THE BEER NUT

The Thomas Hooker Brewery, of Bloomfield, Conn., does a good job of walking the fine line between different customers: they have several beer geek-friendly beers, but they also have several beers that will attract regular folks who just want something cool and refreshing, but may not be the most complex of beers.

Road trip nets memorable brews in the Steel City.

During the summer months, parents often search for ways to reinforce skills and lessons their children learn in the classroom. If you are a parent of a child with autism, you understand how important, yet challenging, it can be to find fun ways for your child to practice their skills, including those that teach social interaction and independent living.

Wellness presentations can be a tough sell, says registered dietitian Tricia Silverman of NuTricia's Lifestyles in Needham.

There's more to salsa than just tomatoes, chilies and onions.

While the tomato variety has given ketchup a run as top condiment, there's no end to the combinations of vegetables, fruits and chilies that can make a great salsa.

Carol and Ed Stoudt already ran a popular restaurant in Adamstown, Pa., the Black Angus, but a trip to Germany inspired them.

They fell in love with the German lagers - beers with much more flavor than American lagers. So the couple decided to turn their restaurant into a brewpub in 1987. Now, more than 20 years later, Stoudt's Brewing Company is one of the most established breweries on the East Coast.

Cape Ann Brewing Co. of Gloucester is earning accolades at beer competitions and with beer drinkers.

With the advent of summer, wine drinkers shift their sights from reds to cold refreshing wines to help stay cool. While that traditionally means Americans will be chilling and drinking whites, there's an attractive alternative. As any tourist to the French Riviera can tell you, Europeans turn to rose in the summer. Wine savvy Americans are increasingly following suit, resulting in greater rose consumption among discriminating wine consumers.

Double Dipped creates and sells a variety of handmade chocolate treats for social and corporate events.