Sensi Magazine - Pittsburgh (December 2019)

I PITTSBURGH D EC 2019

SECOND HELPING

Leah Lizarondo’s 412 FOOD BANK keeps good food from going to waste ›››

HAUTE HIGHS

Luxe markets embrace cannabis

SPIRITED HISTORY

A journey along the Whiskey Rebellion Trail

AS WOMEN, OUR HEALTH CARE NEEDS ARE UNIQUE.

Being the only women-owned and operated medical marijuana dispensary in Pittsburgh, we get it. Contact us at 412.404.7464 to learn more about how medical marijuana can fit into your personal health and wellness plan.

PITTSBURGH SENSI MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2019

sensimediagroup @sensimagazine @sensimag

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F E AT U R E S

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Clean Your Plate

412 Food Rescue aims to keep good food out of the garbage.

Woke, Not Wasted

What is the sober-curious movement, and can sobriety really be fluid?

SPECIAL REPORT

Haute Highs

How luxury has gone to pot.

Woo-Woo Woofers

The pet wellness craze has taken off across the nation.

D E PA R T M E N T S

9 EDITOR’S NOTE 10 THE BUZZ News, tips, and tidbits

to keep you in the loop ARE WE NEXT? A possible recreational legalization bill is in the works.

SHROOM ZOOM Mushroom coffee gets you going.

HOW TO HELP Volunteer avenues for the holidays

42 THE LIFE Contributing to your

health and happiness WHISKEY REBELLION Wigle Whiskey keeps history alive.

BOOK REVIEW The latest from the Emily Post Institute on etiquette COCKTAILS from Shadyside

48 THE SCENE Hot happenings and hip

hangouts around town CALENDAR Get out in the last hustle and bustle of the decade.

ON THE COVER 412 Food Rescue cofounder Leah Lizarondo helms an organization that ensures no meal in Pittsburgh goes wasted.

PHOTO BY RICHARD KELLY

50 THE END

Savor the taste of old PGH with a modern dining experience.

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A DV I S O R Y B OA R D

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PittMoss, LLC. Cannabis Nutrients Pittsburgh Brewing Company Brewing Company Shady Grove Local Bar Solevo Wellness Medical Dispensary

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FACE BOOK Like Sensi Media Group for the parties, topics, and happenings we’re obsessed with right now.

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I NSTAG RAM @sensimagazine is home to exclusive photos and content.

Magazine published monthly

by Sensi Media Group LLC. © 2019 Sensi Media Group. All rights reserved.

EXECUTIVE Ron Kolb CEO ron@sensimag.com Tae Darnell President tae@sensimag.com

T

Alex Martinez Co-Chief Operations Officer alex@sensimag.com

Mike Mansbridge Co-Chief Operations Officer mike@sensimag.com EDITORIAL Stephanie Wilson Editor in Chief stephanie@sensimag.com Doug Schnitzspahn Executive Editor doug.schnitzspahn@sensimag.com Aaron Bible Managing Editor aaron.bible@sensimag.com Leland Rucker Senior Editor leland.rucker@sensimag.com

Robyn Griggs Lawrence Editor at Large robyn.lawrence@sensimag.com Helen Olsson Copy Editor

Dr. Angie McCarthy Contributing Writer DESIGN Jamie Ezra Mark Creative Director jamie@emagency.com Rheya Tanner Art Director Wendy Mak Designer Kiara Lopez Designer Josh Clark Designer Jason Jones Designer em@sensimag.com PUBLISHING Gina Vensel Publisher gina.vensel@sensimag.com Wendy Lubell Associate Publisher wendy.lubell@sensimag.com Matt Raymond Associate Publisher matt.raymond@sensimag.com B U S I N E S S /A D M I N Kristan Toth Head of People kristan.toth@sensimag.com Amber Orvik Director of Administration amber.orvik@sensimag.com Andre Velez Marketing Director andre.velez@sensimag.com

EDITOR’S NOTE

This cozy time

of year can be hard on many people. Short days bring on depression, and the call to be happy and close to family can trigger difficult and deep-rooted pain. The city of Pittsburgh can be cold in the winter. But I think the stories in the pages of this magazine also prove that it’s a place where the community rallies to help those facing tough times.

Our feature story on 412 Food Rescue proves that point. That people in Pittsburgh see themselves as a big family.

It’s a tough city. It’s a city that has seen boom, bust, and hardnosed revival—and it’s a city full of love.

Gina Vensel, the publisher of Sensi Pittsburgh, epitomizes the way this city can unite to build a better place for everyone. I was lucky enough to be paired up with her during a team-building exercise at the annual Sensi Leadership Conference. She was born and raised here. She’s connected to Pittsburgh, from the nonprofit world to the local music scene. And she’s seen the community come together over tragedies and support one another after devastation.

When I asked Vensel what makes Pittsburgh such a powerful community, she said this: “To truly be Pittsburgh Strong, we need to set aside what makes us different and focus on what we share in common—living in one of the best cities in the world. My hope for Sensi Pittsburgh is to create a community of caring and compassionate readers who want to help one another and uplift the community. What better way to end the year than with community in mind? Smile at a stranger, donate to a cause that matters to you, take time for an old friend. When we take time to acknowledge that we are all in this together and to connect authentically, that is the true meaning of being Pittsburgh Strong.”

It’s people like Vensel, 412 Food Rescue’s Leah Lizarondo, and others you’ll read about in this magazine—whether they are working to ease pain though medical cannabis solutions, helping to feed the hungry, or just mixing up a holiday treat—who bring light to the dark days. Let’s all celebrate the vibrancy of this city this season.

“When we take the time to acknowledge that we are all in this together and to connect authentically, that is the true meaning of Pittsburgh Strong.”

—Gina Vensel, Publisher, Sensi Pittsburgh

Neil Willis Production Manager neil.willis@sensimag.com Hector Irizarry Distribution distribution@sensimag.com M E D I A PA R T N E R S Marijuana Business Daily Minority Cannabis Business Association National Cannabis Industry Association Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Doug Schnitzspahn doug.schnitzspahn@sensimag.com DECEM BER 2019

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CONTRIBUTORS

Aaron H. Bible, Leland Rucker, Dr. Angie McCarthy, Doug Schnitzspahn

THE

CBN is not CBD When it comes to cannabinoids, one letter makes a big difference What’s the difference between CBD and CBN? (Besides the fact that everyone’s talking about CBD these days, while most people have never heard of CBN.) Both are cannabinoids, chemical compounds that act on special receptors in the human brain and body to shift neurological and physical patterns. More than 100 cannabinoids have been discovered, and they’re being studied as treatments for everything from pain 10 P I T TS BU RG H

and inflammation to muscle control and anxiety.

Right now, nonpsychoactive CBD—the most prevalent cannabinoid—is getting a lot of attention for its antianxiety, antiinflammatory, and pain-relieving properties, and it’s widely available around the world.

If you’ve ever smoked or eaten cannabis that’s been sitting around, exposed to the air for a while, and then you’ve fallen into a sleepy stupor, you’ve experienced CBN.

DECEMBER 2019

This cannabinoid is actually a metabolite of THC—the cannabinoid everyone knows because it’s the one that gets us high—which has been degraded by oxygenation and UV light exposure. CBN has only mild psychoactive effects but strong sedative and calming properties, and it’s being studied for many of the same ailments as CBD, things like pain and inflammation, seizures, and insomnia. (Cannabis-testing

facility Steep Labs found that 2.5 to 5 milligrams of CBN is similar to 5 to 10 milligrams of Diazepam.)

A major difference between CBD and CBN is how they affect appetite. Studies on mice found that CBN causes significant chow intake, while CBD did the opposite.

Whether you’re trying to lose weight or gain it, this is just another reason why it’s always good to know your plant’s cannabinoid content.

THE GOLDEN BILL OF LEGALIZATION Could Pennsylvania be the next adult-use cannabis state?

State Senator Daylin Leach is in the middle of an interesting citizen cosponsorship campaign to end what his office is calling the “cruel, irrational, and expensive policy on cannabis.” And he says Senate Bill 350 will do that. The bill would legalize cannabis for adult-use in Pennsylvania, and so far it has garnered more than 7,000 online citizen cosponsors in a unique political strategy aimed at creating grassroots support to end Pennsylvaniaʼs prohibition on cannabis.

According to Senator Leachʼs website, the goals of the bill are to: • Establish a rational and fair protocol for the legal use, cultivation, and sale of cannabis.

• Enable those who have been harmed by prohibition to get out of prison and have their criminal records expunged • Provide opportunities for people of all income levels to enter the cannabis industry.

The legislation dictates that:

BY THE NUMBERS

7,000+ SIGNATURES

consume cannabis. simultaneously grow up to 10 cannabis plants inside the personʼs home. A homegrower permit costs $50 and is $50 to renew annually.

• Homegrowers may use or give their cannabis to other people who are at least 21 years old, but they may not sell or trade their cannabis.

• Use of cannabis in public is generally prohibited, but use lounges may allow cannabis to be used on their premises.

This holiday season, spread joy by giving others your time. Here are websites to help you pursue your altruistic ambitions.

Volunteer Match: Connecting good people with good causes. volunteermatch.org Ace Mentor Program: Mentor high school students, inspiring them to pursue careers in design, construction, and engineering. acementor.org

4 FUNGAL JOLT

on a bill supporting legalization of recreational cannabis in Pennsylvania

CELEBRITIES HAVE BRIDGES NAMED AFTER THEM IN PITTSBURGH: Rachel Carson, Andy Warhol, Roberto Clemente, and David McCullough.

Humane Pennsylvania: Dogs, cats, rabbits, and other furry friends are in need of care, attention, walking, training, playing, and general people time, so there are plenty of flexible options. humanepa.org

Historically, cordyceps mushrooms were grown on the backs of rare caterpillars that live in Tibet’s high mountain ranges. The fungus lays claims to providing everything from long life to a boost in male sexual prowess. Coffee is that jolt you can’t live without.

Combine coffee and cordyceps mushrooms in this mix, and you get a morning drink that really gets you, um, pumping. The mix of the shrooms and the caffeine means you get that energy boost without feeling jittery.

Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee $15 for 10 packets / us.foursigmatic.com

• Anyone who is at least 21 years old may • A person with a homegrower permit may

Be a Do-Gooder

TWO INCLINES

IN DOWNTOWN These are Victorian-era “funiculars” that are part of the cityʼs public transportation system.

Visit senatorleach.com/sb350/ to add your name to the petition.

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PITTSBURGH MADE

worldwide innovation leaders in cannabis & hemp CO2 extraction systems — right here in the steel city greenmillsfe.com | 412.212.6638

THE BUZZ

VOX POPULI

Question: What makes Pittsburgh delicious?

TJ HARRIS

JONATHAN SHAPIRO MATT DONNELLY

EVAN THORSEN

CHRISTOPHER HAHN

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Local DJ @notjtthedj, Pittsburgh

The flavors that entice me come from the artists in my community. Nothing gets me more excited than fresh cut beats mixed with homegrown lyrics served up fresh on a 12-inch platter

Sculptor, Pittsburgh

Director of Sales at ShowCix, Pittsburgh

Riding my bike along the Mon River Trail and spying industrial remnants of our heritage. I find this landscape inspiring, and my artwork is informed by the wood, the rusted steel, and the history.

Beer! I travel quite frequently and always seek out breweries while I’m on the road.

Pittsburgh is making some delicious beers all around town, so go check them out.

___________________

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

Musician, Pittsburgh

Variety. It’s the spice of life after all. With our burgeoning restaurant and arts scene, there’s never been a better time to indulge in a diverse culture of food, beverage, and entertainment.

Director, Pittsburgh Opera, Pittsburgh

I recommend Enrico’s on the Strip, Whitfield in East Liberty, Apteka in Lawrenceville… Try something new in Pittsburgh, and you’ll always be rewarded. (Opera, anyone?)

Smokeless Fire Everybody loves a campfire—but itʼs not always easy to have one. Fires take work to maintain and can be dangerous—not to mention how you always seem to be sitting directly in the line of that column of smoke.

Forget about those problems, BioLiteʼs FirePit Climate Neutral Edition is portable and smokeless. That means you can haul it out to any spot where you want to park your camper van or just set it up on the back porch on a chilly night. You can adjust the flames by hand, but itʼs far easier to do it via Bluetooth.

BioLite is a carbon-neutral company, spending cash to offset any carbon it creates. Its founder helped spearhead the nonprofit climateneutral.org, which helps other brands offset their carbon use. Ten percent of sales on this portable campfire go to that worthy cause.

“Whether we’re giving or receiving help, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world.

That’s one of the things that connects us as neighbors—in our own way, each one of us is a giver and a receiver.”

—Fred Rogers of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood

BioLite FirePit / $199 / bioliteenergy.com

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Good planets are hard to find.

Help keep ours green.

Choose 100% wind energy for your home.

Visit greenmountainenergy.com.

Š 2019 Green Mountain Energy Company. All rights reserved. .

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THE BUZZ

SENSIBILITIES WHAT MATTERS THIS MONTH BY STEPHANIE WILSON

1 GOT ANY VACATION DAYS LEFT IN 2019? Use them! Last year, 55 percent of American workers did not use all their vacation days, leaving a record 768 million days on the table. That’s about $65.5 billion worth of forfeited benefits.

Don’t be a sad statistic. ______ 2 NEW RULE: Catching up on your emails during the holiday break is

forbidden. Emails breed emails, so every reply or forward you click sends that task to someone else who is either a) trying to enjoy their holiday break, or b) trying to clean out their inbox as well. No more. If it’s in your inbox on December 22, it stays there until January 2. Deal? Deal.

______ 3 I REPEAT: No tossing your forgotten/low priority to-dos on other people’s plates when they are on vacay.

______ 4 IF YOU’RE RESOLVING TO CLEAN UP ANY BAD HABITS IN 2020,

go all in on them in December. Really indulge your vices: have that second drink, dab, dance, swim in the chaos, make bad decisions. You’ll not only get it out of your system, you’ll be so over it come January 1.

______ 5 IF YOUR VICE IS CONSIDERING THE BOUNDARIES OF YOUR MEANS IMAGINARY (thanks Oscar Wilde), disregard the above advice. You

can lose the holiday weight if you stop overeating, but credit card debt doesn’t work like that. It grows, no matter how much you believe Santa will take care of it.

______ 6 SMILE. The magazine you’re holding right now was made with a whole lot

of enthusiasm by some talented magazine junkies who have been working on the details of this redesign for the last year. This debut is like our Oscars, and we hope you like it. I love it.

"You got to be right with yourself before you can be right with anybody else."

—August Wilson, African-American playwright

Relief for the Anxious Anxiety and Touretteʼs syndrome are now qualifying conditions for medical cannabis in Pennsylvania.

As of July 2019, anxiety and Tourette’s syndrome are qualifying conditions for Medical Marijuana Certification in Pennsylvania, opening up a wide range of holistic and natural treatment options for patients suffering from these conditions. Medical MJ went into effect in Pennsylvania in January 2018 after being ratified by the Pennsylvania legislature.

The list of qualifying conditions now stands at just 23.

According to Dr. Elizabeth Spaar, founder of the Spectrum Family Practice—an integrative care practice specializing in medical marijuana certification for adults and children—many patients with anxiety were not seeking help for their condition due to concerns around prescription drugs. Spaar opened her clinic in 2017 to focus on opiate addiction, but she had been prescribing medical marijuana legally in the state since 2016 for certain pediatric conditions such as autism. Pennsylvania was also the first state to list opioid addiction as a qualifying condition for medical marijuana prescriptions.

“Certainly, with Tourette’s there’s very solid evidence that it helps, and there were a lot of people out there self-medicating, so we were glad to see it added,” Spaar says. “So many patients with anxiety were reluctant to get help because of their fear of pharmaceuticals, with the side effects, physical dependence on benzodiazepines, and changes in personality associated with these drugs. People feel so much more comfortable with a natural treatment.”

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SECOND HELPINGS Literally tons of prepared food in the US ends up in the trash. The Pittsburgh nonprofit 412 Food Rescue is on a mission to reduce this waste.

TEXT AARON H. BIBLE

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PHOTO CREDITS FROM LEFT: COURTESY OF 412 FOOD RESCUE / RICHARD KELLEY

A

ccording to the USDA, an estimated 1 in 9 Americans were “food insecure” in 2018, equating to more than 37 million Americans, including more than 11 million children.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines food insecurity as “a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life.” And if you’re wondering what that 40 percent figure on food waste looks like, it’s about 20 pounds of food per person per month, worth about $165 billion per year in the US. Adding to these startling stats, the United Nations says that if we recover all the food that is lost or wasted, we would have enough to feed all those who are hungry, four times over.

There’s a group of folks in Pittsburgh who are doing something unique to eradicate this issue, a problem that we often think of as happening in other countries, but

not right here in the United States.

Founded in 2015, 412 Food Rescue simply wants to keep perfectly good food from entering the waste stream.

Doesn’t seem like too much to ask.

This Pittsburghborn startup is creating a national impact, driven by the belief that good food should go to people, not landfills.

It works to redirect healthy food from the waste stream to nonprofits that serve food to populations in need.

According to the group, in the US, one in every seven people goes hungry, while 40 percent of food produced is wasted. The 412 Food Rescue group addresses both these problems through technology-coordinated, community-powered networks. As the only organization in Allegheny County focused on food that would otherwise be discarded, 412 Food Rescue has developed innovative solutions to eliminate food waste in the region—and

is now expanding its model to cities nationwide. The solutions are tested right here in Pittsburgh, as they are developed, benefiting local communities, then scaled up for what works nationally. To date, 412 Food Rescue has redirected more than seven million pounds of perfectly good food from landfills. The organization works with 1,600 food retailers, 650 nonprofit partners, and more than 8,000 volunteers.

There are also environmental consequences to food waste. According to stats available on the group’s website, food production uses 10 percent of the energy budget, 50 percent of the land, and 80 percent of all fresh water consumed in the US. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, more than 97 percent of food waste generated ends up in the landfill. It makes up the single largest component of

LOCAL HERO: Leah Lizarondo is both a trained gourmet and a crack nonprofit leader.

municipal solid waste—generating a large portion of US methane emissions (a greenhouse gas 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide).

APPETITE FOR LIFE Of note, 412 Food Rescue is the parent company of Food Rescue Hero, a platform that helps food rescue and hunger organizations launch and scale food recovery, tackling the growing problems of food waste and food insecurity. In 2016, the group launched the Food Rescue Hero app, and that has saved more than seven million pounds of food by mobilizing the largest on-demand network of volunteer food-recovery drivers anywhere on the planet. Food Rescue Hero has been thriving in Pittsburgh, and now measurably reduces food insecurity in Cleveland, Philadelphia, San Francisco, northern Virginia, and soon, Los Angeles—with a goal of 100 cities by 2030.

“I like to call myself an ‘app-stalker.’

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Sleep in Heavenly Peace

Theeholidayssareeaatimeeoffjoy,,buttforrmanyyoff ussthey'reealsooaahectic,,stressfulltimeeeMedicall marijuanaacanncalmmanxiety,,raiseeyourrspiritss anddgiveeyouuaapeaceful,,refreshinggnight'sssleeppp I'mmDrrrElizabethhSpaarrrIIofferrcertiicationssinnaa calm,,cozyyoffceetoobothhadulttanddpediatricc patientsssIffyouulackkdocumentation,,IIalsoo performmAnxietyyanddPTSDDevaluationsss pe Attspectrummyou'reenottjusttaapatient,,you'ree family

wwwwSpectrumFamilyPracticeecom (412))354-8791 1688AlleghenyyRiverrBlvdd,,Veronaa|| 2277SSBroaddStt,,GroveeCity 18 P I T TS BU RG H

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PHOTO COURTESY OF 412 FOOD RESCUE

If I’m already running errands, I always check the app to see if I can fit a food rescue into my day. I usually can,” says 412 volunteer Lorien Benet Hart, also a member of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

“Everyone is busy, but we all have 30 minutes or an hour to rescue food that will make a huge difference in someone else’s life. When you see the impact that a little time makes, you’ll want to go back for more.”

The group’s 2018 Impact Report details its new transport and distribution model, which, leveraging technology, civic engagement, and public-private partnerships, effectively responds to the opportunity of retail food surplus and has significantly impacted hunger in the Pittsburgh community.

An active advocate for food, health, and innovation, Leah Lizarondo cofounded 412 Food Rescue a year after her TEDx Talk entitled, “Why the Farm is Not Get-

BY THE NUMBERS

7

MILLION pounds of food rescued across five cities

30,000

FOOD RESCUES completed to date

99

%

SUCCESS RATE (only 1 percent of rescues are missed)

ting to the Table.”

By 2017, she was named by SmartBusiness as one of the individuals “poised to shape the Pittsburgh region in 2017 and beyond” and one of FoodTank’s “17 Food Heroes to Inspire Us in 2017.”

Lizarondo brings a 15-year track record of leadership positions with global corporations and nonprofits. She left her career as a product manager in Southeast Asia, where she worked in consumer-packaged goods and technology, moving

on to pursue her passion in food and health advocacy. She has also trained at the Natural Gourmet Institute in New York City and received a Certification in Plant-based Nutrition from Cornell University.

BUILT ON THE “IMPOSSIBLE” Lizarondo is interested in the intersection of social good and technology, and she has mined her experience in launching startups as she works to grow 412 Food Rescue.

“412 Food Rescue’s model is fully built around something we were told was ‘impossible’: our unwavering belief that people will step up,” she says. “That people will take action.

One day at a time.

Thirty minutes at a time. Over and over again. And our volunteers deliver (pun intended!). Together, we’re proving that change is only possible if all of us participate, if all of us take responsibility, if all of us let the good in our hearts prevail.”

DIGITAL DELIVERIES: Through the Food Rescue Hero app, 412 Food Rescue has mobilized an army of volunteers who have saved millions of pounds of food.

15K+

APP DOWNLOADS

8,000 VOLUNTEERS (fully registered drivers)

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THE HEALTHY YINZER is an innovative approach to ďŹ tness! We use Exercise Science and the Culinary Arts to assist you on your journey toward a healthy lifestyle.

Personal traning Personal chef Cooking demonstrations

Servicing the Pittsburgh area Call/text: 412-551-9070

5310 Butler St., Pittsburgh, PA 15201 | 412.408.3083 | fullpintbrewing.com

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Meal prep Yoga/pilates Catering Follow us! @thehealthyyinzer

@fullpintlawrenceville

(BOTTOM) PHOTO COURTESY OF 412 FOOD RESCUE

412 CITY CIDER PARTNERS WITH 412 FOOD RESCUE For the holidays, look for 412 City Cider, a collaboration between Threadbare Cider House & Meadery and 412 Food Rescue. The cider is made with 3,500 pounds of wild crab apples and other wild apples foraged through 412 Food Rescueʼs Hidden Harvest program, whose harvests go to hunger relief and, in the case of inedible fruit, are reimagined as delicious hard cider.

Cider sales raise awareness and funds for 412 Food Rescueʼs work to make sure good food feeds people, not landfills. The apples are pressed at Godfrey Run Orchard and fermented with Threadbareʼs house yeast culture to impart notes of citrus and stone fruit, resulting in a hard cider with beautiful earthy tannic structure and sharp acidity.

Locally, it can be purchased at Threadbare Cider House & Meadery in the North Side or at participating Giant Eagle Market District locations. It can also be purchased at threadbarecider.com.

Lizarondo is one of five We Empower honorees recognized for advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

During the UN General Assembly in New York City, September 23–27, the group participated in summits and a pitch competition hosted by Diane von Furstenberg. Lizarondo won, receiving a $20,000 grant.

“We have set audacious goals for 412 Food Rescue. We are aiming to truly end hunger in communities here in Pittsburgh, working with some amazing organizations to do so,” Lizarondo says. Our tech platform, Food Rescue Hero, is also expanding nationally. By the first quarter of 2020, we will be in 10 cities.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Aaron Bible is the interim managing editor of Sensi Pittsburg and is an awardwinning nationally published author and photographer.

Follow his adventures on Instagram @ahbible.

Visit 412foodrescue.org for more information on how to get involved.

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WOKE, NOT WASTED They say they’re not alcoholics, and they’re certainly not anonymous.

What is sober curious—and can sobriety really be fluid?

TEXT ROBYN GRIGGS LAWRENCE

I

drink badly, and I have a lot of fun doing it (when I remember). That’s a lethal combination, and when you throw in my unfortunate discovery of White Claw—I can drink as many as I want and never feel full!—I flamed out with alcohol last winter.

On February 1, just as everyone else was celebrating the end of Dry January and just ahead of the Summer of the Claw, I swore off the seltzer.

I figured I’d give myself one month (note: the year’s shortest) to reset. It wasn’t an easy 28 days, but when March 1 rolled around, I felt better than I’d felt in years. The

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DECEMBER 2019

chronic inflammation I had attributed to everything from gluten sensitivity to genetics was clearing. I saw the light, and there was no going back.

I thought sobriety would be lonely, that every Saturday night would be Netflix. I forgot the Brett Kavanaugh generation isn’t in charge of culture anymore (thank God).

Millennials and Gen Xers aren’t interested in swilling beer until they black out like we did in the ’80s. Sober is sexy—or, as hipsobriety.com sees it, “sobriety is the new black.”

On Instagram, there are influencers such as @stylishlysober, @thesoberglow, and the darker @fucking_sober

and hashtags like #soberliving, #soberAF, and #sobercurious. Millie Gooch, who posts as @sobergirlsociety, encourages her nearly 60,000 followers with inspirational messages like “Mocks not cocks” and “Sobriety: a surefire way to improve your wellbeing and your Uber rating.”

Just like that, I’m a cool kid—with a huge range of new options on Saturday night (and beyond). I’m exploring elixirs made with raw cacao, maca, and horny goat weed at Tonic Herban Lounge just a few blocks from my home in downtown Boulder (I can walk home after imbibing, and it amuses me that I don’t need to). I can

do yoga and shake it before dawn at a Daybreaker dance party (daybreaker.com) in Denver, one of 27 cities where the alcohol-free early morning rave pops up and invites people to “sweat, dance, and connect with ourselves in community.”

I’m surely not alone in this realization that life is better without booze.

Worldwide, alcohol consumption fell by 1.6 percent last year. Led by young people, heavy-hitting countries like Russia, Canada, Japan, and the UK are seeing drinking rates as well as tolerance toward intoxication decline. An international survey found that about a third of people wanted

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cus, Presence, and Deep Connection” is February 14–16, 2020, at Massachusetts’ renowned wellness retreat center Kripalu). Her take is that a lot of Americans might not have a “problem” with alcohol but see it as getting in the way of their healthy lifestyles. “We eat well. We exercise.

We meditate,” the press release for Sober Curious states. “So, why do we… still drink?”

Warrington wants to to reduce their alcohol APPS FOR THAT know why the only peointake because of everyple who don’t drink are Loosid: Digital platform for sober dating, destinations, and meetups Sober Grid: “The worldʼs most popular mobile sober community” thing from sexual regret the ones who can’t and Twenty-Four Hours a Day: Inspiration through daily meditations and embarrassment to asks, “What if I am just…a little bit addicted?” physical health. A 2018 Call me old school, survey found that nearly but a little bit addicted 40 percent of global consounds a lot like a little sumers want to drink less pushing more women, mi- As Sean Paul Mahoney norities, and poor people writes on The Fix, a web- bit pregnant. I worry that for health reasons. to the bottle, according to site about addiction and In the US, CNBC repeople who shouldn’t ports, 52 percent of adults a study published in JAMA recovery, “I didn’t get so- will take the advice of ber to be cool. I just got John Costa, who writes are trying to lower their al- Psychiatry. The national on twentytwowords.com cohol intake, and underage Institute for Alcohol Abuse sober to stop dying.” and Alcoholism reports drinking has steadily dethat being sober curiclined in the last 10 years. that 17 million adults in A LITTLE BIT ADDICTED? ous is like being bi-curiBut only 21 percent of US the US are alcohol de“Sober curious” became ous—you don’t always adults in a CivicScience pendent, and the Centers a thing after Harperhook up with people of poll said they had any for Disease Control and Collins released Ruby the same sex, and you interest in drinking less Prevention says one in Warrington’s Sober Cudon’t have to cut out or not at all, and most of six binge drink—defined rious: The Blissful Sleep, drinking forever. “Be those were 21- to 34-year- as drinking four or more Greater Focus, Limitless sober half the time,” he old, vegan-leaning flexitar- drinks over two hours or Presence, and Deep Conwrites, “and sauced the ians who practice yoga and until blood alcohol reaches nection Awaiting Us All on other half.” He’s joking, consume cannabis daily.

0.08—nearly once a week. the Other Side of Alcohol but those are dangerous Women, especially those For this White Claw guzin 2018. Warrington also words for me. That’s the in their 30s and 40s, are zler, that definition is, well, has a podcast, runs Club life I was living: sober by drinking more than ever. sobering. I called that hap- Söda NYC (featuring day + tanked by night = Booze still rules for py hour. sober events like Kundbalance. most Americans, and Giving up alcohol isn’t alini Disco), and stages Like all disorders (and “increased stress and dea hashtag for a lot of peo- events (“Sober Curious: pretty much everything moralization” is actually ple. It’s not even a choice. Choosing Sobriety for Fo- in our culture), alcohol DECEM BER 2019

SOBERING STUDIES

Alcohol accounts for nearly 1 in 10 deaths of people aged 15 to 49 and is the leading risk factor for disease and premature death.

Source: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Binge drinking rates in states where cannabis is legal fell to 9 percent below the national average and 11 percent below non-legal states in 2016.

Source: Cowen & Co.

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SPIRITS FOR NEXT-GEN PARTIERS The joke goes that nonalcoholic drinks are like listening to porn on the radio, but times have changed. Theyʼre the CBD of the alcohol world. Nonalcohol (NA) beverages are a bright spot in a declining alcohol market, and their sales are expected to grow 32 percent by 2022, according to a Bon Appetit report. Todayʼs creative, health-inducing craft beverages are a lot more than just alcohol-free.

BEER

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WINE

Napa Hills: Blend of fruit-flavored water and VitaRes (antioxidant blend with resveratrol, red grape skin, and red wine extract) with as many antioxidants as red wine O.Vine: Grape-infused wine water with “the health benefits of the real thing”

use runs on a spectrum. I was at the end that spent hours upon hours researching whether drinking while on this antibiotic would really make me projectile vomit and scoffed at friends as they struggled through Dry January, Dry July, Sober September, and Sober October. I wasn’t interested in giving up drinking for any reason or any amount of time, until I had to give it up for life.

Warrington, who sees reducing alcohol intake as another step in the wellness revolution, is at the other end of the spectrum—and she is aware of the difference between recovering from alcohol addiction and feeling better during yoga. I hope all of her fol-

lowers are, too, because the last thing most drinkers need is a loophole.

I want to believe the trend Warrington is leading toward spirits-free activities and thoughtfulness about alcohol’s role in our culture—where every ritual, celebration, loss, entertainment, and even sporting event is cause for a drink—is not a trend but a movement.

That we’ll look back at “mommyjuice” like we shake our heads at “mother’s little helper” pills from the ’60s and ’70s. The infrastructure to support sobriety is being built, and public opinion is turning. After centuries of going hard, America is getting woke, not wasted.

Cheers to that.

SOBERING STUDIES

A British study of Dry January abstainers found that 82 percent felt a sense of achievement, 62 percent slept better, and 49 percent lost some weight.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Robyn Griggs Lawrence is the author of the bestselling Cannabis Kitchen Cookbook and Pot in Pans: A History of Eating Cannabis.

SPIRITS

Curious Elixirs: Individually bottled alcohol-free craft cocktails High Rhode by Kin: “Euphorics” made from nootropics and adaptogens, including 5-HTP, rhodiola, and caffeine Ritual Whiskey: “As a veggie burger is to beef, or almond milk is to dairy, Ritual is an alternative to traditional whiskey” Seedlip Spice 94: Gin-like blend of Jamaican allspice berry, cardamom, and citrus peel Stryyk: “Zero-proof spirits,” including Not Vodka, Not Rum, and Not Gin Three Spirit: “Social elixir” made from yerba mate, lionʼs mane, damiana, and cacao

DECEM BER 2019

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DECEMBER 2019 PHOTO VIA ALICE + OLIVIA AND KUSH QUEEN

HIGHS A

t the end of October, the Wall Street Journal ran an article titled “Cannabis Open Houses Are Putting the High in High-End Real Estate.”

The trend piece by author Katherine Clarke revealed the emerging discovery being used by developers and real-estate agents to move luxe properties in communities where recreational cannabis is not just legal but widely accepted.

It’s not unlike Los Angeles, where the rising industry is being hailed as an untapped source for buyers of high-priced homes. Throwing cannabis-related events—everything from elaborate seven-course pairing dinners with vapes in lieu of vino to live trimming classes—at multimillion-dollar properties on the market is garnering attention, building social buzz, and attracting buyers with money earned in, around, or on cannabis.

Not everyone sees the genius behind the trend, however. Clarke spoke

SPECIAL REPORT

Luxury has gone to pot.

TEXT LORI TOBIAS AND STEPHANIE WILSON

to one agent in New York, where recreational cannabis is still a pipe dream and old tropes live on about munchie-motivated stoners. “When I think about cannabis, I don’t think about buying an expensive house,” says Warburg Realty’s Jason Haber. “It’s not a call for action as much as a call for Doritos.”

Someone should tell him friends don’t let friends make tired stoner jokes anymore.

Especially ones implying cannabis consumers indulge their munchies with mindless consumption of unhealthy snacks when the reality is cannabis appeals to what The Economist dubs the “health-conscious inebriate,” citing a poll that 72 percent of American consumers thought cannabis was safer than alcohol. A 2018 The New Yorker headline declared cannabis to be a wellness industry in California where, in fact, a cannabinoid cousin of THC and CBD is starting to garner a whole lot of buzz.

Instead of stimulating appetites, THCV may suppress those hunger pangs. When 2021 is declared the year of THCV, you can say you heard it here first.

CONSUMPTION AND CONSUMERISM Cannabis has moved so far beyond the clichés of yore. Tie-dye tees, bell-bottom cords, dancing bear patches, plastic bongs, Ziploc baggies: these tired trends are so out of style, some have already circled back and left again. (Looking at you, tie-dye.) The stoner kids of yesterday are the cannabis entrepreneurs, enthusiasts, and connoisseurs of today. And as they’ve aged, their tastes in cannabis aged with them, like the fine wine they can now afford. Cannabis consumers have money to burn.

And since we live in a capitalist society (an unjust one where people remain locked up for nonviolent drug charges in states that earn taxes off now-legal cannabis DECEM BER 2019

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF BARNEYS NEW YORK, INC.

The High End at Barneys New York in Beverly Hills

sales—that’s a whole layered story for a different day), money makes things happen. And what’s happening now is the emergence of a cannabis experience elevated to a higher level.

If you were paying attention to the pop-culture cues over the decades, you would have seen the high-end highs coming. When cannabis prohibition began its slow-and-steady march to its forthcoming end, it emerged from the black market with an established following of consumers—loyal cannabis consumers with no brand loyalty, because cannabis brands didn’t exist. Dealers did, growers did, activists, advocates, and believers, too. But the concept of cannabis brands was all brand-new.

With strict laws surrounding where the substance can be marketed,

sold, advertised, distributed, and more, establishing customer loyalty in this industry is more difficult than it would seem on the surface.

What differentiates one edible brand from another, one vape pen from the next is complicated to discern for those who aren’t well versed in the modern verbiage or its meaning. (Full-spectrum distillate, live resin, 2:1 ratios, oh my!)

This is where marketing and branding comes into play. And with marketing and branding comes the emergence of new market segments, including the ultra-luxury category. It is from within that category that future trends are likely to emerge. That’s how trends play out, as Miranda Priestly (played by Meryl Streep) explained to her new assistant in one iconic scene of The Devil Wears Prada. (If

“Expensive breeds expensive things. You wouldn’t have expensive cannabis if you didn’t have people who wanted to buy expensive cannabis.”

—Karyn Wagner, Paradigm Cannabis Group

you haven’t seen it in a while, a quick refresher: “The color of the shirt you are wearing right now was determined years ago by high-end designers preparing their collections for fashion GOT MONEY TO BLOW? week runways.”)

This Caleb Siemon Trickle-down trends Blown Art Glass are a hierarchical proWater Pipe will cess whereby individuals set you back with high status establish about $950. fashion trends, only to be imitated by lower-status individuals wearing cheaper versions of the same styles.

“It’s always been a thing,” says Karyn Wagner, CEO of Paradigm Cannabis Group, a women-owned extraction company specializing in pre-rolls and extracts made from small-batch sun-grown flower. “There’s always been those products that are better than others. But now, with adult use, we have to be more brand-conscious. With DECEM BER 2019

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that, how do you distinguish yourself from someone else? Why is this better? What makes it better?”

PHOTOS (FROM TOP): KATHLEEN HARRISON, KIKOKO HIGH TEA / COURTESY OF BEBOE

SOME LIKE IT HAUTE With any luxury good, consumers want the assurance of quality and efficacy, Wagner says.

But you can never underestimate the prestige that comes with a high price tag. “The moneyed class always loves expensive items,” she says. “This normalizes it in their world. It brings in folks who didn’t normally have the desire. It made it OK in their class.

Expensive breeds expensive things. You wouldn’t have expensive cannabis if you didn’t have people who wanted to buy expensive cannabis.”

Jenny Le Coq, president of Le Coq & Associates, a marketing and communications firm in San Francisco that represents Kikoko cannabis-infused botanical mints, points out that most people typically don’t seek out a cheap bottle of wine, but look for something fine, trustworthy, and familiar. They want to know the winery, its reputation, who recommends the vintage. “People are looking at wines today with a more discerning eye—how their grapes

With any luxury good, consumers want the assurance of quality and efficacy.

Luxury doesn't always have to indicate price, but what it must indicate is quality.

are grown, for example,” Le Coq says. “People are looking at cannabis in the same way: with a discerning eye.”

“Discerning” can add up to big money, for sure. Anecdotal stories abound in national media outlets, suggesting couples in Colorado will drop several bills on “cannagars” and other high-end party favors to celebrate weddings and anniversaries. At The High End, Barneys New York’s luxury cannabis lifestyle shop in Beverly Hills, shoppers can splurge on a $1,475 sterling silver bud grinder or a $950 water pipe. New York fashion brand Alice + Olivia partnered with luxury cannabis brand Kush Queen to debut a CBD wellness line earlier this year—bath bomb, body lotion, bubble bath with lavender. Alice + Olivia packaging features CEO Stacey Bendet’s signature “StaceFace” motif, with big sunglasses and a bold red lip. A timeless statement-making style that trendsetters of every era make their own while trendy types try to emulate the overall aesthetic. That’s just the way things work.

To be fair, luxury doesn’t have to mean $$$$. What it must indicate, however, is quality.

“Luxury is an assigned

label. It is typically assigned by marketers,” Le Coq says. “So, what do you want cannabis to be? As a consumer, how do you perceive luxury?

The concept is really defined differently by every person. We want people to experience something that is luxurious.

Not only the packaging is beautiful, the taste is beautiful, the place you are put into mentally is a nice, beautiful place.”

DECEM BER 2019

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lori Tobias is a lifelong journalist based on the Oregon Coast, where she lives with her husband, Chan, and two rescue pups, Luna and Monkey.

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WOO-WOO

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WOOFERS The pet wellness industry is taking off, with a barkload of new ways to give your pooch some extra pampering.

TEXT STEPHANIE WILSON

I

’m sitting at my desk in the early hours of the morning struggling to write the anecdotal opener to this story. There’s soft music playing, so soft I can hear Gidget’s content snores coming from the pineapple dome she sleeps in when I’m at my desk.

If the music were too loud, she would stomp as much as a chihuahua could out to the living room to get in her pressure-activated heated bed, engulfed by the soft white throw blanket I bought for myself. Gidget saw it, she liked it, she wanted it, she got it.

This is the way it works. The nails on my fingertips are past due for a manicure (Gidget got hers done today). My dinner was peanut butter spooned from the jar.

Gidget dined on a gour-

whole host of things.* KILLING SPREE Really, we’re just reI typed “millennials killed” into the directing our limited search bar and audiscretionary funds to tocomplete results things we deem more included “mayo,” “Hooters,” “golf,” worthy than, say, an “romance,” and intrinsically worth“malls.” We should less shiny stone that De be thanked, all those needed to Beers’ marketing firm convinced Americans is a go—yes, including romance as detoken of love and esteem fined by the patriarthat lasts forever. (Read: chal archetype, but thatʼs a different millennials are killing topic for a different diamonds.) day. Weʼre talking Millennials do spend about dogs here.

HOOMANS AND FLOOFERS money on pets. This I wouldn’t have it any year, the US pet indusother way. Gidget may try is projected to rake in be a furry freeloader, but $75.28 billion, up more she’s my furry freeloadthan 30 percent since er and I love her hard.

2010 according to the Because she is awesome. American Pet Product All dogs are. Fight me: Association (APPA). A I’m an elder millennial, majority of millennials and I’ve got a genera(76 percent) would be tional army of pet-pammore likely to splurge on pering 20- and 30-some- luxury items like expenthings to back me up. sive treats or a custom Millennials have been bed for their pets than accused of killing a for themselves. met blend specially formulated to deliver the exact level of antioxidants, vitamins, fiber, probiotics, and minerals she needs for optimal health. After dinner, she got a bath and a towel massage before tucking into the pineapple. That’s when I sat down to start writing.

I work hard so my dog can have a better life.

The meme is real.

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“The pet care industry is booming, as people around the world—especially millennials—blur the line between human child and animal,” according to Business Insider. The senior brand manager of Purina, Ryan Gass, suggests that millennials are putting off marriage and having children, turning to pets to “fill that void,” but I don’t know what void he’s talking about, so we’re moving on.

Millennials’ love for their pups is so intense, it’s spawned its own language. Us hoomans chase our heckin floofers, iPhones in hand, snapping pics of their snoots and bleps to share with frens, posting with captions about the goodest boy in the world.

This has all led to a rise in what more serious folks call the “humanization of pets.”

Sounds ominous. But it indicates how much our lives and our pets’ lives are intertwined—and therefore following the same trends. And what’s trendier or more millennial than wellness, wellness everywhere?

In 1979, veteran journalist Dan Rather quipped during an episode of 60 Minutes, “Wellness…that’s a word you don’t hear every day.” Fast forward 40 years, and we’re hearing the word so much every

as well as sensory-based experiences, like the use of crystals, sound baths, and aromatherapy.”

In Denver, Zen Pet is all about these modalities. Run by Dr. Becca Klobuchar, the mobile holistic veterinary medicine’s range of services is rooted in energy balancing and Chinese medicine.

“I began exploring holistic therapies in an effort to provide pets with additional healing options when traditional treatments were unsuccessful,” says Klobuchar.

“The intuitive treatment modalities I use approach pets’ health from the physical, energetic, and spiritual perspectives.”

The energy balancing service is based on the concept that all living things have their own energy field that, when not in balance, can lead to disease, emotional LAYING ON HANDS Oh, yeah, and dog Reiki is stress, and pain. During a session, the ancient a thing here, too. Gidget practice of “laying on hasn’t tried it yet; she— like me—thinks it sounds of hands” transmits the healing energy of the a little bit woo-woo.

This is how Health mag universe through the practitioner to the anidescribes the basic prinmal for healing effects. ciple: “Energy medicine While energy medicine (or biofield therapies) is the act of channeling and is the farthest mystical extreme of the modern manipulating the energy that courses through your wellness world, there are some forms backed by body in order to heal it. science. Acupuncture, This can be done with for one, and even Reiki. hands-on practices such as acupuncture and Reiki, Health reports that a 2010 day it’s almost lost all meaning. The fresh “pet wellness” phrase could mean pets are doing well overall or it could mean pets are judging you for not drinking kombucha.

Don’t worry, dogs don’t judge. But they are getting more probiotics in their diets, just not from kombucha. Probiotics in sales of pet foods grew by 139 percent last year, according to the Nielsen market report, “Trends in Pet Care Mirror Those of Pet Owners.” We eat super foods; our dogs eat super foods. We take CBD; our pups take CBD. We get massages; our dogs get massages.

We have fitness studios where you can work out with your dog, acupuncture for pets, doggy day spas with swimming pools you can rent out for puppy parties.

US HOOMANS CHASE OUR HECKIN FLOOFERS, IPHONES IN HAND, SNAPPING PICS OF THEIR SNOOTS AND BLEPS TO SHARE WITH FRENS, POSTING WITH CAPTIONS ABOUT THE GOODEST BOY IN THE WORLD.

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Re-imagininggOptimallHealth

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PHOTO BY STEPHANIE WILSON

review of research in the International Journal of Behavioral Medicine found strong evidence that biofield therapies such as Reiki and therapeutic touch can alleviate pain.

The caveat: It could be a placebo effect, and our pups aren’t swayed by the power of suggestion. But if you think it’s working for her, then the session is working—for you. It’s called the “caregiver placebo effect,” and there’s nothing wrong with it. As long as it’s used in conjunction with traditional vet visits—a supplemental part of a whole wellness plan.

CHIRO FOR CANINES Dog chiropractic is an another emerging field gaining traction as a beneficial supplemental treatment therapy. At Denver Central Chiropractic (DCC) in Centennial, Dr. Erin Moran is providing holistic health care to both people and pets—“holistic health care for you and your dogs.” While it’s still an emerging field, animal chiropractic at its core follows the same principles and practices as the human kind. She suggests you consider chiropractic treatments if your pooch is showing signs of pain: reluctant to climb stairs, difficulty getting up after laying

LIVING WITH A DOG IS GOOD FOR HUMAN HEALTH AS WELL. SO SAYS SCIENCE. SO THEY DESERVE TO LIVE A HEALTHIER LIFE RIGHT ALONG WITH US.

down, constantly licking or chewing paws, walking differently.

“Dogs get the same back issues as people, and chiropractic is a great option to address those issues without the use of drugs or surgery,” says Moran. “People get great results from seeing a chiropractor, and I want people to know that their dog can experience the same benefits.”

It’s a nonsurgical, drugfree option for correcting disorders related to a fixation in the spine or joint.

When vertebrae become immovable through trauma, injury, or standard wear-and-tear, the joints between them become jammed, often affecting the nerves in the congested area. Those nerves are the communication link between the brain and the spinal cord, so when they are out of order, it can set off a cascade of effects that leads to pain and loss of function.

But pets can’t tell us where they hurt or why they’re limping, so treatments are a bit more complicated. When working with animals, Moran looks for abnormal or restricted movement, with a goal of restoring it to reduce pain and improve mobility.

“The results I’ve seen have been amazing,” she says. Moran has helped

dogs who have lost the use of their back legs because of slipped discs; after adjustments, they’re able to regain use of their legs and walk again.

She also treats arthritic dogs, “getting the pep back in their step so they can have a better quality of life.”

Healthy pets can experience benefits of spine checkups, too, she points out—especially active and athletic ones. The DCC website is clear that the practice is not meant to replace veterinary medicine. Rather, animal chiropractors work in conjunction with veterinarians, treating areas that often go unnoticed by traditional care.

And that pain in your back as a result of hunching over your desk spoon-feeding yourself peanut butter while your pooch snuggles in your new comforter? As it turns out, living with a dog is good for human health as well. Having a pet lowers stress, reduces blood pressure, and may even help you live longer. So says science.

So they deserve to live the same aspirational lifestyle to which we have made them accustomed. It’s the least we can do to repay the unconditional love

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephanie Wilson is the editor-in-chief of Sensi magazine.

Rebecca Treon contributed to this piece.

DECEM BER 2019

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Whiskey Rebellion

A modern distilling revolution is afoot, with a trail of craft distilleries offering a chance to taste, tour, and learn about American whiskey.

TEXT AARON H. BIBLE

PHOTOS COURTESY OF WIGLE WHISKEY GARDEN & BARRELHOUSE

The Whiskey Rebellion was the first and only time a sitting American president marched troops against his own people.

Philip Wigle, who was sentenced to hang for his participation in the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794, a protest against an excise tax on whiskey, which was the brainchild of Alexander Hamilton and approved by President George Washington. Wigle was arrested during a march on the area by government

troops that had been sent by Washington to put down the uprising.

The president later pardoned Wigle to keep him from becoming a martyr along the frontier.

The Whiskey Rebellion Trail launched in July 2019 and highlights the important history of this region and its continuing spirit of innovation in craft spirits.

The Trail includes more than 70 craft distilleries and museums throughout Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Wash-

ington, DC. Curated passes make it easy to explore through tours, tastings, and museum exhibitions.

Wigle Whiskey opened its doors to the public in 2012. “We are an award-winning and James Beard–nominated distillery that makes several different kinds of spirits and are known for innovative products, such as our Eau de Pickle,” says Teresa DeFlitch, director of people and education for Wigle Whiskey

and Threadbare Cider House & Meadery.

“However, one of our biggest passions is educating visitors on how the mid-Atlantic, especially Pittsburgh, is the birthplace of American whiskey. This region was famous for a spicy, robust style of rye whiskey known as Monongahela Rye.” Wigle makes a fantastic rye whiskey that honors that past.

Wigle Whiskey offers distillery tours on Saturdays, and they have plenty of events to choose from, including cocktail classes, a deep dive spirits training school, trivia nights, and new release parties.

To explore the Whiskey Rebellion Trail, go to whiskeyrebelliontrail.com and select and purchase a pass. It’ll be sent to your phone (no need to download an app).

During visits to the distilleries and museums, you’ll redeem offers on your pass while immersing yourself in local craft spirits and history.

The Whiskey Rebellion Trail highlights the important history of this region and its continuing spirit of innovation in craft spirits.

wiglewhiskey.com

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THE LIFE BOOK REVIEW

Proper Puff Piece Lizzie Post follows her great-great grandmother’s path and defines the rules for cannabis etiquette.

TEXT STEPHANIE WILSON

Whether you’ve been on the giving or receiving end of the phrase, “According to Emily Post [insert standard practice followed by polite society here],” you’ve been subject to her advice—or the advice of her descendants given through subsequent books, syndicated advice columns, and other teachings of the Emily Post Institute. The original manners mastermind literally wrote the book on etiquette, dictating the rules for social conduct in her 1922 bestseller, Etiquette: In Society, In Business, In Politics and At Home.

While times have changed, many of the principles of good manners she outlined almost a century ago are still widely followed today.

Getting excited about etiquette is elevated to high fashion with a new installment by Lizzie Post, great-great-granddaughter to the grand dame of all-things gracious and co-president of her family’s Vermont-based institute. Higher Etiquette: A Guide to the World of Cannabis, from Dispensaries to Dinner Parties is the most concrete example to date of just how far we’ve come in removing the stigma surrounding cannabis. When the world’s most respected etiquette brand deems the formerly controversial plant a topic for polite society, it’s a milestone moment.

The topics covered include everything from basic lingo to rota-

tion etiquette to pairing parties and “weedcations.” [Full disclosure: Sensi president Tae Darnell is among the industry experts consulted for the project.] At the heart of the book’s message is the communal spirit of the plant, which is meant to be shared.

The preface answers the question undoubtedly on everyone’s mind when they learn of the book’s existence: What would Emily Post think of it all? According to Lizzie Post, the OG of etiquette would support it.

Higher Etiquette: A Guide to the World of Cannabis, from Dispensaries to Dinner Parties $19, Penguin Random House emilypost.com

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GO THERE

THE LIFE

Shady Grove 5500 Walnut Street, Pittsburgh eatshady.com

C O C K TA I L S

Made in the Shadyside Bolstered by CBD soda and craft vodka, these winter sippers from one of Pittsburgh’s hip mixology hotspots will bring some heat to winter.

TEXT AARON H. BIBLE

Sprig Spritz Recipe by Shady Grove / Makes 2 cocktails

IN G RE DIE N TS

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SHADY GROIVE

12 ounces Sprig CBD citrus soda 1.5 ounces Aperol 2 ounces Tito’s vodka 4 ounces sparkling wine Fresh grapefruit for garnish IN STRUCTION S

• Split a can of Sprig CBD-infused soda into two glasses.

• Add half the Aperol and Tito’s vodka to each.

• Top each with half the sparkling wine and garnish with grapefruit.

There’s no shortage of craft cocktails in Pittsburgh, as the city is quickly gaining notoriety nationwide for its burgeoning food-andbev scene revival. Shady Grove is a staple in Shadyside, the hip neighborhood in the city’s vibrant East End. This spot is known for its funky drinks, delicious food, and quirky sense of humor.

We headed over to Shady Grove to help them whip up some tasty wintry cocktails, from a traditional hot toddy to a drink the likes of which we’ve never seen. With the curiosity of CBD on the rise, the Grove has found a fun way to get guests chatting about the relaxing qualities of the plant.

Sprig, a Cali-based CBD beverage company, recently entered into the local market and is selling its canned sodas at Pittsburgh cafes, bars, and restaurants. Shady Grove offers Sprig sans alcohol or mixed into a signature cocktail called the Sprig Spritz. Like a vacation in a glass, the Sprig Spritz is a citrusy CBD-infused cocktail.

It calls for half a can of Sprig, so find a friend, so you can sip away the season in good company. Or keep your spirits up as the temps go down with a traditional hot toddy served with your favorite bourbon or whiskey. Whichever cocktail you choose, it’s sure to keep the winter blues away.

Hot Toddy Recipe by Shady Grove / Makes 1 cocktail

INGREDIENTS

1 fair-trade organic non-GMO tea bag 1 ounce bourbon or whiskey 1 tablespoon mild local organic honey 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice Lemon slice for garnish Simple Syrup INST RUCT IONS

• Top a 6-ounce mug with boiling water and add tea bag. Steep for 5 minutes.

• Remove tea bag and add bourbon or whiskey, honey, and lemon juice.

• Sweeten to taste with simple syrup and garnish with lemon.

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THE

Cultural Calendar

The holidays are here, and it’s time to get out and enjoy all the bustle, cheer, and warmth of the best happenings in PGH.

Market Square Unplugged Tuesdays through Dec. 17 Speakeasy at NOLA, Pittsburgh downtowncdc.org

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Drag Brunch Dec. 1 Olive or Twist, Pittsburgh bit.ly/33tfHFk

ART TIL 8

World AIDS Day with Visual AIDS & Jordan Eagles

Thursdays in Dec. Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh cmoa.org/event/art-til-8

Dec. 1 The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh warhol.org

Pittsburgh’s Original Libations Tour Dec 1, 8 & 15 Strip District, Pittsburgh bit.ly/2PWWjNm

Sensi Pittsburgh Launch Party Dec. 4 bit.ly/sensilaunchpa

Join us to celebrate the official launch

PHOTO COURTESY OF BKEMP1984 AT ENGLISH WIKIPEDIA

TEXT AARON H. BIBLE

LEFT: LOTUS BELOW: HANDMADE ARCADE RIGHT: PUNK ROCK FLEA MARKET

of Sensi magazine here in the Burgh.

The party runs from 7 to 10 p.m., and it’s a free event.

TEDxPittsburgh Women 2019: Bold + Brilliant Dec. 5 The Roxian Theatre, McKees Rocks tedxpittsburgh.org

Handmade Arcade 2019

PHOTO CREDITS (FROM TOP): COURTESY COBRA CAKES CLOTHING / COURTESY THE ANDY WARHOL MUSEUM

Dec. 6–7 David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh handmadearcade.org

Be one of the 13,000 attendees to meet independent crafters, makers, designers, and artists. Attendees come from all over Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio to shop, create, and be inspired.

Fire Fest: A Celebration of Beer & Fire Dec. 7 Grist House Brewing, Pittsburgh gristhouse.com

PA MMJ Certifications and Re-Certs Dec. 8 PA MMJ Education Center, Pittsburgh pammec.org

Psychedelic Book Club: The Art of Losing Control Dec. 9 Full Pint Wild Side Pub, Pittsburgh Event info on Facebook

Steel City Slam COVER SLAM and Open Mic 1210 Dec. 10 Full Pint Wild Side Pub, Pittsburgh Event info on Facebook

Holiday Lights Run with Pro Bike + Run Dec. 10 Buckhead Saloon, Pittsburgh bit.ly/2PXyV2e

Yinzer Yuletide: Pittsburgh Lights & Legends Dec. 12–22 OʼReilly Theater, Pittsburgh ppt.org

Pittsburgh Punk Rock Flea Market 8 Dec. 13 Rock Room, Pittsburgh Event info on Facebook

Let’s Play Pan 21+ Holiday Fundraiser for Barrels to Beethoven

Dec. 27 Stage AE, Pittsburgh promowestlive.com

Dec. 14 Community Forge, Pittsburgh barrelstobeethoven.com

A Very Grateful Holiday with theCAUSE

Made & Found Holiday Market

Dec. 28 The Rex Theater, Pittsburgh bit.ly/34P7wUr

Dec. 15 Ace Hotel, Pittsburgh Event info on Facebook

Pittsburgh Winery Presents: Home for the Holidays Dec. 17 Benedum Center for the Performing Arts, Pittsburgh trustarts.org

Big Free Yoga Dec. 14 Ascend, Pittsburgh ascendpgh.com

Lotus

Handbag Happy Hour for Glimmer of Hope

The Black Lillies Dec. 29 Thunderbird Café & Music Hall, Pittsburgh bit.ly/TBLLtbird

Sunsquabi Dec. 31 The Rex Theater, Pittsburgh bit.ly/34DMLut

Dec. 19 Walnut Grill, Robinson bit.ly/2qwBDAW

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Market on Your Calendar Savor the taste of old PGH with a modern dining experience

TEXT AARON H. BIBLE

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The holidays are the best time to indulge with Southern Italian cuisine in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh. Browse and shop at the Downtown Holiday Market that takes place in Market Square and take in the tastes and smells of Italy with dishes crafted by one of Pittsburgh’s most renowned chefs, Domenico Cornacchia. Molinaro’s knowledgeable and famously friendly staff will assist you in selecting the best wines to pair with your holiday celebrations and toasts to the final days of 2019. molinaroristorante.com

PHOTOS BY CODY BAKER

THE END