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.
READ.// “At first, I imagined that people brought the oaks with them, but this is certainly not the case. The oaks evolved millions of years before the first humans arrived. Rather, it seems that people went and stayed where oaks were. There is some basic sympathy between oaks and humans.” Are we friends IRL? If so, I’d like to apologize for talking about oaks—and this unusual book about those wonderful trees—so much over the past couple of weeks. And once again I’m going to recommend you read this little gem yourself.
LOOK.// After 51 years of slinging clay, the great British potter Svend Bayer is retiring, with his remaining work going on sale this week. This short film shows some of the beautiful pots from his final exhibition earlier this year, and gives a bit of insight into the work of wood-firing pottery.
DRINK.// Elijah Craig 12-Year-Old
Last month in a wine shop I found a “dusty” bottle of what is now a fairly rare bourbon: Elijah Craig 12-Year-Old, which lost its age statement about five years ago. This great whiskey has loads of caramel, vanilla, and spicy oak notes—they literally don’t make ’em like this anymore.
READ.// “But when you lose someone, you don’t lose them all at once, and their dying doesn’t stop with their death. You lose them a thousand times in a thousand ways. You say a thousand goodbyes. You hold a thousand funerals.” Loss has been a pervasive theme these past few months, and I’d be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn’t experienced some aspect of it. But for some reason, The Smallest Lights in the Universe: A Memoir by Sara Seager—an astrophysicist, mother of two, and young widow—didn’t incline me to wallow in sorrow. Rather, it buoyed me with that elusive feeling that we especially crave: hope. Seager looks to the stars for her hope. I take comfort in words for mine.
LOOK.// Hack alert! I’m not actually a trained journalist. Still, my BFA in painting and printmaking seems to have worked out just fine career-wise, and I can still appreciate those who achieved what I abandoned: a career in the visual arts. If I had to pick one person who evokes a pang of envy in me, in regards to their grasp of line, form, and color, it would have to be Heather Day. I find her color theory and splashy compositions juxtaposed against stark contours breathtaking. Dare I say I (distantly) dream of acquiring a canvas one day?
DRINK.// 86’d American Lager by Fall Brewing Company x Waterfront Bar
I love rich, luscious winter warmers as much as the next beer geek, but there’s something just so damn easy about an American Lager. Plus, San Diego “winter” means afternoons still tend to hit 70 degrees, so refreshment remains the name of the game all year round. I’m sure I’ll grab an Imperial Stout or Barleywine for my next round. But right now, this beer is just making me grateful that I’m not on Fall’s 86’d list.
READ.// “I don’t care if they’re digital first or print first, if you’re not reader first, what are you doing?” Allison Hantschel shares truth bombs about the state of journalism and local reporting, but with universal insights that can impact anyone telling stories.
LOOK.// At the end of 2020, the New York Times shared their photos of the year, from the celebrations and joy of New Year’s Eve in Times Square to the emptiness and sorrow that filled up so many spaces in the months to come. December brings the viewer back to hope, which we can strive to hold onto in these dark times.
DRINK.// Allagash Brewing Company’s World On A String
I trust every single thing that comes from the team at Allagash, and in a year where I’ve found multiple beery re-creations of Old Fashioned cocktails, this one stands out. This Amber Ale is aged in bourbon barrels, which gives it a spiritous kick, while orange peel brings a touch of sweetness. But something in there still tastes like a single cherry your favorite bartender might toss in a glass before serving you. Winter magic.
Curated by The GBH Collective
