ATL Essentials: Mid Summer Edition

 Summer is in full swing, and has it been a hot one here in the northeastern United States.  I have been loving getting out there and enjoying summer as best as possible.  I decided to put together a short list of the things that I can't live without during the summer, and a short write up on each of them. 

Loafers, no socks.  This is my footwear of choice, although I occasionally go for sneakers or more formal options, loafers are the summer stand-by.  They go great with both pants and shorts and sockless is the only way to go.  I prefer the full strapped loafers, but penny loafers, driving shoes and many other variations work as well.

Seltzer.  I used to be a big soda drinker, pre paleo, but now I get my carbonation fix from seltzer water.  Zero calories, ice cold, and refreshing on a warm day.  Many people prefer the imported Pelligrino, but I really like Poland Springs, especially the lime and mandarin orange flavors.

Vineyard Vines neckwear.  Bright colors, summery motifs, these are my favorite summer ties.

Patagonia Standup shorts.  I am a pretty big Patagonia fan in general, and the stand up shorts are possibly my favorite item.  They are designed for climbing, with the big pockets, but I think they look great and the fabric is incredibly thick.

Leatherman Ltd Motif Belts.  Leatherman makes affordable belts and are a product of Connecticut!  I prefer the nautical, sport, or fishing patterns, these are great summer belts.

Tennis.  I have recently picked up playing the sport, as a result of my wife taking classes.  We both have improved dramatically, and it is really a great competitive past time for us now.

Fresh produce.  Summers in New England are the best time for us to get fresh produce.  Grocery stores, farm stands, and farmers markets are the places to pick it up.  I love tomatos and really prefer the locally grown heirloom varieties, so I make sure to get my fill while available!

Duffle Bag.  Duffle bags are essential for a weekend getaway to Cape Cod, Maine, the Hamptons, Narragansett or any of the other great summer getaway locations near by.  Luckily Red Clay Soul, a blog I really like, written by a guy out of Charleston, gave a great rundown on duffle bags recently, and I urge you to check it out!

Check out other ATL Essentials posts.

Alden for Brooks Brothers Shell Cordovan Full Strap Loafers

Alden is my favorite footwear producer.  I wish I could afford every single model in their portfolio.  I have owned tassel loafers and found several other models over the years while thrifting.  Recently, I acquired my first pair of shell cordovan loafers from Alden.  They came via a friendly seller on Styleforum who offered me a great deal.  Although they are not in fantastic condition, they look good and feel great.  I am considering getting the Alden recrafting process done, although at $145 it is a decent investment, much better than $600 for a new pair. 

Worn here with my standby Uniqlo socks and some cheap J.Crew trousers

Supreme x Comme Des Garcons Redux: Vans

In March of 2012, Supreme teamed up with Comme des Garcons to release a collection of tee's and other shirtings

This Summer, Supreme has joined Comme des Garçons SHIRT to release two new versions of the Vans Authentic and SK8-Hi. Both styles will feature Comme des Garçons shirting fabric on the upper of the shoe made exclusively for Supreme.
These sold out online, and I can't say I am really too upset

Recent Craft Beers

Summer is going strong, and it has been extremely warm here in the northeastern US.  I have been enjoying a number of great beers lately.  I have been purchasing primarily high quality beers, and in smaller quantities.  It is expensive, but allows me the option of trying a number of different styles and brands. 

Baxter Brewing based out of Maine is a great up and coming local brewery.  I really like that they brew their stuff in cans, and really enjoy their Stowaway IPA, kind of like an east coast version of Dales from Oskar Blues (mentioned below!)  This beer is nothing like that, and is very different from any other beer I have had.  It's certainly summery, but not as light as the Narragansett Summer I so love.  It has a lot of herby-fruity flavors going on and is surprisingly bitter. 

Cambridge Brewing is one of my favorite breweries.  Their bombers come out in batches, and are based on the most popular recipes sold at the brewpub.  Red God is an Imperial Red, clocking in at 9% ABV.  I did not get the best impression from this beer, as it was pretty late and the last beer that I drank.  I enjoyed the hops, but would like to re-visit in the future.

Ahhh Dogfish Head Festina Peche, how I have missed you!  I tried this beer 2 years ago and it was one of the first "sour" beers I had ever tried.  It looks like a pale fizzy lager, but it is really nothing like that.  Incredibly light both in mouth feel and drinkability, this beer is a Berliner Weisse.  Not as sour as a geueze or lambic, but still tart enough to scratch that sour itch.  This beer is fantastic in the summer and fairly priced at $10/4pk.

Maine Brewing Company is another great brewery out of Maine.  I have almost all of their offerings multiple times and really enjoy what they put out.  The specialize in hoppy beers with the Peeper, Zoe, and Lunch IPA highlighting hops.  Mo is between Peeper and Lunch although leanign to the citrusy lunch side, rather than the leafy peeper.  This beer is expensive at 7$ for 500ml, and I wouldn't hesitate to pick it up frequently, if it were available and priced at $5, but c'est la vie.

Deviant Dale's is the sup'd up version of Dale's Pale Ale.  Like Dale's is really an IPA mascquerading as a Pale Ale.  Deviant Dale's is certainly a Double IPA.  It is extremly aggressive in hops, and went well with the spicy pork sausage stirfry behind it.  Beautiful color and fine head make for a delicious hop bomb.  $14/4pk of 16 oz cans is reasonable.

An old favorite of mine, Pretty Things Jack D'or is one of the best and most accessible saisons brewed in New England.  $6 for a fresh bomber of this farmhousey, spicy "saison americane" is a real bargain.  It is not incredibly high in ABV like some of it's american saison brethren, which is a favorable aspect in my opinion!

Enjoy summer folks!

Ray Allen Commits to Signing with Miami Heat

(Lebron tweeted this image)

As a huge Celtics fan, I was extremely disappointed when I saw that Ray Allen would be taking his talents to South Beach.  He has been an integral part of this Celtics team that I have loved over the past 5 years.  Although he has begun to age and break down, he is the leading 3 point scorer of all time.  He decided to sign with the Heat after the Celtics hurt his pride and dis-respected him by trying to complete a trade for OJ Mayo of Memphis at last year's trading deadline.  In addition, he cites his fractured relationship with Rajon Rondo as a reason why he would not re-sign here in Boston, even though we offered him double the $3 million Miami is capable of offering.

I am sad about this, because I was a huge Ray Allen fan.  In addition, he is joining our most hated competitor and already a talented squad in Miami.  It hurts to see someone you feel is part of your team go to the hated rival and overall bad guy of the league.  If he were to go to another team, particularly in the West, I would not have faulted him, but his choice of team really sours my opinion of the man.  Not that he could give two shits.  I have lots more to say about the Celtics off-season, but I will wait until after July 11th to see how things shake out with the rest of the roster.