Sophisticated Living Nashville May/June 2024

{Nashville’s Finest}

Repeat winner of Nashville’s Best Hotel in the Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards, The Joseph, a Luxury Collection Hotel and Marriott Bonvoy Member, welcomes guests with warm Italian hospitality, artfully designed luxury, an exclusive rooftop pool, a serene spa retreat, and stylish restaurants and bars.

615.248.1990 | @THEJOSEPHNASHVILLE

Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter of The War and Treaty perform onstage during the 2024 MusiCares Person of the Year Honoring Jon Bon Jovi during the 66th GRAMMY Awards on February 02, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

Privacy and Proximity

1381 Old Hillsboro Road Vaughn Road

150 acres convenient to Green Hills, Franklin and Leiper’s Fork. Beautiful views of surrounding countryside. Perked for 6 sites - will divide. Open spaces with a pond surrounded by mature trees, providing privacy. Sewer available. Minutes to everything: shopping and top rated schools.

May/June 2024

Alexander McQueen. Hieronymus Bosch brocade dress, Angels & Demons/Heaven & Hell precollection, Autumn/Winter 2010, Courtesy of Barrett Barrera Projects. Photo: Sarah Carmody

CW LUXURY TRAVEL

Christy Waller (615)496.5910

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PUBLISHER

Dave Mahanes

EDITOR - IN - CHIEF

Melissa Mahanes

Copy Editor Brit Hoyt

CONTRIBUTORS

Writers

Victoria Chase

Elliot Greene

Andre James

Dave Mahanes

Melissa Mahanes

Bridget Williams

Claire Williams

Features Editor

Carolyn Smith Bryant

Travel Editors

Shawn Haile

Christy Waller

Photographers

Charlie Mahanes

Melissa Mahanes

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Melissa: 615.308.9294 / melissa@slmag.net

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CONFIDENCE IN YOUR TOMORROW

CONFIDENCE IN YOUR TOMORROW

We

It’s the beginning of summer, and kids everywhere are getting out of school. So, in the spirit of the season, I would like to share some of the summer jobs I had when I was young, which were diverse, great experiences, and a hell of a lot of fun.

I was good friends with Nelson Griswold, the son of the colorful Nero Griswold of Nero’s Cactus Canyon, one of the best restaurants in Nashville back in the day. Nero’s house had caught fire, which caused considerable damage. Ever the serial entrepreneur, and to save some money, Nero acted as his own contractor for the restoration and hired me when I was 15 as his (un)skilled labor. My chores included moving building materials and cleaning up, including picking up loose nails off the floor so they don’t “bugger up the floors.” It was the first paying job I ever had, so it was a big deal to earn my own money. My mom would pack me a brown bag lunch worthy of my hardworking status—a fried bologna sandwich on white bread, a bag of Fritos, and a Twinkie. All this fine fare was washed down with Hawaiian Punch.

The summer between my sophomore and junior years in high school, my job was playing guitar in a rock n’ roll band called the The Ogden Jenks Band. We rehearsed from noon to 6:00pm, took a dinner break, and went back to practicing from 7:00pm to midnight. Needless to say, I slept in those summer mornings. We got very tight as a band and booked gigs at school parties and country clubs. One of my favorite gigs was playing on a flatbed truck parked across Hillsboro Road in front of Spats (which had the best BBQ ribs in town). After our show, we all went to hang out at Spats, where I tried to drink underage at 16 (18 was the drinking age back then), and Larry Lipman, the owner (who today is a friend), carded me!

The summer after my senior year in high school, I had another construction job working for Walter Benneyworth, a wonderful man who gave me a raise in the middle of the summer. I was again an unskilled laborer and helped “build” some houses in Sugartree and Estes Glen, among others. The coolest thing I did was work on an addition to a home where I took a sledgehammer to the side of a brick house. One of the most challenging (and boring) things I did that summer was spending two entire days shoveling a dump truck’s worth of gravel into a garage while listening to bad 1977 AM Radio before they poured the concrete. That summer, I was never in better shape and had a great tan as a bonus.

After my freshman year at Duke, I was a computer operator for the summer at Jack Daniels Distillery in Lynchburg, TN. I ran IBM punch cards through the card reader, swapped out disks in the huge disk drives and backed up the disks on massive tape machines like you see in old sci-fi movies. I lived at the original Miss Mary Bobo’s Boarding House, with Miss Mary herself as my landlady. She was 96 years old, and a beautiful person inside and out. She ran the house as a boarding house from 1908, and I later learned that I was actually the last boarder in her home. The pace was a little slow in Lynchburg for a 19-year-old in a dry county where everything closed by 5:00, and Miss Mary’s didn’t allow alcohol. So, for entertainment in the evenings, I would typically drive ten miles down Highway 55 to Tullahoma to have dinner at the Shoney’s Big Boy and then maybe treat myself to an out-of-date movie at the Space Age Drive-In.

Between my junior and senior years at Duke, I drove a truck for Lipman Brothers in Nashville, putting up merchandising displays in liquor stores. From that experience, I knew where every liquor store in the greater Nashville area was and quickly learned not to use the term “booze,” and instead use the more refined term “distilled spirits.” I also got to help set up/merchandise new liquor stores. Back then, we would make signs for the case stacks using an ink block printer, not like the ease of today with computers and laser printers! Looking back, I have had quite a few different summer jobs, from action-packed to more laid back. Happy summer!

Dave Mahanes, Publisher dave@slmag.net

DYNAMIC DUO

Carolyn Smith Bryant steals a moment with Tanya and Michael Trotter

Interview by Carolyn Smith Bryant / Photos Courtesy of The War and Treaty

Carolyn Smith Bryant: I couldn’t be more excited to sit with you two! I’ve been obsessed with your voices and story since I heard you sing A Lesson in Leaving in tribute to Dottie West, who was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in November 2018. You ripped the roof off the museum and closed the ceremony. Or at least, it felt like the evening was over when you finished singing. Your performance did something to me that night. Rolling Stone Magazine and other sources also thought you were the highlight of that evening. So, being a fan of yours from the beginning has felt like holding onto the tail of a comet. Your success is fast-moving, you’re brilliant, your music has breadth and depth, all the earmarks of longevity. Michael Trotter: (emotional) Thank you.

CSB: From winning three Americana Awards to being nominated for CMA, ACM, CMT, and GRAMMY® Awards, participating in the CMA Christmas and Graceland Specials, touring with Chris Stapleton, and singing In Memoriam to Matthew Perry at the Emmys, it’s apparent the world is falling in love with you. If they don’t already know you, I want our readers to fall in love as well. Thank you for being here today.

Tanya Trotter: Thank you for having us.

CSB: You have been experiencing many milestones, and I’m thrilled to share one with you today. You are the first recording artists to be interviewed for our magazine!

TT: Really? That is fantastic! Amazing!

CSB: Being the daughter-in-law of Nashville’s first professional songwriters, I know that being first matters. Please share with our readers what these other milestones are and what they mean to you.

TT: One of the things that I love about being the first African American husband and wife duo in country music is the opportunity to lay the fabric of love. We get the chance to meet people, and they fall in love with us, and we fall in love with them, too. We tell a story to those coming behind us that though we may be ahead of them, they’ll take the baton and do things their way. We’re starting to see that now; many younger artists are coming to us for advice. It’s a unique position because there is a level of responsibility. Though we have a wonderful family with four kids, country music is also our family. We don’t want to let the family down. It’s a beautiful thing that God himself would say, “I trust you enough to put you in that position.”

MT: I was literally born with a purpose that has a hold on me. People say, ‘Is that writing music?’ No, my why is to heal the racial tensions in our world, and I met a woman just as determined as I am, and here we are, married. When someone decides to fight for us and says, ‘You’re going to be first,’ such as the Academy of Country Music, Country Music Association, or Country Music Television, it gives us butterflies. When those establishments scroll through their history, I hope they determine we won’t be the last.

CSB: You are featured in the Country Music Hall of Fame’s exhibit American Currents: Celebrating the State of the Music alongside legends Cindy Walker, Bobby Osborne, and Lucinda Williams, with artists such as Sista Strings and Billy Strings, Kelsea, Kacey, Martina, Lainey, Morgan, Jellyroll, and Taylor. This is just the beginning.

MT: This exhibition staples into history what is currently moving the sound of America. That’s deep.

CSB: What does this recognition mean to you, Tanya?

TT: It’s hard to describe what it feels like when you walk into a place like the Country Music Hall of Fame. It’s the power of warm resilience and people behind closed doors believing in us and pushing open doors. To walk in and see our clothes in there! We’re in this place with the giants of country music! When we stand in that rotunda and see the names…we may not have a plaque in the rotunda, but we are forever attached to the museum with this exhibit, and it’s mind-blowing.

CSB: You don’t have a plaque yet…Who are your musical icons?

TT: I grew up listening to Sonny and Cher, Marilyn McCoo, Captain and Tennille, and Patti LaBelle. I loved them because they were all so beautiful. I loved Cher. My sister and I would get towels and let them hang down our backs like Cher’s hair. My mother was Spanish, so I loved Celia Cruz and all her colors. I was as much into fashion as I was into music.

MT: I love Bebe Winans and the entire Winans family. Johnny Cash and Ray Charles are my favorite artists of all time. In terms of duos, Ashford and Simpson, Johnny and June, George and Tammy, Kenny Rogers with Dolly, and Kenny with Dottie West singing Every Time Two Fools Collide. There are some things in history that we are forgetting such as Kenny and Sheena Easton. The

Civil Wars, who are no longer together, were amazing. Tanya and I learned how to travel together vocally by listening to them. We won’t soon forget the blueprint.

CSB: Let’s talk about your new single, Stealing a Kiss. Thank you for sharing it with Melissa and me pre-release; it’s brilliant and a real honor. What excites you about your new music, and if you had a vision board for 2024, what would it look like?

TT: I have been taping pictures up on my walls since I was little, people that inspired me. I didn’t even realize I was manifesting! So, I have written down our new vision but haven’t put it up yet. But we have decided, with this record, to really focus on our storytelling. There’s a lot of Soul, Gospel, Appalachia, and R&B; that’s where we come from, but this time, there’s more heartland. We had some great co-writers on this album, and that’s exciting. But what is different is that Michael produced the album. We have previously worked with fantastic producers, Dave Cobb and Buddy Miller. We love them. But if you can hear the music you create from the first piano note to the last string strum, you should produce it personally. Watching Michael work with the musicians and background singers and giving everyone notes is magical. Seeing his genius and a different side of The War and Treaty is exciting.

CSB: It’s also exciting to experience your sense of style. Many of our readers are fashion-oriented and support causes such as the Symphony Fashion Show and the Ballet Ball. Please walk us through what it feels like to have custom clothing made for you and to walk a red carpet.

TT: My grandmother was a seamstress in Panama, so my mother was a fashionista. Mom loved wigs, jumpsuits, good quality fabrics, gowns, and watching pageants. She worked two jobs, the second at a department store called Garfinkel’s. She walked

my sister and me through the store and taught us about fabrics and cuts. She taught me how to take something inexpensive and turn it into something fabulous. I used to cut sleeves off shirts and sweaters and sew the material into the holes of my jeans to make matching outfits. I’ve always loved makeup, hair, and clothing. So, what does it feel like to be on a red carpet now? It’s nerve-wracking…

MT: She drives me cuckoo.

TT: I drive everyone crazy. Stylists, hair people…I know that I must commit to a look because I’m in a duo. So, if I say, “This is the dress I’m going to wear,” he gets his suits custom-made based on that choice. But then I may feel differently and see something else I want to wear…

MT: It takes a lot of fabric and time to create my custom looks because of my custom weight, and I like to match Tanya. When I was younger, I wore a lot of bright colors because I am a WWE fan. But then a beautiful older woman from my community told me, ‘You’re too dark to wear bright colors,’ and it ruined me for years. So, when my stylist Tiffany Gifford suggested that I wear a lime green suit to the Grammys, I realized that she wanted me to be seen from everywhere and every angle. Tiffany, her assistant Alexandra, seamstress Trish, and my wife have worked together to attack my insecurities. You don’t hear men talk like this often, but this is the first time in my life that I want to be seen.

CSB: Your dusty rose velvet jacket at the Emmys was fire. What did it feel like landing on the Best Dressed list at the Emmys?

MT: I was listed amongst eight men who, at any given time, could be named the world’s sexiest. I want more of those moments, not for selfish gain but because they help me. I’m not hiding anymore.

CSB: The story of how you, Michael, found your gift for songwriting is a story of bravery and is very compelling. You completed two tours in Iraq and are a wounded US Army Veteran. Thank you for your service.

MT: Thank you.

CSB: I understand a tough childhood and your devotion to daughters Michaela and Courtney, which you had as a teen father, were factors that drove you to enlist in the Army.

MT: Yes, and the thing is, I did not know that we were at war with Iraq. I’m talking. I was in basic training, and then suddenly, I was in a chopper, doggie barreling to dodge trace-arounds and bullets landing in the warzone.

CSB: That’s Day 1?

MT: That was Day 1, and I’m a singer, not a fighter. I’m terrified, and I’ve wet my pants. See, the loudest fireworks sound like a pin-drop compared to war, and nothing prepares you for that. My Captain had read my file and knew that I loved music. He showed me a piano in the basement and said, ‘Michael, find your way home on your days off’. I tell him I don’t know how to play, and he says, ‘We’ve got nothing but time’. So, I taught myself to play on Saddam Hussein’s piano. I started with Bill Withers’s Lean On Me. As I taught myself, I analyzed the instrument. There are many white keys called the majority. There are fewer black keys. They are smaller and are called minor. I realize you can play every negro spiritual on the black keys from start to finish but boy-oh-boy, when interwoven with the whites, creates beautiful melodies and harmony. I look to God, and he says, ‘This is why you were created.’ So, I knew I would make it home because I had to share with the world that the answer to racial disparity lies in the piano. Do you like the music I’m playing? Is this song touching you? Guess what? It has white and black keys on it.

CSB: What a fascinating perspective.

MT: The man who saved my life, my Captain, was killed, and I was asked to sing at his memorial. I wrote a song that brought so much healing to the 16th Infantry Second Brigade First Armored Division that it became my official job to learn about our deceased soldiers, write a song about them, and perform at their services. I was doing that at least six times a week. One night, I talked to a fellow soldier named Perez about getting home. I’m holding on, but he’s not. He’s gone, shot right through the eye socket. And I’m not processing that or anything else because there was always another song to write to bring resolution and closure to others.

(Carolyn, Tanya, and Michael take a moment and exhale.)

MT: Then, I’m home, and no one understands me or what I have been through. I don’t even understand myself. Three years later, I met Tanya, and I recognized that I had a chance at healing through her love. She is the reason I no longer write death; I write life.

CSB: You did a TEDx Talk, Michael, where you gave the most understandable definition of PTSD I have ever heard. You said, in essence, that when at war, you do everything possible to stay alive, and when you’re home, war does everything it can to stay alive in you. Tanya, what does it take to be the partner of someone with scars from war?

TT: It takes a certain level of compassion, attention, and studying patterns, which I don’t think many people do. You can live with someone every day and not know them. We were married three

years before I knew he was a combat veteran; I had no clue. Then, a situation happened.

CSB: July 4th fireworks?

TT: Yes. It took courage on his part to accept that this had happened to him, and it took sensitivity on my part. It is his experience, his story, to share or not. I am just the person God chose to put in his life and walk alongside him. I’m an assistant to the healing; he’s the Kobe Bryant on this team. Some days, Michael gets up at 8:00am and plays music until he passes out at night. I know what that means to him now; he’s working through his PTSD. Sometimes, he will want me to sing a certain song with him, and I’ll say, ‘I don’t want to sing today’ even though I know it’s a part of his healing. Being quiet and sitting on the porch is a part of mine. Knowing where my boundaries are as I walk alongside Michael in this unique partnership is important because we’ll be going through this for the rest of our lives. Sometimes, I forget he’s in pain because he’s so funny, talented, and beautiful.

CSB: The love between you two and your desire for each other is palpable. I was watching the video for your song “Blank Page” and three words came to mind: get a room. (Uproarious laughter from all three)

TT: That’s what our kids say all the time!

CSB: You two are downright adorable! You work together, live, parent, and create together. That’s a lot, and it would only work for some couples. How do you keep the flame going?

MT: Look at her! (looking at a picture of the Grammy red carpet) She is fiercely stunning. Look at how this falls off her shoulder, her curvature, and her why. She’s very intentional. I have learned from Tanya that everything must matter. Tanya wanted to make sure she brought her mother to the Grammys, so her spirit is represented in the flowers on that dress. During Covid, Tanya got a burst of energy and created her vintageinspired clothing line She Loves Vintage. I remember her explaining to me what each woman represents: this one, that one. Representation matters. I get amped up when I see others in the apparel because it’s how I see Tanya, and I’m excited that you’re wearing one of her shirts today, Carolyn.

CSB: I love this shirt! Our readership also really cares about giving back. Please tell us about the organizations you believe in and to which you are lending your tremendous platform.

MT: I am so glad you are giving us an opportunity to speak about this because we are launching our own. It is called iVETCares. We will raise money for veterans and their families. So much is taken away from us when we step away from the military, and as vets, we then scratch and scrape around. We want to raise money for veterans and their families and lobby for more rights.

TT: I know the stress that a vet takes on after war because Michael was a combat veteran, yet we were homeless for a time. If you can help a family secure healthcare, stable housing, and those types of things, it won’t eliminate PTSD, but it puts the family on a steady flow where the stress level isn’t as high. Stress and PTSD are a vicious cycle.

MT: As we launch this if any of your readers want to help or have advice for us, please feel free to reach out through social media.

CSB: Last question, the full title of our magazine is Sophisticated Living Nashville: Nashville’s Finest. As a transplant to this fair city, I am always interested in what draws others to this town and what others feel is ‘finest’ about Nashville.

MT: What drew us to this city was the music. We were pied-pipered here, but what I find so fine are the people.

TT: My sister and Dad were here for the unveiling of the Country Music Hall of Fame exhibit. Everywhere my sister goes, she wants to learn the history of the place, so she signed up for a trolley ride around town. She returned, relaying that healthcare is Nashville’s biggest industry, construction is second, and music is third. She said the Meharry Medical College educates black doctors who work all over the world. Nashville has diverse industries, philanthropists, and entrepreneurs, and that makes Nashville a sophisticated place to be.

MT: I love the community of artists. Whether it’s Luke Combs taking his moment at the CMAs to say that we were the ‘stand-out moment’ for him or Keith Urban taking a line out of his song and singing instead ‘War and Treaty on the radio.’ From a phone call to Tanya from Carly Pearce to a writing session with Miranda Lambert to Mickey Guyton saying our name. From Rissi Palmer to Emmylou Harris…People don’t have to do anything for us, but as I said, we’re one great big music family. When we lose someone, it feels like we’ve lost a distant cousin, an uncle, or a brother. That’s what creates that Nashville thing, that thing that is in the air, in the water, in hearts. It’s what makes this a great place to live.

CSB: Magical. Thank you! sl

NEW VIEW

Nashville City Club unveils their stunning new space

Written by Dave Mahanes / Photos Courtesy BRND House

Founded in 1957, the Nashville City Club has provided a place for businesspeople to dine, network, and unwind in a private, professional environment. Since its founding, through partnerships with local charities and organizations, the NCC has supported various initiatives to impact the Nashville community positively. The NCC moved into the 20th floor of 201 4th Avenue North in 1967, the new Third National Bank building (now the Service Source Tower). My father joined the club in 1968 and was a longtime member. Back then, there were few places for a business lunch or networking downtown. I can remember, as a child, dining there with my parents before seeing a movie across the street at the Crescent

Theater on Church. The views were spectacular as the NCC occupied the top floor of the second-tallest building in Nashville.

The NCC has reopened in a new space, the three-story red brick Liggett Building, built in 1933 as a feed-and-seed company. The space was initially renovated in 2020 for the short-lived private club, The Register, and most of those deluxe appointments remain in the new home of the NCC. It is conveniently located on the corner of Demonbreun and 2nd Avenue, across from the Four Seasons Hotel, and just a stone’s throw from downtown’s popular entertainment venues—The Schermerhorn Symphony Center, Ascend Amphitheater, Bridgestone Arena, and Nissan Stadium.

On the ground floor of the three-story club is The Study, featuring a wall-to-wall bar with intimate booths and dining tables. The bar pays homage to the NCC’s beloved Library Bar with its black and white photographs and old textbooks sourced from the prior location. The Study is open daily to the public, serving lunch, happy hour, evening bites, and cocktails. The second level houses the Grand Ballroom, an expansive open-floor event space comfortably accommodating up to 200 guests. The space is available to members and the public, and members receive an insider discount. It is a flexible space that can be customized according to the host’s imagination. The Grand Ballroom has a designated catering kitchen and breakout conference rooms with state-of-the-art audio-visual options. On the top floor is the Member’s Lounge. The 6000 square foot Member’s Lounge features a members’ dining room serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, an expansive cocktail bar, and large screen televisions displaying news or sports, depending on the time. Executive Chef Ryan Brewer, who has been with the Club for ten years, has curated a menu of country club classics, craft cocktails, and a world-class selection of wines. There are also several lounge spaces to network and mingle.

In addition to fine and casual dining, benefits of the Nashville City Club include social and professional development events, reciprocal club travel benefits, and complimentary Wi-Fi. The Club has various activities, including specialty wine dinners with featured guest speakers, a VIP annual bourbon event, an

annual champagne event, live music Fridays, fantasy football and NCAA brackets competitions, and holiday/seasonal events. Two unique activities are the quarterly Enneagram Masterminds and the Mentoring Program. Enneagram Masterminds meet for a delectable dinner and an in-depth discussion. There, explorations of aspects of self and relationships analyze critical concepts within the enneagram, a potent tool for developing greater selfunderstanding and compassion in the context of a safe space. The Mentor program allows an NCC member to meet one-on-one with some of Nashville’s most prominent businesspeople. It is an incredibly beneficial way to expand their portfolio of contacts. Each mentee fills out a questionnaire defining the type of company, affiliation, or specific individual with whom they would like to have a meeting.

The Nashville City Club is an iconic institution that is an integral part of the Nashville community. It is a place for professionals and executives to network, learn, enjoy a gourmet meal, relax with a drink with friends, or stage an event. The new space will build upon the NCC’s legacy. It is a destination where luxury meets community and elegance meets sophistication. Join the Nashville City Club and start building your career and experiencing the fun and convenience of a downtown base. sl

Nashville City Club / 200 2nd Ave South, Nashville, TN 37201 / (615) 244-3693 www.nashvillecity.com / Membership Info: info@nashvillecity.com Monday 11:00am –3:00pm, Tuesday-Friday 11:00am–9:00pm, Saturday 4:00pm-9:00pm, Closed Sunday / Instagram: @nashvillecityclub

SOUTHERN COMFORT

A timeless treasure owned by Trisha Yearwood hits the market

Written by Melissa Mahanes / Photos courtesy of Fridrich & Clark Realty

Nestled in the heart of Brentwood, Tennessee, this sprawling estate reflects the soulful essence of its owner, the multi-talented country music icon Trisha Yearwood. Upon entering the property’s gates, visitors are greeted by a picturesque landscape with lush gardens and towering trees. The home’s exterior exudes true Southern charm, with its inviting entrance that beckons guests to step inside and experience its magic.

Trisha Yearwood filmed nearly 150 episodes of her Emmy-winning Food Network culinary series Trisha’s Southern Kitchen since 2012 at this property, where she entertained and cooked alongside fellow musicians Reba McEntire, Kelsea Ballerini, and Kristin Chenoweth, Food Network Stars Jeff Mauro and Geoffrey Zakarian, and star athletes including Danica Patrick, The Nashville Predators and Harlem Globetrotters. Yearwood, known for her warm personality and Southern charm, invites viewers and friends into her kitchen to share her favorite family recipes and Southern cooking techniques.

The property is situated on nearly 4.5 private acres, with two gated entrances, and a private pool with a pool house. With its five bedrooms, seven baths, three fireplaces, and an elevator, there is plenty of space for living and entertaining. And, as you have likely seen on your television screen, the spacious chef’s kitchen features Wolf appliances, including a double oven and six-burner cooktop, a warming drawer, a 30-inch gourmet microwave, and a large SubZero refrigerator.

The home blends rustic elegance and modern comfort, reflecting Trisha’s eclectic taste and appreciation for the finer things. Every room reflects Trisha’s passion for creating a welcoming atmosphere, from grand rooms to cozy living spaces with vintage accents to the gourmet kitchen where culinary delights are born. This is more than just a residence; it’s a haven where the warmth of family, the joy of creativity, and the comfort of home intertwine. sl

Listing agent: Lorie Lytle / Beacon Group of Tennessee / Fridrich & Clark Realty beacongrouptn.com / (615) 948-2021 / lorie@beacongrouptn.com

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GIRL ON FIRE

Laurence Basse Returns to NYFW with "Burn This City" Collection

Compiled by Bridget Williams

Runway photos by Paolo Lanzi / Gorunway.com

Portrait of Laurence Basse by Britt Carpenter Studios, courtesy of Laurence Basse

The road to prominence in the fashion world is rarely straight and smooth. French designer and leather expert Laurence Basse's journey to her first solo runway show during New York Fashion Week began decades ago. After being discovered by Jean-Paul Gaultier in the late nineties, Basse, a native of Normandie, France, used the money she made as a print and runway model to go to fashion school in Paris. "I loved to dress up as a kid but never thought of becoming a designer until my brother and I started making clothes in high school. We sold our clothes to the more privileged kids, so it became a hustle! People were hustling drugs, I was hustling clothes," said Basse.

Fans of Project Runway may recognize Basse as a season 15 finalist (2006) and a season 20 "All-Star" runner-up (2023). While these appearances helped elevate her status as a fashion designer, her unwavering commitment to detail and structure is what continues to garner fans, including NBA superstars Dwight Howard and Serge Ibaka, Jada Pickett Smith, actor Aldis Hodge, Grammy winner Samara Joy, and comedian/actor Yvonne Orji.

Basse's "Burn This City" FW24 collection was heavy on leather, her signature material, to which she added denim, silk, and wool. Building on a base of black, Basse incorporated tones of pink, blue, green, and sheer metallic. She collaborated with jewelry designer Mr. O Atelier to create custom-designed chain-link jewelry worn by nearly every model.

After her successful runway show, we had the opportunity to ask Basse a few questions about her long career in fashion and what's on the horizon for LAURENCE BASSE PARIS.

Laurence Basse

Laurence Basse

SL: As someone with a self-professed passion for "well-designed things," what made you gravitate to leather as your preferred material?

I love intricate, simple, and well-made clothes, and I already perfected working with all types of different fabrics. I needed to challenge myself, and I thought that leather was perfect for many reasons: I always thought that leather was only accessible to the rich, and I loved leather but couldn't afford it, so what better challenge than to teach myself? That's how we fell in love (leather and me).

SL: How did you remain relevant in the fashion industry between fashion school and your breakout appearances on Project Runway?

Between the time I left fashion school in Paris and created my LBP line, over 15 years went by, and I never left the fashion world. I was modeling in Paris and NYC during that time and learning the flip side of that business. Of course, it was a struggle to remain in the fashion industry, but when you love what you do as much as I do, there is no other way! I've been in fashion for so long that it's part of my DNA. I never felt pressured to have my work go in a different direction to appeal to a larger audience… that's just not me and never was! I'm an artist and a rebel at heart; I do what I feel, and if you feel me, you'll rock with me. No one can please everyone; that's why you have different brands and different styles.

SL: Describe what it felt like to have your first solo show at NYFW. Do you have a favorite piece in the collection?

It's a dream come true, definitely a milestone in my design career. It was made possible by my incredible team, led by my dear, long-time super-talented friend, MyKel C. Smith.

I have several favorite pieces, but if I have to pick one, I'll go with the all-black leather long skirt (mermaid vibes) and cropped leather jacket with short sleeves and an exaggerated collar. (bottom center image)

SL: What inspires you?

My inspiration comes from everything outside of me, just LIFE and how I feel at the moment of creating. Art is a vessel of communication for me. I am literally inspired by everything around me... it's a gift that keeps on giving. I am never short of ideas...they just keep coming… I'm blessed.

SL: Who is your ideal client?

I have two ideal clients. One of them inspired me during my youth and was instrumental: Grace Jones. My new school client, who has that je ne sais quoi, is none other than Rihanna.

SL: What is the future of LAURENCE BASSE PARIS?

The future of LBP is limitless. We will be a household name next to the GUCCI's and ST. LAURENT's of this fashion game. Let's go BIG or go home… and we ain't going home! sl For more information, follow on Instagram @laurencebasse or visit laurencebasse.com.

EAST MEETS WEST

The Rise of Japanese Whisky

Written by Claire Williams

The Land of the Rising Sun has given Westerners plenty of things to geek over, including sushi, samurai, and sake. And now, Japan has mastered a Western classic: whisky. You can put away your choko (traditional Sake glass) and exchange it for a glass tumbler as demand for Japanese whisky continues to explode. In 2022, the Japanese whiskey market was valued at $3.86 billion and is forecasted to triple in value in the next ten years. Comparatively, the US whisky market is valued at $62 billion. Still, the Westerners have also had over five centuries to perfect their craft. The first written records of whisky appeared in Scotland and Ireland in the 15th century, and it would take four centuries for those distilling techniques to migrate to Japan.

While the companies that have sprung forth from the two godfathers of Japanese whisky—Shinjiro Torii and Masataka Taketsuru—exist as rivals today, both were vital to the other's success during their lifetimes. In 1899, Torii opened his first store, Kotobukiya (known today now as Suntory), one of the first stores to sell imported alcoholic beverages, specializing in wine, but he dreamed of creating his own spirit. As his company grew, despite opposition from his executives, he decided to establish a distillery in a suburb of Kyoto, a well-known area for its excellent water quality, and where the legendary tea master Sen no Rikyu, a seminal influence on the Japanese "Way of Tea," built his tearoom.

Torri hired Taketsuru to run his distillery, as both men shared a similar vision of the future of Japanese whiskey. Taketsuru was

born into a family of sake brewers. He set off to study chemistry in Scotland in the early 1900s, where he fell in love with Scottish whiskey and women (he wed Jseeie Roberta "Rita" Cowan in 1920 despite opposition from both families). After moving back to Japan a year later, Taketsuru helped Torri establish his distillery.

The men worked together for over a decade, releasing Japan's first whisky, Suntory Shirofuda, in 1929, almost one hundred years after the first bottles of whisky were sold in the United States. Five years later, Taketsuru founded his distillery on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, where he believed the local terroir resembled Scotland's more closely. Taketsuru's company, now known as Nikka, sold its first whisky in 1940. The company was taken over and expanded by Taketsuru's adopted son after his and his wife's death. After the Second World War, Japanese whisky gained traction and popularity on the island nation.

The two distilleries fought for the top position in the 1950s as drinking whisky with Japanese food became increasingly popular. In many bars and izakaya, the "bottle keep" system, where customers could purchase a bottle of liquor and have the unfinished portion stored until the next visit, took root, as well as the popular style of drinking mizuwari (two parts of cold water mixed with one part of the spirit and some ice), which most Western whisky purists frown upon. After a decline in the 1980s, Japanese whisky rebounded in the 2000s in part due to the highball craze and Japanese whiskies garnering numerous awards and accolades. Nikka's 10-year Yoichi

single malt kicked it off when they won "Best of the Best" at Whisky Magazine's awards in 2001.

The "terroir" of Hokkaido lends itself to making excellent whisky due to its superior water quality, a climate that leads to faster maturation (producing whisky that tastes older than it is), and high elevation that results in a more flavorful, aromatic, silky smooth whisky.

Japanese whisky has found a way to marry the techniques of Scottish and American whisky styles to create its own avenue that's now become a global phenomenon. Scotch lovers find themselves drawn to Japanese whisky, as the foundation of Japanese whisky was forged in Scottish distilling techniques. However, Japanese whiskey has now taken on a life of its own: the student has become the master. Many distilleries in Japan also import Scottish ingredients to use in their whiskies, such as peat, making it more reminiscent of those dry and smoky styles.

Contrary to this, Japan is currently making its own traditions regarding whisky, similar to American whisky pioneers who enjoy experimenting and trying new flavor profiles even today. The Japanese carefully consider the water used, the boiling point given the altitude of the distillery, and local wood varieties to craft their barrels (a well-known variety is known as the rare Japanese oak tree called Mizurana). All of these give their whisky a unique taste not found anywhere else.

While Japan has an impressive range of whiskies, knowing your preferences will help you find your perfect match. If you enjoy rye

whiskey, you know it often has a drier, peppery, and spicier finish than other American whiskies. You'll likely find most Japanese whiskies pleasant on the palette as they generally resemble rye whiskies. An excellent starting bottle for beginners is Suntory's Yamazaki 12-YearOld Single Malt, which is the core expression of their single malt range and one of their brand's most well-known bottles. The whisky is floral and fruity, and its notes are similar to Scottish whiskies, but it also has a style that's very much its own. Nikka's Yoichi Single Malt is for Scottish whisky fans looking for a lightly peated whisky balanced by tropical fruits and caramel flavors on the palette.

If you're more of a bourbon fan and enjoy a smoother, sweeter whisky, Nikka's Coffey Grain Whisky is made with a majority of corn in the grain mash, giving it a sweeter, creamier finish. Nikka's From the Barrel Whiskey has notes of caramel, vanilla, and oak that Bourbon drinkers would love.

For those who want to have the full "When in Rome" experience, Suntory's Toki Whisky is an ideal choice for highballs. It is a blend of whiskies with notes of pink grapefruit, almonds, and a light vanilla finish. Pair it with sparkling water and a lemon for the perfect highball.

As the American whisky craze rages on, Japanese whisky offers an unexpected compliment to an already booming industry with new styles and unique flavor profiles. Japanese whisky is another opportunity for connoisseurs to fall in love with whisky once again and raise a glass to the future of whisky ripe with innovation; kanpai! sl

FLOWER POWER

Compiled by Bridget Williams

This page, clockwise from top left: Picchiotti diamond and tsavorite necklace ($159,100). Available through Moyer Fine Jewelers in Indianapolis, Elleard Heffern Fine Jewellers in St. Louis, and picchiotti.it. Verragio single pearl necklace ($780). Available through Genesis Diamonds in Nashville and verragio.com. Silvia Furmanovich leaf cuff (silviafurmanovich. com). Louis Vuitton Silhouette Blossom open ring ($3,150; us.louisvuitton.com). Opposite page, clockwise from top left: Gigi Clozeau rose pendant ($255) and Poppy necklace ($415; gigiclozeau.com). Kwiat Cluster floral pendant ($3,950). Available through Reis-Nichols Jewelers in Indianapolis, Elleard Heffern Fine Jewelers in St. Louis and kwiat.com. Cece Jewellery rose diamond pendant (from $2,771; cecejewellery.com). Fred Leighton necklace (fredleighton.com). Lugano titanium flower brooch (luganodiamonds.com). Nadine Aysoy Summer Love earrings ($15,305; nadineaysoy.com). Future Fortune Dahlia earrings ($5,000; futurefortunejewelry.com). Basak Baykal Fuschia earrings (basakbaykal.co.uk). Modern Moghul Pranja earrings ($1,800; modernmoghulcom). Ritique Serenity wire ring ($890; ritique.com). GUZEMA Fine Jewelry brooch ($950; guzema.com).

FUTURE PERFECT

Written by Andre James / Photos courtesy of BMW

BMW painted a bold portrait of the brand's future at IAA Mobility 2023, Germany's leading international automotive trade fair, unveiling the BMW Vision Neue Klasse (see the related article in our November/December issue). Building on this vision's aesthetics, technology, and sustainability, the company recently announced that the BMW Vision Neue Klasse X, part of the Sports Activity Vehicles sector, will begin production at their plant in Hungary in 2025.

With vibrant colors, efficient dynamics, and a pared-down yet forward-thinking design emphasizing spaciousness and the joy of driving, the BMW Vision Neue Klasse X presents a decidedly youthful and optimistic face.

"Neue Klasse means BMW driving at an even higher level," explains Frank Weber, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for development. "The BMW of the

future will have four totally new super-brains: high-performance computers working smartly together on what, up until now, was processed separately. We developed the first super-brain completely in-house. It integrates the entire powertrain and driving dynamics with up to ten times more computing power. The second super-brain will enable the next quantum leap in automated driving. Going forward, we will combine four key control units in a single high-performance computer. The result will be more dynamic performance, more precision, more efficiency, and even more fun to drive."

The BMW kidney grille is notably reimagined as a threedimensional sculpture with vertically aligned and backlit contours. The headlights and kidney grill operate in tandem to create a lighting effect that activates as the driver approaches the vehicle and continues in the interior.

BMW Vision Neue Klasse X

A commitment to sustainability has led to several innovations. "Verdana," a wholly plant-based, mineral-based, and petroleum-free surface material, is used on the lower portion of the door paneling and in the center console. Maritime plastics, such as recycled fishing nets, are being utilized for the first time for injection-molded parts. Recycled mono-materials comprise the side skirts and front and rear apron attachments.

Inside the cockpit, the driver's slightly elevated seating position enables a confident driving experience. A redesigned steering wheel with multifunction buttons, a Central Display with intuitive touch control integrated within the instrument panel, BMW Panoramic Vision that projects key information across the entire width of the windscreen, and advanced voice control of the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant enhance the human-car connection. The sixth generation of BMW's eDrive technology represents its

most efficient yet, with new and now round lithium-ion battery cells and a transition to an 800-volt system, improving charging speed and range by up to thirty percent. A ten-minute charge enables a range of up to 180 miles. A reduction in drag and a brake system optimized for fully electric vehnicles combine to incrase overall efficiency by up to twenty-five percent.

"Together with the BMW Vision Neue Klasse, the BMW Vision Neue Klasse X showcases the breadth of our future BMW model line-up. The Neue Klasse reflects the variety of all the models that customers want today and in the future – from sporty sedan, with all its derivatives, to modern SAV family," says Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG. "In this way, we are underlining that the Neue Klasse is much more than just a car or a specific concept; it is redefining the BMW brand – and, at the same time, will be more BMW than ever." sl

InsideOutside

Compiled by Bridget Williams

The gradual blurring of lines between indoors and out has led to an increased need for outdoor furniture that looks just as good as its indoor counterparts. That equals high-end, durable, and weather-resistant materials with forms that match or surpass the functional aspect of the designs.

Fernmob Balad stand ($423) and Balad lamp ($329; fernmobusa.com). Darlana Large Linear Lantern ($2,179; visualcomfort.com). Limbo, from Heller, designed by Hlynur Atlason is a versatile indoor/outdoor chair ($1,175; hellerfurniture.com). Riviera bench from Mambo Unlimited Ideas (mambounlimitedideas.com). OASIQ’s Coco armchairs offer customers the ability to fully customize each design (oasiq.com/us). Teak Warehouse raw concrete dining table ($1,189; teakwarehouse.com). Opposite page, clockwise from top left: Wabi Sabi four-seat teak sofa, designed by Sutherland Creative Director Eugeni Quitllet with cushions from Perennials Fabric (perenialsandsutherland.com). Roè chair by Francesco Meda and David Lopez Quincoces for FAST (fastspa.com). Florentino sofa, Esversa and Eivissa coffee trables from NV Gallery (nvgallery.com). Native Trails Avalon 72-in concrete soaking tub ($10,590; nativetrailshome.com).

This page, clockwise from top left: Riviera dinner table from Mambo Unlimited Ideas (mambounlimitedideas.com). NV Gallery The Reunion Florentino pouf ($350; nvgallery.com). Naca Table designed by Francesco Meda and David Lopez Quincoces fpr FAST (fastspa.com). Molteni&C Sway sectional (molteni.it). Milos outdoor seating by Vondom (vondom.com). Vondom Milos outdoor coffee table (vondom.com). Brezza chair, designed by Alessandro Stabile for S-Cab (scabdesign.com) Opposite page, clockwise from top left: Petalo outdoor armchairs from Molteni&C (molteni.it). Holly, a marble armchair designed by Christophe Pillett for Kreoo, is suitable both for indoor and outdoor use and it can be customized in Travertino, Calacatta Arabescato, or Bianco Carrara (kreoo.com). Soake Pools Garden Tub (soakepools.com/the-garden-tub). ‘A Piedi' and 'Occhiata' comprise a modular system of three-dimensional ceramic pieces that stack together to create a lattice of extruded stoneware or brise soleil (apegrupo.com/en/products/a-piedi/)

BETWIXT THE BUSTLE

In a country laying claim to the world’s most densely populated city, Hokkaido, Japan’s northern island, protects and provides access to one of its last regions of true wilderness.

Written by Bridget Williams

Hokkaido was not the Japan I expected. Deplaning at the sleepy airport in Kushiro, there was nary a geta-shod Geisha, sumo wrestler, or Harajuku girl in sight (although I'd spy the latter two several days later in Toyko). Instead, just outside the terminal were super-sized renditions of this island's most famous inhabitants: Ezo deer, Ussuri brown bears (a smaller cousin of the grizzly), Japanese cranes, and Blakiston's fish owls. Far from EPCOT's version of the Land of the Rising Sun, Hokkaido, the northernmost prefecture in Japan and the country's second-largest island, is graced with mild, low-humidity summers, sub-zero winters with heavy snowfall and a culture that's distinct from the mainland. After a week and some reflection, I surmised that what I experienced was far more authentic than the saccharine version I had anticipated.

Jet-lagged and famished following a 24+ hour travel day, arriving on Hokkaido under cover of darkness had us wondering if it was evening or predawn. Our hosts, representatives from the Japanese National Tourism Organization (japan.travel/en/us/),

ushered us to a van for the one-hour drive to Teshikaga Town in Eastern Hokkaido, one of Japan's few remaining places of true wilderness. We made quick work of beef and fish hand rolls washed down with Hokkaido corn blend tea that smells of freshly baked cornbread. Exclusive to the island, the unsweetened beverage was the first of many forays into culinary parts unknown.

The pungent smell of sulfur greeted us outside Oyado Kinkiyu Bettei SUIKAZURA hotel (suikazura.jp/en), set alongside a hot spring river in a tiny village of a few thousand inhabitants. Slippers sat at the point where my guestroom's vestibule stepped up into the sleeping space, complete with tatami floor mats and a pair of low twin-sized platform beds. A second pair of slippers awaited outside the bathroom, which was a welcome introduction to Japan's affinity for high-tech, derriere-washing and warming toilets. It's a multifunction luxury that extends to even the lowliest gas station loo, which are always clean enough to please kawaya kami, the toilet god and household deity of Shinto, Japan's native belief system.

Yoshida Satoshi Kussharo Eco Tours with his dogs Aki and Yuki

Lake Kussharo

Found in eastern Hokkaido, the red-crowned crane is among the rarest cranes in the world.

Photo by Ondrej Prosicky

My bewildered body clock allowed me to have the hotel's onsite Kawayu Onsen all to myself (thankfully, given my nervousness about following the rules). There are more than 3000 onsen (geothermal hot spring baths) found across Japan, and specific rules for enjoying them include showering before entry, pulling up your hair, and bathing in the mineral-rich waters in your birthday suit. The most traditional onsens require that visible tattoos be covered. Following a detoxifying dip, I headed to the breakfast buffet, where I grabbed a bento-style plate and proceeded to fill the little squares with an array of mystery meats and vegetables of varying textures and viscosities, comforted in the knowledge that if my experimentation went awry, I had a stash of protein bars back in the room.

Across three days that included canoeing, snowshoeing, and skiing, a common thread among our activity guides was a deep love of the region's natural wonders, including old-growth forests, nine active volcanoes, and pristine caldera lakes. One of these, Lake Kussharo, is popular among canoers and anglers. In the winter, when chunks of ice make the lake unnavigable, enthusiasts take to Kushiro-gawa, the only river flowing out of the lake. You can travel all sixty miles of it to reach the Pacific Ocean.

Our animal-loving guide, Yoshida Satoshi—who greeted us upon arrival at Kussharo Eco Tours (kussharo-eco.com) with an

injured cat contentedly convalescing in the warmth of his insulated coveralls—asked if he could bring along his well-behaved collies, Aki and Yuki, adorably outfitted in matching onesies. We floated along, admiring the pristine setting, and stopped at a natural island for hot chocolate and crispy honey-sweetened pastries made by Satoshi's wife. After our chilly excursion, we warmed up with lunch at cozy Poppotei restaurant (/poppotei.wixsite.com/home/ en) where I thoroughly enjoyed their Mashu-no-Megumi ramen noodles topped with locally sourced vegetables and floating in a salty cow’s milk broth (comically translated as "bovine breast milk").

You can look at but not touch the deep and pristine waters of Lake Mashu, as no trails lead to the shores of this caldera lake in Akan Mashu National Park (japan.travel/national-parks/parks/ akan-mashu). A lack of contaminants lends a unique deep blue color called "Mashu Blue." While two observation decks are accessible via car, during winter, when as much as 600 inches of snow falls, the road is closed, and the caldera's rim is fully accessible to those willing to strap on snowshoes and work up a sweat in search of sights. At the turnaround point of our trek, our guide, Shinobu Katase, served hot lemonade sweetened with maple syrup tapped from trees on his property. Our tour departed from the main visitor's center, whose large gift shop sells "Mashu

The Akanko Ainu Kotan

Ainu guide and sculptor Kengo Takiguch making a mukkuri

Blue" jewelry and local treats like caramels, seafood-flavored potato crackers, and yummy freeze-dried strawberries coated in creamy white chocolate.

Prior to 1868, the year that Japanese mainlanders founded Sapporo, Hokkaido's largest city, the indigenous Ainu people had been subsisting as hunter-gatherers as far back as the 12th century. Paralleling the plight of Native Americans, the Ainu saw their language and lifestyle outlawed and their traditional lands seized in the 1800s before gradually reclaiming their rights and legacy in the latter part of the 20th century. In the 21st century, the government of Japan has made efforts to revitalize the Ainu culture, uniquely in tune with the Hokkaido’s abundant natural beauty.

On the shores of Lake Akan, the Akanko Ainu Kotan (akanainu.jp/en) is one of the largest Ainu settlements, introducing the Ainu culture through a multisensory experience encompassing dance, music, art, and food. At the Ikoro theatre, we were greeted by Ainu guide and sculptor Kengo Takiguchi, a man with gentle eyes and a warm smile who learned English while living in Australia. Dressed in traditional winter clothing, Takiguchi taught how to make a mukkuri, a bamboo instrument that vibrates to produce a jaw harp-like sound, before leading us on a snowshoe tour around the lake to show us how his people

relied on the trees and plants of the natural world to survive the frigid winters. We dined on traditional Ainu fare, including deer sashimi and seasonal mountain vegetables at Poronno, which has been in business for over four decades. The restaurant sits in the middle of a steep street lined on both sides by artisan shops laden with carvings of Blakiston's fish owl, the largest living species of owl that the Ainu revere as a divine being.

Going from tranquil to frenetic in the span of a few hours, we made our way from the sleepy Nakashibetsu Airport to Sapporo, a city of nearly two million inhabitants and our "base camp" for exploring the Kokusai Ski Resort. Located in the heart of the neon-lit urban jungle and within a 15-minute walk of more than 3,500 restaurants, OMO3 (hoshinoresorts.com/ en) is a youthful offering from Hoshino Resorts with a motto of "staying up late happy." The cheery lobby displays a board with conditions at all six nearby ski resorts, a DIY ski-waxing area, and a large GO-KINJO map, a whimsical creation depicting the neighborhood's attractions and staff recommendations. The property's "OMO Rangers" offer late-night bar and restaurant tours. The all-day grab-and-go area in the lobby provides locally sourced culinary delights, such as a black bean paste with butter on bread that's a regionally popular breakfast item.

The lobby of OMO3 in Sapporo.

Yozorano Genghis Khan Susukino Kosatenmae offers a Hokkaido's version of Mongolian-style barbeque.

"JAPOW" is what they call the iconic powder of Japan, and for our ski day at Sapporo Kokusai (sapporo-kokusai.jp/en), one of the snowiest ski resorts in Japan, we had plenty of it. OMO3 offers a complimentary shuttle to the resort, about an hour away, amid the Shikotsu-Toya National Park. The drive provides a prolonged view of a picture-perfect winter wonderland as it follows the twists and turns of the Chitose River. Compared with the US, where a one-day pass can cost as much as $300, a lift ticket at Sapporo Kokusai is approximately $30 ($37 with a delicious ramen lunch (après the Japanese way); you can add on skis, boots, poles, a jacket, pants, and goggles for another $60.

After some serious stretching, awkward balance-busting drills that included single-leg skiing, and a few bunny hill runs, our ski instructor announced that our amateur group was ready for prime time and escorted us to the top of a green run. Enjoying the confidence boost from successfully navigating a graceful exit off the ski lift and the near whiteout conditions that gave us little notion of the slope's steepness, we made our way down mostly unscathed, save a few close encounters with flailing beginner snowboarders and an ill-placed but well-padded tree mid-way down the run.

Back in Sapporo, we ate and shopped our way through the neighborhood. At Semina (trattoriasemina.com), we savored a Japanese take on Northern Italian cuisine. In this densely packed city, non-descript multi-story buildings contain a plethora of culinary delights, as we discovered when an elevator opened on the 5th floor and into Yozorano Genghis Khan Susukino Kosatenmae, offering an elevated view of the city's famous 50-foot-tall LED Nikka billboard. This Hokkaido take on Mongolian-style barbecue is a 90-minute all-you-can-eat and drink feast of marinated lamb, beef, pork, and vegetables cooked on a special grill with a raised mound in the center. Our hosts reveled in getting their American guests to try local delicacies, including Shiokara—squid fermented in its viscera and salt—and voraciously documenting our reactive expressions on their iPhones. The scene repeated at Sapporo's Nijo Market, where I slurped down an enormous oyster but passed on the uni.

When our hosts suggested capping off our final evening in Sapporo by experiencing the shime (late-night) parfait culture, I fully expected a basic soft serve layered with fruit and granola, so I was ill-prepared for the towering, elaborately layered, and eyepopping creation far superior to what one would typically seek out at a greasy spoon after last call. And, if you're still not ready to

Tanuki Koji shopping street in Sapporo.

One of Sapporo's most famous landmarks the Former Hokkaido Government Office was built in 1888 and modeled on the Massachusetts State House

Fresh Oyter at Nijo Market in Sapporo.

call it a night, head to the Mega Don Quijote Sapporo Tanukikoji Honten. With more flashing lights than a Vegas casino, I must credit one of my travel mates for the intro to this always-open multi-floor Target-meets-Walgreens on steroids and the wonderful world of Japanese skincare products.

We had one day in Tokyo before heading back to the US, so to fully appreciate the sprawling nature of this city of 14 million in such a brief timeframe, we headed up 751 feet to the open-air observation deck at Shibuya Sky (shibuya-scramble-square.com), where you can marvel at Shibuya Crossing. During the busiest times, as many as 2,500 people cross the intersection every two minutes.

After admiring the layered and billowy yet tailored looks of the well-dressed women hustling across the famous intersection, I was excited when our wandering landed us in an upscale department store, allowing me to try to re-create the look. It was a humbling experience to say the least. "You need big size," said the petite clerk, as I held up what seemed to be an oversized dress. I knew her words were not meant as intentional barbs, just pulled from a limited well of English vocabulary. They stung nonetheless, and instead of feeling chic, I looked like someone whose checked bag was overweight, and they were piling on layers to save on excess baggage fees.

Moving onto the famous Takeshita Street in Harajuku, I marveled as people seemed to flow out of side streets like water from an open tap to form a raging current of bodies making their way past sweet shops, "cute couture" clothing boutiques and places offering interactions with various animals including otters, puppies, and pigs.

The sizzle of the iron table grill during lunch on Tsukushima Monja Street (monja.gr.jp)...the crush of the crowds…the discordance of hearing Taylor Swift tunes blaring on every street corner…the smell of seafood at breakfast, lunch, and dinner (particularly pungent to this piscine eschewer)…the constant pulse of neon lights...my head was on a swivel as I tried to take it all in.

The frenetic pace and sensory overload are a continuity of controlled chaos harnessed beautifully by the teamLab Borderless digital art museum (teamlab.art/e/borderless-azabudai/), which opened in Central Toyko in February of this year. Here, dynamic projection graphics flow from room to room, react to one another and morph along with the movement and interaction of onlookers. There's no map as you make your way through the varied installations, which left me beguiled by bewilderment, a sensation I experienced more than once during this varied journey through Japan's natural and humanmade wonders. sl

Ainu guide and sculptor Kengo Takiguch making a mukkuri

A gallery at teamLab Borderless digital art museum in Toyko

Compiled by Bridget Williams

HORSING AROUND

Adina Reyter horseshoe rays pendant ($450; adinereyter.com). Kaura Jewels Warrior Balance Horse Pendant ($750; kaurajewels.com). Karina Brez Horsea lapis Night Star pendant ($4,900; karinabrez.com). Happy Horse pendant with mini paperclip chain ($1,295). Available through Richter & Phillips Jewelers in Cincinnati (richterphillips. com). Love token necklace from Heavenly Vices (heavenlyvicesfinejewelry.com). Lugano bespoke horse head diamond & ceramic ring (luganodiamonds.com). Episodic Montana wrap from Vincent Peach Fine Jewelry ($8,500, vincentpeach.com). Lugano black diamond stirrup earrings (luganodiamonds.com). Meili citrine saddle hoops ($2,600; meilifinejewelry.com). David Yurman Petrvs pinky ring ($2,950). Available through Moyer Fine Jewelers and Reis-Nichols Jewelers in Indianapolis, Davis Jewelers in Louisville, Clarkson Jewelers in St. Louis and davidyurman.com. Kelly Herd Pavé English Riding Boot pendant ($7,995; kellyherdjewelry.com). Capucine de Wulf Equestrian Snaffle Bit Cuff ($250; capucinedewulf.com). Lionheart Jewelry Lucky Emerald horseshoe charm ($2,185), Johanna tiger’s eye horse medallion ($2,370; lionheartjewelry.com). PICCHIOTTI Horse Ring with diamonds and large cushion cut tanzanite. Available through Moyer Fine Jewelers in Indianapolis, Elleard Heffern Fine Jewellers in St. Louis, and picchiotti.it. Golden Pony ring from Seal & Scribe (sealandscribe.com). Sig Ward onyx and diamond horseshoe ring ($3,600; sigwardjewelry.com). Opposite page, clockwise from top left: Marie Lichtenberg horseshoe ring ($15,400; marielichtenberg.com)

AMPED UP

Ten years after its launch, the Porsche Macan is heading in a bold new direction.

Written by Andre James / Photos courtesy of Porsche

Earlier this year, Porsche launched its second all-electric model: the new Macan4 and Macan Turbo. “Our aim is to offer the sportiest model in its segment with the all-electric Macan. In many ways, we are taking a very successful SUV to a new level,” says Jörg Kerner, Vice President of the Product Line Macan.

Meeting the discerning standards Porsche owners expect with the spaciousness offered by an SUV, the Macan achieves high efficiency and optimal reproducibility of power output by utilizing the latest generation of permanently excited PSM electric motors on the front and rear axles. Combined with Launch Control, the Macan 4 produces up to 300 kW (402 hp) of over-boost power to sprint from 0-60mph in 4.9 seconds and to a top speed of 136 mph. Even peppier and capable of 161 mph, the Macan Turbo, generating up to 470 kW (630 hp), only needs 3.1 seconds to hit the standstill to 60mph mark.

Under ideal conditions, the lithium-ion (HV) battery in the underbody from which the electric motors draw their energy can be charged from ten to eighty percent within approximately 21 minutes at a compatible fast-charging station. Additionally, Regenerative braking allows up to 240 kW of power to be recuperated via the electric motors while driving.

Both Macan variants boast all-wheel drive, and the electronically controlled Porsche Traction Management (ePTM) operates around five times faster than a conventional all-wheeldrive system and can respond to wheelspin within 10 milliseconds.

“Thanks to its particularly sporty seat position and low center of gravity, as well as its impressive driving dynamics and steering precision, the new Macan delivers a real sports car feeling,” explains Kerner. Thanks to Porsche Active Aerodynamics (PAA), which has

active and passive elements and a drag coefficient of 0.25, the new Macan is one of the most streamlined SUVs on the market.

For the first time, the Macan is available with optional rearaxle steering, with a maximum steering angle of five degrees. It enables a compact turning circle of 36.4 feet in urban traffic and when maneuvering while simultaneously enabling exceptional driving stability at higher speeds.

While the compact SUV’s lines are undeniably Porsche, designers added distinctive elements to the all-electric variant, such as a shallow-pitched hood and strongly pronounced fenders that lend a dynamic appearance even when stationary. A longer wheelbase, offset by short overhangs at the front and rear, can be optioned with 22-inch wheels with staggered tire fitment. The Porsche flyline forms a unit with the flat rear window. The sleek, sporty design

is further pronounced by frameless doors with characteristic side blades. A benefit of electrification is increased luggage space, up to 18 cubic feet behind the rear bench seat, depending on the model and equipment fitted. A “frunk” offers an additional 2.9-cu-ft of storage.

The driver positioning is low, spacious, and performancefocused, with large windows and a mix of digital user interfaces with select analog control elements. The new Macan enables a high degree of customization with high-quality and sustainable materials, such as leather-free seats comprised of recycled interior elements and floormats and flooring using Econyl®, which is made from regenerated nylon.

The new Macan will be produced at the Porsche Plant in Leipzig. MSRP for the Macan 4 is $78,800, while the MSRP for the Macan Turbo is $105,300. sl

HOME AGAIN

The Omni Homestead, America’s oldest resort, reasserts its prominence following a $150 million renovation.

Written by Bridget Williams

My favorite activity while roaming the hallowed (and hopefully happily haunted) halls of a historic hotel is to imagine what the guest experience would have been like in a bygone era. It's an easy exercise at America's oldest resort—The Omni Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia— founded ten years before the signing of the Declaration of Independence, where legacy and luxury receive equal billing, even fresh off a $150 million renovation. This star of the Shenandoah Valley sits amid 2,300 acres, offering guests abundant activities inside and out.

The sprawling 483-room resort has an interesting tie-in to my hometown of Louisville, as both can credit their origins to Captain Thomas Bullitt (1730-1778). In 1764, Bullitt, along with Charles and Andrew Lewis, paid 30 shillings to acquire 300 acres that included seven hot and warm springs, and within two years built the first Homestead, named in honor of the homesteaders who built the resort and bathhouses. The original wooden 18-room inn was destroyed in a fire and replaced with a brick structure that stands today. Less than a decade later, Bullitt led a 40-man surveying party into Kentucky, where he laid out a town site near the Falls of Ohio, which later became Louisville.

Twenty-four U.S. presidents, including Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and George W. Bush, have vacationed here. This National Historic Landmark enjoyed Gilded Age ownership by scions of industry and banking whose last names are synonymous with success. It's where a teenaged Jacqueline Bouvier learned to play golf on one of the first golf courses in America, The Old Course (built in 1892, its first tee is the oldest in continuous use in the U.S.). And it's where I was lucky enough to spend a few blissful days in early spring.

Our visit coincided with spring break, and while some fellow empty-nesters would be less-than-pleased, I loved seeing all the youthful energy. It reminded me of my last visit more than a decade ago with my daughter, who fondly remembers putting on her fanciest frocks for dinner each evening. I can't help but think that the place's grandeur fondly lingers in children's subconscious for a lifetime. My spacious room, which overlooked the resort's verdant" backyard," was buzzing with families playing badminton, croquet, catch, and more from early morning until the last rays of sunshine disappeared behind the Allegheny Mountains.

Originally built in 1761, the Warm Spring Pools recently reopened following a $4 million rehabilitation.

Immediately upon arrival at the recently renovated resort, I could sense a difference in the best way, akin to the work of a deft plastic surgeon. In the soaring colonnaded Great Hall, a long handmade carpet enlivened with a vibrant floral motif dotted with butterflies bisected comfortable seating areas where children squared off against a sibling or grandparent in a chess match. The room is the site of a daily afternoon tea and cookie social complemented by live music.

Once I put down my bags, I headed straight for the spa complex. The resort is so large that it was a workout on its own to reach the impressive 60,000-square-foot homage to wellness, which encompasses a stunning indoor pool (a suitable locale for a silver screen aqua musical starring Esther Williams); a vast fitness area with a boxing studio; men's and women's spa areas with an aqua thermal suite; and an adult's only Serenity Garden with a geothermal Octagon Pool, deluge shower and River Reflexology Walk fed by two hot springs rich in magnesium, potassium and calcium.

For an even more immersive healing water experience, make an appointment to "take the waters" at the historic Warm Springs Pools,

a five-minute drive from the resort and recently reopened after a $ 4 million rehabilitation. While the healing properties of the waters were known to Native Americans thousands of years ago, the original octagonal stone basin that held the water for bathing was built in 1761, establishing it as the first spa structure in America. Our soak in relative silence was made even more magical via a gentle rain that fell through the oculus in the faceted roof.

Equally enchanting is the naturalist-guided Cascades Gorge hike. Rated as intermediate but easily accessible if you can handle short flights of stairs spread over 1.8 miles, the trail follows a deep gorge near the resort's Cascades Golf Course, where a natural spring feeds more than a dozen waterfalls and cascades. It's just one of scores of available year-round outdoor activities. In winter, the resort's ski area offers 45 acres of tubing, skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, and snowmobiling. More temperate weather pursuits include falconry, hiking, biking (or e-biking), kayaking, tennis, horseback riding, golf and mini-golf, zip-lining, a pool complex complete with a lazy river and waterslides, and a shooting club dramatically positioned on a mountaintop offering

The Great Hall

The Washington Library

Premier King Guestroom

President's Suite Bathroom

skeet, sporting clays, and a five-stand course (and where a patient instructor "fixed" my aim).

During a rainy afternoon back on property, we did a bit of shopping, followed by a unique Virginia Wine Experience, during which I was surprised to learn that winemaking in the Commonwealth predates Thomas Jefferson's formation of the Virginia Wine Company by 154 years. Quyhn Cohen, The Omni Homestead's sommelier, who is also a certified yoga instructor who leads a regular "poses and pairings" class, has assembled the best offerings from the more than 300 wineries operating in Virginia today, including unique blends and wines made from America's oldest grape, Norton, first cultivated in Richmond.

Our short stay afforded us a taste of two of the resort's signature dining experiences, the American Audubon Dining Room and Jefferson's Restaurant. At the former, the elegant environs, complete with crystal chandeliers and piano music, are a fitting backdrop for the equally elevated cuisine, served with gracious aplomb. In an era of increasing casualness regarding apparel, it was a nice change of pace to see families dressed for

dinner. I continue to be amazed at how donning a blue blazer can somehow get even the most fidgety five-year-old to behave.

We ate heartily at Jefferson's, indulging in a juicy steak topped with truffle butter, with a side of honey-fried Brussels sprouts, and washed down with a pour of Blanton's bourbon from the resort's barrel pick. The clubby Presidential Lounge is an ideal spot for a nightcap and a game of pool. Martha's Market, the resort's popular, all-day outlet, was our go-to for a mid-day sweet treat, and where I enjoyed roaming the room to read anecdotes about past guests of note, including the Duke and Duchess of Windsor who scoffed when receiving a bill at the end of their stay. "What do I do with this? I'm not used to paying bills," the Duke purportedly remarked (while tempting, I did not employ this tactic at checkout).

During our exploration, we wandered into the courtly Crystal Room, empty save for a grand piano in one corner, upon which a teenager wearing basketball shorts was playing "Something Like This" by Coldplay. How fitting, I thought, that this space, which hosted fêtes with ladies in hoopskirts in the 1800s, was now holding the attention of a boy attired for an entirely different hoops game. sl

Presidential Lounge

Virginia wine experience

American Audubon dining room

Cascades Gorge

'Twas the First of December in Healdsburg, C-A. All the citizens were stirring for the holiday kickoff this day.

The vendors were staged round the square with care

Knowing that soon, customers (and St. Nicholas) soon would be there.

A steady drizzle couldn't dampen the cheer, as a countdown progressed and the tree lights appeared

While carolers' dulcet tones tickled the ears, the clip-clop of hooves announced that Santa was near.

The children's eyes widened as the sleigh came into sight, capping off what ended up being a very good night.

HO HO HEALDSBURG

Make

plans now to kick off your holidays in the heart of California's wine country.

Written by Elliott Greene

Charming any time of year, the heart of historic Healdsburg— established in the mid-1800s by Ohio native and gold prospector Harmon Heald—is its square. An impressive array of top-notch restaurants, up-scale lodging, tasting rooms, boutiques, and art and jewelry galleries pack the streets facing the central plaza. During the holidays, the scene is made even more magical via Merry Healdsburg Tree Lighting, hosted by the Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce and Stay Healdsburg (stayhealdsburg. com). Lucky guests in rooms at the front of the 56-room Hotel Healdsburg (hotelhealdsburg.com), located on the western edge of the square, have a prime view of the massive Christmas tree and can enjoy its twinkling lights throughout the season from their Juliette balcony.

This December will mark the fourth-annual Merry Healdsburg event, which includes a Holiday Market, carriage rides, live music, and photos with Santa. The Christmas cheer continues the day after the tree lighting with a Holiday Sip & Shop, during which nearly two dozen participating local shops offer ticket holders extended hours and tastings of the area's award-winning wines. A Holiday Tea at Charlie Palmer's Dry Creek Kitchen in Hotel Healdsburg (drycreekkitchen.com) offers the opportunity to enjoy a festive

afternoon out with friends and family of all ages. The elegant afternoon unfolds with piano accompaniment, custom-blend teas, and picture-perfect sweet and savory bites. I don't know what magical spell was cast or bribes made, but we were absolutely enrapt by the number of children in their Sunday best acting their best, which added another level of enchantment.

Healdsburg is perfectly positioned amid the Dry Creek, Russian River, and Alexander Valley AVAs, and the area around the square is home to more than two dozen tasting rooms. Opened last summer, the elegant tasting room of Ernest Vineyards (ernestvineyards.com), designed by LA-based interior designer Matt O'Dorisio, is a fitting pairing for tasting their site-specific wines. Co-founder Erin Brooks and winemaker Joseph Ryan put a premium on vine health, employing organic and regenerative farming methods on their 35 acres of vineyards spread across several distinct cool-climate sites on the Sonoma Coast. Brooks, a Texas native, exited a fast-lane career in tech for a bumpier but far more scenic backroad adventure as a self-taught vintner. Her analytic and technical skills have not fallen by the wayside, as her company boasts one of Wine Country's most sophisticated production facilities, which she makes available to fellow small producers.

A voracious reader with a nearly insatiable quest for intel on topics in which she's interested, Brooks said that she went from a wine consumer to an enthusiast and now a zealot. She began by tasting lots and lots of wine up and down the Sonoma Coast to define her palette, cold-calling growers, imploring them to sell her grapes, and seeking mentorships from respected vintners and winemakers. While she always felt confident that the "dominoes would eventually fall into place," Brooks says the training wheels didn't come off until she met Ryan. "We just feathered together like two siblings." Ryan, an Iowa native and fellow chardonnay champion, worked in Burgundy and Sonoma County. He executes Brooks' vision for "Burgundian-style wines offering bright acid, low alcohol, minimal oak, and balanced flavor."

When we weren't sipping or shopping—French textiles at Maison Smith (maisonsmith.us), unique men's and women's clothing and accessories at Susan Graf Limited (susangraf.com), beautiful tableware from Forager (foragerhealdsburg.com), and all the pretty things for home and her at Anthem (anthemsf. online), we were eating, a lot. Food always tastes fresher to me in

California. We had no regrets about making quick work of warm Belfiore burrata and fluffy-crust pizza drizzled with truffle oil at the lively PizZando (pizzandohealdsburg.com), located near the entrance of Hotel Healdsburg.

My better half, a committed carnivore, was skeptical about dinner at a one-hundred-percent plant-based restaurant. By the end of our meal at Little Saint (littlesainthealdsburg.com), he didn't miss meat for a moment. Designed as a community gathering place and creative haven, the sprawling two-story establishment encompasses a restaurant, coffee bar, wine lounge, cocktail bar, gourmet graband-go, and music venue outfitted in bohemian-luxe style.

We were thrilled to see that the carrot tahini, cultured carrot spread with tomato chutney, and green lentil hummus we enjoyed as part of a tasting at nearby Marine Layer Wines several years earlier were among the available starters. Just as good as we remembered, we begged the chef to release a cookbook so we could recreate them at home, along with our entrees: a vegan winter squash lasagna with cashew ricotta and a Maitake mushroom au poivre with brandy cream.

Merry Healdsburg Tree Lighting

Hotel Healdsburg holiday entrance.

The event green at Hotel Healdsburg

Tons of truffles topping Maitake mushroom au poivre with brandy cream at Little Saint

There are more than 80 wines by the sip or glass to explore along the wine wall at The Matheson.

Dining room at Little Saint Tasting room of Ernest Vineyards

Little Saint's inventive and impressive cocktail menu offers a respite for wine-weary imbibers. At the same time, their conscientious wine list highlights winemakers who are aligned with their business ethos of treading lightly on the earth.

Nirvana for oenophiles, the wine wall at The Matheson offers 88 wines by the dram or glass. While it's obviously heavy on Russian River Valley offerings, there are also popular European classics and several under-the-radar surprises for adventurous imbibers. Similar to Little Saint, the three-story building is home to distinct concepts. Under the leadership of chef/owner Dustin Valette, ambitiousness doesn't hamper ambiance or experience as we enjoyed a delightful seasonally focused dinner in the bustling space, packed to the gills with beautiful people.

A fun spot for breakfast or lunch, don't miss what is likely the largest assemblage of nutcrackers you're sure to spy in one place at Costeaux French Bakery (costeaux.com). From November through mid-January, the century-old institution displays whimsical wooden characters of all sizes, which Will Seppi, the current president and CEO of the bakery, refers to as their "Nutcracker Orphanage."

capped our Healdsburg holiday with a short drive from the square at The Montage (montage.com/Healdsburg), a 258-acre retreat where the 130 modern bungalow-style guestrooms are surrounded by steeply sloped vine-covered hills and stately moss-covered California oak trees. The Montage's sprawling spa boasts one of my favorite fitness studios with a stunning view of their adults-only zero-edge outdoor pool (for a fun off-property workout, book an E-Bike and grab a winery map from Gateway Adventures— getawayadventures.com—to embark on self-guided tour of the area). The refined setting at Hazel Hill, the resort's all-day dining destination, mirrors the terroir-to-table cuisine, quintessentially California with a touch of je ne sais quois .

Elegantly outfitted for the season, the indulgent escape offers tree and menorah lighting ceremonies and other special activities, including a wreath-making workshop. While the décor at The Montage isn't at all saccharine, its daily afternoon hot chocolate station, with a dizzying array of confectionery accouterments, would definitely satiate even Santa's sweet tooth. sl

We

Hazel Hill at The Montage Healdsburg

Gateway Adventures offers guided and DIY bicycle and E-bike winery tours

Forestview guest bungalow at The Montage Healdsburg

HELLO SUNSHINE

Henderson Beach Resort is certainly a worthwhile Destin-ation

Written by Melissa Mahanes / Photos Courtesy of Henderson Beach Resort & Spa

Henderson Beach Resort & Spa seamlessly blends modern conveniences with the nostalgia of days gone by—all set against a backdrop of the authentic bustling beach town of Destin on Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast. Located adjacent to 200 acres of pristine preserve and steps from miles of sugar-sand beaches and emerald waters, Henderson Beach Resort captures the romance of ageless coastal architecture with striking shingles and steep gable rooflines that give reverence to Florida’s deep nautical history. The 170-room hotel features spacious, coastal-inspired guest rooms and suites with sweeping balconies or terraces, exceptional dining in relaxed settings, a beautiful nature-inspired spa, two swimming pools, and a host of family-friendly recreational programs and activities.

We certainly received royal treatment from Executive Chef Tyler Simmons. On the evening of our arrival, we experienced an exceptional Chef’s Tasting dinner in his meticulous (and remarkably serene) kitchen. The menu (see p.68) was chock full of creative interpretations of local seafood and preparation techniques, paired with fabulous wines. Chef Simmons’ unrivaled passion for using locally sourced, sustainable ingredients in his culinary creations has garnered him critical acclaim and accolades throughout his career. His commitment to culinary excellence and passion for food is clear from the dining experiences we had in the hotel restaurants. Simmons also hosts themed dinner series throughout the year—we are certainly timing our next visit to attend one.

Primrose is the resort’s signature restaurant offering inspired contemporary cuisine. Named after Destin’s first fishing boat, Primrose presents gulf-to-table seafood traditions with creative meals and fresh handcrafted sushi. They serve a variety of house cut steaks, and classic southern dishes with modern updates, such as Shrimp & Grits, or Whole Roasted Snapper.

Since one of our days at Henderson was rainy, we enjoyed Horizons, the hotel’s lobby-level lounge bar, for a couple of cocktails and a lazy lunch. Mark my words—The Henderson Burger was hands down the best cheeseburger that I have ever had!

Dave enjoyed a wonderful selection of oysters and several large bites of my reluctantly surrendered burger. They also have a delicious selection of pizzas, sandwiches, and salads.

The Rooftop offers unparalleled panoramic vistas overlooking Henderson Beach State Park and breathtaking Southern sunsets. They have an array of signature cocktails, wines and craft beers and live music every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday evening. They have a wonderful selection of nibbles ranging from ceviche to tacos and tostados to a groaning seafood tower. They also have a selection of desserts to satisfy your late-night sweet tooth.

The resort’s pool complex beckons guests to unwind in the sparkling waters or soak up the sun on a comfortable lounge chair. There is an Adult Pool for quiet relaxation in lounge chairs or in cabanas, and a Family Pool with lots of space to splash around or navigate the meandering lazy river. The Kid’s Club offers full and half day options available that include lunch, crafts, and themed activities. There is a full poolside bar with daily food service. For an afternoon snack, Sprinkles Café on the ground floor offers Starbucks coffee and a cookie or ice cream treat.

During beach season, there is also available beach chair and umbrella setup on Henderson’s private stretch located a short stroll from the hotel. For those seeking more adventurous activities, Henderson Beach State Park offers miles of pristine coastline for swimming, sunbathing, and water sports. Bikes, kayaks and paddleboards are available at no additional cost from the resort. The full-service fitness center has state-of-the-

art equipment and offers fitness and yoga classes. For complete relaxation, Henderson’s award-winning spa offers a sanctuary of serenity and rejuvenation. They offer a full menu of massages, rejuvenating facials, or invigorating body treatments. I had an incredible facial and a serene 30-minute constitutional in the Himalayan salt cave.

From sunset cruises to beach bonfires, Henderson offers a diverse array of activities and entertainment options to suit every taste. Explore the area’s natural beauty with guided eco-tours, tee off at nearby championship golf courses, or simply stroll along the beach and watch the glorious sunsets. With a blend of luxury, relaxation, and recreation, Henderson Beach Resort is a soughtafter destination for travelers seeking to soak up the sun on a memorable beach getaway in Destin, Florida. sl Henderson Beach Resort & Spa /

Father’s Day Weekend | June 15 & 16

Cruise into Cheekwood and stroll among over 100 impeccably maintained classic cars and vintage motorcycles, including a 1931 Studebaker President and a 1933 Harley Davidson VC with LT Sidecar. Bring the whole family to enjoy special musical performances of era-specific tunes from the 1920s to the 1970s, kids' activities, and delicious o erings from local food trucks and bar stations. Reserve tickets at cheekwood.org.

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ASK THE EXPERTS: FINE JEWELRY

Kentshire Galleries’ Carrie Imberman and Matthew Imberman on curating a perfect fine jewelry collection

Interview by Melissa Mahanes / Photos Courtesy of Kentshire Galleries

Situated in two luxurious boutique locations on the Upper East Side of New York City, Kentshire Galleries has been a beacon of luxury since its inception in 1940. Renowned for its unparalleled assortment of antique, vintage, and estate jewelry, Kentshire has curated a collection that epitomizes the essence of various historical periods and design movements. As a result, Kentshire Galleries has earned its reputation as a premier destination for fine jewelry connoisseurs and individuals searching for utterly unique treasures. Their unwavering commitment to quality, exceptional service, and deep-seated passion for exquisite jewelry set them apart as industry leaders. We are fortunate to have them as the 2024 Swan Ball’s Official Jeweler. Crafting a perfect jewelry wardrobe is an art. We spoke to siblings Carrie and Matthew and asked some questions about how to curate a jewelry collection that reflects your own personal style.

Melissa Mahanes: What are the essential pieces every woman should have in her jewelry wardrobe?

Carrie Imberman and Matthew Imberman: As antique and estate dealers of rare, iconic, and signed jewelry, our core client is

someone who wants to set themselves apart from the fray by acquiring singular pieces. A jewelry wardrobe should include unique takes on the classics that can be worn with minimal fuss and take the most basic outfit to the next level. Ideally, it would include an oversized gold bracelet, be it a 40s tank style or a playful midcentury gem set one, a pair of everyday bold earrings that make you feel pulled together in a pinch, a pair of dressier, pendant earrings that can make a statement in the evening, and a ring worn on a different finger than the ring finger that becomes your signature— whether it be a pinkie ring or a cocktail ring.

MM: What timeless jewelry trends will never go out of style?

CI & MI: Again, the 1940s gold tank bracelet, a gold necklace with an interesting link, such as a chain d’ancre, and jewelry linked to specific stylistic eras, such as Art Deco diamond pieces, will never go out of style. For us, it’s more about finding your signature look than keeping up with the Joneses. Trends like layering, “the neck mess,” and the “arm party” will come and go, but if you are buying quality pieces that can stand on their own, those will really go the distance.

of the big houses that we specialize in, such as Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, and Boucheron, made jewelry specifically for this purpose: day-to-night earrings with interchangeable or additional pendants, bracelets that could be added to necklaces to make sautoirs, or pairs of clip brooches that could convert to earrings.

MM: How can someone incorporate heirloom or vintage pieces into a modern jewelry wardrobe?

CI & MI: The best pieces from any of the periods we handle are timeless in appearance and can seamlessly be incorporated into a modern wardrobe. We are often asked by clients who may not be familiar with the Victorian era if the pieces in our collection

we specialize in the uncommon, we have an intrinsic respect for our clients’ unique tastes and will tirelessly search for that elusive one-ofa-kind piece. We are looking to build life-long relationships that span generations. As Elizabeth Taylor famously said, “Having jewelry is a temporary gift. We ‘owners’ are just the caretakers…nobody ever owns anything this beautiful. We are only the guardians.”

MM: Carrie and Matthew, thank you for all of the wonderful information. We look forward to seeing you and your beautiful collection at Swan Ball! sl Kentshire Galleries / Bergdorf Goodman, 754 Fifth Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10019 (212) 872-8653 / Hours: Monday-Saturday 11am-7pm, Sunday, 11am-6pm / www.kentshire.com

Alexander McQueen. Rainbow moth print dress, La Dame Bleu, spring/summer 2008. Courtesy of Barrett Barrera Projects

Photo: Barrett Barrera Projects

MUSE-UM

Lee Alexander McQueen (1969–2010) revolutionized contemporary fashion with his unique talent for weaving luxurious textiles with intimate storytelling. Mythologized in his lifetime as a tortured genius and one of the twentieth century’s most visionary designers, McQueen continues to command a level of appreciation that transcends the realm of couture. Between 1996 and 2001, Alexander McQueen served as the creative director of the storied Parisian couturier Givenchy, a subsidiary of the luxury conglomerate LVMH. He was awarded British Designer of the Year multiple times, and in 2003 he was awarded the C.B.E. (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth II. Throughout his brief 18 year career, McQueen single handedly altered the course of modern fashion with his decade-defining silhouettes and expressive runway presentations that combined the conceptual depth of avant-garde performance art with glamourous fashion.

Lee Alexander McQueen & Ann Ray: Rendez-Vous published in November 2023 and edited by Sarah Mower, senior contributor to Vogue —gives an unprecedented view inside the life and mind of McQueen through the photographs of his muse, French visual artist Ann Ray, otherwise known as Anne Deniau. Her professional career began while working for Givenchy in Japan in the 1990s. While living there, she became immersed in Japanese culture and craftsmanship, learning creation philosophies from senseis in various trades such as ceramics, painting, and kimono design. These relationships had a fundamental impact on her own art and professional life at Givenchy. When she met McQueen at Givenchy in Paris in 1997, the artistic point of view she acquired while studying under Japanese masters formed the basis of their early conversations.

Ray’s archive was acquired by Barrett Barrera Projects, who have curated and produced this traveling exhibition that will make stops in cities across the country into 2025. “The collection represents the breadth and depth of my career, including the most significant works I’ve ever produced. It brings me joy to honor my unique friendship with Lee by ensuring these works will be cared for and appreciated for years to come,” says Ray.

Ray enjoyed unrestricted access to McQueen and his process from 1997 to 2009, shooting every step of his creative journey, capturing the quiet musings of his design studio, the controlled pandemonium of backstage at his fashion shows, and every step in between. Ultimately, she amassed an incomparable archive of fortythree of McQueen’s collections, shot over thirteen years, providing remarkable insight into their friendship and professional collaboration.

The exhibition is at the Frist Museum of Art’s Ingram Gallery through August 25, and is comprised of sixty-five individual photographs, intended as presentation pieces, hand-chosen by Ray from more than 32,000 negatives in her accessioned archive. Also included are more than 50 dress objects produced throughout McQueen’s career, including a dress made exclusively for this exhibition and ten gifted garments from Ray’s personal wardrobe. Pieces of fashion ephemera, ranging from the exotic to the banal, all shared from one of the largest private collections in the world, round out this stunning show. This very emotional exhibition offers a unique opportunity to revisit the life and legacy of a beloved but widely misunderstood figure and to distinguish the person from the persona. sl

The Frist Art Museum / 919 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203 / (615) 244-3340 fristartmuseum.org / Hours: Monday, Friday and Saturday 10:00am-5:30pm, Thursday 10:00am-8:00pm, Sunday 1:00pm-5:30pm, closed Tuesday and Wednesday

The Frist Museum of Art presents a fashionable time capsule of a designer and his muse

Written by Melissa Mahanes / Photos courtesy of Barrett Barrera Projects

Ray, Day One, 1997. Archival gelatin silver print from original negatives; 11 6/8 x 15 6/8 in. Courtesy of Barrett Barrera Projects

Alexander McQueen. Nude knit and crystal embellished dress, Kaleidoscopic skull print blazer, and Kaleidoscopic reptile print dress with beaded hips, Natural Dis-Tinction, Un-Natural Selection, spring /summer 2009 and Plato’s Atlantis, spring/summer 2010. Courtesy of Barrett Barrera Projects Photo: Barrett Barrera Projects

Ann Ray. Wind Tunnel I, 2003. Archival gelatin silver print from original negatives; 47 1/4 x 70 7/8 in. Courtesy of Barrett Barrera Projects

Ann Ray. Unfallen Angels, 2009. Archival gelatin silver print from original negatives; 47 1/4 x 70 7/8 in. Courtesy of Barrett Barrera Projects

TOP PICK

Carter Vintage provides the ultimate vintage guitar shopping experience

Written by Dave Mahanes / Photos courtesy of Carter Vintage Guitars

Carter Vintage Guitars, one of the premier vintage guitar dealers in the world and located in Nashville, recently moved across the street from its original location on 8th Avenue South to the top floor of the historic Antiques Building at SomeraRoad’s Paseo South Gulch. Carter Vintage Guitars, founded by husband-and-wife Walter and Christine Carter in 2012, was acquired by North American Guitar in 2022. London-based North American Guitar came to the US through its 2019 acquisition of Cotten Music Center’s Wedgewood-Houston showroom. Ben Montague, the co-founder of North American Guitar and CEO of the merged entity, was a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and recording artist in the UK and is probably best known for his single “Haunted” from his first album, Overcome, in 2010.

I have some personal history with Carter Vintage Guitar. When I was a teenager in the 70s, I bought all my guitar gear from Cotten Music Center on 21st South in Hillsboro Village and knew the founder, Richard Cotten—a great guy, guitarist, and salesman. I still have my 1976 Gibson Black Les Paul Custom from Cotten that I got for Christmas that year. I met Walter Carter 22 years ago when he was the Gibson Historian, and I was Gibson’s Vice President of Corporate Development. Recently, I had some very delicate body repairs done by Carter Vintage Guitar on my Gibson SJ-200 acoustic guitar, which I received as a signing bonus when I joined Gibson. Their work was excellent. So, I was very excited to speak with Ben Montague about Carter Vintage Guitar and its new space.

Dave Mahanes: How and why did you get into the high-end guitar dealer business?

Ben Montague: My passion for the guitar started very young from my father’s influence, which led me to have a brief music career as a singer-songwriter in the UK. That was how I first came to Nashville in 2007—as a songwriter, writing with great people like Gary Burr and Dennis Matkosky. I have been buying and selling guitars for as long as I can remember. I started getting a little more serious about it when I was at university in Bristol, and my passion for guitars grew and grew. Eventually, it led to me starting a guitar shop with my father called The North American Guitar in London, which mainly focused on promoting and selling small workshop luthier-built instruments in the UK. Then, before I knew it, we were representing some of the most

phenomenal guitar brands in the world, such as Collings, Santa Cruz, and Bourgeois. That led me back to Nashville in 2019, where I met my managing partner and dearest friend, Kim Sherman of Cotten Music.

DM: What can your clients expect from the new Carter space?

BM: The greatest compliment we have had in the new space has been how much it feels and looks like the old space. What Walter and Christie built in Carter Vintage Guitars is truly magical, from the presence online to the fabulous customer relations we have with our consignors. I take great pride in continuing their brand and as the custodian of their name. My greatest goal is for them to be proud of what we have built and ensure the Carter Vintage Guitars brand lasts for decades.

The new space was designed to ensure every customer has an impeccable experience. Whether walking in for the first time to buy a set of strings or consigning your 100th guitar with us to sell on your behalf, there is now a well-thought-out and streamlined flow behind the scenes of the showroom floor that we are all very proud of. With over 300 guitars coming in and out of the door each month, we need to ensure we communicate well with customers and that every instrument is represented in the best possible light.

DM: What kind of events will “Live from the Carter Stage” feature?

BM: This is a new project for us, so we are just starting to put our calendar together. I can say the show with Marcus King we hosted at our showroom grand opening event was a huge success, and we have already been speaking to several artists about live concerts and possibly new “Writers in the Round” series, which we will film and stream live at each event. The best thing about our new space is that we have a little more room to experiment with new concepts that all focus on supporting local talent.

DM: What differentiates Carter Vintage Guitars/North America Guitar/ Cotten Music from other guitar dealers?

BM: This is something that we are asked a lot and love to answer. We support all our friends and competitors in this beautiful city of Nashville

and worldwide. If we do not have something our customer is looking for, we will always recommend other dealers to check out. I believe there are enough guitars to go around, and we, as a company, like to focus on what we can do better internally rather than what others are doing externally: how can we improve our process times for consignment, our communication with our customers, our e-commerce experience for our regular customers as well as new ones. As I say to the team daily, focus on inside our four walls and be customer-obsessed.

DM: How do you source your vintage guitar inventory?

BM: We are blessed with consignments flowing through our door every day. We have inventory brought to us locally in Nashville and shipped in from around the US. Our most significant objective is for customers to know we are incredibly knowledgeable and trustworthy and will represent the sale of their guitar better than any company in the world, leading to swift and successful sales time. We also offer our customers our exclusive Carter Care shipping packs, including boxes, packaging materials, and pump accessories. These allow customers to ship any guitar to us from anywhere in the country.

DM: Thank you, Ben! I look forward to seeing you again soon. sl

SWEET SPOT

SusieCakes at The Mall at Green Hills is a delightful new addition to the neighborhood

Written by Melissa Mahanes / Photo courtesy of Nashville Guru

Susan Sarich, driven by a yearning for home-style American treats crafted from scratch with genuine ingredients, embarked on a culinary journey. Merging her business acumen with the cherished 3” x 5” recipe cards handed down from her grandmothers, Mildred and Madeline, she unveiled SusieCakes in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles in 2006. From classic layer cakes to indulgent cupcakes, delectable desserts, unparalleled service, and nostalgic ambiance endeared the bakery to the neighborhood, even garnering a substantial celebrity following.

Since its inception, SusieCakes has flourished across Southern California and Texas, blossoming into 26 storefronts with ambitious plans for further expansion. They recently began shipping their baked goods nationwide, ensuring more states can savor their delectable creations. We are lucky to now have one in the heart of Green Hills!

The Nashville SusieCakes is a one-stop shop for the perfect cake, cookie, or cupcake and party staples such as candles, confetti, balloons, and cake servers. SusieCakes carries seasonal selections and classics, such as an Old-Fashioned Chocolate, Susie’s Famous Southern Red Velvet, Carrot, and a Tropical Coconut, available as whole cakes or by the slice. Colorful cupcakes in flavors like Chocolate Mint, Strawberry, Lemon, and Peanut Butter share

the case with cookies like giant chewy Chocolate Chip, Whoopie Pies, and seasonal bars. There are also several gluten-free and flourless options. Guests with pets will also be delighted to find complimentary signature Fido-friendly treats inside the shop.

“Nashville, known for its celebratory nature and diverse culinary scene, is the perfect backdrop for our newest venture,” said Susan Sarich. “We are eager to contribute to the city’s rich tapestry of flavors and become an integral part of the local community. We look forward to welcoming our new Nashville family in to enjoy our high-quality desserts that have become synonymous with the SusieCakes brand.”

Step into the new SusieCakes shop in Nashville and be greeted by their friendly staff who will guide you through their inviting displays. Cakes, cookies, pies, and cupcakes are available on the spot, ready to satisfy any sweet tooth. If you are looking for something more custom, you can place orders in person or online 24 to 48 hours in advance, depending on what your heart desires. A Barbie cake? Gender reveal cake? You never need an excuse to treat yourself to something sweet. sl

Take a look at the recipe for SusieCakes Key Lime Pie on the next page. SusieCakes / The Mall at Green Hills / 2126 Abbott Martin Road, Nashville, TN 37215 (615) 861-2253 / susiecakes.com / Instagram: susiecakesbakery

SUSIECAKES KEY LIME PIE

FOR THE CRUST

1 ½ cups finely crushed graham cracker crumbs

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

3 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar

FOR THE FILLING

14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

4 egg yolks, large

½ cup freshly squeezed key lime juice

1 tablespoon grated lime zest

FOR THE TOPPING

1 ½ cups cold heavy cream

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon grated lime zest

Lime slices for garnish (optional)

• Preheat oven to 375°F.

• Combine the graham cracker cr umbs, butter and sugar in a bowl, and mix well until crumbs & sugar are well incorporated with butter. Press into bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie dish (preferably metal), bake at 375° for 10-13 minutes, until lightly brown. Allow to cool completely.

• Reduce oven heat to 325°F.

• In a bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, lime juice, and zest. Pour filling into cooled crust. Bake for 17 minutes or until the center is set but still “shivers/shakes” when the pan is lightly nudged. Cool on wire rack.

• In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk cream and sugar together until soft peaks form. Top pie with whipped cream & lime zest. You may also add slices of lime on top as well. Keep refrigerated until serving. Enjoy!

SOPHISTICATED WEDDINGS

ANGELA BOSTELMAN AND THOMAS “TOM” KACZMAREK

Tom and Angela first met 28 years ago, introduced by Angela’s best friend, Ashley, while they attended Ole Miss. Ashley’s older brother, Mark, and Tom were friends. Tom had graduated from Northwestern and had never attended an SEC football game, so Ashley invited him to the Ole Miss Homecoming game vs. Vanderbilt at The Grove. There was an immediate spark, and after a few months, they tried dating for a bit, but a long-distance relationship was just too tricky, and they decided to part as friends. They both married others and had children but always maintained a friendship. Finding themselves single again years later, they decided to try dating again, and this time around, the timing was just perfect. As the saying goes, “all things in God’s time,” and now is finally their time!

Their intimate wedding was celebrated at Barnsley Gardens Resort in Adairsville, GA by a tight-knit group of 24 friends and family. Leading up to the ceremony, they hosted fun events all

weekend long. On Friday night, they welcomed their guests, including Ashley, Mark, and his wife, Johanna (full circle moment) with “Bourbon, Bubbles and Bags” (bourbon tasting, champagne, and Cornhole) at Barnsley Beer Garden. Following the welcome, they had a private dinner at Barnsley’s Woodlands Grill on the screened porch overlooking the golf course. The chef personalized their dinner by including Nashville Hot Shrimp on the menu.

On Saturday, guests started their day with golf or off-roading on UTVs in the Georgia Dirt. After lunch, there was a competitive Bullseye Challenge on the Farm at Barnsley, which included archery, axe throwing, and air rifles. Saturday evening, they hosted an alfresco Sea Island Kettle Forge, with wild turkey, quail, salmon, and steak prepared tableside over an outdoor kettle. After dinner, they had a sing-along by the fire pit, with the Bostelman boys playing guitar late into the evening.

March 17, 2024 / Photos by Jeremy Harwell

Sunday morning, they started the day with all guests in the Bride’s Cottage for breakfast and a special form of art therapy called Neurographics, led by Angela’s close friend Beth Easter. All guests created their own family tree representing the Kaczmarek’s new union, which was then placed in votive candles and used for a prayer before moving into dinner.

The ceremony and reception took place on a perfect Spring evening at Ruins of Barnsley. The bride was walked down the aisle by her three sons, Max, Will, and Luke, and wore a gown by Kitty Chen Couture that was a combination of a traditional gown with a contemporary twist—the bottom was covered in rosettes inspired by the gardens at Barnsley. They fully embraced that they were getting married on St. Patrick’s Day. Our Lucky Day St. Patrick’s Prayer was offered. They incorporated handfasting into the ceremony, a Celtic tradition dating back to 7000 BC, symbolizing the joining of lives and families by tying the bride and groom’s hands together and “tying the knot.” Angela’s dear friend Reverend Anne Stauffer from Woodmont Christian Church was their officiant, delivering a personal and meaningful touch to their vows. Tom’s son Ryan was his best man and presented the rings. His

daughter, Noelle, held Angela’s flowers and Tom’s reading glasses, which would come in handy when Tom surprised Angela with a poem he had written called A Glance and a Smile about when they first met and the journey they took to get back to each other. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

At the reception that followed the ceremony, guests were assembled around a large square table for 24 so everyone could be seated together. The entire table was filled with fragrant flowers and candles while jazz played in the background. Toasts were given, and blessings were shared before the cake was cut and dancing began. They danced under the stars to DJ Brian Sires into the wee hours.

After enjoying an exotic honeymoon to Egypt (a Swan Ball auction item from last year, curated by Jim Berkeley of DAI Travel) that included Cairo, Aswan, Abu Simbel, and Luxor, Tom and Angela will split their time between Nashville and Glencoe, IL. Angela beautifully summed up her experience by saying, “I think what I will remember the most for the rest of my life is the vision of so many smiles. It was truly one of the best nights of my life! Life is really hard sometimes but in this moment my heart was bursting with happiness”. What a lucky pair. sl

SHE SAID “YES”!

A new fun musical revue comes to Nashville

Written by Melissa Mahanes / Photo courtesy of PLA Media

Nashville has long been a hotbed of artistic energy and cultural diversity. Yes! The Musical, a delightful new show, has just come to town to captivate residents and visitors alike. Set to a backdrop of Nashville landmarks and the beat of the Music City scene, the musical has been conceived not only as a play on a stage but a love letter to the city. And to that, we’ll say “yes”!

From the creative team behind the hit reality TV show, Say Yes to the Dress comes a new show that is a must-see part of every Nashville visitor’s night out. With a score pulling from pop, rock & country, you’ll be dancing along with each crazy twist in the wild bridal world. Everyone loves weddings, so you’ll have a blast at Nashville’s biggest party: Yes! The Musical . The 75-minute show is directed and choreographed by Shea Sullivan, co-created and produced by Joel Waggoner with book and lyrics by Blaine Hopkins and music and lyrics by Garrett Kotecki. The show follows a diverse and entertaining ensemble of characters,

played by a cast of four performers, who morph into many more, each grappling with their own unique aspirations, fears, and triumphs. At its heart is a universal theme of transformation, reminding us that life’s most profound moments often stem from unexpected encounters and courageous choices. This relatable storyline centered around an engagement and the drama that inevitably ensues, is sure to appeal to everyone in the audience. Yes! The Musical is not your typical show. It’s an immersive experience that invites you to really step into the heart of Nashville. As a participant in the narrative, you’ll feel the energy of every street corner and honky-tonk, resonating with the promise of possibility. This unique approach to storytelling ensures that every audience member becomes a part of the magic. Now it is your turn to say “yes”! sl

7-18

9-26

10-19

SOPHISTICATED SOCIETY

Presented by

Disney’s Frozen at TPAC’s Andrew Jackson Hall (various times)

Studio Tenn presents Cabaret at Studio Tenn’s Turner Theater (various times)

Nashville Repertory Theater’s POTUS at TPAC’s Johnson Theater (various times)

11 The New York BeeGees Tribute Show

14 123rd Spring Outing and Luncheon on the Lawn at Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage with Keynote Speaker Geraldine Brooks at 11:30am

17 Kickoff of Musicican’s Corner Spring Series (weekly-Fridays 5:00pm-9:00pm, Saturdays 12:00pm-6:00pm until 6/15)

17-19, 22-23 Nashville Ballet’s Live in Studio A: 5 Short Stories at The Martin Center (various times)

18 Billy Currington and Kip Moore at Ascend Amphitheater at 7:00pm

23 Four Course Uncle Nearest Whiskey Dinner at Mimo Restaurant’s Private Dining Room at Four Seasons Hotel Nashville at 7:00pm (Reservations: OpenTable)

24-26 Musician’s Corner’s Memorial Day Weekend Celebration at Centennial Park (5/24 5:00pm-9:00pm, 5/25 & 26 12:00pm-6:00pm)

30 Jerr y Seinfeld: Live at TPAC’s Andrew Jackson Hall at 7:00pm

30 Celeste Barber : Backup Dancer at TPAC’s James K. Polk Theater at 8:00pm

30 Conversation: Ann Ray with Kelly Peck and Seth Feman at Frist Art Museum at 6:30pm (Free; first come, first seated)

30-8/25 Lee Alexander McQueen and Ann Ray: Rendez-vous at Frist Art Museum (see p. 76)

30-8/25 Shahpour Pouyan:Winter in Paradise at Frist Art Museum

31 & 6/1 Lainey Wilson: Country’s Cool Again at Ascend Amphitheater at 7:00pm

June

1 Music Country Grand Prix at Brownland Farm benefiting Saddle Up!

1 Opening Day of Mars Rover Exhibit at Adventure Science Center 9:00am-5:00pm

1-7/31 The Jiselle Lauren Foundation Stands for Smiles Campaign kicks off (thejisellelaurenfoundation.org)

3 Niall Horan at Bridgestone Arena

5-9 Nashville Repertory Theatre’s Overnight Theatre Camp

6 PHHH Golf Outing at Hermitage Golf Course

6-9 CMA Music Festival at Nissan Stadium & Ascend Amphitheater

7 Ashley McBryde at The Opry at 7:00pm

8-9 Bill Peach Franklin Book Festival at Williamson County Public Library in Franklin (6/8 10:00am-5:00pm, 6/9 1:30pm-5:00pm-FREE to all)

10 Alive Hospice’s Butterfly Release

10 Opera on the Mountain at Vanderbilt’s Dyer Observatory

10-14 Camp TPAC: Celebrate Broadway

11-13 Hairspray at TPAC’s Andrew Jackson Hall (6/11-13 at 7:30pm, 6/14 at 8:00pm. 6/15 at 2:00pm and 8:00pm, 6/16 at 1:00pm and 6:30pm)

14 Adventure Science Center’s Way Late Play Date 7:00pm-10:00pm (21+)

15-16 Exposition of Excellence: Classic Cars at Cheekwood

17-21 Camp TPAC: Stage and Screen

23 The Fab Four: the Ultimate Tribute at Schermerhorn Symphony Center at 7:30pm

24 Ingram Cup Golf Challenge benefiting Boys and Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee at Golf Club of Tennessee at 12:00pm

26-30 Nashville Repertory Theatre’s Overnight Theatre Camp

28 Symphony Under the Stars:The Music of John Williams at Ascend Amphitheater at 8:00pm

28-29 Mark Morris Dance Group:The Look of Love at TPAC’s James K. Polk Theater at 7:30pm

28-9/29 !Printing the Revolution! The Rise and Impact of Chicano Graphics, 1965 to Now at Frist Art Museum

July May

2-28

Cirque du Soleil Songblazers: A Journey into Country Music at TPAC’s Andrew Jackson Hall (various times)

4 The Music City Hot Chicken Festival at East Park-Parade begins at 10:30am, Festival 11:00am-3:00pm.

Applications for the Amateur Cooking Contest at hotchickenfestival.com

The Aquaducks at Musician’s Corner

Jiselle Lauren Foundation Stands for Smiles

Lemon Amalfi Dessert at Mimo at Four Seasons

Harding Art Show: Ashley Mary

TPAC PRELUDE PARTY

Devoted supporters of Tennessee Performing Arts Center came together at The Electric Jane. Co-hosted by Judith Bright, Kelly Crockett and Kelly Unger, the stylish cocktail party that was a pre-celebration to the TPAC Gala, the nonprofit’s signature black-tie fundraiser held on April 6 at Four Seasons Hotel Nashville. Spotlight Award alum Josh Jordan took the stage before TPAC President and CEO, Jennifer Turner, shared exciting details about the future of TPAC. Curb Records artist Wyn Starks closed out the night with a soulful performance, perfectly setting the stage for the excitement that was to come at the 2024 TPAC Gala. (February 29)

LANDTRUST AT DYER OBSERVATORY

Stargazers enjoyed an evening hosted by Anne and Mark Manner and the Land Trust for Tennessee at Vanderbilt Dyer Observatory to celebrate and learn more about the connection between the land and sky, and the coming eclipse thanks to speaker Luke Iverson, Director of Conversation Impact at The Land Trust for Tennessee and Billy Teets, PhD from Dyer. (March 19)

Photos by Amy Frankel

1) Josh Jordan, Diana Pelham 2) Prelude Party Hosts Kelly Crockett, Judith Bright, Kelly Unger

TPAC President and CEO Jennifer Turner, Jason Jenkins

Keele, Liz McLaurin, Chuck Elcan

Dyer Observatory’s Bill Teets

1) Co-Chairs Lake Eakin, Christine Weller 2) Jack and Barbara Bovender 3) Josephine Smithwick, Lise Morrow 4) John Bryan, Frist Museum Chief Development Officer Jonathan Norris, Louise Bryan 5) Elizabeth Dennis, Chuck Elcan, Johnny Burrell, Tricia Elcan 6) Tommy and Julie Frist, Laura and John Chadwick 7) Julie Gordon, Jennifer Frist

8) Mike and Kerri Schlosser 9) Nora and Kent Kirby 10) Sean Brock 11) Perian Strang, Frist Museum Executive Director and CEO Seth Feman

FRIST GALA PATRON PARTY

The Frist Gala Patrons Party was held at the Frist Art Museum where patrons were treated to cocktails and an elegant dinner catered by James Beard Award winner Sean Brock. The event was planned by Co-Chairs Lake Eakin and Christine Weller and the Social Office. (March 20)

Photos by Melissa Mahanes

EVENING OF CONVERSATION

The Joseph Hotel hosted Equal Chance for Education’s Third Annual Evening of Conversations event. Dynamic speakers Don Graham, Randy Boyd, Gaby Pacheco, and Karla

led the panel discussion on the intersection of education and immigration. Equal Chance for Education also honored six exceptional Champions of Education Equity, remarkable leaders who have created meaningful change while promoting educational equity across Tennessee. (April 4)

ILLUMINATE ART GALA

Daybreak Arts hosted its 10th Annual Illuminate Art Gala, an unforgettable evening that blended art, philanthropy and community at Events at 1900. Guests enjoyed food provided by The Nashville Food Project, beverages courtesy of Lipman Brothers, and an art presentation showcasing artists impacted by homelessness. A live painting demonstration, photo booth and a silent auction rounded out the festive evening. (April 6)

EVENING OF CONVERSATION 1) US Representative (Retired) Jim Cooper 2) ECE Founder Michael Spalding, ECE Executive Director Raquel Oluyemo 3) ECE Scholars Jonathan Ochoa Guzman, Gabriella Hinojosa 4) Mandy Strickland Floyd, Mayor Freddie McConnell 5) Panelists Don Graham, Karla McKanders, Gaby Pacheco, Randy Boyd 6) ECE Staff and 2024 Champions of Education Equity-ECE Board Chair Rich Rhoda, Vanessa Delgado, Laura Delgado, Jennifer Novo, Rubén De Peña, Gini Pupo-Walker, Jacki Rodriguez, Raquel Oluyemo, Mandy Floyd ILLUMINATE ART GALA 1) Daybreak Artist, MAJ, with supporters (Wade Sharp) 2) Daybreak Artist Sidney Sparke taking Polaroids of VIP Guests (Sam Nichol) 3) Daybreak Arts Sam Fulks with his artwork (Jolie Adams) 4) Morgan Miller (Board Secretary) and Lila McCann (Board Member) on Red Carpet 5) Daybreak Artist Sam Fulks with supporter (Cynthia Lanham) 6) Daybreak Artist Sidney Sparkle with Polaroid Camera (Rohan Nag)

McKanders

ONE NIGHT ONLY

Studio Tenn’s One Night Only event featured the iconic music of Rogers and Hammerstein at Liberty Hall inside the Factory at Franklin. The evening had a surprise appearance by Broadway star Norm Lewis. Liberty Hall was transformed into a captivating space reminiscent of the duo’s classic Broadway and Hollywood productions, including “Oklahoma!,” “Carousel,” “South Pacific,” “The King and I,” “Cinderella,” and “The Sound of Music.” The event which is Studio Tenn’s largest fundraiser was co-chaired by Bethini and Trent Hemphill and Susan and Robert Deaton. Studio Tenn’s Artistic Director, Patrick Cassidy, paid tribute to his mother, Shirley Jones, best known for her leading roles in “Oklahoma!,” and “Carousel,” as well as “The Partridge Family” television series. (April 6)

PINSON HOSPITALITY HOUSE 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

The Pinson Hospital Hospitality House (PHHH) celebrated its 50th anniversary at the Graystone Quarry at Franklin, TN. The event featured dinner, dancing, and live and silent auctions. The celebration was hosted by Event Chair, Dr. C. Wright Pinson and Honorary Chairs Mickey Beazley and Ann Krenson. PHHH is the oldest hospitality house in the country, providing a home away from home for families who live more than 50 miles from Nashville and are experiencing a life-threatening medical crisis. (April 13)

ONE NIGHT ONLY 1) Co-Chair Bethni Hemphill 2) Hollie McCall, Jacklyn Ledbetter, Amy LaGrant, Lynne McAlister, Cassie Jones 3) Surprise Broadway Guest Norm Lewis

4) Megan Murphy Chambers 5) Ashton and Jenna Smith, Tracy and Bill Frist 6) Roland and Susan Short Jones 7) John Mark McGaha and Laura

Becky White, Shannon Day, Angie Stiff, Robin Smith, 2) Patsy Robinson, Andrea Kenney

Event Chair, VUMC Deputy CEO and Chief Health System Officer and PHHH Board Member, and drummer Dr. Wright Pinson 4) AJ Hamblin, Ann Stewart Murray, Peter and Katherine Lee

5) Robin Smith hugs Myrtle Moore(who stayed at PHHH for 14 months) 6) Leiyan Keele, Larry Keele, Andrew Keele, Jessica Keele

Photos by Peter Newsom

TPAC GALA

TPAC Gala was celebrated at the Four Seasons Hotel Nashville where guests were greeted with colorful “bold” vignettes featuring live statues outfitted in costumes from Matt Logan. The attendees were treated to performances of Broadway hits from an all-star lineup of Broadway talent including Quentin Earl Darrington, Morgan James, Nicholas Rodriguez, and Elizabeth Stanley as well as remarks from TPAC Teaching Artist, Ginger Newman, and an eight grade student from Wright Middle School named Derreck who is playing Genie in the school’s dual-language production of Aladdin Jr. The competitive live auction raised $160,000 to advance TPAC’s educational and community programming. (April 6)

1) Adam Sansiveri, Kendall Brown 2) Carolyn and Del Bryant 3) Christopher Hanke 4) TPAC Board Chair Melvin Malone 5) Missy Garcia-Smith and Brad Smith 6) Matt Logan, Justin McIntosh, Kyle Boen, Cameron Hinkle, Nathan McIntosh 7) Grace Heinrichs, Casey Miley, Sarah Beth Gerlecz, Heather Vassar, Mary Joyce 8) Max and Alice Goldberg 9) Nicholas Rodriguez, Elizabeth Stanley, Morgan James, Quentin Earl Darrington 10) Dawn Stark, Michael Davis 11) Kristin Vanzant, Jackie Crabtree, TPAC President and CEO Jennifer

Leadership Giving Diana Pelham and Zach Pelham

Photos by Daniel Meigs

SWAN BALL UNDERWRITERS’ RECEPTION

The Swan Ball Underwriters Reception was held on the

The Mansion at Cheekwood. Swan Ball 2024

Nesbitt and Carolyn Taylor along with Underwriter’s Reception Coordinators Elizabeth Dingess and Ashley Rosen thanked the generous underwriters with cocktails and a sumptuous meal catered by Kristen

1) Carol and Darryl Yochem 2) Sabrina Miller, Cheekwood CEO and President Jane MacLeod, Barbara Bovender 3) Carol and John Rochford 4) Louise and John Bryan

5) Carolyn Taylor, Jamie Capps, Denise Cummins, Nancy Cheadle 6) David and Edie Johnson, Sissy and Bill Wilson 7) Owen and Anne Kelly, Nancy and John Cheadle

Kathryn and David Brown 9) Stephen Taylor, 2024 Swan Ball Co-Chairs Carolyn Taylor and Sally Nesbitt, Jon Nesbitt 10) Brittany Cross, Robert Hartman, Dinah Wells

Loggia at

Co-Chairs Sally

Winston. The Swan Ball raises significant funds annually to benefit Cheekwood. (April 11)

A NIGHT FULL OF STARS

BrightStone’s fund raising event “A Night Full of Stars” was held at Liberty Hall at The Factory at Franklin. Grammy winning trio Lady A headlined the event, which also included a reception, dinner, silent auction, and a special performance by the adult students who attend BrightStone’s day program. Proceeds will allow BrightStone to expand its programs and resources for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. (APRIL 16)

FUND RECOVERY CHARITY DINNER AND CONCERT

Fund Recovery hosted their annual Charity Dinner and Concert at City Winery in Nashville. The event began with the Red Carpet followed by food, drinks and music hosted by JT Hodges and Matt Rogers and featured music artists including The Warren Brothers, Natalie Hemby, and Ross Copperman. The evening was also attended by several NFL stars including Steve Hutchinson, Eric Decker and Tim Brown among others. Money was raised to provide scholarships for mental health and addiction treatment. Fund Recovery also works to reduce the stigma associated with seeking mental health treatment. (April 16)

A NIGHT FULL OF STARS 1) Brandt Holden, Jane Harris 2) Jane Harris, Lady A 3) Sherri Gard, Matthew Ossewarde 4) Josh Wangel, Jack Croley, Colin Lane, Emma Fletcher 5) Kat Craig, Josh Ahlberg, Lady A 6) Kat Craig, Tracy Kornet7) Cade Lyons (student) 8) Mikala Walken, Alea Carroll, Jennifer Pewitt

FUND RECOVERY CHARITY DINNER AND CONCERT 1) Featured Performers The Warren Brothers, Natalie Hemby, Ross Copperman 2) Eric Decker, Jabari Greer 3) Ashley Cain, Rebecca Ritchie 4) Dave Verhaagen, Fund Recovery Executive Director Ryan Cain 5) Ryan Tannehill, Lauren Ufer 6) Ryan Cain, Jeffery Simons 7) Landyn and Steve Hutchinson

Photos by Jason Kempin

RALLY ON THE RUNWAY

Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research recently held its 8th Annual Rally on the Runway at Marathon Music Works. The event featured Rally Kids, children who are fighting or have fought cancer, as models. Honorary Chair was Tennessee Titans Defensive Tackle and Team Captain Jeffery Simmons with emcee Dawn Davenport of 104.5 The Zone and ESPN. A live and silent auction helped Rally raise over $485,000 to fund critical research and serve families of children fighting cancer. (April 18)

GOODWILL HUNTING

The first Goodwill Hunting was held at Goodwill’s Cockrill Bend location. Created by Julia Truemper, the event consisted of a scavenger hunt through Goodwill’s sorting bins and a silent auction. Guests were dressed in festive attire and enjoyed Hattie B’s Chicken at tables decorated with different fun themes accessed from Goodwill donations. (April 20)

Photos by Melissa Mahanes/Sara

RALLY ON THE RUNWAY 1) Alice and Robert Heywood, Shannon Jerie 2) Bob and Melissa Lyons, Tracy Gallivan, Jane Baird 3) Honorary Chair Jeffery Simmons and Rally Kid Greenleigh

4) Bob Lyons, Vickie and Bob Mertz, Roy and Kim Dano 5) Layton Meng, Darby Walden, Katie Myers 6) Mike Hazelwood, Gale and Bob Luna7) Max Theodore, Joe Keane 8) Emily Kornuth, Leta Woods GOODWILL HUNTING 1) Alexa Lipman, Sandra Lipman 2) Mark and Pam Lamb, Veronica and Elliott Cassetty, Fred and Debbie Cassetty 3) Shelley and Bill Cammack 4) Barry and Celeste Holt, Chip Hickerson, Dave Alexander 5) Jeff Young, Julia Cammack Truemper 6) Tony Cassiol and Kalinda Fisher, Dave Mahanes7) Scavenger Hunters

Photos by Melissa Mahanes

SYMPHONY FASHION SHOW PATRON PARTY

Patrons of the Symphony Fashion Show were abuzz with excitement about getting the first peek at designer Prabal Gurung and the stunning home of Dana and David Curtis. Bruce Pittman created gorgeous decorations inspired by Gurung’s book, Flavor caterers provided delicious food and exquisite cupcakes inspired by Nepal’s national flowers from Nazia’s Cake Garden provided a sweet finish to a lovely evening. (April 22)

1) Tony Grande, Ramona Hideg, Co-Chair Emily Humphreys 2) The Joseph’s Nikki See, Xavier Moulin 3) Glenn Purdue, Blair Purdue 4) Karen Conrad, Maureen Chiasson 5) Angela Bostelman-Kaczmarek, Mary Morgan Ketchel, Hosts Dana and David Curtis 6) Mark and Nancy Peacock, Steve and Marci Houff, Julie and John Schneider 7) Janice Elliott Morgan, Prabal Gurung, Marianne Hicks 8) Senator Bill Frist and Co-Chair Tracy Frist 9) SFS Executive Chair Sandra Lipman, Allison Cotton 10) Delphine Dewitte, Dana Jane Dewitte 11) Karen Morgan, Nancy Hearn Peterson, Sheila Shields, Diane Edwards 12) Isla Bliss Curtis

Photos by Melissa Mahanes

A

SYMPHONY FASHION SHOW

of festively

and

1) Amy Hobbs, Sarah Reisner, Vivana Lavin 2) Emcee Kelleigh Bannen, Nashville Symphony President and CEO Alan Valentine, Emcee Colson Horton 3) Lindsay Ann Kemp, Janie Berry

4) Terra Winfree, Natalie Clements, Mayra Lehman-Grimes 5) Sonya Smith, Carey Aron, Lauren Ossolinski, Katie Crumbo, Grace Awh, Patricia Thacker, Susan Griffen, Vanessa Morse

6) Melissa Mosteller, Brooke Trusley 7) Kristina Bethel, Asam Ahmad, Whitney Earhart, Carolyn Smith Bryant 8) Melissa Mosteller, Brooke Trusley 9) TJ Osborne, Co-Chair Tracy Frist, Prabal Gurung, Co-Chair Emily Humphreys, John Osborne 10) Melissa Mahanes, Nazia Rahman, Carolyn Smith Bryant

Photos by Melissa Mahanes

sea

attired ladies

some gentlemen poured into the sold-out Symphony Fashion Show Co-Chaired by Emily Humphreys and Tracy Frist to see the designs of Prabal Gurung. Cocktails were in the Courtyard before guests took their seats for the electrifying runway show. Musical guests Brothers Osborne had everyone up on their stilettos. (April 23)

RACE DAY

Get Ready for Tradition, Fashion,

Style,

and Excitement at Steeplechase

Written by Melissa Mahanes

As the Iroquois Steeplechase gears up for its 2024 festival, attendees and newcomers alike are in for an experience that marries the event’s storied tradition with fresh, innovative enhancements. Here are five essential topics to know about this year’s event, ensuring a day of excitement, community spirit, and responsible enjoyment.

DRESS CODE AND ESSENTIALS: WHAT TO WEAR AND BRING Embrace the day with sun protection and comfort essentials—sunscreen, sunglasses, and hats are must-haves. Pack bottled water to stay hydrated and remember your cell phone to capture the moments. Tailgating spots welcome a 10x10 tent, tables, chairs, food, and alcohol (excluding glass containers) to enhance your experience. Remember, the Iroquois Steeplechase is a pet-free, glass-free, and drone-free event to ensure everyone’s safety and enjoyment.

For the Ladies:

• Dress to Impress: Opt for lightweight fabrics in vibrant tones. Flowy dresses in linen or cotton are perfect for May weather and offer both style and comfort.

• Statement Headwear (optional): Fascinators and wide-brim hats are not just traditional but a fashion statement. Choose one that complements your outfit and adds that extra touch of elegance.

• Comf ortable Footwear: For style and comfort, consider low to medium-block or wedge heels. Stylish rain boots can be a practical yet fashionable choice for unpredictable weather. For the Gentlemen:

• Smart Casual: A sports coat paired with a crisp shirt and comfortable trousers perfectly blend elegance and comfort.

• Accessorize: Sunglasses and a stylish loafer can elevate your look, making you race-day-ready.

EVENT SCHEDULE: A DAY PACKED WITH EXCITEMENT

The gates open early, with tailgating starting at 8:30am. The opening ceremonies at noon mark the beginning of an exhilarating lineup of seven races throughout the day, with highlights during the day

including the Nfocus Style Contest, the Your Williamson Tailgating contest, Stick Pony Races for the kids, and the Parade of Hounds. Each race showcases the incredible athleticism of both horse and rider, promising a day filled with thrilling competition and community celebration. The event concludes with the closing of hospitality tents approximately 15 minutes after the final race, around 5:30pm.

DINING AND SHOPPING: CULINARY DELIGHTS AND UNIQUE FINDS This year, the Iroquois Steeplechase boasts an expanded array of vendor shops and food trucks. We’ve created a third vendor area between our Topside and Midfield sections while adding additional vendors into the Steeplechase Central and Hillside Shoppes. Whether you’re in the mood for a quick snack or a full meal, the variety of culinary options will satisfy any appetite.

PARKING AND TRANSPORTATION AND A NEW FREE ADD-ON TICKET FOR TAILGATERS In our continuous effort to promote safety and responsibility, we are proud to introduce a new ticket—the Designated Driver Ticket. This year, every tailgating spot will receive a designated driver ticket at no charge! Designed to ensure that every tailgating spot has a sober driver, further enhancing the safety of our attendees and the community at large. This addition underscores our commitment to providing everyone with a responsible and enjoyable environment.

Parking passes are available for purchase for those driving to our event. We also have a new ride-share designated drop-off location, making it easier to get on the grounds. Ensure you have your parking pass printed and ready for a smooth entry. For more detailed directions, visit iroquoissteeplechase.org.

CONNECTIVITY: STAYING IN TOUCH WIFI is available in the Steeplechase Central area, catering to your connectivity needs. Cell service can be limited, so we recommend planning your communications accordingly. sl

Join us for the 2024 Iroquois Steeplechase, where tradition meets innovation for an unforgettable day of experiences. For more information and updates, follow #tnsteeplechase.

Saturday May 11, 2024

Scan Here for tickets

THE MINT JULEP

Keeping It Simple

Written by Rex Lyons

How, in the name of blankets of roses, could a drink that so many people purport to hate cause so much consternation and caterwauling over the proper method of manufacture? The mint julep is as Southern as Greek-inspired pillars and hoop skirts. While we didn’t invent any of them, we know what we like in an image, and we can perfectly latch on to those we choose as part of our Southern traditions.

The fact is that at least three countries and most other Southern states claim the mint julep as their own. Today, most experts agree that it probably originated in Northern Virginia and soon spread to Maryland, down the Eastern Seaboard, and into Kentucky. That tidbit of history doesn’t faze Kentuckians in the least. We know where bourbon comes from, and it’s a fact that you can only make a proper mint julep if you use good Kentucky bourbon whiskey. We also cheerfully ignore the fact that an un-southernly Samuel Pepys mentioned the julep during the 1660s in England, some 100 years before a good Baptist minister in Bourbon County invented his superior way to use corn. That’s just history, and it’s well known that we Southerners never let history or facts get in the way of a good story. The mint julep is a Kentucky drink, and there are as many “correct and proper” methods for making it as there are Kentuckians.

Now, I must clarify that what I refer to as a mint julep has as little resemblance to that drink coming out of a plastic hose at large bars and enormous sporting events as a well-made backyard burger grilled over hickory charcoal resembles a White Castle slider. Not, I hasten to add, is there anything wrong with a White Castle hamburger. I love them and have downed my fair share, usually in the middle of the night and often to counteract the results of far too many mint juleps. However, it is apples and oranges. They are simply not the same. It’s Dior versus dollar store; what more can I say?

I personally believe that so many people profess to hate mint juleps because they have never had one that was carefully, beautifully, and individually prepared. Or, their maternal third grandmother was born in Vermont.

The oldest recipes seem to be the simplest. In 1803, John Davis, an English tutor living in Virginia, wrote in his book Travels of Four Years and a Half in the United States that the mint julep is

a “dram of spirituous liquor that has mint in it, taken by Virginians of a morning.” The Willard Hotel in Washington, DC, still uses the recipe purported to be the one given to them by Henry Clay. There is no simple syrup or mint infusion, just sugar, mint, shaved ice, spring water, and bourbon.

A turn of the 19th-century bar guide lists much the same recipe. Simple syrup arrived later as an easier method of dissolving the sugar in such an icy environment. Then, anarchy and chaos begin to reign! Infused mint, cooked mint, infused-cooked mint, chopped mint, ground mint, mint tied up in little doilies, confectioners’ sugar blended with mint–the combinations are staggering and dreadful. There is even one recipe that calls for boiling the mint, sugar, and water, pouring the bourbon into the hot mixture, and then chilling the whole thing. I know, I know, quick–grab some smelling salts and get Momma off the floor! We won’t even mention the awful concoctions involving Maraschino cherries, candied pineapple, crème de menthe, brandy, and tea, lest Momma succumbs again!

You boil simple syrup; I muddle sugar (please, no confectioners’ as it makes the drink cloudy). Infuse mint, if you will, or bruise the little leaves with the back of a coin silver spoon—all of that is as unimportant and as personal as a chili recipe. What is essential and cannot be ignored are the ingredients. You must have good Kentucky bourbon (OK, the one from Tennessee is fine also—it wants to be a Kentuckian so badly). Beautiful spring mint is so easy to grow that every Kentuckian should have a patch by the water tap or in a pot on the windowsill. You also need pure water, sugar or simple syrup, tons of shaved ice, and, yes, a julep cup. You can also make them in a glass, mug, or stoneware cup. When well chilled, all of these alternatives will work fine.

On the other hand, I’ve always suspected that the true secret ingredient to the proper taste of a good julep is the faint hint of Wright’s Silver Cream from the julep cups’ semiannual polishing. Give yourself plenty of time to make them and enjoy a proper bit of the South. Right now, go make your juleps, relive Derby memories, and raise a cup for all your friends here and departed. sl