Cross Creek Courier Another Seabreeze Publication
VOL. 39 NO. 11
www.seabreezecommunications.com
NOVEMBER 2023
Ale Tales And Lager Lore By Diane Bothfeld Happy Thanksgiving! Many of you will be hosting or traveling to be with friends and family for the Thanksgiving holiday. Take a deep breath and dive into this holiday all about giving thanks and sharing really great food and drink with those that you care about. And guess what – beer goes really well with Thanksgiving dinner! If you are hosting, don’t be surprised if there is a beer lover in your midst that might really like beer versus wine with dinner. As the host, what beer to have on hand for that beer lover? Thanksgiving dinner has many delicious flavors – roasted turkey, stuffing, gravy, squash, cranberry sauce, etc., all of these flavors allow for many beers to complement the dinner. I would suggest something lower in alcohol but still with enough flavor to match up with the dinner. A session IPA is lower in alcohol but still big on flavor – malty enough to match up to the stuffing but with enough bitterness to cleanse the palate between bites. Founders All Day IPA or Jai Low from Cigar City Brewing are two great choices. I would also
recommend a British Brown Ale for those that may not want an IPA. This beer is malty sweet, much less bitter than an IPA and will match up to the roasted turkey, stuffing, and vegetables, all with a low alcohol content. Cigar City Madura and Newcastle Brown Ale are two excellent examples. Now the story goes that the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, Mass., to begin their colony and were supported by the local indigenous people through the first winter. What is not widely discussed is that the Pilgrims on the Mayflower were supposed to be heading for the Hudson River area to set up their colony but they ran out of beer. This is recorded Dec. 20, 1620 by William Bradford of the Mayflower, “For we could not now take time for further search or consideration, our victuals being much spent, especially our beer, and it is now the 20th of December.” The early colonists started “home brewing” beer quickly using whatever they could find that would ferment and using supplies shipped in from England. Corn, pumpkin, and molasses were used to extend the imported malt and spruce tips and local herbs were used to flavor the beer. By the 1640s commercial
Cross Creek Travelers Miami, Fort Lauderdale And Key West – Jan. 23 To 25, 2024 Memorial, and much more. Not to be missed is our evening Three Days/Two Nights – $460 Per Person, Double guided memorial and monuments tour. Admission to George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Garden. Tram ride Occupancy This trip will have a deluxe motor coach transportation through Arlington National Cemetery. This historic trip will be equipped with video and Wi-Fi and will include three meals: one not to miss. two breakfasts and one dinner. We’ll enjoy a sightseeing cruise Biltmore Estate And The Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville, down the “Venice of America,” Fort Lauderdale, and enjoy the N.C. – Oct. 20 To 25 exciting island city of Key West. In Miami, we’ll see the famous Six Days/Five Nights – $915 Per Person, Double Occupancy This price includes eight meals: Five breakfasts and three South Beach and Lincoln Road restaurants and quaint shops. A stop at Little Havana will round out this fun two-day tour. We dinners. Fall’s dazzling splendor at the Biltmore Estate in its autumn beauty, harvest season in the vineyards and gardens, sold out last year so don’t miss this one. brimming with colorful mums are but a few reasons to visit Charleston, S.C. – March 11 To 16 Six Days/Five Nights – $875 Per Person, Double Occupancy Biltmore in the fall. Biltmore village connects the estate’s present Your journey to charming Charleston where you’ll explore and past, providing a relaxing place for dining, shopping, and the historic Charleston city market with eclectic shops you won’t historical exhibits. This is a must-see destination in America. find elsewhere. Our guided tour will include a scenic harbor Our trip has a guided tour of downtown Asheville featuring Art cruise taking in the beauty of the Charleston Harbor learning Deco architecture complementing the Miami Art Deco. This the rich history of the “Holy City.” You will tour the impressive time of the year is perfect for a drive on the scenic Blue Ridge Middleton Place experiencing the garden, animal stables, the Parkway, America’s most visited National Park. We’ll visit the chapel, rice mill and so much more. We’ll visit the Charleston famous Folk Art Center which is sure to be a delight. For more information on these tours visit www.grouptrips. Tea Garden and tour a historic Charleston home. A highlight of your tour includes a trolley tour of the garden. Of course, we com/crosscreek. A $75 deposit is required to secure your seat. Checks only are to be made out to Diamond Tours and sent to will have a guided tour of this beautiful city of Charleston. Washington, D.C. (Our Nation’s Capital) – March 20 To 28 Kathy Bonick, 8380 Arborfield Court, Fort Myers, FL 33912. Nine Days/Eight Nights – $1,330 Per Person, Double Calls can be made to (309) 265-7241 for further information. Occupancy This price includes 14 meals: Eight breakfasts and six dinners with our deluxe motor coach transportation for your comfort. We will have two guided tours of Washington, D.C., including the World War II Memorial, Capitol Hill, Embassy Row, the Korean War Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Smithsonian, the Martin Here are some pictures from our Key West trip in January 2023. Luther King Jr. National Memorial, the Lincoln
breweries were established in Massachusetts, Virginia and New Amsterdam (New York City). The religious beliefs of the colonists did not extend to beer – beer being considered safer than water to drink and of a lower alcohol content than hard liquor, which would reduce drunkenness. The Dutch in New Amsterdam, fully embraced brewing and by 1640 had 10 breweries for a population of 1,600. Port cities of Boston, New Amsterdam and Philadelphia had robust businesses in brewing, serving the local population and outfitting ships with beer. There are rumors in my family that we are descendants from the Mayflower passengers. It was probably my long-lost relative that was nervous about running out of beer! As always, drink responsibly and enjoy time with family and friends this Thanksgiving!
Attention All Beer Lovers! A Beer Club is forming at Cross Creek for those who enjoy beer. We will meet at the Cross Creek clubhouse bar to try new and different beers, learn about the brewing process, the history of beer, visit area craft breweries and beer festivals are all possibilities! Open to all who are interested. The Beer Club will meet on Nov. 30 from 3 to 5 p.m. I hope to see you there.
Walk To End Alzheimer’s This year the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 2 held at Florida SouthWestern College on College Parkway, Fort Myers. Kathy Choquette, a resident of Cross Creek Villa II, plans to walk to honor her dad who suffered and died from Alzheimer’s. Kathy served as a caregiver for her dad and committed to walking and raising awareness of the fight to end Alzheimer’s in our community. Alzheimer’s disease is silently taking our loved ones, friends, and neighbors. Those living with Alzheimer’s or other dementias need to be understood, respected, supported, and loved. The walk is fighting for a different future, for families facing the disease today, for more time and more treatments. The Alzheimer’s Association provides care, support, and advanced critical research to help us stop Alzheimer’s. Let’s keep up the momentum and continue raising critical funds and awareness. Every dollar makes a difference in this fight. Please consider donating to the Alzheimer’s Association. Kathy’s online team – Gus’s Support Group can be found at https://bit.ly/3PzEIZ3 for easy and direct donations. Together, we can end Alzheimer’s disease! Thank you for your continued dedication! For more information contact Kathy Choquette at (203) 807-2715.