Vermont Made and Shaken (or stirred)

Local Libations: With Vermont's booming value added sector, local agricultural has grown from the milk and maple Vermont has long been famous for.  Now the cheesemakers and microbrewers have company, and the best of Vermont can also be found behind the bar, with a number of artisanal spirits and mixers produced in the state. We are fortunate to carry five Vermont vodkas, two gins, soon to be three rums, and a whiskey.  We celebrate these spirits on our cocktail menu, where you can find something to please your palate.  Our Elderberry Fizz features Caledonia Spirits Barr Hill Gin, (made right here in Hardwick!) mixed with the sweet and rich honey, apple and elderberry flavors of their Elderberry Cordial, and topped off with a splash of soda water.  Our Mapletini 2.0 celebrates sugar season with Dunc's Mill Maple Rum, shaken with Eden Ice Cider's Calville Blend, with a full-bodied sweetness and slight citrusy notes. Look for drinks featuring Sumptuous Syrups coming soon!

At the Bar: Remember our Sunday and Monday drink specials. Sunday, March 25th we offer a $2.50 pint of Otter Creek Black IPA, a $4 glass of East Shore Vineyard's Cabernet Franc or Traminette.  In celebration of Maple Open House Weekend, our Maple Manhattan, with whiskey, Urban Moonshine Maple Bitters and maple syrup, is offered for $5.

Around the Galaxy: The vernal equinox signals a change in season, and also the beginning of The Galaxy's new hours. Starting on Tuesday, the Galaxy will be open from 10-7 during the week, and from 10-5 on Saturday. The Galaxy Bookshop welcomes Tovar Cerulli on Tuesday, March 27th at 7PM. Cerulli's debut book, The Mindful Carnivore: A Vegetarian's Hunt for Sustenance chronicles his changing relationship with and understanding of food. The Galaxy will also host a Rural Post Letter Writing Soiree on March 22nd.

Music Notes: Karen Krajacic and Jon Rose will join us this Thursday at 7:00.  Multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Karen has been touring with the harmonizing female duo Folk By Association for over ten years.  Lead guitarist Jon Rose joins her for a set that draws heavily from folk, rock, country and Americana.

Local Art: Join us Monday, March 26 from 4-6 for the artist reception for Janet Wormser of Cabot. Her work focuses on creating "an immediacy, a presence on canvas that feels like a natural wholeness."

Local Events: The Third Annual Highfields Compost Cabaret and Silent Auction is this Saturday, March 24 from 7-10 at Old Labor Hall in Barre.  The evening is sure to be full of steaming hot entertainment with music and poetry sure to warm your heart and soul- all to benefit Highfields Center for Composting's programs to Close the Loop on local food systems.  Suggested donation of $10 to help make Vermont's food and agricultural systems stronger, water and air cleaner, and carbon footprint smaller.

This weekend is also the Eleventh Annual Maple Open House Weekend, a celebration of the maple syrup season and an opportunity for the public to visit one or more sugarhouses throughout the state to learn about sugaring and syrup.  Check out Sweet Stone Maple Farm in Hardwick, with live music on Saturday from The Butterbeans, and Fradette's Maple Syrup in East Hardwick.

Mark your calendars for our next dance party- The Bunny Hop on Friday, March 30 from 10-2.  Put a glide in your stride and come dance! Bring your dancing shoes and ID- 18 and over please. $5 suggested music donation.  Designated drivers get free non-alcoholic drinks and a $10 gift card!

Reminders: We are open daily after 2:30 for coffee, bar service, and baked goods, and free WiFi, with dinner reservations available from 5-9, Sundays from 5-8. We serve our special Blunch menu Sundays from 11-2. Claire's is closed every Wednesday.

We appreciate it when you use cash or a check - credit card companies charge us a fee that really adds up. Thanks to many of you we have been able to significantly reduce those fees.

Click on the image above to get a closer look!