Lothman had just given birth to her first child (according to Today.com) and was unable to make it to the wedding of her lifelong best friend Michelle Levenson. But Lothman’s Maid of Honor duties were still gloriously fulfilled.
A now-viral video, posted to TikTok by wedding photography and videography company Woodell Productions, shows that even though Lothman couldn’t celebrate in person, her FaceTimed wedding toast managed to bring everyone at the reception—along with everyone who watched online—to tears.
“You didn’t think a little bit of childbirth was going to keep me from giving the maid-of-honor speech at my best friend’s wedding, did you?” Lothman begins. Already a pretty epic start.
She continued by sharing one of her favorite memories with the bride.
“There were endless memories to choose from. We would be here all night if I wrote about them all … but I’ll never forget my first evening in Cortona, Italy,” she said.
Lothman seamlessly painted a picture of their adventure together.
“In true Michelle fashion, she had whisked me up and down the incredibly steep winding roads that Tuscan city was perched upon. She had planned my first day to a tee. She showed me an ancient mummy preserved in a church — and I think that may have been the day I was hit by the car and then promptly asked out on a date by the Italian man inside the car.”
“If I remember correctly,” Lothman continued, “it was that late summer sunset that we spent alone in the kind of bar bistro you would see in a life insurance commercial. We drank dry white wine and I remember we were moved to tears together for how beautiful it was.”
Lothman then recalled, whether it was due to the ambiance or the alcohol, that the two friends “had a moment, like the culmination of a lifetime of friendship had brought us to this one special place in time, 5,000 miles from where we grew up.”
But wait, it gets better.
Lothman remarked that their “deep, insightful understanding” of each other made them more than friends. “This was our sisterhood. In fact, I believe it was at this moment that we decided we needed to become sister wives.”
It was at this point that Lothman addressed Levenson’s new husband. And perhaps Lothman’s new husband as well.
“So Matt, I hope you understand: Michelle and I made a pact in 2014 that we would find husbands someday but it would always be sister wives first,” she quipped. “I’m pretty sure this means we all have to live together now — I’ll be bringing a baby so I hope that’s OK.”
This is just the nuts and bolts of it. In truth, the video is full of other gems, including but not limited to a 10 ft long charcuterie board and “the world’s spiciest Bloody Mary.”
The video has amassed over 2.5 million views, with tons of people sharing how impressed they were with Lothman’s flair for words.
“‘Maybe it was the way the golden light reflected off the landscape and bathed us in its holiness’ like are you KIDDING me? This is incredible,” one person commented.
“This was the most beautiful MOH speech I’ve ever heard,” wrote another.
But even more than that, people were inspired by how Lothman showed up for her friend.
If there’s one thing human beings all have in common, it’s our shared impermanence. No matter our race, gender, social class, wealth status, health regimen, moral code, political leaning, or any other divisive element, we all get one life. One life to hopefully fill with as many memorable, soul nourishing, expansive experiences as possible.
But let’s face it, there are more experiences available that there are days and hours in which to do them. Therefore, we have to use discernment. So, which experiences are truly must-haves in our all-too-limited time on this planet?
The answers to this question are undoubtedly personal, but perhaps some things, just like the inevitable exit of mortal coil, are universal.
“People should know how it feels to live alone. Go out to eat alone. Do things alone. Not depend on others for your happiness but find it alone. It is a true under valued life skill,” one person wrote.
Others chimed in:
“I agree. I’ve lived alone like 3 times as an adult, and while I prefer companionship, being alone can be nice too. Everything is always where you put it. The place is a mess? My fault. The place looks good and is comfortable? My fault.”
“After a while the silence becomes a beautiful reprieve from the world. I used to hate being alone and now I love silence and only being responsible for myself.”
“Being comforted without having to ask for it.”
This one inspired two to share their own touching stories unexpected comfort in a time of need:
“Our newborn went to ICU straight after birth, long story, but he was teetering on life and death. What should’ve been a joyous occasion turned out to be the most emotionally painful experience of my life.”
“The barista in the hospital coffee shop saw that I wasn’t doing well, and made a note on my coffee saying ‘you’ll make it.’ Writing this brings me to tears 2 years later, but he was right.”
“A best friend who sees you through thick and thin.”
Oy, this one. Romantic partnerships are absolutely wonderful, but platonic friendships are just as important. Many would agree that they’re more important than relationships. And while making friendships as an adult can get a little challenging, the immense benefits these bonds bestow onto our lives make it worth the effort.
One person shared, “I consider my wife my best friend, and it’s true…That being said, there is a part of me that will always feel a little hollow: I have no pure friendships…I’ve always had an easy time meeting people and even starting new friendships but God am I poor at keeping it going. Now that I’m older it’s a real regret of mine and I envy those with tight knit friends.”
“I’m glad you and your wife have such a strong friendship connection! But yes pure friendships are special too, and hard to maintain,” another responded. “I’m lucky that I met my best friend of 22 years in kindergarten and we’re still incredibly close. I’ll be her maid of honor in her wedding🥲I’ll be forever grateful of the space she’s given me to grow and change throughout our lives and stuck by me the whole time.”
“A deep bond with an animal.”
This comment says it all:
“Nothing like it. It truly blows my mind how much my dogs love my wife and I. Were their whole world. Anytime I hear of someone having to put their animal down. I can’t help but get choked up and sad for them.The worst part about the whole thing is them not being able to truly understand in words what they mean to you.”
“See a solar eclipse”
Luckily, the next opportunity for this is coming up on April 8th! Especially for those who live in Texas, Illinois, New York, Arkansas, Ohio, Maine and some parts of Michigan and Tennessee
“A soul crushing customer service job”
“Not because it builds character, but because it’ll foster a sense of empathy for and camaraderie with people who serve you when you’re the customer.”
Yes. That.
“Walking the beach at night. Ocean breeze and crashing waves are life changing.”
“Showering with a shaved head.”
“Skydiving! It’s so freeing and amazing.”
“Waking up next to their partner and being overcome with love and emotion for them. Watching them sleep for a few moments and then going back to sleep.”
Interesting enough, someone previously posted this question to Reddit, and got an entirely different set of answers. Again, goes to show that everyone is bound to have a different view on this, based on their own lifetime of experiences.
Which brings up the most important question of all:
A 5-year-old with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) wandered off into a swamp near Tampa, Florida, around 5:00 pm on Monday, February 26. The good news is that the girl was saved in about an hour thanks to the work of some brave sheriff’s officers and their incredible thermal technology.
The girl wandered from her home and was quickly reported missing by her family to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department. The sheriff quickly dispatched its aviation unit that used thermal imaging technology to scan the nearby swamplands to try to find the young girl before nightfall.
Thermal imaging technology captures images based on the heat emitted by objects, allowing us to see temperature differences even in the dark, making it super handy for night vision and heat detection. The thermal technology helped the officers quickly identify the girl from high above the trees.
“Hey, I think I got her in the woods,” a deputy in the helicopter told deputies on the ground. “She might be able to hear her name if you call her. She might be about 80 feet in front of you.”
Helicopter’s thermal imaging camera helps deputies find child in Florida swamp
When the deputy on the ground spotted the girl, she lifted her arms and walked toward him. He picked her up and brought her to safety. “Let’s get you out of the water. I’ll get you to everyone,” he told her as they walked out of the swamp.
The sheriff’s department said it was all in a day’s work for the deputies. “Their quick action saved the day, turning a potential tragedy into a hopeful reunion,” it said in a statement. “Their dedication shows what service and protection are all about here at the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.”
The Sheriff’s Office shared a video of the rescue on its Facebook page and people loved how the deputy greeted the girl, who must have been extremely scared. “I love how happy they were when they found her—they made it seem normal and a good time, keeping her calm. Well done!” Jan Murray wrote. “I just love how the deputy greeted her. What a beautiful ending. You guys are the best!” Sandy Schlabaugh-Kmentt added.
Crime and safety analyst explained how the thermal technology works to News4Jax in Jacksonville, Florida. “It is a piece of equipment that actually will lock on to that heat signature,” Hackney said. “So no matter where that helicopter is moving, trying to orbit a certain area to look for the missing child, once it picks up on that heat signature and identifies it, it doesn’t lose it. So the units on the ground are able to move in like you saw.”
It is common for children with ASD to wander off from their caregivers or secure locations. The behavior is known as eloping. Children with ASD elope for a wide variety of reasons. Loud, frantic situations such as a child’s birthday party may be too stressful for a child with ASD, so they may leave the event unaccompanied to get to somewhere more calm. Others may elope because they enjoy the thrill of being chased by a parent or caregiver, even though it may unknowingly place them into a dangerous situation.
Raising kids is tough and no parent does it perfectly. Each child is different, each has their own personalities, strengths and challenges, and each of them requires something different from their parents in order to flourish.
But there’s one thing that parents have long said, with their actions if not with their words, that justifiably drives kids bonkers: “Do as I say, not as I do.”
To be fair, both moral and actual law dictate that there are things that adults can do that kids can’t. Children can’t drive or consume alcohol, for example, so it’s not hypocritical for adults to do those things while telling kids they cannot. There are other things—movies, TV shows, books, etc.—that parents have to decide whether their kids are ready for or not based on their age and developmental stage, and that’s also to be expected.
But there are some gaps between what adults do and what they expect kids to do that aren’t so easy to reconcile.
In fact, there’s a lot of hypocrisy when it comes to the way adults behave and the way they think kids should behave that warrants some examination. Here are 10 things some people punish kids for that adults do with total impunity:
1. Being hangry
Grown-ups are so familiar with being cranky when they need food that they coined the term “hangry.” And yet, if a child melts down because they’re hungry, they are expected to pull themselves together and “stop that fussing.”
Sure, kids have to learn to regulate their emotional expression, but being punished for needing food and not being able to control their reactions to hunger yet isn’t going to teach them that regulation. They have a hard enough time learning that skill when they aren’t hungry, so give kids a little grace when the hanger hits. (And always carry snacks.)
2. Not wanting to share something special
The concept of sharing is something most parents try to instill into their kids in order to move them away from self-centeredness. That’s not a bad thing, for sure.
But it’s worth noting that most adults have certain special belongings that they don’t want other people to use, which is totally fine, so expecting kids to always share everything doesn’t really make sense. Instead, teach kids that if they have something special that they don’t want to share, to keep that item put away when other kids are around. They can also learn to kindly say, “Actually, that toy is extra special to me, but I’m happy to let you play with this one” while offering something else.
3. Breaking dishes, dropping drinks, or other oopsies
How many of us don’t break a dish on occasion, simply due to fumbling fingers?
Accidents happen, and it’s not always because we’re being careless. If a kid is tossing a dish up in the air and trying to catch it behind their back or some other foolish game, that’s worth a talking to about carelessness. But if a child breaks something or drops something, our first reaction shouldn’t be to get angry and blame or shame them.
Grown-ups don’t get in trouble when they drop something. Kids, who have a lot less experience with their hands, definitely shouldn’t. Model forgiveness and compassion by helping them clean up the mess, and move on.
4. Not responding immediately
“Did you hear what I said? Are you listening?” we ask our children mere minutes after they had to repeat “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy,” to us before we were able to respond to them.
We can’t expect our kids to immediately pull their attention away from what they are doing every time we want to say something to them, just as we can’t always immediately shift our focus to them if we’re putting together a recipe or typing out a thought or in the middle of a calculation.
It’s reasonable to teach kids to respectfully say, “One second, please,” if we want their attention when they’re in the middle of something. That teaches them that their learning/play is worth concentrating on, but also that responding to their parents is important. Give them a little time to disengage, just as adults grant one another all the time if we need to talk.
5. Forgetting things
Adults sometimes forget their lunchbox at home. Adults sometimes leave their jacket someplace by accident. Forgetting things is a normal human phenomenon, not limited to children, and we all give one another grace when we forget something.
With kids, we tend to be less forbearing. If forgetting is a daily occurrence, then sure, it might need to be addressed. But making a kid go hungry because they forgot their lunch even though we could easily bring it to them because “this will teach them to remember it” is kind of silly. Would we do that to our spouse if they forgot their lunch? No. Why do it with a kid (again, unless it’s a recurring habit)?
6. Refusing to eat something
We all have likes and dislikes, and one man’s feast is another man’s napkin food. We would never force an adult who doesn’t like sweet potatoes to stay at the table until they finish their sweet potatoes. Why do that to kids?
Encouraging kids to try something they’ve never tasted is one thing, but making them eat something they’ve tried and didn’t like is just ick. Kids can learn to be grateful for the food they have without being made to eat everything on their plate. Provide lots of options, encourage tasting, but don’t force kids to eat anything. That’s a quick way to take the enjoyment out of trying new foods and create a negative association with eating certain foods—the exact opposite of what you’re wanting.
Most kids will grow out of picky eating, but there will always be certain things people don’t care for. It’s okay to let that be.
7. Fidgeting
Some people have a really hard time sitting still for long periods of time, adults and children alike. But kids are the ones who get in trouble for not sitting still. Look at how popular standing desks, under-the-desk treadmills and walking meetings have become for working adults—and that’s even when they have comfortable, ergonomic office chairs to sit in.
Yet kids are expected to sit in uncomfortable desks most of the day without being able to get up and move around as they need to? No wonder some kids get fidgety.
8. Being in a bad mood
We all have our moments, don’t we? Times when we’re just feeling salty or irritable and we don’t even know why? Maybe it’s hormones, maybe it’s hanger, maybe it’s a full moon—whatever it is, we let people know we’re feeling prickly and do what we need to do to either stay away from people or put ourselves right.
What certainly wouldn’t help is having someone chide us for having a “bad attitude” and insist that we “shape up.” Helping kids manage their mood or alter their environment when they’re struggling to manage it is a much more effective life skill than punishing them for being in a bad mood.
9. Complaining
Ever seen a grown-up sit down to do their taxes without a single complaint? No, you haven’t, because even if we’re getting a refund the process of figuring it out is painful.
Plenty of adults complain when we have to do something we don’t want to do, and it’s not because we were raised that way, most of the time. It’s because some things just suck and it makes us feel better in the moment to express how much they suck.
What kids complain about may seem trivial or silly to us, but it’s not to them. Totally find to teach kids that complaining doesn’t do any good, but not worth punishing them for it.
10. Sneaking sweets
Umm, hi. Guilty, pretty much daily.
It’s technically not sneaking when you own the sweets and you’re a grown-up, but it feels like it. And who can blame kids for wanting to raid the cookie jar or the chocolate chip stash? Not saying they should. Just saying I get it, kid.
While Neil deGrasse Tyson might usually break down the more complex mysteries of our universe, he also has a knack for discussing the mundane in a way that makes it every bit as interesting.
On a recent episode of the StarTalk Podcast, where the popular astrophysicist chats about “everything under the sun; Or rather under the universe!” Tyson sat down with comedian Chuck Nice to break down how and why Leap Day came to be.
“People seem to be mystified by it. A day just shows up on the calendar,” Tyson told Nice.
But really, there’s nothing all that mystical about it. We know a year consists of 365 revolutions around the sun, aka a “year.” However, “there’s no law in the heavens that requires” a year to consist of exactly 365 revolutions.
In reality, a year is 365 revolutions…plus one-fourth. Or six hours.
Tyson then pondered, “so what are you gonna do with the six hours?” Which brought on a pretty intriguing concept: a rotating New Year’s celebration. Celebrating at the standard midnight one year, followed by a 6am celebration the following year, then midnight again, and so on.
“That’d be kinda dope,” Nice and Tyson agreed.
But regardless, we don’t do that. Instead, in ancient Rome, which used the Julian calendar, they “pocketed” the extra six hours and technically celebrated New Year’s early. When 24 hours accrued every 4 years, they’d give an extra day to the”month that needed it most,” i.e. February.
But here’s the thing: Ancient Romans didn’t know that it actually takes “a little less” than 365 for the Earth to go around the sun, Tyson explained. Therefore days that should have been “reckoned” were not, causing key moments of the calendar to keep shifting. The spring equinox, for instance, which was originally on March 21st, continuously moved up a day.
Neil deGrasse Explains Why We Have Leap Days
This became more of a glaring problem in the Late 16th century, when the religious holiday of Easter, which closely followed the spring equinox, had gotten dangerously close to Passover on the calendar.
So, Pope Gregory XIII had his team of scientists (aka the Jesuits) rectify the situation and account for the skipped days.
The result? October got 10 of its days swiped that year, and we got the Gregorian calendar commonly used today. Which, like the Julian calendar, adds a day to the calendar every 4 years, except when the year is divisible by 100 and not divisible by 400.
This is what makes the year 2000 so remarkable, Tyson told Nice. It was an incredibly rare “century year” that met the parameters needed to be a leap year. 1900, 1800, 1700 couldn’t claim that.
And perhaps this is the most amazing part of all: the Jesuits were able to figure all of this out “without a telescope,” Tyson said.
Leap Years might feel a bit wonky, arbitrary even. But really, it’s a nod to human ingenuity. The concept of time is such a complex, almost incomprehensible aspect of existence. It’s extraordinary that we have been able to even come up with a measuring system, albeit an imperfect one, in the first place.
There seems to be a constant war between children’s clothing retailers who want to push the boundaries of modesty and parents who push back, saying they are sexualizing children. On top of that, when young girls believe they are supposed to wear clothes that are tight-fitting and revealing, it’s very damaging to their self-esteem and body image.
“I think it’s one thing that the girls’ clothes are very fitted and small, and it’s another that they’re in such direct contrast to what you find on the boys’ side, and those two things send a pretty strong message about what they’re supposed to look like, dressed to be slim and to be fit,” Sharon Choksi, a mom of two and founder of the clothing line, Girls Will Be, told CNN.
The topic came up again recently when Meghan Mayer, a mother of 2 and a 7th-grade school teacher, posted a video on TikTok about a dress she saw at Target that received over 1.6 million views.
Meghan was reacting to a smock-style patterned dress with balloon sleeves that appeared modest at first glance. But after closer examination, it has holes on the waist on both sides, revealing the girl’s midriff and possibly more.
“My oldest daughter and I are at Target and there’s some cute spring stuff,” Mayer started the video. “I am a little bit more conservative when it comes to my kids’ clothing, so maybe I’m overreacting, but let me know what you think of these dresses.”
She added that the dress may be okay for a 12-year-old but was inappropriate in her opinion for a 6-or 7-year-old.
Mayor asked her followers what they thought of the dress. “Like I said, I know I’m a little bit more conservative. I don’t usually even let my girls wear bikinis, but maybe I’m overreacting, I don’t know. Thoughts?”
For reference, she then showed the sizes of the dresses to show they were for kids and then revealed the holes in the sides. “Look at these little slits on the sides of these dresses, right at the hips on all these dresses,” she said.
Most people commenting on the video thought the dress was a bit much for such a young girl to wear.
“You’re not overreacting. You’re parenting properly,” Paper Bound Greetings wrote. “No, no. There is no reason for those holes to be there. They should have pockets! Not holes!” Anna wrote. “I think retailers are trying to mature our kids too fast. I agree with mom!” HollyMoore730 commented.
But some people thought that that dress was acceptable and Mayer was overreacting.
“Unpopular opinion, I think they’re cute,” Dr. Robinson wrote. “When I was a kid in the ‘70s I wore halter tops and tube tops; they were not seen as big deals. I don’t think this is scandalous,” Kimberly Falkowsi added. “Overreacting. Both my girls have the blue and white, you can’t even tell much. It’s not that big of a hole. The dresses are so cute,” LolitaKHalessi commented.
Some commenters told Mayer that she should buy the dress and have her daughter wear a shirt beneath it so it doesn’t show skin. But Mayer believes that would be supporting Target for making questionable kids’ clothing.
“No, I’m not going to buy it and have them wear a tank top with it, because then that’s showing Target that it’s OK,” she told Today.com. “And over time, the cutout will get bigger and bigger.”
J Balvin is celebrating the ladies. Today (February 29), J Balvin has shared his new single, “Triple S,” which stands for “Suelta, Soltera, Sin Nadie Que La Joda” — which when loosely translated to English means “Single, Strong and Not to Be Messed With.”
On “Triple S,” Balvin teams up with De La Ghetto and Jowell & Randy, tapping into his reggaeton roots. Over a rhythmic, percussive beat, Balvin and crew champion strong women, celebrating their determination and strength.
In the song’s accompanying video, Balvin, De La Ghetto, and Jowell & Randy carry out a master plan for a brilliant woman mafia leader. The video, which takes place at Charles Sieger’s luxurious estate Chateau Artisan, contains a twist, ultimately leading this woman to the top.
For this new era of his illustrious music career, Balvin is pulling out all the stops. This April, Balvin will perform at Coachella on the main stage. And then soon after, he will embark on the Que Bueno Volver A Verte International Tour, during which, he will visit 20 European cities.
Pure Project/Hopworks/Jack’s Abby/Phase Three/istock/Uproxx
While every month of the year has plenty of positives regarding the beer you can get, there are few as unique as March. First, because it’s the month that bridges the gap between winter and spring (in terms of seasons and beer styles). Second, because it’s when the biggest drinking day of the year occurs. St. Patrick’s Day is a celebration of Irish culture that features corned beef, bangers and mash, and a ton of Irish whiskey.
It’s also a day loaded to the gills with beer (green and otherwise).
Not surprisingly. there are a ton of choices when it comes to March beers. If you prefer, you can still imbibe dark, bolder beers (like the St. Patrick’s Day staple Irish dry stout or dark lagers) or you can sip on something with a little spring zing. We’re talking about pale ales, sour ales, bocks, and lighter lagers.
We won’t make you find these March gems yourself, though. To help you get the most out of the month, we picked eight great beers for you. Keep scrolling to see all the flavorful, memorable beers to drink in March.
Sipping a Pure Project I Choose Yuzu is a unique, refreshing way to dive right into March beers. In the simplest terms, it’s a sessionable, 5% ABV rice lager that’s flavored with yuzu. The result is a crisp, sweet, refreshing, citrus-filled beer that’s guaranteed to get you feeling like spring is right around the corner.
Tasting Notes:
A nose of candied orange peel, lemon zest, yuzu, sweet rice, and floral, earth hops greets you before your first sip. There’s more of the same in the best way possible with ripe grapefruit, tangerine, lime, yuzu, rice, cereal grains, and floral hops taking center stage. It’s extremely refreshing and balanced.
Bottom Line:
It’s an easy-drinking, sweet, citrus-filled beer that’s so refreshing and flavorful you’ll immediately want to crack open another one.
We suspect you’ll find time this month to enjoy a nice pint of Guinness. But after you enjoy the pride of Dublin, why not sip on an American take? Phase three The Claddagh is as authentic as American Irish dry stouts come. This creamy, chocolate, dry stout is brewed with pale malt, flaked oats, and roasted barley.
Tasting Notes:
This classic take on the Irish dry stout begins with a nose of dark chocolate, coffee beans, dried fruits, licorice, roasted barley, and a hint of floral, earthy hops. It’s creamy and sweet and filled with flavors of espresso beans, cocoa powder, raisins, treacle, bitter chocolate, roasted barley, and floral hops.
Bottom Line:
If you want an American take on the Irish dry stout that won’t leave you shaking your head, Phase Three The Claddagh is the beer for you.
Bell’s Oberon
Bell’s
ABV: 5.8%
Average Price: Limited Availability
The Beer:
It’s not spring until Bell’s releases its iconic Oberon wheat beer. It won’t even be available until March 25th. Simply brewed with house ale yeast, hops, water, and wheat malts, it’s known for its orange hue and citrus-filled, sweet wheat, thirst-quenching flavor profile.
Tasting Notes:
A lot is going on with this beer’s nose. There are scents of sweet wheat, yeasty bread, orange peels, grass, hay, and floral hops. The palate follows suit with a ton of sweet wheat flavor followed by yeasty, freshly baked bread, candied orange peels, like wintry spices, and a finish of gently bitter floral hops. Wheat, sweet, citrus. What’s not to love?
Bottom Line:
Bell’s Oberon is an annual favorite for a reason. It’s a perfectly balanced banger of a beer that you’ll want to drink from now until the end of summer (or until your go-to store runs out).
You might be wondering what an XPA is. Well, so were we. But Firestone Walker XPA is a crushable, sessionable, hoppy pale ale brewed with Rahr Craft 2-row malt, Great Western white wheat, and Briess Carapils malt. It gets its snappy, floral, hoppy presence from Hallertau Tradition, Mosaic, Citra, and Nelson Sauvin hops.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a ton of citrus on this beer’s nose. There’s also a heap of grass, hay, and dank, floral hops. It’s evened out with cracker-like and sweet, caramel malts. On the palate, you’ll find stone fruit, berries, mango, ripe pineapple, tangerine, grapefruit, caramel malts, and dank, resinous hops. The finish is spicy, bitter, and memorable.
Bottom Line:
This will be your new go-to pale ale with its mix of citrus, caramel malts, and dank, bitter hops.
Hopworks POG Tropical Sour
Hopworks
ABV: 5.6%
Average Price: Limited Availability
The Beer:
You might not think that a tropical sour ale belongs in your rotation for the end of winter. But, if you’re anything like us, you need a break from the cold air outside. Luckily, the folks at Hopworks recently released its popular POG Tropical Sour. It’s tart, sour, sweet, and filled with tangerine, mango, guava, and passionfruit flavors.
Tasting Notes:
Before your sip, you’re greeted by s symphony of tropical fruit aromas like passionfruit, caramelized pineapple, mango, guava, and light floral, herbal, earthy hops. Drinking it only adds to the vacation in your mouth with more passionfruit, honeydew melon, berries, guava, mango, ripe peach, and light, floral hops. It’s tart, sweet, and pleasantly sour.
Bottom Line:
It’s as fresh and full of tropical fruit flavors as tart and sour. It’s a very memorable beer you’ll want to seek out every time it’s re-released.
We all know the late winter and early spring is a time for bock beers. But did you know that it’s also time for Icelandic-style bocks? Well, specifically Jack’s Abby Nordic Frost. This unique bock beer is decoction mashed and brewed with Caramunich and North American malts. The result is a complex, malty, sweet, rich, warming beer perfect for the end of winter.
Tasting Notes:
A lot is going on with this beer’s nose. There are aromas of freshly baked bread, caramel, honey, and floral, earthy, spicy hops. The palate is a mix of bready malts, caramel, sweet honey, candied orange peel, tree nuts, dried fruits, and earthy, herbal, floral, grassy hops. The finish is a mixture of sweet malts and bitter, floral hops.
Bottom Line:
This is a unique, well-rounded wintry bock beer. It’s malt-forward and finishes with floral, bitter hops that leave you craving more.
Created to taste like an Irish cream cocktail, this unique stout is brewed with a 2-row pale base, caramel 60, and debittered black malts, as well as barley flakes. It’s hopped with Chinook and Cascade hops and gets its memorable flavor from the addition of milk sugar and Irish cream flavor.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a ton of sweetness on this beer’s nose. This includes aromas of vanilla, toffee, Irish cream, coffee beans, chocolate, and roasted barley. Drinking it reveals a very complex beer with notes of molasses cookies, caramel candy, vanilla beans, freshly brewed coffee, roasted malts, and more memorable Irish cream. The finish is a nice mix of sweetness and bitterness.
Bottom Line:
If you’re a fan of adding a little Irish cream to your coffee from time to time, you’re going to love this exceptional seasonal beer.
You can probably guess that based on its name, this is an IPA for the last waning winter days. First released in 2020 and brewed with Amarilla and Strata hops, this beer is available from the fall through March. It’s known for its hazy appearance and hoppy, citrusy, piney, refreshing aroma and flavor.
Tasting Notes:
On the nose, you’ll find notes of grapefruit, ripe pineapple, tangerine, light malts, and resinous, piney hops. The palate continues this trend with lemon, tangerine, grapefruit, honeydew melon, caramelized pineapple, sweet malts, and dank, pine all making an appearance.
Bottom Line:
If you’re an IPA drinker and you’re looking for a beer that’s flavorful enough to stand up to the last chilly days of winter, this is your brew.
There are a great many things that Patrick Mahomes is extremely good at. The best quarterback of his generation and one of the greatest of all time, Mahomes’ ability to make magic happen on the football field is second to none, as evidenced by the fact that he won his third Super Bowl earlier this month.
Despite this, Mahomes is not especially fast. While he’s not Tom Brady or anything, Mahomes ran a 4.80 second 40-yard dash when he attended the NFL Draft Combine back in 2017, which pops up every year when NFL Network wants to compare guys to him for one reason or another. Heading into this year’s edition of the event, Mahomes had a simple request for the network: please stop.
As the combine starts this week! All i ask is that @nflnetwork doesn’t use my 40 overlay anymore
The 2024 Combine started with the defensive tackles, a position that is not known for being, uh, fast. Unfortunately for Mahomes, his request was immediately ignored, as NFL Network used his 40 as a point of comparison for Braden Fiske (who ran the fastest among his position) and T’Vondre Sweat (who ran the slowest). And to add insult to injury, they quote tweeted him as they did it.
Good on Mahomes for having a sense of humor about the entire thing, at least. Anyway, my hunch is that this is going to pop up on NFL Network a few more times in the coming days, and Mahomes will simply have to sit there with his three Lombardi Trophies and not let it ruin his weekend.
Heading to Phoenix? Take a travel writer’s word for it and skip Arizona’s heavily populated capital city for its nearby little sister — Mesa. Just 25 minutes outside of the Phoenix metro area is an oasis of nostalgic lodging, epic hikes amongst endless cacti, wild horses, and so much more.
The downtown Mesa strip is significantly less chaotic than Phoenix’s city center and is quickly becoming a leader in the craft beverage scene. Better still, Mesa is now home to a surf park — yup, you can catch waves in the middle of the desert — making it an awesome spring destination.
Here’s how to spend 36 hours in the desert town.
CHECK-IN TO AN OLD-SCHOOL RANCH
Saguaro Lake Ranch
While Mesa is lacking in trendy boutique hotels, you could choose to rack up some points at the (slightly lackluster, TBH) Courtyard by Marriott Mesa at Wrigleyville West (rooms start at $349 a night) or DoubleTree Hotel Phoenix-Mesa (rooms start at $257 a night). If rewards points aren’t your focus and you want a truly Southwest experience, stay at the storied Saguaro Lake Guest Ranch (rooms start at $353 a night).
In the 1920s the ranch housed the workers who built the nearby Stewart Mountain Dam before becoming a family-owned guest ranch in the ’40s. Much of the old-timey paraphernalia remains as adornments around the property, including the saloon with ancient bottles of whiskey. The 20 rustic cabins have panoramic views of the majestic Bulldog Cliffs and are decorated in typical Southwestern-Mexican flare.
You won’t find a TV in your cabin. Instead, you can enjoy the heated pool, and fire pit, and take a short stroll down to the Salt River along the saguaro cactus-studded trails.
If you’re arriving in the afternoon borrow a paddle board or kayak (guided trips start at $51) from the lobby and get out on the Salt River in the Tonto National Forest, the sixth largest National Forest in the States. You’ll float past saguaros, cottonwood trees, and rolling mountains. At dusk, keep an eye out for Mesa’s mystical-feeling wild horses. The incredible creatures tend to hang out along the Salt River’s edge. Over 500 mustangs reside in the area and are presumed to be descendants of Spanish Colonial or Iberian horses brought to the Southwest by colonizers in the 16th century. The wild horses are protected by the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group. The ranch also has an on-site horse stable and can organize a horseback ride through the cactus-studded wilderness guided by local wranglers.
If water activities aren’t your thing, lace up your hiking boots and head out for a short stroll from the ranch. It’s kept a bit hush-hush to preserve a sacred site but there’s an easy trail that leads to ancient petroglyphs of spirals, birds, and lizards. En route, you’ll stroll through an old-growth area of the Sonoran Desert and catch a birds-eye view of the aforementioned Dam.
HEAD TO GILBERT FOR DINNER AND DRINKS
Vist Mesa
Nothing hits quite as good after a day of travel as a flavorful, spicy, Asian-inspired meal. Grab a table at the chic Belly Kitchen & Bar and order small plates to share of Vietnamese, Thai, and Japanese dishes. Don’t skip the green papaya salad or seared mushroom bao bun (shared starters start at $5, main courses $14). Get the evening started with a few rounds of handcrafted cocktails ($13-$18 per cocktail). My favorite was the “Yuzu & Miso” — a gin cocktail that instantly transported me back to Japan. Or take things up a notch with a round of $8 “Belly Shots” for the group — after all, lemongrass is good for you. Other classic Asian drinks are also available, including Korean Soju ($16) and Lao Lager ($13).
After dinner head next door for a one-of-a-kind experience — a tiki bar in the desert! Brave the plank at Undertow and stick around for the wicked thunderstorm. The award-winning immersive cocktail bar transports patrons into the belly of a spice trader’s Clipper ship. Grab a seat by the portholes and watch as the sea gets more and more tormented as the storm approaches.
Hold on tight to your Scorpion Punch Bowl or Lei Lani Volcano cocktail as the ship braves the massive waves! Cocktails start at $16.
CATCH A MORNING WAVE
Visit Mesa
After enjoying breakfast at the lodge, start your day off with a surf sesh. That’s right — surfing in the desert.
This Spring Mesa is set to open a 3.3-acre surf lagoon — Cannon Beach Revel Surf Park. It’s the first surf park in the world with both a large traveling wave and a stationary rapid surf wave. Here you can ride a consistently perfect year-round wave.
Want to double up on thrills? At Cannon Beach, you can also go cliff jumping, skateboarding on a pump track, or just chill out at the beachside pool.
HIT THE CIDERY FOR LUNCH
Lola Méndez
After riding waves to your heart’s content, head to Downtown Mesa for pizza and cider to refuel. Named the third-best cidery in the States, Cider Corps is a veteran-owned cidery proving that cider is for everyone to enjoy. These aren’t your run-of-the-mill alcoholic apple ciders. The selection on the grenade-looking taps rotates through seasonal flavors including a prickly pear sangria and POG (pomegranate, orange, and guava), and start at $8 a pour.
Have handmade pizzas from Myke’s Pizza, which shares the space with the cidery, for lunch. My rec is to order the pineapple pizza made with pork roll and aged gouda ($21). Get the side of Brussels sprouts ($8.50) that are made with Cider Corps’ Semper Vera cider.
CHEERS TO CRAFT BEVERAGES
Stay Downtown Mesa for a self-guided late afternoon pub crawl. The quaint Historic Downtown Mesa strip on Main Street may seem like a wholesome small-town hangout but it’s leading the Arizona craft beverage scene with the most craft beverage locales in one square mile. No driving is necessary making Main Street the perfect destination for a DIY bar crawl.
Stop into the “2022 Brewery of the Year” — Oro Brewing Company. This locally-owned and operated small-batch brewery and taproom has an array of award-winning handcrafted ales and lagers on tap. Hit up Phantom Fox Beer Co. for a hazy IPA made with stone fruit or the neighboring drinking hole Chupacabra Taproom which serves hard seltzer ($6.75).
For dinner, stay local and go to Worth Takeaway for classic American sandwiches and fries that are anything but boring. Sandwiches range from $12-$17 and are made with local Arizona seasonal ingredients, including cheeses from nearby Danzeisen Dairy, produce from Crooked Sky Farms, and Mesa’s own Proof Bread. After a day of tasting the best of Mesa’s craft beverage scene, you can’t go wrong with a buffalo chicken sandwich or a hot ham and cheese on sourdough.
Keep the craft beverage crawl going by heading over to the Mesa Riverview. The taproom at Papago Brewing Co. has a rotating selection of 60 freshly-crafted draft beers including the famous Papago Orange Blossom and top local beers from Arizona that are $7 for 16 ounces. Order rustic soft pretzels with beer cheese ($10.90) and a sausage board ($17.90) to enjoy while you try Papago’s beers.
From there, let the night carry you onward or head back to your cozy bed at the ranch.
GO FOR A MORNING WALK AMONGST THE CACTI
Lola Méndez
You simply can’t visit the Southwest without enjoying the great outdoors. In the morning before you leave Mesa go out for a hike in the magnificent Usery Mountain Regional Park. The lower Sonoran Desert park is home to elusive flora and fauna. You’ll see several types of cacti, including the saguaro cactus which is indigenous to the area, and if you’re lucky you may spot cardinals, owls, and hummingbirds.
There are various trails to choose from and all offer incredible views of the desert surroundings. Park entry fees start at $3 per person.
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