Late January 2019
Lights were still strung up around the brewery all Christmas like decorations had been put away but they had decided to keep the lights because it made things beautiful and the open sign was still showing in the window. Juniper was looking at a clipboard and the shelves ticking off what inventory she had and what she needed. Nicklaus had left to make deliveries so she was minding the show room this night.
Michelle wandered the streets of RhyDin, consulting the address in her palm. Seaside was not as familiar as some of the other areas of this ever-changing city. Eventually, she found a new sign pointing towards the Unifier Brewing Company. After a brisk stroll, she found the beautifully lit vintage building with an open sign still showing. Pulling her cloak close after a particularly strong gust of cold wind she stepped into the warm flavorful smelling building. The small chimes announced her arrival and she quickly spotted Juniper - those glowing wings were hard to miss.
The fae was hovering up at the highest shelf placing a couple of bottles up on the shelf and she'd call over her shoulder. “Welcome to Unifier I'll be with you in just a sec!” She placed the last of the five juggled bottles on the shelf and turned she had somehow had all those bottles and her clipboard all held in her possession and she was pulling the pen and checking off her list as she fluttered down to the ground and landed looking up she'd smile. A friendly smile lit across her face as she set down the clipboard and strolled up to the small bar “Evening! How are you tonight?”
"I'm well, thanks. We met briefly a week or so ago and you told me about this new brewery, so I thought I'd stop by." Michelle offered her hand and smiled in return. "Michelle Montoya. It's Juniper, correct?"
Her hostess leaned over the bar and took her hand giving it a shake. “Yup that's me. Nice to meet you again Michelle. I do remember the meeting you! There are so many people around these parts it's hard to remember names but I don't forget a face” A delicate hand swept back the red hair before picking up a menu which was offered to Michelle. “Any sample you'd like to try let me know.”
"To be honest, I don't actually drink spirits. In fact, that's partly why I came. I've been invited to a luncheon and it is traditional to bring the hostess a gift. The hostess is a good friend of my mothers and is always looking for something from far off, and well, RhyDin is far off in a way. I was wondering if you might have any recommendations?"
“I can indeed help with that, but first” she gave two short claps “a drink!” Michelle was offered a nice selection of sodas - she took a ginger beer - while Juniper moved back to the shelves and started clinking bottles. The fae picked two and brought them to show her customer.
“We have a Firefae Mead in this bottle” she tilted one of the bottles to show a light purple colored liquor “this is a cinnamon, juniper, mint and herbs combination”. A glass was quickly brought out and placed before Michelle. Juniper poured a sample bottle into the glass. “I know you don't drink but humor me a moment.” The glass of dark purple liquid that shimmered like it was full of glitter. It was intrigued to see a beverage like this so Michelle reached out her hand, noting the rich hue and how it enticed you to taste it's equally - she assumed - fascinating flavour. “I believe you swirl it in a certain way?"
“Yes swirl the glass deosil.” The glass was gently swirled clockwise as directed. It turned the colour to red, and the glass began to warm up with the smell of cinnamon and spices wafting up with the comfort of a warm fireplace. “That's my favorite one. Now swirl the glass widdershins, when you are ready of course.”
Before swirling the glass again Michelle leaned in and took a long, slow inhale of the fragrance. "Well, this is quite amazing. I usually find cinnamon to be quite strong but this is incredibly tasteful." She then straightened a bit before swirling it counter-clockwise.
As the concoction twirled in the other direction the colour changes this time to a bright green and the glass felt as if it had sat in the chiller for a day. Little frost crystals had started to cover the glass, the aroma of mint and other herbs wafting from the tonic. Juniper couldn’t help but smile - she loved her lovers' enchantments no matter how many times she saw them.
"Absolutely remarkable! This will fit my hostess nicely." Michelle didn't mention that it would also match the hostesses personality. "How much for a bottle?"
Her bright red wings flowed behind her as Juniper looked down at her list and gave the price. “We only have two bottles left in stock right now because these can only be brewed during the full moon and Nicklaus just finished the enchantments last night and it's soaking up the moonlight one more night before the new batches can be racked and after being racked it will need to be settled for a week so you see it takes some time to make.” With a serious look, Juniper asked, “Your friend can she obey rules?”
Michelle sipped the ginger beer in hard thinking about her mother’s friend Grace. "Hmmm. Well, she's a seventy-five-year-old lady who makes her own rules to an extent. If she thinks the rules make sense she will follow them, but ... well, she has her own mind." How many times had she gotten in trouble at the old lady's home?
The bottle was turned around as Juniper directed her attention to the warning label “This is very important for her to follow.”
~WARNING: Swirl Mead only in single-serving glasses. DO NOT swirl mead in the bottle. Combustion, explosion, frostburn, or implosion may occur. UBC is not responsible for injuries caused by improper use of this product.~
A hearty laugh came up from Michelle’s belly and through her lips. "I don't know if she would try and do it just for the thrill of it in her old age or not. More than likely she will taste it and decide it's too good to waste on such a ... 'adolescent' experiment."
The bottles were purchased and wrapped up but Michelle hesitated before leaving the store. "I was also wondering if I could ask a small favour. Just a bit of... cross-promotion."
The face smiled and tilted her head curiously “and what would that be?"
"Well, I run a small enterprise out of my home. It's been low-key for some time now but I'm trying to expand beyond the valley near my home. I’ve recently purchased a bakery and we will be opening this week. I bake pies, tarts, that kind of thing. I have some business cards and I am looking for businesses with similar values where I can display them." She reached into a small bag and pulled out a stack of 50 simple business cards with the label of her new bakery Bak’d and a beautiful line sketch of a freshly baked pie. “I'm... I'm also looking for a place to display some art. Brewers tend to know most folks, and I was wondering if you know of a gallery that displays fine art. Typically of the traditional acrylic and oil variety."
Juniper set down the bottle and looked closely at the cards with a smile. “I'd be happy to display your cards and some of your art also, unfortunately, our clientele is still very small I think Nicklaus has been selling to the sisters at the Perch, and I think he's working with the proprietor of PUBLIC an art studio but I think Nicklaus was handling that since she mistook him for the owner.” There was a small chuckle at that. “Easily mistaken he's got the skill I just had the money. I would check at PUBLIC the woman's name was Lucy...Mitford I believe.”
Michelle took out a small notebook embossed with a simple blue A on the spine and wrote in the name PUBLIC - Lucy Mitford - Gallery in fine script on the first blank page, just after the address of the brewery. After a little more shop-talk (there would be some wine pairings arranged with Benny the Butcher) Michelle walked away with the bottle of wine and two dozen of the Unifiers business cards. Those business cards are proudly displayed at the front counter of Bak’d, right beside sample rack.
Adapted from live play with Juniper.
