Beverages

Beverages, beer, wine, water, cider, etc.

STARTER KOMBUCHA

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I have discussed kombucha many times before, and yet I know many people who are still reticent to try it as it apparently has too much fizzy bit (often called “funkiness”) for them.

To them, I say, “Fieldstone”!

Fieldstone Kombucha is fermented just like any other brand, but somehow the founder has figured out a way to get all the fresh flavor and GI tract benefits for which kombucha has become famous without all the spiky starter stuff. It’s like the sourdough of kombuchas- All the homemade taste and body benefits without the afterburn.

With fresh flavors like spiced apple and spicy ginger, chai spice, turmeric, and even beet (with seasonal ones popping up all the time), Fieldstone not only delivers great taste and all the nutrition for which kombucha is known but also some of those “superfoods” we have all been hearing about.

Not only does it taste great on its own, but Fieldstone also works well as an ingredient in drinks such as those detailed on the website (www.fieldstonekombuchaco.com).

Best of all, it comes from a woman-run company right here in New England! 

Speaking of that woman, she started her SCOBY-started story as so many other great food-trepreneurs do by starting in her own kitchen and distributing to her friends before growing into what I hope becomes a sector-leading company.

In addition to being made here, Fieldstone kombucha also sources ingredients from local farms and even has a local artist design the label artwork! They also packages their products in recyclable materials so they have less impact on the environment and are good for everyone involved!

If you need more incentive to try Fieldstone, they can deliver (in 100% recyclable packaging!) and, if you enter “kombuchaships” or “localkombucha” you can get 10% off your first order!

www.fieldstonekombuchaco.com

HOLDAYS AT HAYMARKET

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Now that we are (hopefully) visiting others for the holidays it is time once again to get gifts for them all!

As usual, our friends at Boston Public Market have everything we (and everyone we know) could ask for…and more!

From gifts to groceries and treats to trimming, BPM makes holiday prep easy. And not only will you be helping the Market’s marvelous makers, you will also be supporting area entrepreneurs through the “Market on a Mission” non-profit program as well.

As part of its December Happenings series, the Market is hosting such special events as Pine Bar tap takeover featuring Shelburne, VT’s Fiddlehead Beer on December 22, a visit from Frosty the Snowman December 18, and a Holiday CrEATor Market (with an emphasis on the “E A T”) every weekend right up until Christmas Eve! There will also be a sleigh-full of tours, tastings, and classes, including pasta ornament making with Seven Hills Pasta December 17, ornament decorating with Laurel Greenfield Art December 20, and a coffee tasting with George Howell on the 23rd that will help you power through the final shopping days and get ready for what is sure to be a great holiday (or at least better than last year)!

No matter when you visit, there are always plenty of pretty and practical pieces from the enviro-conscious crafters of Peterman’s Board and Bowls, American Stonecraft, and the ever-able artists at HOPe Unlimited. If you have already finished your holiday shopping (as if!), you can still enjoy local legends like Beantown Pastrami, Crescent Ridge ice cream, Red’s Best seafood, and the ever-popular gift-makers at Q’s Nuts (as well as bagels from Bagel Guild for those who prefer to shmear through the snow).

Whether you need gifts for others or a well-deserved treat for yourself, Boston Public Market is always ready to deliver. And as we prepare to give to others we love, a visit to the Market is a great opportunity to also give to some of our most creative our friends and neighbors as well!

www.bostonpublicmarket.org

MAKE SOME ‘SHROOM IN YOU BRAIN

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With all the medical claims about what food do what for you, it can be confusing to keep track of the latest data and advice. One of the most discussed foods in recent memory has been mushrooms. From simple buttons to hallucinogenic types, the fabulous fungi could fill many a research library before filling your tummy.

In addition to bringing us the Long Drink, the fun-loving Finns have also created Four Sigmatic, a mushroom-based brain food that you can actually drink!

For those who do not speak Finnish or understand terms related to the burgeoning brain food sector, the name apparently signifies the distance the foods are from the “average” (which is apparently measured in sigmas). As proven over years of research and studies, the rightly-named Four Sigmatic foods are among the most nutrient-dense available and, thanks to great recipes, among the most delicious!

Among the truly super-food ingredients that help Four Sigmatic stand so far above the rest are such  totally safe but nevertheless mushrooms as Chaga, Lion’s Mane and Cordyceps that are combined to support your energy, mind, mood, and other vital organs and functions, And though they also offer packets and powders that can be added to other beverages and foods to give them a punch of protein and power, among my favorite delivery systems are their cacao mix and their growing menu of fair-trade, Arabica-based coffee that offers great brain-boosting nutrition and great taste without the typical (and often detrimental) caffeine crash.

With a catalog that is organized either by product type or by benefit, Four Sigmatic makes it easy to choose from among their growing catalog. Their subscription service and referral program make it less taxing on your brain to help keep it strong and also to share it with other smart (and soon to be smarter) people for whom nutrition and taste matter most.

https://us.foursigmatic.com

Harpoon expands the League

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I have spoken many times about the new slew of non-alcoholic beers. And while I already enjoy HOP WTR, Hairless Dog, Athletic, Partake, and Heineken 00 (which I recently had the pleasure of trying IN Amsterdam!), I am VERY excited to see the eagle-eyed brewers at Harpoon get into the game with their fresh and delicious Open League!

Having prepped with their satisfying line of low-alcohol “League” beers (including the happily hoppy and hazy Rec. League, the darker Night League, and the professionally-prepared Bush League (which has nothing to do with another beer with a similar-sounding name!)), Open League offers less than 0.5% alcohol and only 35 calories and 5 net carbs! Despite all it does not have, Open League is still full of juicy tropical hops and even has superfood chia seeds and sea salt to add electrolytes, making it a great choice for your athletic league or for watching other people play.

If you need a bit of java to get you off the coach, Harpoon also has you covered with their fifth Dunkin’-inspired set that includes a cold brew-infused Porter, a hazelnut brown ale, a coffee roll cream ale (which is my personal favorite!), and (if you can believe it) an updated pumpkin spiced latte ale that may be better than the original! 

The cold brew brings the familiar flavors of a New England “regular” with sugar and cream. Speaking of creamy, as it now contains oat milk, the pumpkin latte can now appeal to more people and offers more creamy latte-like mouthfeel for all enjoyers.

Speaking of oats, the blonde is made with oat and wheat malts that give it a golden color that cuts through its Hazelnut haze.

Harpoon has also been contributing their IPA to help our friends at American Vinegar Works make another amazing flavor and the list of local partnerships keeps growing- So let’s help out some of our favorite neighbors and enjoy the taste of doing so!

PS For my neighbors- The new Dunkin’ beers can be found next to the Dunkin’ at the Needham General Store, so you can support TWO local faves at once!

www.Harpoon.com

Generally Great

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As kids go back to school and holidays lurk just around the corner many are looking for places to stock up on supplies and other good stuff.

In my town of Needham, we are fortunate enough to have most of it taken care of at the Needham General Store!

Located just across the street from the Hersey stop on the Commuter Rail, the General Store offers not only a full Dunkin’ Donuts but also great food and gifts from other local makers. They even have books from folks who have been on my TV show “The Writer’s Block” (including my book, Lions, Tigers, and…Bulldogs? An unofficial guide to the legends and lore of the Ivy League)!

One of their latest offerings is a weekly meat pick-up from Bianco’s in Medford that allows participants to trim their weekly shopping list by a few delicious pounds.

They also offer all-natural salts from Saltire Brands, a woman-owned business that took inspiration from Paris markets and now hand-harvests sea salts from Duxbury.

If you need a quick gift (or yummy snack), bags of small-batch Minute Man kettle corn are always a hit! This Worcester-based company takes inspiration and recipes from the American Revolution and is sure to change how you see (and taste) popcorn.

Another great snack that is especially popular in my house is the GIANT peanut butter cup from Swampscott’s CB Stuffers. They apparently make the largest peanut butter cups available, as well amazing bars and other sweet treats, including items with the Red Sox logo that can let you end a sour season on a sweet note.

If you need a bit of a bridge from your typical store to one that offers as much as this specifically-situated “general” store does, remember that it also has a full Dunkin’ counter so you can enjoy a “regular” while finding unique gifts.

Keep track of wine tastings, author talks, and other events by following www.facebook.com/NeedhamGeneralStore or visiting https://the-needham-general-store.business.site and have a General-ly better shopping experience!

The Tea Book warmly supports women

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When Patrick Henry said, “Give me liberty or give me death,” it is unlikely he knew how prescient his words would remain hundreds of years later. But as people across the nation are being forced to choose between respecting their own bodies and making their own decisions or facing pain and potential death, the call to freedom and resistance is stronger than ever.

Fortunately, we have access to a drink that is as old as Henry himself and that can still refresh and sustain weary resister and revolutionaries.

In addition to such pun-ny and pleasant product personali-TEAs as Fred-TEA Mercury, Hippocra-TEAs, and Nikola TEAs-la, Tea Book now offers readings on those who have stood up for the rights of others to protect and preserve themselves in a new collection called My Bod-TEA, My Choice. This inspiringly sippable set includes teas named for the legendary likes of Fri-TÉ Khalo and TEA-eigo Rivera, Joe Bi-TEA-n, Ruth Bader Ginseng (a.k.a. “R.B.TEA”), and even Volod-TEA-myr Zelensky!

While the fun names and comic artwork bring some levi-TEA to a serious situation, The Tea Book is offering serious support to communi-TEAs in need by donating proceeds to Planned Parenthood so that more people can exercise their own choices while they soothe their own bodies and those of others they love. 

Through October 15, The Tea Book is also celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with a special savings and offerings, including a La-TEA-n varie-TEA, proceed from which will go to the Museum of Latin American Art in California.

As the Tea Book continues to add chapters, it can be difficult to pick which to brew first. No matter which Tea Book set you get, you can be sure that they are all made from the freshest ingredients, are organic, GMO- and gluten-free, and kosher, and come in recyclable and Eco Choice packaging, so you can feel good about your choice while sharing in the boun-TEA of liber-TEA that Henry demanded all those years ago. 

https://theteabook.com