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If you've never heard of Green Flash Brewing Co. out of Vista, Calif., let this be an introduction. And once you try their brews, you'll never forget them. Even their motto backs this up: "Taste it once, remember it forever."

Sounds a bit cheesy, but we'll cut 'em some slack as Green Flash is brewing one of the best IPAs of not only the west coast, but arguably the country. Their West Coast IPA is basically the quintessential example of American over-the-top hopping found in many modern-day India Pale Ales. The West Coast's a hop heaven due to the accessible 45th parallel (where hops grow best around the globe) and deemed by many as birthplace of the American Double IPA. But this is just Green Flash's normal IPA at 7 percent alcohol by volume; they also brew an Imperial (aka Double) IPA at 9 percent ABV.

From the website: "Hops used include Simcoe for a unique fruitiness and grapefruit zest, Columbus for strong hop pungency, Centennial for pine and citrus notes, and Cascade for floral aroma."

That's insane, but a hophead's dream. Thankfully we're not dreaming.

The Taste

Pour this one carefully. We didn't during the first try and wound up with the unfiltered chunky dregs floating around in our pint glasses. Granted, it won't kill you and is actually good for you, but it could be off-putting for some. This IPA pours bright amber with burnt orange hues and a massively creamy foam head—like a big dollop of cream—that's sticky and retains very well. (Remember that head on a beer is good, as it releases volatiles for aroma and taste.) Strong aroma gets the glands going with grapefruit and herbals with soft grain and floral notes beneath. Near full-bodied, smooth, even consistency. Immediate smacking of grapefruit, herbs, resin, touch of mint, raw leaf and ash with a piney, grassy and oily bitter linger. So damn juicy and citric. Sweet, bready and a bit toasty beneath the hop carnage, providing just enough balance. Alcohol is very well-hidden, with a slight burnt character towards the finish with ashy resin.

Final Thoughts

Boston is blessed by the beer gods as we get our fair share of both foreign and domestic imports, including a ton of highly hopped beers. That said, few come close to the sublimely intense hoppiness that's Green Flash West Coast IPA. Available in six-packs for around $10, we highly recommend you get some now. We spotted some at the Wine Gallery [516 Comm. Ave., Kenmore Sq., Boston. 617.266.9300. wine-gallery.com]. New England brewers ... take notice.

FOR MORE INFO: GREENFLASHBREW.COM

FOR MORE BEER EDUCATION: BEERADVOCATE.COM

RESPECT BEER.

This Mother's Day, while you're imbibing over eggs benedict at an elegant restaurant (you did make reservations, right?), we suggest opting for some bubbly. It's a subtle and classy way to say, "Thanks for raising me, Mom; now let's get drunk—I mean, celebrate—in the middle of the day." There are many options to choose from, including Champagne, sparkling wine and the vitamin C-laced mimosa. Below, we cover the brunchy basics. You're on your own (with some alcoholic fortitude) for the inevitable "ugh, can we not talk about that, Mom?" conversations.

ORDER THE REAL THING

Genuine Champagne from the Champagne region of France is typically reserved for celebrations, special occasions and/or women. What a coincidence! You'll be toasting the woman who birthed you on her own dedicated day, so this is a good excuse to spend a little extra cash on a bottle of the real thing. Champagne in restaurants certainly isn't cheap, and bottle prices can quickly climb into the hundreds. However, the quality of this wine is high, so don't feel bad ordering the least expensive option on the menu. Many establishments, such as Aquitaine [569 Tremont St., South End, Boston. 617.424.8577. aquitaineboston.com], carry the Nicolas Feuillatte Brut ($68). This is a creamy and rich wine that will pair excellently with fresh fruit or a cheese-filled omelet.

NO RESERVATIONS NEEDED

Lack of a reservation will eliminate most classy brunch joints in Boston, but it won't necessarily keep the bubbles at bay. Take mom to a "casual" place where, instead of white tablecloths and black-clad servers, the entire staff sports their PJs. Tremont 647 [647 Tremont St., South End, Boston. 617.266.4600. tremont647.com] serves tasty brunch fare until 3pm on the weekends, and while there is usually a short line, you can grab a beverage while you wait. Order a mimosa, which comes in two sizes: the regular served in a Champagne flute or (our recommendation) the large served in a full-size wine glass.

OUT-OF-TOWN MOM

If your mother doesn't live in the city, or even in this time zone, don't worry. She can still get some tasty bubbles and a decent daytime buzz. Send mom a bottle of Schramsberg Blanc de Noirs sparkling wine comprised mainly from Pinot Noir grapes. Schramsberg is the oldest sparkling wine producer in California and they make very high-quality wine for a few bucks cheaper than the French stuff. [Available at schramsberg.com for $36.50, plus shipping]

Due to the Bay State's "blue laws," shipping alcohol elsewhere can be tricky. It's best to use a national retailer that is allowed to ship to most states. If you need to slip a bottle behind the iron booze curtain of states like Maine, Vermont or Wisconsin, it's best to contact a retailer within the state itself.

Drink More Wine!

FOR MORE INFORMATION: THESECONDGLASS.COM

Giving someone a bunch of their favorite blooms should not make you (or them) feel guilty. But just because they're "from nature" does not mean the gift is natural. The pesticides and energy involved in growing tulips and shipping them to your corner florist aren't insignificant. If blossoms are a must, try taking the green(er) route and buy or ship your loved one an organic bouquet. These flower arrangements are shipped locally, grown organically by Fair Trade farmers, and packaged in environmentally responsible vases, tissue paper and boxes.

Online companies like Organic Bouquet [877.899.2468, organicbouquet.com] are certified by Veriflora, the country's "first comprehensive sustainability certification program for the floral and potted plant industries." That ensures that the plants have been grown in an environmentally and socially conscious fashion. You can choose from around 50 different combos of buds (with the option of sending along some organic chocolate truffles or fruit) to make that lucky person feel all mushy.

However, it's best to go local and independent when purchasing your flowers. For über-schmancy occasions, check out the conceptual and natural floral arrangements of Faxon Green [Watertown, 617.697.9868, faxongreen.com], a Massachusetts-based artist and floral designer with an eco-friendly focus. (How holy? Green designed floral arrangements for the Dalai Lama during his Boston visit.) If you want to DIY it up with fresh blooms, take a trip out to any number of farms to participate in a flower CSA (buy a share to reap the bounty all season), such as the one at Stearns Farm [Framingham, 508.371.4310, stearnsfarmcsa.org] where Celosia to Nasturtiums are naturally grown with no synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. Ba-da bing, ba-da bloom!

Perhaps, in the thick of sending internets all day with unblinking rapidity, we've lost something significant found only within the realm of the handwritten, the hand-drawn. How else to explain the instinctual gravitation toward the cheeky, detailed, simple-but-witty drawings festooned on creamy paper goods from Felix Doolittle? From note cards and invitations to labels and bookplates (how, exactly, have you been living without bookplates?), the illustrated series oozes with colorful charm without a drop of saccharine.

Felix Fu, the artist behind the paintbrush, went to Boston University for business school yet never really had any formal art studies. "One thing led to another," Fu says over the phone, while on a brief visit to Hong Kong. "Ever since I was three I loved drawing for anything and everything. It's a pleasure [that] became a business." His Newton-based company, Felix Doolittle, was born six years ago.

Each miniature watercolor (rendered with British-esque restraint) makes it seem as if you just stumbled onto one frame of a lush fairytale. A boy riding a dinosaur. A pheasant named Phillip. A distinguished hog celebrating with wine as "black tie pig." Fu explains, "The imagery, the story behind it, the joy, the color, the spirit of each illustration is the soul of all my work."

Probably none of us would mind dipping into a momentary dream world of grinning octopi or bunnies named Patrick. "I feel there's less and less magic nowadays," Fu says, adding that's why he started drawing for others. "Somehow it connects to people's heart and feelings. It is magical to make people happy in the most innocent and pure way."

[45 Border St., West Newton. 617.969.8883. felixdoolittle.com]

Spend any time with Dan Sorger and Maria Salve, the visionary husband-and-wife team behind the Dutch Bicycle company, and you can't help but feel a compulsion to hop on a bike and roll. They make it sound so easy to save the world—and one's sanity—in something as simple as better bikes. In January they set up their headquarters in Somerville, and the bikes they import from Amsterdam and Denmark (that they fell in love with on a serendipitous post-9.11 trip) are unbelievably well designed. "People with some sort of education see the long-term value of it," says Salve. "They are built to last." Low-maintenance and robust with a comfortable upright posture, the Dutch-style bikes are meant to be ridden everywhere and anywhere.

"They're not built down to a price," stresses Sorger, "They're built to specification," which explains the tight construction and flawless design integration of each bike. They're optimized as complete machines, versus a composite of mix-and-match components. They can seriously last forever, withstanding weather and life's messy turns; in Europe they're commonly passed down through generations. "It's not designed for sport, for recreation, as a flashy thing," Sorger explains. "It's a hammer; it's made for driving in a nail."

The bikes are built foremost for utility, but that's not to say the bikes aren't beautiful. They stand their ground as welterweight workhorses with time-honored, worldly, tried-and-true elegance. When I called before visiting the bike shop, Sorger asked me how tall I was. "Barely five foot," I said. "Great! We have a barely-five-foot-sized bike here for you to ride," was the reply. Indeed, I couldn't hide my glee pedaling a Velorbis Victoria Classic (called oma, or "grandma," style) around the spacious garage—or potentially beyond, as curious riders are encouraged to test-drive the bikes about town. Fine details like leather grips, skirt guards and sturdy baskets not only look super classy, but are also truly designed for real-world use.

With their straightforward, charming invitation for Americans to use a bike for everyday functions, the folks behind Dutch Bicycle Company are certainly performing a formidable role in rocking the car-centric status quo. By helping people rethink transportation, they facilitate "dealing with the hangover of this bastardized American dream," explains Sorger. "Not only that," adds Salve, "Bikes are fun!" No truer words.

[The Dutch Bicycle Company, 161 Broadway, Somerville. 617.591.1234. dutchbikes.us]

With the proper mix of wit, invention and charity with plenty of sass to spare, Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails (otherwise known as LUPEC, Boston's first and only female-oriented cocktail society), want nothing more than for others to enjoy and appreciate the storied history of drink. Through writings and events, they work steadfast for the cause.

Meet the 11 members, all intrepid women, veiled in vintage cocktail aliases: Barbara West, MiMi, Hanky Panky, Bourbon Belle, Fancy Brandy, Pink Gin, Moscow Mule, Pinky Gonzalez, Contessa, Pink Lady and Saucy Sureau. Though some may find it cutesy, I can imagine fewer things more harrowing than double-crossing a "Hanky Panky" in a dark alley at night. Think about it.

During last year's Chartreuse celebration at Green Street Grill, it was a joy to witness the members of LUPEC vigorously shaking things up (ooh là là). With its fresh-from-the-garden character, the Irma La Douce cocktail was one of the most memorable glassfuls sipped that evening. Allow this drink to be the properly seductive segue to LUPEC's thirst for knowledge.

THE IRMA LA DOUCE | AN ORIGINAL, 2007

[from Little Black Blook of Cocktails: Namesake & Favorite Recipes by LUPEC Boston]

Irma La Douce is a movie in which Shirley MacLaine plays a Parisian prostitute who wears bright green stockings.

1.5 ounces Hendrick's Gin

0.5 ounces Green Chartreuse

0.5 ounces cucumber purée (peel and blend fresh cucumber, then pass through a sieve)

0.5 ounces fresh lemon juice

0.5 ounces fresh grapefruit juice

0.25 ounces simple syrup

Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

[LUPEC Boston will debut in the Dig's next issue as a regular column. Learn more at lupecboston.blogspot.com]

NO. 9 PARK | JESSICA KINNEY

No. 9 Park house manager Jessica Kinney holds the reins of the cheese programs at No. 9 Park and The Butcher Shop. Kinney meets weekly with waitstaff to review the current offerings and explain the complexities involved in choosing and serving each cheese. Working with Great Barrington cheesemonger Matt Rubiner and the affineurs at Formaggio Kitchen, Kinney also coordinates her selections with wine director Cat Silirie. Kinney notes that it's not just the varieties of milk types and cheesemaking styles that make cheese a perfect and interesting end to the meal: "Cheese is about history, geography, people." No. 9 patrons can explore its new cheese flights—four selections from the same region (such as the Pyrenees) allow for focus on the cheeses' terroir. Boards featuring one type or style of cheese (such as Swiss) allow customers to enjoy the craftsmanship of artisan cheesemakers around the world, such as the Winnemere from Vermont's Jasper Hill Farm or Cappuccetto Rosso from Italy's Piedmont region. Kinney is also expanding the complements served on the cart; she just added a honey of the week. [EB]

[9 Park St., Boston. 617.742.9991. no9park.com]

TROQUET | CHRIS CAMPBELL

Like good or bad luck, the cheese plates at Troquet come in threes: $13 for three selections, $24 for six, and so on. Owner Chris Campbell rolls up a tray of over a dozen choices, a palette of plump, creamy dairy delights with wheels ranging in size and color from a big buttery yellow to a short stout gray. "I like to be able to see the cheeses before I order," he says. "Sometimes you think you know the cheese, but when it comes out it's not what you expected."

Campbell helps us choose a representative variety of regions and textures, slicing thick wedges of each. The waitress slides a wooden cutting board under our elbows, adorned with fresh berries and apples, candied macadamias and walnuts and orange triangles of apricot preserves. Another waitress sets down a plate of freshly baked thick raisin-nut bread. From there it is up to us to mix and match flavors.

A winning combo: walnuts and the Langres, a washed-rind cow's milk cheese from Burgundy, which Campbell counts as among his favorites for its compatibility with wine and its complexity. This one's been rinsed in Marc, a heady wine by-product wrung from stems and skins, retaining a fruity sweet flavor. My companion and I concur: "It's the perfect dinner." [RRW]

[140 Boylston St., Boston. 617.695.9463. troquetboston.com]

UPSTAIRS ON THE SQUARE | MATTHEW REISER

Every night, Matthew Reiser, wine director and manager of the soirée dining room at UpStairs on the Square, meticulously and individually wraps each of their cheeses to preserve the true flavors for another day. "It's not just having the platter, it's taking care of it," explains Reiser. The trolley contains up to seven different cheeses, accompanied by house-made confit, almonds, toasts and even a beer or wine pairing.

The continuously rotating selection is obtained from the coagulated-milk mecca of Cambridge, Formaggio Kitchen. With an inside hookup, UpStairs obtains a high-quality exclusive selection.

Though he's from Wisconsin and should have cheese flowing in his veins, Reiser is lactose-intolerant. However, very young goat's milk, sheep's milk and aged cheeses contain a minimal amount of lactose and aren't bothersome. "Sometimes I do have to take a Lactaid," Reiser confesses. When the stinky cheese trolley makes its way around the restaurant, it's hard to say no.

Reiser suggests tasting in the "official" order of goat, sheep, cow and then blue. His current favorites are a sheep's-milk Brebis Ossau Black Label from France, a hard cow's-milk Mimolette Losfeld and the über-creamy Gratte-Paille. [TB]

[91 Winthrop St., Harvard Sq., Cambridge. 617.864.1933. upstairsonthesquare.com]

I'm 16 and gay. I recently got into an argument with my parents over whether HIV is spread by saliva or if you can be infected during oral sex. I thought that you were safe kissing and that it's okay to have oral sex, but that you need to use condoms for anal sex. My parents disagree and I found mixed answers searching online. I trust you, though—what do you say?

-Good Gay Boy

You trust me, GGB, but your parents probably wouldn't. And the whole point of this exchange is getting you the info/ammo you need to set your parents at ease/shoot down their arguments, right? So I'm going to step aside and let some HIV prevention pros have a crack at your questions. Think of this column as a sex-ed gangbang I've arranged just for you—but, um, don't describe it to your parents that way.

"To be exposed to HIV, you would have to come in contact with someone who is HIV-positive and a fluid—semen, vaginal secretions, blood—that can transmit HIV," says Krishna Stone, assistant director of community relations at Gay Men's Health Crisis in New York City. "And there would also need to be a point of entry—unprotected vaginal or anal sex without condoms," that would bring the virus into contact with mucous membranes that could absorb it.

Stone makes a great point: You can't be exposed to HIV unless you're having sex with someone who has HIV. The AIDS virus isn't fire and gay men aren't twigs; it doesn't matter how vigorously you rub us against each other, we're not going to suddenly burst into HIV. If you're having sex—safe sex—with someone who's HIV-negative like you, GGB, you have nothing to worry about on the HIV front. Well, except for your boyfriend's truthfulness and any changes to his HIV status since his last test—which is why you should be having safe sex regardless, even if you think you're both negative.

But let's say you're not with just one guy. Let's say you're running around having sex—safe sex—with random guys (not that I'm saying you should). Some of these guys are likely to be HIV-positive. So are you at risk of contracting HIV when you kiss poz guys?

"Kissing carries no risk of HIV transmission according to the Canadian AIDS Society's HIV transmission guidelines," says Rui Pires, gay men's community education coordinator for the AIDS Committee of Toronto, "[because] saliva doesn't transmit HIV."

So has anyone ever been infected via kissing?

"There has been a documented case of HIV transmitted through 'deep kissing,' [and the infection] occurred because both of those involved had current gum disease and had bleeding gums," says Beau Gratzer, director of HIV/STD prevention at Howard Brown in Chicago. "Generally speaking, blood must be visible in the saliva in order to pose a risk of HIV transmission."

So promise your parents, GGB, that there'll be no deep kissing after you and your boyfriend go get your wisdom teeth pulled together, okay?

What about oral sex? What kind of risks are there when you're blowing guys who could be positive?

"It's reassuring to know that your parents care about your health and well-being, but they're misinformed about how HIV is transmitted," says Hunter Hargraves, community initiatives coordinator at the STOP AIDS Project in San Francisco. "Oral sex is very low risk for transmitting HIV." Low risk does not mean no risk—some men have been infected giving head. "But even though oral sex is very low risk for HIV," adds Hargraves, "other STDs like gonorrhea and chlamydia can still be transmitted via oral sex," giving and receiving, "and having an STD increases the potential for HIV transmission."

What can you do to minimize the already low risk of contracting HIV when performing oral sex?

"HIV transmission is possible only if you have a cut or abrasion in your mouth or throat through which the virus can enter your bloodstream," says Pires. So don't go down on anyone if you have a cut or abrasion. To avoid creating one, "no flossing or brushing 45 minutes before you go down on somebody," says Hargraves. You can also minimize your risks, says Howard Brown's Gratzer, "[by] not getting semen/come in your mouth, reducing your number of oral sex partners, and using a [condom] while engaging in oral sex." I'd like to add to this list: Don't sleep with total sleazefags, don't be a total sleazefag yourself, and don't allow anyone to pressure you into doing anything you don't want to do.

And now I'm going to give the last word to one of the pros ...

"It's great that you recognize that using condoms for anal sex is the best way to prevent HIV transmission," says Hargraves. "Score one for gay youth!"

For me and my muscle-bound bondage boy, Dan, a large part of the turn-on would evaporate if somebody were "within earshot at all times," per your advice last week. With all due respect to the grieving widow, Mrs. Bargy is an idiot. She left her husband tied up and alone for 20 HOURS? Dumb! When I leave my boy roped up and go to a movie, knowing that he's working fiercely, angrily and uselessly to get free while I'm gone, well ... I'd hate to be denied that pleasure because some moron left her husband tied and gagged for a whole damn day. I leave my helpless goldfish home alone. Why not my tied-up plaything? Can't an exception be made for those of us who actually have a brain?

-Mr. Roper

If you leave the house and your goldfish bowl springs a leak and your precious goldfish dies, MR, you get another goldfish. If you leave the house and your muscle-bound bondage boy accidentally works himself into a position that compromises his breathing and he asphyxiates, you get indicted. But, hey, you and your boy are free to take calculated risks. But if you miscalculate, MR, be prepared to shoulder the consequences.

You told Geezer In Love, the 52-year-old man who found himself falling for a younger coworker who seemed to reciprocate his interest, "For all you know, this woman, like your coworkers, thinks you're a creepy old lech." My husband, who's been my partner for 14 years, is 34 years older than I am and he is not a "creepy old lech." Try loving, sexy, accomplished and playful! You blithely dashed GIL's hopes, Dan, and then insulted him. I'm disappointed.

-Love My Older Husband

The fact that your husband isn't a creepy old lech, LMOH, doesn't prove that GIL isn't a creepy old lech. My boyfriend is tall, blond, in his 30s, and he's not a cannibal. Using your logic, we'd have to conclude that Jeffrey Dahmer—who was tall, blond, and in his 30s—wasn't a cannibal, either.

And, come on, I never said that a younger person can't fall for an older person or vice versa. But an older man who thinks he's getting an interested vibe from a younger woman has to be on his guard against dickful thinking. GIL needs to ask himself if his coworker is truly interested before he does anything rash/idiotic/actionable. That's all I was saying.

Oh, and speaking of older folks banging/dating/marrying younger folks, some weeks back I solicited letters from readers about the "campsite rule," my rule for older folks dating younger folks (leave them in better shape than you found them). A selection of those responses can be read at thestranger.com/savage/campsiterule.

DOWNLOAD DAN SAVAGE'S WEEKLY PODCAST, SAVAGE LOVECAST, EVERY TUESDAY AT THESTRANGER.COM/SAVAGE.

You just saw Scary Kids Scaring Kids. What's the deal?

Josh: They're a pretty sweet band.

Where they from?

J: I don't know where they're from but they put on a good stage performance, usually with bands that catch my eye first.

AIDRIAN: Aiden was totally bad ass. So much better ... So much better ... Their stage presence was so much better.

Did you like them better because they have a name like yours?

A: No ... I don't like usually like heavy metal at all, but they were awesome, their stage presence.

Who else played?

A: Aiden, Ivoryline, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, The Classic Crime, Schoolyard Heroes ...

There were like 4,000 bands that played?

A: Ha ha, yeah. I just wanted to say that Aiden was so much better.

Doing anything special for Cinco de Mayo besides Screamo?

J: Maybe get a couple of nachos, a couple of beers. Hang out.

Do you speak any Spanish?

A: Hola?

J: Hola. Hola Cinco de Mayo.