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Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin The international cannabis industry is alive and well, on display at the famed conference Spannabis in Barcelona, Spain . In its 19th year, the trade show welcomed both industry members and consumers to the Fira de Cornellà. The show signals Primavera (the very beginning of Spring) as the international cannabis conversation blooms alongside the flowers. Over 500 businesses were on the floor this year, with 25,000 attendees representing 50 different nationalities. The massive undertaking is estimated to boost the local economy by $8 million. What Spain lacks in regulatory framework, it makes up for in heart. The excitement and the passion of the burgeoning weed industry can be felt here. Cannabis culture shock is possible at Spannabis. It is a packed and bustling show room floor where growers, hash makers, and business owners that span the weed, hemp, and ancillary worlds are all represented. It was the busiest B2C weed … [Read more...] about Spannabis Takes The Pulse Of The International Cannabis Industry

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin The weather may still be cold, and the sky is undoubtedly grey, but – in the city of London, at least – spring has arrived. It’s a couple of months yet until London bursts into bloom – with the RHS Chelsea Flower Show , its most famous celebration of all things green, not due to kick off until May. In the meantime, another London institution – Shangri-La The Shard – is one step ahead, with its ode to spring already in full force. Known for its seasonal celebrations – from its Alpine-themed ski huts to its recent futuristic take on Christmas – Shangri-La The Shard’s latest reinvention will definitely put a spring in your step, even before the city’s real cherry trees have blossomed into flower. From the ground-floor lobby to the reception zone on the 35 th floor, unique floral installations have said goodbye to the cold and hello to a new season. Baskets of tumbling heather and delicate pastel roses adorn the … [Read more...] about It’s A Celebration Of Spring At Shangri-La The Shard

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Since March of 1631, people around the world have been honoring St. Patrick. As the celebration has continued, certain traditions have become synonymous with March 17th, and sipping Irish whiskey is at the heart of the celebrations. To mark the occasion, Kentucky Owl released Kentucky Owl St. Patrick’s Edition , a 100% Kentucky made bourbon whiskey made through the lens of Irish whiskey making. To craft this limited first edition blended bourbon, Kentucky Owl’s master blender John Rhea collaborated with Louise McGuane, Ireland's first modern whiskey bonder and founder of J.J. Corry Irish Whiskey . Irish whiskey bonding is a way of blending that was commonplace during the 19 th and 20 th centuries, when most Irish distilleries produced whiskeys for bonders to age, blend and bottle. When the Irish whiskey industry collapsed in the 1930s, bonding faded away — until McGuane began resurrecting the tradition in … [Read more...] about Kentucky Owl Releases St. Patrick’s Day Edition Whiskey Collaboration

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin FRANKFORT, KY: Aundrea Owens grew up in Frankfort, Ky., in the 1960s. Back then, there were still some stores where she and her mother weren’t welcome when they went downtown to buy an Easter dress. Last year, she and her husband, Darnell, opened a retail cooperative on Main Street, a small storefront where she and her friends – Black and white – are selling wares from men’s suits, to T-shirts, to jewelry and art. The evening before I stopped by, a sip-and-shop event at the Drip Drop had seen two pieces of art sell for upwards of $500. “The fact that I have a store on Main Street in downtown Frankfort … I pull up and it gives me goosebumps,” Owens said. She and her husband see themselves as part of an economic renaissance, not in a siloed, “black entrepreneurship” way, as her husband, Darnell Owens told me, but as part of the community in their city. They are part of a nationwide surge in entrepreneurship since the … [Read more...] about Meet The Owenses, Of Frankfort, Ky. They Help Explain America’s Great Small Business Surge

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin A recent study by NielsenIQ notes that 82% of consumers who purchase non-alcoholic products — zero-proof gins, alcohol-removed chardonnay, and the like — also purchase regular-proof wine, beer, and spirits. So if you’re someone who likes to toe the line between drinking and not, it might make sense to pick a product that also lives in both worlds. Luckily, there’s a bounty of dedicated new mixers that pair beautifully with or without booze. For the Caffeine Fiend: Daysie This wee, woman-owned brand is behind a full line of consciously-made simple syrups, perfect for adding into your morning coffee or your evening espresso martini. It started when Charleston local Tara Pate fell in love with her local flavored coffee, but had no luck trying to buy the ingredients for home. So she set out to make her own. The first three flavors include Madagascar vanilla, coconut almond, and salted caramel. All are made … [Read more...] about 3 Great Mixers To Try For Drinkers And Non-Drinkers Alike

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin A number of folks had a bone broth to pick after actress and Goop founder Gwyneth Paltrow had said, “I have bone broth for lunch a lot of the days,” on a recent podcast. They expressed concern that such a statement suggesting that Paltrow has only bone broth for lunch might promote undereating, undernutrition, and easting disorders to those following her. Well, on March 17, Paltrow responded to such criticism by explaining on an Instagram story the long and short of why she said what she said. Paltrow related that “for over two years now to deal with some chronic stuff, and I have long Covid” and “the way it manifests for me is very high levels of inflammation over time so I’ve been working with Dr. Cole to really focus on foods that aren’t inflammatory. So lots of vegetables, cooked vegetables, all kinds of protein, healthy carbs to really lower inflammation and it’s been working really well.” The Dr. Cole whom Paltrow … [Read more...] about Gwyneth Paltrow Refers To Her Long Covid When Responding To Bone Broth Backlash

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin An independent luxury hotel in Islamorada is thriving despite increased pressure to sell to big brands. For others, it’s a different story. Locals call him “the most expensive game in town.” He doesn’t actively advertise, because he doesn’t have to. Word of mouth, a string of famous swimsuit model photo shoots, and a lifetime of labor has kept his Moorings Village in Islamorada going since 1987. It has survived devastating hurricanes, financial crises and takeover bids. But owner Hubert Baudoin is a rare breed. Born and raised in Côte d’Ivoire, you’d sooner find him windsurfing in the Bahamas or blazing trails through the desert on a motorcycle before you’d find him hunched over a balance sheet. Like his safari-chasing father before him, he is something of an extremist. One who took root in the Keys, itself a land of extremes: tranquility and raging storms, poverty and wealth, alcoholism and detox retreats. … [Read more...] about The Best Kept Secret In The Florida Keys

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin There’s a frisson on London Victoria’s Platform 2: a trio of singers are harmonising swing classics while travellers, chatting excitedly, are bustling about looking for their carriages. Everyone is dressed in their finest and the mingled scents of heady fragrances and musky colognes are heavy in the air. A man rushes by in a mustard and green tartan suit, a vintage camera slung over his shoulder. A woman, in vertiginous heels and a marabou feather stole, laughs gaily as she climbs the steps to her carriage. It’s as though we’ve stepped back in time. In fact, once aboard Belmond’s British Pullman , you might think you’ve actually journeyed back to a more sophisticated era of travel. Much like its sister train – the iconic Venice Simplon-Orient-Express – the British Pullman’s reputation precedes it. Harking back to the roaring 20s and 30s, the train simply exudes glamour, no matter that your destination may be Kent, … [Read more...] about All Aboard: The Whodunnit That Takes You Back To A Golden Age Of Travel

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin I had the privilege of binge-watching Breaking Bad as my anxiety shot through the roof season after season. The show has become so iconic it’s difficult not to associate the lead actors — one whom was a modest chemistry teacher turned ruthless kingpin — making meth in an RV somewhere in the desert. Years later, Walter White and Jesse Pinkman have teamed up again. Many know Dos Hombres Mezcal’s founders, prominent actors Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul. However, there's a third essential piece to the puzzle, without whom Dos Hombres would not exist: third-generation mezcalero Gregorio Velasco, who has been making mezcal in the tiny Oaxacan village of San Luis del Rio since he was eight years old. Omaid Homayun: How did you cross paths with Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul? Gregorio Velasco: Bryan and Aaron took a week-long trip touring distilleries across the region of Oaxaca, and it is my understanding they weren’t … [Read more...] about A Labor Of Love – An Interview With Dos Hombres’ Maestro, Gregorio Velasco

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin The Easter bunny may be bringing baskets of chocolate and candy, but these cocktails will make sure the adults are having a great time even after the egg hunts are long over. Eostre’s Blessing Virgin Hotels New Orleans will be celebrity the season by throwing a Bunny Burlesque Brunch with a variety of breakfast favorites and themed cocktails. One of those cocktails will be the Eostre’s Blessing, which is named after the goddess whose celebration Easter comes from. This light and aromatic cocktail features fresh fruits and bright flavors such as Skyy Blood Orange, Grand Marnier, cranberry juice, lemon juice, simple syrup, edible pink glitter, edible flower. “I wanted to celebrate Eostre, who some say is the reason we even have spring and the Easter holiday! To channel the rich bounty that the season gives us, I used fresh fruit and bright spirits to create this unique bright pink cocktail. As a final touch, the cocktail is … [Read more...] about Capture The Spirit Of The Season With Whimsical Easter Cocktails