DRINKS

Dinner on the patio? First, hold the stench

Parts of downtown Des Moines have been so transformed in the past decade by new apartments, trendy shops and microbreweries, it’s sometimes hard to reconcile the present with the not-so-distant past. But one strong reminder of the city's heritage remains: the stench.

Actress Blake Lively launches sparkling mixer Betty Buzz

Dubbed Betty Buzz after Lively’s grandmother and aunt, the actress said she decided to conjure up the non-alcoholic spirit after assessing the lay of the land and realizing that mixers should have their place in the social drinking world.