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Robin Cummiskey

@birdy211

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@wallacedrygoods 🥂

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@serenagwolf is one of those people I feel like I know even though we’d never actually met. That is until tonight at her book tour stop @bindingagents. Sure we’d chatted occasionally in the DMs and I’ve “known her” through her Instagram content for over ten years, but for me it was deeper than that.

When I first stopped drinking I was really craving community. And in a way that didn’t revolve around not drinking. Somewhere I could be and just not have to think about the absence of it. I was already a fan of Serena and her Dude Diet cookbooks, but when she started Zoom Cookbook Club in 2020 it was a place for people from all over to come together and just be. You could drink, you could not drink. You could make yourself something delicious and she always helped you get there. Serena’s online community gave me a place to still be social, learn a new skill, and not feel like the odd one out. That “you do you” mentality runs through everything she does. It’s never about doing it the “right” way, just your way. Makes sense it feels so at home when thinking about @wallacedrygoods and Cheers to Choices.

Tonight I got to practice what we both preach and adapted the Orchard Sparkler (page 238 of You Do You) using NA spirits and served it at the event. The opportunity to share the shop and this delicious drink was a dream come true.

Thank you @serenagwolf for all that you do in building your community. It’s a safe and delightful space for many and I’m so lucky to have found it.

Catie @bindingagents thank you for being so supportive and welcoming me into your home, n/a drinks a-slinging! Another community-driven business you should check out. The best resource for cookbooks of all kinds. Plus who doesn’t love a trip to the Italian Market in Philly?

#cheerstochoices
#phillysmallbusiness
#sobercurious taken in Italian Market, Philadelphia by @birdy211

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14 days ago

I’ve been feeling grateful a lot lately, which to be honest isn’t usually my default. A crazy thing to say and something I’m working on. I guess that’s what’s prompting me to share this with you.

This photo is from the swing in the back corner of the shop, my favorite seat in the house.

It’s really easy to get caught up in the day to day and forget to actually sit in what you’ve built.

I remember the day we hung the swing. We were still filling the space, freaking out, questioning whether it was enough. Would this work? Am I crazy? I sat right here, so excited and nervous for what was to come.

Sitting here now I’m realizing that somehow, we did it. We built this space, this community, and I’m so grateful to have you all with me. Thank you for your belief and support ♥️

Today also happens to be National Sober Day. Our ethos here is Cheers to Choices, and I still stand behind that fully. I never want anyone to feel judged or pressured about their choices, including my choice not to drink. It’s not always an easy one for me but an important one, and one that I’m grateful for. It’s also a time to celebrate the accomplishment it really is. So to anyone this day means something to, for yourself or loved ones, my heart is with you.

Thank you for trusting me with your stories, and excitement, and curiosity.

Cheers to you, cheers to us, cheers to choices.
 #nationalsoberday
#cheerstochoices

January 5th, 2024 - the night before we opened ❤️ by @birdy211

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17 days ago

If you had told me five years ago (before I stopped drinking alcohol) that I’d be riding on the back of a motorcycle to a motorcycle meetup in New Jersey, I would’ve said there’s no freaking way.

But that’s something not drinking alcohol has given back to me: a new self-confidence, a sense of adventure, and a trust in myself that lets me just hop on.

It’s not even about what’s in my cup. That day it was a coconut rum cappuccino (so good @evermorecoffeeroasters). Another day it might be one of the non-alcoholic pours from the shop, or just a bottle of water. Whatever feels right to you: in that moment, for a particular month, or one day at a time.

I’ve shared the hard parts of this with you before, so I wanted to share this too, what’s changed for the better.

Cheers to choices® taken in Burlington, New Jersey by @birdy211

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a month ago

Behind every “not drinking makes me so much happier” post is:

•anxious moments before forcing myself out the door, hyping myself up  •awkward interactions while I relearn how to socialize sober •hours spent alone vs. out •a shift in friendships and relationships as I figure this out  •feeling less than because I can’t drink normally •tears shed over how hard it actually is
•don’t even get me started on dating

Even with all that, this is still better. It’s a choice I make every day. Not once, in a big dramatic moment, but quietly, in the anxious in-between moments nobody sees.

I’ve been keeping most of this to myself lately. Posting more shop and product related content, sitting with the hard parts alone. But I think the vulnerable part is the part that’s actually important to share. Maybe that’s for me, to remind myself it’s okay that this is hard and that doesn’t make it wrong. Or for someone else: a friend, a family member, anyone who has someone in their life doing this and could use a little more understanding of what it actually looks like day to day.

This is what “cheers to choices” means to me — not better or worse than anyone else’s, just mine, and one we don’t have to make alone. If you’re figuring out your own version of this, or you love someone who is, I hope this helps you feel a little less alone in it too.

#cheerstochoices
#soberinphilly
#sobercurious by @birdy211

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2 months ago

All I really need is a good friend, great drinks, ocean air and seaside treats. by @birdy211

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2 months ago

Allow us to introduce ourselves. We’re Wallace Dry Goods. A general store, but a very specific one.

📍Ardmore, PA — open every day but Tuesday.

#cheerstochoices
#nonalcoholic
#sobercurious
#ardmorepa
#shoplocalshopsmall by @birdy211

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3 months ago

It’s this wild one’s birthday! Cheers to 3 years 🐶🎂🥳

And yes, I will dress my dog in tutus and hats and not apologize for it. by @birdy211

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3 months ago

June: pups, plates, plants and the best people by @birdy211

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3 months ago

Now THIS is hospitality.

An evening at @chefjencarroll and @chefbillyriddle intimate dinner series, Dinner At Jen’s, is the kind of experience that reminds you what a table is actually for; bringing people together, fully.

The entire evening is BYO, and that single detail changes everything. I brought a bottle of @societydelarassi Beso Besa, they labeled it with our names so you always know exactly what’s in your glass, and that what you brought is what you get. That simple gesture says everything about the intentionality of this experience. Served tableside, with the same care as every other element of the night. No one is an afterthought here. The evening opens with a non-alcoholic cocktail for the whole table (a refreshing caipirinha with coconut water, lime + sugar cane), and from that first sip, everyone is in it together.

The theme was Rio-de-Jen-eiro 🌿🇧🇷 — a menu inspired by Brasil, a country whose incredible cultural diversity I honestly didn’t fully appreciate until Chef Jen walked us through each course. And the timing couldn’t have been more perfect — celebrating Brazilian cuisine while Brazil took on Haiti right here in Philadelphia.

Every dish came with a story. How it’s made, where it comes from, why it matters: beet-corn carpaccio, shrimp moqueca, poached grouper, hanger steak, and a coconut flan that I’m still thinking about. Education and warmth in equal measure.

You’re also invited up to the pass to watch the kitchen in action. It’s that kind of evening — no walls, no distance, just joy.

The food is extraordinary. But what you’ll carry home is the feeling.

At Wallace Dry Goods, our ethos is simple: Cheers to Choices. The belief that every choice at the table deserves the same warmth and intention. Dinner at Jen’s is exactly that. 🥂

Be sure to follow @chefjencarroll @chefbillyriddle and @carrollcouturecuisine for updates on their next dinner!

#cheerstochoices
#soberinphilly
#nawine
#topchef by @birdy211

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3 months ago

I’ll be honest — the last few months have left me feeling depleted and uninspired, run down in a way that’s been hard to shake.

I’ve been really looking forward to @thisisfabchs, a few days of workshops and panels in Charleston, SC for Women in Food and Beverage. Part of me hoped I’d come back feeling completely refreshed and reinspired, and in some ways I have. But I’m still human, things are still hard, and I’m learning that doing what I can, when I can, is enough.

There is something that happens when women in food and hospitality get in a room together. Not just the talk of support but the actual feeling of it — in the generosity with their craft, their experience, their heart and utter transparency. I left with new relationships I’m genuinely excited about, and a nudge to foster the ones already in my life.

Thank you to @ranwein and the whole @thisisfabchs team for creating something so incredibly special — and to @heavenhillbrands for the scholarship that made it possible for me to be there. And of course @sisterlylovephilly for the introduction and all that you do for us ladies in Philly ❤️

Here’s to showing up, doing the work, and trusting yourself along the way.

#cheerstochoices taken in Charleston, South Carolina by @birdy211

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4 months ago

off campus taken in Punta Cana, República Dominicana by @birdy211

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4 months ago

Holiday weekends can be tricky for me.

I love the unofficial start of summer, longer days that turn into nights with friends and family, and a cold drink at the pool or by the ocean. But mixed in with the fun and excitement sometimes come the what ifs, the missing out, the feelings of less than.

Those feelings are part of why I opened Wallace Dry Goods. Not to make them disappear (if you’ve figured out that secret, please share), but to put some tools on the shelf for navigating them. I’m all for choices in how and what you drink, but I also want to acknowledge that the choice isn’t always an easy one.

So whether you’re hosting this weekend and want every guest to feel taken care of, or you’re stocking your emotional support cooler, make sure it has what works for you in it.

A few things that might help: our fridge is full of beer and cider for any mix-six you want to build (10% off all weekend), and the shelves are stocked with spirits and aperitifs for the pitcher you’ve been meaning to make (10% off when paired with a mixer).

We’ll be pouring a different spirit-and-mixer pairing on the bar today through Sunday. Come say hi.

Cheers to choices, Robin

P.S. A version of this went to my email list this week. So many of you wrote back. Thank you, it meant more than I can say.

#cheerstochoices
#nadrinks #soberinphilly
#sobercurious by @birdy211

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4 months ago