Beer Mansion Is Coming: We usually keep personal news out of the Sixer, but Beer Mansion is too cool to miss. The Mash Tour is bringing Beer Mansion to eight cities around the world this year, and we’re unnaturally excited to show you all what we’ve been working on. We’re talking oceans of beer from us and local breweries, food, music, art, tech, and just sheer armloads of weird and wacky stuff. This is the sort of party we would want to go to, and trust us: we go to some bizarre parties. Early Bird tickets are on sale for Brooklyn and the rest of our cities are on the way, so stay tuned.
Margaritaville Ages Gracefully: Continuing his reign as the Most Confusingly Licensed Man on Earth, Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville empire will now extend to a tropical Florida “active adult community.” The Margaritaville license has already been applied to frozen dinners, gas-powered blenders (which, for the record, are fantastic), clothing, furniture, pre-made drink mixes and more, so of course a retirement home made sense. Jimmy, if you’re reading this, tell these folks to lay off the tequila.
Illinois Considers Cool Parent Bill: Illinois lawmakers introduced a bill this week that would allow 18 year olds to drink beer or wine at restaurants with parental supervision. Similar laws already in place in Connecticut, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nevada, Texas, and Wyoming have met with critical approval and a general improvement in dinner conversations. Bar trivia will remain a safe place, as the law specifically excepts hard liquor and drinking bars for the younger crowd.
DIY Whiskey Goes Big: A homemade whiskey blend called “California Gold” has taken the tasting circuit by storm, beating out scores of top-shelf competitors with its secret formula. Supplied solely by a man with the nom de guerre Danny Strongwater, the blend represents a certain level of in-the-know in certain circles, and has started handing out upsets at competitions. If you can’t track down an elusive bottle, try making your own at home. We promise it’s classier than that “blended punch” you made for college parties.
One Woman Keeps Sunny’s Alive: To close this week’s round up, we raise our glasses to Sunny’s proprietor Tune Balzano Johansen. She has single-handedly kept the landmark bar open since her husband’s death last March, building on twenty years as de facto business manager. After a very public court battle between several Balzano family heirs and Brooklyn developers, Johansen retained control of the bar but must raise $2.6 million in the next six months. Read up, and grab a ferry timetable. We’re all needed in Red Hook.