Crave some esports with your elixirs? Washington, DC-based Drink Company, known for pop-up bars (PUBs) themed around holidays and pop culture, is back with a bar celebrating video games. Levels Unlocked: House of DC Heroes pays tribute to the gaming community and three of its most popular games.
Each of the bar’s three distinct spaces pays homage to one game: NBA2k19, Overwatch and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, with decor, open play components and game-themed cocktails. “We are so excited that D.C. is becoming the East Coast hub for esports,” says Adriana Aspiazu, special projects manager at PUB. “I have spent many hours playing Smash with my best friends, so I know intimately what it’s like to have a video game hold great significance in one’s life.”
Like all Drink Company PUBs, design elements are over-the-top. (Their GoT bar had an Iron Throne and Wall of Faces, and bars were awash in blooming pink trees and origami birds for the Cherry Blossom PUB.) The team toyed with illumination effects to perfect a light installation with Hanzo and Genji’s, the glowing spirits from Overwatch. And seven hundred basketballs were assembled into a canopy cave that’s fun to gaze at from both inside and outside, according to Aspiazu.
But it’s how the PUB imagines the Nintendo Switch fighting game that she thinks gaming fans will be most excited about. “Paying homage to some of the most classic Super Smash Bros characters is what makes mine a dream job,” she admits. “Sonic’s checkered loop not only looks amazing life size, but will host smashing on a screen in the middle of the loop. No better place to play!”
If you can tear yourself away from your controller for a second you’ll find creative libations inspired by these three 2-D worlds. The liquid version of basketball term G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time), GOATorade, is a riff on the Corpse Reviver #2 with gin, blanc vermouth, Curaça, coconut water, Himalayan pink salt, lemon and absinthe. Tracer’s Cup is a reference to the most popular character in Overwatch whose British background stirred the Pimm’s Cup / Sherry Cobbler mashup. And Pikachu-Hi is their take on the Chu-Hi, a popular cocktail in Japan. It mixes shoshu, sake, lemon and soda, sweetened with shio koji, a spent fermented rice grain and garnished with a torched lemon marshmallow.
You can visit these family-friendly sustainable farms in Southwest Florida
Fort Myers in Southwest Florida is home to a host of sustainable farms, many of which are happy to welcome visitors. Why not take the family to experience the fun activities they offer, combined with learning experiences that demonstrate how sustainable agriculture benefits everyone? There are guided tours, animal interactions, dining opportunities and fresh produce to enjoy at these farms, and all are conveniently located throughout The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel.
Echo Global Farm
Children will love the goats, chickens, ducks, fish and rabbits at the North Fort Myers Echo Global Farm, which is home to one of the largest collections of tropical food plants in the US. Dedicated to solving hunger around the world in creative ways, it offers guided tours that include demonstrations of the techniques used by farmers in developing countries. For a more interactive visit, it allows guests to experience seven simulated agricultural scenarios, which include a tropical rainforest with leaves you can taste and a rural rooftop that shows off urban gardening methods.
Buckingham Farms
You’ll be unlikely to leave Buckingham Farms empty-handed, thanks to its fresh approach to wholesome foods and homegrown hospitality. Visitors can explore the grounds and see its strawberry plants and peach trees. It has hydroponically-grown produce, a method of sustainable farming where mineral nutrient solutions and water are used without soil. The farm specializes in providing the finest fruits and vegetables and farm-produced products, and offers a unique dining experience at its on-site restaurant and one-of-a-kind events in a lovely countryside setting just 20 minutes from downtown Fort Myers.
Rosy Tomorrows Heritage Farm
Rosy Tomorrows Heritage Farm is a sustainable farm that employs organic and holistic practices. Its animals are raised as close to nature as possible, without hormones, steroids or antibiotics. Combine that with sustainable techniques like pasture rotation and you’ll understand why this farm in North Fort Myers is an organic paradise. When you visit Rosy’s, you can see its baby calves and feed organic alfalfa to the miniature donkeys, and you’ll get to enjoy seasonally-based brunches that showcase the bounty of the farm.
Southern Fresh Farms
At Southern Fresh Farms near Fort Myers’ Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve, visitors can see the hydroponic operation it uses to grow crops in action. There’s a huge playground for children, and they will enjoy visiting the barnyard animals, all of which have been rescued and can be fed and petted by guests. The farm also offers guided tours, rentable gardens to those who want to grow their own produce, and a new on-site brewery. The farm is owned by the McMahon family, whose expertise and understanding of the land have been utilized to help restore some of Southwest Florida’s nature preserves, including the Everglades.
