Local artisan launches bitters company out of necessity

Bitters are back, baby, and one local is looking to get in on the action. Wait, bitters? “The traditional recipes for a cocktail up to the late 1800s were all the same—bitters were a part of almost all cocktails,” says Kip McCharen, founder and owner of McCharen’s Bitters. “It’s a seasoning. It serves the same […]

Brewery buyout: Big beer company acquires Devils Backbone

Local craft brewery Devils Backbone announced on social media it was being sold to Anheuser-Busch InBev at 10:35am on April 12. By noon, the court of public opinion had tried and convicted the Nelson County company of selling out. Brewery ownership was a bunch of “cowards.” They were “greedy,” looking to “cash in,” sold to […]

How Camp Changed My Life

Rosser Wayland couldn’t be sure the crying child he saw on the D.C. subway was lost. The boy seemed alone. But were his parents nearby, waiting out a temper tantrum? Were they administering a timeout? Wayland watched the eyes of the other passengers […]

Selena O’Shaughnessy turns obstacles into opportunities

Selena Cozart O’Shaughnessy, Ph.D., is a career learner. But even her extensive education couldn’t save her from losing her job as a public school administrator when the economy tanked in 2008. Now, the Philadelphia native and UVA alumna puts her experience and love of community to work from 9 to 5 as the resident services […]