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MASS PACK APPEALS THE CUMBERLAND FARMS INITIATIVE

Massachusetts Package Stores Association (MPSA) member retailers of beer, wine and spirits from across the state have banded together to challenge the decision by Attorney General Maura Healey to certify Initiative Petition No. 19-14 (the “Cumberland Farms Initiative”) for a “Law Relative to the Sale of Beer and Wine by...
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THE CLOVER CLUB

PINK LADY’S ENDANGERED COCKTAIL OF THE MONTH WARMER MONTHS in New England are often heralded by gin drinks popping up on cocktail lists which delights gin-loving ladies like us! In the 11 years since LUPEC was founded, gin has most certainly arrived. Gone are the days when drinkers pushed “the...
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A Fresh Look at Craft Lager

by ANDY CROUCH IF INDIA PALE ALE is the undisputed heavyweight champ of the craft beer world, craft lager is the scrappy underdog just now starting to make a name for itself. Ranging from an afterthought to anathema for both craft brewers and consumers, lager seemed an unlikely up and...
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SANGRITA

PINK LADY’S ENDANGERED COCKTAIL OF THE MONTH by PINK LADY CINCO DE MAYO means many people will be sipping on tequila in some form or another this month, whether in the Margarita, the world’s most popular drink, or in shot form. (Drinkers take note: Cinco de Mayo isn’t actually Mexican...
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AQUAVIT

by LEW BRYSON AQUAVIT? WHAT THE HELL IS THAT? “When you had it, you didn’t think about it, but when you ran out, it was suddenly a problem.” That’s Kate Palmer, Assistant VP of craft spirits at Horizon Beverage, and she got the calls, because “If it’s weird, you call...
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MALBEC from ARGENTINA

by SANDY BLOCK, MW ARGENTINA OWNS THE MALBEC CATEGORY on the US market and internationally. Why does it lack serious competition? This is a felicitous marriage of grape and terroir that isn’t possible to duplicate elsewhere. Virtually anonymous in its Bordeaux homeland, where Malbec is relegated to status as a...
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The Golden Touch

by ANDY CROUCH Get ready for warm weather with these golden ales. MANY CRAFT BREWERS have long eschewed catering to entry level or novice beer drinkers.  Focusing on highly hopped beers or chasing style trends, they have preferred to service more developed beer geeks.  This approach has led to some...
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ALCOHOL’S ROLE IN BREAST CANCER SOME CLARIFICATION

by HARVEY FINKEL, MD BREAST CANCER is justly feared.  Afflicting women, mostly, over a wide age range, it is their most common invasive cancer, and a leading cause of death.  A large body of medical literature, while suggesting an association between drinking even moderately and breast cancer risk, has been...
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CAMERON’S KICK

by PINK LADY WHETHER MARCH rolls in like a lion or a lamb is bound to change on a daily basis in New England, but one thing is for sure: St-Patrick’s Day this year is on a Saturday and it’s going to be a sh*t show.  Batten down the hatches,...
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A SMALL PORTUGUESE INVASION

by HARVEY FINKEL WE’VE HAD A SMALL PORTUGUESE INVASION, and I was fortunate enough to be ambushed.  Like Prince Henry the Navigator, the Portuguese wine trade sent out explorers, these seeking markets for their tasty products.  Representatives of five wineries gathered with lucky and knowing guests at Heritage of Sherborn,...
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