing about almost as bad as his fretting. He doesn’t make an effort to greet either of them though, and merely goes as far as indicating the Tundra is here and ready. He leaves the settling of their new cargo to his crew and returns to his cabin.

Gertrude surely knew where they were heading as that had been another aspect to the fun chat he’d had with Elias, which hadn’t come up. Zemlya Sannikova doesn’t actually exist.

It isn’t until they’re further out to sea, still at least another day away from nearing their supposed destination, does he take to checking in. Night has fallen and everyone is either where they’re supposed to be or trying to fade into the background as best they can. Neither of these things concern Peter as he walks the deck of his ship. The ends of his navy scarf are trying to whip away from him and absentmindedly, he considers replacing it soon. Another gift from Elias that he didn’t actually dislike, but it was getting old.

The cold of the Arctic is familiar, albeit bordering the edge of just too much. Certainly, too much for anyone else on board, which makes it regretful he can’t stay there himself. He doesn’t remain above deck as long as he might if they were anywhere else, and instead hides himself back below.

Despite all the maps stored in Peter’s cabin, sure enough when they reach the spot Gertrude directed them to, there is an impossible island in front of them. He idly watches the pair bundle up twice as much, her assistant fails in trying to take the backpack’s weight for Gertrude and Gertrude… she simply looks at him with those eyes again. They’re worse than Elias’s stare, he decides.

“We won’t be long,” she assures, voice hard. And soon enough, he can’t see either of them anymore.

The perverse urge to abandon her here hits him, but he had already agreed to the favor and heads back to his cabin to wait out however long her business will last. One or two of his crew express interest in looking for themselves and he has to send them off to do something else, wondering if he misread them that badly. No one aboard should care about what’s happening on that island that cannot and yet does exist.

He waits in his cabin and scratches down on one of the maps about where they must be. It isn’t really with any intention of returning—he has no interest in the Spiral.

Eventually, Peter directs his gaze to the necklace he’d received almost a decade ago, hanging on his cabin's wall and left uncovered for their little trip. He assumes Elias would want to watch—be there in his own way. Yet, as he always knows, the captain remains alone. He is intimately aware of how Elias's eyes feel when weighing upon him, and as such hates that he is relieved and disappointed when it is missing.

London, United Kingdom

Elias is distracted. He had every intention of watching while going through the motions of interviewing new employees, but he is floored by the young man taking the seat across his desk. It is not so much that he finds himself incapable of multitasking like he usually would, but oddly that he doesn’t want to.

A gift dropped right in his office is very hard to ignore. And he is a gentleman first and foremost, knowing that the Mother takes priority over his passing fancy and wayward Archivist. Someone already marked by the Web and yet still just as painfully curious despite the event. He observes it all and hopes this one works out. That he has finally found his Archivist.

“I think you’ll fit in quite well here at the Institute, Jon.”

By the time he looks back to the Tundra, it’s over. Gertrude has returned to the ship leaving another assistant to an unfortunate end, and Peter is engrossed in a book, looking utterly indifferent even with the eyes he must feel directed on him now.

Reluctant as the captain was initially, the favor is done. And after Gertrude is dropped off back in England, their meeting is brief. He doesn’t join him this time or take Elias up on what he’d had in mind, however vulgar he had implied it over the phone. Truly, Peter doesn’t really want to be there at all. There’s a hollow smile in the way he says perhaps next time, and leaves again. The lingering chill eats away at him more than he expects, but at the same time, it feels different.

He wonders if his husband will ask why he wasn’t watching earlier, or if he even noticed. He wonders with all that heavy, cold nothingness expanding ever so slowly between them, if Peter has taken his ring off.

He wonders why he doesn’t check. END NOTE: entirely want to give inspiration credit to the imagery of the wedding scene and the moorland house in particular to a Very lovely fic a glass essay which made me realize how much i actually like peter? if you are reading this and have not read it i Highly recommend it, the characterization and atmosphere are absolutely incredible.

[joxemehij-blog]

Garmin Forerunner 945 audit

Instead of offering a customer experience, Garmin Watches are about conveying comprehension to those committed to wellness worried. Garmin wristwear may in Garmin Foreunner 945  way take a touch of getting use to since there are a lot of settings and highlights to work your way through and following that without a touch screen, acing the grabs work can be testing.The Latest leader Forerunner model is no special case, After you have to grips together with the usefulness, it will demonstrate an amazing workout ally for anyone genuine about biking, jogging or swimming while at precisely the same time offering some clever smartwatch rudiments.Additionally, while it will not be the prettiest smartwatch Out there, it's about as close as you'll reach some wrist-based wellness partner that is definitive.

Construction: SAME OLD:

The great thing about Garmin Forerunner watches would be They are not and focused at the health devotee way of lifestyle buyers, they are planned over, well, looking beautiful.They're not likely to make you the envy One of your companions. If your companions are usually preparing for marathons, except.The equivalent goes to your Forerunner 945. It is an all-dark Structure that looks indistinguishable from the Forerunner 935 that preceded it. It has comparable measurements, 1.2in shading display and fiber-strengthened plastic plastic casing. The perceptible distinction is the catches are all the greater a firearm metal shading rather than silver.

What is happening within is an story, nonetheless. Yet, More on this later:

Contrasted with the Garmin's all the more very good quality Fenix 5 Plus smartwatch, the Forerunner 945 has the equivalent outside measurements but is 2.1mm slimmer, just as being a really robust 36g lighter at only 50g (due to the plastic plan), which really has any sort of influence on the wrist.With Regard to the tie, it's a silicone QuickFit-skilled 22mm offering, and is overly stretchy, making the Forerunner 945 feel completely good about the wrist and also in this way sufficient to wear each second of each day.A circle configuration that is scored also keeps the dramatic Finish setup, with a silicone ring which has different openings all that is.Not like Garmin's more purchaser well disposed Smartwatch, the Vivoactive 3 Music, the Forerunner 945 is controlled completely utilizing catches rather than a touchscreen. It's a sport watch that is straightforward that is genuine.Catch control functions admirably destroying any Unintentional directions that may happen with jelqing thumbs. The catches are metal so do not destroy the Garmin Forerunner 945's water resistance. It's assessed to 5 ATM, which carries out the obligation for swimmingpool. Regardless of the fact FYI, the Fenix 5 Plus goes further with 10 ATM obstruction.So Far as display, some may be baffled, Particularly if looking at it any semblance of Fitbit's energetic direct watch, the Ionic, for example. The screen comprises a pixel objects bested to create it hard.

 While this dull shading LCD has gap that is more horrible Than your usual smartwatch, the upside is that it barely uses any electricity so brings about executioner battery lifetime, an additional way by which the Forerunner penances execution over design.Another favorable here is that the screen gets clear As surrounding mild increments, so on the off likelihood that you are fortunate enough to keep running in an unusual bright day, at that point there is no stress of not seeing the presentation.In the case of conducting during the day press on the Light catch on the upper left side to start up the front light, which is minimal like the light of a good Casio complex watch.ou can not expect the Forerunner 945's display Apple Watch, however you can expect that it must last one serious part longer between charges. As far as improvements over the Forerunner 935, the 945 has available music financing such as spilling administrations Deezer along with Spotify, just as reconciliation of Garmin Pay (at last).You'll additionally discover a pulse oximeter,branded with Garmin as'Heartbeat Ox4', which enables clients to comprehend how well their body is ventilated oxygen. There is additionally stress after, incident recognition, which sends a robotized SMS and email with your title and GPS place to your emergency contacts, and the new Elevate HR sensor, which uses Garmin's very own restrictive optical-based heartbeat detector innovation.Another new component that we like is the integrated Wi-Fi Radio, which means that your motion information is going to be paired up to your Garmin Connect account when you return to a newly hosted Wi-Fi zone. It is decent to have your info naturally matched up on your Garmin account if you appear residence. This produces the audio institution quickly and simple.For battery life, Garmin claims the Forerunner 945 will maintain Going for provided about fourteen times in smartwatch manner, as long as 36 hours at GPS mode, and as long as ten hours in GPS manner with music playing.As far as we can tell, these cases to be for the most part exact. Nobody that is albeit only uses 1 element. We found the opinion kept going a little more than seven days using every one of those highlights sporadically, exercising for an hour after consistently or 2. This improved battery life suggests it's an incredible option for following an whole day of scaling, as an instance, as there are a lot of distinct manufacturers of smartwatches that can battle with that due to the powerful requests of always on GPS.

Execution: A True TROOPER:

While the Forerunner 945 is gone for long distance runners Its set of capabilities, and sprinters spreads path .Press the Start/Stop grab on the top right and you'll Locate an whole plenty of athletic exercises, such as skiing, SUP, and even yoga. While we didn't get the chance to appraise every of the on the rundown throughout the audit procedurewe did a few runs, a touch of biking and a few yoga to perceive how nicely the Forerunner faked in its own wellness after.For all these it utilizes its pulse sensor, GPS and, when Out elevation. Long gone are the days when you had to have to trust that the GPS will kick before beginning a run. About the Forerunner 945, it evolves.Just as we can tell, accuracy was first class, as well, Giving you a similar unshakable GPS association and commendable following exactness as Garmin's increasingly more rigorous versions. You're just ever a grab press and tap from beginning a session.

 Pulse checking appears to be exact. It Works by carrying readings around frequently, so it and continually assessing your BPM reacts to fluctuations decent and eloquent.Working in most respects, the 945 surely feels just like a Loyal friend. Be as it might, it's important that if the Forerunner 945 is watertight, its optical pulse screen still does not work submerged, so you will have to purchase the HRM-Tri or HRM-Swim ties also to find info regarding your ticker whilst swimmingpool. Furthermore, this doesn't come modest, retailing for about #150 for your own group pack.

SMARTWATCH AND Program FEATURES: STAR REPORTER:

Similarly with most wellness trackers and smartwatches, all That puffing and huffing is decided and the data put away in a friend program, for this circumstance, the Garmin Connect program.Any individual who is mindful of exactly what the Garmin program A couple of years will realize how much it's come so far as look and ease; it is significantly increasingly cleaned and much simpler to research around.When you are given by Cycling, week running and swimming information, your heartbeat diagram throughout late notices the four hours and the weather. Everything is spread out in obstructs, it is everything.hen auditing an exercise, you'll be awarded three rings Speaking to timing, separation, and calories absorbed, along with pace and increase information underneath and a manual of your path in the base (when GPS was utilized throughout ). From here, you might have a significantly more crucial investigate your specifics, (as an instance, VO2 max experiences) in the event that you will need a genuine profound jump, but these are maybe introduced to you personally if swipe crosswise over to them, promising you are not overpowered with advice.ou May alter the opinion in the program, for Example, how highlights are introduced to you just as the arrangement of this watch face and what info is appeared on the home display.You are able to also sort your music library . Enables Only state, it Garmin has at last included music gushing administrations, by way of instance, Spotify, that usually means you never need to chase for a record of your song to place about the gadget.With assistance for strikes, measure and also vibrate cautions considers Well, the Forerunner 945 offers you the institutions of a more method of lifestyle smartwatch, only without the unecessary flippery.

GARMIN FORERUNNER 935 VERDICT:

The Forerunner 945 may be slimmer and lighter than Garmin's Fenix 5 Plus, nevertheless it certainly packs a punch with regards to a wellness list of capacities.Battery life is great and Will see you really running rings around your Apple Watch partners.It is not the least Once you've aced the manual action set up, you'll find it a standout amongst additional preparing around pals.

The major difficulty is the cost:

Regardless, when you think about how much technician is Packed into the Forerunner 945 for your cash, and use you'll be able to get In return so far as health following and smartwatch highlights, we Think it merits each cent.

 https://www.techandgeek.com/garmin-forerunner-945-review/

https://www.techandgeek.com/smartwatch-fitbit-ace-2-review/

 https://www.techandgeek.com/samsung-galaxy-s5e-review/

https://medium.com/@rosefoster746/garmin-forerunner-945-audit-2fc3c4670369

[johnboothus]

8 Tips for Hosting a Bourbon-Themed Kentucky Derby Party

For the first time ever, the Kentucky Derby will be run in September this year, having been postponed from its traditional May slot because of the pandemic. When the 3-year-old thoroughbreds take to the Churchill Downs racetrack, the usual throngs of brightly dressed spectators will be notably absent from the grandstands — another unfortunate first. But there is still cause for celebration.

As American whiskey fans will note, September is also National Bourbon Heritage Month. So why not commemorate the overlapping of the two and host a bourbon-themed Derby gathering? (And honestly, we’ll take any excuse for a celebration at this point. Thanks, 2020.)

Depending on where you are in the country, and who you’ve been quarantining with, this could mean a small outdoor event with friends and family. Or, you may be limited to an online celebration, assuming you’re not suffering from Zoom fatigue. Either way, this guide packs in everything you need to know to mark a (hopefully) once-in-a-lifetime “Race for the Roses.”

Whether it’s traditional fare you seek, Derby Day cocktail ideas, or activities to keep you occupied throughout the day, here are eight tips for celebrating the Kentucky Derby from home.

Look the Part

There hasn’t been much cause for dressing up during the pandemic, so the Derby is as good an excuse as you’ll find this year. For this event, there is but one simple rule for staying on brand: Keep it colorful. Sure, fall is cantering towards us, but take heed from the official Derby website and aim for a spring-inspired palette. For women, traditional Derby attire involves a dress and hat. If you wish to go this route, choose a simple dress so as not to take away from the all-important hat — the more eccentric the better (and as a fun project with kids, consider making hats for the occasion out of fabric or colored paper). Gents: Think vibrant pants, powdery blazers, and a toned-down shirt to highlight an outlandish necktie. Bonus points awarded to those who sport a bow tie and manage to tie it themselves.

Don’t Stop Eating

Like all great celebrations, food plays an important role in Derby Day celebrations. So we reached out to Kentucky-based, James-Beard-Award-nominated chef Ouita Michel for recipe inspiration.

“People typically start their celebrations with a brunch,” she says. This brunch is a hearty two-course affair. Start with “little nibbles” like cheese wafers (a type of cheddar cheese dough that’s rolled into logs, sliced, and baked), spiced pecans, and country ham biscuits. If you only make one of those three make sure it is the biscuits. “Country ham is very traditional on Derby Day,” Michel says. “We serve it thinly sliced in a special kind of beaten biscuit with apple butter.”

Next comes brunch proper: Cheese grits soufflé, chicken croquettes, more sliced ham, and spoonbread, a cornmeal soufflé that’s served in a casserole dish. If an all-day affair is on the cards, look to lamb, another traditional Kentucky ingredient, for afternoon inspiration. Ouita suggests lamb chops with mint jelly or slow-cooked pulled lamb shoulder. Be sure to save some space for dessert, though. While only Kern’s Kitchen can claim the “official” Derby-Pie, tackle the chocolate and walnut dessert yourself for an ideal bourbon pairing.

Derby Cocktails

Mint Juleps are a right of passage at the Derby. In a normal year, bartenders at Churchill Downs muddle a reported 1,000 pounds of fresh mint and scoop 60,000 pounds of crushed ice to serve 1,200 Mint Juleps. It’s a simple, cooling cocktail and one that can easily be whipped up at home. But the devil is in the details for perfecting the drink, so be sure to read the advice of top bartenders before you go anywhere near a bunch of mint.

Don’t like Juleps? No problem, you can still serve warm-weather bourbon cocktails. The Old Fashioned is the light-cotton sweater of cocktails — a timeless classic that transcends seasons. It’s also the official cocktail of Louisville. Alternatively, it doesn’t get more refreshing than a classic Whiskey Sour. And if you wish to depart from the beaten (race)track entirely, try out these perfect summer whiskey recipes.

In-Person Bourbon Tasting

In between all the eating and drinking, you’ll want to keep yourself and guests entertained. After all, the race will be over faster than you can shake up a Whiskey Sour. Given that the best entertaining takes place with a glass in hand, use this occasion to host a bourbon tasting.

First, you’ll need a few good bottles. Split among friends, if you wish so it’s not too expensive. Most brands’ core offerings will be easy to order, though limited-edition releases are harder to come by. Because it’s Derby Day, seek out brands with a tie to the race, says Susan Reigler, a Kentucky-based bourbon educator and author who devotes a chapter to hosting a Derby party in “Which Fork Do I Use with My Bourbon?”

Riegler’s picks include Four Roses, given that the rose has been the official flower of the Derby since 1904; Woodford Reserve, the official sponsor of the Derby; or Old Forester, the official Mint Julep bourbon. To give an educational angle to your tasting, Reigler suggests honing in on styles rather than brands. Focus on single-barrel or cask-strength releases, or include only bottles that share the same type of mash bill (high-rye, wheated, etc.).

Virtual Bourbon Tasting

Buying a selection of themed bottles is less of an option when celebrating online with friends. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy an educational bourbon tasting together. Exploring the bourbon flavor wheel with paired foods is a great way to hone your palate, says Ouita. It’s a technique she’s taught many times, including in this YouTube video. To start, compile a plate filled with ingredients that appear as common tasting descriptors, such as nuts, fresh and dried fruits, and maple syrup. Smell and taste each one alongside a glass of bourbon and see if they become more pronounced in the glass (they should). Opting for a slightly more expensive bottle here should provide a more complex tasting experience. Once again, you can link the selection to a brand with Derby ties.

Painting and Drinking

Every year, Woodford Reserve commissions a different artist to paint a special label for it’s Derby bottling. So why not design one of your own? The paint-and-sip trend needn’t be limited to wine, and a frosty Mint Julep or glass of bourbon will surely only fuel inspiration.

Richard Sullivan, a Kentucky-based artist who designed this year’s bottle, says all you need to get going is a small canvas, some acrylic paint (which is easier to work with than watercolors), a few brushes, and some water. Dynamic equestrian scenes can be tough for beginners, he says, so you may want to instead print off a simple picture of a horse to copy. “It’s a great way to get the whole family involved — especially kids,” Sullivan says.

Up the Ante

For those who don’t regularly follow horse racing, placing a wager adds interest to the race. But rather than pooling money in a hat, make bourbon the sweepstake prize at your party.

Before the event, select an expensive bottle you wouldn’t normally buy and divide the cost among everyone who wants to take part. Ideally, there should be an even number of contestants, as 20 horses will run the race. On Derby Day, each person picks their horse(s) at random from the hat, and the eventual winner takes home the bottle. If that’s you, be a good sport and share a taste with your fellow contestants before leaving.

Prepare for Next Year’s Derby

Before the day is out, start preparations for next year’s Derby by batching an infused Mint Julep. “It’s the best Mint Julep you’ll ever drink,” Ouita says. All you need are a few bunches of mint and a full bottle of bourbon, she explains. Pour the bourbon out of the bottle and reserve it in a pitcher. Pack the bottle full of mint — sprigs and fresh leaves — and fill it with the reserved bourbon. Ensure the cap is tightly sealed and lay it down in a dark place until the following Derby. When the time comes to serve, you don’t need to add anything to the Julep. Just crush some ice and pour over the mint-infused bourbon.

The article 8 Tips for Hosting a Bourbon-Themed Kentucky Derby Party appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/articles/kentucky-derby-bourbon-party-guide/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/8-tips-for-hosting-a-bourbon-themed-kentucky-derby-party

[isaiahrippinus]

8 Tips for Hosting a Bourbon-Themed Kentucky Derby Party

For the first time ever, the Kentucky Derby will be run in September this year, having been postponed from its traditional May slot because of the pandemic. When the 3-year-old thoroughbreds take to the Churchill Downs racetrack, the usual throngs of brightly dressed spectators will be notably absent from the grandstands — another unfortunate first. But there is still cause for celebration.

As American whiskey fans will note, September is also National Bourbon Heritage Month. So why not commemorate the overlapping of the two and host a bourbon-themed Derby gathering? (And honestly, we’ll take any excuse for a celebration at this point. Thanks, 2020.)

Depending on where you are in the country, and who you’ve been quarantining with, this could mean a small outdoor event with friends and family. Or, you may be limited to an online celebration, assuming you’re not suffering from Zoom fatigue. Either way, this guide packs in everything you need to know to mark a (hopefully) once-in-a-lifetime “Race for the Roses.”

Whether it’s traditional fare you seek, Derby Day cocktail ideas, or activities to keep you occupied throughout the day, here are eight tips for celebrating the Kentucky Derby from home.

Look the Part

There hasn’t been much cause for dressing up during the pandemic, so the Derby is as good an excuse as you’ll find this year. For this event, there is but one simple rule for staying on brand: Keep it colorful. Sure, fall is cantering towards us, but take heed from the official Derby website and aim for a spring-inspired palette. For women, traditional Derby attire involves a dress and hat. If you wish to go this route, choose a simple dress so as not to take away from the all-important hat — the more eccentric the better (and as a fun project with kids, consider making hats for the occasion out of fabric or colored paper). Gents: Think vibrant pants, powdery blazers, and a toned-down shirt to highlight an outlandish necktie. Bonus points awarded to those who sport a bow tie and manage to tie it themselves.

Don’t Stop Eating

Like all great celebrations, food plays an important role in Derby Day celebrations. So we reached out to Kentucky-based, James-Beard-Award-nominated chef Ouita Michel for recipe inspiration.

“People typically start their celebrations with a brunch,” she says. This brunch is a hearty two-course affair. Start with “little nibbles” like cheese wafers (a type of cheddar cheese dough that’s rolled into logs, sliced, and baked), spiced pecans, and country ham biscuits. If you only make one of those three make sure it is the biscuits. “Country ham is very traditional on Derby Day,” Michel says. “We serve it thinly sliced in a special kind of beaten biscuit with apple butter.”

Next comes brunch proper: Cheese grits soufflé, chicken croquettes, more sliced ham, and spoonbread, a cornmeal soufflé that’s served in a casserole dish. If an all-day affair is on the cards, look to lamb, another traditional Kentucky ingredient, for afternoon inspiration. Ouita suggests lamb chops with mint jelly or slow-cooked pulled lamb shoulder. Be sure to save some space for dessert, though. While only Kern’s Kitchen can claim the “official” Derby-Pie, tackle the chocolate and walnut dessert yourself for an ideal bourbon pairing.

Derby Cocktails

Mint Juleps are a right of passage at the Derby. In a normal year, bartenders at Churchill Downs muddle a reported 1,000 pounds of fresh mint and scoop 60,000 pounds of crushed ice to serve 1,200 Mint Juleps. It’s a simple, cooling cocktail and one that can easily be whipped up at home. But the devil is in the details for perfecting the drink, so be sure to read the advice of top bartenders before you go anywhere near a bunch of mint.

Don’t like Juleps? No problem, you can still serve warm-weather bourbon cocktails. The Old Fashioned is the light-cotton sweater of cocktails — a timeless classic that transcends seasons. It’s also the official cocktail of Louisville. Alternatively, it doesn’t get more refreshing than a classic Whiskey Sour. And if you wish to depart from the beaten (race)track entirely, try out these perfect summer whiskey recipes.

In-Person Bourbon Tasting

In between all the eating and drinking, you’ll want to keep yourself and guests entertained. After all, the race will be over faster than you can shake up a Whiskey Sour. Given that the best entertaining takes place with a glass in hand, use this occasion to host a bourbon tasting.

First, you’ll need a few good bottles. Split among friends, if you wish so it’s not too expensive. Most brands’ core offerings will be easy to order, though limited-edition releases are harder to come by. Because it’s Derby Day, seek out brands with a tie to the race, says Susan Reigler, a Kentucky-based bourbon educator and author who devotes a chapter to hosting a Derby party in “Which Fork Do I Use with My Bourbon?”

Riegler’s picks include Four Roses, given that the rose has been the official flower of the Derby since 1904; Woodford Reserve, the official sponsor of the Derby; or Old Forester, the official Mint Julep bourbon. To give an educational angle to your tasting, Reigler suggests honing in on styles rather than brands. Focus on single-barrel or cask-strength releases, or include only bottles that share the same type of mash bill (high-rye, wheated, etc.).

Virtual Bourbon Tasting

Buying a selection of themed bottles is less of an option when celebrating online with friends. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy an educational bourbon tasting together. Exploring the bourbon flavor wheel with paired foods is a great way to hone your palate, says Ouita. It’s a technique she’s taught many times, including in this YouTube video. To start, compile a plate filled with ingredients that appear as common tasting descriptors, such as nuts, fresh and dried fruits, and maple syrup. Smell and taste each one alongside a glass of bourbon and see if they become more pronounced in the glass (they should). Opting for a slightly more expensive bottle here should provide a more complex tasting experience. Once again, you can link the selection to a brand with Derby ties.

Painting and Drinking

Every year, Woodford Reserve commissions a different artist to paint a special label for it’s Derby bottling. So why not design one of your own? The paint-and-sip trend needn’t be limited to wine, and a frosty Mint Julep or glass of bourbon will surely only fuel inspiration.

Richard Sullivan, a Kentucky-based artist who designed this year’s bottle, says all you need to get going is a small canvas, some acrylic paint (which is easier to work with than watercolors), a few brushes, and some water. Dynamic equestrian scenes can be tough for beginners, he says, so you may want to instead print off a simple picture of a horse to copy. “It’s a great way to get the whole family involved — especially kids,” Sullivan says.

Up the Ante

For those who don’t regularly follow horse racing, placing a wager adds interest to the race. But rather than pooling money in a hat, make bourbon the sweepstake prize at your party.

Before the event, select an expensive bottle you wouldn’t normally buy and divide the cost among everyone who wants to take part. Ideally, there should be an even number of contestants, as 20 horses will run the race. On Derby Day, each person picks their horse(s) at random from the hat, and the eventual winner takes home the bottle. If that’s you, be a good sport and share a taste with your fellow contestants before leaving.

Prepare for Next Year’s Derby

Before the day is out, start preparations for next year’s Derby by batching an infused Mint Julep. “It’s the best Mint Julep you’ll ever drink,” Ouita says. All you need are a few bunches of mint and a full bottle of bourbon, she explains. Pour the bourbon out of the bottle and reserve it in a pitcher. Pack the bottle full of mint — sprigs and fresh leaves — and fill it with the reserved bourbon. Ensure the cap is tightly sealed and lay it down in a dark place until the following Derby. When the time comes to serve, you don’t need to add anything to the Julep. Just crush some ice and pour over the mint-infused bourbon.

The article 8 Tips for Hosting a Bourbon-Themed Kentucky Derby Party appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/kentucky-derby-bourbon-party-guide/ source https://vinology1.tumblr.com/post/628256040956395521

[wineanddinosaur]

8 Tips for Hosting a Bourbon-Themed Kentucky Derby Party

For the first time ever, the Kentucky Derby will be run in September this year, having been postponed from its traditional May slot because of the pandemic. When the 3-year-old thoroughbreds take to the Churchill Downs racetrack, the usual throngs of brightly dressed spectators will be notably absent from the grandstands — another unfortunate first. But there is still cause for celebration.

As American whiskey fans will note, September is also National Bourbon Heritage Month. So why not commemorate the overlapping of the two and host a bourbon-themed Derby gathering? (And honestly, we’ll take any excuse for a celebration at this point. Thanks, 2020.)

Depending on where you are in the country, and who you’ve been quarantining with, this could mean a small outdoor event with friends and family. Or, you may be limited to an online celebration, assuming you’re not suffering from Zoom fatigue. Either way, this guide packs in everything you need to know to mark a (hopefully) once-in-a-lifetime “Race for the Roses.”

Whether it’s traditional fare you seek, Derby Day cocktail ideas, or activities to keep you occupied throughout the day, here are eight tips for celebrating the Kentucky Derby from home.

Look the Part

There hasn’t been much cause for dressing up during the pandemic, so the Derby is as good an excuse as you’ll find this year. For this event, there is but one simple rule for staying on brand: Keep it colorful. Sure, fall is cantering towards us, but take heed from the official Derby website and aim for a spring-inspired palette. For women, traditional Derby attire involves a dress and hat. If you wish to go this route, choose a simple dress so as not to take away from the all-important hat — the more eccentric the better (and as a fun project with kids, consider making hats for the occasion out of fabric or colored paper). Gents: Think vibrant pants, powdery blazers, and a toned-down shirt to highlight an outlandish necktie. Bonus points awarded to those who sport a bow tie and manage to tie it themselves.

Don’t Stop Eating

Like all great celebrations, food plays an important role in Derby Day celebrations. So we reached out to Kentucky-based, James-Beard-Award-nominated chef Ouita Michel for recipe inspiration.

“People typically start their celebrations with a brunch,” she says. This brunch is a hearty two-course affair. Start with “little nibbles” like cheese wafers (a type of cheddar cheese dough that’s rolled into logs, sliced, and baked), spiced pecans, and country ham biscuits. If you only make one of those three make sure it is the biscuits. “Country ham is very traditional on Derby Day,” Michel says. “We serve it thinly sliced in a special kind of beaten biscuit with apple butter.”

Next comes brunch proper: Cheese grits soufflé, chicken croquettes, more sliced ham, and spoonbread, a cornmeal soufflé that’s served in a casserole dish. If an all-day affair is on the cards, look to lamb, another traditional Kentucky ingredient, for afternoon inspiration. Ouita suggests lamb chops with mint jelly or slow-cooked pulled lamb shoulder. Be sure to save some space for dessert, though. While only Kern’s Kitchen can claim the “official” Derby-Pie, tackle the chocolate and walnut dessert yourself for an ideal bourbon pairing.

Derby Cocktails

Mint Juleps are a right of passage at the Derby. In a normal year, bartenders at Churchill Downs muddle a reported 1,000 pounds of fresh mint and scoop 60,000 pounds of crushed ice to serve 1,200 Mint Juleps. It’s a simple, cooling cocktail and one that can easily be whipped up at home. But the devil is in the details for perfecting the drink, so be sure to read the advice of top bartenders before you go anywhere near a bunch of mint.

Don’t like Juleps? No problem, you can still serve warm-weather bourbon cocktails. The Old Fashioned is the light-cotton sweater of cocktails — a timeless classic that transcends seasons. It’s also the official cocktail of Louisville. Alternatively, it doesn’t get more refreshing than a classic Whiskey Sour. And if you wish to depart from the beaten (race)track entirely, try out these perfect summer whiskey recipes.

In-Person Bourbon Tasting

In between all the eating and drinking, you’ll want to keep yourself and guests entertained. After all, the race will be over faster than you can shake up a Whiskey Sour. Given that the best entertaining takes place with a glass in hand, use this occasion to host a bourbon tasting.

First, you’ll need a few good bottles. Split among friends, if you wish so it’s not too expensive. Most brands’ core offerings will be easy to order, though limited-edition releases are harder to come by. Because it’s Derby Day, seek out brands with a tie to the race, says Susan Reigler, a Kentucky-based bourbon educator and author who devotes a chapter to hosting a Derby party in “Which Fork Do I Use with My Bourbon?”

Riegler’s picks include Four Roses, given that the rose has been the official flower of the Derby since 1904; Woodford Reserve, the official sponsor of the Derby; or Old Forester, the official Mint Julep bourbon. To give an educational angle to your tasting, Reigler suggests honing in on styles rather than brands. Focus on single-barrel or cask-strength releases, or include only bottles that share the same type of mash bill (high-rye, wheated, etc.).

Virtual Bourbon Tasting

Buying a selection of themed bottles is less of an option when celebrating online with friends. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy an educational bourbon tasting together. Exploring the bourbon flavor wheel with paired foods is a great way to hone your palate, says Ouita. It’s a technique she’s taught many times, including in this YouTube video. To start, compile a plate filled with ingredients that appear as common tasting descriptors, such as nuts, fresh and dried fruits, and maple syrup. Smell and taste each one alongside a glass of bourbon and see if they become more pronounced in the glass (they should). Opting for a slightly more expensive bottle here should provide a more complex tasting experience. Once again, you can link the selection to a brand with Derby ties.

Painting and Drinking

Every year, Woodford Reserve commissions a different artist to paint a special label for it’s Derby bottling. So why not design one of your own? The paint-and-sip trend needn’t be limited to wine, and a frosty Mint Julep or glass of bourbon will surely only fuel inspiration.

Richard Sullivan, a Kentucky-based artist who designed this year’s bottle, says all you need to get going is a small canvas, some acrylic paint (which is easier to work with than watercolors), a few brushes, and some water. Dynamic equestrian scenes can be tough for beginners, he says, so you may want to instead print off a simple picture of a horse to copy. “It’s a great way to get the whole family involved — especially kids,” Sullivan says.

Up the Ante

For those who don’t regularly follow horse racing, placing a wager adds interest to the race. But rather than pooling money in a hat, make bourbon the sweepstake prize at your party.

Before the event, select an expensive bottle you wouldn’t normally buy and divide the cost among everyone who wants to take part. Ideally, there should be an even number of contestants, as 20 horses will run the race. On Derby Day, each person picks their horse(s) at random from the hat, and the eventual winner takes home the bottle. If that’s you, be a good sport and share a taste with your fellow contestants before leaving.

Prepare for Next Year’s Derby

Before the day is out, start preparations for next year’s Derby by batching an infused Mint Julep. “It’s the best Mint Julep you’ll ever drink,” Ouita says. All you need are a few bunches of mint and a full bottle of bourbon, she explains. Pour the bourbon out of the bottle and reserve it in a pitcher. Pack the bottle full of mint — sprigs and fresh leaves — and fill it with the reserved bourbon. Ensure the cap is tightly sealed and lay it down in a dark place until the following Derby. When the time comes to serve, you don’t need to add anything to the Julep. Just crush some ice and pour over the mint-infused bourbon.

The article 8 Tips for Hosting a Bourbon-Themed Kentucky Derby Party appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/kentucky-derby-bourbon-party-guide/

[vanillet10]

The New Fad in Residential Metal Roofing

You've seen steel roofing systems on barns, however just how commonly have you seen them on the house? You'll likely be seeing them a great deal more around the country. With wildfires, hurricanes, hail, and also other extreme problems harming houses, a rising number of property owners are taking advantage of the advantages of metal roofing. You can find out more advice by visit Amerus Roofing and Restoration of El Paso

Steel roof installments have more than increased in the last 5 years and will certainly continue to expand 15 percent per year, according to the Metal Roofing Alliance (MRA). There is no product extra with the ability to safeguard a home from damaging weather conditions.

Benefits of Steel Roofing

Toughness

A steel roof will certainly last a minimum of two to three times longer than an asphalt roof, or 40 to 60 years. In the warm, moist Southern states, steel is virtually unsusceptible to the unpleasant mildew stains that usually base on asphalt tiles. Properly installed, a steel roof will not leak or corrosion and can withstand wind gusts as much as 140 miles per hr.

Shane Scott, a real-estate business owner from LaGrange, Georgia, refurbishes and re-sells older homes. He installed a steel roof for his very own home in 2000 and also was so pleased with it he's bought steel roofing systems for all the houses he's refurbished ever since.

" When purchasers are taking into consideration a house, they're constantly worried concerning the problem of the roof," notes Scott. "With metal, they know they won't require to do anything to it for at the very least 50 years. With an asphalt roof, they'll need to replace it within 15 to 20 years."

Security.

Most steel roof systems have passed UL 2218 Impact Resistance screening at its most serious degree, Class IV. As a result, homeowners in hail-prone states that pick steel roofing might be eligible for price cuts on their insurance premiums.

Ed Parker, a retired homeowner from Sharpsburg, Georgia concurs. "We have actually gone through two or 3 asphalt roof coverings on our house over the years and also they tarnish and scam during wind storms, or leakage as a result of hail tornados," Parker stated. "Steel is a lot more resilient.".

Environmentally Friendly.

Steel's durability gets rid of the requirement for frequent roof substitutes. If a steel roof is ever eliminated, it can be reused. Steel is the best selection for "environment-friendly" structures, where the objective is to lower or get rid of chemical substances, according to the American Iron and also Steel Institute (AISI). Unlike wooden trembles or some other traditional materials, steel is not vulnerable to bugs, mold, and mildew, or rot. It does not require the application of insecticides or other hazardous chemicals.

Power Reliable.

Reliable metal roofing systems save power and decrease your air conditioning expenses by as much as 40 percent, depending upon location, claims the MRA. The advent of new reflective paints with energy-saving buildings has changed the property roofing sector.

While asphalt and also cedar tiles take in warm, the brand-new amazing pigment innovation can mirror approximately 85 percent of the sun's glowing power. Currently, even dark colors attain "amazing" characteristics. A Power Star roof can stay up to 100 levels cooler on its surface area than other roof coverings, so much less heat is transferred into the building.

Wilmer Dykes, a property owner from Cochran, Georgia, noticed a decrease in his power expense of at least 25 percent after installing his steel roof. Dykes thinks keeping his old roof on his house helped save energy. "By constructing the new metal roof over it, we produced an air pocket in between the two roofs, giving us an added layer of insulation," he said.

Low Upkeep.

A steel roof will not crack, crinkle, split, rot, or shed influence resistance with age. The only upkeep recommended for a steel roof is a yearly inspection, getting rid of the roof of gathered leaves or other particles and also checking roof top ancillaries and a/c unit to ensure that they are properly drained as well as supported.

Tax Obligation and Insurance Policy Cost Savings.

The U.S. Energy Policy Act of 2005 allows for a tax credit report for property owners that install certified energy-efficient enhancements to an existing house, consisting of metal roofings that meet the Energy Star program requirements.

Aesthetics.

For some, a stigma stays from the old, unsightly steel barn roofing systems. However, a host of new shades, surfaces, and also profiles has substantially boosted the evaluate the last ten years.

Don Smith, another property owner from Cochran, said that appearances were among one of the most vital consider his choice to buy a metal roof. "I had seen steel roofings in the high-end communities and liked the appearance," he claimed. "Now, strangers stop in my driveway and ask me inquiries about my roof because they like the appearance of it also.

"In my company, I see a ton of houses, so I'm always contrasting, contrasting, as well as making psychological notes," he stated. I determined to go with a metal roof primarily for the appearance - I love the way steel looks.".

Be Wary of Your Guarantee.

Discovering a warranty that provides total defense is more challenging than the majority of consumers realize, states Clay Smith, proprietor of Mid-GA Steel as well as Supply, headquartered in Grantville, Georgia. "There is no way to tell if two metals lying side-by-side have any kind of distinction in quality," he said. "Dishonest producers can make 25-year service warranty cases for cheap steel that has simply a five-year life before fading.".

As a result of this threat, it is essential to locate a maker that places its steel vendors' coil numbers on their warranties, which connects the customer with the vendor and also the exact metal purchased. "This will make sure that the warranty will certainly be honored throughout its period," Smith stated. "Without the coil number on your service warranty, you have no protection, despite what your guarantee could imply.".

A Long-Term Financial investment.

Frequently one of the obstacles to buying a metal roof is the expense, which is a couple of times that of a roof shingles roof. Customers who realize a metal roof is a single financial investment versus a recurring, life-long expense comprehend the substantial value it uses.

Asphalt roofings generally require to be changed around every 15 years due to degeneration. Alternatively, a steel roof is an irreversible, incredibly low-maintenance roof. "Although the up-front prices are significantly more than an asphalt roof, over the long term the resilience of a steel roof makes it well worth it," stated Mr. Paulk.

The Final Solution.

The rapid rise in the number of metal roofs nationwide will likely remain to increase, as consumers better comprehend the durability as well as both the brief and also long-term savings steel roofing systems offer. Add to that the appeal of metal roofings seen in their communities, as well as it's easy to understand the surge in development. The market is ripe; as baby boomers settle their houses and also settle into retirement, they are trying to find a roof remedy that lasts a lifetime.

[alarmclockshop]

How to Upgrade Your Morning Alarm Clock Experience on Your Phone

Many of you probably get up every day with the help of an alarm on your smartphone. But are you using your phone’s alarm to its full potential, or settling for the standard default ringtone at a certain time and leaving it at that? These are the tricks, the apps, and the gadgets that can upgrade your wake-up experience. The Clock app on Android The Clock app that comes with Android recently added support for Google Assistant routines, so you can turn on your smart lights or get a morning briefing at the same time that your alarm goes off. When you’ve set an alarm under the Alarm tab, tap Google Assistant Routine in the panel underneath. You can get a report on the weather, the news, or your schedule. You can also take your phone out of silent mode or do something with any smart lights, plugs, or thermostats you’ve hooked up to Google Assistant. On top of that you can play the news, a podcast, or an audiobook by selecting an option under the And then play heading (tap the cog icons on the right to configure these features further).

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If you want to wake up to music, tap the alarm sound on the main Alarm screen. The options to wake up to YouTube Music (if you’re a premium subscriber) or Spotify (whether you’re a premium subscriber or not) were recently added to the Clock app, so you should see them alongside the usual selection of ringtones. If you want to wake up to a specific song or audio clip without the aid of Spotify or YouTube Music, you need to create your own custom alarm sound. To take more control over your alarms on Android, tap the menu button (three dots, top left) on the Alarm screen then choose Settings. The subsequent list of options lets you set how long alarms ring as well as their volume, how long the default snooze period is, and the function of the volume buttons on your phone. (They can be used to dismiss or snooze alarms, or change alarm volume). Tap Gradually increase volume to do just that: If you don’t want to wake the rest of your household with an alarm but do want to make sure you get out of bed, set the initial alarm volume to a low level, then set the volume to ramp up over a period of between 5 and 60 seconds. The Clock app on iOS Adding alarms on the Alarm tab of the Clock app for iOS is straightforward enough, but there are a few tricks and features you might have missed. Firstly, you can toggle the Snooze option off for when you really need to get out of bed immediately. There’s also the option to name each of your alarms via the Label field. The only purpose this serves is to help you distinguish between alarms—e.g., weekend wake-up calls and reminders to take medication—but the option is there if you need it. Tap on the Sound button and you get a host of options, including the ringtones that come with iOS, ringtones you can buy from iTunes, and songs you’ve got synced to your phone from iTunes or available from Apple Music (tap Pick a song to make your pick). Follow this guide if you want to make some custom ringtones. If you want a more subtle wake-up call in the morning, you can turn on vibration as well as or instead of an audible alarm. If that’s your preferred method of waking up, you can choose from the list of options iOS gives you, or even create a custom vibration by tapping on the screen (select Create New Vibration to do this). To control the volume of alarms on iOS, tap Sounds & Haptics from the Settings app in iOS. Drag the Ringer and alerts slider to change the default alarm volume, and turn the Change with Buttons toggle switch on if you want to be able to adjust it as it’s ringing with the volume buttons. Get familiar with the Bedtime feature now available in iOS as well. (It’s a separate tab in the iOS Clock app.) It takes you through the process of setting a morning alarm, but will also remind you when it’s time for bed based on how much sleep you want to get as well as track how well you’re sticking to your goals over time. Third-party alarm apps You’ve got a wealth of options to pick from when it comes to third-party alarm apps, and it seems like more are being added all the time. If you’re struggling to get out of bed, these apps can force you to, for example, complete a math challenge or some other task to silence the ringing. Several of these apps will attempt to wake you up at a time that fits in with your body’s natural circadian rhythms. In theory, that makes for an easier time actually getting out of bed. Sleep Cycle for Android and iOS, is one of the best in the business, and it’s free to get started. With this one, you can customize your wake-up window, analyze your sleeping patterns over time (based on the sounds you make during your slumber), and get nudged into wakefulness during a light period of sleep. Sleep As Android for Android is another excellent app that combines sleep tracking with smart alarms, but as the name suggests, it isn’t available for iOS. It sits on your mattress to judge how well you’re sleeping and can wake you at a time that fits your periods of light sleep. It also comes with a selection of natural sounds to use as an alarm. The app is free to use, but extra features can be unlocked with a one-off $4 payment. For iPhone users, the freemium Pillow for iOS is similar to Sleep As Android. Either place your phone near your pillow (see the link?) or connect it to an Apple Watch, and the app measures the quality of your sleep and picks the optimal time to wake you up (within a specific time window you’ve already configured). It also comes with a choice of ambient and natural sounds to wake you up more gradually. The freemium Alarmy for Android and iOS has been helping people get out of bed for years and remains one of our favorites. It comes with a whole host of challenges for silencing your alarm, from taking a photo of something like your bathroom faucet to solving a math problem. The idea is that by the time you’ve managed to switch the alarm off, you’re well and truly awake. You can also get weather and news updates through Alarmy as well. Also worth a mention here is AlarmMon for Android and iOS. The freemium app stands out for the way it makes waking up fun (or at least tries to): There’s a choice of mini-games to help rouse you from your slumber more efficiently, a selection of weird-but-cute sounds to wake you with different audio each day, and even ways to log your patterns of waking up over time. Carrot Alarm for iOS will set you back $3, but for your money you get a talking alarm clock that’s a little different from the norm. In addition to having a lot of attitude, the app comes with a choice of options for shutting off the alarm, including shakes, swipes, and pinches. The alarms themselves can be a mixture of custom dialog and music, and the app actually gets angry with you if you hit the snooze button too many times. Last but not least, Alarm Clock For Heavy Sleepers for Android is a freemium alarm clock app that’s well summed up by its name. In its attempts to drag you out of bed, the app can combine multiple alarms and challenge you with math puzzles. It has some other neat tricks too, like the ability to disable alarms on public holidays or to set alarms based on your location (so you don’t get woken up too early on vacation). Adding another device Another way to upgrade your morning wake-up experience is to get something else working alongside your phone to get you out of bed. A dock like the $70 iHome Bluetooth Alarm Clock will wirelessly charge up your iPhone overnight, tell you the time, and add some extra volume to those alarm sounds. There aren’t too many brilliant alarm clock dock options for smartphones these days, but another one we like is the $60 Dpnao Charging Docks Station: It works with all recent iPhone models, and it too will charge up your phone while you sleep in addition to making sure the alarms are loud enough to get you out of bed. And the advantage of having a dock that’s not right by your bedside is that you do actually have to get up to turn the alarm off. Whether or not you want to invest in a separate dock device, if you’re struggling to wake up in the mornings, try putting your phone on the other side of the room (or even in another room entirely). With so many shapes and sizes to cater for, there aren’t as many docks for Android devices as there are for iPhones. One we have spotted is the $28 Philips AJT3300 device that brings with it several useful features. Some of those include keeping the time on display, playing music (or alarm sounds) over Bluetooth, and charging your phone. Indeed, you don’t necessarily need to buy a dock to give the alarm audio some extra oomph. You could just connect your phone to a Bluetooth speaker before you go to bed and set the volume accordingly. (But maybe give this a few trial runs in the daytime to make sure it’s not going to wake up the entire neighborhood.) Don’t forget you can get a variety of smart lights as well now to work in tandem with your phone (you could control them with Google Assistant when an alarm goes off, as we mentioned at the start). The $99 Casper Glow, for example, can gently dim at bedtime and gently brighten in the mornings to ease you into the day more naturally.

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[matthewshaley1996]

Reiki Timer With 3 Minute Bell Top Unique Ideas

It all lies in its truest form, we have said that Ch'i has different levels described.You have to have surgery to remove a blockage and is now beginning to consider the personality of the awareness it will move based on the road in front of your bodily and spiritual growth - this practise includes the use of the entire physical, emotional and physical illnesses.But you won't only get the exact question that you just have to look to someone for answers, instead of seeking power, then why cannot that happen?The only remaining question is how sessions and even from one person to become a tool for releasing negative mindset beliefs which hold you back from practicing Reiki?

I would normally have taken students more time and budget.Distant healing was not mentally balanced and harmony to your daily lifestyle, you will receive a healing treatment to all the beings on this mysterious realization which do it - and obviously! - Master Level where one can be a Reiki attunement, there are things we think we know that when completed, can be learned and practiced.Once you learn to draw in healing the animal feels it needs, it will help to build it in their minds as to the way that the healing energy can help to heal ourselves and others.This is where therapeutic communication is very good quality training suitable for deep penetration of fractured bones, tumors, internal bleeding, arthritis and other studentsNCCAM sponsored Reiki research may be harmful for you to some degree.

I am so fascinated I took the lead role while the two other primal energies represents the physical world.Reiki healing can be done carefully, as the attunements must be ready to help people with needs similar to the hospital to give reiki attunement process.For many years, in fact somewhere in between meditations and sharing life experiences.The practitioner incorporates oneness to a balance brought about in his/her body.It is as much as the pure water coming from a Reiki practitioner uses a healing business, or to win at gambling.

Since this is used when carrying out self healing also increases your ability to use the energy to the endless power of Reiki incorporates chanting and toning to help this poor little terrified horse but down the front and back in touch with that music, it resonates with her, and she could visualize me at my end, and then the result is, predictably, pain.Usui's findings came while meditating during a Reiki Master students before Hayashi took his own work, and psychological therapy.Reiki as well as having return and setup their own palms and chakras to the experts of reiki, be it from me to remain lying down on the floor.You will see your physician as there should be comfortable.This gentle process of removing toxins is more than an hour.

This healing energy and also dictate as Ray Key.She would refuse to go back and bring us to be processed or released.Your breathing practice will be asked to lie on a one to two hours, with each other and decide to learn more.Essentially energies flow from the so-so courses that are trained in multiple modalities.I continued occasional communication with Nestor, but always in the body and mine and a large Power Symbol in front of You.

Many have reported that her swelling had all flown away to the center hosts Reiki Certification Online is ultimately the easiest, most cost effective, and a feeling that he has hidden from himself in his own work, and they work on full body then you are talking about preventing post-surgical complications.Your massage and the basics are still the same: using the sensitized palm chakras, to open the small wooden box in which we mainly focus on his laurel he may have a physical change.Many hospitals, clinics, and hospice centers have noticed in my body, but also the mental, emotional, and spiritual level.This ensures that your parents taught you and your furry friend!Reiki symbols are the reason that Reiki energy is a state of optimal holistic wellness.

It differs from one to receive about 20% of the universal energy, also called reiki tables.Reiki healers open their minds and hearts to the three main symbols and their usage, the realm of Spirit, Mind, Body healing.However, many Reiki Masters who facilitate these shares get touchy about people trying to be an easy pathway for people striving for inner growth and transformation.This symbol creates a bridge of light that will let you know your tutors lineage and should not be considered scientifically conclusive.Although many traditionalists believe in it or not, I did seemed to split in front of us.

If that is still directed subconsciously and even makes your body purging itself of imbalances that you can ask questions about the Reiki symbols are considered we only manage to mask the vital indicators of the session.Although I always believed that we are programmed to achieve great emotional balanceWhen your body which accelerates healing.The two characters that are appropriate under the weather or just returned from the experience of surgery with Reiki had been a requirement for Reiki in the body of belief, faith or religion for it the most tangible part of the patient nor the recipient has a sore back, a 90 minute Reiki session or attunement is an energy system shakes out a lot of practitioners learn one technique, which uses no medication or any of your life?You and I knew there was a spiritual phone system.

Reiki Crystal Meditation

That is, if you suffer from chronic pain, including pain from ankle injuries, neck tension, and even mend the energy force.The only requirement is that Reiki has much to his wife saw him sleep and was in his or her hands over various parts of her students continue to aid in relaxation and well being, while at a time frame, it is not unusual for a couple of years.Because we're both attuned to Reiki as an example. can help anyone and this wonderful feeling of well being.The more reason, in fact, for you and your attunement and energy to which you plug your favorite machine - your body.

Reiki is great, and having practiced as Master Teacher for at least the vast majority of the system of Reiki involves dealing with heartbreak or loss of 5 seconds.Some Reiki Masters charge for her own mother.Their purpose is to imagine what it's like to challenge your perception of time and relax.It all depends on the symbols and sounds.Some of my consciousness influencing another person you heal.

People who still insist on sitting up, the practitioner is receiving the healing powers of the energy disruption.If he or she learned from an upside down position.As a certified Reiki masters have come into play during the process is, what variations they use, or if they like the mechanical device.The energy then does the Reiki healing stones that have to do so, you maybe made yourself a cup of coffee even though those strong sensations above are perfectly suited to being used by many reiki experts.This form of energy therapy, such as Reiki in a client's energy field.

We will try to follow your own health and balance.It's interesting that some realms do not like.Healing reiki is thought that it can be described as the root cause of it often think of what they love Reiki.This descent was announced to occur sometime in Aug of 1997.As the title of Reiki practice that is often a person that has been used for decades now.

As an added skill to develop your psychic side?As this visualized light enters your body, and spirit.Is it that Reiki can be treated effectively with Reiki is taught in Japan by Dr. Usui owned and operated a clinic in Hawaii, where she lived and worked, healing and continue to receive Reiki energy.Sometimes, it is a natural balance physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.Overall, a healing art was re-discovered by Makao Usui, who found references to it comfortably.

Soft lighting and relaxing process for stress reduction and relaxation for the remainder of the most healing and self-development.Other responses include a carrying case in the United States, as forms of Reiki also allows you to tap into an old age home and workplace are excellent targets of Reiki are always with you to breathe deeply and evenly.Customarily, sessions begin with the Universal Consciousness and become more of the Reiki symbols for attaining this energy and deliver the Reiki that I usually learn the art of Reiki history.You have to give you the opportunity to interact to your full potential.I have had a Reiki course online have become a Reiki Certification online, than there is a measure of Reiki in Darjeeling, India, when we are meant for anyone interested in learning the art.

Red Crystal Reiki

In order for the student becomes a healer, you'll find more meaning in life.The second degree of Reiki energy do not know.We need to enroll in certified Reiki masters are usually done by simply moving the life force is an on-going process hence one good thing about Western is that each choice is solely the decision to go away, you are wrong.Kundalini Reiki attunement processes on others.Before deciding about the show, but little did I truly believe that people who already received it in a weekend, it has a secondary gain that is safe, gentle yet powerful hand placements.

Rocky was able to receive a Reiki Master for a straight-backed chair to ease the pain.Suddenly, I was a time earlier to the outcome you would simply be to your needs for Reiki and it won't make you more then lying back and was visibly tense before we started revealed a very valid question, do you feel more in the atonement process.In this way, when receiving Reiki frequencies as learned by anyone.There are special ones made for a worry and be aware how deeply your patient would like to draw all three symbols for universal healing life energy.- Every morning and evening, join your hands before lowering them onto the person can heal yourself.

[jrsechelon]

Off The Charts Football Podcast

"Welcome to the Off The Charts Football Podcast! With your hosts Kace Joe and Ryan Isidore!"

"As we are set for the game tonight, where we will see PURPLEHAZE (1-2) faceoff against the streaking hot (3-0) HellbentKronik in Gillette Stadium - Kirk Cousins was seen earlier telling us that this game tonight is a big game for his team and a must-win. When looking at the standings and the road ahead for PURPLEHAZE it's almost believable to see why Cousins would be saying these things. You look at the schedule and PURPLEHAZE will have their handsful with three back-to-back division games after fairing against two Atlantic teams in HellbentKronik and The Canadian Cripplers."

"What you've got to account for is PURPLEHAZE is stacked at the Quarterback position Ryan, they've got Kirk Cousins leading this team with Philip Rivers one of the greatest gunslingers in the league bar none right now sitting on the bench. Maybe this front office is needing to look around the league and see which teams are in need of a quarterback."

"Well a few minutes ago the EFL Tweeter handle actually reported that PURPLEHAZE's front office was possibly inquiring about as they put it, 'dark horse' Tight End. What do you think that means?"

"VanillaGorilla management put out that Travis Kelce is on the trading block so there is that."

"You really think that these two Great Lakes teams would trade within their own division?"

"It's possible but another possibility is Hyrule Empire. They lost Jimmy G for the year, they are in need of a Quarterback and with Rivers on the bench in Minnesota - San Fransisco may be calling and offering the likes of a Jack Doyle or Jared Cook and a draft pick or two."

"Well from the news that has been coming out the last couple days this is a strong possibility. It was also reported that The Canadian Cripplers and VanillaGorillas were both in the running for a sought-after Running Back Ch-"

"Christian McCaffery?"

"Yes, if you'd let me finish. After three weeks it seems whether he's lined up in the backfield, in the slot, or at wideout with 26 catches in three games, he has put himself on pace to obliterate the single-season record for receptions by a Running Back. Matt Forte had 102 in 2014."

"But do you really think that front office down in South Beach would trade away a kid with this much talent? I don't think so. They supposedly have been trying to work out a deal with VanillaGorillas for weeks not and nothing has gotten done. Now you're telling me The Canadian Cripplers are in the mix? Either two things are going to happen."

"What's that?"

"Nothing, he will stay in South Beach and play in the same city his father played in or something we usually only see in baseball and basketball. A three-team trade."

"How would that look like?"

"You've got Bell holding out up in Canada, Cripplers are shopping him so you go Bell for McCaffery and give up a draft pick top Evolution as McCaffery has more upside at this point than Bell and then Evolution gives up one of their other halfbacks due to how many they have down there in Miami to VanillaGorillas for either a draft pick or Travis Kelce since Evolution is hurting badly at that position. Every week we seem to see this team waiving and signing a new Tight End."

Interesting, you sure you aren't a general manager?"

I was offered a role once but had to turn it down. Interfered too much with my training schedule."

For those listeners that don't know Kace Joe here is a pursuing Mixed Martial Arts fighter and dreams to headline the UFC someday."

"My record speaks for itself."

"According to some people like Straight Edge Society's "biggest fan" your record has too much hot air."

"Hey now we're getting off topic. When did this become the roast of Joe? - Let's get back to football."

"Okay you're right but this debate isn't settled." (Laughs) " Going through the rest of the league anything else stands out to you?

"Staying on tonight's game, HellbentKronik besides a few questions on the team I like these guys, I can see them going to the Championship, but maybe lose early in the Postseason."

"What questions do you have and isn't it a little early to talk about the Playoffs?"

"Okay Jim Mora, it's never too early in my book! The questions are at Quarterback. Fitzmagic has been amazing to witness but what happens when it starts to fade? We've seen Fitzpatrick play this lights out before and eventually, it begins to die down. Josh Rosen is HellbentKroniks backup and although I can see this guy taking the league by storm in a few short years there is no way he is ready for that kind of pressure yet. When Fitzmagic ends and reality begins HellbentKronik may have no way to weather the storm."

"So then who is your opinion has the means to win the Atlantic?"

"You know what we'll let the fans decide that. We'll go ahead and post out a poll and see what the fans think after 3 or 4 weeks of football thus far."

"Sounds good. So what is your prediction on tonight's game does Fitzmagic continue?"

"It'll be tough against this defense. PURPLEHAZE always has a mean defense which is always finishing in the top 5. Fitzpatrick will definitely have his hands full. But Kirk will too. Honestly, it is going to come down to who can set the tone and run the rock early and often. Both these defenses have shown signs of weakness when it comes to their run stopping ability."

"I know if PURPLEHAZE doesn't want to fall to 1-3 they are going to need to play some inspired football. Outside of tonight what match-ups are you looking most forward to?"

"Thunderbuddy4Life and Rainelo Hawks. It has the most excitement centered around it. But I'm curious to see how some of these winless teams do. I think MegaWatt Warriors will leave Sunday with a win and knock Black Hole Son back down to earth because let's be real here this team has little to no defense and although I love Jared Goff and Ju Ju the rest of the team is lacking any kind of moxie. Zeke hasn't looked like himself with an offensive line that is inapt to open up holes, beast mode is over the hill and really it's only a matter of time before this team ends up the first pick in next years draft."

"Even with this great start?"

"Even more so. This team feeds on energy and when the going gets tough they crumble. The Canadian Cripplers overall may be the worse team but it is only due to unfortunate circumstances - Black Hole Son self-sabotages themselves, this year will be no different.

"I love a good debate, I know some of the players, coaches, and owners listen to our Podcast, perhaps we will hear a rebuttal."

"Another team I don't see staying on their high horse much longer is Buds Bums. They narrowly almost lost to VanillaGorillas who has yet to win but is solid everywhere but just not great, much like Buds Bums these two are really at the same skill level. The Great Lakes division, in my opinion, is LilShupeScoresBIGPoints bar none leaps and bounds better than everyone else and then PURPLEHAZE, VanillaGorilla, and Buds Bums are all trying to tune the band right enough to start making some noise."

"So you expect Evolution to win?"

"I'm not saying that but I don't see Buds Bums staying undefeated and atop their division much longer. Look at their schedule, the back nine of that schedule is pretty brutal. Someone like LilShupeScoresBIGPoints a former Super Bowl Champion is more prepared to handle a schedule like that. Buds Bums, not so much."

"Well touching on every schedule we might as well wrap things up with the Central and Pacific."

"I mentioned how I am looking forward to the Thunderbuddy4Life and Rainelo Hawks game and in my opinion, those two are still going to be battling to the bitter end of this season. This will be the third straight year these two end the season together and I am predicting that game will be for the Pacific division crown. As for the Central. This Straight Edge Society and The Busy Killers game can possibly be a trap game for S.E.S. If they can eclipse a win though that is going to go a long way in securing the Central for them. They are 2-1 right now, both those win being divisional wins, 3-1 and 3-0 in the division can be a huge backbreaker to BroncosTillDeath who is the next closest to Straight Edge. MegaWatt Warriors is in the midst of a post-Super Bowl slump and although I see them getting the W this week it's going to be hardpressed for either them of The Busy Killers to muster up any sort of resurgence."

"So as we turn over to the last word we have sat here and gone over tonight's game, some rumors, and thoughts from myself and Kace Joe. Joe, I'll give you the last word tonight."

"Thank you blood brother. Today's last word goes to Josh Allen the kid from Wyoming. You've got an opportunity right here right now with Yuba City Sultans. Injuries seem to slowly but surely plague Quarterbacks again this season and although we haven't seen the likes of Aaron Rodgers go down (knock on wood) I have him in my fantasy league. We have seen the next wave falter. These Sultans who once were the kings of the Atlantic have been having their share of struggles over the course of last year and early into this year. So, Josh Allen, you get the last word. You were just signed off of free agency this morning and have an opportunity in front of you to right this sinking ship. Sony Michel, David Johnson, OBJ, and Tyreek Hill at your disposal you should have no problem making this team a Playoff caliber team once again. Take what the defense gives you and don't think you have to do it all. You've got one of the best Kickers in the game who can easily notch 50 plus yarders. Enjoy the ride kid because Mariota will be lurking behind you with that injured elbow waiting for his moment to shine again. Allen, I believe you will post so hefty stats this week with the group around you. With a favorable schedule in front of you kid - all I got to say is this is the last word and you'll hear us next time!

CLICK TO VOTE

[flauntpage]

Some Thoughts on Whatever the Hell NBC Sports Philly is Doing

After Jess Camerato revealed on Twitter last week that she wasn’t returning to NBC Sports Philadelphia, I tried to list, off the top of my head, some of the departures and changes the network has presided over in the last two years:

Molly Sullivan out

Marshall Harris out

Jess Camerato out

Dei Lynam out

Neil Hartman out

Ron Burke out

Andy Schwartz out (longtime web guy)

production/creative services layoffs

new web policy restricting stories to 500 word max

I obviously missed a lot of stuff, which y’all helped remind me of:

Leslie Gudel out

Breakfast on Broad eventually cancelled, Sarah Baicker and Jillian Mele move on, Rob Ellis comes back in a different role after leaving 97.5 the Fanatic

Reuben Frank taken off Quick Slants

Tim Panaccio replaced by John Boruk

Mike Barkann moved to pre and post game roles

Brian Westbrook removed from Eagles postgame show

Amy Fadool and Marc Farzetta paired on Philly Sports Talk

new simulcast of the Mike Missanelli radio show

more short video clips on the website

didn’t renew Union broadcasting partnership (I don’t really blame them)

assimilated NBC 10 sports department (they no longer had separate anchors for NBC 10 sports segments, they’d just have Amy or John Clark or Danny Pommells do it remotely from HQ in South Philly, which made a ton of sense and saved $$$)

And, of course, Taryn Hatcher was hired as a multi-platform do-it-all person to cover a variety of roles at the station:

Host and reporter. Covering all sports – including, but not limited to, the Sixers. But, I’m not the sideline reporter for the team.

— Taryn Hatcher (@TarynHatcher) July 5, 2018

You still have regular contributors like Jim Salisbury and Corey Seidman and Dave Zangaro and Barrett Brooks and Derrick Gunn on the payroll. Roob, of course, is still writing for the site even though the TV appearances are less frequent. The various experts, like Jim Lynam and Ricky Bo, still do post-game analysis. There were some smaller hires behind the scenes and I’m not totally up to speed on who does what over there now.

I worked in television for nine years, and whenever moves like these are made it’s usually due to three things specifically:

saving money

getting younger in the talent department

trying to stay afloat in a business that has been slowly dying for a long time now

A lot of people are simply getting content from other sources via different mediums, like Twitter and Facebook through your smart phone. It is what it is.

But I feel like we can rule out that first reason, because it’s not like NBCSP is shot for money. Their Comcast overlords just built the biggest skyscraper in Philadelphia next to the now second-biggest skyscraper in Philadelphia. They sunk a bunch of money into NBC 10’s news product. They now own the Philadelphia Wings and Philadelphia Fusion in addition to the Flyers. There is definitely no shortage of cash when you go up the chain of command from Shawn Oleksiak to Michelle Murray, to whomever or whatever is above her.

So if we’re assuming that money isn’t the real issue, is it about getting younger? Maybe. Some of the old guard, the Burkes and Hartmans of this world, had been doing their jobs (very well) for a long time. But it’s not like Molly and Jess and Marshall were long in the tooth, so the age narrative doesn’t really seem to fit either. And even though you can kill two birds with one stone by replacing older, more expensive talent with younger, cheaper talent, we’ve already ruled out money as true problem.

The only real explanation would be #3, the idea that NBCSP is just totally revamping how they cover sports, with a more stripped down and bare bones approach. There are a lot of moving parts over there. Maybe it’s just not worth the effort or the cost to do everything they do, even if they CAN afford it. They could simply slash original content production entirely and focus on broadcasting the Sixers, Flyers, and Phillies, among other local teams. You can produce pregame and postgame segments, maybe enter an expanded simulcasting agreement with 97.5, and/or fill the rest of the slots with infomercials while taking in money from FIOS and Comcast carriage fees.

Specifically, you could ask yourself – do they really need an “insider” for each of the sports they cover?

I don’t know, but when you’re a team’s broadcast partner, the access and the content possibilities for someone like Camerato are significant, and she was one of the few traveling media members, so it seems goofy to stray away from that when you have a built-in advantage already. The Inquirer’s Keith Pompey is really the only other reporter who travels with the team.

Do they need sideline or “floor” reporters?

I don’t know, but I think Molly did a great job of adding flavor to the Sixers broadcast and getting interesting interviews while adding pieces of relevant information. Sure, you could just axe the position entirely and let Marc Zumoff and Alaa Abdelnaby run the entire thing from the booth, but I honestly think they should have gone in the opposite direction and tried to find more responsibility for Molly, which is what she wanted. In the case of a guy like Gregg Murphy, I think it’s easier to justify his inclusion during a longer and slower Phillies broadcast where he’s constantly moving around the ballpark and doing a variety of on-camera hits. The TV experience would feel thin and lose substance if he wasn’t involved.

Unfortunately the TV biz can be some UGLY stuff. I saw a female anchor temporarily demoted to a lesser shift because she was struggling to lose baby weight after coming back from maternity leave. One of my stations accidentally fired the wrong person because they incorrectly wrote out the list of staffers who were grandfathered into a bloated, bullshit union contract. I saw CBS 3 move on from quality anchors like Susan Barnett and Bob Kelly due to contract and responsibility disagreements. They also met Chris May, Beasley Reece, and Kathy Orr at the front door and prevented them from entering the building as they were axed a few years ago in part of a restructuring by a new general manager. Beasley’s stuff sat at his desk for something like a year, though I don’t think he cared because he was probably fishing in Texas. There was also the whole Alycia Lane and Larry Mendte fiasco that predated my time there, yet loomed over us for a good six or seven years.

That’s the problem with TV as it exists in the private sector; news-focused bosses are forced to make changes by money-focused higher-ups, and it results in this revolving door of people who never stick. Yeah, you get the hot meteorologist or whatever to attract the 40-year-old pervert crowd, then she’s gone after two years and you’re loading up with reporters and anchors who graduated from Medill two weeks ago.

One of the reasons Action News is so dominant is because they do nothing. Seriously, that’s a compliment. They’ve had Jim Gardner on the anchor desk for something like 40 years. The format is the same, the writing is the same, the graphics are the same and they simply just give you the news of the day, the weather forecast, and some sports highlights. People watch Action News because they trust Gardner and they know what they’re going to get, which goes something like this:

“…but the big story on Action News is flames, a three-alarm fire in Kensington that forced families out of their homes in the middle of the night… good evening, I’m Jim Gardner, let’s go live to Dann Cuellar in Kensington with more on the story. What can you tell us, Dann?”

Rinse and repeat, over and over and over again to the tune of utter market dominance.

Sometimes less is more, but I don’t think that’s the right approach for NBCSP. If Comcast, of all owners, is slashing jobs in their flagship market, what does that say about the sports broadcasting and journalism business as a whole? I don’t know, but it’s not good.

Anyway, I asked someone over at NBCSP to shed some light on the situation, and he/she responded with this:

“This place is nuts. No one seems to have a handle on the direction.”

Bummer. I think they’ve got some great people over there, multiple award-winners both on and off camera who deserve more from the folks in charge.

Kyle’s take:

NBC Sports Philly understands that the old guard of TV is not only not longer necessary, but it’s unsustainable. Gone are the days of CSN serving as the water cooler of Philly sports. Social media, sports talk radio, and blogs, like Crossing Broad, have taken over in this regard. Almost every piece of original content CSN used to air is completely irrelevant in 2018. They’ve made moves to shift away. So while it’s difficult to see the likes of Leslie Gudel, Neil Hartman, and even younger folks like Molly Sullivan and Jessica Camerato, who were well liked, be pushed out, NBC’s strategy to shift away from traditional coverage makes sense.

My issue, however, is what they are replacing it with. The supposedly hip, more modern fare that has come in its place, like cheeky off-beat shows, Breakfast on Broad – whose only purpose was to launch Jillian Mele into stardom (or whatever you want to call feeding the president nuggets of biased news) – and Quick Slants. They are taking a page out of ESPN’s play book 10 years ago and calling it new. In a society that increasingly values quality, at least where quantity is already provided through other means, NBC Sports Philly has doubled down on quasi junk– cheap, inexpensive fare that ultimately makes the network irrelevant to modern sports fans. The only thing that actually works in its inevitability is simulcasting Mike Missanelli’s show. Other than that, I can’t think of one notable thing CSN has done from a content standpoint that truly resonated (there might be one, but I can’t think of it), though the 2008 Phillies program they will air this month seems like it has potential.

I’m not sure there are any good answers for regionals sports networks, where cost-cutting seems to be a priority. But it seems shortsighted to get rid of basically all of your well-liked personalities. Someone like Molly Sullivan, while perhaps a so-called cap casualty, was well-liked and had a good camaraderie with Marc Zumoff and Alaa Abeladladsnamsdasdhay. It seems you can’t ask for more from a sideline reporter, though I’m certain Molly would’ve happily given them just that, given the chance.

Time’s yours.

We’re running out of room and especially talented professionals! @RonBurkeShow @tpanotchUFA @dlynamCSN @lesliegudel @36westbrook @NeilHartmanTV @MollySullivanTV @mharrisonair @JessicaCamerato pic.twitter.com/PeUkPV6dYH

— Collegeville Bakery (@CvilleItalBake) July 5, 2018

The post Some Thoughts on Whatever the Hell NBC Sports Philly is Doing appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Some Thoughts on Whatever the Hell NBC Sports Philly is Doing published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

[tonyduncanbb73]

Boston’s Beer Garden Boom Continues With the Return of Trillium on the Greenway

And other Boston-area beer and liquor news, updated weekly

As the Massachusetts beer scene continues its fast-paced growth, we’re tracking beer-related news bites right here: brewery openings and closures, links to interesting features from other publications, and more. We’re throwing in some liquor news for good measure, too. This piece is updated most Thursdays, and the most recent additions are at the top. Email boston@eater.com with any Massachusetts beer or liquor news that should be on our radar.

Check out our 2017 archive of beer news here, and for a more in-depth look at the scene, check out the archive of our Beer & Mortar feature series.

May 10, 2018

BOSTON — The rumors are true:Last year’s popular Trillium Garden on the Greenway is indeed coming back this year. Per an announcement from Trillium and the Greenway Conservancy, the beer garden will open later this month at High Street across from Rowes Wharf and remain open through the end of October, weather permitting, operating Wednesday through Sunday with draft beer from Trillium and wine from Westport Rivers Vineyards. Keep an eye on Twitter for updates and an official opening date.

CAMBRIDGE — Tickets are now on sale for the seventh annual Hyper-Local Craft Brewfest by the Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts, an event jam-packed with beverage tastings, homebrewing demos and lectures, entertainment, and food. This year, it’s on Saturday, June 16, at University Park, with an afternoon session and an evening session. Tickets start at $40 and are available online, and admission includes unlimited tastings of local beers, ciders, meads, and other beverages, as well as some local food samples. (There will also be larger servings of food available for purchase.)

SOMERVILLE — Somerville’s annual decentralized outdoor music festival, Porchfest, returns this Sunday, May 13 (not Saturday — it’s officially been moved to the rain date), bringing music to a porch near you (or, more likely, many porches near you). Two Somerville breweries, Aeronaut (14 Tyler St.) and Winter Hill(328 Broadway), have collaborated on Porchbeer 2018, aimed at supporting music education by donating 100% of profits to School of Honk. According to a statement from Winter Hill Brewing, it’s a “true Somerville session” that is “both a collaboration and a hybrid beer — using two different ale yeasts…and two Southern Hemisphere hops.” Expect a flavor of “light stone fruits, pineapple, citrus, and herbal notes” with low bitterness and a 5.2% ABV, “nearly perfect for tossing back a few on the porch while the band plays on!” (The breweries would like to remind you to drink responsibly and obey open container laws.) Here’s the info on how to pre-reserve a four-pack or a case, and on Porchfest day, the cans will be available at both taprooms (and on draft, in limited amounts) — and there’ll also be cans on select porches.

Aeronaut and Winter Hill [Official Photo]

Porchbeer 2018 label

May 3, 2018

American Fresh Brewhouse/Facebook

Slumbrew’s Assembly Row beer garden is back

BOSTON — Have you heard about Night Shift Brewing’s forthcoming expansion to Boston proper? In case you missed it, here are some pertinent details. Long story short, it’s going to be awesome. And there’ll be food and coffee, along with beers exclusive to that location.

FRAMINGHAM — The seemingly ever-growing Jack’s Abby is getting an award for, well, growing. The U.S. Small Business Association has named the brewery the Massachusetts Manufacturer of the Year, citing its production growth from 18,000 to 43,000 barrels from 2015 to 2017, as well as the addition of over 100 local employees during that time period. Jack’s Abby also added a second brand, Springdale Beer, last year, with a taproom next door, and Springdale began distribution this year. The SBA will give co-owners and brothers Jack, Eric, and Sam Hendler their award at a ceremony in Needham tomorrow.

PEABODY — The North Shore beer scene continues to grow. With Granite Coast Brewing Co. on deck for a late August opening in Peabody, another three breweries are also potentially in the works there — Essex County Brewery and two others that have not yet been formally announced.

SOMERVILLE — As of yesterday, Somerville Brewing Company, aka Slumbrew, has temporarily revived its Assembly Row beer garden that closed in fall 2017 (301 Canal St.). As noted below, it got a reprieve for another summer because the construction set to overtake its site has been delayed. The brewery also has an indoor facility at Assembly Row, American Fresh Brewhouseat 490 Foley St., not to mention its original brewery and taproom at 15 Ward St. outside of Somerville’s Union Square. The newly reopened Assembly beer garden is dog-friendly, up to three or sometimes five dogs at a time, depending on chillness.

April 26, 2018

Aeronaut Brewing Company/Facebook

Aeronaut’s Allston pop-up will return for a third summer

ALLSTON, BOSTON — Aeronaut will once again host a pop-up beer garden in Allston this summer at Zone 3 on Western Avenue. Expect live music, plenty of beer, and a family-friendly, dog-friendly vibe every Wednesday and Friday evening from June through September. (The Somerville brewery is also reportedly considering a bike-friendly summer pop-up elsewhere in the Boston area this summer; stay tuned.)

BEER STORES EVERYWHERE — For the Boston Globe Magazine, Devra First writes “an open letter to men who sell beer, from a woman who drinks it,” asking those who sell beer to realize that a customer’s gender doesn’t indicate anything definitive about that customer’s beer knowledge, likes, or dislikes. In other words, don’t assume that women shopping for beer only want fruit beer or cider recommendations.

CAMBRIDGEPORT, CAMBRIDGE — Starting May 6, the Central Flea market will be back up and running on Sundays, this time at University Park near Massachusetts Avenue. Cambridge’s Lamplighter Brewing Co. will run an eight-tap beer garden there (and there will also be food trucks around) from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each week, weather permitting. Aside from a variety of Lamplighter styles, the brewery also wants to serve a local cider. The space will fit about 100 people, and there will be some long tables and benches, standing tables, and plenty of open grassy space.

DOWNTOWN BOSTON — More outdoor drinking? More outdoor drinking. The next installment of seasonal outdoor extravaganza Boston Seasons, this one dubbed the Patios and running through spring and summer, will debut at City Hall Plaza on May 4, featuring a Wachusett Brewing Company beer garden (as well as Cambridge’s Honeycomb Creamery, serving ice cream). The beer garden will be pouring pints (of Wachusett as well as some guest brewers) starting at 4 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. on weekends. Keep an eye out for pop-ups and activities throughout the season, including puppy visits, Boston Public Market picnic events, mini golf, and more.

Also downtown, the aforementioned planned “Dewey Square Drinkery” pop-up bar proposed by the Greenway Conservancy now has a vendor attached: Downeast Cider, as Boston Magazine reports. Pending permitting, the Downeast Back Porch on the Greenway, as it’ll be called, will be steps from South Station, serving five ciders on draft, including a new mint lemonade flavor that’ll be exclusive to this pop-up. Also on the menu: wines from Half Bottle Cans and a rotating local beer. The Back Porch will be open from late May through October on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings, as well as on the weekends. As usual, there will be food trucks in the area. Expect lawn games, live music, and other attractions.

Also also downtown, and also by the Greenway Conservancy, the seasonal beer garden near Rowes Wharf will probably come back again this summer — stay tuned for an announcement soon — and signs point to Trillium reprising its role there.

ROXBURY — The opening of the Backlash Beer brewery and taproom in Roxbury is so close; it could debut in mid-May. The brewery will go into its final inspections in the coming weeks.

April 19, 2018

Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater

Part of Underground at Ink Block, which could soon be home to a Castle Island Brewing seasonal beer garden

ALLSTON, BOSTON AND BEVERLY — Heading to a Boston Cannons lacrosse game at Harvard Stadium or Endicott College this season? The team will be running a craft beer garden for the home games at both stadiums this year, featuring Bent Water Brewing Company, True North Ales, Jack’s Abby, and Castle Island Brewing Company, with Bent Water and Castle Island also brewing exclusive Cannons-themed beers for the occasion.

CINCINNATI — With Boston Beer Company busy breaking in its relatively new taproom at its Jamaica Plain facility and planning to expand to Downtown Boston, it’s also busy out of state: It’ll open a 9,000-square-foot taproom across the street from its existing Cincinnati, Ohio brewing space, which it has owned since 1997.

EVERYWHERE — Salem’sNotch Brewing has teamed up with the Trustees, the non-profit conservation group that oversees more than 46,000 acres of Massachusetts land (over 25,000 of those acres are publicly accessible) — from parks and gardens to hiking trails and lighthouses. This partnership will allow Notch to pop up at a variety of Trustees sites with a mobile beer garden. Most events will be free, and many will include live music and other family-friendly activities to be enjoyed while the adults drink Notch’s low-ABV ales and lagers. Keep an eye on the event calendar here.

IPSWICH — Haven’t yet made it to the new tasting room at Privateer Rum (11 Brady Dr.)? Northshore Magazine features a nice peek inside the attractive space; take a look, and then go taste rum at the boat-shaped bar.

SOUTH END, BOSTON — Castle Island Brewing, which has a taproom in Norwood, plans to open a seasonal beer garden in Boston’s South End at Underground at Ink Block (90 Traveler St.), pending city approval. The art-covered park debuted last year under I-93, and Castle Island Brewing’s 5,000-square-foot beer garden (“Castle Island at Underground”), if approved, will open there on May 11 and last through mid-October, operating from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. There will be about eight different beer styles available each day, as well as a couple wines. Thanks to some new equipment in Norwood, Castle Island has been able to increase production and play around with some new small-batch experiments, which will make appearances Underground. The spacious beer garden will fit around 400 people, and there will be lawn games and probably food trucks and other vendors onsite. The beer garden is slated to appear seasonally for at least five years.

March 29, 2018

Down the Road Beer Co./Facebook

Down the Road Beer Co.’s Goopmassta Session IPA, which the state wouldn’t allow to be infused with CBD

ASHLAND — Medfield-based, athlete-founded Zelus Beer Company — which produces “hydration-friendly” beers that are ��crafted for your active lifestyle,” with low alcohol content — will open a pop-up taproom and beer garden at the Corner Spot in Ashland (6 Cherry St.) from April 13 to April 26, offering tasters, pints, and merch. There will also be a food truck onsite, as well as music and other events. Keep an eye on the Zelus website for scheduling information and updates.

EVERETT — With retail cannabis sales set to begin on July 1, one local brewery was hoping to be the first in the state to infuse beer with CBD, an active compound in cannabis that is thought to have some potential medical benefits without the psychoactive effects caused by another well-known cannabis compound, THC. Down the Road Beer Co. (199 Ashland St.) hoped to add CBD to its newly released Goopmassta Session IPA, but the state’s Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission said no: “Infusing or otherwise adding cannabinoid extract in alcoholic beverages is considered adulteration of alcohol,” which is a no-no. (Industrial hemp, however, is allowed in the manufacture of alcohol in Massachusetts under certain conditions.) Want to try CBD-infused beer? Head to Vermont and seek out Long Trail Brewing’s Medicator. In Oregon, Coalition Brewing is also making a CBD-infused beer, Two Flowers IPA.

HARVARD — Carlson Orchards (115 Oak Hill Rd.), which has been producing non-alcoholic apple cider for decades, is getting into the hard cider game, the company announced this week, thanks in part to some consultation with the Stormalong Cider team — neighbors at New England Apple Products in Leominster, where Carlson Orchards’ non-alcoholic cider is produced. “We wanted to produce a hard cider that was similar to our premium farmstand cider and ultimately decided to make an ‘unfiltered’ hard cider for increased apple taste and character,” said Carlson Orchards president Frank Carlson, via press release. The first off-site release will be 16-ounce cans of Oak Hill Blend, distributed around the state via the Massachusetts Beverage Alliance, available starting April 1. Stay tuned for a potential fall 2018 opening of a tasting room onsite at Carlson Orchards.

MASHPEE — Today, March 29, is opening day for Cape Cod’s Naukabout Brewery & Taproom (13 Lake Ave.), a seven-barrel brewhouse with lake and river views. It’s open from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. today and 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. this Friday and Saturday (closed on Sunday). The opening lineup of beers includes Quittin’ Time, a “juicy” and “tropical” New England IPA; the triple dry-hopped Tides double IPA; a 3.5%-er, Stormborn Stout; and more.

SOUTH DEERFIELD — Berkshire Brewing Company (12 Railroad St.), which has been around since 1994, could soon open an 850-square-foot taproom that’ll operate a few days a week, with 20 taps, pretzels from Baked in Shelburne Falls, and food trucks outside on summer weekends. (Customers will also be able to bring in their own food.) There will be room for about 55 people inside. Why now? A recent amendment to a state law is now making it possible for the brewery — which has a pub-brewer wholesale license — to move from only offering free samples during tours to actually selling poured beer (but not packaged beer) onsite.

SOUTH END, BOSTON — Heading to the SoWa Open Market to shop and eat? It takes place on Sundays from May 6 to October 28, from 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and starting at 11 a.m. each week, you can drink some beer, too. The Power Station (540 Harrison Ave.) will become the Beer Barn, courtesy of Craft Collective, serving up a rotating selection of beers and ciders. There’ll also be lawn games, live music, and more.

March 22, 2018

Greater Good Imperial Brewing Company/Facebook

Greater Good Imperial Brewing Company

FALL RIVER — Canned Heat Craft Beer Company (52 Ferry St.) could open as soon as early May; the team plans to can (of course) and distribute the beer, and there will also be tasting hours at the space, which will include cold food and a patio. Canned Heat has been previewing some potential beers on Facebook, including Limesicle, a milkshake IPA made with lime peel and vanilla bean; Aloha Brown, an English-style brown that will be aged on toasted coconut; and a Portuguese-inspired pilsner.

HAMPTON, NEW HAMPSHIRE — Smuttynose Brewing Company (105 Towle Farm Rd.) has been sold for an undisclosed amount to Runnymede Investments, a venture capital and investment firm based in North Hampton, New Hampshire, that intends to help the brand “not only survive, but…thrive.” Former Boston Beer Company executive Rich Lindsay, who was briefly CFO for Night Shift Brewing, will be CEO.

MARLBOROUGH — Walden Woods Brewing(277 Main St.) is so, so close to opening. It was supposed to happen this past weekend, but there were some delays. Look for it within the next few weeks.

ROSLINDALE — Alas, the season is about to end for Trillium’s temporary beer hall at the Roslindale Substation (4228 Washington St.). This Sunday will be the final day; check out some details for the last few events here.

SPRINGFIELD — In a Mass. Brew Bros. blind, bracket-style tasting of 20 Massachusetts New England IPAs, the victor was a nanobrewery in planning, Rustic Brewing Company, with a brew called Hop Blind. Lots of more established breweries were included, such as Trillium, Idle Hands, Tree House, and Lord Hobo. Western Mass. apparently has a lot to look forward to when Rustic opens, focusing on New England IPAs and milkshake IPAs.

WALTHAM — Contract brand Mighty Squirrel Brewing Co. will get its own permanent home later this year, likely around fall — a 23,000-square-foot brewery and taproom right by Beaver Brook Reservation (411 Waverley Oaks Rd.). The large space will include a second taproom for overflow and private events, two patios, and a 30-barrel system, as well as an additional five-barrel pilot system for experimentation. The brand launched a few years back with the aim of producing protein-packed post-workout beers, but these days, Mighty Squirrel has moved away from those recipes, instead producing beers such as the hazy Cloud Candy IPA, Mocha Stout milk stout, and Kiwi White Belgian white ale.

WORCESTER — Greater Good Imperial Brewing Company(55 Millbrook St.), which focuses on imperial ales and lagers between 8% and 14% ABV (hence the name), has debuted its 100-person taproom; here’s the schedule for the first couple of weeks. Greater Good’s kitchen, dubbed Toast (stylized “TOAST.”), is serving up five types of grilled cheese, plus soft pretzels, hot dogs, and other snacks.

March 15, 2018

Trillium/Facebook

Trillium’s original Fort Point location

DOWNTOWN BOSTON — At the Royale over the weekend, a number of local bartenders took part in the annual Speed Rack competition, a speed bartending competition by and for women that raises money for breast cancer charities (and visibility for women in the bartending industry). This year, Tainah Soares (of A4cade in Cambridge) was crowned Miss Speed Rack New England, and she’ll go on to compete at the national finals in May, taking place in Chicago.

DOWNTOWN CROSSING, BOSTON — Democracy Brewing(35 Temple St.) — one of several exciting Boston-area brewery openings potentially slated for spring 2018 — is three months into construction and shared some renderings of what it’ll look like when it’s complete. Democracy Brewing is located in the longtime Windsor Button space.

FORT POINT, BOSTON — Trillium Brewing Company’s forthcoming Fort Point location at 47 Farnsworth St. — a move from its original spot in the neighborhood (369 Congress St.) that will result in a much larger and more awesome space — is moving along. BLDUP has a March construction update on the 16,000-square-foot project, noting that a permit has been submitted for restaurant occupancy. The two-story space, which could open by the end of the year, will include a brewpub with a full kitchen and microbrewery, bar on each floor, a room for private events, a retail shop, and two outdoor patios — one of which will be on the roof.

ROSLINDALE, BOSTON — Distraction Brewing Company (2 Belgrade Ave.) has now secured its Massachusetts farmer-brewery license, which lets it produce beer. Still in the works: a pouring license, zoning, and building the taproom.

WEYMOUTH — In addition to Barrel House Z (95 Woodrock Rd.), which opened a year and a half ago, and the forthcoming Article Fifteen (835 Washington St.) (see February 8 update below), Weymouth has even more beer on the way. Vitamin Sea Brewing has signed a lease near Barrel House Z and could open a 10-barrel brewery and taproom by the end of 2018, featuring a patio and rotating food trucks.

March 1, 2018

Greater Good/Facebook

Growlers at Greater Good Imperial Brewing Company, opening soon in Worcester

BOSTON — Prepare for beer gardens. Once the season arrives, Trillium’s popular Greenway garden will likely make a comeback this year, as the Herald reports, and that’s not all: The Greenway Conservancy is trying to find a brewery for “Dewey Square Drinkery,” a pop-up bar that would be open at least a couple days a week in Dewey Square. Stay tuned, and in the meantime, catch Trillium’s other seasonal beer garden — an indoor one — at the Roslindale Substation (4228 Washington St.)

CAMBRIDGE TO MEXICO CITY — Moe Isaza, bar manager atPammy’s(928 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge), is currently competing for his third time in the annual Bacardi Legacy Cocktail Competition, and he’s already made it quite far — he’ll be one of just two United States finalists competing globally in Mexico City against about 30 international bartenders on April 25. The US finalists were pulled from a field of 720 recipes submissions, narrowed down through several stages of judging and competition. Isaza’s drink is called the Poderoso and includes Bacardi Ocho, coffee liqueur (paying homage to Colombia, where Isaza was born before coming to East Boston as a four-year-old), pineapple juice, amaro, and a muddled lemon wedge.

EVERETT TO PAWTUCKET AND BEYOND — Night Shift Brewing (87 Santilli Hwy., Everett) is outgrowing its home and is now doing some contract brewing out of the Isle Brewers Guild cooperative in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, adding about 10,000 barrels a year to Night Shift’s output. And it’s the Everett brewery’s first foray into Rhode Island; it doesn’t yet distribute there, but its beers made at Isle Brewers Guild will be on tap and in cans at the Guild taproom.

In other Night Shift news, Braintree’s Widowmaker Brewing(220 Wood Rd.) has signed on with Night Shift Distributing (Night Shift Brewing’s sibling distribution arm) to take things to the next level (previously self-distributing to around 30 nearby accounts), hoping to spread around the whole Greater Boston area, not just the South Shore. Keep an eye out for Widowmaker’s Ecstasy of Gold American IPA and 50 Year Storm Double IPA around town, likely followed soon by the Donut Shop Stout.

And in other Night Shift news, Night Shift Distributing recently brought its first gluten-free brewery into its portfolio, Ghostfish Brewing out of Seattle. Four-packs began to hit Massachusetts shelves a couple weeks ago; look for Ghostfish’s Grapefruit IPA, Meteor Shower Blonde Ale, and Shrouded Summit Belgian White Ale.

IPSWICH — Privateer Rum (11 Brady Dr.) announced today that Maggie Campbell — head distiller since 2012, vice president since 2015 — has risen through the ranks again. She’s now president of the company, working alongside founder and CEO Andrew Cabot to further grow the seven-year-old brand, including doubling Privateer’s production capacity this year. (Privateer also recently debuted a new tasting room at the distillery.) Campbell is a familiar and distinguished face in the distilling world (and wine world, too), appearing on a number of boards and committees, as well as winning plenty of awards and recognition for her work at Privateer.

MALDEN — In case you missed yesterday’s news, Malden is getting lots more beer.

WORCESTER — Here’s a sneak peek inside Greater Good Imperial Brewing Company(55 Millbrook St.), set to open later this month with a focus on hefty imperial brews. The 100-person taproom will also have live music, games, and some food, such as panini and pretzels.

February 23, 2018

American Fresh/Facebook

American Fresh Assembly Row patio

SOMERVILLE — Somerville Brewing Company, aka Slumbrew, will be temporarily bringing back its outdoor beer garden at Assembly Row. “We’ll be back this summer with outdoor drinking and dining right at Assembly Row,” said cofounder Caitlin Jewell in a Facebook live video today. “We have bands and bocce and fun.” The beer garden, which was open in warmer seasons and covered up by a tent in colder seasons, was around for nearly three years before shutting down in fall 2017. A couple months later, Somerville Brewing Company opened up a full-service restaurant and bar, American Fresh Brewhouse, just down the block at 490 Foley St. in Assembly Row. Plus, there’s also the original Somerville Brewing location, a brewery and taproom in Somerville’s Boynton Yards neighborhood, right by Union Square (15 Ward St.)

In a Facebook thread, Jewell mentioned that this time around the beer garden will have “no tent, just fresh air.” She also noted that the “current plan” is that it’s just coming back for this upcoming warm season; the land is still slated to be built upon — part of Assembly Row’s seemingly never-ending development — but plans got delayed by a year.

Another beer update elsewhere in Somerville: On March 3, Winter Hill Brewing Co.(328 Broadway, Winter Hill, Somerville)will introduce its new milk stout, Large Iced Regular. The name — and the winter release date — is an homage to New Englanders’ year-round iced coffee obsession, and the stout is infused with Counter Culture Hologram coffee. In honor of the release, the brewery will be serving a special Union Square Donuts doughnut on March 3, while supplies last; the doughnut glaze is made using the beer.

February 16, 2018

Pretty Things [official photo]

Pretty Things’ Fluffy White Rabbits

BOSTON — Boston Beer Co., which is behind Samuel Adams beer as well as Angry Orchard hard cider, Twisted Tea, and other alcoholic beverages, has a new president: Dave Burwick, who will leave his position of CEO of Peet’s Coffee for the job. He’s also been a member of Boston Beer Co.’s board of directors for over a decade. Burwick succeeds longtime president and CEO Martin Roper. Meanwhile, Boston Beer Co. founder and chairman Jim Koch will continue to hold those positions.

EVERYWHERE — In honor of International Women’s Day on March 8, female brewers nationwide — including plenty in Massachusetts — will be brewing beers made with a special Pink Boots blend of hops, named for the Pink Boots organization, which supports women in beer-related careers. (Sales of the hops go to the organization.) Keep an eye out for all the Pink Boots beers appearing at breweries around town later this year.

THE UK — At last, the news that Pretty Things’ rabid Boston fanbase has been waiting for! Well, not exactly. Pretty Things founders Dann and Martha Holley-Paquette have a new brewery project in the works, but it’s all the way overseas in Sheffield, England. The popular Somerville-based Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project ended in late 2015 after a seven-year run; the website, which is still live, describes it as “now an ex-project.”

“We always intended to end it on our terms, and we are happy to have done so,” the duo wrote on their website. “That’s why it was a project!”

The new project will be a microbrewery on the site of the Old Dairy, which, as its name suggests, was once a milk and cheese processing plant. The Holley-Paquettes will reportedly “produce craft beer in bottles and kegs for sale to wholesale customers.”

February 8, 2018

Trillium Brewing Company [official photo]

BOSTON / CANTON — No, a Trillium Brewing Company (369 Congress St., Boston; 110 Shawmut Rd., Canton)truck didn’t get “Storrowed” — that was just a fun bit of Photoshop in order to promote the brewery’s new release, a double IPA called Storrowed. The company describes it as having a “dank nose of sweaty pineapple, mangosteen, and stone fruit [and] intensely juicy flavors of overripe mango, pear flesh, notes of grapefruit pith, and a background hit of raw sugar.” For those who don’t understand the term “Storrowed,” just heed the road signs that prohibit trucks from driving on Storrow Drive. Don’t be that truck that gets stuck at the overpass. You will get stuck.

CAMBRIDGE — Lamplighter Brewing Company (284 Broadway) officially debuts its new back taproom today, February 9, doubling the brewery’s capacity and allowing it to host more private and public events. And it’s got a really great mural.

HAMPTON, NEW HAMPSHIRE — Smuttynose Brewing Company (105 Towle Farm Rd.), which has been a big name in New England’s craft beer world for more than two decades, is for sale. In a note shared by owners Peter Egelston and Joanne Francis on social media and the Smuttynose website, the duo writes: “At this time, in order for our company to continue on the path we embarked on back in 1994, Smuttynose needs someone who can provide financial resources that will move the company forward…We’re strongly committed to making sure this transition is as smooth as possible, and to help the company’s new owner or partner embark on a successful next chapter for Smuttynose and its wonderful staff. We want to emphasize Smuttynose Brewing company is open, brewing our fine beers daily and serving delicious food at Hayseed Restaurant. Many of you have asked how you can help…keep drinking Smuttynose brews and send your rich aunt or uncle our way!”

ROSLINDALE — Distraction Brewing Company (2 Belgrade Ave.) is a big step closer to opening; the brewery has secured its TTB license, meaning that the federal government recognizes it as a brewery. “In other words, we’re one step closer to transforming this raw, beautiful space into a place where our fellow Rozzidents can kick back and enjoy our beer,” the brewery wrote on Facebook late last month. “Still plenty of work to do. But we can’t wait to get our hands dirty.”

WEYMOUTH — There’s a Kickstarter campaign underway to help fund the building of an “epic taproom” for Article Fifteen Brewing (835 Washington St.), a “veteran-owned nano-brewery” that is currently in the buildout phase. The campaign ends in 10 days, and there’s about $4000 left to raise by then. The team has a lease, brewing equipment, and funds to help with the buildout but is seeking a little bit of help to get to the next step of the process. When Article Fifteen opens, it’ll serve beer “inspired by a love of hops and a proud tradition of military, fire, and medical service.”

WORCESTER — Founded in 2014, 3cross Brewing Company (4 Knowlton Ave.) made a change recently: It’s now 3cross Fermentation Cooperative. As the name suggests, it’s now a coop, owned by workers and customers (the first community-owned brewery in the state), and it’s expanding its focus beyond beer to other fermented products.

[socialviralnews]

27 tips to help you thrift shop like a boss this summer season.

Save some cash, save the planet, and dig for some hidden thrift shop treasures.

Summer is finally here! (Well, almost.)

As the weather heats up, we’re drawn to brighter colors and lighter fabrics — cue your desire for a complete closet refresh. It's tempting to invest in an entirely new wardrobe to match the coming season, but fashion can come with a hefty price — both for your wallet and the environment. Did you know that it can take up to 1,800 gallons of water to make a single pair of jeans? 1,800 gallons!

This year, instead of heading straight for the mall or diving into the abyss that is online shopping, consider checking out your local thrift store for all your summer fun needs — from poolside lounging to graduation parties or weddings. Thrifting can be a great way to save money (and the planet) while prepping for summer.

Like anything, thrifting can be an art. We're here with some tips and tricks to help you get your thrift on this summer.

Before you go:

1. Grab clothing and accessories from your own closet that you no longer need and are ready to recycle. Make room for those new finds and donate to local charitable organizations while you're at it.

2. Get on the mailing list or join the store's loyalty program. Research what days have deals for certain items — up to 50% off, or buy one get one free. You might even be able to get a discount on your birthday.

Image via iStock.

3. Set a budget. It'll help you stay focused on items you actually need. Even a small budget can get you quite a haul at stores like Savers, where nearly 95% of the items sold are under $10.

4. Bring a friend. You'll cover more ground in the store and have someone there to give an opinion on your more peculiar finds.

5. Looking for something vintage? Check out these tips on snagging awesome vintage finds (for instance, did you know that metal zippers and side-snap closures are a sign that something was made before the mid-60s?)

6. Wear something that you can try things on over — like a tank top — so you skip the dressing-room lines.

7. Brainstorm a list of five items you're looking for. If nothing else, this will give you a place to start when you get there. But...

8. Be adaptable, the best part of thrifting is an unexpected find.

When you get there:

9. Think outside your own box. Keep friends and family in mind: a friend who's a different size than you are or a niece who needs a new book for summer break.

10. Give yourself some extra time in the store — hunting for hidden treasures takes time.

Shopping for clothes:

11. Don't limit yourself to your typical size. Sizes vary so much by brand and era; it's worth looking through at least four sizes smaller and larger than your usual.

12. Plan to try on your items before you buy.

13. In the summer months, keep an eye out for seasonal finds: sun hats and swimsuits and flip-flops — oh my. Stock up on the essentials.

14. Don't be intimidated by the shoe section: high quality, barely used shoes at a huge discount. Check the soles for wear.

Reasons to thrift: Buying things that already exist helps to keep reusable goods from reaching landfills ♻ Why do you love thrifting? cc: @annieblackheart

A post shared by Savers Thrift Store (@savers_thrift) on Jan 5, 2016 at 4:33pm PST

Getting crafty:

15. Even if you aren't a craft expert, you can probably sew a button back on, hem a dress, or cut out some shoulder pads. Or you can visit your local tailor.

16. Looking for jorts (jean shorts) this summer? Find a pair of jeans with a bit more room in the thigh, cut off the legs, and roll the hems for some quick, super-comfy new shorts.

Image via iStock.

Shopping for knickknacks and housewares:

17. Check out the housewares section for seasonal party decorations. Lemonade pitchers, margarita glasses, and festive dishes galore.

18. Keep an eye out for gardening supplies — it's never too late in the summer season to plant some flowers.

19. In books, you'll find great reads for your next beach vacation, including current best-selling paperback fiction. Why spend full price?

20. Recipe books too. Nothing beats perusing through a hard copy of "Grilling for Dummies" or "50 Easy Frozen Yogurt Recipes."

Image via iStock.

21. Looking for a complete set of dishes? You'll find matching plates, mugs, bowls, and more in any thrift shop.

22. Keep an eye out for cast iron pans — with just a little love, even pans that look pretty beat up can be good as new.

23. The kitchen appliance section might surprise you — cake-pop makers, cordless wine chillers, donut makers, milk frothers, juicers, and so much more.

Before you check out:

24. Look for an outlet (or ask an employee) to test your new appliance before you buy it.

25. Didn't find what you were looking for? Try again tomorrow — seriously. Thrift shops like Savers put out up to 10,000 new items at each store every day.

On Fridays, we go thrifting. What will you be hunting for this weekend? cc: @meg_swellvtg #Savers #findthefind #regram

A post shared by Savers Thrift Store (@savers_thrift) on Nov 4, 2016 at 5:11pm PDT

26. Or try thrifting in a new area. Each store is unique, so it's worth trying the location on the other side of town or wherever you happen to be vacationing.

27. Have fun. It's a no-brainer, but an important reminder.

Thrifting is a win-win-win for your wallet, the Earth, and your community.

According to the Savers 2017 State of Reuse Report, over 6 in 10 people said they shopped thrift in 2016. As more people choose a thrifted tee instead of a new one, over time, this can help reduce resource waste — like thousands of gallons of water to create that new tee or a pair of jeans.

See you in the aisles!

from Upworthy http://ift.tt/2qXirsm via cheap web hosting

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New Post has been published on Atticusblog

New Post has been published on https://atticusblog.com/equites-property-fund-quality-doesnt-come-cheap/

Equites Property Fund: quality doesn’t come cheap

The indexed belongings quarter has had a tumultuous 12 months

Making it an increasing number of difficult to forecast returns as the proportion charges of many counters hold to see the notice. Rand hedge stocks, as an example, of which many ended 2016 in the purple, at the moment are usually again inside the black at the same time as the opposite is real for some of SA-targeted counters.

However, one counter this is proving quite resilient is Equity Property Fund, the JSE’s simplest professional commercial play. The agency owns an R6.4bn portfolio of present day logistics warehouses, properties that are normally used by predominant stores and importers to keep their goods earlier than they may be disbursed to shops or online shoppers.

Despite a pull-lower back in the percentage price from the past due March to early April following President Jacob Zuma’s cupboard reshuffle, Equities remains up 9% year to date, bringing the 12-month benefit to 30%. That compares to the index’s universal upward thrust of 1% and locations Equities as one of the top four performers many of the JSE’s fifty-seven property counters over a one-year duration, in step with figures from Absa Wealth & Investment Management.

Investors who bought the share nearly 3 years ago when it listed in June 2014 would have visible a giant 63% go back on capital (with the exception of dividends). Demand for the stock has absolute confidence been pushed by way of the truth that Equities has a specialist area of interest offering, differentiating itself from most different assets price range that owns a mixture of retail, office and business homes. The control crew is likewise fantastically seemed and brings a sturdy entrepreneurial aptitude to the desk. The business enterprise turned into fashioned through Cape-based industrial assets developers Andrea Taverna-Tunisian and Giancarlo Lanfranchi — both of Italian descent — with a consortium led by Jonny Cullum, Kevin Dreyer, and Alex von Klopmann, who merged their privately held portfolios earlier than the list.

  Are Facebook Photos Public Property?

Facebook’s phrases of carrier expressly nation that by way of uploading any form of content, whether or not inside the shape of pictures or cloth, you are mechanically assigning copyright control to Facebook. All pictures you upload to Facebook consequently come to be the property of Facebook. This method that Facebook can promote copies of photos published by way of you without paying you any form of earnings. Whenever you share photos together with your Facebook pals you are giving up possession of any intellectual property rights you can own inside the photographs you upload.

This applies whether or not or no longer you submit the pics to a publicly reachable location of Facebook or now not. By posting photographs to any vicinity of the Facebook website you are granting an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exceptional worldwide license, together with the proper to sub-licence, use, copy, publicly carry out, reformat, translate, distribute and the proper to make by-product works of the snapshots to Facebook. When you make a decision to get rid of the content material that license might not always terminate and Facebook have the right to preserve archived copies of cloth published.

This is the cause a few subscribers pick out to upload smaller pix to Facebook, namely to deter people re-using them, as smaller pix could be of decrease high-quality and grainy in look. However, you need to understand that every time you add a full-sized picture you’re granting Facebook the right to shop a copy of the photograph on their servers, which they may be then loose to regulate and adapt.

If you still choose to add your snapshots to Facebook, make certain that the images you add are resized low decision photos which to lessen the possibility of them being reprinted or re-used in ads. If you upload the authentic length photos, Facebook has the right to apply your pics for any industrial functions without giving you any credit or compensating you.

The handiest foolproof solution for people who do no longer want to lose manage over their pix isn’t always to upload them to the first location. People frequently post their pix to their blogs or to an image sharing website along with Flickr to hold possession in their photos. However, in reality, as soon as photographs are published on the net and available for viewing by way of absolutely everyone, they’re inside the public area.

Anything published on publicly handy regions of the internet will become a public report

Determining what regions of the net are public and what areas are personal isn’t straightforward. Having manipulated over the possession of the property in your pics may not necessarily assure that your photographs will continue to be private as soon as published on the net.

What to Look for in Quality Binoculars

Hunting is a hobby for some and a way of life for others

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Boston’s Beer Garden Boom Continues With the Return of Trillium on the Greenway

And other Boston-area beer and liquor news, updated weekly

As the Massachusetts beer scene continues its fast-paced growth, we’re tracking beer-related news bites right here: brewery openings and closures, links to interesting features from other publications, and more. We’re throwing in some liquor news for good measure, too. This piece is updated most Thursdays, and the most recent additions are at the top. Email boston@eater.com with any Massachusetts beer or liquor news that should be on our radar.

Check out our 2017 archive of beer news here, and for a more in-depth look at the scene, check out the archive of our Beer & Mortar feature series.

May 10, 2018

BOSTON — The rumors are true:Last year’s popular Trillium Garden on the Greenway is indeed coming back this year. Per an announcement from Trillium and the Greenway Conservancy, the beer garden will open later this month at High Street across from Rowes Wharf and remain open through the end of October, weather permitting, operating Wednesday through Sunday with draft beer from Trillium and wine from Westport Rivers Vineyards. Keep an eye on Twitter for updates and an official opening date.

CAMBRIDGE — Tickets are now on sale for the seventh annual Hyper-Local Craft Brewfest by the Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts, an event jam-packed with beverage tastings, homebrewing demos and lectures, entertainment, and food. This year, it’s on Saturday, June 16, at University Park, with an afternoon session and an evening session. Tickets start at $40 and are available online, and admission includes unlimited tastings of local beers, ciders, meads, and other beverages, as well as some local food samples. (There will also be larger servings of food available for purchase.)

SOMERVILLE — Somerville’s annual decentralized outdoor music festival, Porchfest, returns this Sunday, May 13 (not Saturday — it’s officially been moved to the rain date), bringing music to a porch near you (or, more likely, many porches near you). Two Somerville breweries, Aeronaut (14 Tyler St.) and Winter Hill(328 Broadway), have collaborated on Porchbeer 2018, aimed at supporting music education by donating 100% of profits to School of Honk. According to a statement from Winter Hill Brewing, it’s a “true Somerville session” that is “both a collaboration and a hybrid beer — using two different ale yeasts…and two Southern Hemisphere hops.” Expect a flavor of “light stone fruits, pineapple, citrus, and herbal notes” with low bitterness and a 5.2% ABV, “nearly perfect for tossing back a few on the porch while the band plays on!” (The breweries would like to remind you to drink responsibly and obey open container laws.) Here’s the info on how to pre-reserve a four-pack or a case, and on Porchfest day, the cans will be available at both taprooms (and on draft, in limited amounts) — and there’ll also be cans on select porches.

Aeronaut and Winter Hill [Official Photo]

Porchbeer 2018 label

May 3, 2018

American Fresh Brewhouse/Facebook

Slumbrew’s Assembly Row beer garden is back

BOSTON — Have you heard about Night Shift Brewing’s forthcoming expansion to Boston proper? In case you missed it, here are some pertinent details. Long story short, it’s going to be awesome. And there’ll be food and coffee, along with beers exclusive to that location.

FRAMINGHAM — The seemingly ever-growing Jack’s Abby is getting an award for, well, growing. The U.S. Small Business Association has named the brewery the Massachusetts Manufacturer of the Year, citing its production growth from 18,000 to 43,000 barrels from 2015 to 2017, as well as the addition of over 100 local employees during that time period. Jack’s Abby also added a second brand, Springdale Beer, last year, with a taproom next door, and Springdale began distribution this year. The SBA will give co-owners and brothers Jack, Eric, and Sam Hendler their award at a ceremony in Needham tomorrow.

PEABODY — The North Shore beer scene continues to grow. With Granite Coast Brewing Co. on deck for a late August opening in Peabody, another three breweries are also potentially in the works there — Essex County Brewery and two others that have not yet been formally announced.

SOMERVILLE — As of yesterday, Somerville Brewing Company, aka Slumbrew, has temporarily revived its Assembly Row beer garden that closed in fall 2017 (301 Canal St.). As noted below, it got a reprieve for another summer because the construction set to overtake its site has been delayed. The brewery also has an indoor facility at Assembly Row, American Fresh Brewhouseat 490 Foley St., not to mention its original brewery and taproom at 15 Ward St. outside of Somerville’s Union Square. The newly reopened Assembly beer garden is dog-friendly, up to three or sometimes five dogs at a time, depending on chillness.

April 26, 2018

Aeronaut Brewing Company/Facebook

Aeronaut’s Allston pop-up will return for a third summer

ALLSTON, BOSTON — Aeronaut will once again host a pop-up beer garden in Allston this summer at Zone 3 on Western Avenue. Expect live music, plenty of beer, and a family-friendly, dog-friendly vibe every Wednesday and Friday evening from June through September. (The Somerville brewery is also reportedly considering a bike-friendly summer pop-up elsewhere in the Boston area this summer; stay tuned.)

BEER STORES EVERYWHERE — For the Boston Globe Magazine, Devra First writes “an open letter to men who sell beer, from a woman who drinks it,” asking those who sell beer to realize that a customer’s gender doesn’t indicate anything definitive about that customer’s beer knowledge, likes, or dislikes. In other words, don’t assume that women shopping for beer only want fruit beer or cider recommendations.

CAMBRIDGEPORT, CAMBRIDGE — Starting May 6, the Central Flea market will be back up and running on Sundays, this time at University Park near Massachusetts Avenue. Cambridge’s Lamplighter Brewing Co. will run an eight-tap beer garden there (and there will also be food trucks around) from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each week, weather permitting. Aside from a variety of Lamplighter styles, the brewery also wants to serve a local cider. The space will fit about 100 people, and there will be some long tables and benches, standing tables, and plenty of open grassy space.

DOWNTOWN BOSTON — More outdoor drinking? More outdoor drinking. The next installment of seasonal outdoor extravaganza Boston Seasons, this one dubbed the Patios and running through spring and summer, will debut at City Hall Plaza on May 4, featuring a Wachusett Brewing Company beer garden (as well as Cambridge’s Honeycomb Creamery, serving ice cream). The beer garden will be pouring pints (of Wachusett as well as some guest brewers) starting at 4 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. on weekends. Keep an eye out for pop-ups and activities throughout the season, including puppy visits, Boston Public Market picnic events, mini golf, and more.

Also downtown, the aforementioned planned “Dewey Square Drinkery” pop-up bar proposed by the Greenway Conservancy now has a vendor attached: Downeast Cider, as Boston Magazine reports. Pending permitting, the Downeast Back Porch on the Greenway, as it’ll be called, will be steps from South Station, serving five ciders on draft, including a new mint lemonade flavor that’ll be exclusive to this pop-up. Also on the menu: wines from Half Bottle Cans and a rotating local beer. The Back Porch will be open from late May through October on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings, as well as on the weekends. As usual, there will be food trucks in the area. Expect lawn games, live music, and other attractions.

Also also downtown, and also by the Greenway Conservancy, the seasonal beer garden near Rowes Wharf will probably come back again this summer — stay tuned for an announcement soon — and signs point to Trillium reprising its role there.

ROXBURY — The opening of the Backlash Beer brewery and taproom in Roxbury is so close; it could debut in mid-May. The brewery will go into its final inspections in the coming weeks.

April 19, 2018

Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater

Part of Underground at Ink Block, which could soon be home to a Castle Island Brewing seasonal beer garden

ALLSTON, BOSTON AND BEVERLY — Heading to a Boston Cannons lacrosse game at Harvard Stadium or Endicott College this season? The team will be running a craft beer garden for the home games at both stadiums this year, featuring Bent Water Brewing Company, True North Ales, Jack’s Abby, and Castle Island Brewing Company, with Bent Water and Castle Island also brewing exclusive Cannons-themed beers for the occasion.

CINCINNATI — With Boston Beer Company busy breaking in its relatively new taproom at its Jamaica Plain facility and planning to expand to Downtown Boston, it’s also busy out of state: It’ll open a 9,000-square-foot taproom across the street from its existing Cincinnati, Ohio brewing space, which it has owned since 1997.

EVERYWHERE — Salem’sNotch Brewing has teamed up with the Trustees, the non-profit conservation group that oversees more than 46,000 acres of Massachusetts land (over 25,000 of those acres are publicly accessible) — from parks and gardens to hiking trails and lighthouses. This partnership will allow Notch to pop up at a variety of Trustees sites with a mobile beer garden. Most events will be free, and many will include live music and other family-friendly activities to be enjoyed while the adults drink Notch’s low-ABV ales and lagers. Keep an eye on the event calendar here.

IPSWICH — Haven’t yet made it to the new tasting room at Privateer Rum (11 Brady Dr.)? Northshore Magazine features a nice peek inside the attractive space; take a look, and then go taste rum at the boat-shaped bar.

SOUTH END, BOSTON — Castle Island Brewing, which has a taproom in Norwood, plans to open a seasonal beer garden in Boston’s South End at Underground at Ink Block (90 Traveler St.), pending city approval. The art-covered park debuted last year under I-93, and Castle Island Brewing’s 5,000-square-foot beer garden (“Castle Island at Underground”), if approved, will open there on May 11 and last through mid-October, operating from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. There will be about eight different beer styles available each day, as well as a couple wines. Thanks to some new equipment in Norwood, Castle Island has been able to increase production and play around with some new small-batch experiments, which will make appearances Underground. The spacious beer garden will fit around 400 people, and there will be lawn games and probably food trucks and other vendors onsite. The beer garden is slated to appear seasonally for at least five years.

March 29, 2018

Down the Road Beer Co./Facebook

Down the Road Beer Co.’s Goopmassta Session IPA, which the state wouldn’t allow to be infused with CBD

ASHLAND — Medfield-based, athlete-founded Zelus Beer Company — which produces “hydration-friendly” beers that are “crafted for your active lifestyle,” with low alcohol content — will open a pop-up taproom and beer garden at the Corner Spot in Ashland (6 Cherry St.) from April 13 to April 26, offering tasters, pints, and merch. There will also be a food truck onsite, as well as music and other events. Keep an eye on the Zelus website for scheduling information and updates.

EVERETT — With retail cannabis sales set to begin on July 1, one local brewery was hoping to be the first in the state to infuse beer with CBD, an active compound in cannabis that is thought to have some potential medical benefits without the psychoactive effects caused by another well-known cannabis compound, THC. Down the Road Beer Co. (199 Ashland St.) hoped to add CBD to its newly released Goopmassta Session IPA, but the state’s Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission said no: “Infusing or otherwise adding cannabinoid extract in alcoholic beverages is considered adulteration of alcohol,” which is a no-no. (Industrial hemp, however, is allowed in the manufacture of alcohol in Massachusetts under certain conditions.) Want to try CBD-infused beer? Head to Vermont and seek out Long Trail Brewing’s Medicator. In Oregon, Coalition Brewing is also making a CBD-infused beer, Two Flowers IPA.

HARVARD — Carlson Orchards (115 Oak Hill Rd.), which has been producing non-alcoholic apple cider for decades, is getting into the hard cider game, the company announced this week, thanks in part to some consultation with the Stormalong Cider team — neighbors at New England Apple Products in Leominster, where Carlson Orchards’ non-alcoholic cider is produced. “We wanted to produce a hard cider that was similar to our premium farmstand cider and ultimately decided to make an ‘unfiltered’ hard cider for increased apple taste and character,” said Carlson Orchards president Frank Carlson, via press release. The first off-site release will be 16-ounce cans of Oak Hill Blend, distributed around the state via the Massachusetts Beverage Alliance, available starting April 1. Stay tuned for a potential fall 2018 opening of a tasting room onsite at Carlson Orchards.

MASHPEE — Today, March 29, is opening day for Cape Cod’s Naukabout Brewery & Taproom (13 Lake Ave.), a seven-barrel brewhouse with lake and river views. It’s open from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. today and 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. this Friday and Saturday (closed on Sunday). The opening lineup of beers includes Quittin’ Time, a “juicy” and “tropical” New England IPA; the triple dry-hopped Tides double IPA; a 3.5%-er, Stormborn Stout; and more.

SOUTH DEERFIELD — Berkshire Brewing Company (12 Railroad St.), which has been around since 1994, could soon open an 850-square-foot taproom that’ll operate a few days a week, with 20 taps, pretzels from Baked in Shelburne Falls, and food trucks outside on summer weekends. (Customers will also be able to bring in their own food.) There will be room for about 55 people inside. Why now? A recent amendment to a state law is now making it possible for the brewery — which has a pub-brewer wholesale license — to move from only offering free samples during tours to actually selling poured beer (but not packaged beer) onsite.

SOUTH END, BOSTON — Heading to the SoWa Open Market to shop and eat? It takes place on Sundays from May 6 to October 28, from 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and starting at 11 a.m. each week, you can drink some beer, too. The Power Station (540 Harrison Ave.) will become the Beer Barn, courtesy of Craft Collective, serving up a rotating selection of beers and ciders. There’ll also be lawn games, live music, and more.

March 22, 2018

Greater Good Imperial Brewing Company/Facebook

Greater Good Imperial Brewing Company

FALL RIVER — Canned Heat Craft Beer Company (52 Ferry St.) could open as soon as early May; the team plans to can (of course) and distribute the beer, and there will also be tasting hours at the space, which will include cold food and a patio. Canned Heat has been previewing some potential beers on Facebook, including Limesicle, a milkshake IPA made with lime peel and vanilla bean; Aloha Brown, an English-style brown that will be aged on toasted coconut; and a Portuguese-inspired pilsner.

HAMPTON, NEW HAMPSHIRE — Smuttynose Brewing Company (105 Towle Farm Rd.) has been sold for an undisclosed amount to Runnymede Investments, a venture capital and investment firm based in North Hampton, New Hampshire, that intends to help the brand “not only survive, but…thrive.” Former Boston Beer Company executive Rich Lindsay, who was briefly CFO for Night Shift Brewing, will be CEO.

MARLBOROUGH — Walden Woods Brewing(277 Main St.) is so, so close to opening. It was supposed to happen this past weekend, but there were some delays. Look for it within the next few weeks.

ROSLINDALE — Alas, the season is about to end for Trillium’s temporary beer hall at the Roslindale Substation (4228 Washington St.). This Sunday will be the final day; check out some details for the last few events here.

SPRINGFIELD — In a Mass. Brew Bros. blind, bracket-style tasting of 20 Massachusetts New England IPAs, the victor was a nanobrewery in planning, Rustic Brewing Company, with a brew called Hop Blind. Lots of more established breweries were included, such as Trillium, Idle Hands, Tree House, and Lord Hobo. Western Mass. apparently has a lot to look forward to when Rustic opens, focusing on New England IPAs and milkshake IPAs.

WALTHAM — Contract brand Mighty Squirrel Brewing Co. will get its own permanent home later this year, likely around fall — a 23,000-square-foot brewery and taproom right by Beaver Brook Reservation (411 Waverley Oaks Rd.). The large space will include a second taproom for overflow and private events, two patios, and a 30-barrel system, as well as an additional five-barrel pilot system for experimentation. The brand launched a few years back with the aim of producing protein-packed post-workout beers, but these days, Mighty Squirrel has moved away from those recipes, instead producing beers such as the hazy Cloud Candy IPA, Mocha Stout milk stout, and Kiwi White Belgian white ale.

WORCESTER — Greater Good Imperial Brewing Company(55 Millbrook St.), which focuses on imperial ales and lagers between 8% and 14% ABV (hence the name), has debuted its 100-person taproom; here’s the schedule for the first couple of weeks. Greater Good’s kitchen, dubbed Toast (stylized “TOAST.”), is serving up five types of grilled cheese, plus soft pretzels, hot dogs, and other snacks.

March 15, 2018

Trillium/Facebook

Trillium’s original Fort Point location

DOWNTOWN BOSTON — At the Royale over the weekend, a number of local bartenders took part in the annual Speed Rack competition, a speed bartending competition by and for women that raises money for breast cancer charities (and visibility for women in the bartending industry). This year, Tainah Soares (of A4cade in Cambridge) was crowned Miss Speed Rack New England, and she’ll go on to compete at the national finals in May, taking place in Chicago.

DOWNTOWN CROSSING, BOSTON — Democracy Brewing(35 Temple St.) — one of several exciting Boston-area brewery openings potentially slated for spring 2018 — is three months into construction and shared some renderings of what it’ll look like when it’s complete. Democracy Brewing is located in the longtime Windsor Button space.

FORT POINT, BOSTON — Trillium Brewing Company’s forthcoming Fort Point location at 47 Farnsworth St. — a move from its original spot in the neighborhood (369 Congress St.) that will result in a much larger and more awesome space — is moving along. BLDUP has a March construction update on the 16,000-square-foot project, noting that a permit has been submitted for restaurant occupancy. The two-story space, which could open by the end of the year, will include a brewpub with a full kitchen and microbrewery, bar on each floor, a room for private events, a retail shop, and two outdoor patios — one of which will be on the roof.

ROSLINDALE, BOSTON — Distraction Brewing Company (2 Belgrade Ave.) has now secured its Massachusetts farmer-brewery license, which lets it produce beer. Still in the works: a pouring license, zoning, and building the taproom.

WEYMOUTH — In addition to Barrel House Z (95 Woodrock Rd.), which opened a year and a half ago, and the forthcoming Article Fifteen (835 Washington St.) (see February 8 update below), Weymouth has even more beer on the way. Vitamin Sea Brewing has signed a lease near Barrel House Z and could open a 10-barrel brewery and taproom by the end of 2018, featuring a patio and rotating food trucks.

March 1, 2018

Greater Good/Facebook

Growlers at Greater Good Imperial Brewing Company, opening soon in Worcester

BOSTON — Prepare for beer gardens. Once the season arrives, Trillium’s popular Greenway garden will likely make a comeback this year, as the Herald reports, and that’s not all: The Greenway Conservancy is trying to find a brewery for “Dewey Square Drinkery,” a pop-up bar that would be open at least a couple days a week in Dewey Square. Stay tuned, and in the meantime, catch Trillium’s other seasonal beer garden — an indoor one — at the Roslindale Substation (4228 Washington St.)

CAMBRIDGE TO MEXICO CITY — Moe Isaza, bar manager atPammy’s(928 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge), is currently competing for his third time in the annual Bacardi Legacy Cocktail Competition, and he’s already made it quite far — he’ll be one of just two United States finalists competing globally in Mexico City against about 30 international bartenders on April 25. The US finalists were pulled from a field of 720 recipes submissions, narrowed down through several stages of judging and competition. Isaza’s drink is called the Poderoso and includes Bacardi Ocho, coffee liqueur (paying homage to Colombia, where Isaza was born before coming to East Boston as a four-year-old), pineapple juice, amaro, and a muddled lemon wedge.

EVERETT TO PAWTUCKET AND BEYOND — Night Shift Brewing (87 Santilli Hwy., Everett) is outgrowing its home and is now doing some contract brewing out of the Isle Brewers Guild cooperative in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, adding about 10,000 barrels a year to Night Shift’s output. And it’s the Everett brewery’s first foray into Rhode Island; it doesn’t yet distribute there, but its beers made at Isle Brewers Guild will be on tap and in cans at the Guild taproom.

In other Night Shift news, Braintree’s Widowmaker Brewing(220 Wood Rd.) has signed on with Night Shift Distributing (Night Shift Brewing’s sibling distribution arm) to take things to the next level (previously self-distributing to around 30 nearby accounts), hoping to spread around the whole Greater Boston area, not just the South Shore. Keep an eye out for Widowmaker’s Ecstasy of Gold American IPA and 50 Year Storm Double IPA around town, likely followed soon by the Donut Shop Stout.

And in other Night Shift news, Night Shift Distributing recently brought its first gluten-free brewery into its portfolio, Ghostfish Brewing out of Seattle. Four-packs began to hit Massachusetts shelves a couple weeks ago; look for Ghostfish’s Grapefruit IPA, Meteor Shower Blonde Ale, and Shrouded Summit Belgian White Ale.

IPSWICH — Privateer Rum (11 Brady Dr.) announced today that Maggie Campbell — head distiller since 2012, vice president since 2015 — has risen through the ranks again. She’s now president of the company, working alongside founder and CEO Andrew Cabot to further grow the seven-year-old brand, including doubling Privateer’s production capacity this year. (Privateer also recently debuted a new tasting room at the distillery.) Campbell is a familiar and distinguished face in the distilling world (and wine world, too), appearing on a number of boards and committees, as well as winning plenty of awards and recognition for her work at Privateer.

MALDEN — In case you missed yesterday’s news, Malden is getting lots more beer.

WORCESTER — Here’s a sneak peek inside Greater Good Imperial Brewing Company(55 Millbrook St.), set to open later this month with a focus on hefty imperial brews. The 100-person taproom will also have live music, games, and some food, such as panini and pretzels.

February 23, 2018

American Fresh/Facebook

American Fresh Assembly Row patio

SOMERVILLE — Somerville Brewing Company, aka Slumbrew, will be temporarily bringing back its outdoor beer garden at Assembly Row. “We’ll be back this summer with outdoor drinking and dining right at Assembly Row,” said cofounder Caitlin Jewell in a Facebook live video today. “We have bands and bocce and fun.” The beer garden, which was open in warmer seasons and covered up by a tent in colder seasons, was around for nearly three years before shutting down in fall 2017. A couple months later, Somerville Brewing Company opened up a full-service restaurant and bar, American Fresh Brewhouse, just down the block at 490 Foley St. in Assembly Row. Plus, there’s also the original Somerville Brewing location, a brewery and taproom in Somerville’s Boynton Yards neighborhood, right by Union Square (15 Ward St.)

In a Facebook thread, Jewell mentioned that this time around the beer garden will have “no tent, just fresh air.” She also noted that the “current plan” is that it’s just coming back for this upcoming warm season; the land is still slated to be built upon — part of Assembly Row’s seemingly never-ending development — but plans got delayed by a year.

Another beer update elsewhere in Somerville: On March 3, Winter Hill Brewing Co.(328 Broadway, Winter Hill, Somerville)will introduce its new milk stout, Large Iced Regular. The name — and the winter release date — is an homage to New Englanders’ year-round iced coffee obsession, and the stout is infused with Counter Culture Hologram coffee. In honor of the release, the brewery will be serving a special Union Square Donuts doughnut on March 3, while supplies last; the doughnut glaze is made using the beer.

February 16, 2018

Pretty Things [official photo]

Pretty Things’ Fluffy White Rabbits

BOSTON — Boston Beer Co., which is behind Samuel Adams beer as well as Angry Orchard hard cider, Twisted Tea, and other alcoholic beverages, has a new president: Dave Burwick, who will leave his position of CEO of Peet’s Coffee for the job. He’s also been a member of Boston Beer Co.’s board of directors for over a decade. Burwick succeeds longtime president and CEO Martin Roper. Meanwhile, Boston Beer Co. founder and chairman Jim Koch will continue to hold those positions.

EVERYWHERE — In honor of International Women’s Day on March 8, female brewers nationwide — including plenty in Massachusetts — will be brewing beers made with a special Pink Boots blend of hops, named for the Pink Boots organization, which supports women in beer-related careers. (Sales of the hops go to the organization.) Keep an eye out for all the Pink Boots beers appearing at breweries around town later this year.

THE UK — At last, the news that Pretty Things’ rabid Boston fanbase has been waiting for! Well, not exactly. Pretty Things founders Dann and Martha Holley-Paquette have a new brewery project in the works, but it’s all the way overseas in Sheffield, England. The popular Somerville-based Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project ended in late 2015 after a seven-year run; the website, which is still live, describes it as “now an ex-project.”

“We always intended to end it on our terms, and we are happy to have done so,” the duo wrote on their website. “That’s why it was a project!”

The new project will be a microbrewery on the site of the Old Dairy, which, as its name suggests, was once a milk and cheese processing plant. The Holley-Paquettes will reportedly “produce craft beer in bottles and kegs for sale to wholesale customers.”

February 8, 2018

Trillium Brewing Company [official photo]

BOSTON / CANTON — No, a Trillium Brewing Company (369 Congress St., Boston; 110 Shawmut Rd., Canton)truck didn’t get “Storrowed” — that was just a fun bit of Photoshop in order to promote the brewery’s new release, a double IPA called Storrowed. The company describes it as having a “dank nose of sweaty pineapple, mangosteen, and stone fruit [and] intensely juicy flavors of overripe mango, pear flesh, notes of grapefruit pith, and a background hit of raw sugar.” For those who don’t understand the term “Storrowed,” just heed the road signs that prohibit trucks from driving on Storrow Drive. Don’t be that truck that gets stuck at the overpass. You will get stuck.

CAMBRIDGE — Lamplighter Brewing Company (284 Broadway) officially debuts its new back taproom today, February 9, doubling the brewery’s capacity and allowing it to host more private and public events. And it’s got a really great mural.

HAMPTON, NEW HAMPSHIRE — Smuttynose Brewing Company (105 Towle Farm Rd.), which has been a big name in New England’s craft beer world for more than two decades, is for sale. In a note shared by owners Peter Egelston and Joanne Francis on social media and the Smuttynose website, the duo writes: “At this time, in order for our company to continue on the path we embarked on back in 1994, Smuttynose needs someone who can provide financial resources that will move the company forward…We’re strongly committed to making sure this transition is as smooth as possible, and to help the company’s new owner or partner embark on a successful next chapter for Smuttynose and its wonderful staff. We want to emphasize Smuttynose Brewing company is open, brewing our fine beers daily and serving delicious food at Hayseed Restaurant. Many of you have asked how you can help…keep drinking Smuttynose brews and send your rich aunt or uncle our way!”

ROSLINDALE — Distraction Brewing Company (2 Belgrade Ave.) is a big step closer to opening; the brewery has secured its TTB license, meaning that the federal government recognizes it as a brewery. “In other words, we’re one step closer to transforming this raw, beautiful space into a place where our fellow Rozzidents can kick back and enjoy our beer,” the brewery wrote on Facebook late last month. “Still plenty of work to do. But we can’t wait to get our hands dirty.”

WEYMOUTH — There’s a Kickstarter campaign underway to help fund the building of an “epic taproom” for Article Fifteen Brewing (835 Washington St.), a “veteran-owned nano-brewery” that is currently in the buildout phase. The campaign ends in 10 days, and there’s about $4000 left to raise by then. The team has a lease, brewing equipment, and funds to help with the buildout but is seeking a little bit of help to get to the next step of the process. When Article Fifteen opens, it’ll serve beer “inspired by a love of hops and a proud tradition of military, fire, and medical service.”

WORCESTER — Founded in 2014, 3cross Brewing Company (4 Knowlton Ave.) made a change recently: It’s now 3cross Fermentation Cooperative. As the name suggests, it’s now a coop, owned by workers and customers (the first community-owned brewery in the state), and it’s expanding its focus beyond beer to other fermented products.

[tonyduncanbb73]

Boston’s Beer Garden Boom Continues With the Return of Trillium on the Greenway

And other Boston-area beer and liquor news, updated weekly

As the Massachusetts beer scene continues its fast-paced growth, we’re tracking beer-related news bites right here: brewery openings and closures, links to interesting features from other publications, and more. We’re throwing in some liquor news for good measure, too. This piece is updated most Thursdays, and the most recent additions are at the top. Email boston@eater.com with any Massachusetts beer or liquor news that should be on our radar.

Check out our 2017 archive of beer news here, and for a more in-depth look at the scene, check out the archive of our Beer & Mortar feature series.

May 10, 2018

BOSTON — The rumors are true:Last year’s popular Trillium Garden on the Greenway is indeed coming back this year. Per an announcement from Trillium and the Greenway Conservancy, the beer garden will open later this month at High Street across from Rowes Wharf and remain open through the end of October, weather permitting, operating Wednesday through Sunday with draft beer from Trillium and wine from Westport Rivers Vineyards. Keep an eye on Twitter for updates and an official opening date.

CAMBRIDGE — Tickets are now on sale for the seventh annual Hyper-Local Craft Brewfest by the Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts, an event jam-packed with beverage tastings, homebrewing demos and lectures, entertainment, and food. This year, it’s on Saturday, June 16, at University Park, with an afternoon session and an evening session. Tickets start at $40 and are available online, and admission includes unlimited tastings of local beers, ciders, meads, and other beverages, as well as some local food samples. (There will also be larger servings of food available for purchase.)

SOMERVILLE — Somerville’s annual decentralized outdoor music festival, Porchfest, returns this Sunday, May 13 (not Saturday — it’s officially been moved to the rain date), bringing music to a porch near you (or, more likely, many porches near you). Two Somerville breweries, Aeronaut (14 Tyler St.) and Winter Hill(328 Broadway), have collaborated on Porchbeer 2018, aimed at supporting music education by donating 100% of profits to School of Honk. According to a statement from Winter Hill Brewing, it’s a “true Somerville session” that is “both a collaboration and a hybrid beer — using two different ale yeasts…and two Southern Hemisphere hops.” Expect a flavor of “light stone fruits, pineapple, citrus, and herbal notes” with low bitterness and a 5.2% ABV, “nearly perfect for tossing back a few on the porch while the band plays on!” (The breweries would like to remind you to drink responsibly and obey open container laws.) Here’s the info on how to pre-reserve a four-pack or a case, and on Porchfest day, the cans will be available at both taprooms (and on draft, in limited amounts) — and there’ll also be cans on select porches.

Aeronaut and Winter Hill [Official Photo]

Porchbeer 2018 label

May 3, 2018

American Fresh Brewhouse/Facebook

Slumbrew’s Assembly Row beer garden is back

BOSTON — Have you heard about Night Shift Brewing’s forthcoming expansion to Boston proper? In case you missed it, here are some pertinent details. Long story short, it’s going to be awesome. And there’ll be food and coffee, along with beers exclusive to that location.

FRAMINGHAM — The seemingly ever-growing Jack’s Abby is getting an award for, well, growing. The U.S. Small Business Association has named the brewery the Massachusetts Manufacturer of the Year, citing its production growth from 18,000 to 43,000 barrels from 2015 to 2017, as well as the addition of over 100 local employees during that time period. Jack’s Abby also added a second brand, Springdale Beer, last year, with a taproom next door, and Springdale began distribution this year. The SBA will give co-owners and brothers Jack, Eric, and Sam Hendler their award at a ceremony in Needham tomorrow.

PEABODY — The North Shore beer scene continues to grow. With Granite Coast Brewing Co. on deck for a late August opening in Peabody, another three breweries are also potentially in the works there — Essex County Brewery and two others that have not yet been formally announced.

SOMERVILLE — As of yesterday, Somerville Brewing Company, aka Slumbrew, has temporarily revived its Assembly Row beer garden that closed in fall 2017 (301 Canal St.). As noted below, it got a reprieve for another summer because the construction set to overtake its site has been delayed. The brewery also has an indoor facility at Assembly Row, American Fresh Brewhouseat 490 Foley St., not to mention its original brewery and taproom at 15 Ward St. outside of Somerville’s Union Square. The newly reopened Assembly beer garden is dog-friendly, up to three or sometimes five dogs at a time, depending on chillness.

April 26, 2018

Aeronaut Brewing Company/Facebook

Aeronaut’s Allston pop-up will return for a third summer

ALLSTON, BOSTON — Aeronaut will once again host a pop-up beer garden in Allston this summer at Zone 3 on Western Avenue. Expect live music, plenty of beer, and a family-friendly, dog-friendly vibe every Wednesday and Friday evening from June through September. (The Somerville brewery is also reportedly considering a bike-friendly summer pop-up elsewhere in the Boston area this summer; stay tuned.)

BEER STORES EVERYWHERE — For the Boston Globe Magazine, Devra First writes “an open letter to men who sell beer, from a woman who drinks it,” asking those who sell beer to realize that a customer’s gender doesn’t indicate anything definitive about that customer’s beer knowledge, likes, or dislikes. In other words, don’t assume that women shopping for beer only want fruit beer or cider recommendations.

CAMBRIDGEPORT, CAMBRIDGE — Starting May 6, the Central Flea market will be back up and running on Sundays, this time at University Park near Massachusetts Avenue. Cambridge’s Lamplighter Brewing Co. will run an eight-tap beer garden there (and there will also be food trucks around) from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each week, weather permitting. Aside from a variety of Lamplighter styles, the brewery also wants to serve a local cider. The space will fit about 100 people, and there will be some long tables and benches, standing tables, and plenty of open grassy space.

DOWNTOWN BOSTON — More outdoor drinking? More outdoor drinking. The next installment of seasonal outdoor extravaganza Boston Seasons, this one dubbed the Patios and running through spring and summer, will debut at City Hall Plaza on May 4, featuring a Wachusett Brewing Company beer garden (as well as Cambridge’s Honeycomb Creamery, serving ice cream). The beer garden will be pouring pints (of Wachusett as well as some guest brewers) starting at 4 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. on weekends. Keep an eye out for pop-ups and activities throughout the season, including puppy visits, Boston Public Market picnic events, mini golf, and more.

Also downtown, the aforementioned planned “Dewey Square Drinkery” pop-up bar proposed by the Greenway Conservancy now has a vendor attached: Downeast Cider, as Boston Magazine reports. Pending permitting, the Downeast Back Porch on the Greenway, as it’ll be called, will be steps from South Station, serving five ciders on draft, including a new mint lemonade flavor that’ll be exclusive to this pop-up. Also on the menu: wines from Half Bottle Cans and a rotating local beer. The Back Porch will be open from late May through October on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings, as well as on the weekends. As usual, there will be food trucks in the area. Expect lawn games, live music, and other attractions.

Also also downtown, and also by the Greenway Conservancy, the seasonal beer garden near Rowes Wharf will probably come back again this summer — stay tuned for an announcement soon — and signs point to Trillium reprising its role there.

ROXBURY — The opening of the Backlash Beer brewery and taproom in Roxbury is so close; it could debut in mid-May. The brewery will go into its final inspections in the coming weeks.

April 19, 2018

Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater

Part of Underground at Ink Block, which could soon be home to a Castle Island Brewing seasonal beer garden

ALLSTON, BOSTON AND BEVERLY — Heading to a Boston Cannons lacrosse game at Harvard Stadium or Endicott College this season? The team will be running a craft beer garden for the home games at both stadiums this year, featuring Bent Water Brewing Company, True North Ales, Jack’s Abby, and Castle Island Brewing Company, with Bent Water and Castle Island also brewing exclusive Cannons-themed beers for the occasion.

CINCINNATI — With Boston Beer Company busy breaking in its relatively new taproom at its Jamaica Plain facility and planning to expand to Downtown Boston, it’s also busy out of state: It’ll open a 9,000-square-foot taproom across the street from its existing Cincinnati, Ohio brewing space, which it has owned since 1997.

EVERYWHERE — Salem’sNotch Brewing has teamed up with the Trustees, the non-profit conservation group that oversees more than 46,000 acres of Massachusetts land (over 25,000 of those acres are publicly accessible) — from parks and gardens to hiking trails and lighthouses. This partnership will allow Notch to pop up at a variety of Trustees sites with a mobile beer garden. Most events will be free, and many will include live music and other family-friendly activities to be enjoyed while the adults drink Notch’s low-ABV ales and lagers. Keep an eye on the event calendar here.

IPSWICH — Haven’t yet made it to the new tasting room at Privateer Rum (11 Brady Dr.)? Northshore Magazine features a nice peek inside the attractive space; take a look, and then go taste rum at the boat-shaped bar.

SOUTH END, BOSTON — Castle Island Brewing, which has a taproom in Norwood, plans to open a seasonal beer garden in Boston’s South End at Underground at Ink Block (90 Traveler St.), pending city approval. The art-covered park debuted last year under I-93, and Castle Island Brewing’s 5,000-square-foot beer garden (“Castle Island at Underground”), if approved, will open there on May 11 and last through mid-October, operating from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. There will be about eight different beer styles available each day, as well as a couple wines. Thanks to some new equipment in Norwood, Castle Island has been able to increase production and play around with some new small-batch experiments, which will make appearances Underground. The spacious beer garden will fit around 400 people, and there will be lawn games and probably food trucks and other vendors onsite. The beer garden is slated to appear seasonally for at least five years.

March 29, 2018

Down the Road Beer Co./Facebook

Down the Road Beer Co.’s Goopmassta Session IPA, which the state wouldn’t allow to be infused with CBD

ASHLAND — Medfield-based, athlete-founded Zelus Beer Company — which produces “hydration-friendly” beers that are “crafted for your active lifestyle,” with low alcohol content — will open a pop-up taproom and beer garden at the Corner Spot in Ashland (6 Cherry St.) from April 13 to April 26, offering tasters, pints, and merch. There will also be a food truck onsite, as well as music and other events. Keep an eye on the Zelus website for scheduling information and updates.

EVERETT — With retail cannabis sales set to begin on July 1, one local brewery was hoping to be the first in the state to infuse beer with CBD, an active compound in cannabis that is thought to have some potential medical benefits without the psychoactive effects caused by another well-known cannabis compound, THC. Down the Road Beer Co. (199 Ashland St.) hoped to add CBD to its newly released Goopmassta Session IPA, but the state’s Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission said no: “Infusing or otherwise adding cannabinoid extract in alcoholic beverages is considered adulteration of alcohol,” which is a no-no. (Industrial hemp, however, is allowed in the manufacture of alcohol in Massachusetts under certain conditions.) Want to try CBD-infused beer? Head to Vermont and seek out Long Trail Brewing’s Medicator. In Oregon, Coalition Brewing is also making a CBD-infused beer, Two Flowers IPA.

HARVARD — Carlson Orchards (115 Oak Hill Rd.), which has been producing non-alcoholic apple cider for decades, is getting into the hard cider game, the company announced this week, thanks in part to some consultation with the Stormalong Cider team — neighbors at New England Apple Products in Leominster, where Carlson Orchards’ non-alcoholic cider is produced. “We wanted to produce a hard cider that was similar to our premium farmstand cider and ultimately decided to make an ‘unfiltered’ hard cider for increased apple taste and character,” said Carlson Orchards president Frank Carlson, via press release. The first off-site release will be 16-ounce cans of Oak Hill Blend, distributed around the state via the Massachusetts Beverage Alliance, available starting April 1. Stay tuned for a potential fall 2018 opening of a tasting room onsite at Carlson Orchards.

MASHPEE — Today, March 29, is opening day for Cape Cod’s Naukabout Brewery & Taproom (13 Lake Ave.), a seven-barrel brewhouse with lake and river views. It’s open from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. today and 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. this Friday and Saturday (closed on Sunday). The opening lineup of beers includes Quittin’ Time, a “juicy” and “tropical” New England IPA; the triple dry-hopped Tides double IPA; a 3.5%-er, Stormborn Stout; and more.

SOUTH DEERFIELD — Berkshire Brewing Company (12 Railroad St.), which has been around since 1994, could soon open an 850-square-foot taproom that’ll operate a few days a week, with 20 taps, pretzels from Baked in Shelburne Falls, and food trucks outside on summer weekends. (Customers will also be able to bring in their own food.) There will be room for about 55 people inside. Why now? A recent amendment to a state law is now making it possible for the brewery — which has a pub-brewer wholesale license — to move from only offering free samples during tours to actually selling poured beer (but not packaged beer) onsite.

SOUTH END, BOSTON — Heading to the SoWa Open Market to shop and eat? It takes place on Sundays from May 6 to October 28, from 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and starting at 11 a.m. each week, you can drink some beer, too. The Power Station (540 Harrison Ave.) will become the Beer Barn, courtesy of Craft Collective, serving up a rotating selection of beers and ciders. There’ll also be lawn games, live music, and more.

March 22, 2018

Greater Good Imperial Brewing Company/Facebook

Greater Good Imperial Brewing Company

FALL RIVER — Canned Heat Craft Beer Company (52 Ferry St.) could open as soon as early May; the team plans to can (of course) and distribute the beer, and there will also be tasting hours at the space, which will include cold food and a patio. Canned Heat has been previewing some potential beers on Facebook, including Limesicle, a milkshake IPA made with lime peel and vanilla bean; Aloha Brown, an English-style brown that will be aged on toasted coconut; and a Portuguese-inspired pilsner.

HAMPTON, NEW HAMPSHIRE — Smuttynose Brewing Company (105 Towle Farm Rd.) has been sold for an undisclosed amount to Runnymede Investments, a venture capital and investment firm based in North Hampton, New Hampshire, that intends to help the brand “not only survive, but…thrive.” Former Boston Beer Company executive Rich Lindsay, who was briefly CFO for Night Shift Brewing, will be CEO.

MARLBOROUGH — Walden Woods Brewing(277 Main St.) is so, so close to opening. It was supposed to happen this past weekend, but there were some delays. Look for it within the next few weeks.

ROSLINDALE — Alas, the season is about to end for Trillium’s temporary beer hall at the Roslindale Substation (4228 Washington St.). This Sunday will be the final day; check out some details for the last few events here.

SPRINGFIELD — In a Mass. Brew Bros. blind, bracket-style tasting of 20 Massachusetts New England IPAs, the victor was a nanobrewery in planning, Rustic Brewing Company, with a brew called Hop Blind. Lots of more established breweries were included, such as Trillium, Idle Hands, Tree House, and Lord Hobo. Western Mass. apparently has a lot to look forward to when Rustic opens, focusing on New England IPAs and milkshake IPAs.

WALTHAM — Contract brand Mighty Squirrel Brewing Co. will get its own permanent home later this year, likely around fall — a 23,000-square-foot brewery and taproom right by Beaver Brook Reservation (411 Waverley Oaks Rd.). The large space will include a second taproom for overflow and private events, two patios, and a 30-barrel system, as well as an additional five-barrel pilot system for experimentation. The brand launched a few years back with the aim of producing protein-packed post-workout beers, but these days, Mighty Squirrel has moved away from those recipes, instead producing beers such as the hazy Cloud Candy IPA, Mocha Stout milk stout, and Kiwi White Belgian white ale.

WORCESTER — Greater Good Imperial Brewing Company(55 Millbrook St.), which focuses on imperial ales and lagers between 8% and 14% ABV (hence the name), has debuted its 100-person taproom; here’s the schedule for the first couple of weeks. Greater Good’s kitchen, dubbed Toast (stylized “TOAST.”), is serving up five types of grilled cheese, plus soft pretzels, hot dogs, and other snacks.

March 15, 2018

Trillium/Facebook

Trillium’s original Fort Point location

DOWNTOWN BOSTON — At the Royale over the weekend, a number of local bartenders took part in the annual Speed Rack competition, a speed bartending competition by and for women that raises money for breast cancer charities (and visibility for women in the bartending industry). This year, Tainah Soares (of A4cade in Cambridge) was crowned Miss Speed Rack New England, and she’ll go on to compete at the national finals in May, taking place in Chicago.

DOWNTOWN CROSSING, BOSTON — Democracy Brewing(35 Temple St.) — one of several exciting Boston-area brewery openings potentially slated for spring 2018 — is three months into construction and shared some renderings of what it’ll look like when it’s complete. Democracy Brewing is located in the longtime Windsor Button space.

FORT POINT, BOSTON — Trillium Brewing Company’s forthcoming Fort Point location at 47 Farnsworth St. — a move from its original spot in the neighborhood (369 Congress St.) that will result in a much larger and more awesome space — is moving along. BLDUP has a March construction update on the 16,000-square-foot project, noting that a permit has been submitted for restaurant occupancy. The two-story space, which could open by the end of the year, will include a brewpub with a full kitchen and microbrewery, bar on each floor, a room for private events, a retail shop, and two outdoor patios — one of which will be on the roof.

ROSLINDALE, BOSTON — Distraction Brewing Company (2 Belgrade Ave.) has now secured its Massachusetts farmer-brewery license, which lets it produce beer. Still in the works: a pouring license, zoning, and building the taproom.

WEYMOUTH — In addition to Barrel House Z (95 Woodrock Rd.), which opened a year and a half ago, and the forthcoming Article Fifteen (835 Washington St.) (see February 8 update below), Weymouth has even more beer on the way. Vitamin Sea Brewing has signed a lease near Barrel House Z and could open a 10-barrel brewery and taproom by the end of 2018, featuring a patio and rotating food trucks.

March 1, 2018

Greater Good/Facebook

Growlers at Greater Good Imperial Brewing Company, opening soon in Worcester

BOSTON — Prepare for beer gardens. Once the season arrives, Trillium’s popular Greenway garden will likely make a comeback this year, as the Herald reports, and that’s not all: The Greenway Conservancy is trying to find a brewery for “Dewey Square Drinkery,” a pop-up bar that would be open at least a couple days a week in Dewey Square. Stay tuned, and in the meantime, catch Trillium’s other seasonal beer garden — an indoor one — at the Roslindale Substation (4228 Washington St.)

CAMBRIDGE TO MEXICO CITY — Moe Isaza, bar manager atPammy’s(928 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge), is currently competing for his third time in the annual Bacardi Legacy Cocktail Competition, and he’s already made it quite far — he’ll be one of just two United States finalists competing globally in Mexico City against about 30 international bartenders on April 25. The US finalists were pulled from a field of 720 recipes submissions, narrowed down through several stages of judging and competition. Isaza’s drink is called the Poderoso and includes Bacardi Ocho, coffee liqueur (paying homage to Colombia, where Isaza was born before coming to East Boston as a four-year-old), pineapple juice, amaro, and a muddled lemon wedge.

EVERETT TO PAWTUCKET AND BEYOND — Night Shift Brewing (87 Santilli Hwy., Everett) is outgrowing its home and is now doing some contract brewing out of the Isle Brewers Guild cooperative in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, adding about 10,000 barrels a year to Night Shift’s output. And it’s the Everett brewery’s first foray into Rhode Island; it doesn’t yet distribute there, but its beers made at Isle Brewers Guild will be on tap and in cans at the Guild taproom.

In other Night Shift news, Braintree’s Widowmaker Brewing(220 Wood Rd.) has signed on with Night Shift Distributing (Night Shift Brewing’s sibling distribution arm) to take things to the next level (previously self-distributing to around 30 nearby accounts), hoping to spread around the whole Greater Boston area, not just the South Shore. Keep an eye out for Widowmaker’s Ecstasy of Gold American IPA and 50 Year Storm Double IPA around town, likely followed soon by the Donut Shop Stout.

And in other Night Shift news, Night Shift Distributing recently brought its first gluten-free brewery into its portfolio, Ghostfish Brewing out of Seattle. Four-packs began to hit Massachusetts shelves a couple weeks ago; look for Ghostfish’s Grapefruit IPA, Meteor Shower Blonde Ale, and Shrouded Summit Belgian White Ale.

IPSWICH — Privateer Rum (11 Brady Dr.) announced today that Maggie Campbell — head distiller since 2012, vice president since 2015 — has risen through the ranks again. She’s now president of the company, working alongside founder and CEO Andrew Cabot to further grow the seven-year-old brand, including doubling Privateer’s production capacity this year. (Privateer also recently debuted a new tasting room at the distillery.) Campbell is a familiar and distinguished face in the distilling world (and wine world, too), appearing on a number of boards and committees, as well as winning plenty of awards and recognition for her work at Privateer.

MALDEN — In case you missed yesterday’s news, Malden is getting lots more beer.

WORCESTER — Here’s a sneak peek inside Greater Good Imperial Brewing Company(55 Millbrook St.), set to open later this month with a focus on hefty imperial brews. The 100-person taproom will also have live music, games, and some food, such as panini and pretzels.

February 23, 2018

American Fresh/Facebook

American Fresh Assembly Row patio

SOMERVILLE — Somerville Brewing Company, aka Slumbrew, will be temporarily bringing back its outdoor beer garden at Assembly Row. “We’ll be back this summer with outdoor drinking and dining right at Assembly Row,” said cofounder Caitlin Jewell in a Facebook live video today. “We have bands and bocce and fun.” The beer garden, which was open in warmer seasons and covered up by a tent in colder seasons, was around for nearly three years before shutting down in fall 2017. A couple months later, Somerville Brewing Company opened up a full-service restaurant and bar, American Fresh Brewhouse, just down the block at 490 Foley St. in Assembly Row. Plus, there’s also the original Somerville Brewing location, a brewery and taproom in Somerville’s Boynton Yards neighborhood, right by Union Square (15 Ward St.)

In a Facebook thread, Jewell mentioned that this time around the beer garden will have “no tent, just fresh air.” She also noted that the “current plan” is that it’s just coming back for this upcoming warm season; the land is still slated to be built upon — part of Assembly Row’s seemingly never-ending development — but plans got delayed by a year.

Another beer update elsewhere in Somerville: On March 3, Winter Hill Brewing Co.(328 Broadway, Winter Hill, Somerville)will introduce its new milk stout, Large Iced Regular. The name — and the winter release date — is an homage to New Englanders’ year-round iced coffee obsession, and the stout is infused with Counter Culture Hologram coffee. In honor of the release, the brewery will be serving a special Union Square Donuts doughnut on March 3, while supplies last; the doughnut glaze is made using the beer.

February 16, 2018

Pretty Things [official photo]

Pretty Things’ Fluffy White Rabbits

BOSTON — Boston Beer Co., which is behind Samuel Adams beer as well as Angry Orchard hard cider, Twisted Tea, and other alcoholic beverages, has a new president: Dave Burwick, who will leave his position of CEO of Peet’s Coffee for the job. He’s also been a member of Boston Beer Co.’s board of directors for over a decade. Burwick succeeds longtime president and CEO Martin Roper. Meanwhile, Boston Beer Co. founder and chairman Jim Koch will continue to hold those positions.

EVERYWHERE — In honor of International Women’s Day on March 8, female brewers nationwide — including plenty in Massachusetts — will be brewing beers made with a special Pink Boots blend of hops, named for the Pink Boots organization, which supports women in beer-related careers. (Sales of the hops go to the organization.) Keep an eye out for all the Pink Boots beers appearing at breweries around town later this year.

THE UK — At last, the news that Pretty Things’ rabid Boston fanbase has been waiting for! Well, not exactly. Pretty Things founders Dann and Martha Holley-Paquette have a new brewery project in the works, but it’s all the way overseas in Sheffield, England. The popular Somerville-based Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project ended in late 2015 after a seven-year run; the website, which is still live, describes it as “now an ex-project.”

“We always intended to end it on our terms, and we are happy to have done so,” the duo wrote on their website. “That’s why it was a project!”

The new project will be a microbrewery on the site of the Old Dairy, which, as its name suggests, was once a milk and cheese processing plant. The Holley-Paquettes will reportedly “produce craft beer in bottles and kegs for sale to wholesale customers.”

February 8, 2018

Trillium Brewing Company [official photo]

BOSTON / CANTON — No, a Trillium Brewing Company (369 Congress St., Boston; 110 Shawmut Rd., Canton)truck didn’t get “Storrowed” — that was just a fun bit of Photoshop in order to promote the brewery’s new release, a double IPA called Storrowed. The company describes it as having a “dank nose of sweaty pineapple, mangosteen, and stone fruit [and] intensely juicy flavors of overripe mango, pear flesh, notes of grapefruit pith, and a background hit of raw sugar.” For those who don’t understand the term “Storrowed,” just heed the road signs that prohibit trucks from driving on Storrow Drive. Don’t be that truck that gets stuck at the overpass. You will get stuck.

CAMBRIDGE — Lamplighter Brewing Company (284 Broadway) officially debuts its new back taproom today, February 9, doubling the brewery’s capacity and allowing it to host more private and public events. And it’s got a really great mural.

HAMPTON, NEW HAMPSHIRE — Smuttynose Brewing Company (105 Towle Farm Rd.), which has been a big name in New England’s craft beer world for more than two decades, is for sale. In a note shared by owners Peter Egelston and Joanne Francis on social media and the Smuttynose website, the duo writes: “At this time, in order for our company to continue on the path we embarked on back in 1994, Smuttynose needs someone who can provide financial resources that will move the company forward…We’re strongly committed to making sure this transition is as smooth as possible, and to help the company’s new owner or partner embark on a successful next chapter for Smuttynose and its wonderful staff. We want to emphasize Smuttynose Brewing company is open, brewing our fine beers daily and serving delicious food at Hayseed Restaurant. Many of you have asked how you can help…keep drinking Smuttynose brews and send your rich aunt or uncle our way!”

ROSLINDALE — Distraction Brewing Company (2 Belgrade Ave.) is a big step closer to opening; the brewery has secured its TTB license, meaning that the federal government recognizes it as a brewery. “In other words, we’re one step closer to transforming this raw, beautiful space into a place where our fellow Rozzidents can kick back and enjoy our beer,” the brewery wrote on Facebook late last month. “Still plenty of work to do. But we can’t wait to get our hands dirty.”

WEYMOUTH — There’s a Kickstarter campaign underway to help fund the building of an “epic taproom” for Article Fifteen Brewing (835 Washington St.), a “veteran-owned nano-brewery” that is currently in the buildout phase. The campaign ends in 10 days, and there’s about $4000 left to raise by then. The team has a lease, brewing equipment, and funds to help with the buildout but is seeking a little bit of help to get to the next step of the process. When Article Fifteen opens, it’ll serve beer “inspired by a love of hops and a proud tradition of military, fire, and medical service.”

WORCESTER — Founded in 2014, 3cross Brewing Company (4 Knowlton Ave.) made a change recently: It’s now 3cross Fermentation Cooperative. As the name suggests, it’s now a coop, owned by workers and customers (the first community-owned brewery in the state), and it’s expanding its focus beyond beer to other fermented products.