One link, one paragraph #35

The link.

The paragraph:

A solo drinker asked the barman-waiter to mind his spot while he went to the toilet. The barman-waiter refused, then reluctantly agreed, then immediately gave the table away to someone once the man had gone inside to piss. Good natured deadpan pranksterism, we think… Either that or they really do hate their customers, even the regulars, as their unsmiling faces suggest.

One 9/11 link, one paragraph

Without apologies, a link from what I wrote for All About Beer magazine in 2001.

The paragraph:

“People wanted to go to a place where they felt like they were with family,” said Daryl Woodson, who has been running the appropriately named The Sanctuary in Iowa City, Iowa, for 27 years. “They didn’t say that, but people who come in normally at 10 were in at 8.”

One link, one paragraph #34

The link.

The paragraph:

Yes, I drank the ranch beer. And before I get into my thoughts, I need you to know: I. LOVE. RANCH. You know how some people put ketchup on everything? I’m the gal who puts ranch on everything. But I didn’t really know how that would translate here. Old Ranch Hand smells like onion, dill, and herbs—I’m pretty sure that’s mostly due to the ranch-seasoned rim, and not the beer itself. Assuming you get a bit of the seasoning on the rim as you sip, you’ll be rewarded with a mild ranch dressing flavor and creamy malt. It’s not tart, which it easily could have been as a “ranch beer,” and without the seasoned rim it’s basically just a cream ale. In fact… it might have been too mild for my tastes?

One link, one paragraph #33

The link.

The paragraph:

The Inkpot actually delivers on the community’s need for convenience and camaraderie—a need that the conglomerates have failed to satisfy. Its interior feels more like someone’s living room than a local pub. This is a reason for its success: When people are skeptical of change, when they can’t trust corporations or politics, they can still trust themselves, and this can instill confidence. With its simple design and homely interior, The Inkpot encourages patrons not by showing them what they might want, but by reminding them of the value in what they already have.

One link, one paragraph #32

The link.

The paragraph:

Bikers and hikers strolling down the SMART pathway that runs behind Lagunitas Brewing Co. in Petaluma this summer are noticing an unusual sight: Two 15,500-gallon stainless steel fermentation tanks that have crumpled like empty beer cans.

In another iteration of Monday links this would have been a lede of the week.