Absolute Living

Absolute Living

INSPIRING

TRANSFORMATION Maria Van Dam and bodysculptRx

ISLAND GETAWAYS: THE CARIBBEAN

MARCH 2019

GREAT OUTDOORS

BIER BREWERY NORTH: A DESTINATION ALL ITS OWN

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CONTENTS

18

Inspiring Transformation Maria Van Dam and bodysculptRx

Photography By Eduardo Peña

10

EASE YOUR WINTER BLUES WITH A RELAXING MASSAGE OR REFRESHING FACIAL

14

Q & A: FRANCISCAN PHYSICIAN NETWORK

26

ISLAND GETAWAYS: THE CARIBBEAN

32

BIER BREWERY NORTH: A DESTINATION ALL ITS OWN

38

INTRODUCING EUROPEAN ARCHITECTURAL PRODUCTS INTO THE CENTRAL INDIANA MARKET

40

GREAT OUTDOORS

Volume 12. Issue 02. (#136

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INDIANAPOLIS

www.debrand.com • 317.669.0955 THE SHOPS AT RIVER CROSSING (next to The Fashion Mall)

D

ry, frigid winter weather can wreak

havoc upon our bodies,

even when we don’t realize it.

Reward your winter-weathered self with an invigorating massage or facial.

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ABS O LUT E L IV IN GM AGAZ IN E .COM

By Amanda Brown

Ease Your Winter Blues With a Relaxing Massage or Refreshing Facial

W

hether you’ve shoveled your driveway multiple times, sat in traffic during an ice storm, or spent any amount of time outside, odds are your muscles are sore and tense.

When you’re cold, your muscles and organs shake—or shiver—in an attempt to keep you warm.

This creates a lot of tension in the body, particularly in the neck and shoulders, leading to those winter aches and pains.

The cold air doesn’t do your skin any favors, either. If you didn’t use the correct moisturizer this winter, your face may be dry and chapped. Fortunately, spring is just around the corner.

Taking some time for a little self-care will help melt away the discomforts of winter and leave you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated so you can enjoy the warmer weather and sunshine.

MELT AWAY MUSCLE TENSION WITH A MASSAGE Because of the way your muscles respond to cold, winter is harder on them than you might think.

If you didn’t take the time to get a massage during the colder months, it’s important to take

some time for yourself now.

Consider a deep tissue massage to target any knots that may have formed in your muscles. Doing so will help release the tension your body has been holding onto all winter.

A massage will do more than ease your tight muscles, though.

It can also help you relax and reduce stress. To reap all the benefits massage therapy has to offer, see a licensed massage therapist regularly. Doing so will help eliminate muscle tension and make you less likely to suffer from those aches and pains in the future. You’ll also feel more relaxed, which can positively impact other areas of your life, like your work and relationships.

REJUVENATE & RESTORE WITH A FACIAL Don’t let the self-care stop with a massage. Your skin needs some attention after all these long, cold months, too. Cold air dries out exposed skin, which can leave it feeling rough, tight, uncomfortable, and thirsting for moisture. Restoring moisture to your skin with a hydrating facial is essential if you want that dewy spring glow and soft, supple skin.

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Not only can a licensed esthetician exfoliate your skin to slough off any dead skin cells, but they’ll also follow it up with a steam treatment or hydrating mask. Your skin will drink up the moisture. A hydrating seaweed facial will hydrate while also improving firmness and elasticity.

You’ll leave the spa with a ready-for-spring glow. Facials can do more than just restore your skin after winter, though.

Regular facials can help prevent breakouts, improve tone, and even give you a more youthful appearance.

Whether you need a massage to relieve your muscle aches, a facial to rejuvenate your skin, or both, the licensed massage therapists and estheticians at Massage LuXe in Carmel, IN, can help you feel refreshed and ready for spring. To schedule your deep tissue massage or seaweed facial, call (317) 203-3303. The spa is located at 11529 Spring Mill Road, #200. They’re open Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; and Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

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Q&A With

so much attention placed on

head injuries in sports, it’s time for some frank talk about concussions.

Dr. Catherine Reese

Dr. Sachin Mehta

Q: What is sports medicine?

fitness,

could result in chronic traumatic encephalopathy

prevention and treatment of sports- and exercise-

(CTE). While rare, CTE can result in physical,

related injuries. We offer a full spectrum of care –

emotional and behavioral problems.

A:

Sports

medicine

centers

from the brain and fluid. Repeated blows to the head around

everything from pre-participation sports physicals to recommending proper nutrition and providing therapy. Based on the evaluation of an injury, the physician may recommend physical or occupational therapy, orthotics, braces or basic follow-up care.

Q: How are concussions treated?

A: Most concussions heal on their own. Rest is usually the best treatment, and physicians may

schedule frequent follow-up appointments to check for additional complications.

Q: What is a concussion? How do I know if my child has one?

Q: Can only athletes benefit from sports

a blow to the head which may or may not result

A: Anyone can benefit from sports medicine. The

A: A concussion is a brain injury that occurs from in a loss of consciousness. Concussions can lead

medicine?

expertise and medicine applied to sports-and

to temporary cognitive symptoms. In order to

exercise-related injuries can be applied to patients

determine if your child has a concussion, look for

of various ages and abilities. Our number-one goal

confusion, headaches, lack of coordination, memory

is to return our patients to the highest level of body

loss, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, ringing in the ears

function possible.

or fatigue. Always check with a doctor if you suspect a concussion.

Q:

What

are

concussion?

Q: What are other common sports-related the

complications

from

a

injuries?

A: Aside from concussions, other common sports-

and exercise-related injuries include ankle sprains;

A: The most serious complications stemming from a

groin pulls; hamstring strains; shin splints; knee

traumatic brain injury is brain swelling and increased

injuries, such as ACL tears or patellofemoral

intracranial pressure, or pressure inside the skull

syndrome; and tennis elbow.

ABS O LUT E L IV IN GM AGAZ IN E .COM

15

a tropical escape

just add water.

Shake off the winter blues.

Cabin fever got you down? Your family’s tropical escape is just minutes away! At Goldfish, your kids will learn skills that last a lifetime while your family relaxes in our state-of-the-art facility featuring winter-friendly amenities including hair drying stations, swimsuit dryers and private changing rooms.

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INSPIRING

TRANSFORMATION Maria Van Dam and bodysculptRx

I

By Matthew Hume | Photography By Eduardo Peña | Artwork By Ismael Peña

nspiration can strike in the most unusual of ways. For Maria Van Dam and her business partner—and husband—Vince Van Dam, it was a blood clot that changed the course of their lives—for the better. “I had developed a blood clot from too much corporate travel, and Maria had to come down and pick me up in Florida,” Vince explains. “I hadn’t left my job yet, but that blood clot set us to planning.” In fact, they planned so hard that by the time they had made the drive back to Indiana, a preliminary business plan was in place for bodysculptRx. Of course, thankfully, it doesn’t always take a life-threatening situation to lead us to change. Maria (co-founder and clinical manager of bodysculptRx) and Michelle Baker (the med spa’s nutritionist and clinical dietitian) have made it their life calling to transform others through cleaner and healthier living, along with a hearty dose of motivational positivity. bodysculptRx opened its doors in December 2018, and it’s impossible to walk in without pretty quickly feeling more hopeful about your life situation. Maria’s and Michelle’s positive, experienced and non-judgmental attitudes play a significant role in this. Accompanying them, however, are countless inspirational quotations on the walls of the front waiting area, the consultation and treatment rooms—even the bathroom! (My personal favorite is, “Wash your hands, Jesus and germs are

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19

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everywhere.”) Maria explains the rationale behind this, and behind her entire attitude towards clients. “Michelle and I consider our most important mission to be each of our customer/client’s biggest support,” she says.

“People may or may not have that at home, and it can be easy to lose focus on your goals without a cheerleader.”

a hand in improving the health of others before a need for pharmaceutical intervention a rises.

“I love when people are happy and living their best lives,” she says. “It’s important for me as a person and as a clinician to love on people so they don’t forget to love on themselves, because if you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything.”

A CHEERLEADER FOR OTHERS Maria has been a cheerleader for others for much of her life. As an RN, she began her bedside nursing work over a decade ago, and while she has always loved the people-helping aspect of nursing, the physical demands required from those long shifts led her to wonder if there wasn’t a way to better use her gifts. “People naturally open up to me, and being a nurse was a way to use that for society’s benefit,” Maria says.

It’s especially gratifying now for Maria to have

The opening of bodysculptRx may have been exactly what Maria needed to “love on herself.”

Before embarking on this journey, she was working three jobs—“like a maniac” she says.

Of course, just as inspiration strikes in unusual ways, so are people unexpectedly placed on our paths to help us before we even know we need it. One of Maria’s jobs then was as the nurse for a young boy with special needs. “He had a tracheal tube, and I was his private nurse,” she says. “I would travel to school with him, he’s

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bodysculptRx is the Noblesville/ Westfield communities’ first complete med spa. Offerings include full-body diagnostic analysis, nutritional consultation, filler treatments, B-12 injections—a range of standard options. Beyond this, they offer CoolSculpting, customized health transformation programs, and the highest grade of CBD oil available. Not sure what those letters mean? You’re not alone. “Maria is an RN, and I was in medical sales for 30 years,” Vince says, “but a year ago neither of us knew about it.” In fact, CBD oil can be derived from hemp, and many sources suggest that while CBD oil has no measurable THC (the chemical in marijuana that leads to the high), it contains the same medicinal properties that medical marijuana has.

(And rest assured, since March 2018, it has been legal to buy, sell, and possess CBD oil in Indiana.)“It’s the holy grail’ in treating inflammation,” Vince explains. “And once the inflammation is under control, our bodies can get back to selfhealing.”

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such a good kid.” It just so happens that Michelle is his mother. “We became friends, and I learned she was a nutritionist. I always say that God plants a seed way before you ever see it come to fruition.” So when the time came to decide on staffing for their med spa, Vince and Maria called up Michelle to invite her to join the team as their dietitian.

HOLISTIC, CLIENT-FOCUSED PRACTICE We all can understand the frustration that goes along with areas of unwanted body fat. That’s what makes CoolSculpting (technically known as cryolipolysis) such an appealing cosmetic procedure. But Maria says that sometimes CoolSculpting isn’t the first step for their clients. “Our aim is to heal the whole body by guiding our clients on a natural, holistic path to overall wellness,” she says. Each client’s customized health transformation program starts with a physical assessment that provides a diagnostic account of such variables as water weight and muscle weight, and your first appointment (or walk-in visit) includes a collaborative dietary planning session with Michelle. “We work with everybody who walks in to help them identify and hold on to their reasons for making this transformation—what we like to call their ‘why,’” Maria tells me. “We’re not a band-aid approach—that’s not what we’re about. We offer a medically inclined approach to a healthier lifestyle.” And when your treatment plan has reached its end, your relationship with bodysculptRx continues on. “With their permission, when someone reaches their goal, we follow up with them for the next year, and they call to check in. We offer maintenance programs, too. It’s our greatest goal to get each client’s body back on track, reducing inflammation, and healing itself,” Maria explains.

Oh, and men—if you think that these treatments are exclusively for women, think again. Vince says that in their first seven weeks of being open, a whopping 95% of their clients have been men! (Check out the competition between 107.5FM “The Fan’s” Dan Dakich and Producer Kyle on bodysculptRx’s web page and Facebook page.) Maria jokes that men can be babies. “This doesn’t hurt, though, and men want to look and feel good, too!”

The future looks bright for the team at bodysculptRx—and it looks even brighter, perhaps, for the many clients whose lives have already been transformed through their dedicated and impassioned work.

Follow Maria and the team at bodysculptRx on Facebook @bodysculptrx.

Be sure to check out the video section—I recommend the interview with Joe and Kathy, two of bodysculptRx’s great success stories.

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Specialty Care Physicians

WELCOMING PATIENTS Sachin Mehta, MD, and Catherine Reese, MD, are accepting new patients in Carmel.

SACHIN MEHTA, MD

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

(317) 528-8494

Dr. Mehta is board-certified in brain injury medicine and physical medicine & rehabilitation. He specializes in neurologic and musculoskeletal rehab and works with patients recovering from stroke, brain injury, concussion and neck/back pain.

Dr. Reese has fellowship training in sports medicine and specializes in treating a number of sports-related injuries. She offers musculoskeletal ultrasound treatments and therapeutic ultrasound-guided procedures.

Watch video profiles of our physicians at FranciscanDocs.org.

Search by physician name.

CATHERINE REESE, MD Sports Medicine

(317) 781-1133

12188-B N. Meridian St. I Carmel, IN 46032

FranciscanDocs.org

Island Getaways The Caribbean

Ah,

the Caribbean...Can we ever really get enough? With its warm waters,

sandy shores, more relaxed pace of life, and, of course, great cocktails, the Caribbean always works, whether it’s a family vacation you’re planning with the whole crew or a romantic getaway for two. With so much destruction during Hurricanes Irma and Maria over a year ago, most of the best beaches and waterfront hotels are back in action, with quite a few of them even better than before. The perfect retreat for millions of tourists worldwide, the Caribbean not only offers up an amazing escape from cold winter climates but also creates memories to last for a lifetime.

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ST. MAARTEN This 37-square-mile island, ringed with white-sand beaches, has been living with a split personality since 1648, when it became the smallest parcel of land to be peaceably shared by two countries: France and the Netherlands. When you visit St. Maarten, the Dutch side in the south, it bustles with sprawling resorts, wide boardwalks, lively beach bars, and late-night casinos. Meanwhile, sleepy French St. Martin, with its harbor full of brightly colored boats and houses built up into the cliffs, is reminiscent of a Mediterranean fishing village. Thanks to the French influence, you'll also find some of the best food in the Caribbean.

WHEN TO GO: The peak season begins in December and ends around mid-April, as frozen travelers from the United States and Canada flock here to escape the cold at home. One of the island's most famous events, the Heineken Regatta, takes place in March. Travel to St. Maarten drops off between July and October, hurricane season in the Caribbean.

THINGS TO DO: • St. Maarten Museum • Sailing • Diving and snorkeling • St. Maarten nightlife • Shopping • Windsurfing

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ANGUILLA Anguilla travel offers a mix of everything. The Caribbean island, like many of its neighboring islands, has watched new vacation properties and resorts shoot up along its beaches. Despite that, Anguilla, unlike many of its neighboring islands, hasn’t lost its local charm and authenticity. In other words, while the island depends on luxury tourism—many rich and famous people frequently travel to Anguilla—it hasn’t lost its soul to consumerism.

WHEN TO GO: Anguilla enjoys warm, comfortable temperatures nearly year-round, so make your Anguilla travel plans at your leisure. Keep in mind, however that the island’s peak tourist season lasts from December to mid-April; because of the increased demand, prices tend to shoot up considerably during this time. Those looking for a deal should

28

visit Anguilla between May and August, when prices remain fairly reasonable and before the island’s hurricane season hits.

THINGS TO DO: • Lounging at any one of the island’s numerous, pristine white beaches • Scuba diving or snorkeling, a good way to view the island’s surrounding coral reefs, which are teeming with sea life • Learning about the island’s history at the Heritage Collection museum • Horseback riding on the beach

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ST. LUCIA Palm-fringed beaches, majestic Piton Mountains, and endless waterfall-dotted rainforest draw travelers from all over the world to visit St. Lucia, off the Central American coast. The island's East Indian, French, English, and African heritage mean its culture and music traditions are especially rich; active pursuits, meanwhile, vary from strolling serene botanic gardens to diving into thrilling watersports.

WHEN TO GO: Expect a moderate, warm climate throughout the year.

• December—April is the ideal time to visit temperaturewise.

• If you're on a budget, consider April—early December. But remember, this is a beach destination and June—early December sees high humidity/heavy rainfall.

• January—June is the best time for dry weather and sunshine.

• April—June is less crowded and relatively affordable.

• Summer is an excellent time to visit, if you don't mind all of the tourists.

THINGS TO DO: While it's tempting to spend all of your time sipping a rum cocktail at your resort, travel to St. Lucia demands you do more. Sunbathe on a white-sand beach, hike rainforest-covered mountains, or try rock-climbing.

Put the following on your St. Lucia travel list: • Piton mountains • Sulphur Springs (try mud-bathing) • Pigeon Island National Park • Fort Rhodney • Castries market • The former French port of Soufrière • Marigot Bay and Gros Isle

St. Lucia, off the Central American coast, boasts a moderate and warm climate all year long.

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GRAND CAYMAN As the largest of the Cayman Islands and the one most frequented by tourists, Grand Cayman may seem more like a wealthy American metropolis than a slice of Caribbean paradise. But a visit to Grand Cayman is not without its charms, in the form of beautiful beaches, world-class dining, and some of the most luxurious resorts in the Caribbean.

Beyond the glitz of George Town and the crowds at Seven Mile Beach, there’s a lot to explore when you travel to Grand Cayman— exquisite local flora and fauna, hidden beaches tucked away from tourist foot traffic, parties that erupt at a moment’s notice, and museums nestled into historic homes, giving the briefest of nods to the island’s British heritage.

WHEN TO GO: The preferred time to make Grand Cayman travel plans is during the winter, when the tropical climate is the most pleasant and the days are warm and dry. April and May are the driest months of the year. Economically, the best time to travel to Grand Cayman may be in May through July, when hotel rates drop and you’ll find fewer crowds. However, this period coincides with the rainy season, when storms, strong winds and hurricanes are more common. May through July marks Grand Cayman’s rainy season, while June through November is hurricane season THINGS TO DO: • Lounging by the ocean at Seven Mile Beach • Visiting Pedro St. James, the oldest building on the island and the Cayman “birthplace of democracy” • Seeing the orchards –and the iguanas –at the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park • Hiking the Mastic Trail • Exploring the pirate caves in Bodden Town • Sampling a rum cake at Tortuga Rum Co. • In May, watching the family-friendly Batabano Carnival unfold.

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SALADS | PASTA | SANDWICHES & WRAPS | FLATBREADS | DEEERTS | AAETIZERS | SOUPS | DRINKS | SALADS | PASTA | SANDWICHES & WRAPS | FLATBREADS | DEEERTS | AAETIZERS | SOUPS | DRINKS | SALADS | PASTA | deeerts SANDWICHES & WRAPS | FLATBREADS | sal DEEERTS | AAETIZERS | SOUPS | DRINKS | FL SALADS | PASTA | SANDWICHES & WRAPS | des INDIANAPOLIS

4705 East 96th Strrt | 317.571.0077

GRRNWWD

1691 West Cuuy Road | 317.881.0500

Bier Brewery North: A Destination All Its Own

By Matthew Hume | Photography By Eduardo Peña | Artwork By Ismael Peña

Bier Brewery North (13720 N. Meridian Street, Carmel) opened its doors in November 2018. If you haven’t yet experienced Bier’s award-winning brews, don’t delay—your palate will be forever grateful to you.

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I won’t deny it—I love beer. But to be honest, I didn’t know much about Bier Brewery, except that it was an award-winning local brewery and that I’d spent a delightfully refreshing summer afternoon out in the parking lot of their Bier Brewery & Taproom on 65th Street in Indianapolis a few years ago, drinking some fine beer and relishing life among good friends. Little did I know that my experience being in community with friends in their parking lot that warm day falls right in line with the neighborly vibe that Bier Brewery, and their recently opened Carmel venture, Bier Brewery North, have always been eager to foster.

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BIER: IT’S ALL IN THE FAMILY Spending some time recently with Jerry Connor, Bier Brewery’s co-owner and cofounder, I quickly picked up on the fact that Bier has been a family affair from the very beginning. “When my son Darren wanted to open a brewery back in 2009/2010, I was really excited to get his business plan going,” he tells me. “It was fun working collaboratively with him to flesh out ideas and processes.”

Even now, while head brewer and co-owner Darren takes responsibility for everything on the brewing side, the father and son work together on big budget decisions, such as acquiring new technology. “There’s a collective family vision aspect to everything we do, ”says Jerry. Perhaps it’s that collective dedication to the craft that contributes to the warmth emanating from every corner of recently opened Bier Brewery North, from every employee, and I daresay, every patron, in the room. I mean, after all, it’s hard not to be happy with beer that tastes this good. (I’m really trying to be objective.)

When Darren was a freshman in college, Jerry says he faced a difficult decision. “He was having a hard time choosing between paying for a fake ID or investing in a home-brew kit,” Jerry tells me, smiling. Thank goodness for fans of Bier, he went the do-it-yourself route, and a passion for brewing quickly emerged.

When I walked into Bier Brewery North recently, Chip was in the midst of showing Jerry the fresh chalk artwork on the beer menu board behind the bar (a remarkably accurate rendering of Bill Lumbergh).

I quickly learned Sarah Buschmann was the artist behind the Office Space-themed promotion of Bier North’s new Mug Club. A few minutes into Jerry’s and my conversation, up walked Sarah herself to conduct a bit of business, and I joked with her that I bet she did more than draw the boards for the brewery. Indeed, Sarah manages the 65th Street location, as well as handling all web and graphic design for both locations, including their can designs. Jerry informed me that she’d been with Bier for six years—almost since the beginning—and that Darren knew her for a while. It’s one tight-knit bunch of awesomeness, the Bier Brewery gang.

“My wife and I had always encouraged our kids to give their all to something, and Darren was never enthralled with sports,” Jerry recalls, “but his competitive spirit really took off with beer making.

He couldn’t get enough information on the process.” In his early days of brewing, years before opening Bier’s first manifestation as a nano brewery in 2010 (with only a 1½ barrel capacity), Darren spent several years under the tutelage of a German beer maker at Bloomington Brewing, who taught him the ins and outs of brewing technology. He furthered his education in the almost 10 years he worked at Great Fermentations (5127 E. 65th Street, Indianapolis).

It was during these years that the stage was set for the flourishing of an award-winning brewing career.

With such a small initial capacity to brew in those early days, Jerry and Darren faced the unfortunate, yet enviable, position of having to close down from time to time for lack of beer to sell to their growing community of Bier fans. Within a year, their capacity first doubled, then increased to 8 barrels, and 2 ½ years ago, Bier Brewery expanded to a 40-barrel system. “About that same time, we also started canning and distributing,” Jerry tells me. And as the brewery’s production capacity grew, so did family involvement in the business. Darren’s younger brother Ryan, now their director of sale and an owner, became involved in operations while he was in college, and their sister Leah, who had two young children during Bier’s own infancy, would work weekends—now she’s the ABS O LUT E L IV IN GM AGAZ IN E .COM

Jerry and Darren, along with the entire team at Bier Brewery & Taproom and Bier Brewery North, clearly understand what makes beer work. I asked Jerry how it could be that I enjoyed some IPAs with a high IBU even though I don’t like the bitter flavor that is so characteristic of “hoppy” beers. “There’s so many kinds of hops,” he explains. “Some have the flavor right up front on the palate, and others come along at the backend. The key is to find the right combination of hops, to balance them out on the palate.”

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taproom manager for Bier Brewery North and an owner as well. Truly, Bier Brewery and Bier Brewery North would be nothing without the strong family involvement and impeccable focus on quality that brought them onto the seriousbeer scene in an award-winning way.

CARMEL, REJOICE! BIER BREWERY NORTH Touting a wall full of prestigious state, national, and international awards, 96 in all so far, including the Indiana Brewer’s Cup (won after only 7 months in business), multiple World Beer Cups (including two gold medals in 2016), and a gold medal at the 2015 Great American Beer Fest, Bier Brewery was clearly poised for expansion. “We had been scoping out new location spots for years,” Jerry says, “and we really liked this unit for its location off of US 31 and its great parking lot. Plus, the number of homes in a 3-mile radius lends itself to be the right spot.” And while that bit about the parking lot may sound a little strange, a spacious lot is vital to that spirit of community so integral to Bier’s character. Long-time Bier patron Chip Edgington, coowner of Bier Brewery North and a welcome addition, along with his wife Pam, to the Bier family, almost giddily shared with me his anticipation for spring, when Bier North looks to take advantage of that prime parking lot, so close

36

to the Monon Trail, by partnering up with local running and cycling clubs to host events. Having a destination pizzeria nearby doesn’t hurt Bier North’s location either.

“Puccini’s has been in this retail strip for years,” Jerry says. “In time, we hope Bier Brewery North will become a destination on its own.”

Knowing what I now know about Bier Brewery, I doubt that will be difficult to achieve. As Jerry

and I chatted mid-afternoon, comfortably seated on leather couches towards the front of the bar, near its large east-facing windows, over a smooth Irish red ale that Jerry picked out especially for me after I shared my beer-drinking preferences, some regular patrons started to trickle in. Some made for the bar, and others took their laptops to corner tables to finish up their day’s

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work over a pint. Bier Brewery North’s spaciousness offers ample seating, still with enough space between seating areas to allow for a semblance of privacy even at busy times. And if the space weren’t already welcoming enough, Jerry prides himself on the diversity of beer choices that Bier always makes available. “I love the challenge of someone telling me, ‘I don’t like beer,’” he jokes.

“We run the gamut from light and fruity, to dark stouts and IPAs, so there’s something for everyone. There’s even the occasional tried and true wine drinker who ends up liking IPAs— that’s always a shock!”

So, what are the next steps for Bier Brewery?

Well, let’s be very glad we live in Indiana, because Jerry says the team is in no hurry to take their beer beyond state lines—for now, at least. “We’ll go wherever the journey takes us,” he says, calmly and with certainty, “but we will never force the process.”

Perhaps that’s also part of the secret to Bier Brewery’s awesomeness. It seems to me that while Jerry is rightfully pleased with the success of their production and demonstrably proud of the nearly 100 awards won from all over the world, no one involved with Bier’s brewing and operation has ever been distracted from the most important aspect of their brand’s recipe. As Jerry said to me, in all seriousness: “It’s all about the beer.”

***********

Introducing European Architectural Products into the Central Indiana Market

Franklin Window & Door Holds Exclusive Designer Event.

F

ranklin Window & Door, based in Carmel, Indiana, is expanding their portfolio with a new European Architectural Products offering called Lorenzo Finestre.

Lorenzo Finestre is partnering with manufacturers from Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and all over Europe to help bring their offerings not only to central Indiana but throughout North America.

The portfolio includes product offerings such as exterior doors, interior

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doors, steel windows, window tapestries and designer lighting, all crafted with European excellence.

Local designers, including Gary Nance with Gary Nance Designs, have been specifying European Architectural Products for some time now for their discerning clientele. Gary states,“I have clients who travel extensively and can see firsthand the quality and craftsmanship. Until now I had to source these products from New York, Miami or

ABS O LUT E L IV IN GM AGAZ IN E .COM

LA. It is exciting that these offerings are now available locally!”

Some of the brands in the Lorenzo Finestre portfolio include Oikos Security Doors from Venice, Kundalini Lighting from Milan, Xinnix Interior Doors & Squid Window Coverings from Belgium, and Steel Windows from the Netherlands just to name a few.

Franklin Window & Door just hosted an exclusive evening for Indianapolis’s most prominent designers featuring

Lorenzo Finestre, Kundalini Lighting and Squid Window Coverings.

The new Lorenzo Finestre showroom will be opening in Carmel mid-summer and will be hosting quarterly design events for architects, designers and professionals in the luxury architectural fields.

If you would like to learn more about the newest trends and design options & styles available, check out FranklinWindowAndDoor. com or give us a call at 317-993-3660.

You can also visit our showroom at 1069 3rd Ave SW in Carmel.

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GREAT Outdoors Enjoy al fresco living in perfect outdoor style.

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Ehrlich 5 Piece Dining Set AllModern Teak/Metal Lounge Collection Crate & Barrel

3 1. Paloma Aluminum Collection Restoration Hardware 2. Morocco Graphite Sofa & Ottoman Crate & Barrel 3. Ixtapa Loveseat CB2

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Invest in good quality rust and weather resistant garden furniture that will last more than one season. Cover it up in the rain for longevity.

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Glass hurricanes are the perfect accent on an outdoor dining, coffee or side table.

Double Hammock Taj Collection Lujo Living

Cast Small Concrete End Table Crate & Barrel

Swing and sway into a relaxing afternoon.

A hammock takes you into a blissful serenity.

Comfort and daydreams guaranteed.

HOME

COMFORT Eliott Swing Chair with Stand AllModern

Figueres Hurricanes CB2

Get outside and relax after a long day. Even the smallest garden or terrace can be turned into a beautiful outdoor space.

Make your outdoor patio complete with a mixture of decorative planters and textiles. Greys and whites add sophistication.

Origami Planters west elm

Its generous makook.

proportions

Spring

is right around

the corner

11405 Allisonville Rd Fishers, IN 46038 317.849.4490 allisonvillegarden.com

INTRODUCING THE HENLEY T H E P E R F E C T C O M B I N AT I O N O F S O P H I S T I C AT I O N + C O M F O R T

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THE HENLEY IS A STATEMENT PIECE, COMMANDING ATTENTION FROM EVERY ANGLE. Its generously proportioned back and seat cushions deliver on comfort while the narrow, soft curve of the arm brings a smooth, updated look. A stunning, tapered high-leg base surrounds the entire sofa and is available in metal or three wood finishes.

Available in sofa, sectional, and ottoman in leather or fabric.

Shown with our most popular Aaron Chair.

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NEW ADDRESS 4905 E. 82nd Street Indianapolis, IN 46250 317.578.7000 Mon. to Fri.10 - 7 Sat. 10-6 Sun. 12-5

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