Rocky Mountain high

Boulder, Colo.-based Upslope Brewing Co. hosted its fourth annual Backcountry Tap Room on Oct. 6, in Fraser, Colo. The experience offered craft beer fans and outdoor enthusiasts a rustic, pop-up tap room on a mountainside in Colorado’s backcountry. By way of marked trails, five miles out-and-back, attendees enjoyed a family friendly day hike with brews and beautiful views, the company says. The event also served as a sneak preview of the brewery’s new winter Limited Release Spruce Tip IPA. “Through our 10-year history, Upslope brews have been largely inspired by the outdoors lifestyle,” said Matt Cutter, founder at Upslope, in a statement. For the second year, 100 percent of the event’s profits benefited the nonprofit Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics.

Time for tea

In recent years, tea has gained an enthusiastic audience around the world. From Abbeville Press, “Tea Sommelier: A Step-By-Step Guide” provides a step-by-step approach to mastering the complexities of tea in 160 lessons, the publisher says. Written by François-Xavier Delmas and Mathias Minet, the book highlights varieties of loose-leaf tea and where they are grown, how to select and prepare tea, and suggested food pairings. One chapter is devoted to the merits of cooking with tea and there also are 20 unique recipes, including pumpkin velouté with Earl Grey and chai-marinated chicken skewers, the publisher says.

Sip in style

Mama Lion, a bar, lounge and social club featuring live entertainment and California dining in Los Angeles’ Koreatown, debuted a state-of-the-art Champagne vending machine. The vending machine is loaded with 320 mini bottles of Moët & Chandon Champagne, giving patrons access to fancy Brut and Rosé at the press of a button. Creating a fun and festive way to sip in style, the new vending machine includes a tiny Champagne flute for every Moët Impérial Brut or Moët Impérial Rosé mini bottle purchase. The machine only accepts specially branded Moët golden tokens, which can be purchased for $20 at the bar, the company says.