Education can be intoxicating – literally – at these monthly Valley events that combine learning and libations.
German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once said, “For art to exist, for any sort of aesthetic activity or perception to exist, a certain physiological predisposition is indispensable: intoxication.” Nietzsche despised alcohol, so we can assume he was talking about “intoxication” in terms of passion and obsession. We can also assume his dinner parties were dry in more than one sense of the word.
However, adult education and adult beverages needn’t be mutually exclusive – at these cerebral and spirited Valley events, the intoxication goes both ways.
Birds ’n Beer
The Valley’s seminal cerebral sipper kicked off its sixth season this year, and continues September 17 with the presentation “Citizen-Science Adventures in Arizona’s Important Bird Areas” by Jennifer McFarland of the Tucson Audubon Society, who will discuss what defines both an “important bird area” and citizen-science, and their importance to ornithology. The presentation is free, and Four Peaks Brewery will provide beer for purchase as usual. Other topics on tap for fall include “The Truth About Bees: Separating Fact from Fiction” and “California Condors in the Grand Canyon.” Birds ’n Beer takes place every Third Thursday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at the Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center. 3131 S. Central Ave., Phoenix, 602-468-6470, riosalado.audubon.org.
Adults’ Nights Out
On September 4, TGen North director Dave Engelthaler will talk about gnarly infectious diseases at this monthly mix of science and spirits at the Arizona Science Center. The lecture supplements the ASC’s featured exhibition, Grossology: The (Impolite) Science of the Human Body, which guests will get a last chance to see for just $6 per person. If you’ve never gone out of your way to smell simulated flatulence, you might find yourself doing so at the exhibit’s olfactory station, especially after a few drinks from the cash bar. Also on deck for the September event: local artist Lee Davis’ science-themed works in ART 360 in the Dorrance Planetarium. Free admission; RSVP recommended. Adults’ Night Out takes place every First Friday from 5:30-9 p.m. at the Arizona Science Center. 600 E. Washington St., Phoenix, 602-716-2000, azscience.org.
First Draft Book Club
First Draft Book Club host and Arizona Republic reporter Barbara VanDenburgh’s favorite beer is Four Peaks Hop Knot. Her favorite book is The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner. She’ll be the first to admit the two don’t exactly pair well together. “I think you need bourbon for The Sound and the Fury. Lots of it,” she says. Luckily, there are myriad quaffable options at this monthly booze-and-books mixer, held at First Draft Book Bar at Changing Hands bookstore. “[Books and beer] are a perfect couple. If you’re reading something a little classier, [First Draft] has wine,” VanDenburgh says. “But mostly, it’s about the atmosphere. It’s a laid-back, community vibe.” Members of the book club (which is free to join) receive discounts on club-centric book purchases and drinks. Previous tomes discussed include Tim Johnston’s mystery Descent and Kent Haruf’s novel Our Souls at Night. VanDenburgh plans to put Harper Lee’s controversial “new” novel Go Set a Watchman in the rotation. We may need moonshine for that. The book club meets the fourth Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m. at First Draft Book Bar at Changing Hands. 300 W. Camelback Rd., Phoenix, 602-274-0067, changinghands.com/firstdraftbar.
Nerd Nite
“Overall, we are just a friendly bunch of folks who think learning is a heck of a lot more fun at a bar,” says Ty Fishkind, who co-hosts Nerd Nite with local music scribe and entertainer Serene Dominic. The monthly swill-and-learn soirees cover a variety of heady topics with a humorous slant (“Phallic depictions in art before 500 A.D.”; “Dating tips from the animal kingdom”; “Epiphylogenesis OR Why We Do Things with Stuff”). Organizers didn’t have event details for fall at press time, but Fishkind says they’re planning a one-off Nerd Nite for kids, with proceeds benefiting campaigns to prevent bullying (admission is typically free). Nerd Nite is held the Third Thursday of every month from 7-10 p.m. at Mod in Downtown Phoenix. 2828 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, phoenix.nerdnite.com.
