January 14, 2022 - 7 local mocktails + flackback Friday

Hello Monday.

January 24 2022

Dry January, the popular resolution where individuals abstain from alcohol, aims to help participants refocus their health priorities during the new year. And, if you’re like us and have reached your quota for Diet Coke with lime, we have some good news.

Check out seven spots around Swan City where you can order a mocktail.

Poor Porker, 801 E Main St.

Drive over to Poor Porker today from 5-10 p.m. for mocktails from 16.92. This event will also feature gluten-free and vegan eats, Delta-8 products, and beignets

Federal Bar Lakeland, 124 S. Tennessee Ave.

The team at this local spot is happy to turn any of the listed cocktails into $5 mocktail versions.

Revival, 119 S. Kentucky Ave.

This bar is able to transform any cocktail into a mocktail. Fun fact: a few months back, we ordered a mocktail, which was a non-alcoholic riff on an Aperol Spritz + we thoroughly enjoyed it.

Cocktails and mocktails at Revival | Photo via the LALtoday team

Krazy Kombucha, 1030 Florida Ave. S.

If you want a beverage with flavor and health benefits, mix this kombucha with other beverages to concoct a refreshing mocktail — our favorite is the strawberry.

Rec Room, 202 N. Massachusetts Ave.

Much like Revival and Federal Bar, the staff at Rec Room is happy to mix you a beverage, sans alcohol, to quench your thirst for something stronger.

Publix GreenWise, 4747 Florida Ave. S. Ste. 110

The POURS section at GreenWise offers up bubbly kombucha on tap that you can sip at their bar in the supermarket, or take on the go while you wander the store.

Red Door Lakeland, 733 E. Palmetto St.

This spot offers two mocktails for your dry January desires like the sparkling hibiscus ginger lemonade or the winter punch.

Did we miss your favorite mocktail spot? Share it with us.

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EVENTS

Friday

Point of View Gallery Talk | Fri., Jan. 14 | 12-1 p.m. | Polk Museum of Art | Free | Learn about the museum’s newest exhibition from a special guest speaker. 🎨

Saturday

The Great Swan Chili Cook-Off | Sat., Jan. 15 | 12-5 p.m. | Swan Brewing | $20 | Warm up with chili + vote on a winner or join in on the competition by entering yourself — spots are limited to the first 20 entrants.

Sunday

Moonlit Peacock Painting | Sun., Jan. 16 | 2-4 p.m. | Painting with a Twist Winter Haven, 6264 Cypress Gardens Blvd. | $38+ | Novice painters can take this step-by-step class and create a painting of a peacock in the moonlight — paint supplies are included. 🖌

Monday

MLK Holiday Camp! | Mon., Jan. 17 | 9 a.m.-2 p.m. | What’s Cooking Lakeland | $85 | Kids will learn to make Dr. King’s favorites, southern grits and eggs, macaroni and cheese, Salisbury steak, and pecan pie.

Tuesday

Tasty Tuesday | Tues., Jan. 18 | 4:30-9 p.m. | Downtown Lakeland | $25+ | Skip dinner and try dishes from different participating downtown restaurants — tickets are sold in packs of 10.🍴

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

PLAN YOUR WEEKEND HERE

NEWS NOTES

Weather

70º | Sunny | 0% chance of rain

Holiday

Monday is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Celebrate the dream of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at tomorrow’s parade in downtown Lakeland, starting at 11 a.m. The parade will feature local churches, organizations, fraternities, dance groups, bands, and businesses.

Edu

After months of negotiation, Polk County School Board voted unanimously this week to give all Polk educators a raise. Teachers, paraeducators, counselors, and educational support personnel will see raises in their salaries beginning at the end of this month. 🍎 (The Ledger)

Real Estate

Rent in Lakeland is up .7% from last month, which is up 25.1% compared to this time last year. Comparatively speaking, Lakeland’s rental rates are rising slower than other Florida cities, which are up an average of 30.3% since last year. (Apartment List)

State

Strawberry shortcake, a fruity dessert piled atop a biscuit with a dollop of whipped cream, could become the state dessert. Why? The Central Florida region has over 10,000 acres of strawberry fields and produces 75% of the nation’s supply during the winter months. 🍓 (WFLA News Channel 8)

Eat

Sweet Cup Chef began selling cookies at Ax-Caliber yesterday. The flavors, the Rizzo Monster (Oreos, chocolate chips and peanut butter cups), the chocolate chip cookie, and Drops of Jupiter (oatmeal and Werther’s caramel), are the perfect fuel to get your hatchet-throwing started.

Community

The Ledger will no longer have a hard copy newspaper on Saturdays and instead will deliver a digital version to subscribers, who will still receive a physical newspaper Sun.-Fri. These changes will take effect on Mar. 26. 📰 (The Ledger)

Traffic

Chiles Street will be closed starting Jan. 20 for repairs to the sewer. Repairs should take one day and be completed on Jan. 21. If you’re looking to drive between Lake Morton Drive and Michigan Avenue, you’ll have to take another route.

DYK

That tomorrow is National Fresh Squeezed Juice day? Swing by The Juice Box Cafe from 8 a.m.-6 p.m and celebrate with juice, smoothies, and healthy snacks. 🧃

Development

In case you missed it, Lakeland Regional Health recently announced plans to expand healthcare services in northern Polk County with a new ambulatory care site at the corner of Kathleen Road and I-4. The targeted opening date is set for 2023.*

*This paid content, brought to you by our advertising partners, helps make this newsletter free.

POST OF THE DAY

A zesty Flashback Friday

📸 @lakelandpubliclibrary

The Lakeland Public Library shared a throwback photo of a citrus packing house located right here in Swan City, dating back to the 1940s. According to the post, the packing house processed the cleaning of the fruit, sized and graded it, and then handled the crating and bagging to then deliver it to buyers.

Those were the days, right?

#DYK that your photos and quotes could be featured in our newsletter?

Just use #LALtoday on social media.

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THE WRAP

Editor’s pick: Don’t you love a good throwback photo? So do I, and I would love to see more. If you have any vintage shots from in or around Swan City, share them with me.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? We shared the winners of the Lakeland Entrepreneur Awards, here.