Beneath the strawberry moon in late June, we listened to green frogs belting out their banjo-like twang from a pond at Wright Woods near Vernon Hills. It was 10 p.m., and though the forest preserves district closes the gates at night, we had permission to document frog-calling after hours.

Visiting the same woods in early spring, mid-spring and summer offers a glimpse into nature’s ever-changing cycles. In mid-April, as the sun set, we heard an American woodcock, an unusual shorebird that nests in the woods, giving its courtship call. Then we saw it fly into the air in a spiral, then descend twittering its wings, all for the love of a female who was hopefully nearby.

After dark descended, we walked the trail with small, ephemeral ponds that would dry up later in summer. There we heard chorus frogs, which sounded like someone rubbing her fingers across a comb. These were most prominent, but we also heard spring peepers give their little sleigh-bell calls. Both of these frogs are no larger than a thumb, and they are much more often heard than seen. Chorus frogs can be heard in spring even during the daytime, but the spring peepers are nocturnal.

Frogs pass air from their lungs over their vocal cords, which vibrate to produce a sound. Vocal sacs located near the frog’s throat amplify the sound. When a frog inflates its vocal sac, it looks as if it had just produced a giant bubble from chewing gum.

Chorus frogs and spring peepers choose fishless ponds in which to call, mate and breed. Otherwise, fish would devour these tiny frogs and their eggs like mini-sacks.

By mid-May, the peepers have stopped calling, and their songs are replaced by those from American toads, as well as bullfrogs and green frogs just getting started for the summer.

On our next foray, as we waited for dark to come, we heard and observed a state-threatened cerulean warbler give its last song of the day. That bird would not have been singing in the woods in mid-April. At night, we no longer heard peepers and chorus frogs, but rather the whirring din of American toads, which belong to the frog family.

The green frogs and bullfrogs were calling from the large pond where folks fish in the daytime. These frogs are much larger than the peepers. The bullfrog can grow to at least eight inches long, and the green frog up to about 3 inches or so in length.

On that night, as we ventured toward the Des Plaines River in the dark, we heard a young great-horned owl giving its begging calls in the distance. By mid-May, great horned owls have already fledged young and are now teaching them how to find food on their own.

In late June, we entered the preserve just after the periodical cicadas had ended their daytime mating songs. We saw some here and there on leaves or on the ground, but the grand spectacle folks have been seeing this year of these insects that come out every 17 years from the ground was nearly over.

We walked our survey trail and heard a barred owl give its “who cooks for you, who cooks for you all” call.

That evening, we hoped to hear gray tree frogs calling. This was their time to call. We didn’t hear those, but we did hear more green frogs and bullfrogs. There seemed to be more of them and they were calling more frequently than at our last survey.

Since at least 2013, amphibian populations, including those of frogs, have been declining worldwide by nearly 4%. In northern Illinois, we’ve lost the once common cricket frog, which gives an interesting sound as if someone were tapping two stones together. They still call in central Illinois, but no longer up here, and scientists aren’t quite sure why, although in general climate change, loss of habitat and disease are contributing to amphibian populations worldwide.

At the end of our final survey, we walked to the pond and stood quietly beneath the full moon listening to the “jug-a-rum” calls of the bullfrogs and the banjo twang of the green frogs. Being outdoors at night listening to frogs and owls makes you feel as if you were out in the wilderness even when busy streets are nearby.

It is an otherworldly experience every child and adult should have.

Sheryl DeVore has worked as a full-time and freelance reporter, editor and photographer for the Chicago Tribune and its subsidiaries. She’s the author of several books on nature and the environment. Send story ideas and thoughts to sheryldevorewriter@gmail.com.

The exterior of the new Whiskey House in Elizabethtown, Kentucky

For many, the allure of visiting a legacy whiskey distillery is its history. Distillers can be borderline superstitious, arguing that if they change anything about production — from changing the size of the still to altering the fermenters — it will impact flavor.

The founders of Whiskey House, a new, state-of-the-art facility from the founders of Bardstown Bourbon Company, would not argue that those old distilleries have a certain kind of magic. But their goal is to keep experimenting and advancing to stay at the forefront of spirits innovation.

“It will be the most advanced distillery in the country, hands down,” said Whiskey House’s cofounder and CEO David Mandell during a recent hardhat tour of the 176-acre campus in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, that is projected to cost $350 million over the next decade to fully build out and complete.

Whiskey House began producing whiskey on July 1, crafting their liquid for friends, family, and employees.

The initial team at Whiskey House

By the most advanced distillery, Mandell refers to advancements on multiple fronts. The team has attracted talent from various renowned producers, amassing a total of 347 years of combined experience.

There is no master distiller at the facility. This distillery is the first of its kind, designed specifically to produce highly-customizable contract whiskey orders without establishing its own brand or handling investment barrels. Production on contract orders is scheduled to start next week.

“We are taking processes, technology and procedures from an advanced manufacturing standpoint,” Mandell said, citing Industry 4.0 — the kind of integrated tech and AI you see from companies like Amazon and Tesla. “The idea that there is one person saying this is how everything is made doesn’t work for us, because we have 30 to 40 different customers doing custom mash bills and highly customized production. So we have to have a huge system with tremendous flexibility.”

John Hargrove, Whiskey House co-founder, president and COO, was in food manufacturing before working at Sazerac and Bardstown. He has taken lessons from that field. Whiskey House’s production building is 110,000 square feet, and is laid out where raw goods come in one side, and the semi-finished product comes out the other, ready to head to on-site warehouses.

The Whiskey House lab

Every piece of equipment has monitors on it, explained Roger Henley, the vice president of engineering and technology, who had a background in the oil and gas sector as well as automative industry before moving to work in distilling at Barton’s and Bardstown Bourbon Company.

Customers will be able to log into a custom dashboard and see in real time all the details about how their whiskey was made, from the source of grains in their custom mash bill to where in the warehouse their whiskey is aging and what current conditions are.

Other distilleries do use a lot of this technology, but data collected ends up staying in that department, siloed. Think of QR codes on the bottles of some whiskeys now — it’s likely that data, such as where the grain was sourced or where the barrel was stored in the warehouse, was collected and then entered by hand before the information reaches the consumer. This system is seamless. Henley said what sets it apart is the ability to centralize that data and have AI models use it all to create efficiencies and save on usage of natural resources.

One easy-to-understand example is how to optimize alcohol production in fermentation.

“When you think about fermentation you have multiple different variables: corn grown in different seasons with different nutrient contents, yeast that performs in a certain parameter of [temperature] degrees, and the same thing for enzymes. You can collect all that data using AI,” Mandell explained. “We could actually figure out the exact conditions to increase your alcohol yield and proof gallons, and that will be a game changer.”

The facility is also designed to capture and reuse latent energy throughout the production process, resulting in a 50% decrease of energy consumption as compared to the EPA’s Energy Star Certified Distilleries. It’s got a slew of certifications to assure domestic and global clients everything is up to international code — and is even Kosher certified.

A rickhouse on the Whiskey House campus

The experimentation will continue throughout the aging process. During my recent visit, JT Thomas, the senior warehouse manager, and Phil Mays, the assistant warehouse manager, showed how they were testing a new type of food-grade sealant to help fix barrel leaks, as well as how the windows in the warehouse were designed to open at specific angles to experiment with airflow and its impact on aging.

And speaking of those warehouses, they also have airflow ducts at the base and are built longer and thinner than typical warehouses, so no client ends up in a less-desirable position in the rickhouse.

If a client has a specific request on where they’d like to be placed in the rickhouse, Whiskey House will do their best to accommodate it. It speaks to a larger business model of a contract facility that is built to service clients that have a clear pathway to using the whiskey in a brand. Whiskey House won’t be creating their own brands (or nabbing those most desirable warehouse spots themselves) and it won’t be making or holding investor barrels, something Mandell has seen drive up price and tie up capacity for brands that need production.

“It creates a bubble in the market and it’s really not healthy for the industry,” he said last fall.

In the intervening months, there is now more capacity in the industry as some legacy whiskey brands have slowed down their own production and other contract whiskey makers have expanded, lowering prices that had made it difficult for craft whiskey brands to survive. Mandell said the change in the market has not changed their business outlook.

“They [other producers] watched what we did at Bardstown and they thought it was going to be easy. But they don’t have the knowledge in many cases or the experience to do this type of production. It’s easier said than done,” Mandell said. “So what we’re seeing is that while there’s excess capacity, the best business is coming to us. And it’s what we predicted.”

Monica Wolf, a founder of The Spirits Group, a consulting firm that advises clients on business, production, and distillery design, has a holistic view of the industry because she also brokers barrels.

“The frothy nature of the barrel market the last few years, born from financial interest by groups outside of the whiskey industry, was never going to be sustainable,” Wolf said. “The inflated pricing has now corrected and we’re seeing aged barrel pricing at or below where it’s been historically.”

Wolf said the market is nuanced and complicated and “with all times of feast and famine there are winners and losers.”

“From a brand perspective and something that will never change: having the patient capital to invest in new fill barrels at their lowest cost basis, in order to control costs, will always be a winning proposition,” she said.

Wolf said they are scheduled to begin distilling at Whiskey House for both Lucky Seven and EJ Curley this fall. Ashley Barnes, the group’s Master Blender, selected and submitted the custom mash bills, yeast strains and level of char, toast and seasoning for the barrels.

“Having Whiskey House of Kentucky for quality distillate, made to spec, is an incredibly important part of our process. Choosing a quality barrel cooperage along with the toast, char and seasoning level of the staves that properly compliments the kind of products we’re intending to make is another important part,” Wolf said.

In the case of Lucky Seven and EJ Curley, they will then take the barrels to their own facility, The Blending House in Shelbyville, Kentucky, where Barnes will monitor aging and blending.

Whiskey House has sold 90 percent of their production capacity for the next five years and is also working with clients including Milam & Greene, Chicken Cock, Western Spirits and Whiskey JYPSI, as well as overseas production for large legacy spirits companies and ready-to-drink beverages.

If all goes to plan, production will soon double. The company started operations with greater than seven million proof gallons of annual capacity and will expand to more than 14 million proof gallons in 2027.

The space will soon include areas for clients to design their products with the Whiskey House team as well as space for them to host events. Eventually the campus will house 33 rickhouses, a palletized warehouse, a spent grain processing facility, a bottling facility, a rail system, as well as access to one of the highest yielding hydro stratigraphic limestone aquifers in the region, which sits 120 feet below the property.

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PORT ORANGE, Fla. (WJW) – A Florida man faces charges after investigators say he assaulted his girlfriend before swimming to a nearby island to get away.

The Port Orange Police Department released police body camera video from the incident, which happened on Sunday, June 23.

In the video, the victim told officers that her boyfriend, identified as Jeriel Joiner, hit her with a bottle of vodka and choked her with his hands.

Standoff in local neighborhood ends in two arrests

Joiner is also accused of wrapping a rope around his girlfriend’s neck. Investigators believe she suffered a broken arm during the ordeal.

According to Port Orange police, bystanders noticed Joiner chasing his girlfriend and stepped in to intervene, pinning him to the ground.

However, Joiner was able to get away and swim to an island in the intracoastal waterway, Port Orange police say.

More than 4K egg products recalled due to health hazard

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The video shows police officer, with help from MyFWC Florida Fish and Wildlife, take a boat to the island and find Joiner camping inside a tent.

Joiner was arrested on multiple charges, including aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, domestic battery by strangulation and felony battery.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.

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Crossfire Hurricane Rum is a bold, premium blend of exceptional Caribbean rums from Jamaica, Barbados and the Dominican Republic – fusing three distinct rum-making traditions into one potent spirit. The name is inspired by the opening lyric “I was born in a crossfire hurricane” from the Stones’ 1968 hit single “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.”

For six decades, The Rolling Stones have epitomized rock and roll, enchanting audiences worldwide with their timeless music and electrifying performances. Now, they’re extending their legendary influence into the spirits industry. In collaboration with Crossfire Hurricane Rum, the iconic band is launching a limited-edition gift set. This exclusive collection not only showcases their signature style but also celebrates their highly anticipated Hackney Diamonds 2024 Tour, offering fans a unique fusion of music and premium rum.

Crossfire Hurricane Rum is not just any rum; it’s a harmonious blend of flavors from Jamaica, Barbados, and the Dominican Republic. This fusion of three distinct rum-making traditions creates a spirit as intricate and captivating as the Rolling Stones’ music. Each region contributes its unique qualities: Jamaica offers robustness and depth, Barbados provides smoothness and balance, while the Dominican Republic adds a vibrant aroma and sweetness. Aged up to 5 years in charred oak barrels, this 40% ABV rum reveals flavors of caramelized bananas complemented by a gentle hint of tropical fruit. The premium barrels enrich the complexity, fostering the development of subtle spice notes and a velvety texture. On the nose are baking spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, oak, and toasty tobacco.

The partnership with the Rolling Stones and Crossfire has deeper roots than you may think. The Stones’ affinity for rum traces back to the 1970s, when they recorded their album “Goats Head Soup” in Kingston, Jamaica. Immersed in the island’s vibrant culture, they were enchanted by the Caribbean’s tropical rhythms and the rich flavor of Jamaican rum. This local spirit became a studio session staple and infused their music with an unmistakable island vibe. The name Crossfire Hurricane pays tribute to the Stones as it appears in the opening lyrics to the “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.”

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Now, in 2024, the timeless allure of the Rolling Stones is celebrated with the release of the Limited Edition Hackney Diamonds Gift Set (starting at $125). Available at concert venues and online at Reserve Bar, this exclusive set is purposefully designed for the Hackney Diamonds Tour, making it a must-have for ardent fans. Enclosed within a deluxe box, you’ll discover the exquisite Hackney Diamonds bottle—crafted from sophisticated black gloss glass, adorned with a striking gold cap, and emblazoned with the iconic Rolling Stones tongue logo, encapsulating rock ‘n’ roll rebellion and style. Additionally, the set features a flagship bottle of Crossfire Hurricane Rum, an homage to the band’s fiery spirit and enduring legacy.

“The Stones’ love affair with rum began in the ’70s while we were recording our album Goats Head Soup in Kingston, Jamaica,” said Mick Jagger. “With Crossfire Hurricane Rum, we’ve crafted a complex yet smooth spirit that captures the essence of laid-back Caribbean nights spent with mates, music, and mischief.”

If you can’t make it to the Hackney Diamonds Tour there’s still a way to “Drink Like a Rockstar” this summer. Take a look at this cocktail recipe:

Crossfire Hurricane Rum represents a groundbreaking first for The Rolling Stones – their very first product ownership venture. Launched in November 2023, it is the culmination of a pioneering partnership between the iconic rock band, Universal Music Group, and Socio Ventures. This spirit marks a bold new frontier for the legendary Stones.

2 ounces The Rolling Stones’ Crossfire Hurricane Rum

1/2 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed

Ginger beer, to top (about 5 ounces)

Garnish: lime wheel

Add rum and lime juice to a tall glass filled with ice.

Top with ginger beer.

Garnish with lime wheel.

Crossfire Hurricane Rum represents a groundbreaking first for The Rolling Stones – their very first product ownership venture. Launched in November 2023, it is the culmination of a pioneering partnership between the iconic rock band, Universal Music Group, and Socio Ventures. This spirit marks a bold new frontier for the legendary Stones.

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Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space.

In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site’s Terms of Service. We’ve summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil.

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User accounts will be blocked if we notice or believe that users are engaged in:

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Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site’s Terms of Service.

Dawn Gadsby, 52, was drinking a litre-and-a-half of vodka a day by the time she was in her mid-thirties after turning to alcohol to ‘numb the chaos inside’.

A therapist has revealed how her personal battle with alcohol addiction helped her lose five stone. Dawn Gadsby, 52, was consuming a staggering litre and a half of vodka daily at her lowest point.

She began drinking heavily in her teens following an assault at the age of 12, finding that alcohol could ‘numb the chaos inside’. “By my mid 20’s I’d started to experience withdrawal symptoms from alcohol if I suddenly stopped, but brushed it under the carpet. I was in denial so deep looking back it is almost scarily unbelievable.”

Despite working as a pharmacologist, Dawn was a functioning alcoholic, suffering regular fits and seizures whenever her alcohol levels dropped. “I was drinking a 70cl bottle of spirits and cider or wine on top. I couldn’t work anymore when I was about 37 and sank to the depths of the bottle.”

“My usage crept up to a litre and a half of vodka daily, though I always had two litres available at any time, plus assorted ciders or wine as a longer drink. I was drinking vodka neat straight from the bottle in one hand then having a sip of coke on top from the bottle in my right because it was a pain to pour into a glass and mix,” reports the Liverpool Echo

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“Alcohol consumed me and I didn’t drink anything that didn’t have at least some alcohol in it,” she admits. As her health deteriorated, Dawn was sectioned for her own safety and found herself trapped in unhealthy, abusive relationships.

Dawn has recalled periods when she was plagued with sickness and mobility issues, and said: “I hated myself and my life. I felt loathing, shame, embarrassment. I felt like I was a disgrace and a disappointment to my family. I couldn’t look in the mirror.”

Describing her verge of death, she shared: “I was dying, I could feel it. I was physically and mentally at the end. I’d had jaundice multiple times, had been admitted to hospital multiple times and I was a juddering mess”.

About a decade ago, Dawn, during one withdrawal episode, made an oath to quit drinking forever, despite many failed attempts before. And so, she enrolled herself into rehab – which turned out to be a success.

Within half a year after getting sober, she geared her career towards assisting fellow alcoholism sufferers, retraining as a counsellor and addiction expert.

However, Dawn confessed that as she recovered from alcohol abuse, she ended up replacing it with food. She explained: “I was eating everything. I didn’t have set meal times; I would graze and eat quick and easy things. With my only goal being to stay off the drink, I had massive sugar cravings, which is quite common because alcohol is made from sugar.”

Feeding into her newfound cravings, she said: “I inhaled bags of Haribo, popcorn, chocolate, toffee, sweets, glasses of milkshake and bowls of ice cream. I didn’t know this at the time, but it was because I had given up. I just thought I was getting my appetite back after not eating for so many years. The alcohol addiction had left me malnourished, and I did a lot of comfort eating.”

Three years ago, Dawn was tipping the scales at 15 stone and feeling utterly miserable. She decided that if she could conquer her alcohol addiction, she could do the same with food.

“I went back to basics. First of all, I stopped hiding behind my own lies; I was fat, no two ways about it. No amount of flowing clothes could hide the fact that I was overweight and unhealthy,” she admits. Dawn began researching the healing power of food and cut out the junk.

She started paying attention to portion sizes, focusing on foods that provided real energy, and took up daily walking. “When I was about to eat something, I tried to imagine how it would feel and what good it would do; for example, fruit and veg are easy because they feel clean and filling.”

“A pasty or a KFC or burger on the other hand, I would visualize as a greasy slurry entering my body and sticking to my thighs, arms and stomach. Then I asked myself if I really wanted it. And 90 percent of the time if I was honest ‘no’,” she explains.

In just five months, she shed five stone – but she didn’t weigh herself. “This is because I genuinely didn’t feel like I was ‘on a diet.’ I was on a mission to make the most of myself and give myself a chance after treating myself so poorly for 30 years. That’s the same principle I apply today.”

“My lowest weight was at Christmas 2023 when my mum passed away and I dropped to 9 stone 4 – and I looked gaunt. So I’ve settled at 10 stone now, and I’m content.”

“I don’t feel pressured to eat at any time or join in with social cakes. If I want it, I can have it, but I always ask myself – what are the benefits and is it worth it? Both giving up alcohol and changing my diet were based on the four points of acceptance, understanding, learning and change.”

“I now feel utterly fantastic. At 52 I feel better than I did in my 30’s, I also look better. I’m also proud to be the purple-haired quirky me who is a bit different. I’ve battled and beaten my two biggest enemies alcohol and food,” she said.

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