6 Mixologists in the Making On Thursday, March 16—perfect timing ahead of St. Patrick’s Day—Gypsy Distillery of Petoskey is hosting their first-ever cocktail making class. Whether you have your own beverage cart at home (and know how to use it) or you have always relied on bartenders for a great drink, there’s something for everyone in this class that covers the history and science of making a great cocktail. You’ll learn some of the classic recipes, plus how to create your own signature drink. (Everyone needs one of those!) Ingredients will be provided, including an opportunity to build a personalized Gypsy Vodka Infusion that goes home with you and your new cocktail recipes. The class ($60) runs from 7-8:30pm—be sure to arrive and check in at 6:30pm—at the distillery’s 5251 Charlevoix Avenue location in Petoskey. Visit eventbrite.com and search “Gypsy Distillery” for more
Stuff We Love: Supreme Slumber Parties You know about renting bouncy houses for birthday parties and giant floaties for pool parties. But what about tents, fairy lights, and piles of cozy blankets and pillows for slumber parties? The newly-launched Dreams and Themes Sleepovers of Traverse City is ready to quite literally make dreams come true. Started by Tara Rybicki and Rhiannon Barr, the party business offers set up and tear down of a magical scene for the kiddos, complete with fun add-ons like a candy cart, gumball machine, or a Polaroid selfie station. The founders both have kids in the sleepover age group, so much of their inspiration and product testing comes straight from their (very honest) target audience. That’s why décor themes include Unicorn and Rainbows, Under the Sea, Gamers’ Paradise, and several others, with more to be added as the business grows. More details for party planning fun can be found at dreamsandthemessleepovers.com.
Bringing Boyne Trails Together This spring, bikers and walkers will find a new path running through downtown Boyne City. Thanks to a partnership between Leadership Charlevoix County (LCC) and Top of Michigan Trails Council (TOMTC), a new connector trail is in the works to link up the Boyne Valley Trail and the Boyne City to Charlevoix Trail. The route for this trail segment has been selected, and the organizations leading the charge are now working on fundraising and wayfinding signage, the latter of which will feature information to direct trail users to local businesses and different points of interest in Boyne City. LCC and TOMTC are hopeful that time and funding will also allow tackle other signage and trail marker projects along the Boyne City to Charlevoix Trail and the Little Traverse Wheelway. To learn more about the project, visit LCC’s website at leadershipcharlevoixcounty.com/community-service-project.html.
8
Oh, So Lucky March 17 - 23 Irish Pop-up Restaurant
CITYPARKGRILL.com DOWNTOWN PETOSKEY
bottoms up The Filling Station’s Union Street Vanilla Brown Ale The brown ale has fallen by the wayside a bit as far as beer styles go, a victim of the wild popularity of IPAs and some impressive growth in the specialty barrel-aged stout market. These days, it’s not even a guarantee that there will be a single brown ale on a brewery’s tap list, let alone a superb example of the form. Traverse City’s The Filling Station Microbrewery is an exception, with the Union Street Vanilla Brown Ale standing as easily one of the most well-rounded beers on the menu. For this one, Filling Station brewers took their existing Union Brown Ale—already a solid beer—and added Madagascar vanilla beans. The result has all the malty, flavorful goodness of a nice, smooth, drinkable brown ale with the added dessert notes of chocolate and vanilla that you get from a good stout. And at 5.6 percent ABV, you can even enjoy a few of them in a row! Find it at 642 Railroad Place in Traverse City. (231) 946-8168, thefillingstationmicrobrewery.com
Northern Express Weekly • march 13, 2023 • 5