17 minute read
Beer Matters
30 | SAND& PINE MAGAZINE February/March 2020 T he wide difference of alcohol laws from state to state is one of the most frustrating aspects about working in the alcohol industry. This frustration gets exacerbated when working near a tourist attraction— looking at you Pinehurst No. 2! I have seen countless sad faces from golfers trying to buy Tito’s at Triangle Wine on a Saturday after 8 p.m.
When Prohibition was repealed at the federal level, the government left it up to the states to decide how they would regulate alcohol. Born from this transition came the advent of the threetier system (producers, wholesalers, retailers).
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Retailers are licensed by the state, through the Alcohol Beverage Control Commission, to sell you beer and wine. The state controls liquor sales with the state-run ABC stores. There are currently 19,596 licensed locations in North Carolina where you can buy booze. If you want to start a business in this industry, you will first need to figure out what kind of alcohol sales you want. Triangle Wine, for example, has four ABC permits. Two allow you to consume beer and wine inside the store (on-premise), and two allow you to buy beer and wine to go (off-premise).
Most of the 19,000 licensed retailers are on-premise bars/ restaurants. These licenses are not cheap. The state collected $22,998,308 in renewals and registration fees last year. Retailers like Triangle Wine can buy their beer from two groups, wholesalers (distributors) and producers (breweries). People are often in awe at the size of the beer selection at Triangle and assume they can get just about any brand of beer. That’s not how things work. A retailer can only buy direct from a brewery, if the brewery is small enough to be considered a self-distributing brewery. I’ll cover more of that later. The rest of the beer is purchased through the wholesaler tier.
Of the three tiers, the wholesaler is the most unknown or misunderstood. It is truly the thankless job within the alcohol industry. I’m willing to bet that 1 percent of people reading this article never once thought about how the beer they are drinking made it to the point of sale. The delivery drivers usually get on the road before 5 a.m. to make the trek down to Moore County, and their summer days are spent dripping in sweat, hauling 165-pound kegs around. If you are drinking a beer that was produced outside of North Carolina, it was sold to the retailer through the wholesale tier.
This tier is made up of companies that scour the world outside of our state’s borders to bring you exciting brands. It is a race to buy up the rights to sell certain brands. If an out-of-state brewery, say Modern Times from San Diego, enters into a contractual sales relationship with a wholesaler, it is usually binding and incredibly hard to dissolve. And most wholesalers cannot cover an entire state, so a brewery might need three to four different wholesalers to cover the state. To add even more confusion, those three to four different wholesalers might decide to buy different beers from the same brewery. That is why you might find a different selection in Raleigh or Charlotte that you can’t buy locally. Legally, retailers in Moore County can only buy from the same set of wholesalers. This is the reason there isn’t much of a variety between the stores. Everyone has access to the same brands. Breweries are the producer tier. North Carolina breweries that produce over 25,000 barrels, equivalent to 50,000 large kegs, must enter into a contract with a wholesaler. If they fall below the 25,000 barrel limit, the brewery is legally allowed to distribute and sell their own beer within the state. If they want to sell outside of the state, or if a brewery from another state wants to sell inside North Carolina, they must enter into a contract with a wholesaler.
For a specific beer to be sold inside North Carolina, two things have to align. The brewery must want to sell inside North Carolina and pay North Carolina taxes, and the wholesaler has to want to take on the added burden of receiving, storing, selling and shipping another beer brand in an already crowded market. This is why you cannot find Moose Drool Brown Ale sold in North Carolina.
The three-tier model is an ecosystem all to itself. One that requires balance in an ever-changing landscape of beverage offerings. While it’s easy to become frustrated that you cannot always legally purchase the booze you want, it’s important to realize that without the three-tier system, the largest companies could make it impossible for some of your local favorites to even exist. Why can't I get that awesome beer from Montana? BY JASON DICKINSON, CERTIFIED CICERONE®
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Be Inspired ( )
Creative Creatures
BY CHRISTIN DAUBERT
Creativity can be a funny little thing. We may not think much in regards to developing it, or perhaps, even exploring it. Yet we all have an intrinsic presence of creativity within us. And what’s more, I honestly feel that creativity is a muscle. It can be toned and it can be strengthened. The key is to explore and allow our creativity to grow and change as we grow and change.
From a young age, I delighted in my imagination; I wrote, painted and preferred books to television. My creativity kept me busy inside my head, fully aware the world could be my canvas. I created stories in the clouds and memorized poems. Luckily, as an adult, curiosity and creativity are still two of my dearest friends. I dipped my toes into the world of abstract art for no other reason than the curiosity of what it might feel like to move paint with a palette knife instead of a brush.
I once heard the quote, “The creative adult is the child who survived.” Ursula Le Guin, prized author, wrote those words and they have stayed with me for years. It is with childlike wonder that we can play with concepts in our reality. With exploration, some big and beautiful things can happen. But also, some really lackluster and epically awful things can happen. If I had a dollar for every canvas I looked at after painting and thought, “Seriously Christin, what were you thinking with those colors” or “Oof, if people saw this they would definitely not think you’re a real artist.” Well, you know, I’d be rich! But the missteps and the blunders are part of the process and so is “failing”—even though you can’t actually fail when it comes to creativity. It took me time to understand that but now I’m able to play with a creative identity that is extremely freeing.
A big part of freedom comes from the process of exploring our creativity. It was this very concept that created community abstract art nights, led with fellow creative Grace Crawford. We call it “A Night with the Makers.” There, we partner with local businesses who host us and the participants for a few hours of creative goodness. There is paint and plenty of tools to get everyone’s artistic
interests piqued. We model our favorite creative techniques and set the group free to let their creativity flow. These events are BYOB—which is especially helpful for anyone who struggles to accept that they too, are inherently creative beings. As I mentioned, using our creativity strengthens it. This became true for me when I was asked last winter to create a piece of art for R. Riveter, which they then turned my commissioned art into handbags. Knowing I could potentially see my art out and about town made me feel slightly dumbfounded. I was intimidated, of course, but I shoved the
www.SandandPineMag.com | 33 fear aside and built one of my favorite pieces to date. The culminating event from the handbag launch—a makers and mojitos celebration—was such fun and successful that it inspired me to step out of my comfort zone (again) and plan a winter holiday maker’s market.
Creating art for R. Riveter and cohosting those abstract art nights toned my creative muscle. I saw artists and makers blossom, and I began to come up with other ways this community could support both its budding and established artists. It was around the same time I started thinking about the Maker’s Holiday Market that a fellow creative mentioned how enjoyable an art walk would be in Southern Pines. I could not have agreed more and got to work partnering local artists with businesses to create a live art event for our community. The caliber of artists and craftsmen that took part in both of these events was nothing short of extraordinary and made it abundantly clear that our area is booming with creativity.
And that, dear reader, is what I hope to explore with you in this column. I want you to feel a radical freedom and (if needed) wild permission to create. Our community buzzes with creativity, and I could not be more excited to highlight, showcase and dig into what it means to be creative. Whether with paint or words, music or decor, photography or in organization, creativity is everywhere. Most importantly, creativity deserves exploring.
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Parenting Pines IN THE
Sensitivity Training
BY AMANDA ODEN
W
WHEN the ultrasound tech informed me that our second child was going to be a boy I burst into tears. For those first few months of my pregnancy, I said what most expectant mothers say when someone— usually a total stranger—asks, “Are you hoping for a girl or a boy?”: I dutifully respond, “Either way as long as they are healthy.”
And while, at its core, that sentiment was absolutely true (of course my child’s health was my primary concern), I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t wishing heavily for another daughter. My emotional reaction, which, in retrospect, was mostly due to the wildly fluctuating hormones only the very pregnant can understand, startled the poor ultrasound technician. It should be noted that just a week before that doctor’s visit, I had a very similar, equally tear-filled reaction when the drivethru employee at Taco Bell informed me they were out of sour cream for my Nachos
Bell Grande. Pregnancy cravings are a real thing, y’all!
The truth is I was scared—not about the nachos, but about the pressure of wanting to raise a sensitive and empathetic boy in a world that didn’t seem to encourage those traits in males. So, with these concerns hovering over me, I decided to seek advice from my 86-year-old granny. Having raised four daughters and three sons over a span of three decades, she seemed like someone that would know a thing or two about parenting. She listened to all my concerns, chuckled heartily and said, “I don’t know what you’re getting so worked up about, they all soil their diapers the same. You’ll see!” (Full disclosure: Granny used a word other than “soil,” but after changing diapers for seven children I think she’s earned the right to use any language she chooses). Granny was right. I needed to stop focusing on the differences of boys versus girls, and just lean into the similarities.
During my “nesting” phase, I went around like a madwoman, cleaning and organizing. Projects that I’d put off for two trimesters, I tackled with an energy that at times scared my husband and toddler. One project was to go through my daughter’s baby clothes and decide what to keep and what to donate. I was up to my eyeballs in baby onesies when my mom offered to come up and help me sort. Because she was the culprit who purchased the majority of this hoard of baby clothes, I happily welcomed her assistance with the task. The dresses were the first to go. Then anything with frills or bows. I had a hard time with the colors. Was lavender too feminine? Pink? Teddy bears and dinosaurs were fine for both, but were bunnies? It was trickier than I thought. Lastly the socks. We had somehow amassed a ton of socks. Lace I decided could go. The polka-dots and flowers could stay. They were socks that were going on a foot, inside a shoe and it seemed silly to care. My mom bristled. “You can’t put him in flower socks! What will people think?” By that point I was cranky. “They will think flowers are pretty and his mother was too cheap to buy new socks.”
My daughter, at 3, happily carries a toy drill inside her glittery dinosaur purse. She pretends to be a ninja superhero one minute and a beautiful princess the next. Just yesterday, while playing at the park, she complimented another little girl and told her what a “strong woman” she was. I think we have done a good job of teaching her she can be anything she dreams of. My son, now 1, is such a delight. I regret how silly I was hoping for another girl all those months. He is at an age where he is mimicking everything. He pretends to sizzle steaks when his dad is cooking.
will think. For now I am following my Granny’s advice and focusing on the ways I can raise them the same. They are both kind and silly and affectionate.
I’m fortunate that the sock issue has resolved itself in a way. My son refuses to keep his socks on his feet. Flowers or stripes, no matter, they all end up shoved under his car seat or left in a trail behind us at the supermarket. And in that way, especially, I think all children are the same. S P
He likes to sit on the bathroom floor while I do my makeup and play with my brushes, sometimes pantomiming putting on lipstick. His sister has hero status and he loves nothing more than when she pays attention to him, kicking a ball, wrestling on the floor or wriggling into tutus and “fancy dancing” around the living room.
Right now they are small enough that all they really know is in our house is that there’s no such thing as “girl toys” or “boy clothes.” But I know the day is fast approaching when the messages they receive from the outside world will seem louder or take on more weight, and it breaks my heart to think that either of my kids would someday be discouraged from trying an activity, sport or outfit because they are afraid of what people
Pet Care
D R . DA N A VA M VA K I A S , VA N G UA R D V E T H O S P I TA L
With so much chocolate floating around this time of year, will my dog really die from eating it? Q
AThe better question is “can” chocolate kill my dog, and the simple answer is “yes,” but few things in veterinary medicine are truly black and white. The toxic effects of chocolate are mainly related to a substance in the sweet treat called theobromine. Clinical signs of theobromine toxicity include nervous system signs such as tremors and seizures, and heart signs such as a fast heart rate and abnormal rhythms, all
of which can lead to death. The fat, sugar and caffeine in chocolate can cause additional medical issues such as agitation, vomiting and diarrhea.
The gray part of this answer: not every chocolate has the same amount of theobromine and depending on the weight of your dog, they can consume different amounts before it is deadly. Milk chocolate only has about 44 mg per ounce of theobromine, where semi-sweet chocolate has 150 mg per ounce and baking chocolate has 390 mg per ounce. The darker the chocolate, the more dangerous it is. The lethal dose level for dogs is around 450 mg of theobromine per 10 pounds of your dog’s weight. Some clinical signs can and will be present with some lesser doses, but every dog is different. For example, your 10-pound chihuahua eating a single Hershey kiss will not die but may get some stomach issues; but if they consume a bag of kisses (12 ounces), the outcome could prove fatal. Luckily, you can find several “chocolate calculators” online that allow you to put in your dog’s weight, the type of chocolate ate and amount consumed, and then tells you when you need to seek out your veterinarian. The best example I can leave you with is one Valentine’s Day we were assembling treat bags for one of my son’s classes in his room. He had three bags of unopened Hershey kisses for the project, so 36 ounces of kisses. He didn’t shut his bedroom door and my 90-pound Doberman ate every single kiss. These Hershey kisses were milk chocolate, so 36 ounces contained 1,584 mg of theobromine (lethal dose would be 4,000 mg). The kids panicked and wanted me to immediately start emergency treatment. Instead I said that maybe the lesson was learning to shut their bedroom door and not leave things out for the dog to eat (you notice I am not writing a parenting column). In any case, for a 90-pound dog, he had not consumed enough to be a deadly event, but we did get some technicolor sparkly silver and pink wrapper diarrhea the next morning. Bottom line: Steer clear of chocolate for your pooch! S P
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Celebrity you would most like to have brunch with? Michelle Obama
Best local spot for a date night?
The Sunrise Theater
Favorite song to sing in the shower?
Gypsy by Fleetwood Mac
The one book you wish everyone would read?
"The Sun Does Shine" by Anthony Ray Hinton
What's one piece of advice you'd give your younger self? Do what makes you happy and content, and don't focus so much on others.
Best local shop to 'treat yo self'?
Kataphora for clothes and accessories and The Estate of Things for housewares and gifts.
Do you have a hidden talent?
Making macarons.
Courtney Eury
