[BeerAdvocate] 
If you've never heard of Green Flash Brewing Co. out of Vista, Calif., let this be an introduction. And once you try their brews, you'll never forget them. Even their motto backs this up: "Taste it once, remember it forever."
Sounds a bit cheesy, but we'll cut 'em some slack as Green Flash is brewing one of the best IPAs of not only the west coast, but arguably the country. Their West Coast IPA is basically the quintessential example of American over-the-top hopping found in many modern-day India Pale Ales.
[The Second Glass] 
She gave you life; buy her a drink
This Mother's Day, while you're imbibing over eggs benedict at an elegant restaurant (you did make reservations, right?), we suggest opting for some bubbly. It's a subtle and classy way to say, "Thanks for raising me, Mom; now let's get drunk—I mean, celebrate—in the middle of the day." There are many options to choose from, including Champagne, sparkling wine and the vitamin C-laced mimosa. Below, we cover the brunchy basics. You're on your own (with some alcoholic fortitude) for the inevitable "ugh, can we not talk about that, Mom?" conversations.
[Greenland] 
Give green greens
Giving someone a bunch of their favorite blooms should not make you (or them) feel guilty. But just because they're "from nature" does not mean the gift is natural. The pesticides and energy involved in growing tulips and shipping them to your corner florist aren't insignificant. If blossoms are a must, try taking the green(er) route and buy or ship your loved one an organic bouquet. These flower arrangements are shipped locally, grown organically by Fair Trade farmers, and packaged in environmentally responsible vases, tissue paper and boxes.
[Shop Talk] 
Throw out your toaster oven: Fu's illustrated papers warm hearts faster
Perhaps, in the thick of sending internets all day with unblinking rapidity, we've lost something significant found only within the realm of the handwritten, the hand-drawn. How else to explain the instinctual gravitation toward the cheeky, detailed, simple-but-witty drawings festooned on creamy paper goods from Felix Doolittle? From note cards and invitations to labels and bookplates (how, exactly, have you been living without bookplates?), the illustrated series oozes with colorful charm without a drop of saccharine.
[Check It Out] 
Freewheelin' with the Dutch Bicycle Company
Spend any time with Dan Sorger and Maria Salve, the visionary husband-and-wife team behind the Dutch Bicycle company, and you can't help but feel a compulsion to hop on a bike and roll.
[Drinks] 
Toasting the broads of LUPEC
With the proper mix of wit, invention and charity with plenty of sass to spare, Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails (otherwise known as LUPEC, Boston's first and only female-oriented cocktail society), want nothing more than for others to enjoy and appreciate the storied history of drink. Through writings and events, they work steadfast for the cause.
[Eats] 
The masterminds behind the stinky and sublime
NO. 9 PARK | JESSICA KINNEY
No. 9 Park house manager Jessica Kinney holds the reins of the cheese programs at No. 9 Park and The Butcher Shop. Kinney meets weekly with waitstaff to review the current offerings and explain the complexities involved in choosing and serving each cheese. Working with Great Barrington cheesemonger Matt Rubiner and the affineurs at Formaggio Kitchen, Kinney also coordinates her selections with wine director Cat Silirie. Kinney notes that it's not just the varieties of milk types and cheesemaking styles that make cheese a perfect and interesting end to the meal: "Cheese is about history, geography, people."
[BeerAdvocate] 
Otter San is part of Otter Creek Brewing's World Tour series in which their Middlebury, Vt.,-based otter mascot travels the world, a project where brewmaster Steve Parkes explores unique beer styles often met with experimental twists.
This 11th stop took them to Japan and resulted in a Japanese-style beer brewed with Pilsner malt, Hallertauer hops, rice, authentic Koji and sake yeast. Despite some snobbery about using rice as a brewing adjunct, it's quite traditional and common in Japan as the soul of its famous sake.
[The Second Glass] 
To the winer goes the spoils
Every month at Gordon's Fine Wine and Culinary Center in Waltham, two wine heavyweights from the biggest restaurants in Boston do battle. Louis DiBiccari and Ian Grossman from Sel de la Terre prepare a four-course feast of curveball dishes, and the sommeliers have only four minutes to pick a wine from Gordon's inventory to best match the food. Votes cast by a crowd of paying, tasting spectators ultimately declare the winner. Sandy Block, master of wine and VP of Beverage Operations at Legal Sea Foods, was in attendance at the most recent Smackdown.
[Eats] 
Katy Childs
Josh and Katy Childs opened their restaurant and bar, Silvertone, in 1997 during downtown Boston's relative era of sketch. Housed underground on a dark side street, the place could have been tsked away as wrong place, wrong time. Despite all odds, it has evolved to be one of the city's finest hidden gems, home to celebrated bartenders (including legendary Cedric Adams), a handy bevy of wine half-bottles and dim-lit conviviality among cushy booths. I spoke with co-owner Katy Childs.
