Last Call: Happy Birthday To Kate Bernot!
The only thing I don't like about having Kate Bernot for a co-worker is that she lives all the way in Montana, far away from the rest of The Takeout in Chicago. Too far! Of course, that makes her infrequent visits straight-up holidays. But even via Skype and Slack, Kate is a delight: unflappable, never surly (unlike a coworker of hers we could mention in Chicago), and seemingly indefatigable as she mothers her chickens and schools the rest of us on beer. Please help remind me her not to work ahead on any of her beer articles tonight, and she would probably like to read your friendly greetings in the comments about a truly great person. Have the best birthday ever, Kate: I baked you a Costco cake in my head. [Gwen Ihnat]
Watching leather wallets being made is soothing
This job has made me appreciate the artisan more than ever. Breadmakers, vintners, sushi chefs are all are trades that require the proverbial 10,000 hours to master. So watching things get made—the process, the craftsmanship, the care—is very satisfying for me. Stock & Barrel Co. are a maker of leather goods out of Ogden, Utah, and they've done a very smart thing to market their products: They post videos of their products being immaculately made. I dare you to tell me you don't want to buy one of their wallets right now. [Kevin Pang]