We’re voracious consumers of culture. And each week, a member of our team shares the words, images, and beers that inspired them.

From Robert de la Torre’s series, Microcosmos

READ.// “Was it 40 feet tall? At least. It would have taken three of me to give it a proper hug.” Cidermaker Ryan Burk traveled to Kazakhstan on an unlikely invitation from Alex and Aizhan Thomas as part of an outreach program aimed at protecting the legacy of some of the world’s oldest apple trees—this area, through which the Silk Road runs, was literally the birthplace of the modern apple. In his piece for Malus, he connects the dots between his hometown in upstate New York (where he first learned the story of the apple) to this valley along the border with China (where he learned it all over again for the first time). Burk captures the sensory and somewhat spiritual experience of a place where apples grown in ancient forests, not orchards.

LOOK.// In Galicia, that nook of Spanish coast that sits atop Portugal, documentary photographer Roberto de la Torre captures the seasonal celebrations of ancient rituals involving elaborate and often menacing costumes. The intense craft of these folk costumes is remarkable, and de la Torres’ stark style of capturing them against otherwise empty landscapes evokes the otherworldly qualities of Power Ranger villains who suddenly appear to wreak havoc on the locals.

It’s easy to contextualize these kinds of costumes within pagan and tribal traditions—but to see them only historically is to misunderstand their inspiration as being disconnected from the present. The construction and performance of these suits is entirely contemporary and continuous, projecting far ahead into the human experience. As ancient as they might seem in their place of origin, their story is a futuristic one.

DRINK.// City Orchard Mr. Green
It’s already topping 80 degrees in Houston, Texas, and I burned through my Lager lust pretty quickly. So after a couple of Live Oak Pils, I sought out something equally as crisp, but with a vibrant bite of acid—and found my way to cider from City Orchard.

With family farms in upstate New York, and a small cidermaking facility in Houston, this is a uniquely structured operation that spans over 1,500 miles from orchard to glass. And it results in what might be some of the best cider made in Texas, especially among a host of modern makers in a region that’s hard-pressed to get quality fruit. Mr. Green is made from Rhode Island Greenings, fermented bone-dry, and it’s the perfect accompaniment to a traditional Texas brewpub lineup.