Illustration by Curt Merlo EVERYONE FEELS THE PAIN.On his way home to Arden from a Pacers game in late January, Michael Snodgrass was driving north in the right lane of the Meridian Street bridge over White River when he hit a pothole he’d noticed just a few days before that was now hidden by fog. In a jaw-clenching instant, he knew his right front tire was a goner. What he didn’t expect the next morning was running into so many other people at the local Discount Tire store who shared his fate. “Seven people have already come in who hit the same pothole,” a store clerk told him. Two days later ..read more

Photo courtesy Washington.Org IN 1912, the Tokyo, Japan, mayor gave 3,020 cherry blossom trees to the United States in the spirit of friendship. Planted in Washington, D.C., to add a little greenery to all that towering granite, the now-3,800 white and pale pink beauties put on a dazzling early spring show. Find them in the Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park (where the tightly clustered Yoshino cherry trees resemble clouds), at Hains Point in East Potomac Park, and on the Washington Monument grounds. Through April 14, the National Cherry Blossom Festival is celebrating the charm of the flowering ..read more

Jesse Rice of Black Circle Brewing. Credit: Tony Valainis/Indianapolis Monthly Black Circle Brewing Co. is making moves. Jesse Rice, the co-founder of the Midtown live act venue and beer spot at 2201 E. 46th St., has quietly changed its name to Black Circle Music Bar as “our core competency has become music and live events,” Rice told the IBJ. Now he’s mulling a second event venue, called Back Circle Audio, inside the former American Legion Post 465 at 3317 E. 10th St. No word yet on food or drinks at the new business, but Rice is reportedly “pursuing a permit to store barrels of corn whi ..read more

Illustration by Ryan Snook IN THE SUMMER of 2007, an enterprising publicist at HarperCollins persuaded this magazine to write an article about my books. Former executive editor Amy Wimmer Schwarb drove out to Danville to interview me, and we hit it off so well she offered me a job writing a monthly column. Seventeen years is forever in the magazine world, so I’m not surprised this gig is coming to an end. This will be my last column for Indianapolis Monthly, unless sufficient numbers of you storm the headquarters bearing torches and pitchforks demanding my reinstatement. Just to be clear, I do ..read more

Photography by Tony Valainis (1) Hawthorne StrainerSteelite International’s essential cocktail strainer comes in handy when making citrus-based drinks, such as the Early Riser. $24. Zesco Foodservice Design & Supply, 640 N. Capitol Ave. (2) Shaker KitThis classic stainless steel two-piece set from Barfly Mixology Gear shakes things up in style. $26. Zesco Foodservice Design & Supply, 640 N. Capitol Ave. (3) Glencairn GlassThe shape of this whiskey-tasting glass is the gold standard for sipping. The narrow rim is designed to concentrate the spirit’s aroma. West Fork Whiskey Co., 10 E. 1 ..read more

Photography by Jes Nijjer The aroma alone greets you before the plate—and a mighty plate it is—even makes it to the table. Memories unlock as the still-crackling, extra crunchy, golden, glorious tower of drumsticks, thighs, and wings slips into your view. The Whole Damn Thing from Duke’s Indy is surrounded by sidekicks like creamy, gooey mac and cheese or roasted, savory Brussels sprouts. This beauty of a bird, bedazzled with buttered biscuits and icebox pickles, pairs perfectly with a Bourbon Punch or a Pickle Ricky. This big ol’ plate of fried chicken will make your boots scoot, your mama pr ..read more

Photography by Leah Trib Productions Built in the hills of the Brown County woods, Hard Truth Distilling Co. (418 Old State Rd. 46, Nashville, 812-720-4840) features a two-story craftsman-style overnight cabin made especially for the outdoorsy whiskey enthusiast. There, you can enjoy fine libations as you spot deer meandering the tree line. If that isn’t the perfect fusion of the great outdoors and whiskey heaven, guests to the cabin are also guaranteed a weekend distillery tour. The distillery is located on a 325-acre wooded campus. Not even a third of the property is developed, which is ..read more

Photography by Tony Valainis Hold the sample to the light. With bourbon, the darker the caramel coloring, the longer it’s been aged. Look for any impurities floating around a clear spirit. Swirl the spirit in the glass to see if the legs cling to the side. If the droplets or rivulets of liquid stick for more than 15 seconds, you know you’re drinking a premium spirit. When taking your first sip, swirl the spirit in your mouth for 10 seconds before swallowing. By taking your time, you can pick up some of the more subtle flavors of the spirit. A good spirit will have some heat but won’t have a ha ..read more

NORTHERN INDIANA 18th Street Distillery (1) Known primarily as a brewer cranking out quirky one-off beers, 18th Street added a distilling component that follows the same standards for high-quality originality. Its award-winning rye whiskey uses the same grain featured in 18th Street beers. A bonus for out-of-towners, the historic building that houses the distillery also contains two attached living spaces available to rent. 5417 Oakley Ave., Hammond, 219-937-6103 Edwin Coe Spirits (2) Founder Joe Collins uses his great-grandfather’s recipe for Prohibition-era whiskey in his award-winning Old C ..read more

Illustration by Miko Maciaszek I WAS never partial to eclipses. Not that the subject of outer space didn’t fascinate me. As a schoolkid, I watched Star Trek and Lost in Space, read The How and Why Wonder Book of Planets and Interplanetary Travel, and collected Gordon’s Potato Chips space coins. I searched the night sky for planets, and satellites, and falling stars. I wanted to like eclipses, too, but the kind we got in Franklin, Indiana, never lived up to their billing. Indy newscasters would geek out over a coming partial eclipse, and I would stand outside at the appointed time only to see t ..read more