Bryan M. Richards

As crisp autumn afternoons fade into winter evenings spent warming up by the fireplace, Wilmington brewers have put away the Oktoberfest and pumpkin spiced ales until next fall for winter seasonal favorites to welcome in the holidays. Just like each of the region’s dozen or so breweries have a unique take on the age old craft of brewing, so, too, do they place a creative stamp on winter beers.

After “juicy,” the word most often associated with New England IPAs is “crushable.” Yet 4-packs of 16-ounce cans run for more than $20 at some craft breweries. That’s a lot to spend on an ephemeral crush.

The same factors that make New England IPAs (NEIPAs) popular also contribute to their higher price points. Their hazy appearance and pillowy, creamy mouthfeel are the result of expensive raw materials and processes, as are those bright, juicy notes of tropical fruits like melon, pineapple, a...

When I turned 21, my mother tasked my father with teaching me about alcohol. She left for her weekly bridge game, and my father opened what I still consider to be the most well-stocked home liquor cabinet I’ve seen.

“What would you like to try?” he asked.

Somehow, I don’t think this was what my mother had in mind. She came home to find us both stumbling drunk after sampling just about everything. On a Tuesday evening.

Growing up, my world revolved around cars. For the longest time, I believed this need for speed was the influence of my dad. In our house, Sundays were for racing, not football, and we were always tinkering on a project car in the garage. Now that I have a son of my own, I’m not so sure the love of cars in little boys is learned, but rather inherent.

In Charlotte, fall colors have nothing to do with the changing of the leaves but the start of college football season. The pastels of summer attire are replaced with the bold expressions of college pride as alumni clubs take over area sports bars. Step into Strike City on college game day and you’ll find the place awash with the scarlet and grey of Ohio State fans. Of course, don’t get caught wearing those colors at Tavern on The Tracks, that’s enemy territory where Michigan faithful blaze th...

"I don’t like the phone because my parents are on their phone every day,” wrote a Louisiana second grader in response to an assignment in which her class was tasked with describing something they wished was never invented. You may have seen the story that went viral earlier this year as a cutesy interlude on the evening news that the anchors laughed off as “something parents should think about.”

I love a good scandal. I’m like that Michael Jackson meme popping popcorn into my mouth—or the Tide Pods one, depending on the insanity of the scandal—as I watch it unfold. It’s why I read true crime novels and binge watch shows like House of Cards, whose scandals, ironically, extend well beyond the show’s script. I’m both shocked and intrigued by the audacity of human nature when it’s mixed with power and wealth.

Much like the vineyards of Bordeaux and the peat-covered terrain of Islay carry centuries-old wine and scotch traditions, the region surrounding the Senne River in Belgium is steeped with one of the oldest beer traditions in the world: lambics. Until the past couple of decades, lambics were drowned out by the mystique of Belgian Trappist ales.

Presented by Tröegs Independent Brewing
Adventurous. Forward-thinking. Experimental. Though these words describe Tröegs Independent Brewing’s beer, they have also come to define the brewery’s in-house restaurant.
“We call our restaurant the Snack Bar because it’s reminiscent of liking snack bars as a kid,” says John Trogner, who with his brother Chris founded the brewery in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Don’t let the name fool you though, what’s served at the Snack Bar is anything but the hot dogs s...

Hurricane Florence may have made landfall as a weakening category one hurricane, but the Carolinas continue to feel devastating impacts more than a week later. The slow-moving nature of the storm coupled with its massive size created a beast that dumped trillions of gallons of water in the Carolinas, causing unprecedented flooding with reaches far inland. The National Weather Service is considering it a 1,000-year event.
Like with hurricanes Harvey and Irma in 2017, breweries are walking alon...

Anticipating cooler temperatures in the near future, Charlotteans emerge from area swimming pools and lakes ready for outdoor festivals to make the most of the changing of the season. No matter what your interest—bluegrass music, new-to-you international cultures, or deep-fried Twinkies—the Queen City has a fall festival for you.

One of my favorite benefits of living in Charlotte is Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Before you roll your eyes with thoughts of cancelled flights, obscenely slow luggage handling, and the fact that you’ve never, ever been able to score a seat in one of those old-timey rocking chairs, hear me out.