As the early morning light shines in through my hotel window, my brow furrows, I squint my eyes and resist the temptation to close the black-out curtains. After a Monday night spent hopping from one speakeasy to the next, trying more cocktails than I care to admit, the sun reflecting off Lake Erie is more daunting than it was yesterday, when I began my 2-week road trip to explore craft culture in the first American West, and the glistening light looked beautifully inviting dancing on the water.
After several Advil and a cup of coffee, my eyes ease to the view. I enjoy it for a few minutes before I’m off to a local Cleveland distillery that’s the definition of small-batch; distilled in the owner’s own backyard, barrels aging inside a barn as his dog hops around the yard.
After a tour and taste, I’m given a bottle to deliver to the owner’s friend at my next stop, Louisville. I’ll spend several more days and nights tasting bourbon and indulging in local libations. Then I’m off to bachelorette hotspot Nashville, touring local whiskey… and finally, driving through the Smoky Mountains to eclectic Asheville, where craft and local ingredients are central to food and drink culture.
I hadn’t intended to spend my first 2 weeks of summer hopping around the country, exploring craft culture in cities I knew little about beyond stereotypes and the occasional country song. Then again, nothing about my career or personal life has been traditional or predictable, so perhaps this spur of the moment dive into craft culture fits perfectly.
For the past 5 years, I’ve worked as a writer covering sex, dating, and relationships for publications like Cosmopolitan, Maxim, Playboy, Thrillist, and my own sex-positive site for millennial women, Slutty Girl Problems. I’ve hopped between New York and LA for events, conferences, and activism, all the while documenting my adventures on my Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat. Professionally, sexuality and modern dating have been at the forefront of my career.
Yet personally, craft culture has always been a big part of my social life, from speakeasy cocktails to local foodie favorites. From the time I could sit up and hold a fork, I enjoyed my grandma’s home cooking with local ingredients. As I got older, I took classes to learn how to cook, bake, and make my own jams, pickles, pasta, and breads. With a passion for quality food, it’s only natural that a love for craft beer and small batch spirits would follow. As soon as I turned 21, my dad toured me around microbreweries, where I learned about brewing and different types of beer. In the years since, my love for spirits has evolved, steering me toward speakeasies and mixologists who value craft and cocktail culture.
Now, I’ve teamed up with Microshiner to explore the local craft and cocktail culture in cities around the US. I started with 4 cities within driving distance of my hometown in Philadelphia - Cleveland, Louisville, Nashville, and Asheville. Each city was incredibly unique, from a budding cocktail culture that’s just taken hold in Cleveland, to a rich bourbon history in Louisville.
Follow along on my craft adventures, and join me as I see each city through fresh eyes, here on Microshiner, and on Twitter and Instagram.
I’m Lorrae Bradbury, and I’m a microshiner
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Lorrae is a Philadelphia-based writer with a passion for travel and edgy storytelling. Her love for craft spans from speakeasy cocktails and small batch spirits, to home-brewed beer and local foodie favorites. Follow her wanderlust adventures on Twitter and Instagram @Lorraejo
