"Our focus right now is to make great spirits," says Scott Nixon, general manager of Copper Collar Distillery, the craft spirit company he cofounded with head distiller Jason Pelle earlier this year. Pelle and Nixon …

Poinsettias, a favorite of backyard gardeners, are now exhibiting their scarlet, petal-like bracts, just in time for the holidays. The onset of 14-hour-long nights triggers their behavior: In San Diego this condition is met just …

Carlsbad resident Chris Platus tries to save trees — but not from being cut down. The retired California State Parks ranger, now a woodworking hobbyist, seeks out old trees that developers are going to take …

There are no fedora-wearing hipsters at the Brown Cup. Which is why I go there. Not because I have anything against hipsters, but because this coffee joint is still undiscovered and I can find a …

A Kenya Guama Peaberry coffee roasted by Bird Rock Coffee Roasters has been named the number-one coffee of the year by CoffeeReview.com, earning a 97-point rating. Judges described it as “luscious, deeply sweet, and sumptuous.” …