The frothy beverage known as beer is the topic of our cover story this month. We discuss a little about beer, its history, local bars known for their great beer offerings and all of the breweries within an hour of downtown Raleigh. Feature articles include the Community Music School, the Raleigh Institute of Contemporary Art, the renovation of the Wachovia IMAX Theatre, and Dinner & a Show at Bickett Market. A few of our regular monthly columns include Local History, Gallery News, Retail: Cat Banjo, Nightlife: Neptunes, Bartender Profile, Let's Do Lunch: Woody's at City Market, Uncorked: Stop the Press, 10 Questions with Mayor Charles Meeker, Designing Great Spaces: Principals of Urban Design, and Performer Profile with Lara O'Brien of the Carolina Ballet.