Some parks get drive-by visitors stopping on their way somewhere else. Not Big Bend. From the Wild and Scenic Rio Grande to the sky islands of the Chisos Mountains and all the canyons, Cretaceous-era fossils, and stretches of Chihuahuan Desert in between, Big Bend National Park is always the main event.

This Texas national park sits at the state鈥檚 southern tip, forming a desert refuge where peccaries, great horned owls, and spiny lizards make their homes. People are drawn to Big Bend to paddle the Rio Grande between sheer canyon walls, hike mountain trails thousands of feet above the surrounding desert, look for the park鈥檚 450-plus bird species, and camp under a dazzling night sky.

was drawn to Big Bend for the same reasons: It鈥檚 a special place that serves up nature and adventure in Texas-sized doses and deserves support to match. That鈥檚 why this summer, the brewery is featuring a of its flagship Pale Ale dedicated to four national parks, Big Bend included. (The other three are Great Smoky Mountains, Yellowstone, and Yosemite.)

The beer hasn鈥檛 changed, but the artful limited-edition packaging shines a spotlight on these iconic parks. Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is backing that up with a donation to the to support wildlife and habitat conservation. 鈥淥ur national parks are a jewel that we need to preserve,鈥� founder Ken Grossman says. 鈥淐onnection to nature is really critical. I think it鈥檚 our legacy to preserve those places forever.鈥�

Amie Engerbretson, professional skier and Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. ambassador, agrees. 鈥淭he national parks are where you see the very best that Mother Nature has to offer,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nd they鈥檙e so accessible, it makes it possible for all people to see some of the coolest places in the world.鈥�

So put Big Bend on your must-go list鈥攜ou won鈥檛 get there any other way鈥攁nd start planning with this guide to the park鈥檚 can鈥檛-miss spots to hike, camp, paddle, and 鈥渃heers!鈥� a day well spent.

Best Mountain Day Hike

South Rim Trail

Big effort is rewarded with big views on . With 12.5 miles of hiking and almost 4,000 feet of elevation gain and loss, it both tests and rewards hikers with expansive vistas over desert wilderness, canyons, and peaks stretching into Mexico. And up at 7,000-plus feet, the air is slightly cooler compared to the desert below. (Still, be prepared for intense sun; skip this one in the heat of summer.) Start by hoofing it up the steep Pinnacles Trail, then connect to Boot Canyon, South Rim, and Laguna Meadows trails for an all-day loop across the top of the park.

Pale Ale moment: Back at the trailhead, continue on to the Window View Trail, an easy .3-mile loop, and grab a bench to savor the sunset.

Best Desert Day Hike

Mariscal Canyon Rim

If standing on the edge of a sheer 1,400-foot drop to the Rio Grande sounds more thrilling than terrifying, put on your list. From the remote Talley Trailhead, follow rock cairns through patches of cholla and rock cactus before steeply climbing to the tabletop of Mariscal Mountain. Tiptoe to the overlook for a peek into the tight folds of Mariscal Canyon, where the Rio Grande begins its swing to the north. Retrace your steps for a 6.6-mile day.

Pale Ale moment: Set up camp at one of the near the trailhead for a beer with a side of stargazing.

Best Paddle

Santa Elena Canyon

The westernmost river canyon in Big Bend is the stuff of legend: 1,500-foot rock walls, peregrine falcons and red-tailed hawks soaring overhead, gravel beaches, and鈥攖his is big in southern Texas鈥攂lessed shade. Tackle the 20-mile float from Lajitas to the Santa Elena River Access Point for a rejuvenating two- or three-day trip, camping on gravel bars (). Check river levels, as the canyon鈥檚 Rock Slide rapid becomes a Class IV obstacle at certain flows. Or skip the long driving shuttle and get straight to the heart of the canyon scenery by doing it 鈥渂oomerang鈥� style: Paddle upstream from the take-out, an option available when the river is flowing 200 cubic feet per second (CFS) or lower, then retrace your strokes when ready.

Pale Ale moment: Pick a beach, any beach.

Best Soak

Boquillas Hot Springs

Pale Ale moment: Alcohol isn鈥檛 allowed at the hot spring itself, but that鈥檚 fine, because after soaking, when you鈥檙e good and relaxed, is the perfect time for happy hour. For that, grab a permit for one of the nearby primitive drive-in campsites at or (high-clearance vehicle required) and toast your good fortune. (Alternate overnight spot: The down the road has more amenities.)

Note: It鈥檚 always smart to check the before your trip for conditions and safety information, as well as where alcohol consumption is permitted.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., founded by Ken Grossman in 1980, is a pioneer in craft brewing. With breweries in California and North Carolina, it鈥檚 known for quality ingredients, innovation, and sustainability. Popular beers include Pale Ale, Hazy Little Thing, and Torpedo. Learn more at .

The post The Beer Drinker鈥檚 Guide to Big Bend National Park appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Night Before the Trail Run

Nonalcoholic IPAs deliver punchy hop flavor with none of the hangover, and an explosion of new NA beer brands over the past five years means there鈥檚 more variety and quality than ever. Whether your preferred IPA tastes classic and bitter or hazy and tropical, store shelves are full of booze-free options that are ready to help you carb up and tackle the mountain feeling fresh.

• Athletic Brewing Company
• Best Day Brewing
• Brooklyn Brewery

Morning of a Big Hike

Even at breakfast, these beers won鈥檛 set you back. Reach for nonalcoholic golden ales when the day鈥檚 plans call for an easy-drinking crowd-pleaser with bright, refreshing carbonation. Hemp-derived THC and CBD have recently found their way into NA beers, offering a low-dose boost without the buzz. (Throw an extra in your pack for a midday, top-of-the-mountain treat.)

• Easy Man
• Sierra Nevada
• Patagonia Provisions x Deschutes Brewery

Midday on the Water

Stay even-keeled with a four to five percent ABV craft lager. For decades, American craft brewers largely shied away from so-called 鈥測ellow fizzy beer,鈥� preferring to leave pilsners to the world鈥檚 biggest brands. Thankfully, they鈥檝e finally seen the light and are now brewing ultra-crisp, characterful lagers with manageable alcohol contents that make them easy to reach for.

• pFriem Family Brewers
• Threes Brewing
• Firestone Walker Brewing Company

Afternoon Mountain Biking Break

A mix of beer and carbonated lemonade, radlers have long been associated with German cyclists. It鈥檚 easy to see why: They鈥檙e sweet-tangy enough to toe the line between beer and juice. Today, radlers鈥攁nd their British cousin, shandies鈥攃ome in a rainbow of citrusy flavors from grapefruit to orange. Their thirst-quenching power, however, remains steadfast.

• Stiegl
• Shiner
• Von Trapp

Back at Base Camp

Wind down with the new and improved world of West Coast IPAs. After years of hazy, fruity New England鈥搒tyle IPA dominance, the West Coast version has made a triumphant return. But today鈥檚 versions aren鈥檛 tongue-scrapingly bitter; they expertly blend classic hops鈥� pine, dank, and subtle citrus notes for a prismatic sip that eases you out of a hard day鈥檚 work at six to seven percent ABV.

• Breakside
• Upslope Brewing
• 罢谤枚别驳蝉

Campfire Nightcap

Once you鈥檝e debriefed the day鈥檚 challenges and successes, it鈥檚 time to drink dessert. Reach for a slightly sweet stout that incorporates chocolate, peanut butter, hazelnuts, or other other culinary ingredients. The best of these indulgent beers maintain a coffee-like roast that helps balance those confectionary additions. Feeling extra bold? Look for a version that鈥檚 been whiskey barrel鈥揳ged.

• Mother Earth
• Samuel Smith
• Left Hand

The post There鈥檚 a Beer for That appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

If you subscribe to the notion that national parks are America鈥檚 best idea, you need to visit ground zero. Not only is Yellowstone the country鈥檚 oldest national park, it鈥檚 also still as wild as they come.

In this 2.2 million-acre park鈥攍arger than some states鈥攖he very ground bubbles and steams, fueling the highest concentration of geysers in the world. Wildlife like grizzly bears, moose, bison, and wolverines endure here, thanks to the park鈥檚 vast protected habitat. Mountains overlook enormous waterfalls, trout-filled rivers, quiet lakes, and the most remote landscapes in the lower 48. You could spend a lifetime exploring Yellowstone National Park and still discover something new every time you visit.

No wonder is among Yellowstone鈥檚 biggest fans. A respect for wild places has been part of the brewery鈥檚 DNA since founder Ken Grossman named it after one of the country鈥檚 most iconic mountain ranges. That legacy continues this spring as the brewery features a of its flagship Pale Ale dedicated to four national parks, Yellowstone included. (The other three are Big Bend, Great Smoky Mountains, and Yosemite.)

The beer hasn鈥檛 changed, but the artful limited-edition packaging shines a spotlight on these iconic parks. Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is backing that up with a donation to the to support wildlife and habitat conservation. 鈥淥ur national parks are a jewel that we need to preserve,鈥� Grossman says. 鈥淐onnection to nature is really critical. I think it鈥檚 our legacy to preserve those places forever.鈥�

Amie Engerbretson, professional skier and Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. ambassador, agrees. 鈥淭he national parks are where you see the very best that Mother Nature has to offer,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nd they鈥檙e so accessible, it makes it possible for all people to see some of the coolest places in the world.鈥�

With so much to see and more than 1,100 miles of trail, it can be hard to decide exactly where to spend your time in the park. Here鈥檚 our guide to Yellowstone鈥檚 can鈥檛-miss spots to hike, camp, explore, and 鈥渃heers!鈥� a day well spent.

Best Day Hike

Lone Star Geyser

It鈥檚 not just the 鈥攁 45-footer erupting from a 12-foot-high mineral cone every three hours or so鈥攖hat makes this five-mile round trip such a pleasant way to spend a few hours. It鈥檚 the flat, shady trail that traces the Firehole River through a conifer forest. The trail is partially paved (you can even bike most of the way to the geyser) and a welcome break from the crowds just down the road in Upper Geyser Basin. But yeah, catching a water show in relative solitude is a nice perk.

Pale Ale moment: From the trailhead, walk next door to the Kepler Cascades overlook and tip one back while listening to the triple-tiered waterfall.

Best Backpacking Trip

Heart Lake

Kick back on the pebbly beach surrounding this out-there lake for a day or two, scoping for trumpeter swans, elk, grizzlies, and wolves in the daytime hours and getting dazzled by the stargazing at night. The out-and-back from the is a shade over 17 miles total, but you鈥檒l want to tack on the seven-mile round-trip side hike to the summit of 10,308-foot Mount Sheridan. From the top, you鈥檒l spy Heart Lake, as well as Yellowstone, Lewis, and Shoshone lakes, with the Absaroka Range rising regally on the skyline. Tip: For the best shot at your preferred itinerary, sign up for the.

Pale Ale moment: Evening in camp, fire crackling in the foreground, Heart Lake just beyond.

Best Peak Hike

Avalanche Peak

Short, sweet, and steep is what you get on this 4.2-mile round-trip hike on the park鈥檚 east side. huffs up 1,000 feet per mile, traversing talus slopes and narrow ridgelines en route to a dizzying view of Yellowstone Lake. Target July or August for this strenuous trip. Before then, the trail will probably be snow-covered; after that, grizzly bears start to show up looking for whitebark pine nuts (always be bear alert and carry bear spray in Yellowstone National Park).

Pale Ale moment: Post-hike, from the trailhead, cross the road and grab a picnic table next to pretty little Eleanor Lake.

Best Campground

Slough Creek Campground

The Lamar Valley in the park鈥檚 northeastern corner is wildlife central, with excellent chances of spotting resident wolf packs, bison, elk, and bears. Animals are early risers, and you should be, too鈥攁n easy task when you鈥檙e sleeping right in the thick of the Lamar. This quiet 16-site creekside also offers trout fishing and easy access to the Slough Creek Trail.

Pale Ale moment: Pop up your camp chair on the rocky beach and enjoy a creekside happy hour.

Best Ski

Riverside Ski Trail

Tour through quiet conifer forests, along the wide Madison River, and across meadows with views of the Madison and Gallatin ranges on this 7.7-mile out of the gateway town of West Yellowstone. From the park boundary, glide through the woods for one mile, then turn right to ski the shorter Upriver Loop. When you return to the junction, continue north to explore the Downriver Loop鈥檚 waterfront views.

Pale Ale moment: Hang out under the evergreens east of the trailhead鈥攋ust make sure not to step in the ski track.

Best Old Faithful View

Observation Point

From this overlook above Upper Geyser Basin, just a short distance from the boardwalk, you can watch Old Faithful erupt, far removed from the geyser鈥檚 famous crowd scene. Walk the first part of the boardwalk, then peel off on the to the switchback a half-mile up the hill. Return the way you came for a 1.6-mile round trip.

Pale Ale Moment: Yellowstone offers overnight options for every budget and preference. Relocate to a lodge, cabin, or campground (make reservations early), and 鈥渃heers鈥� America鈥檚 first national park.

Note: It鈥檚 always smart to check the before your trip for conditions and safety information, as well as where alcohol consumption is permitted.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., founded by Ken Grossman in 1980, is a pioneer in craft brewing. With breweries in California and North Carolina, it鈥檚 known for quality ingredients, innovation, and sustainability. Popular beers include Pale Ale, Hazy Little Thing, and Torpedo. Learn more at .

The post The Beer Drinker鈥檚 Guide to Yellowstone appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

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My cousin David is a beer man, the sort of guy who was early on sours, unmoved by IPA mania,听and able to explain the contributions of lactose to the perfect hazy鈥攏ot to mention his mental map of the best brews worldwide. So, when he visited me in Montana several years ago, I sipped the samples he鈥檇 brought from Brooklyn鈥檚 boutique breweries and asked what felt like an obvious question. Had he ever thought about brewing his own?

He swallowed a mouthful of gose.

鈥淣o,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檇 never be able to match the quality of craft beer today. So, what鈥檚 the point?鈥�

I chewed on that for a few years. My wife, Hilly, tended to agree with David. What was the point? We are living in an era of peak beer. In my town we can bike down to the neighborhood grocery store and buy premium six-packs for $10 from half a dozen independent local breweries. We鈥檝e learned our favorites and venture into other styles as our palates expand. New varieties show up almost weekly. At our favorite tap houses, the options are overwhelming. The quality of this beer is the culmination of 6,000 years of humanity perfecting the craft. I had about as much to contribute to it as I would to the ceiling frescoes of the Italian Renaissance.

The only regular homebrewer I knew was my late father-in-law, who took up the hobby for two reasons: he liked to drink, and he was cheap. His recipe, scrawled out for my brother-in-law on the back of an envelope, called for amber malt, corn sugar, ale yeast, and honey, free to him because he was a beekeeper. He grew hops up the side of the barn and occasionally brewed with garden habaneros for an extra kick. His process was precise, but not exactly fussy. He fermented 15-gallon batches in a plastic garbage can in the bathroom.

And yet, when I think about his beer, I picture him walking into the house after a day鈥檚 labor and pulling from the fridge a weathered 32-ounce Tecate bottle that he鈥檇 brought back from Mexico to store his homebrew. He鈥檇 crack off the cap and pour a glass for anyone in the room who wanted one, the anticipating smile on his face of someone about to jump into water on a hot afternoon. The beer was fizzy, golden in color, crisp and sometimes a little sour. I鈥檓 not sure how a connoisseur would rate it, but if a beer is only as good as the people you share it with, then his was the best. Nothing in a can came close.

During the pandemic I learned, along with the rest of the country, to make sourdough bread, a process that began with an oven fire in the middle of my son鈥檚 kindergarten Zoom class. I tried again and failed again and then read an awful lot and eventually learned enough so that now, with just four ingredients鈥攚ater, flour, sourdough, and salt鈥擨 bake two airy loaves for our family every week.

My confidence buoyed by that gateway drug of bread baking, I found myself thinking again about beer, my father-in-law, and my cousin David. I knew what David said was true: I would always be able to buy better beer than I could brew. Perhaps I shouldn鈥檛 be asking what I had to offer the world of brewing, though, but rather what the world of brewing had to offer me. After all, do you bother planting a garden when you can buy bigger, juicier vegetables at the farmer鈥檚 market? Do you ever string together a few chords on the guitar, knowing you鈥檒l never sell out Madison Square Gardens? Surely, I thought, the process adds value to the product.

So this year I made a resolution to learn. The library books I checked out told me any idiot could do it. If you can make a simple soup, you can make beer. I went to our local brew shop and quickly dropped $100 on supplies including a fermenting bucket, some plastic hose, an airlock, sanitizing solution, and a hydrometer. I paid another $50 for two boxes of old swing-top Grolsch bottles that I found on Craigslist. A friend who had dabbled in zymurgy lent me some other equipment and gave me a copy of Charlie Papazian鈥檚 bible of beer: 鈥�,鈥�听whose continual refrain to 鈥淩elax. Don鈥檛 worry. Have a home brew,鈥� calmed my nerves. Papazian is a former schoolteacher and nuclear engineer who counts among his students the co-founder of New Belgium Brewing Company. His book is almost evangelical in tone. The question isn鈥檛 why should you brew beer, it seems to shout, but why would you not?

Like bread, beer is fashioned from four main ingredients: water, malted barley, hops, and yeast. (OK, five, if you count love.) For a homebrewer, though, I learned that what goes into your beer is less important than what doesn鈥檛. If you鈥檙e not scrupulous in your procedure and cleanliness, you might accidentally introduce too much oxygen into the beer, or bacterial infections, or wild yeast, all of which can produce off-flavors as diverse as 鈥渂uttered popcorn,鈥� 鈥渃heerios,鈥� and 鈥渦sed band-aids,鈥� according to Papazian.听Too much direct sunlight can render a beer 鈥渓ight-struck,鈥� giving it the flavor of skunk urine, a fact that delighted my children, aged 10 and 7, who wondered if skunk urine, exposed to darkness, would take on the flavor of beer. Hazards lurked around every corner. Duly vigilant, I set to work.

My first batch was out of a beer kit I bought for $35. It was a K枚lsch. I like K枚lsch. It鈥檚 light, refreshing, and very un-band-aid-like. The first steps involved steeping a small bag of malted grain in a big pot of water, like a giant cup of tea. Then I added some hops and the malt extract, which nearly bubbled over into a sticky mess on the stovetop. This was my wort (pronounced wert), a cool new word I planned to use as often as possible. It boiled for an hour, giving our house the steamy, industrial smells of a brewery.

When the batch was almost done, I added a clarifying agent called Irish moss, and more hops for aroma. Then I cooled it, a long process involving an ice bath in our sink. When it was about 68 degrees, I poured it into my five-gallon fermentation bucket and pitched the yeast (cool new verb, check). I attached the airlock to the rubber stopper on the lid, and slid the whole thing into the closet, next to our vacuum cleaner. Within 48 hours I was thrilled to see bubbling in the airlock, proof that the yeast was alive and metabolizing the malt sugars into carbon dioxide and alcohol. I was on my way. Two weeks later, I siphoned it into bottles with a bit of corn sugar for carbonation, and two weeks after that, I gave it a taste. It was鈥�.mediocre. It was much darker than a K枚lsch should be, and had a funny aftertaste. Hilly didn鈥檛 love it, meaning it was up to me to finish off 37 bottles.

If you鈥檙e wondering, yes, 37 bottles take up a lot of space. So does all the other gear. Brew days are time-intensive, often stressful experiences that involve me banging around the house, cleaning buckets and pans in the bathtub and making a mess of our counters with bags of malt extract and packages of hops. Between batches,听my equipment takes up a not insignificant corner of our garage. I鈥檝e taken to storing the bottles in two giant Styrofoam boxes in my kids鈥� room, next to a basket of stuffed animals on top of their dresser.

The hobby is mentally intrusive, too. Brewing beer made my self-doubt soar to new heights. I鈥檝e started to worry in words I didn鈥檛 even know before. Have I adequately sparged my mash? Has my yeast flocculated? Is my beer properly attenuated? What should I do with the 鈥渢rub鈥� (troob), that inch-thick layer of yeast sediment at the bottom of the fermenter?

My head swirled late into the night. Call it the brewer鈥檚 burden. I鈥檇 lie awake, staring at the ceiling. 鈥淲hat are you thinking about?鈥� Hilly would probe.

鈥淥h, nothing,鈥� I鈥檇 say. 鈥淚 just can鈥檛 decide if I should dry hop in secondary.鈥�

Or, sighing in despair after a bad batch had to be poured down the drain: 鈥淚 just had invested so much time and hope into it.鈥�

鈥淲ell, you don鈥檛 learn much when everything goes right,鈥� Hilly said cheerfully.

I rolled over, pointedly.

Often, my worries were well-founded. When I over-boiled some corn sugar in a batch of M盲rzen, I imbued the wort with the flavor of burnt toast. A quick chemistry lesson on the internet taught me the culprit was a process called the Maillard reaction. The beer was undrinkable. A total loss. But, as they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained. When I moved on to a hop-heavy IPA, it came in below my expected alcohol content, which I calculate by measuring the change in density before and after fermentation. But the flavor of the beer was excellent; I鈥檇 be happy if I paid good money for it, which, in fact, I did. Next, I brewed a cream ale with flaked oats and cracked corn. The result was crisp and refreshing鈥攖he perfect summer backyard beer.

The beers I鈥檓 brewing aren鈥檛 perfect. They likely never will be. But they鈥檙e getting better. They might be getting cheaper, too. After my initial investment, I have what I need in equipment. I鈥檓 still using malt extract to brew, and with these recipes the beer costs about the same as it would at the store. When I muster up the courage to try an all-grain batch, it will get a lot less expensive. I still have much to learn, but I have the feeling that I鈥檓 going somewhere. Things are looking up. I have even felt a measure of pride in my handiwork.

What鈥檚 more, my beer is听environmentally friendly, in that it鈥檚 not being shipped anywhere farther than a friend鈥檚 house, and I鈥檓 reusing my bottles. It has health benefits, too. A bottle of homebrew has much more suspended yeast than commercial beer. Yeast is rich in vitamin B complex, which helps us metabolize food and maintain fluid levels. This may be why so many homebrewers say they get less of a hangover drinking their brews. So there. Brewing your own beer is better for the earth, and better for your body.

Homebrewing has taught me about physics, biology, math, chemistry, and, yes, beer. It鈥檚 also provided this bit of wisdom: if you want your life to expand, it usually has to get more complicated first. I think it鈥檚 good for my kids to watch me stumble through learning a new skill, too. Brew days in our house are a family affair. Hilly, an artist, carved a hip woodcut logo for what she thought should be my brand name: Tall Hop. (DM me for merch.) Our seven-year-old, Julian, controls the tap of our fermenter on bottling day and is also chief bottle organizer. Our oldest, Theo, loves the pop when he opens the swing-top bottles, and says things like, 鈥淲hoa, look at the head on that.鈥� Both boys are my main morale boosters, too. My first batch was barely bottled before they were telling me I should start a brewery, and that they鈥檇 decided to save their lemonade stand money until they could contribute $100 toward my capital. My very own angel investors.

By now, the hobby has taken on its own rhythm in our house. I鈥檓 brewing about a batch every month. And it鈥檚 easily one of the best parts of the day when Hilly gets home from work, I close my computer and we crack open a cold bottle from the fridge, pour it between two frosted glasses, and play a game of cribbage, just like my father-in-law used to do. At these moments, neither of us is thinking about how much it cost or how long it took. It just feels like life well-spent.

The post Why Brewing Your Own Beer Is Worth the Trouble appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

If you鈥檙e doing summer right, you鈥檙e on the go hunting swimming holes, hiking new trails, and making the most of the long days and warm weather. Fortunately, eating healthy, even on the move, doesn鈥檛 have to be complicated. Becky LaChance, a registered nurse, fitness coach, and nutritionist, says makes a great addition to smoothies and other on-the-go recipes.

Part of Glanbia Performance Nutrition, Isopure features a wide range of products to address all kinds of nutritional needs, with offerings such as Zero/Low Carb Protein Powder, Zero Carb Unflavored Protein Powder, Infusions Protein Powder, and Collagen Powder. Isopure aims for the highest standards of protein, made with simple ingredients鈥攁ll without sacrificing taste. Isopure products can be found nationwide in specialty and mass retail stores, gyms and fitness centers, and most online retailers. To learn more, visit听听and follow the brand on听,听, and听.

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Backpacking is work鈥攆un work, but you still might want a drink when you鈥檙e done. A dehydrator isn鈥檛 just for meals; it allows for with unexpected ingredients that don鈥檛 compromise pack weight. Dehydrate berries and citrus for sunset sangria or limes for margaritas. Experiment with your favorite flavors or try this recipe on your next trip.

Backcountry Old Fashioned

Makes 2 servings

• A few drops of bitters
• 2 sugar cubes
• 4 orange slices
• 4 Bing cherries
• 100 mL bourbon

At home:

1. Add a few drops of bitters to two sugar cubes (enough to saturate but not disintegrate them).
2. Dehydrate the sugar cubes, orange slices, and cherries at 135掳F.
3. Pack your cocktail ingredients with two 50-mL nips of bourbon.

At camp: 听

1. Divide the ingredients into two cups and add one serving of bourbon to each.
2. Stir vigorously until the sugar mix dissolves, and enjoy.

The post The Secret to a Great Backcountry Cocktail? Your Dehydrator. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

If there鈥檚 one thing skiers love almost as much as being on the hill, it鈥檚 apr猫s-ski. The French term directly translates to 鈥渁fter skiing,鈥� but a loose, and perhaps more accurate, translation is 鈥渉itting the chalet for drinks and talking about snow stuff.鈥� It鈥檚 an important part of the social scene and camaraderie in snow sports, but like all things, it has experienced some changes over the years. The main takeaway from all that change is that tailgates, folding chairs, and BYOB are just as enjoyable as fireside fondue and extensive craft cocktail lists. These are the new rules of apr猫s-ski, and they are making this beloved part of ski culture even better.

1. Now You Can Apr猫s All Day

Welcome to the Tailgate Bar, where the lines are nonexistent and the drinks are a fraction of the price. When you don鈥檛 have to plan your day around crowds and happy hour specials, apr猫s can quickly turn into before, during, and apr猫s-ski. Another surefire way to boost your apr猫s quotient: ditch the booze.听

鈥淚 have no time for a hangover,鈥� says pro skier and apr猫s-ski enthusiast Kaylin Richardson. 鈥淲e came to ski, so let鈥檚 ski.鈥澨�

Richardson, who happens to love craft beer, has a secret weapon when it comes to her alcohol-free approach to apr猫s: . The brand鈥檚 nonalcoholic craft beers pack all of the flavor and satisfaction of traditional brews with none of the downsides. Taking it easy on the all-day apr猫s means your quads will be the only thing holding you back from skiing first chair all the way to last chair.

2. Skip the Apr猫s-hension听

Everyone who spends time on the slopes knows that coordinating a meetup is more challenging to pull off than sweaty, too-small base layers. You came to the mountains to be in the mountains, not indoors, stressing about overcrowded lodges and trying to track down Kevin, who never answers his phone. But collecting your group doesn鈥檛 have to push you to your wits鈥� end. Skip the social angst, grab a six-pack of , and meet your friends at the one place that always has plenty of space, never requires a reservation, and has an easygoing vibe鈥攜our back bumper. Bundle up, show up whenever, and hang easy. Your friends will always know where to find you (even Kevin), and a cold one will always be on hand. After all, reaching the top of Wit鈥檚 Peak is no tall task鈥� just crack, sip, and ahhh鈥�

3. Ditch the Highbrow Snackage听

Gone are the bourgeois days of slopeside oysters, steak tartare, and canned air. Bratwurst cooked on a camp stove is pretty damn tasty and much more affordable. (Although if your tailgate game includes some of the finer things in life, hats off, my friend.) 鈥淕imme some summer sausage, Ritz crackers, and cheddar cheese, and I鈥檓 golden,鈥� says Richardson. 鈥淓ven a deformed PB&J from my pocket is great.鈥澨�

Shareable snacks that don鈥檛 break the bank are the preferred nosh of the New Age apr猫s-ski scene. Bonus points if you pack a propane grill and a cooler stocked with enough and brats to go around.听

Tip: pairs well with just about any munchie. It鈥檚 a light-bodied craft brew with a citrusy aroma and some spicy notes. Plus, it鈥檚 crafted to remove gluten* for all to enjoy.

4. Turn Friendship and Laughter Up a Notch

The apr猫s-ski scene facilitates togetherness, laughter, and a chance to hear our friends鈥� crazy stories from the day. 鈥淎pr猫s gives us this beautiful bubble, this container of the day,鈥� says advocate and snowboarder Dani Reyes-Acosta. 鈥淭hat container is community. It鈥檚 where we can see and feel why we go skiing and riding in the first place.鈥�

So crack open and get ready for another embellished retelling of the most epic cliff drop ever skied. Richardson sums it up best: 鈥淓njoying the company of the people you love, who love the things you love, that鈥檚 what apr猫s is all about.鈥�

Founded in 2017, is the 13th largest craft brewer in America and the leading producer of nonalcoholic craft beer. Its brews are distributed in all 50 states and available at more than 50,000 retail stores nationwide. Athletic donates up to $2 million annually to protecting and restoring outdoor spaces across the globe via its Two for the Trails program. Athletic Brewing is a Certified B Corp. Its full-flavored near-beers and hop-infused sparkling waters are available on .

*Upside Dawn is fermented from grains containing gluten. The gluten content of this product cannot be verified, and this product may contain gluten.

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The brisk bite of autumn air always adds some pep to my step on my morning runs, but it also puts me in the mood for apples, which are just beginning to tumble off their branches. As we sink into fall, freshly-picked Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp and more begin popping up everywhere, from farmers鈥� markets to bakeries to hot apple cider stands. In that vein, 鈥檛is the season to remember one of the world鈥檚 most delightful and overlooked spirits, apple brandy, whose golden glow and heady apple perfume makes it the perfect sip on brisk autumn evenings.

Apple spirits are everywhere from New York state to California to the Carolinas; a welcome, trendy drink that becomes even more profound if you know a little bit about its crucial and complicated heritage on this continent. The bitter history that follows makes today鈥檚 rich apple spirits all the more sweet.

The Potentially Dangerous History of Apple Jacking

America鈥檚 original 鈥渇avorite drink鈥� was not bourbon or rye like you鈥檇 expect, but apple cider. The apple tree was key for settlers who tamed the rugged North American continent. As most people know, Johnny Appleseed was not out distributing seeds of Granny Smiths or Pink Ladies, but rather tart, indigestible apples. Although they don鈥檛 sound particularly appealing, these apples were grown to produce cider, a godsend that was safer to drink than water, and both cheap and easy to make . As delicious as they are, typical 鈥渆ating鈥� apples that we enjoy as snacks make bland cider. Bitter apples may be inedible, but via fermentation and distillation, effuse aromas and flavors vastly more complex and beguiling than anything you鈥檒l ever get from a piece of raw fruit.听

Apple cider is best turned to hard alcohol using a dedicated pot still. But these weren鈥檛 common in the early centuries of this country, hence the funny-sounding technique known as jacking. Alcohol freezes at a lower temperature than water, thus, in winter, when cider is allowed to freeze outdoors, chunks of ice can be periodically removed from the vat. This leaves behind a liquid of even more concentrated alcohol.

Alas, the process of apple jacking lacks precision. While the hard spirit in applejack contains methanol, a dangerous chemical (think blindness, kidney failure), is removed during the responsible, modern distillation of today, that wasn鈥檛 always the case with jacking. And at the end of the 19th century, the degradations on the health of American drinkers (and general drunkenness) made applejack the major target of the rising temperance movement, whose ascendance led not only to but also to the destruction of of apple orchards, effectively killing the apple spirits industry.

Cider apples never came back. In their place, farmers planted grain鈥攃heaper, quicker to grow, and easier to distill鈥攇iving rise to our dominant domestic whiskey industry. The destruction of the American orchard had a cost beyond fruit. Lost too was the cornucopia of genetic material contained in apple trees that had adapted from their European roots to American soils and climates.

The Best Apple Brandy听

The original and, in my opinion, best apple brandy is called Calvados, which comes from Normandy in the northwest corner of France. Here, ancient apple (and pear) orchards thrive, and scores of different varieties are blended to create a complex, vivid spirit. Oak aging is key, as unaged apple spirits can be a bit harsh. Allowing a raw apple spirit to mature for years in a barrel, can make the difference between tart, unripe fruit and apple pie. Look for Calvados producers like Adrien Camus, Lemorton, and Roger Groult for examples of addictively good spirits. They still have a little bite, but also the warm, familiar, comforting flavor of baked apple. Longer-aged spirits are more expensive, but also more rich and complex.

Because of the loss of cider trees, a fair bit of American apple brandy comes from eating apples, which makes for a simpler, less exciting spirit. That said, America’s bourgeoning apple brandies are well worth trying. New Jersey鈥檚 , dating from 1698 and the oldest continuously run distillery in the country, is still the largest producer. Out west look for wonderful apple brandies from old-school distillers like Oregon鈥檚 Clear Creek and California鈥檚 St. George Spirits. But all over the country, newer craft distillers are also getting into the game. Black Dirt Distilling, Copper & Kinds, and Neversink from New York鈥檚 Hudson Valley make very flavorful stuff. Outfits like Saint Paul Farms from North Carolina are already producing good spirits, but also growing thousands of new, bitter apple trees whose fruit will be perfect for cider. Follow these spirits over the next few years鈥攖hey will only get better and better.

So, as the weather turns colder and we all become more contemplative, warm yourself up with a little apple brandy and take in not only the beautiful present autumn moment but also the apple鈥檚 deep .

How to Drink Apple Brandy

For good quality, I recommend aged Calvados. I love to drink it neat in a little spirits tasting glass, tumbler, or snifter. If it鈥檚 over proof or simply tastes too strong, it鈥檚 perfectly acceptable to add a splash of water to tame the alcohol.听

Calvados is also great in cocktails or even just mixed with a little soda water or tonic. For a simple, yet delicious fall Calvados cocktail, I might recommend an apple blossom. This version I adapted from the recipe on Difford鈥檚 Guide, which is adapted from the version in Trader Vic鈥檚 Bartender’s Guide, 1972 edition.听

Apple Blossom Cocktail

Ingredients听

• 2 oz Calvados or Apple Brandy
• 1.5 oz Red Vermouth (I prefer Dolin)听
• 2 dashes orange bitters听
• 1 dash of saline solution or a tiny pinch of salt听

Directions

1. Stir all the ingredients together in a pitcher filled with ice and strain into a chilled cocktails glass.听

The post Apple Brandy Used to be Dangerous. Here鈥檚 Why. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

If summer is the season of refreshing drinks by the water, then fall is the seasons of cozy beverages by a bonfire or curled up in a quilted blanket. Whether you鈥檙e warming up at home after a long hike or settling in for an evening by the campfire, the perfect beverage pairing is essential. While we鈥檒l never say no to a flask of Knob Creek, mixing it up a little can feel celebratory (and taste delicious).

For outside-the-box recommendations on what to sip this fall, we tapped four food and beverage professionals to get their take on the ideal fall cocktails.

Farm and Fish House Punch

Danny Childs, the bar manager at New Jersey鈥檚 Farm and Fisherman Tavern and the mind behind , an Instagram account that chronicles Childs鈥� constant exploration of the region鈥檚 foraged and farmed products, offered an Applejack-centered bourbon and rum punch. This sip should be prepared ahead of time, as the base requires overnight steeping. Oleo-saccharum is made by steeping lemon peels with sugar and spice overnight, or for at least eight hours. It has a strong taste of apple cider vinegar, albeit sweetened with sugar, and can be served hot or cold.

Get the recipe

Ivy Mix鈥檚 Fall Cranberry Spritz

Ivy Mix, who runs Leyenda, a pan-Latin bar, and Fiasco Wine and Spirits, both in Brooklyn, offered a cranberry gin spritz that somehow lands both refreshing and cozy, perfect for those still-a-little-warm fall afternoons. This spritz is like a spiced lemonade with a hint of tartness and a lot of cranberry. It’s intentionally low in alcohol, but you can add more gin if desired.

Get the recipe

Fall Espresso Spritz & Mezcal Negroni

Cybille St. Aude-Tate and Omar Tate, the husband and wife team behind Honeysuckle Provisions, a trailblazing culinary concept in Philadelphia, have opposite approaches to the autumn drink. Tate recommends an espresso spritz lightly sweetened with apple cider, which has a bit of caffeine so he can keep up with his kids. This drink mixed unfiltered apple cider with sparkling water so it’s still bubbly but the espresso gives it a nutty, lovely taste. On the other hand, St. Aude-Tate prefers to sip on a mezcal negroni during a rare quiet moment at the end of a busy day. Even though an ice-cold negroni isn’t what most people think of for a cozy fall drink, this classic cocktail is spiced up by using mezcal rather than gin.

Get the recipes here and here

Whatever your needs for a fall-weather drink, we鈥檝e got something to suit your fancy all season long.

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