257. Read. Look. Drink.

These are the words, images, and beers that inspired the GBH Collective this week. Drinking alone just got better, because now you’re drinking with all of us.

JAMAAL LEMON

READ.// “The human body is built the way it is so that we could slowly but surely run down prey for miles and miles in the heat until the animal toppled over from exhaustion. Then we’d kill it and carry it back to camp. This is why we have two legs, springy arches in our feet, big butt muscles, sweat glands across our body, no fur, short torsos, and strong grips.” Nothing speaks to my soul quite like primitive approaches to lifestyle. Over the last few years, I’ve been trying to get better at minimizing the use of technology to focus more on my innate abilities as a human being. My perspective in this regard was introduced to me through fitness, in particular, CrossFit, and its programming of rucking for some workouts.

LOOK.// Since I was a kid, I’ve always thought that “Black people only do this,” and “white people only do that,” was the dumbest way to think about anything. Back then, I couldn’t quite understand this concept enough to explain it, but I knew I never wanted adopt those beliefs. Even then, I was comfortable enough in my own skin to be “the only one” with my skin in any room. I connected with this story of Slim Pickins Outfitters, the first Black-owned outdoor outfitting shop in the country, on many levels—there’s something to be said about the advantages of “not knowing” as a child, and how it translates to confidence and self-worth as an adult.

DRINK.// Big Truck Farm Brewery’s Dually DIPA
As a parent with a toddler, and a lover of beer, farm breweries have been a consistent weekend destination for my family. They offer many acres of land that are perfect for wearing out any small human, and the beer is an added plus—especially if that brewery harvests its own 10 acres of hops, Like Big Truck Farm Brewery does. Getting to drink its Dually DIPA is only one more bonus.

RUVANI DE SILVA

READ.// “…the first Asian landlords needed a great deal of strength and resilience to go toe-to-toe with racists especially as sites which eventually became desi pubs … were formerly hubs for fascist groups like the National Front.” Despite sharing David Jesudason’s roots as a Brown immigrant growing up in post-industrial Middle England, I had never heard of the U.K.’s desi pubs until I read this fascinating history of these semi-secret Anglo-Asian safe spaces and their heroic, pioneering Brown landlords in Pellicle Magazine. I wish I’d had the chance to visit just one.

LOOK.// A rare example of Amazon Originals getting it unbelievably right, “Comrade Detective” is a pitch-perfect found-footage spoof, ripping it out of every Cold War stereotype with stylish aplomb. Two mismatched Bucharest detectives are on the trail of a killer donning a Ronald Reagan mask, fighting the corrupting forces of capitalism and organized religion, and yelling “goatfucker” at regular intervals. I am loving revisiting this 2017 gem.

DRINK.// Odd Colony Brewing Company’s Moonbeam Dark Czech Lager
I was absurdly delighted by the discovery of the freshly brewed, open-fermented Moonbeam Dark Czech Lager at Odd Colony Brewing in Pensacola, Florida. So delighted, in fact, that I bothered the bartender with so many questions about the precise conditions of the brewing process (indoor open ferment with additional yeast pitched) that something of a queue formed behind me. Moonbeam is a glorious dark, smoky, subtly funky affair, with a smooth nutty sweetness that positively insisted I purchase a pack to-go.

BRYAN ROTH

READ.// “Actual bars have decreased in number, but drinking is acceptable in all sorts of other places it didn’t used to be: Salons and boutiques dole out cheap cava in plastic cups. Movie theaters serve alcohol, Starbucks serves alcohol, zoos serve alcohol.” You, like me, can now hate-read this essay from The Atlantic that makes the argument we have alcohol in too many places and we’re consuming too much. You and I can discuss its accuracy later, but you should always read what you argue about.

LOOK.// Now that many people can travel again, we’re going to start seeing all sorts of vacation photos in our social feeds. Have a laugh with this intrepid Instagrammer who compiles collages of shots that repeat the same imagery over and over again.

DRINK.// Threes Brewing’s Regional Dialekt
It’s summer here in North Carolina, whether the solstice has occurred or not. This Kölsch was a wonderful addition to the fridge that quickly disappeared as the temperatures began their annual, humid hike upward.

Curated by
The GBH Collective