We’re voracious consumers of culture. And each week, a member of our team shares the words, images, and beers that inspired them.

Read.// Sure, opening those little cardboard doors to find hidden chocolate is fun, but the Short Story Advent Calendar provides an excellent literary alternative to those more traditional Christmas countdowns. Put out annually by Canadian publishers Hingston & Olsen and presented in a handsome box, the Short Story Advent Calendar offers a specially curated piece of short fiction to read each day from December 1 to December 25. Readers can follow up the story of the day with exclusive author interviews on the company’s website. A perfect gift for literature lovers or for those wishing to set aside more time for reading in their lives. Or better yet, gift one to yourself and one to a friend, and discuss the stories together!

Look.// So you didn’t make it to all the destinations on your wishlist this year? Scrolling through the stunning photographs in The New York Times’ interactive “52 Places to Visit in 2023” provides for a satisfying armchair traveling experience while stoking your wanderlust just enough to motivate you to travel more next year. Have a pen nearby to jot down all the spots you’ll want to add to your wishlist for 2024 and beyond.

Drink.// Màkku's Unfiltered Rice Beer

I first tried a can of Korean rice beer at a Providence, Rhode Island, restaurant in 2022. I was intrigued by the waitress’s description of it, which was something along the lines of “I can’t explain. You’ll just have to try. It’s good!” A creamy fermented drink that tasted like a cross between a tart smoothie and a lager, it was awfully hard to explain, but also memorable. And delicious. Lucky for me, I recently found a liquor store near my home that carries it, so just about a year later, I was able to taste it a second time. Still surprising. Still hard to explain. You’ll have to trust the waitress on this one, and just try it.