Spring Time and the Drinking is Easy

Text by Heather Palermo & Cory Crawford • Photography by Jesse Martinez

It feels like we should start this article with an introduction. Hi. We are Heather and Cory. Nice to meet you! So, why should you read our all things booze article? What makes us experts? Well, nothing really, except for the fact that we like to travel, eat good food, and try out new beverages that we can bring back to Montana. Sure, some of the stuff we will write about you will have heard of or have had yourself, but we are hoping to bring a little bit of our adventures to you.

So, for our first article, we bring New Orleans to Montana, while also talking about a wine you can get anywhere around here. Sit back, relax, and let us tell you all about some great drinks for Spring.

The first time I (Heather) heard about La Vieille Ferme Rosé was at the Blue Rose when Tracy, the owner, offered me a glass of chicken wine. I did a double take – was she talking about wine to have with chicken, wine made from chickens, or something else? It turns out there are chickens on the label, hence the name chicken wine.

However silly the name may be, it is a very good rosé. Rosés have been gaining in popularity over the past couple of years – I mean I wouldn’t have been caught dead drinking a pink wine not too long ago – and they are great for warm spring days. It is great paired with, you guessed it, chicken, but also salads, fish and anything off the grill. It is a perfect crisp and fruity wine to have on hand for this spring and it’s not expensive! You can find it at Wines by Wednesday and Pizazz and many other places.

Ok, enough about wine, you really want to hear about New Orleans and how to make a delicious Sazerac. Cory . . .

Springtime holidays have got to be my favorites. Irish whiskey day (St. Patty’s), roasted lamb day (Easter), dislike of tequila reminder day (Cinco de Mayo), and of course, the let’s get crazy before Lent day/week/month (Mardi Gras, Shrovetide, or Carnival).

Whenever Lent begins to sneak up on us, I am transported back to that most famous of American Mardi Gras cities, New Orleans—amazing food, excellent music, and very interesting drinks. Few things can rival sitting at a bar on Frenchmen Street, sipping a Sazerac, and listening to a local band.

A Sazerac cocktail is made by muddling a sugar cube with three dashes of Peychaud’s bitters, adding two ounces of either rye whiskey (most popular) or cognac (the original), stirring with ice, and straining into a highball glass that’s been rinsed with Absinthe. The flavor is sublime, with a hint of anise.

So, while you’re out there enjoying freedom from the chains of winter, pick up some absinthe, rye, and bitters, then take a trip to New Orleans from the comfort of your own front porch.

~ Cory and Heather travel the world in search of adventure, delicious food, and amazing drinks. To pay for their adventures, Cory farms full time and Heather is the Director of Lifelong Learning at GFCMSU. They like to host dinner parties at their home in Great Falls, with their dog Maisy.

Wings Across the Big Sky Festival Brings Birders and Wildlife Enthusiasts to the Electric City

Story By Amy Joyner • Photos By Russell Hill

Every migrating flock of Canada Geese tells people below there is strength in numbers. In Great Falls June 9-11, about 400 birders will combine forces learning about birds and their habitats during the Montana Audubon’s Wings Across the Big Sky Festival, co-hosted by Upper Missouri Breaks Audubon.

Fantastic Superheroes Save the Day!

Text by Mary Ellen Hendrickson and Photography by Jesse Martinez

Great Falls author, Ryan Acra, is sharing his first book with readers and local public schools, encouraging children and adults to “be open.” “Don’t block off the magic of life, dreams and joy. Be present!”

Closing the Agricultural Gender Gap

Written by Suzanne Waring

Although in the minority, women have always been involved in Montana’s agriculture. When the early 20th Century homestead acts opened up land for occupancy, women who were heads of households took up land. Up to 18 percent of all homesteaders in Montana were women. Today nearly one million women are working America’s lands, which is nearly a third of our nation’s farmers.

A Home of Solitude & Sanctuary

Text by Heather Bode | Photography by Jim Wells

Do we remodel or build new? It’s a question faced by many families on the journey of home ownership. For Nick and Robin Jankiewicz, the decision was clarified by a piece of paper. “We wanted to remodel our last home, but when the remodeling quote came in, we figured we’d might as well just build,” says Robin.

Edward Anthony Maierle Retells his B-24 and B-17 survival maneuvers

Text by Polly Kolstad and Photography by Jesse Martinez

It has been a few years since Edward Anthony Maierle was employed at Fligelman’s Department Store in Helena, Montana.

He was working there December 7, 1941, the day Pearl Harbor was bombed. He immediately enlisted in the U.S. Navy and flew to Hawaii to become an “Avenger” (American torpedo bomber World War II) stationed on Pearl Harbor.