Mocktails are the new cocktails––and that’s especially true in San Diego. San Diego is a town whose bar scene deeply understands the mocktails trend. It’s not about having any mixed beverage or replacing a buzz with a sugar high. Who doesn’t want a cocktail’s elegance without its unpleasant side effects? Zero-proof cocktails are a delicate…
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Time is the rival that my efforts endeavor to overcome. Of the tools against age and decay, tradition is among the most effective. I sometimes view new customs, untested by the destructive rhythm of passing centuries, as a threat to the traditions that have been passed to me from my family. While time marches forward…
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The Century Plaza Hotel is the centerpiece of Century City, which in turn is the center of Los Angeles. It’s the city’s on-call backdrop. You know the building Bruce Willis swung off in Die Hard? That’s here, in perfect view. And the Plaza staff is proud of it. But from hidden in this labyrinth of…
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There are times when symbols define who we are. Other times we seek out symbols, and people, and places, that resonate with our current values, attracting certain aspects of our own personalities. For Tyler and Outlaw Distillery, the line between symbol and persona is blurred. The romanticization of outlaws is attractive to many of us…
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In Decorah, a trendy college town in Iowa, residents enjoy their drinks and calming farmland ambiance. The local watering hole, La Rana Bistro, may be another weekend meetup for these folks, but city slickers coming into town will be surprised. It’s no order-a-drink-watch-tv-and-leave type of bar. It has a small-town kind of friendliness––regional Iowa cocktails…
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King Spirits is both inspired and inspiring. The boutique distiller recently released Hope Town and Walker’s Cay, two new labels with a lot going for them and the communities they support. When I taste the smoke of the Kentucky barrels used in its bourbon, or feel the chill of the South Carolina springs in its…
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Fiorella Pizzeria is National Harbor’s unofficial pizza joint, known for its supreme pie with tasty homemade fennel sausage, meatballs, roasted peppers and olives. But I really needed a drink. A manager at the Club Wyndham National Harbor recommended the cocktails at Fiorella and introduced me to its general manager. He was right––I discovered it had…
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Salt Lake City is a pioneer town owing its foundation to the brave men and women who broke the trail to this fertile valley in the 1800s. But, when it comes to spirits, the land has grown into a valley of unrest. In the ides of August 2021, I visited a local distillery about 15…
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When it comes to mocktails, all that glitters is gold––at least in one Vermont town. Brattleboro’s premier vegan eatery, SuperFresh!, has a lineup of specialty golden drinks, which are perfect for celebrating your health or just commemorating a special event. Jessica Weston, the owner, has her own cookbook with recipes fit to empower any health-conscious…
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Everyone has tried hard ciders, and chances are my impressions of them are shared among many: they are a tasty novelty, and you pick up a six-pack every few months just as a change of pace or to refresh your memory of their delicious sweetness. But perhaps too sweet to consume on a regular basis.…
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