Graduation is right around the corner. Celebrate the next chapter of your graduate’s life with the gifts they really want. Whether they’re celebrating a high school or college graduation, we have the perfect gift for every taste and personality. Check out our Top 10 Gifts for Grads below:

 

For the Explorer: Bertucci A 2-T

The lightweight 1.9oz Bertucci watch is comprised of high-quality solid titanium and a rugged U.S. patented 40 mm case. The hand markers glow for hours based on sun or indoor lighting exposure, ensuring supreme readability in any conditions. Whether your grad is starting college or a career, this watch is sure to be a staple for years to come.

 

 

 

 

 

 

For The Business Man (Or Woman): Filson 72 Hour Tin Briefcase

The 72 Hour briefcase is water-repellent for rainy days, fully lined, and sturdy enough to handle whatever gets tossed inside. The case features an interior laptop divider, a removable adjustable shoulder strap, leather handles and multiple interior pockets making it ideal for travel, work and everyday use, no matter the conditions.

 

 

 

 

 

For the Life of the Party: YETI Colster or Rambler

Give your grad the evolution in beverage insulation. The Colster locks in cans and bottles securely while the double-wall vacuum insulation keeps them frosty and keeps your hands dry. The Rambler cup series keeps beverages ice-cold or piping-hot ‘til the last drop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For The Adventurer: Go Pro Hero4 Black Edition

The Go Pro Hero4 is the most advanced Go Pro ever. It will give your grad the ability to capture their favorite experiences, and then some. Time lapse video, auto low light, professional audio performance and built in wifi are just a few of the camera’s awesome new specs. With this camera, your grad will be ready for parties with friends, weekends out on the trail and any other adventure that gets thrown their way.

 

 

 

 

For The Outdoor Enthusiast: YETI Roadie or Tundra

The virtually indestructible YETI cooler will take your grad from a weekend away, to their weekly tailgate, and everywhere in between with ease. Available in various sizes, the coolers hold superior can capacity, as well as room for food, beverages and much, much more. Choose from various sizes in Desert Tan and White, or even our Limited Edition Seafoam (while supplies last).

 

 

 

 

 

For The Traveler: Filson Travel Kit

Whether in the dorm room or on a business trip, Filson’s water-repellent, fully-lined travel kit is the perfect case for short or long trips. Stuff the kit with toiletries, or roll and pack it away for extra storage. With features like leather accents, a rustproof brass zipper, and multiple stow pockets, this kit is sure to become his staple travel piece.

 

 

 

For The Life of the Party: Hydro Flask Growler

The Hydro Flask Growler was designed with beer in mind, but doubles perfectly as a coffee carafe, water jug or whatever else your grad thinks of. Double wall vacuum insulation keeps contents icy cold for up to 24 hours, and steaming hot for up to 12 hours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the Fashionable: Hunter Original Back Adjustable Gloss Boot

This boot offers the same comfort as the Original Rain Boot, but with the added feature of an adjustable back and gusset for extra flexibility on the upper leg. Hunter boots are a staple wardrobe piece that will last way beyond her college years.  Known for fit, comfort, durability and legendary design, the classic Hunter boot belongs in every closet.

 

 

 

 

 

For The Studious: Patagonia Arbor Pack

Gift your high school grad a backpack that will take them to and from class and have them prepared for whatever weekend adventures await.  The Arbor Pack holds a zippered pocket beneath the lid, wallet and phone or school supplies compartments for effortless organization, and includes a padded laptop sleeve that doubles as a hydration reservoir for the trails.

 

 

 

 

 

For the Athletic: Lucy Get Going Pant

The Get Going Pant is the perfect all-purpose pant for athletes and students alike. She can throw them on before hitting the gym or yoga studio, wear them to class, and even hangout around campus or town without skipping a beat.

 

 

 

 

 

Make their high school or college graduation memorable with the perfect gift. Stop by Alabama Outdoors to grab the gifts that are sure to delight your grad.

Products available in stores or online while supplies last. (Limited quantities available. Selection varies by location; see store for details.)

We believe that beer is a springboard for creating community and that as brewers we hold a special role and responsibility in it.

It’s no secret that Alabama is home to some incredible breweries. The brewing culture has been wildly embraced by the region, and its popularity is still growing. We will be taking a “Brews Cruise” across the state in our newest blog series. Our first stop on our local “Brews Cruise” is Trim Tab Brewing Co.

History

By 2012, Harris Stewart’s seven year hobby of home brewing had become a passion. After moving to Tuscaloosa with his wife, Harris saw his brewing passion and desire to open a brewery grow beyond his interest in hitting the books like law school required. As a result, the couple chose to relocate to Birmingham, and Harris began solidifying the concept for a brewery and constructing his own business plan.

The couple wanted to found a brewery on the idea of celebrating people, organizations and ideas as small sources that facilitate big changes, thus inspiring the name Trim Tab. A Trim Tab is a small rudder housed on the large rudder of a ship whose small efforts and movement create dramatic changes on the course of a ship.

With a business plan in line, Trim Tab was ready to move forward. For head brewmaster, Harris recruited Will Crenshaw, former managing brewer of Sweetwater Brewing out of Atlanta. Will’s similar approach to brewing focused on balanced styles that explore complexity in the more subtle tones of craft beer made him a perfect fit. Harris and Will began crafting recipes, and in the last two years have created a portfolio with a breadth of twelve seasonal and year-round beers.

Community Involvement

Trim Tab honors and celebrates members of the community, and their involvement with the non-profit sector is part of who they are. The brewery doesn’t limit their contribution, and has worked with groups focused on issues varying from air quality and environmental conservation, to progressive issues, urban poetry education, autism, and heart disease. Trim Tab fully embraces the Birmingham community by giving back to the various components that make it whole.

Connection to the Outdoors

As for the best beer to enjoy in the Alabama outdoors, Harris said, “Since all of our beers are connected with being balanced, they all are suitable to an outdoor setting.” However, he did mention a few that stand out in particular. Revelator Pale Ale is a refreshing beer that has a huge passion fruit and herbal aroma, making for a crisp hoppy finish. Bankston 88 Belgian Pale Ale, a current spring seasonal, is an extremely versatile and very light wheat beer. Its hoppy aroma has lemon verbena and cedar notes that are complex for such a light and easy to drink beer.

Events

Trim Tab hosts several large events throughout the year, and their art-filled tasting room is available for rent for private events. The brewery also hosts its own weekly events, so there’s never a reason not to drop by.

Stop by the Trim Tab tap room and enjoy a cold beer with cool people any day of the week. The tap room is open Monday-Thursday from 4PM to 10PM, Friday from 3PM to 12AM, Saturday from 1PM to 12AM and Sunday from 2PM to 8PM. Check out their website here, or follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

 

Photos from www.trimtabbrewing.com

OUTSIDE Magazine, America’s foremost active and adventure lifestyle brand, and outdoor lifestyle apparel company Toad&Co have named Birmingham as a top 60 finalist in their 2015 “Best Town Ever” contest, and we couldn’t be more thrilled! As the chosen retailer of choice and local promoter of the Best Towns 2015 bracket, we want to spread the word of Birmingham’s top-notch restaurants, vibrant farmers’ market, friendly neighborhoods, easy access to the great outdoors, and everything else that makes our great city the best. Let’s get the word out and vote Birmingham the Best Town 2015.

Parks

 

Birmingham natives love the outdoors, and share a strong sense of  adventure that is exemplified in the a number of great parks both inside and around the city. Red Mountain Park covers 12 miles of hiking and biking trails, the Red Ore Zip Tour, the Hugh Kaul Beanstalk Forest, the Kaul Adventure Tower and the 6 acre off-leash Remy’s Dog Park. Ruffner Mountain is a 1,038-acre urban nature preserve and the largest privately held urban nature preserve in the country. Their mission is to protect and manage Ruffner Mountain as a sanctuary for native species of plants and animals foster within the community an appreciation of the natural world. Oak Mountain State Park has grown from its original 940 acres in 1927 to 9,940 acres, making it now Alabama’s largest park. Mountain biking and hiking make up the most popular activities at the park, and The Red Trail has been included on the International Mountain Biking Association’s list of EPIC rides. Railroad Park is a recently updated 19 acre green space in downtown Birmingham that celebrates the industrial and artistic heritage of our great city. There are so many more green spaces and parks, we couldn’t name them all – we encourage you to share your favorite parks in the comments!

Award-winning Restaurants and Bars

Birmingham is brimming with incredible restaurants and talented, recognized chefs. To name a few, Birmingham chef/celeb Frank Stitt was voted Best Chef in the Southeast by the James Beard Foundation in 2001, earned the Southern Foodways Alliance Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007, was inducted into the Esquire Magazine Restaurant Hall of Fame in 2011, and as of March 2015, Highlands Bar and Grill has earned its 7^th straight James Beard Award nomination. Another local chef/celeb, Chris Hastings, was the Iron Chef winner against Bobby Flay 2012 and winner of the James Beard Foundation’s award for Best Chef in the South in May 2012. Chef James Lewis of Betolla was named one of America’s best new chefs of 2011 by Food & Wine. Mike Wilson of Saw’s BBQ and Post Office Pies recently placed 2nd nationally in the Garden and Gun BBQ bracket, and Paula Deen Magazine voted Saw’s #1 in Best BBQ in America. John Hall, also of Post Office Pies, has recently been spotlighted in Garden and Gun, New York Times, Thrillist’s 33 Best Pizza Restaurants and The Best Pizzeria in Every State in America. The J Clyde, with its 70+ domestic and international beers, was named on Thrillist’s 33 Best Bars in the Country. There is no end to the great local eats that keep Birmingham’s gourmet taste buds on the map!

Craft Beer

 

It’s no secret that Birmingham is home to some incredible craft breweries. The brewing culture has been wildly embraced by the city and her residents. Avondale Brewing boasts 4 flagship and 7 seasonal beers along with a new outdoor concert stage that has hosted many great musical acts. Cahaba Brewing, founded in 2011, makes 4 core, 3 seasonal, 7 single hop, 1 Jump In and 9 specialty beers. Good People Brewing sold their first keg on July 4, 2008 and has since expanded their offerings to include 5 year-round brews, 4 seasonal, and an occasional one-off. Trim Tab Brewing, the city’s newest brewery, brews 2 core and 6 seasonal beers. With a plethora of year round, monthly and weekly events, Birmingham’s breweries have become the place to hangout—any day of the week.

Community Involvement: Culture, Charity, Events, Sports

The Pepper Place Market was established in the historic Pepper Place section of the Lakeview District in 2000, and has provided a connection between family farmers and the people of Birmingham ever since. The market runs from April to December, and is open from 7AM to Noon each Saturday. The Pepper Place Pop Up introduces fresh designers to the Birmingham community. Birmingham’s diverse museums bring visitors from all over the Southeast. The Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham Civil Rights Museum, Southern Museum of Flight, Barber Motorsports Museum, McWane Science Center and Vulcan Park & Museum are open to the public and offer year-round educational events. The Birmingham Barons can be traced back to 1885, and this year marks the 117^th season of Birmingham baseball. Food festivals draw thousands of people per event, and display the food, music, dancing and other culture of various ethnicities and include the Lebanese, Greek, Italian and Chinese festivals. The Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-off draws more than 10,000 attendees from across the Birmingham area.

Music Scene

 

The music scene in Birmingham has exploded in recent years thanks to venues like Iron City, Workplay Theatre, Saturn, and Oak Mountain Amphitheater bringing in some of the best bands in the world. Local music festivals Cask & Drum, The Schaeffer City Fest and Secret Stages have drawn crowds for years, and the newly inaugurated Sloss Music & Arts Festival has already gained national recognition. Local Birmingham bands like St. Paul & The Broken Bones have continued to grow a strong following.

 

Those of us who have lived in Birmingham know it is the best city, so how do we spread the word? Beginning May 4th, 64 cities will go head to head in bracket-style elimination, with the town that makes it to the end of the 6 week voting period crowned the “Best Town Ever 2015.” The Best Town will be revealed on August 1st and OUTSIDE will feature the final 16 towns in its September 2015 issue. Vote early and often on Outside Magazine to keep Birmingham in the game. Use the hashtag #VoteBhamOutdoors to share photos of our beautiful city! Let’s show the rest of the nation what we already know about Birmingham.

Help us showcase Birmingham at our kickoff event, Party on the Porch. Party on the Porch is on Friday, May 1st at Alabama Outdoors in Homewood. The event will feature food from Saw’s Street Kitchen, beer from Good People Brewery, music from Jason Bailey and Sweetwater Road, giveaways from Toad&Co., and more.

Join our event group here.

For John O’Donnell, the phrase “right place, right time” holds a lot of truth. The founder of johnnie-O can attribute just that to the start of his business. From its founding in 2005, johnnie-O has grown from a hobby between two friends, to the clothing dynasty it is today.

Between growing up in Chicago, living in Wisconsin and travelling to the east coast regularly, John O’Donnell spent a lot of time across the country before settling in southern California. His travels and life spent in the country’s various regions have allowed him to observe and embrace people from all walks of life. His knowledge of the lifestyles of the Midwest farmer, east coast prep and west coast “dude” were blended together to create the casual-cool brand that is johnnie-O.

The brand first created some shirts for friends on a golf trip. Now with a style defined as “West Coast Prep,” the brand quickly evolved from a line of ordinary polo shirts, to products for men, women and children including belts, hats, shirts, sweatshirts and other specialty items. The brand has developed a strong following, including the likes of celebrities from professional athletes to actors. johnnie-O has since expanded to create custom and corporate items.

johnnie-O is a nationally recognized brand philanthropically for its contribution in many charitable organizations including Autism Speaks, The BreesDream Foundation, Friends of Golf Foundation and The John Thomas Dye School Foundation to name a few.

To check out johnnie-O, visit our website or stop by one of our brick-and-mortar locations today! (Limited quantities available. Selection varies by location; see store for details.)