Bread has been at the center of everything for Honeycomb Bread Bakers founder, Benjamin Vickers. In an interview with LKLD Haven last summer before the opening of his brick and mortar bakery inside of Twenty Seven, Vickers said, “My dream is to serve people, and fill their bellies, and make good bread.” The formally trained baker seems to be fulfilling this dream with the success of his golden bee brand. Honeycomb has become synonymous with honest, humble, good food. At the Bay Street bakery, Vickers and his artisans serve up treats from tarts and bagels to cookies, muffins, and of course, a diverse offering of bread. The east side of the county has become happily acquainted with Benjamin’s breads and baked goods through the likes of N+1, Nutwood, and the Winter Haven Farmers Market. Whether at the farmers market or his Lakeland bakery, folks flock to pick up a country sourdough or a beautifully braided Challah, which have doubtless been the perfect vessel for many a sandwich. Vickers is working on a new sandwich concept that will defy convention – turning bread from a mere vessel to the feature. The Winter Haven sandwich shop will be called The Inside Out inspired both by his inverted sandwich idea as well as The Upside Down in Stranger Things. “I make artisanal bread – I am an artist. When conceptualizing the restaurant, I thought ‘What could be more avant-garde than an inside-out sandwich?’” said Vickers. The sandwich artisan will start with two bases of meat, topped with whatever veggies are appropriate to the sandwich, followed by a single slice of heavenly Honeycomb bread (or two slices if you decide to go crazy with a double stack). The meat sides are pressed together making for an inside-out sandwich – but it isn’t finished yet. The piece de resistance is when he dips the inverted sandwich into its condiments. He is working with local artists to come up with trendy bib ideas as the concept will get messy. “That’s part of the experience,” said Vickers. “Feeling the Thousand Island dressing squish between your fingers while sauerkraut drops into your lap as you treat yourself to an Inside Out Rueben is all part of what I wanted. It feels messy sure – but life is messy, love is messy, LUNCH IS MESSY!” A Honeycomb Brioche bun is in the works for their Inside Out burger which will consist of two Angus beef smash patties, lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle hugging a whole brioche bun. The masterpiece will then be dipped into individual vats of ketchup, mayo, and mustard. Yes, please! Other revolutionary menu items will include inside out burritos and pie as well as upside-down avocado toast and pizza. “The pizza is done beautifully,” said Vickers. “We put toppings on a pan followed by cheese and ladle it with sauce – a secret family recipe – and a drizzle of olive oil. Our Honeycomb pizza dough will be placed on top like a little pizza hat and baked. Most of the toppings stick to the dish, but the dough soaks up the flavor. That means fewer calories – high-five.” The Inside Out bagel with lox is a bit more difficult as cream cheese is less of a dip and more a spread. Customers with a hankering for this dish will stand with their hands out as Vickers spreads cream cheese on each palm, topping it with lox, radishes, chives, and a warm Honeycomb bagel. “Then I slap their hands together and there you have it,” he said. A spin on his childhood favorite, The Inside Out will feature a gourmet grilled cheese. “We start with a layer of sharp cheddar followed by Gruyere. Once that starts to melt and the cheddar gets a nice crisp, I put on a slice of country sourdough followed again by Gruyere and sharp cheddar,” he said. That alone sounds delicious, but Vickers keeps it extra cheesy by dipping the sandwich in a bucket of movie theatre nacho cheese. “I call it the ‘Nacho Momma’s Grilled Cheese,’” he said. Forget a bag of chips and a soggy pickle with your sandwich – The Inside Out will boast sides that even the pickiest foodie will crave. These include Inside Out fries, which are quite simply French fries covered in mashed potatoes, and the ‘Take What You Can Hold Soup Bar’ where patrons can scoop as much soup as they can fit into their hands for a flat price. “I recommend bringing a friend with larger hands – more bang for your buck,” said Vickers. Vickers is working with the architects behind the Wonderworks building in Orlando to take a not yet disclosed existing Winter Haven space and turn it upsidedown to contribute to the ambiance he is going for. The restaurateur plans to focus on perfecting the lunch menu for now with plans to venture into breakfast options early next year. “The community has been so graciously supportive of Honeycomb – I know they’ll show up to support The Inside Out too,” said Vickers. Keeping with the eatery’s topsy-turvy theme, the wait staff will be required to greet guests and take orders facing backward, in Pig Latin. Vickers dramatically concluded our interview in a velvet smoking jacket, back turned, peering out a large window, “Elcomeway otay the uturefay of oodfay...” Guests can pre-reserve a table at The Inside Out by emailing april_foolz@havenmagazines.com . Photos by Amy Sexson

Cynics have long pushed the idea that the future of content is entirely electronic – that books, newspapers, magazines are soon to go the way of the dinosaur. At Haven, we’ve found that if you keep your product hyperfocused on a community you care about and do your best to be a resource for and a reflection of that community, there will be no end in sight for print. Everyone here at Haven and LKLD Magazines are very excited to say we are expanding! (Or contracting depending on how you look at it.) We have stepped into the future – you can now read us every month, in the palm of your hands. Telling the community’s story is our job – so when you talk, we listen. We’re often asked, “How can I get Haven on the go? I want to take it with me to read at the mall or the beach, but it’s just so darn big and clunky. My hands get tired turning the oversized pages!” Problem – solved. After exhaustive market research, Haven has invested in a miniature printing press, about the size of an EasyBake Oven, to print pocket-size versions of our monthly magazine. This means a mini Haven Magazine that will be no bigger than your iPhone. We will continue to print our usual run of oversized magazines that will be free in racks around the county as well as mailed to homes. This venture is new to us, so we hope you’ll hang in there with us as we work out the kinks. To fit all of our monthly content like Top 10’s, profiles, cover story, arts section, calendar, sold homes, and #kindachill without sacrificing font size, the magazine will be smaller in length and width than traditional Haven but will be substantially thicker in depth – roughly the size of a brick. For legal purposes, we have to elaborate that when we say “pocket-size” that is only if you are wearing stretchy pants, cargo shorts, or JNCO jeans. In the vein of propelling our community forward through the latest in sensory technology, we will be adding a pop-up and a scratch and sniff section to Haven Mini. Is that fried chicken or gator tail I’m smelling? Did someone break wind, or did I drive by an orange processing plant? You’ll have to wait and find out! Haven will now be at the tips of your fingers – literally. Velcro kits are available to attach the magazine to the back of your phone, so you never have to be without us! Other Haven Mini merch will include hip holsters with an elastic line so you can check a calendar listing on the go. The first ten people to subscribe to our monthly mini’s will receive a monocle, one pair of JNCO jeans complete with belt loop wallet chains that attach to the magazine, and an autographed scratch and sniff photo of our production manager, Steven. Traveling abroad? Pick us up! We’ve grown so much that we’ve expanded across the pond. For some reason, Scottish citizens are very interested in the goings-on of Polk County, Florida. So, we launched an office there – Haven International. It has the same monthly content as Haven and Haven Mini, but it’s medium-sized and is translated to Scottish Gaelic. Tapadh leibh airson taic a thoirt don iris againn agus amadan April! For more information or to subscribe to Haven Mini or Haven International email us at april_foolz@havenmagazines.com . Photo by Amy Sexson

Lakeland and Winter Haven are Polk County’s two most populated cities. For almost as long as the two cities have existed (Lakeland was founded in 1885 and Winter Haven in 1923), these have made up the two largest parties in the figurative east/west divide of the county. This unspoken feud spurred the drafting of a 1934 bill to “build a great and indestructible partition” between them. Support and funding fell through and the bill was to be buried in the depths of the county’s history – until now. There was a clear distaste for each other in which Lakeland thought Winter Haven to be “uncool” and Winter Haven thought Lakeland to be “snobby” according to court records and diaries from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Oddly, those old feelings appear to persist even today, bringing new life to the 1934 bill. A three-phase plan has been put into motion by Lakeland city officials who say construction on the Polk County wall could begin as soon as the first quarter of 2021. At a county meeting in February, Winter Haven’s spokesperson for the wall task force, Peter Lutz said, “We’re going to build this wall, and we’re going to make Lakeland pay for it.” Winter Haven city officials voted unanimously to pass the bill, but Lakeland has yet to agree on terms. Lakeland officials agree there should be a wall, but its placement and who will be footing the bill is still up in the air. Though they haven’t always seen eye to eye, now the cities won’t be able to see each other at all. “We want to build it high enough that they can’t see our beautiful lakes,” said Lutz. The 40-foot tall, 36-mile long wall will start in Polk City, going through Auburndale and Bartow before stopping in Homeland. Lake Hancock, which sits in the wall’s projected path, will have to be drained. The bill for that and all of the lake’s water will also go to Lakeland. Proponents of the wall are demanding nothing but the best. An initial shipment of 80 tons of luxury Italian marble has already been placed. The marble will be shipped to the states via cargo ship and taken the rest of the way by railcar. “It’s needlessly expensive and that’s why we’re – I’m sorry I mean why they – are investing in it,” said one official. Renderings of the wall show two-way mirrors every five miles or so. Winter Haven residents will be able to see Lakeland, but Lakeland will only see a reflection. “I think it’s time they take a good hard look at themselves,” said an official who wished to remain anonymous. In addition to difficult terms with Lakeland on who is paying for the wall, logistics have been a point of contention. Several people who were offered buyouts for their homes refused. As these homes won’t be demolished like most in the wall’s path, the wall will be built directly over these properties. Other concerns raised with the project is the fact that there will be no way around it. The average 30-minute trip from one city to the other may now take upwards of an hour and a half depending on where you start and where you have to go. There will be a bike path along the top of the wall, though it will only be available to Winter Havenites with guards at each end checking ID’s for addresses. World-renowned muralist Edgar Monroe has been contracted to beautify the Winter Haven side with “realistic and very cute dog faces,” according to the task force website. The artist will paint the other end of the pup in an equally realistic fashion along Lakeland’s side of the wall. It is still not entirely clear how Winter Haven intends to force Lakeland to pay for the wall, but officials say not to worry. Lutz said, “When it’s all said and done, the wall will cost Lakeland around $2B. Cost of finally having privacy and peace of mind to Winter Haven – priceless.” Though some city leaders and citizens are in support of the wall, an even larger movement from politicians and citizens on both sides of the county in opposition to its construction, has begun to form. “As it turns out, Lakeland isn’t as snooty as we thought,” said one wall detractor from Winter Haven. A Lakeland resident agreed, adding, “And Winter Haven is actually kind of chill.” This collective of forward-thinking folks have started an online petition to immediately tear down the wall should it be built. At a rally in protest of the wall at Lake Hancock on February 10, a leader in the ‘Tear Down the Wall’ movement, Robert ‘Bob’ Bobertson, said, “They might build the wall, but we’re going to come together to tear it right down. And we’re going to make Tampa pay for the demolition!” The crowd erupted in cheers and applause. To write your congressman about building the wall between Polk or tearing it down, email april_foolz@havenmagazines.com .

Seven hundred and fifty bottles per minute shoot down a production line outside a large window in Julie Williams’s office. One thousand cases worth of beverages will expeditiously clink down the line during the hour we talk with chief operating officer Julie Williams and chief financial officer Stacey Oakley of The Florida Brewery. These two ladies are kind of a big deal. Together, they operate the largest women-run brewery in the United States. A HISTORY OF THE BREWERY The Florida Brewery (TFB) was originally founded as Duncan Brewing Company by an Ohio brewmaster in 1973. Duncan chose Auburndale as the ideal spot for a brewing facility for its quality of water and community support. He railroaded a gargantuan copper kettle down from Dayton and began brewing in the outskirts of Auburndale. The brewery has changed hands several times throughout its history but has remained continuously operational. In 1983 it was renamed The Florida Brewery. Also during the 80s, the Duncans released a line of craft beers along with brewing and packaging generic store brand beers for stores like Winn Dixie and Albertsons. Their own craft line didn’t take off. TFB’s Gator Lager gained some traction making it as far north as Michigan but did not last against other large beer distributors. In 2009, Venezuelan industrial conglomerate Empresas Polar purchased the brewing company. Today The Florida Brewery produces over 110,000 barrels of product per year. They distribute their craft beers from Miami to Orlando. TFB also produces Malta, a barley-based carbonated sweet beverage. “We are the largest co-packer for [malta] in the southeast,” said Oakley. They produce the sweet beverage for Publix, Goya, and Bacardi along with other private label brands. In addition to beer and malta, they produce nonalcoholic Ginger Beer and Blood Orange Ginger Beer for Powell & Mahoney, a company that distributes to Target and Starbucks. These products are also used in the mixed cocktails at Crave & Copper. Polar is their biggest beer distributed internationally, shipping to over 20 countries and throughout the U.S. On any given day, TFB produces between 8,000 and 13,000 cases of product. THE GRAND TOUR Williams and Oakley gave us a tour of The Florida Brewery. We walked into the lab where they test PH, brix (the sweetness of the products), color, oxygen, CO2, bitterness, stability, and other aspects. “In here they are testing for all the parameters throughout the entire process – microbiological and physical-chemical,” explained Oakley. We walked outside to a grouping of immense tanks. They explained that some were wastewater tanks. Currently, all of their wastewater is trucked to a farm, regulated by DEP, along with spent grain which goes to the cows. They are working with Cambrian to change that system to an Ecovault solution. That will allow the brewery to reuse part of the water for cleaning processes and the other part will be cleaned and go back to the city. “It will be a lot more efficient, and a lot more environmentally friendly,” said Oakley. They have eleven tanks that are interchangeable as maturation and Brite beer tanks depending on need. These are controlled with jackets and ammonia temperature control. There are four cylindrical-conical tanks in which the beer starts before moving over to a maturation tank. Each tank holds between 650 to 700 barrels equaling about 8,000 cases of 12oz. beer. Into the brewhouse, we went. “This is where the magic happens,” said Oakley. The barley comes by railcar from Canada. It is sucked up through hoses to the top of the building to be milled. She explained, “It goes from the mash ton which is used to convert the starches in crushed grains into sugars for fermentation. Then it moves to the lauter ton where the mash is separated into the clear liquid wort and the residual grain. Now the liquid is ready for the boil and goes to the kettle where eventually the hops are added. From there, the brew will ferment and mature and 18-21 days later, there will be finished product.” The brewhouse smelled like bread. This was because they were making lager, she said. An ale carries a fruitier aroma. A large swing panel with valves and buttons and nozzles is where staff transfer the beer from tank to tank. We entered through a set of thick clear flaps into a chilled room. “A lady leads in beer,” said Oakley of their propagation/yeast cellar. “We call her our lady because she reproduces constantly.” “We propagate all of our yeast. We’re using either the mother strand for Polar or using a basic yeast depending on which beer we’re doing whether it’s an ale or a lager. We take very small amounts of it and then we grow it. We grow it in the lab and then we eventually grow it in the yeast cellar,” she said. “It’s very cold in here because she’s temperamental – she has to stay at a certain temperature so that she continues to eat and reproduce. As soon as the yeast finished being propagated, then that’s what we will use to pitch into the beer.” Next, we went to their filtration room. Oakley showed us a candle filter with cylindrical stainless steel tubes with holes in them. “We then use diatomaceous earth or volcanic earth and depending on the size, that’s how we’ll filter the beer. For a Pilsner or a lager, which is a very clean, filtered beer, we’ll use very small earth that pressurizes around these candles and then the liquid goes through the candles until all of that yeast or any of those particles are left behind and the clean beer goes through filtration.” “Another thing we bring to the table being all women is that we are clean freaks,” she said as we walked through the facility. “That is the other comment from the majority of vendors who walk through is how clean the facility is at all times.” The brewing company has a 40,000 square foot warehouse shipping between 8 and 10 truckloads a day. BOSS BEER BABES Julie Williams was a CPA by trade with her own accounting outsourcing firm. In 2007, the owners of the brewery before Polar’s proprietorship became one of her clients. When Polar took ownership, they asked Williams to come aboard to run the brewery. She passed the accounting business to her husband and has overseen brewery operations since 2010. Williams was the first female plant manager Empresas Polar had ever hired. Stacey Oakley comes from the finance side of the hospitality industry. She was the CFO for a Nantucket yacht club for six years. Looking to escape the frigid northeast winters, she and her husband, Matt Oakley moved to Auburndale, Florida where Stacey’s brother lived. Oakley worked as a senior financial analyst for a resort outside of Disney. When a position came up with The Florida Brewery, she was interested. She met with Williams and remembers thinking, “I don’t care what I end up doing or what [the job] is, but I want to be there.” She and Williams clicked and have been successfully growing the brewery since. That was six years ago. “We are now the largest women-run brewery in the U.S.,” according to Oakley. Shortly after taking ownership of the brewery, Polar gave the two women the opportunity to run it independently. Williams became the COO and Oakley took on the role of CFO. Completing the female beer boss trifecta is their brewmaster, Daniella Velasquez. Velasquez is from Venezuela. She attended school at UCF and came to the brewery as an intern. “I’ve always known I wanted to be an engineer. I love processes,” she said. “I fell in love with brewing when I started working here.” Daniella started as a maintenance intern at the brewery. A couple of months in, the remodel of the brewhouse began and she was moved to quality. “I went to the lab and I learned about the chemistry of the beer,” she said. “Making beer is a lot more complicated than people think and you have to be on time. Especially if you want to keep the quality and consistency of the beer.” She continued to learn more about the technical side of brewing and worked her way up to Lab Quality Manager. In 2016, Williams and Oakley offered Velasquez the opportunity to travel to Germany for a year to be trained as a Certified Brewmaster. She accepted the offer without hesitation. The experience is one that sticks with her. “I not only learned about beer, which was the main part, I learned about other cultures and how the beer culture is different,” she said. Velasquez returned to Florida as TFB’s assistant brewer, brimming with ideas on beers she thought their audience would love. “When you think about brewing, you have to brew something that you love, but you also have to think about the people that you’re brewing for,” she said. “I love brewing beer. That’s my passion.” Velasquez became The Florida Brewery’s brewmaster in 2018. NEW BEGINNINGS FOR THE BREWING COMPANY When Empresas Polar allowed them to run The Florida Brewery independently two years ago, Williams and Oakley knew it needed a complete change. A brand remodel commenced with new logos, beer research and development, and strategy. What better beer to debut their company facelift with than a vintage favorite, Gator Lager. The original formula wasn’t available, so they devised their own recipe. The 1980s Gator Lager had a phrase on the label: “A Taste of the Florida Lifestyle.” This embodied everything Williams and Oakley wanted TFB to be. “A Taste of the Florida Lifestyle” is now the company mantra and the essence of every beer they create. When creating a beer, they try to imagine where someone would be drinking their beer in Florida and what kind of memory they would be creating around it. Oakley likened it to a song. “Music always brings you to a place and time and our beer, we want to be the same,” she said. Williams and Oakley, of course, wanted to continue to perfect and grow the manufacturing aspect of The Florida Brewery but wanted to draw people not only to their brands but to come together. Construction began to convert part of the facility into a public tasting room and hangout spot. “The main thing we wanted to do was provide a place for the community to come,” said Williams. Auburndale is a small, tight-knit community where everyone knows everyone, but it needed a central gathering space and The Florida Brewery was going to give them one. On January 19, 2019, The Florida Brewery opened its doors to the public with a Tasting Room, Public House, and Beer Garden. A few months ago they celebrated their one-year anniversary. The public space was built around a house that sits in the middle of the facility. The house belonged to the Duncans who lived on the property. The following owners also occupied the house until Polar bought the brewery in 2009. “It was a normal, functioning house around this big plant,” said Williams. “The Beer Garden used to be their backyard,” she added. The former owner’s grandkids would come and play out in the yard. The outside space was completely reimagined with a deck, painted lake backdrop, and a row of colorful Adirondack chairs. Cheery beachy-hue umbrellas cover a row of picnic tables and lush plant life brightens up the Beer Garden. “We wanted to take people out of being in industrial Auburndale to being in an oasis away from everything,” said Oakley. Graffiti art murals are tagged across different surfaces. The brewery gave graffiti artist, Hiero Veiga, free reign to create with only one request – that he include a gator. He did, along with a polar bear in honor of Polar, and a detailed mural of Stacey Oakley’s hand pouring a beer from the tap. A roomy wooden pole barn, “The Public House,” covers part of the exterior lounge area. An immense copper kettle overlooks the seating area as an art fixture. The kettle is the same one Duncan had railroaded down from Dayton, Ohio in the 1970s. It was still being used to brew at the facility as recently as 2013. The copper kettle is the inspiration behind the Crave & Copper by The Florida Brewery’s name and decor. The plan is to epoxy the top of the kettle to convert it to a functioning bar top. The Tasting Room was constructed from the mother-in-law side of the original home. The space still feels a lot like a comfy living room. All of the rooms that were previously used as offices and before that, bedrooms and closets, have been turned into storage and retail space. One feature you won’t see is the home’s inground pool. It remains but is inaccessible to the public. “We had the Duncan family here about six months ago and they told us all these stories about where they would unwrap Christmas presents and where they would hang out by the fireplace. They were so excited that we’re back open to the public because I think it’s something they dreamed of back in the 80s,” said Oakley. The space has sayings and signs across the walls. “We didn’t realize we were making memories. We just knew we were having fun,” read one sign. That’s how they want patrons to feel, said Oakley. Another sign, appropriate for the female-operated brewery, hangs outside of the restrooms. “Men left. Women are always right.” LET’S TALK BEER The Tasting Room is purposely devoid of TVs. Williams and Oakley wanted it to be a place without modern distraction where people could connect. Oakley said they wanted the “Cheers” vibe, “Where everybody knows your name.” The Tasting Room currently has twelve beers on tap with some beer staples and some rotating. A beer that remains a Tasting Room fixture, The Florida Brewery’s signature beer, Gator Lager is a traditional German pale lager. Their number one seller (depending on the day) is Beach Me Up, a light and refreshing beer with fruity grapefruit flavors. Vying for the number one spot with Beach Me Up is 863 Light. This light beer was created for the many patrons who came in requesting Bud Light or a similar light beer – patrons who love the brewery atmosphere but aren’t interested in the more flavorful craft beers. Another request they’ve gotten is for lower-calorie ultra beer. Their ultra will be called Engine 421 after the fire engine that responded to the kitchen fire at Crave & Copper. “In honor of them, that will be a staple for us,” said Oakley. Engine 421, along with an upgrade to 20 taps in the Tasting Room is slated to be ready by mid-March for the brewery’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration. The St. Patty’s Day celebration will be held on Saturday, March 14, with live music all day, green magical beer, a pot of gold beer, an all-day food truck, and Crave & Copper chef, Matt Oakley and his team will put together some festive bites. If you’ve been ‘craving’ some C&C, you can catch them every Friday at The Florida Brewery until the restaurant, which is still in the rebuild phase, is back open. Following the Friday, December 13th fire that devastated the Crave & Copper kitchen, many providers and even customers reached out to offer help. One customer, the president of FreshPoint, donated food so that the C&C team could cook one Friday night. The staff prepared a small menu for donations on a Friday evening. The donations continued and they have been able to do it every Friday covering the cost of the food. “It was a nice act of kindness by our providers that has continued now every Friday,” said Oakley. The Florida Brewery duo says there are a few trends on the upswing in the craft world. Though seltzers and nonalcoholic beers are on the rise, these are not something they plan to roll out for distribution. Valasquez sees a shift from hoppier beers towards more drinkable ones. “It’s not about a bitter beer with a bunch of hops, it’s about a balanced beer. I think the trend is going to be drinkable beers, more than, let’s call them … experimental beers,” she said. “We’re a brewery that doesn’t necessarily follow the trends because we’re here for the long hall,” said Oakley. “We’ll continue with lagers, which is our main focus, but we will add some ales in.” Williams said, “We look at everything from drinkability. We want to make sure that everybody can come in and find something and drink more than one if that’s what they want.” A FEMALE PERSPECTIVE As women in a predominantly male industry, Oakley and Williams have a unique perspective on running a brewing company. First and foremost, their 48 employees, whom they call family, mean the most to them. Their employee retention speaks volumes for their dedication to being a family-first company. Their longest-running employee is the filler operator who has been at the brewery for 30 years, and a lab tech of over 20 years. “I think we tend to have that ability to create a family and a place where people enjoy working. […] Where they feel like they’re not just an employee who comes in, runs their machine, and goes home,” said Williams. Oakley added that it is one thing to say they are a family-first company and another to understand that someone may need to stay home with a sick child or leave early for a doctor’s appointment or have to rush to a family emergency. Five years ago, the brewery instituted a paid shutdown starting two days before Christmas eve through New Years Day for the entire staff. It is important to Williams and Oakley that every member of their TFB family has the opportunity to spend the holidays with their loved ones. They even take days off for company outings to go gocarting or bowling, have ‘Beer Fridays’, or play dominos together in the Beer Garden. Two years ago, The Florida Brewery signed up to attend the Great American Beer Festival in Colorado. They signed up for the ‘Meet the Brewers’ section. “We were the only female booth there, out of 800 breweries,” said Oakley. It was a three-day festival with thousands of people sampling one-ounce pours of their beer. To best represent their “Taste of the Florida Lifestyle,” they brought Amber, Beach Me Up, and Gator Lager. On day three, TFB kicked their kegs before anyone else. They wore name badges that read, ‘I brew it all,’ ‘I run it all,’ and ‘I sell it all.’ Williams smiled saying they got quite the reaction and high-fives when attendees realized they weren’t just serving for the brewery – they were the brewery. Even their approach to contract brewing has a feminine touch. The women say their level of trust, attention to detail, and even the office décor make all the difference when meeting with clients. They don’t look at their position as female brewery operators as a hindrance. They say it has been a help in everything from distribution to relationship building with clients. “It’s been a huge benefit for us,” said Oakley. “We bring a lot to the table when we come.” Female brewmasters are also in the minority, but Valasquez said, “I like to be a female in a world of guys [...] It’s an open community.” “Equality in this business, at least between brewmasters, is something normal,” she said. “I do exactly the same thing, I work as hard as them, and they understand that.” The Florida Brewery 202 Gandy Rd, Auburndale, FL (863) 965-1825 www.floridabrewery.com FB @TheFloridaBrewery IG @thefloridabrewery Photos by Amy Sexson

Described as radiant, encouraging, one-of-a-kind, Betsye Kay Finch left an impression on everyone she met. Perhaps most important were the impressions made on her thousands of dance students over her three decades of teaching dance in Lakeland. Now, her daughter, Alexis Rocker is carrying on her legacy by providing an opportunity for young people who share her mother’s love of the performing arts. Born in Fort Meade in October 1926, Betsye started dancing at just four years old. She grew up in Lakeland, where her mother, Gertrude Kay, would drive her to Tampa to study dance. “Some people are gifted with knowing what they want to do when they grow up,” said Alexis. “My mother knew.” At 16-years old, a smart and determined Betsye Kay Finch graduated from Lakeland High School and moved to New York City to further study dance and drama at the Feagin School of Dramatic Art. Though the move would seem bold to most, Betsye was comfortable in the warmth and glimmer of the New York lights. Alex J. Kay, Betyse’s father hailed from Philadelphia. Every summer, she and her brothers would drive to Philadelphia to visit their relatives before moving on to Atlantic City and New York City. “Had it not been for those summers visiting in Philadelphia, Atlantic City, and New York City, she probably would have been a bit intimidated and not gone to New York to study. But she knew that’s where she wanted to be,” said Alexis. The Rehearsal Club, where Betsye lived, was within walking distance of NBC Studios and Radio City Music Hall. The born dancer tried out and made it as a Radio City Rockette. The demanding schedule of upwards of six shows a day led her to step away from the chorus line and focus on her academics, drama, and dance. “She took tap lessons from Ziegfeld Follies choreographer Ned Wayburn and from Bill “Bojangles” Robinson,” said daughter, Alexis. And by the time she left the Big Apple, “She held four coveted union cards: Actors’ Equity, the American Guild of Variety Artists, SAG, and American Federation of TV and Radio Artists.” TEACHING TAP AND OTHER INVALUABLE LESSONS In 1949, the former Rockette moved back to Lakeland for marriage and family. This would not be the end of the line for Betyse’s illustrious dance career. In 1951, she founded Betsye Kay’s School of Dance in Lakeland. Two former students of Betyse’s, Nancy Cook Fisher and Leah Bellotto Lauderdale remember tapping along with their teacher with fondness. “When I was four, I told Mother that I wanted to take dance. I remember looking at this book and it showed somebody on half-toe in a ballet shoe and somebody on pointe,” said Nancy. “I looked at this book for a whole year waiting to go to ballet school.” Nancy continued, “I was so excited when I walked into Betsye’s studio. There was this woman with this fabulous smile and she welcomed me.” Leah described Betsye Kay’s personality as vivacious. “You knew when Betsye Kay was in the room,” she said. “She also had this heightened sense of encouragement, professionalism, and versatility.” Betsye was teaching not only four, five, and six-year-olds, but high school students as well. “She also spoke to who you were,” said Leah. She and her two sisters grew up on a cattle ranch. Betsye would choreograph little cowboy numbers with ballet and tap incorporated just for the three sisters, complete with cowboy boots and getup. “Betsye Kay brought the arts to life,” she said. Betsye’s daughter Alexis took dance with her too. Around 12-years-old, she told her mother that she didn’t think she was cut out for dance. “She looked at me […] and she said to me very dramatically and sweetly, ‘I’m glad that you finally came to realize this.’’’ The humorous moment was a testament to Betyse’s candor as well as an illustration of her grace as a teacher and mother. “What was so marvelous about my mother is that she had me come to that conclusion on my own. It wasn’t forced upon me,” said Alexis. The influence of their dance teacher went beyond the walls of the unairconditioned Lakeland dance studio. Nancy continued to dance into her fifties. “The joy of dance did not leave me because she so influenced my life,” she said. Teamwork, poise, and presence before an audience were only a few of the lessons imparted on Leah by Betsye Kay. The three women also mentioned fellow former dance student, Kay Ruthven Hagan who went on to serve in the North Carolina and United States Senate. “She was a big fan of my mother’s and vice versa,” said Alexis. “Kay was a beautiful dancer. […] She was a brilliant person in many ways,” said Nancy. “She carried her poise into college and her political life.” “All of this influence on these young women has carried over into their adult lives,” said Betyse’s daughter. Throughout her life, Betsye continued to choreograph and take the stage for the likes of Theatre Winter Haven, Lakeland Little Theatre (now Lakeland Community Theatre), Mark I & II Dinner Theatres, and others. She was instrumental in helping to raise funds to restore the Polk Theatre. She was chairman of the 60th-anniversary 1988 production, “Heavenly Daze!” that helped raise funds for the restoration of the landmark theater. A lover of the arts, Betsye was an early champion of the Polk Museum of Art as well. Her creativity surpassed dance, Betsye also hosted a weekly radio program, “Borrowed and Blue,” on WONN and wrote a weekly column for The Ledger about social happenings around the city called “In Lakeland’s Mirror.” Later in life, Betsye was involved at her church, All Saints’ Episcopal Church, as well as substitute-taught at Oscar J. Pope Elementary and Jesse Keen Elementary School after she retired from dance study. “In essence, Mother was always teaching,” said Alexis. As a firm believer in education, Betsye saw to it that her children were well educated and cultured by the world. Alexis remembers traveling to New York City with her mother at the age of five. Betsye continued her dance studies while a caretaker would accompany Alexis to Central Park Zoo and Broadway matinees. Betsye took Alexis and her brother, Al Finch across the world and back – Paris, Milan, Peru. “My mother’s comment was, ‘Travel is educational.’ And indeed, it was.” AN NYC CELEBRATION FOR THE DANCER Betsye Kay Finch passed away on March 3, 2019. On October 25, at Sardi’s, the iconic Broadway restaurant, family, friends, former students, and colleagues gathered to remember the talented dancer and teacher. It would have been her 93rd birthday. The day was celebratory and emotional for Alexis. “To think all of these people traveled such distances to celebrate her and honor her life – it spoke so highly of my mom,” she said. Lakeland native Lindsey Alley shared memories with Betsye. One of which involved the two aboard a plane bound for LaGuardia Airport that had to make an emergency landing. “When the plane eventually landed, on foam and to throngs of emergency trucks, Miss Betsye was giggling as she slid down the emergency chute. I’ll never forget that moment or her joyous zest for life,” recounted Alley. In attendance was famed composer of the Broadway musical, Annie, Charles Strouse whom Betsye met while attending the musical, Bring Back Birdie to see former student Rebecca Renfroe-Borneman. Alexis was overjoyed Strouse came to the celebration. “He appreciated the fact that she made such an impact on her community with dance,” said Alexis. Renfroe-Borneman who was also a guest at the October 25 luncheon, penned and sung a song entitled “Dancing in the Tune” for her childhood dance teacher. In the last stanza of the song, Rebecca belts: Dancing in the tune Watching children fly Dancing through the songs The dancer never dies THE BETSYE KAY FINCH PERFORMING ARTS FOUNDATION In honor of her mother, Alexis started the Betsye Kay Finch Performing Arts Foundation. “I knew right away when my mother passed that I wanted to form a foundation in her honor to continue to help other young people who might not be as fortunate as she was, to have the help that she had to get to New York to study,” said Alexis. “Why not perpetuate in her name, to be able to help other young people go forward to study and pursue their dreams. It is to keep her memory alive. She was adamant about education – helping young people become successful in whatever they did in life.” The scholarship will be awarded amongst the five Lakeland area high schools to deserving graduating seniors pursuing post-secondary education in dance or musical theatre. This will include scholarships toward theatrical institutions and dance academies. “Not every creative soul chooses to go the academic route. We didn’t want to narrow it to only college or university,” said Alexis. Alexis Rocker and six other people who knew Betsye Kay personally are on the board, including Leah Bellotto Lauderdale. Nancy Cook Fisher and Rebecca Renfroe-Borneman are advisors to the Board. The Betsye Kay Finch Performing Arts Foundation will be working with the Polk Education Foundation to receive applicants. The first scholarships will be awarded later this spring and they plan to have their first fundraiser in September. “She was such an influence on my life and continued to be until the day she died,” said Nancy of Betsye Kay. “That woman was just a ray of sunshine.” Betsye Kay Finch was a one-in-a-million person, a dazzling performer with an electric Broadway smile, kind eyes, and a light that shone bright enough to illuminate all who encountered her. If even one of the students who receive a scholarship from her foundation go on to do a fraction of what Betsye did in her lifetime, imagine how the community could be uplifted and enriched. Alexis said of her mother, “She’s still helping young people from Heaven.” To send donations, contact: Betsye Kay Finch Performing Arts Foundation 4798 S Florida Ave, #225, Lakeland, FL 33813 Email: bfkperformingarts@gmail.com Photo by Amy Sexson

It’s been called the “Cheers” of Winter Haven where “everybody knows everybody,” according to owner Tim Leopard. It’s a good-time, classic bar off Recker Highway with neon beer signage, pool tables, darts, and some damn good pub food – it’s Apple Lounge. The original building was constructed in 1976 as the Liquor Mart. It was purchased by Ted Shackelford in 1982. Ted was such a fixture of the bar that even now the logo reads “Apple Lounge & Grill Established by Ted 1982”. Ted worked at the Liquor Mart in the 70s and early 80s. When he bought the business in 1982, he changed the name from Liquor Mart to Apple Lounge. Why Apple? Was it a nickname or a nod to a favorite cocktail? None of the above, actually. This was preGoogle, pre-Yelp, during the days of Yellow Pages. Whenever someone thumbed the Yellow Pages looking for a nightclub or bar in Winter Haven, Ted wanted Apple to be first. Ted “got out of the business” in 1990 and sold Apple according to Leopard. He came back to manage the lounge in 1993 when it was purchased by Greg Gay who now owns Old Man Frank’s and Tanners Lakeside Restaurant & Bar. Current owner, Tim Leopard, purchased Apple Lounge in 2005. In 2007, only two years after Leopard took ownership, the lounge had a devastating fire. Flames ravaged the building. “At the moment, it was the absolute worst thing. I thought, ‘How are we ever going to recover from this?’” remembers Leopard. The lounge closed for seven months to rebuild, opening again during the last week of 2007. “We took it down to the block walls and wood trusses. Everything else was basically brand new,” said Leopard. “We called ourselves ‘the newest old bar around.’” What, at the time, seemed like a potentially breaking moment in the bar’s history, actually allowed them to rebuild and upgrade – something they continue to do. “We want to have the cleanest, nicest bar around. We want to maintain our quality of service, our product, our environment – everything from top to bottom,” he said. In honor of Ted Shackelford, who has since passed, Leopard intends to have a plaque made, dedicating the building to the former owner. Somewhere on the plaque it will read, “Ted was, is, and always will be the Apple,” said Leopard. “I’m just running with somebody else’s torch,” he added. “He’s the one that got the ball rolling.” YOU HAD ME AT ‘REUBEN’ AND KEPT ME AT ‘NACHO BAR’ We talked with Apple Lounge & Grill General Manager, Melinda Ross about the food offerings at the pub. The lounge’s modest menu was expanded with the help of retired chef, Jerry Slack. Together, he and Ellen Lewis who has been the backbone of the kitchen at the lounge for 13 years worked up a new and improved menu that keeps the kitchen busy with a loyal lunch crowd. The menu boasts a satisfying variety of pub fare from cheese curds and potato skins to sloppy nachos, wings, burgers, salads and the like. Their best sellers according to the GM are their burgers and wings. Her Apple go-to is the Mango Wango wings. Owner Tim Leopard joked, “My favorite is the chicken wings, but due to my doctor’s finger-wagging, I think my favorite is the chicken quesadilla.” Every Monday and Thursday, Apple offers homemade specials ranging from comfort food staples – meatloaf, mushroom burgers, or chicken mash bowl to their famous Rueben sandwich. That’s what we came for, in fact – in honor of St. Patty’s Day. We’ve been told time and time again “You have to try the Rueben at Apple!” (First and most emphatically by Nando and Sally Del Castillo during a Putt Putt Pub a few years ago.) The Rueben is offered exclusively through March except for making the occasional appearance on their special menu. The sandwich is constructed on marbled rye bread delivered fresh from a bakery in Tampa. High-quality corned beef is hand shaved and topped with house-made thousand island dressing along with sauerkraut and swiss cheese. It is served hot on the nicely toasted rye for every bit of crunchy, meaty, tangy, melty flavor you could want, accompanied by seasoned fries and a pickle. If you ask Ellen Lewis what makes their Rueben special, she’ll tell you it’s love, plain and simple. “She has a lot of pride in what she puts out,” said Ross of Lewis. “Her heart is here, and she cares about what she’s putting out.” “Our quality is first and foremost. I think that’s what makes the sandwich,” Lewis added. In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, you can get this bad boy throughout the entire month of March. In addition to their fixed menu and Monday/ Thursday specials, Apple hosts Taco Tuesday including acoustic open mic from 7 pm – 10 pm, and live entertainment on Fridays. If you didn’t know, we’ll let you in a little secret. It involves a nacho bar… Apple caters. Company lunch, corporate event, wedding, whatever the occasion, Apple can cater your event serving up their award-winning wings or an assortment of other options that aren’t on their regular menu like chicken and yellow rice, shepherd’s pie, even a taco bar, pasta bar, chicken sandwich bar, baked potato bar, or nacho bar. Those might be the best kind of bars. That’s the kind of bar you’ll catch me at. Admit it, if someone whispered, “Meet me at the taco bar,” it’s a little romantic. COMMUNITY OUTREACH Complementing its good-time, neighborhood bar atmosphere and stellar grub, Apple Lounge has been known to help those in need. For the last four years, Leopard, Ross and the Apple team have hosted a Christmas food distribution event. The idea started as a way to give in-need families hot, holiday meals. After talking to Grant Piche’, owner of Catering Oasis and “the passion behind” Winter Haven’s branch of Restaurants Against Hunger according to Leopard, the concept shifted. Piche’ told Leopard that much of the need is for families who have the ability to cook, but perhaps not the means to buy the food. Instead of feeding them one meal, Piche’ suggested he could feed them for a week if they provided them with the items to cook. Apple reached out for donations and partnership opportunities with food banks and bulk suppliers. The first year, they averaged 20-25 pounds of food per box and served 300 boxes filled with a protein of some kind, drinks, vegetables, and other goods. The Saturday before Christmas, families drive up and have a box loaded into their cars or volunteers deliver to those without transportation. With a loyal and charitable customer base, Apple is never in a shortage of volunteers. Last year, Leopard said twice as many volunteers as were needed, turned up to lend a hand. “We try to put it out there for people who don’t necessarily have the money to go out and spend that extra for a Christmas dinner,” said Ross. “Tim, he just has that kind of heart.” Leopard noted the tremendous help they’ve received from Farmer Jack’s Produce, Restaurants Against Hunger, CocaCola, and Phoenix Industries. According to Ross, they have also recently partnered with the Angel Care Center in Eloise on a Christmas drive. “We had the privilege of going there this last Christmas on the day that they got to go in and pick one toy for one of their kids,” she said. Teachers have been another focus in Apple’s community outreach efforts. “We understand that police, first responders, school teachers, they’re the backbone of our community. Everybody knows they are under-recognized, certainly underpaid, and overworked,” said the Apple Lounge owner. In response to the need of local teachers, they challenge their customers to donate school supplies and gift cards at the beginning of the school year, which Apple Lounge then matches. “Our customer base, the folks that take care of us, they are always willing to take care of the community. They always jump in and are happy to be a part of it,” said Leopard. IT’S ABOUT THE PEOPLE Lunchtime and late-night patrons alike would agree the Apple Lounge has been a fixture in Winter Haven for decades. What makes it such a beloved spot? Leopard was a bartender at Apple from 1997 through ’99. Now the owner, he said, “I can walk in there today and still see many of the same customers that were fixtures there more than 20 years ago.” “Our oldest customer just passed away last year. He was 92,” said Ross. “You’d see him come in on a daily basis and shoot pool with a young kid. That’s our group – they just mesh together. Our customers are a big part of this. [...] They make it what it is.” “If you’ve ever gone in and sat any amount of time you see the comradery of the clientele. When somebody walks in all of the heads turn. People refer to it as the “Cheers” of Winter Haven – everybody knows everybody,” said Leopard. Apple Lounge & Grill 2803 Recker Hwy, Winter Haven, FL (863) 291-0340 FB @appleloungewinterhaven Photos by Amy Sexson

Grammy-nominated saxophonist and Director of the Jazz Studies Program at the University of South Florida, Jack Wilkins has cultivated an illustrious jazz career in recording, performing, and teaching. Wilkins will be bringing his talents to the Ridge later this month with a concert in tribute to jazz legend, Hank Mobley at the Lake Wales Arts Center. Wilkins grew up in Greensboro, North Carolina. He started playing saxophone in the fifth grade through the Greensboro school district under the direction of celebrated band director Herbert Hazelman. “I was really interested in jazz from the junior high, high school age on,” remembers Wilkins. His band director was also a saxophone player and told him if he wanted to be like the successful jazz musicians that toured with the likes of James Brown and Ray Charles, he needed to listen to the marquee names in saxophone from the classic era – Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, and Sonny Rollins. Additionally, Wilkins began taking lessons from a saxophonist who was also a jazz fan, exposing him to more legends like Hank Mobley. Though he enjoyed soul and R&B music that featured horn players, Wilkins said, “I was drawn to the instrumental side of jazz music.” “At that time, a lot of the big bands were touring,” said Wilkins. At various North Carolina college campuses and venues, acts like The Woody Herman Big Band, Duke Ellington and His Orchestra, and Stan Kenton and His Orchestra would perform. “I probably saw those bands four, five, six times each when I was in high school,” he said. “Not only did I get to hear the great recordings, I got to hear some great musicians play music live and that was always exciting. I kind of had the bug at that point.” Wilkins began playing with groups in Greensboro and from the University of North Carolina while he was still in high school. A promising up-and-comer in the jazz community, Wilkins decided to use college as a stepping stone to play jazz music professionally. He sorted through the best jazz programs in the country, had a few auditions, and landed at the University of Miami. He attended the University of Miami out of high school and finished his undergrad at Appalachian State University back in North Carolina. He did graduate work at the University of Indiana to study with distinguished jazz educator, David Baker. Wilkins has been a professor with the University of South Florida since 1993 where he heads the Jazz Studies program along with professor and accomplished jazz composer, Chuck Owen. In addition to his academic work, Wilkins continues his career as a professional saxophonist and jazz musician with seven albums of his own as well as collaborating on other projects. APPALACHIAN ROOTS LEAD TO CANADIAN ALBUM A particularly interesting album in his seven-CD catalog entitled The Blue and Green Project features his own compositions and arrangements that are “based in American root music and inspired by the culture and environment of the Appalachian Mountains.” Growing up in North Carolina, he was exposed to the bluegrass roots of Appalachia. He recalls going to see renowned bluegrass musician, Doc Watson live, just outside of Boone. “He used to play at the Hilltop Vacuum Cleaner Center. It was a vacuum cleaner store owned by this music fan. He would clear off the floor and move all the vacuum cleaners out of the way and set up chairs and have about 75 people come and hear music concerts,” recalls Wilkins. These country, bluegrass, and mountain musicians inspired Wilkins to put together a unique project crossing genres The Blue and Green Project. The concept for the album, according to Wilkins, is steeped in Appalachian mountain culture, environment, and history – the green and blue of the Blue Ridge Mountains along with American roots music influences from blues and gospel to bluegrass and country. The saxophone isn’t an instrument typically associated with bluegrass music. To merge the two genres, Wilkins penned bluegrass fiddle lines and played the sax along with them with violinist Sara Caswell and acoustic guitar. “It was fun for me to play fiddle music on saxophone,” said Wilkins. “The thing about bluegrass and jazz is that you have to be really good on your instrument. You have to be a virtuoso technician on your instrument to play bluegrass or jazz because it’s demanding in a lot of notes.” The native North Carolinian described it as fun to turn his roots into a jazz/ Americana music project. Following The Blue and Green Project, Wilkins did a residency at the Banff Centre in the Canadian Rockies. He spoke with the center about his multimedia album The Blue and Green Project which utilized art, film, and music. The Banff Centre, a multi-arts center, was interested in a similar interdisciplinary project based on the history, culture, and environment of the Banff area which Wilkins went on to record and title The Banff Project. Wilkins’ most recent album, The Rundle Sessions, is an extension of his work there. The project, named after Mount Rundle, he described as an international collaboration of sorts with American and Canadian artists featured on the album. Wilkins’s talent on the saxophone has garnered him Grammy contention. Colleague Chuck Owen, professor of jazz composition at USF is a well-respected jazz composer, leading a 17-piece modern orchestra jazz band, Chuck Owen & the Jazz Surge. “We have an amazing group of musicians made up of some of the best musicians in Florida plus some players who come down from New York,” said Wilkins. Together they’ve done six big band albums. The musicianship and arrangement in their catalog of work are well-respected in the jazz community. Chuck Owen & the Jazz Surge’s album Whispers on the Wind received four Grammy nominations, voted into the finals for Best Ensemble, Best Arrangement, Best Composer, and Best Soloist. SOUL STATION LIVE! At 6 PM on March 7, Jack Wilkins will take the Lake Wales Arts Center stage to pay tribute to one of the great jazz musicians of the classic era, Hank Mobley. Wilkins will perform the milestone jazz recording Soul Station by Hank Mobley. The album was released by Blunote Records in 1960 making this performance an anniversary tribute. “Blunote was known for putting out what some people would call ‘meat and potatoes jazz’ in the sixties. It was very mainstream and usually had a little bit of bluesy sound to it and featured a lot of the best musicians of the time who were regular members of other people’s groups,” explained Wilkins. At this point, Mobley was playing with the Miles Davis Quintet with bass player Paul Chambers and American jazz pianist Wynton Kelly. Soul Station features Mobley, Kelly, Chambers, and drummer Art Blakey. “Everybody knows each other really well on this record and you can tell because the music flows,” said Wilkins. That’s one of the great things about jazz, he points out – the musical communication. “It gets conversational and even humorous because they make little questions and answers back and forth.” Completing Wilkins’s quartet for the March 7 concert will be pianist Per Danielsson, bassist Charlie Silva, and drummer Walt Hubbard. “It’ll be a real recreation – a lot of fun for us and I’m sure for the audience as well,” said Wilkins. “I learned quite a bit from Jack Wilkins. His dedication to jazz education is inspiring. It was an honor to learn from him and later perform together,” said executive director for the Lake Wales Arts Council, Andrew Allen. “Jack will truly honor the legacy of Hank Mobley and his contributions to jazz.” Jack Wilkins – ”Soul Station Live!” March 7, 2020 at 6 PM Lake Wales Arts Center 1099 FL-60 E, Lake Wales, FL Tickets: centralfloridatix.com www.lakewalesartscouncil.org

What’s in a name? That which we call a beer A beer by any other name would taste as sweet – Shakespeare … pretty sure, or was it Shakesbeer? (sorry) Just the name Grove Roots evokes thoughts of a good time, seeing old friends, and making new ones. Or, as my editor would put it, “Going to Grove Roots is like putting on your favorite pair of jeans. It’s just comfortable.” The enduring roots of a Polk County orange tree branching out, connecting the community to its heritage also comes to mind. A name can mean a lot. Grove Roots Brewing Company opened in September of 2016. The last three and a half years in business have been a dream for home brewer turned brewery owner, Joe Dunham. In that time, the space itself and the beers they make have become iconic. It’s the people like Joe, and director of operations for the brewery, Morgan Wilson and all of the familiar faces behind the bar and in the brewhouse that makes Grove Roots great. Of course, it’s also the delicious selection of craft beers that they serve across the counter. We talked with Dunham and Wilson about what exactly goes into the etymology of our favorite beers. The next time you order a Seven Saddles or a Talk to me Gooseberry, you’ll know why. FIRST, SOME HISTORY “I started out of my garage,” said Dunham. “I like to cook, and I love craft beer and back then you couldn’t get a beer with twenty ingredients in it.” If he wanted a beer with hints of jalapeno and pineapple, he’d have to make it himself. “I talked my wife into buying $300 homebrew kits […] The hobby grew into about three grand,” he laughed. This wasn’t an out of the blue operation – Dunham has always wanted to own a brewery. In his previous job as a contract administrator in project management at an engineering and construction firm, he would work on his business plan. For a year he put his finance education background to good use, calculating the logistics of this grand beer plot. “I wrote a plan that involved financing, equipment purchases, branding. It was a full sixty, seventy-page, fully-vetted plan,” he said. He pitched it and found a group of individuals willing to invest in his idea. Similar to the naming of their toasted oatmeal brown ale, Toast (more on that later), family member, Morgan Wilson was hired just in the nick of time. Dunham’s attention had been wrapped up in brewing the beer and other aspects of opening a business that two weeks before the grand opening, he realized he had no employees. Wilson has since become Dunham’s right-hand woman, the wizard behind the proverbial curtain, and a fixture at the brewery. Since opening the doors in the fall of 2016, Grove Roots has solidified itself as “Winter Haven’s living room.” The brewery started a popular monthly craft vendor market called Moonlight Market, expanded distribution to restaurants and bars around the county including LEGOLAND, and has produced upwards of ninety different beers. Between 13 and 15 barrels of beer, roughly 465 gallons, come out of the Third Street brewery every week. “It’s been fantastic,” Dunham reflected. “It’s doubled what we thought we would do. The community has really gotten behind us and that’s the coolest part. It’s the organic side of marketing where people talk about this place as if it’s their own.” If you ask many Grove Roots regulars, the brewery feels at least a little bit, like it does belong to them. Morgan Wilson has found a sense of pride and ownership in the brewery as well. “I could fill this entire issue with why this is the best job in the world, but I’ll save you,” she laughed. “Seeing the impact we can have on our community is by far the best,” said Wilson. “I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for giving back and helping others – knowing we have the chance to spread some good and love is humbling. Whether it’s as simple as a mid-week pick-me-up or through the cause and effect chain with non-profits; knowing we helped make someone’s day better, even if it’s just a fraction, has become my drive.” WHAT’S IN A NAME? Ninety plus beers – that’s a lot of names to come up with. The ingenuity behind the beer names at Grove Roots comes from heritage, puns, people, or simply flavor inspiration. Some were carefully thought out and some were titled only minutes before the doors opened. According to the craft beer cognoscente, there is no industry standard for naming beers. “Some people chase heritage, some people chase trendy,” he said. It’s more about the mantra of the brewery that determines the titles on the taps. “Ours is a heritage brand, so we try to focus, at least our main beers off of heritage, Winter Haven culture,” he said. “Grove Roots took me about three months to name,” said Dunham. “I had a list of about 100 names and was trying to decide something that explained what our model is. Our model was always ‘Community-centric and Winter Haven focused.’” He combined the heritage essence of “Grove” and the community connection of “Roots” to represent how he wanted people to feel about the brand. Like the orange grove origins of the brewery’s name, its four flagship beers’ themes are also situated around citrus. Slanted Ladders, a white pale ale, is an ode to the wooden grove ladders tilted against an orange tree to be harvested. Of such importance to the brand, antique slanted ladders are used around the brewery as part of the décor. Dunham described Wakes of Grain as a lifestyle brand. It’s all about life on The Chain, lake days, tubing, and skiing. Rind & Shine, a tasty citrus Wit beer with Valencia oranges, evokes citrus elements with a kiss of the sunshine state. “You’re sitting on the lakes and you’re feeling the lifestyle,” he said of the beer. Their breakfast stout with coffee and chocolate, 6 AM Pickers pays homage to the early risers that would head to the grove to pick oranges. Toast made it on the board last-minute. “It was our grand opening day and I hadn’t come up with a name for our brown ale yet,” remembered Dunham. He thought it could have a double meaning – something to ‘toast’ to and it did have that toasted bread flavor. “That was going to be a placeholder for another name in the future, but the beer took off and we left it the same name that’s it’s always been,” he said. Wilson’s favorite beer backstory is Talk to me Gooseberry. It too was a beer about to hit the taps sans name. “This beautiful beer was an Imperial Wheat brewed with Nelson Sauvin Hops from New Zealand and gave off notes of white grapes and gooseberries,” she said. “The name pretty much slapped us in the face: “Talk to me Goose” from Top Gun, thus Talk to me Gooseberry.” For each of their beer names, there is a corresponding photo, according to Wilson. She told the hilariously charming story behind the Talk to me Gooseberry picture. “Taylor Norrell, our head brewer can officially put down “beer model” on his resume for the number of times I’ve used him as a prop,” she said. “We printed out all of the patches from Top Gun that Goose wore and taped them to a jacket we found lying around in the back. I think we even tried to convince him to shave his beard. That was a hard, ‘My wife will kill me, no.’ After close to 30 minutes of making him pose I got the perfect picture to go with the perfect beer. My mouth is watering just thinking of it.” Seven Saddles, an amber lager, is dripping with Winter Haven history. A story told to him by museum director of The Museum of Winter Haven History, Bob Gernert, inspired the beer’s cowboy culture spirit. As Gernert points out about the frequently told story, it is “More likely folklore, but there’s no one to say otherwise now.” The story of Henry Tandy as written by Josephine Burr in “The History of Winter Haven” goes like this… “It seems that Mr. Tandy liked his liquor as did many other citizens of those days and on Saturday nights the Tandy Store was a gathering place for friends who enjoyed a drink with Henry. One Saturday night, after the crowds had left, Tandy said to his bookkeeper, ‘I know that I sold two saddles tonight but I just cannot recall to whom.’ After much thought they decided to bill several likely customers for the purchases, being sure that whoever did not buy the merchandise would complain at once. To their amazement, of about ten bills sent out, seven paid.” Seven Saddles will be one of the first they bring to market with their new canning line. Dunham loves the tale behind Seven Saddles because it shows off the Central Florida heritage he’s proud of and has made the center of his brand. Dunham and the Grove Roots team have a group chat that has been the birthplace of many a beer moniker. Brewers and bartenders will throw out their wittiest ideas that they then vote on. “A lot of our bartenders are pretty good with puns and it makes it fun,” said Dunham. “We love puns – almost too punny sometimes.” Trappe Queen, for example, is a play on Trappist beers, “an abbey-style of beers that are brewed by monks.” It’s a Belgian Trippel that I will leave up to you to Urban Dictionary the other meaning behind. This is about as risqué as Grove Roots will get with names said, Dunham. You won’t find any colorful language of the four-letter variety, sexual innuendos or dirty double entendres on the Grove Roots beer board. He wants to keep things family-friendly. “We try to keep most everything clean and classy,” he said. One of Dunham’s favorite wordplays is Tropical Dilemma. It’s made with strawberries but comes strong with grapefruit or passionfruit. “That’s why it’s a dilemma, it tastes like tropical fruit but it’s really strawberry,” he said. When filmmaker/ bartender, Jeremy Gardner left to work on his film After Midnight, regular patrons would ask, “Where’s Jeremy?” Dunham said that Gardner is a fan of hoppy pilsners. “We did this hoppy pilsner that ended up being kind of sassy and kind of bitter and we figured, that’s who Jeremy is,” he said. So, they named it the “Where’s Jeremy” complete with a wanted poster. Miss Betty’s Lemonade, a lemon Gose, is named after Dunham’s great aunt who is a big fan of sours. Naming beers, at Grove Roots, Joe says, is all about people, places, lifestyle, and heritage. A CAN-DO ATTITUDE This month, the brewery hopes to launch their first series of canned beers with the investment of their very own canning line. The plan for canning – the “can plan” if you will – is to start with in-house sales to test consistency, quality, and operation. “It will be nice to have a smaller canning line because I can do a lot more variety in-house and get it out to the public,” he said. Dunham has his eyes on eventually getting into places he isn’t already, like resorts in Orlando, Disney, and on the shelves of Publix. “We are going to start with eight branded items and then start doing special releases,” he said. The first eight will include their four flagship beers along with Lip Ripper, Seven Saddles, Tropical Dilemma, and Toast. In other news, doubling its barrel-aging program and embarking on more fruited sours are on the horizon for Grove Roots. Growth is always in Dunham’s sights. “You have to grow up or out and eventually we’ll reach capacity either via the height of our tanks or more tanks,” he said. “The goal right now is to add the canning line, add a couple more fermenters, potentially go after cider production […] If the cans and our distribution network take off as I hope it does, then we’ll have to have a second facility for production.” Grove Roots lovers have no fear, Joe will always keep his downtown 10-barrel system location. Expect big things in the future though. He said, “If we decide to go to the next level, we’ll put something triple or quadruple this size off-site.” Grove Roots Brewing Co. 302 3rd St SW, Winter Haven, FL (863) 291-0700 groveroots.com FB @groverootsbrewing IG @groverootsbrewing Photos by Amy Sexson

It’s been about six months since Colin and Meagan Wells opened their trendy downtown beer spot, Union Taproom. Union debuted as Polk County’s first self-pour taproom concept in August, inviting Winter Haven and surrounding cities to PYOB (Pour Your Own Beer). If for some crazy reason (and it better be a good one) you haven’t PYOB at Union, here’s how it works. Guests present their ID and form of payment at the check-in counter to verify age and start a tab. They are then given an RFID bracelet which is linked to their tab. After grabbing a glass, thirsty patrons can head over to the tap wall. Above each tap is a tablet displaying the price per ounce, location and history of the brew, ABV (Alcohol By Volume), and IBU (International Bitterness Units). Guests pour as little or as much as they would like, using the RFID bracelet to activate the tap. This allows craft beer adventurers to taste before committing to a whole glass of something they may not love. When patrons are ready to leave, they simply return the bracelet and close out the tab. Bring more friends, repeat. WHAT’S UP, UNION? We checked in with Colin Wells to talk about what’s happening at Union six months later and chat all things beer and bites. “Winter Haven has been very receptive to the concept,” said Wells. “We’ve heard a lot of great things from people, the response has been good. People really seem to enjoy it.” Opening Union, which was inspired by The Alley Downtown Taproom in Aiken, South Carolina, has been a blast for the couple. Colin said he and Meagan love to people-watch as regular patrons get the hang of self-pour and come back for more. “It’s been a lot of fun watching people that come in multiple times still getting used to using the wristband,” he said. “We’ll lock eyes with somebody who’s trying to pour beer and it’s not working, and they’ll go, ‘Oh, I forgot to use my wristband!’” ‘What’s on tap’ you ask? Their 40-tap setup has played host to a variety of craft beers, ciders, wine, cold brew coffee, and kombucha. They’ve had some interesting beer flavors from P&J to Oatmeal Raisin Cookie brown ale mixed among a tastefully curated craft lineup. “Believe it or not, one of the most popular flavors we’ve had was a pink lemonade cider,” said Wells. “That crossed all different genders and age gaps – everybody loved it.” This included even the biggest and burliest of blokes, he said. “There are a lot of really good local craft brewers in Florida,” said Wells. “We want to focus on doing some more in-state brewed beers here in Florida to support some of those guys.” They also plan to continue introducing people to beers they might not drink anywhere else. When a new patron walks in and they give them the self-pour rundown and ask what they typically drink to point them in a starting direction, Colin said, “You’d be surprised how many people say, ‘I don’t like beer that tastes like beer.’” “Having 40 taps, we’re able to introduce people to not your stereotypical beers,” he said. “There is something for everybody, it’s just getting them to step outside of their comfort zone and try a few and watching people enjoy things they never thought they would.” The continually rotating taps see five to six new beers a week including seasonal beers. “It’s been a lot of fun tasting them all, I can tell you that,” Colin laughed. Moving ahead, the Union Taproom team will continue to focus on what they do best – offering a tasty, eclectic mix of brews for the community to try out, indulging in old favorites or stumbling upon new ones, in a comfy environment that promotes socializing and making new friends. BEERS AND BITES Along with introducing folks to new beers, they hope to do the same with their rotating schedule of food trucks. Patrons can enjoy unique flavors downtown every Thursday through Sunday. “It’s been nice having the food trucks,” said Wells. “People can come and enjoy beers with food they can’t often get in Winter Haven.” Downtown Winter Haven has its fair selection of upscale restaurants and fast-casual haunts centrally located to the taproom. Guests are invited to order food from downtown restaurants, many of which will deliver to Union. Fire is a frequent go-to for Colin and Meagan. “Their wings are fantastic,” he said. “Beer and wings – you can’t dispute that pairing.” Another downtown meal to wash down at Union are the burgers from Rocco’s according to Wells. Take your beer into your own hands! Stop by Union Taproom to make some new friends and discover some new brews. Until next time – Cheers, Union! Union Taproom 245 W Central Ave #102, Winter Haven, FL uniontaproomwh.com FB @uniontaproom IG @uniontaproom 863-268-4921

1 cup mint chocolate chip ice cream ½ cup Scotch 4 ice cubes Green food coloring (optional) Whipped cream & sprinkles for garnish In a blender, add ice cream, Scotch, green coloring (if using) and ice. Blend until smooth, pour into glass, top with whipped cream and sprinkles. Recipe makes one shake. 21+ please drink responsibly

In the village of York Beach, Maine John and Jeané Gaskins operate a unique restaurant serving up two genres of cuisine that don’t often go together. A 28-seat eatery with concrete floors and wooden shiplap walls, Gaskins Barbecue & Lobster is a summer month staple for the town. John, a Navy veteran served eight years active duty and six years in the Reserves. From 2001 to the end of 2004, he was stationed at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine. The family would often vacation in York Beach and fell in love with the area. When the spot where their restaurant now sits came up for sale, they jumped on the opportunity to own an eatery in the idyllic town. They sold their restaurants in Florida, one of which was a 400- seat steakhouse and set to work serving up barbecue and lobster. “I’ll never open up another gigantic restaurant,” said John. “Thirty-five, forty-five seats, I can talk to the customers, I can watch the kitchen, I can watch the dining room.” He and Jeané like the personal aspect and quality control of a more intimate restaurant. “People really embraced us up there like they have here,” said John. They opened Gaskins in York Beach in 2016 as a barbecue restaurant initially – a culinary concept not as readily available in the northeast as it is here. As Maine is renowned for its lobster, the Gaskins’ added a simple, but solid lobster roll to their menu. The space they were in had almost always been a seafood restaurant. Folks would come in and order their former favorite seafood dish without a glance at the menu. To accommodate this long-standing institution, Gaskins introduced a seafood menu including the likes of fried haddock, lobster, and whole belly clams. On December 4, the Gaskins brought their concept to Winter Haven. The town was in a buzz over the barbecue and lobster concept. Jeané, a Haines City native and John, from the Cocoa Beach area, love Winter Haven. The family would live up north tending to their York Beach restaurant during the summer and retire to Florida for the remainder of the year. They knew this was the perfect spot to open a year-round Gaskins. The space is cozy, accented by whitewashed shiplap. Fresh food is served on silver trays lined in newsprint parchment as if you’re having a seafood cookout with your family at home. John said, “We want everyone to feel like they’re at home.” The attentive staff, mostly family – including John and Jeané, their son and daughter, nephew, cousin, and aunt – are some of the same people you’re likely to see if you travel to Maine during the summer to indulge in a Gaskins lobster roll. “It’s not just the same food – you’re going to see the same faces,” said John. Gaskins is the kind of place where they remember your name and after a few times probably even your order. It’s a place centered around community and family, something the owners have intentionally cultivated. “A lot of customers have watched our kids grow up,” said Jeané of their York Beach establishment. “We love that,” said John. “We like to be involved in the community and we like the community to be involved with us.” The seafood and barbecue concept means there’s a little something for everyone on the menu. Each dish has been thoughtful conceptualized and executed in the fast-casual eatery. Their barbecue is smoked over oak and hickory every day. Their brisket and pulled pork smoke overnight between 14 and 16 hours and their ribs and chicken are smoked every morning. Gaskins’ brisket is cut-with-a-fork tender with a rich, smoky flavor. If you’re looking for a full-on traditional southern meal for a family, order up their 3 Meat Sampler complete with two of their signature sides. Their ribs have a rich almost candied exterior and won’t put up a fight to slide right off of the bone. Their loaded potato salad is made with a sour cream base and is reminiscent of a delicious loaded baked potato. Even their barbecue beans are noteworthy with a sweet hint of maple. The sampler is served with fresh onions and pickles on the side and a warm, moist piece of cornbread so cakey it could serve as dessert. If you’re in the market for a handheld – two words – Savage Swine. This beast of a sandwich is piled high with pulled pork, kimchi, fresh pickles, and onions and topped off with their signature Gaskins sweet sauce. It offers all the smoke and succulence you could ask for with their pulled pork accompanied by an acidic crunch of kimchi. Exceptional products and consistent preparation are made a focus at Gaskins. All of their seafood is wild-caught, all-natural, chemical and sulfate-free. “It’s simple. There’s not much on our menu that has more than two or three ingredients in it,” said John. “If you use fantastic lobster and you use a fantastic bun, you’ll end up with a fantastic product.” And a fantastic product it is – a thick toasted bun cradling a generously heaping portion of choice lobster served with a side of melted butter. Another fresh take on the lobster roll is Gaskins’ lobster salad roll tossed in a light mayo and celery as to not overpower the sweetness of the dish’s featured ingredient. The family says they are getting customers from all over Central Florida. Customers who’ve dined at Gaskins in York Beach are going out of their way to get it here. “We had a couple the other day that drove three hours,” said John. One gentleman from the northeast stopped by to say that Gaskins has the best fried haddock he’s ever had – a high compliment from a New Englander. Even at 3 pm on a Wednesday, Gaskins was steadily busy. We asked the couple what they think keeps people coming back. “I think it’s the uniqueness,” said Jeané. The initial intrigue got them in the door and the exceptional food has kept their interest. “Most of all,” said John, “we really delivered on what everybody wanted this to be.” “It’s not just about serving food,” said John Gaskins. “It’s about creating a whole community and a family.” Gaskins Barbecue & Lobster 600 Cypress Gardens Blvd, Winter Haven (863) 656-1605 Gaskinsbarbecue.com FB @Gaskinsbarbecue IG @gaskinsbarbecue Photos by Amy Sexson

Whether he’s served you a beer at Grove Roots, told you a joke, or stumped you with a trivia question there’s one thing you know about Thom Bly – he’s a born entertainer. Bly has taken this natural charisma and knack for putting on a show and turned it into a growingly popular full-service live entertainment company in Polk County and across Central Florida. Bly was born in Ohio where his parents stayed until he was two. They moved to San Diego for a few years before moving to Lakeland to take care of his grandmother. He attended school from kindergarten through high school here, graduating from Lakeland High School before attending Florida Southern College. He decided to take a break from school and landed a job as a flight attendant for United Airlines. He lived in Chicago for a few months during training and was based out of New York for several years. He took a furlough from his job to temporarily move back to Florida to help a friend who had just had a baby get settled. “I was planning on going back to New York,” he said. “Then I met a girl and fell in love and got married.” Thom and his wife Ash, a Winter Haven native, have lived here for nine years. He is a programmer by day with some ten years in the IT field and bartends part-time at Grove Roots. It’s his third job though, that is particularly interesting. CATEGORY: THINGS YOUR IN-LAWS SAY “I’ve been going to trivia nights since college,” said Bly. He enjoyed learning about an array of subjects and found himself watching tv shows like Jeopardy and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. He and his wife stumbled upon a trivia night at the former Slyce Pizza Kitchen. “It turned into a weekly family event,” said Bly. He and Ash along with her parents, sister and family friends would get together to outsmart each other on trivia night. The person running the trivia events moved to south Florida, leaving Slyce to find another trivia host. One night, unenthused with their new host, the Slyce owner was talking with Bly and his in-laws. They mentioned wanting to find someone new to host trivia. “My father-in-law slaps me on the shoulder and says, ‘Thom can do it!’” remembers Bly. “I thought about all of the trivia shows that I enjoyed doing over the years and kind of took the best parts of each one of those things and tried to bundle it together into my own thing,” he said. With the material he’d put together Bly put on an audition show for the job and they loved it. This was his first foray into trivia. Triviosity Live Events is the name he gave his new business. “I started doing as many shows as I could because I was having so much fun with it,” said Bly. He would put on trivia events at locations around the county – including Grove Roots, Cob & Pen, Beer Rev (now Craft + Kitchen) to name a few. The bread and butter of his trivia business is general knowledge. The breadth of the topics makes it approachable for anyone sitting at a bar or restaurant when they’re hosting an event without having to know about a single niche topic. Thom curates the shows himself, breaking them down into mini categories. He’s now curated around 200 shows to this point, keeping pace at about four shows written per week. “My way of forcing myself to learn more things that I enjoy learning is to go into that Google rabbit hole,” he said. Where some trivia companies pay for a set of canned questions, Thom spends hours losing himself on the internet exploring categories and subcategories for fun and challenging questions for each show. “I don’t want to do the thing that everybody else does. I want it to be different and unique and fun and exciting for everybody,” he said. With a growing demand for his brand of entertainment, Bly has the help of similarly engaging Triviosity team members to host shows around the county. He described his hosts, Taylor Zaudtke, Austyn Harben, and Kevin Zimmer as amazing hosts and “friendly, outgoing people.” FAQS WITH DJ THOM He started offering his trivia services for corporate events as a reprieve from the typical cocktail party and teambuilding. A corporate client asked if he could DJ for them as well – why yes, yes he could. “That’s kind of how it happens with me,” he laughed. “Someone gives me an idea and I make it happen.” Bly has been called a Jack of All Trades, a real Renaissance Man – he loves to learn new things and pick up new skills whenever he can. He bought a controller and started taking lessons online. He has admittedly always had an affinity for music and had dabbled in the DJ booth during college. He gathered popular songs and songs that he liked to prep for the gig. The event went swimmingly and he added DJing and emceeing to his repertoire. We picked up some tips to elevate the entertainment at your event courtesy of the Triviosity founder. Bly described the process of consulting with a client, saying that he first makes it a point to get to know the client and learn about their event. He’ll ask for a rough timeline of the celebration and what needs and wants the client has so he can let them know which of those he can fill. Triviosity Live Events is a one-stop-shop when it comes to DJing and emceeing. Bly has music, a lighting system, video screens, and projectors to provide an all-inclusive experience for his clients. He gives clients an information sheet on which they can list out the different sessions that they’ll have throughout the event, along with what kind of music they like and any songs they specifically do or do not want to hear. “Not everybody wants to hear ‘Baby Got Back’ at their wedding or their corporate function. Some people really want to hear it, so I give them that option,” he said. “I’m here to make this event whatever you want it to be.” Another meeting is held between one month and one week from the event to go over the information sheet and discuss the plan for the party. With permission from the client, he likes to have a little bit of freedom to play what guests are responding to the day of. Setting the tone of the event via music relies a lot on the type of event. “If it’s for someone’s birthday, you want their personality to come out, if it’s a wedding, you want the couple’s personality to come out,” he said. You also want to keep in mind the taste of your guests and what will keep them entertained. If the hosts agree, the DJ will open it up for requests. At a recent wedding he did, the couple had their guests pre-request songs and made a spreadsheet to give to Bly. He says pre-requesting is something he plans to start doing when possible. Another piece of advice Bly had was to not leave the entertainment as an afterthought. Often, people will book a venue, hire a caterer and a photographer and tend to other details, leaving the entertainment for last when their budget is all but depleted. Unfortunately, you often get what you pay for. “Our big suggestion is don’t always go to someone based solely on price. Talk to several entertainers,” he said. Ask about what they can do to make your event special for you and your guests. “You’ll find a lot of times that you might pay a little more for somebody willing to do all those things, but it makes the event so much better,” he added. For weddings, he recommends booking the entertainment six to ten months or longer in advance and corporate gigs, two to six months. Always keep in mind that the holidays are busy, so booking in advance is preferable. The earlier, the better is a good rule of thumb. FOR A GOOD TIME CALL The Triviosity team also uses its powers for good, giving back to the community when they can. In December, they collected and combined all of their tips to purchase bikes for children in less fortunate homes who may not otherwise have received presents. They bought eight bikes and scooters with helmets to give away. Grove Roots heard about their initiative and matched the contribution, bringing the total to 16 bikes and scooters. They were donated to the Winter Haven Police Department and went along with them to deliver the gifts to the families. Bly also does events like the WHPD 5K benefiting the Special Olympics for free – something he’s done for two years now. In March, he’ll also be providing the entertainment at CommunityFest hosted by the Greater Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce, free of charge. “I was born in Ohio and I’ve lived in a couple of other places, but Polk County is home for me. It’s treated me mostly well throughout my life and I enjoy being able to give a little something back in any way I can,” said Bly. Entertaining people comes naturally to Thom Bly – he’s been in some form of service or entertainment for twenty years now. As a waiter and bartender, he would perform bar tricks to get guests excited. When he was a flight attendant, he would find his way to the microphone during pre-boarding or safety announcements to make folks laugh. “When I bartend at Grove Roots I do a lot of the same thing – making jokes with people, having fun [...],” he said. “I bring all those years of fun and excitement into our trivia show.” What’s Bly’s favorite part of the job? “Seeing people happy,” he said. “I know it’s cheesy and corny, but, […] at my core I’m an entertainer and that’s what we like to see – we like to see people having a good time.” Triviosity Live Events Triviositylive.com hello@triviositylive.com FB @TriviosityLive IG @triviositylive Photo by Amy Sexson