These are the words, images, and beers that inspired the GBH collective this week. Drinking alone just got better, because now you're drinking with all of us.
Basim Magdy, Every Decade Memory Poses as a Container Heavier than Its Carrier, 2013. Spray paint and acrylic on paper; 27 9/16 x 39 3/8 in. (70 x 100 cm). Deutsche Bank Collection
READ. // "Dramatic. No other way to describe expansion of Mexican import biz in US." While some Americans are busy calling for a wall to be built along Mexico's border, there's a lot of beer flowing in our direction.
LOOK. // Utterly expected, yet still depressing to look at, the New York Times documents the quickly decaying structural legacy of the Olympic Games hosted in Rio just six months ago.
DRINK. // Angry Orchard Tapped Maple
I admire what Ryan Burk has been doing with Angry Orchard, taking a property often seen as bland macro cider and giving brands personality, whether in the bottles appearing in grocery stores or specialty batches coming from the company's Hudson Valley R&D farm. Tapped Maple is different, to be sure, and provides a maple flavor akin to what you'd find with instant oatmeal packets. That might be a turnoff for some, but it's nice to find variety that moves beyond "it tastes like apple."
READ. // "But if not for recognition, why would a person choose to perform the same simple task, day-in day-out, for so many decades?" Nick Tsiligiris, at 81, had to retire and close his iconic donut business in Footscray, Melbourne. His story is one of a man who loved conversation, dancing with his young coworkers, and making sugary jam filled treats for hungry commuters.
LOOK. // In the video clip to Seinabo Sey's 2015 song Pretend; two friends meet in an empty city and dance until dawn. Train stations, door ways, and bridges become unique backdrops. Out of synch with eery lighting; fun and beautiful to watch. It's a simple visual story told perfectly.
DRINK. // Dollar Bill Brewing - Cider Ways
When the sample arrived from this new regional Australian brewery and blendery, I didn't know what to expect. 16 months in wine barrels, apples, pears, New Zealand hops. Talk of brettanomyces and oxidative yeasts. I'd never heard of the producer before and it could have gone either way. Fortunately it's gone the way of candied lemon and mango-brett funk, a touch of pear sweetness and light oak. Dry and intriguing. More of this please.
READ. // I only recently stumbled across this article, but I'd stumbled across this artist's work constantly when I first moved to New York. How could I not—I lived across the street. Leaving my apartment on Union and heading for the R train in those early years often meant glancing across the street to see what absurd message would beam out from this artist's window. I actually have a photo of the poster in the story "SATAN IS HAPPY WITH YOUR PROGRESS." I'm now happy to know the story behind them.
LOOK. // Basim Magdy currently has an exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. I managed to squeeze in half a day at the museum while visiting for GBH's Uppers & Downers and was happy to discover Magdy. Other-worldy in subject, vibrant in color, Madgy's works give a sense of dread that is counter-balanced by the use of bright color.
DRINK. // Interboro Spirits & Ales Mad Fat Fluid
While last week's release of Stay Gold was the star attraction, I was equally pleased to see Mad Fat Fluid back in cans. Dialed in at 7%, decidedly not one of the abv bangers that are so prevalent these days, this is one walks that fine IPA line managing to be both fruity and piney at the same time.
Curated by The GBH Collective
