To pour a glass of Perrin Brewing Co.’s Clear Coast is to perform a mind trick. Apart from the microscopic bubbles popping in and out of existence, the seltzer looks more like water than water. And yet it does water one better, with a secret ingredient: alcohol. This here’s LaCroix gone wild.

Cracking open a Bud Light bottle is a lot like stepping into a pair of old slippers. They’re comfy and familiar, but kind of stink. You wouldn’t bring them out around company. While domestics serve their purpose, microbreweries have improved upon cheap beer’s blueprints, creating remarkable beers that are still light, approachable and affordable. That said, they’re not always easy to find. When the wall of craft beer towers like the library of Babel, it can feel like a safer bet to grab that six-pack of Blue Moon. Old habits die hard, but here are some suggestions from around Michigan to ease the transition from macro to micro.

Linear’s own Cliff Ensing treated us to a bounty of cocktails, on menu and off, while reminding us that Linear’s happy hour (3-6 p.m. every day) is one of the best around. Half off signature cocktails, draft beers and wine glasses is not so bad! You didn’t really mean you were going to the gym more often this year, did you?

It’s OK to be a little scared of the future: the polar ice caps melting and flooding our metropolises, robots snacking on our bodies for battery power, the inevitable heat death of the universe. It’s all a bit much.