ACC Tournament Championship Game Prediction

It'll be N.C. State v. Duke.

No offense to The Snooty Baby-Blue Palace in that Raleigh-Durham suburb.

10 Great Winter Beers

Check out Paste's 10 Great Winter Beers.

Meanwhile, in all seriousness (not just an advertising plug), my in-laws gave the below to my daughter for Christmas, and she likes it:

12-year-old rum, or rhum: El Dorado

Yes, below in the photo is 12-year-old rum -- and the only size bottle of El Dorado I dare purchase. Thank God for Royal Mile Whiskies -- what a great shop, with tons of minibottles of upscale liquors, even 18-year-old scotches. El Dorado's 12-year-old rum was sweet, and the taste, as promised by the guy working behind the counter, had a touch of fruitiness to it. I have no idea if it's available in Myrtle Beach, but I'm going to find out!

 

The West Gate Inn, Canterbury, UK

Wantsum Hengist, brewed in Canterbury, is one of the best beers I've tried over here.

 

I found it at the West Gate Inn. See the little Wantsum shield on the far right, attached to the hand pump for cask ale? I told one of the folks behind the counter that I write about beer in the States. He gave me a spare Wantsum Hengist shield. I'm proud of this treasure.

The George, a pub and inn known to Dickens, in the Southwark borough of London

Updated Jan. 5.

Galleried inns like this one led to galleries in the theater ... or, theatre.

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