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B. Nektar Meadery Yacht Rock

Mango Mead with Pineapple and Passionfruit.

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B. Nektar Yacht Rock

Mead · 8.0% ABV · ~160 calories

B. Nektar Meadery · Ferndale, MI

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Mango Mead with Pineapple juice and passion fruit

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• Our Interview with B Nektar

Fishback & Stephenson Cider Reviews

Getting to Know Duluth Cider

b nektar lineup of offerings

As Midwesterners, we knew that Michigan was a destination for beer, wine, cider, etc. You name it, they have it! As we traveled more for work and pleasure, we came across B Nektar from our drinking exploitations. Our entry point with their brand? Zombie Killer, a hard cider made with cherries and honey. This was an absolute gem and, while not the initial primer for our love of cider, it was paramount in our exploration of more Midwestern ciders.

We were well aware of their knowledgeable team and full-line of beer, cider, and mead. We just loved it all and wanted to chat with them about their products, their brand, and just pick their brain to get a more intimate education on all things B Nektar.

Why did your team start making mead before the “mead boom” that we see now? 

Brad and Kerri Dalhofer were introduced to and inspired by, wonderful and unique meads back in 2006 as members of a home-brew club.  There was a realization that if they wanted more of the awesome meads they got to taste and make, they would have to go commercial as there was nothing like it available at the time. The entire business started because there was a lack of good mead products in the market. That, and the recession that started in 2008, causing both my Brad and Kerri, to lose their jobs. They decided to pursue their dream of owning a business making a product they love that almost no one else had done before. The Mead boom has to start somewhere, they just didn’t know at the time that they were starting a boom.

Why does your brand offer mead, cider, and beer instead of just focusing on one beverage?Why not? Mead was B. Nektar’s focus when we first opened. We started with higher abv still meads and branched out into “session” (carbonated and lower abv) meads and cysers. As cider gained in popularity, it was an easy transition to offering cider-based products as well. We’ve always been fans of craft beer and our branding and products fit that market. However, with so many breweries popping up, we weren’t trying to compete but we did want to offer beer as well. 

Where does your team get the ideas for the designs and flavors?

If you’ve seen our designs, you can tell we get a lot of ideas from pop culture, movies, and music. It’s a fun way to connect with our audience.

What can we expect out of the brand in the coming 1-5 years?

After this year, I’m hesitant to expect anything other than that we will still be producing great mead, cider, and beer. We’ll continue to offer new R&D products in our taproom, with the favorites becoming branded products we offer in distribution. Our hope is to get into cans provided the shortage situation rights itself. You can look for our Kill all the Golfers mead to make an appearance in 4 packs soon with other brands to follow.

 Where do you currently sell?

We are located in 27 states nationally and can also be found in Europe.  Here is a listing of the states  our product can be found:  http://www.bnektar.com/find-us/

Tell us a bit more about the brand and your team

Our brand is definitely one that sticks out.  Guided by geeky imagination, influenced by sub-pop culture, and never satisfied with the status quo, B. Nektar aims to bring a modern twist on mead as well as diversify craft mead, cider, and beer.  We have a small but mighty marketing and branding team (Kerri Dahlhofer & Miranda Johnson) that has a lot of fun coming up with new brands and content.  Many employees are involved with names, concepts, and flavors.  We are a small company and everyone contributes to product development.

More on our production staff: If needed; Our Main Production Team consists of four full-time associates and two part-time associates.  Renee’ Kolleth-Thomas is our Head Mead/Cider Maker as well as our Laboratory Manager.  She oversees everything in both Main Production and Small (Limited) Batch production, ensuring everything is scheduled to run smoothly and ensures all of our products meet our very high quality standard.  Tony Kales is our AMAZING boots on the ground guy in Main Production, he is the beating heart that makes Main Production run.  He pretty much single handedly does all of the day to day production work, from offloading the cider truck when we have a delivery, mixing honey musts, inoculation, filtration, stabilization, backsweetening, literally everything.  If you have had any one of our core products, Tony made it. 

Ian McClelland is our Packaging Lead.  He ensures that packaging operates smoothly, assisting, consulting and mentoring our part time packaging team members.  Ian is also our main brewer in the building, he is responsible for most of the beers we produce in house for our taproom.  

Shana Byas is our Shipping and Receiving member, who also assists on packaging days.  She is responsible for getting our products to distributors safely and efficiently. 

Mike Henowski is our part time packaging person.  Working closely with Ian, they ensure that our products are packaged safely and meet all QA standards. 

Brad Wade (affectionately knows as “Wade”) is our on sight mechanic, engineer, fixer of all the things.  He also has an amazing understanding of fermentation with his homebrew experience, and has the ability to jump in wherever he is needed for assistance.

How is the mead making process in comparison to cider making?  

Fundamentally, they are very similar.  Cider is made from pressed apples (juice), inoculate with your chosen yeast, add nutrients if needed and allow it to ferment.  Mead, you mix honey and water to achieve the desired Brix level, inoculate with your chosen yeast, add nutrients and allow to ferment.  High gravity meads require closer monitoring of nutritional needs, but that is about it.

Tell us more about cysers that you make and what type of ingredients your team uses for your beverages.

Cysers are made by mixing honey to apple juice and fermenting them together.  We use a wide variety of ingredients.  Our main stipulation is that we like great quality ingredients so that we can make great products.  We try to source as locally as possible as long as the local option meets our standards, but sometimes we just don’t have a choice and have to source from out of state.  All of our ingredients are agricultural; late frosts, floods, dry summers, they all have an impact on the ability to source ingredients. 

Tell us more about Pyment and why your team makes them

Pyments are made by mixing honey with grape juice and fermenting together.  We make them because they are delicious.  It is like combining the best of the mead world with the wine world.  You can add a nice complexity to your wine by making a pyment instead.  One misnomer about pyments, and frankly meads, is that because honey is involved many assume that it is going to be sweet, and that isn’t the case.  You can make things as sweet or as dry as you want.  The mixing of honey and grape juice together makes a beautiful blend of tannins, acidity, sweetness if desired, or if not a beautiful deep complexity that honey adds when it is fermented.

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B. Nektar Meadery was founded in 2006 by Brad and Kerri Dahlhofer. Brad has been an avid homebrewer since 1998, making beers, meads, ciders, and wine for his own enjoyment. When Brad and Kerri got married in 2005, he made a mead to toast with at their wedding and received great reviews from the guests. Jokingly, he said that he’d someday open a meadery. They soon began making meads in their basement and those meads quickly began winning awards at homebrewing competitions.

In the summer of 2006, Kerri was laid-off from her job. While sipping a glass of Brad’s vanilla cinnamon mead she thought, “Why not try to sell this?” It was then that they decided to take their mead making to the next level. Though their aspirations never went further than a side-business… until.

In December of 2007, only weeks before the birth of their first child, they got the keys to their first facility. A tiny 1000 sq/ft warehouse only 1/2 mile outside of Detroit. They began building out their little side business. But in March 2008 Brad too fell victim to layoffs. That’s when Kerri said “F*!<K It! This is what we’re supposed to do. And we’re going to turn this into the biggest meadery in the world!” They worked night and day to prepare for their opening. After nearly two years since its inception, B. Nektar finally opened its doors on August 2, 2008 (National Mead Day).

After opening, Brad hit the road with cases for sampling and sales. Spreading the word of mead. Craft mead. We’re going to need a bigger boat.

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The 20 greatest yacht rock songs ever, ranked

27 July 2022, 17:50

By Tom Eames

We can picture it now: lounging on a swish boat as it bobs along the water, sipping cocktails and improving our tan. Oh, and it's the 1980s.

There's only one style of music that goes with this image: Yacht rock.

What is Yacht Rock?

Also known as the West Coast Sound or adult-oriented rock, it's a style of soft rock from between the late 1970s and early 1980s that featured elements of smooth soul, smooth jazz, R&B, funk, rock and disco.

• The 40 greatest disco songs ever, ranked
• The 10 greatest and smoothest ever sax solos, ranked

Although its name has been used in a negative way, to us it's an amazing genre that makes us feel like we're in an episode of Miami Vice wearing shoulder pads and massive sunglasses.

Here are the very best songs that could be placed in this genre:

Player - 'Baby Come Back'

Player - Baby Come Back

Not the reggae classic of the same name, this 1977 track was Player's biggest hit.

After Player disbanded, singer Peter Beckett joined Australia's Little River Band, and he also wrote 'Twist of Fate' for Olivia Newton-John and 'After All This Time' for Kenny Rogers.

Steely Dan - 'FM'

It's tough just choosing one Steely Dan song for this list, but we've gone for this banger.

Used as the theme tune for the 1978 movie of the same name, the song is jazz-rock track, though its lyrics took a disapproving look at the genre as a whole, which was in total contrast to the film's celebration of it. Still, sounds great guys!

Bobby Goldsboro - 'Summer (The First Time)'

Bobby Goldsboro - Summer (The First Time)

A bit of a questionable subject matter, this ballad was about a 17-year-old boy’s first sexual experience with a 31-year-old woman at the beach.

But using a repeating piano riff, 12-string guitar, and an orchestral string arrangement, this song just screams yacht rock and all that is great about it.

Kenny Loggins - 'Heart to Heart'

Kenny Loggins - Heart To Heart (Official Music Video)

If Michael McDonald is the king of yacht rock, then Kenny Loggins is his trusted advisor and heir to the throne.

This track was co-written with Michael, and also features him on backing vocals. The song is about how most relationships do not stand the test of time, yet some are able to do so.

Airplay - 'Nothing You Can Do About It'

Nothin' You Can Do About It

You might not remember US band Airplay, but they did have their moment on the yacht.

Consisting of David Foster (who also co-wrote the Kenny Loggins song above), Jay Graydon and the brilliantly-named Tommy Funderburk, this tune was a cover of a Manhattan Transfer song, and was a minor hit in 1981.

Boz Scaggs - 'Lowdown'

Boz Scaggs - Lowdown (Official Audio)

We've moved slightly into smooth jazz territory with this track, which is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

The song was co-written by David Paich, who would go on to form Toto along with the song's keyboardist David Paich, session bassist David Hungate, and drummer Jeff Porcaro.

Steve Winwood - 'Valerie'

Steve Winwood - Valerie (Official Video)

This song is probably as far as you can get into pop rock without totally leaving the yacht rock dock.

Legendary singer-songwriter Winwood recorded this gong about a man reminiscing about a lost love he hopes to find again someday.

Eric Prydz later sampled it in 2004 for the house number one track ‘Call on Me’, and presented it to Winwood, who was so impressed he re-recorded the vocals to better fit the track.

Toto - 'Rosanna'

Toto - Rosanna (Official HD Video)

We almost picked 'Africa' , but we reckon this tune just about pips it in the yacht rock game.

Written by David Paich, he has said that the song is based on numerous girls he had known.

As a joke, the band members initially played along with the common assumption that the song was based on actress Rosanna Arquette, who was dating Toto keyboard player Steve Porcaro at the time and coincidentally had the same name.

Chicago - 'Hard to Say I'm Sorry'

Chicago - Hard To Say I'm Sorry (Official Music Video)

Chicago began moving away from their horn-driven soft rock sound with their early 1980s output, including this synthesizer-filled power ballad.

• The 10 greatest Chicago songs, ranked

The album version segued into a more traditional Chicago upbeat track titled ‘Get Away’, but most radio stations at the time opted to fade out the song before it kicked in. Three members of Toto played on the track. Those guys are yacht rock kings!

Michael Jackson - 'Human Nature'

Michael Jackson - Human Nature (Audio)

A few non-rock artists almost made this list ( George Michael 's 'Careless Whisper' and Spandau Ballet 's 'True' are almost examples, but not quite), yet a big chunk of Thriller heavily relied on the yacht rock sound.

Michael Jackson proved just how popular the genre could get with several songs on the album, but 'Human Nature' is the finest example.

The Doobie Brothers - 'What a Fool Believes'

The Doobie Brothers - What A Fool Believes (Official Music Video)

Possibly THE ultimate yacht rock song on the rock end of the spectrum, and it's that man Michael McDonald.

Written by McDonald and Kenny Loggins, this was one of the few non-disco hits in America in the first eight months of 1979.

The song tells the story of a man who is reunited with an old love interest and attempts to rekindle a romantic relationship with her before discovering that one never really existed.

Michael Jackson once claimed he contributed at least one backing track to the original recording, but was not credited for having done so. This was later denied by the band.

Christopher Cross - 'Sailing'

Christopher Cross - Sailing (Official Audio)

We're not putting this in here just because it's called 'Sailing', it's also one of the ultimate examples of the genre.

Christopher Cross reached number one in the US in 1980, and VH1 later named it the most "softsational soft rock" song of all time.

Don Henley - 'The Boys of Summer'

The Boys Of Summer DON HENLEY(1984) OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO

Mike Campbell wrote the music to this track while working on Tom Petty’s Southern Accents album, but later gave it to Eagles singer Don Henley, who wrote the lyrics.

The song is about the passing of youth and entering middle age, and of a past relationship. It was covered twice in the early 2000s: as a trance track by DJ Sammy in 2002, and as a pop punk hit by The Ataris in 2003.

England Dan and John Cord Foley - 'I'd Really Love to See You Tonight'

England Dan & John Ford Coley - I'd Really Love To See You Tonight.avi

A big hit for this duo in 1976, it showcases the very best of the sock rock/AOR/yacht rock sound that the 1970s could offer.

Dan Seals is the younger brother of Jim Seals of Seals and Crofts fame. Which leads to...

Seals & Crofts - 'Summer Breeze'

Summer Breeze - Seals & Croft #1 Hit(1972)

Before The Isley Brothers recorded a slick cover, 'Summer Breeze' was an irresistible folk pop song by Seals & Crofts.

While mostly a folk song, its summer vibes and gorgeous melody make for a perfect yacht rock number.

Christopher Cross - 'Ride Like the Wind'

Ride Like The Wind Promo Video 1980 Christopher Cross

If Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins are in charge of the yacht rock ship, then Christopher Cross has to be captain, right? Cabin boy? Something anyway.

The singer was arguably the biggest success story of the relatively short-lived yacht rock era, and this one still sounds incredible.

Eagles - 'I Can't Tell You Why'

The eagles - I can't tell you why (AUDIO VINYL)

Many Eagles tunes could be classed as yacht rock, but we reckon their finest example comes from this track from their The Long Run album in 1979.

Don Henley described the song as "straight Al Green", and that Glenn Frey, an R&B fan, was responsible for the R&B feel of the song. Frey said to co-writer Timothy B Schmit: "You could sing like Smokey Robinson . Let’s not do a Richie Furay, Poco-sounding song. Let’s do an R&B song."

Gerry Rafferty - 'Baker Street'

Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street (Official Video)

Gerry Rafferty probably didn't realise he was creating one of the greatest yacht rock songs of all time when he wrote this, but boy did he.

• The Story of... 'Baker Street'

With the right blend of rock and pop and the use of the iconic saxophone solo, you can't not call this yacht rock at its finest.

Michael McDonald - 'Sweet Freedom'

Michael McDonald - Sweet Freedom (1986)

If you wanted to name the king of yacht rock, you'd have to pick Michael McDonald . He could sing the phone book and it would sound silky smooth.

Possibly his greatest solo tune, it was used in the movie  Running Scared , and its music video featured actors Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines.

Hall & Oates - 'I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)'

Daryl Hall & John Oates - I Can't Go For That (No Can Do) (Official Video)

This duo knew how to make catchy hit after catchy hit. This R&B-tinged pop tune was co-written with Sara Allen (also the influence for their song 'Sara Smile').

• Hall and Oates' 10 best songs, ranked

John Oates has said that the song is actually about the music business. "That song is really about not being pushed around by big labels, managers, and agents and being told what to do, and being true to yourself creatively."

Not only was the song sampled in De La Soul's 'Say No Go' and Simply Red 's 'Home', but Michael Jackson also admitted that he lifted the bass line for 'Billie Jean'!

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Yacht or Not?: Sailing the Seas of Yacht Rock

Louis Armstrong said, “If you have to ask what jazz is, you’ll never know.” Duke Ellington said, “There are simply two kinds of music: good music and the other kind.” Christopher Cross said, “If you get caught between the moon and New York City, the best that you can do is fall in love.”

What do these pieces of wisdom add up to? Music, like love, doesn’t follow rules. Musicians as diverse as Armstrong, Ellington and Cross don’t want to be boxed in by genre. They want to write, record and perform and not spend time deciding if they play bebop or hard bop, blues or Southern rock, funk or disco.

But as temperatures heat up and people think of sailing away to find serenity, yacht rock playlists start to float in on the breeze. And that means drawing boundaries with enough latitude that artists don’t object to being boxed in and  still foster playlists with a sense of meaning, a sense of continuity and depth. Peaks and valleys must be smartly balanced against the total annihilation of a common aesthetic. (Yes, despite a fascination with sailing and pina coladas, yacht rock can be taken seriously!)

And so, much to Armstrong’s chagrin, we have to ask, “What is yacht rock?” If it seems obvious, take a look at Spotify’s recent “Yacht Rock” playlist . Spotify is a global streaming leader with some 350 million monthly users, an army of music experts and cutting edge artificial intelligence, and yet the company filled its playlist with songs such as Tears for Fears ’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” Rockwell’s “Somebody’s Watching Me,” Van Morrison ’s “Brown Eyed Girl” and Bruce Hornsby ’s “The Way It Is.”

If somebody wants to create and enjoy a stack of songs that runs from tunes by the J. Geils Band , to the  Police , to Bad Company , to Talking Heads (yup, the company has all these artists on its playlist and even included Ray Parker Jr.’s “Ghostbusters”), they should do that with gusto! It sounds like an evening full of classic jams and fun left turns so cheers to the endeavor. But if a major player in the music business wants to do that and call it yacht rock, we need to take a step back and consider what is and isn’t yacht.

We know breezes, islands, keys, capes, cool nights, crazy love and reminiscing help define the yacht aesthetic (see works by Seals & Crofts , Jay Fergeson, Bertie Higgins, Rupert Holmes, Paul Davis, Poco , and Little River Band ). But let’s get beyond the captain’s caps and map the waters of this perfect-for-summer style.

Watch Bertie Higgins' Video for 'Key Largo' 

Yacht Rock Sets Sail With Help From a 2005 Web Series

Before 2005, people generally placed Toto ’s “ Africa ” and Holmes’ “Escape (The Pina Colada Song)” in the soft rock genre. Maybe if they were getting fancy, they’d call them AM Gold. But in 2005, the online video series Yacht Rock debuted. It fictionalized the careers of soft rock artists of the late ’70s and early ’80s. The cheeky show capitalized on the building renaissance of artists such as Steely Dan and Michael McDonald , who embraced the silliness of the series.

“When it came on I remember watching it pretty avidly,” McDonald admitted in 2018 . “My kids got a huge kick out of it. We would laugh about the characterizations of the people involved. At this point it’s a genre of its own. You’re either yacht or you're not.”

He might be right that you’re either yacht or you’re not. But calling it a genre doesn’t quite work (more on that in a minute).

Listen to the Doobie Brothers' 'Minute By Minute'

Riding the Waters From the Radical ’60s to the Sincere ’70s

By the late ’60s, rock ‘n’ roll had become “art.” The Beatles started as simple teen heartthrobs covering early rock ‘n’ roll, but graduated to the supreme weirdness of the  White Album . Chuck Berry gave birth to the Rolling Stones who gave birth to Led Zeppelin and the gonzo bombast of “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You.” And all sorts of acts went wild from the Grateful Dead , to Pink Floyd , to Frank Zappa  and beyond. The sunshine of ’70s AM Gold came as a reaction to these wonderful excesses. Singer-songwriters aimed to take rock and pop back to the simple pleasures of tight, light tunes such as Beach Boys ’ classics, Motown hits and Brill Building-crafted songs.

Hippies looking for revolution and Gen X-ers on the hunt for rage, irony and sharp edges bristled at the genuine lyrics of tenderness and heartbreak neatly packaged in finely-crafted Top 40. Where the stars and fans of '60s and ’90s rock wanted arty and experimental music, anger and angst, yacht took listeners on a voyage powered by pure earnestness: think of the sincere and intense conviction of Dave Mason’s “We Just Disagree,” Captain & Tennille's "Love Will Keep Us Together," and “Love is the Answer” by England Dan & John Ford Coley.

(Which is why placing the Police or Talking Heads on any yacht mix doesn’t work.)

Yacht rock embodies the final charge of unbridled, heartfelt pop.

“I think these songs remain so popular because they are unabashedly pop,” Nicholas Niespodziani, leader of the hugely successful tribute band  Yacht Rock Revue , explains to UCR. “They’re not self conscious. You couldn’t write a song like ‘Africa’ now. What are they even singing about? Who knows? But it’s fun to sing.”

Watch Captain & Tennille's Video for 'Love Will Keep Us Together'

Music That’s Jazzy, But Sure Isn’t Jazz

Yacht rock doesn’t just have an earnestness to its lyrics, the sax solos come with the same level of sincerity.

If the style was the last gasp of unadulterated pop, it was also the dying breath of jazz’s influence on rock. Jazz rock started in the ’60s with Zappa, Chicago , Santana and Blood, Sweat & Tears , but slowly simple drums and growling guitars stomped horn lines and rhythmic shifts into the ground. However, yacht rock features echoes of swingin’ saxophones, big band horns and Miles Davis ’ fusion projects.

Yacht rock is very pop, but legitimate musical talents made those hooks. Chuck Mangione logged time in jazz giant Art Blakey’s band then took what he learned and crushed complex harmonic ideas into the pop nugget “Feels So Good,” which is basically a Latin-bebop-disco-classical suite. (If you dig “Feels So Good,” dig deeper and groove to smooth jazz mini-symphony “Give It All You Got.”)

Nearly every classic from the style features either an epic sax solo or dazzling guitar part. For horn glory, go spin Little River Band’s “Reminiscing,” Gino Vannelli’s “I Just Wanna Stop” or Grover Washington Jr. and Bill Withers ’ “Just the Two of Us." For six-string wizardry as astounding as anything Jimmy Page came up with (and much more economical), try Atlantic Rhythm Section’s “So Into You,” Pablo Cruise’s “Love Will Find a Way” and pretty much every Steely Dan cut.

(Which is why placing Tears for Fears’ “ Everybody Wants to Rule the World ” and Rockwell’s “Somebody’s Watching Me” on any yacht mix doesn’t work).

Watch the Little River Band's Video for 'Reminiscing' 

A Vibe, Not a Genre or Gender or Demographic of Any Kind

Being a style, a feeling, an aesthetic, a vibe means that yacht rock can pull a song from a wide variety of genres into its orbit. It also means that it’s not just a catalog of hits from bearded white dudes. Yes, Kenny Loggins , McDonald and both Seals and Crofts helped define yacht rock. But quintessential songs from the style came from the women and artists of color, soul singers, folk heroes and Nashville aces.

For every Loggins' tune in a captain’s hat, there’s a Carly Simon track dressed up as your cruise director. Yes, there's Steely Dan's jazz influence, but also  Crosby, Stills & Nash 's folk legacy (“Southern Cross” remains definitively of the style). Yacht rock playlists should also be littered with appropriate R&B gems, such as the Raydio’s “You Can’t Change That” (which features Ray Parker Jr.!), Hall & Oates ’ “Sara Smile” and Kool & the Gang’s “Too Hot.” Likewise, country acts of the era tried to go Top 40 while attempting to retain some twang and managed to make Love Boat music (see Juice Newton’s “Angel of the Morning,” Eddie Rabbit’s “I Love a Rainy Night,” Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers ’ “Islands in the Stream”).

It’s hard to tell if the Commodores’ “Sail On” is pop or R&B, harder still to know if George Benson’s “Give Me the Night” is pop, R&B or jazz. But they both feel yacht.

(Which is why Santana can do psychedelic Latin music and can do yacht on “Hold On,” and why the Pointer Sisters can do new wave disco with “Neutron Dance” and yacht with “Slow Hand.")

Wishing You a Bon Voyage on the Seas of Yacht

Spotify was right to think about diversity when making its playlist, though the company got the type of diversity wrong. Yacht has some pretty specific sonic parameters, but has no demographic restrictions when it comes to the kind of artists contributing to the style’s catalog. That means when you hit the high seas of yacht, you don’t need to be afraid to fight for your favorites to be included, just please don’t have one of those favorites be “Ghostbusters.”

We began talking about drawing boundaries with enough latitude that artists don’t object to being boxed in. The wide latitude yacht rock affords matters because music comes to define eras and outlines cultural trends (remember that yacht came in reaction to art rock and that says a lot about the swing from the late '60s to the early '80s). Calling Christopher Cross soft rock might feel right, but it doesn't tell us much about where he was coming from and what he was trying to accomplish. Calling Cross yacht rock, now that we know it's not a pejorative, illuminates his aesthetic.

Cross came out of the Texas rock scene that produced blues aces the Vaughan Brothers and guitar shredder Eric Johnson (who plays on a lot of his albums). He loves Joni Mitchell and that shows in his craft. He's jazzy but not jazz (see those horns and guitar on "Ride Like the Wind") with a vibe that's completely yacht -- developed from the scene that took '60s pop, updated it and sheltered it from the trends of punk, metal, new wave and hip hop. The same can be said for Loggins, McDonald, Simon, Lionel Ritchie and so many others.

Spotify needs to tweak its algorithm so it gets this right. Or, better yet, connect with the genre-crossing vibe that makes yacht so unique.

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Below Deck Trailer: See an Iconic Real Housewife Rock the Boat With Her Demands

Below deck welcomes a sexy new deckhand, deals with a demanding real housewife and teases more dramatic crew drama and firings in e news' exclusive midseason trailer..

A Real Housewife is making waves on Below Deck .

E! News can exclusively debut the Bravo series' season 11 midseason trailer and, as the first look teases, the crew of the St. David might have met their toughest charter guest to date in The Real Housewives of New York City alum Jill Zarin .

"This is a buffet meal," Zarin tells the staff in the preview while complaining about the quality of her food. "It shouldn't be a three-hour meal. Make it better. Burger's cold!"

Jill's arrival comes as the yachties are feeling the strain from an already stressful season filled with multiple shocking departures , plenty of crew drama between Chief Stew Fraser Olender and Stew Barbie Pascual and, of course, some boatmances.

As Captain Kerry Titheradge notes, "We're half way through the season we're getting tired. This is the opportunity just to smash it. We've all had some ups and downs this season and it wouldn't be yachting if we didn't. We don't do this because it's easy. Easy s--t is on the shore."

As for the friction between Fraser and Barbie, their working dynamic doesn't seem to improve as the Stew notes, "Everybody here knows that there's s--t going on between me and Fraser."

Plus, Fraser bitterly adds, "I'd rather have no sleep than have to look at your face every morning."

But while there doesn't seem to be much hope for Barbie and Fraser, her flirtation with Deckhand Kyle Stillie is only heating up.

"I really like Kyle," she admits. "It's just like a fun, flirtatious...whatever."

And it seems not every crewmember will make it to the end of the charter season.

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"I've done everything I can for you to succeed," Capt. Kerry warns one mystery yachtie. "The issue is you are not thriving. If you're not all encompassing, adding value to the rest of the crew, I can't have you here."

Check out the trailer above to see all the drama to come, plus meet sexy new Deckhand  Dylan Pierre De Villiers .

Below Deck airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on Bravo. And keep reading to look back at the show's most shocking crew departures ever.

If there's one thing to learn from Camille Lamb 's Below Deck firing, it's to not slack off on the job. That's exactly why the season 10 stew was let go by substitute Captain Sandy Yawn , as Chief Stew Fraser Olender continued to criticize Camille's behavior on board.

From being caught drinking while preparing for a new charter to partying at late hours and more, Fraser informed Captain Sandy that he had reached his "last straw."

"She's the common denominator in all of this," said Captain Sandy. "Great girl, great personality, but at the same time, we have to do what's best for the boat."

Below Deck Adventure 's Kyle Dickard was let go just three episodes into the reality franchise's latest series—which premiered in November 2022. After picking fights with his fellow deckhand Nathan Morley —as well as kissing crew mates in front of guests—Kyle was offered by Captain Kerry Titheradge the opportunity to resign so that his firing would not end up on his personal record.

Kyle took the Captain up on his offer and left the boat after just one charter.

Captain Sandy let bosun Raygan Tyler go during season seven of Below Deck Mediterranean ,  not only for causing the boat to  take a small hit while docking, but also for not stepping up to the plate as a leader.

But Captain Sandy didn't want her firing to discourage the bosun, as she told Raygan, "If I had the time and I wasn't running a boat this size, I would train you. I would teach you."

In addition to onboard romances and failing to follow directions , one of the biggest reasons behind stew Elizabeth Frankini 's Below Deck firing was her infamous laundry room accident , during which made a toxic mess when combining bleach and laundry soap.

"Unfortunately, I didn't know that was so toxic and I feel so bad about it," she told E! News of the incident in December 2020 . "You know, I do feel really bad, especially 'cause Francesca [ Rubi ] did say, 'Take it outside.'"

The bosun and stew were both fired by Captain Jason Chambers for inappropriate behavior after a night of partying with their fellow yachties.

Luke Jones was let go after getting into Stew Margot Sisson 's bed naked while she was drunk and unconscious. Laura Bileskaine also made unwanted advances on Deckhand Adam Kodra despite him telling her he was not interested in hooking up.

Jason made it known that consent was a must, and sent both crewmembers packing.

Tensions between stew Lexi Wilson and Chef Mathew Shea came to a head during an explosive dinner fight on season six of Below Deck Mediterranean , during which Lexi told Matt that his parents "should've aborted you." That was the last straw for Captain Sandy, who fired her not long after the incident.

Deckhand Tom Pearson said "bon voyage" to Below Deck Sailing Yacht after getting let go by Captain Glenn Shephard . Tom hit his last strike with the Captain after failing to report that the boat's anchor was dragging during heavy winds one night, causing a potential safety risk for everyone on board.

"It had to be done. It was such a grievous thing that he dropped the ball there, he had to go, and we had to just be man down and live with it, you know?" Captain Glenn said of the decision  on Watch What Happens Live. "So, obviously, you don't want to do that, but yeah, it had to happen."

Some people are picky eaters, but Below Deck Down Under' s Ryan McKeown was quite the picky chef, as he would judge guests'  food requests  and fail to take  criticism from Captain Jason Chambers , as well.

Perhaps Ryan's Below Deck exit is one of the franchise's most memorable, as he mooned Jason and viewers on his way off the boat.

Below Deck Down Under stew Magda Ziomek 's firing was another case of slacking on the job. After constantly being on her phone texting or video chatting with her boyfriend, Chief Stew Aesha Scott decided to replace Magda before the end of the charter season.

Below Deck Mediterranean 's Peter Hunziker was fired from the series in June 2020 after he shared an offensive post on social media.

"Peter Hunziker of Below Deck Mediterranean has been terminated for his racist post," Bravo wrote in a statement at the time. "Bravo and 51 Minds are editing the show to minimize his appearance for subsequent episodes."

Chief Stew Hannah Ferrier was let go by Captain Sandy on Below Deck Mediterranean after boson Malia White discovered her co-star possessed undeclared Valium and a vape pen, the former of which Hannah claimed was for her anxiety.

"If I could do it all over again, I would've just declared them as soon as I came on board," Hannah stated in an August 2020 interview with E! News. "It was definitely not something that was intentional. I wasn't trying to hide anything.

Below Deck Mediterranean 's Delaney Evans left just as quickly as she arrived. After initially being brought on during season six to help out Chief Stew Katie Flood , Katie determined that Delaney was doing more harm than good, choosing to let her go after just one charter.

"I think she was overwhelmed with the situation, and I think that, you know, in her mind, the best solution to the situation was just to go back to what they had before," Delaney told Bravo Insider of Katie's decision. "I think she was just overwhelmed with everything that was going on and all the feedback she was getting."

Deckhand Shane Coopersmith was a bit in over his head on season eight of Below Deck , as he was let go for failing to know basic skills, reporting late for duty and taking naps on the job.

Chaos in the kitchen led to Captain Lee Rosbach letting Chef Leon Walker go on season three of Below Deck . After an oven fire broke out , Lee placed the blame on Chief Stew Kate Chastain but was ultimately the one sent home.

Like several of the franchise's stars, Below Deck 's Chris Brown  was fired  during season five for failing to fully perform his duties. After being let go by Captain Lee, Chris shared some parting words as he left the boat, stating , "Who gives a s--t?"

Chef Mila Kolomeitseva was fired by Captain Sandy on season four of Below Deck Mediterranean after failing to use her cooking skills to produce top-quality food for guests—including some not-so-nice nachos .

"Of course it makes me feel awful," Mila said of her departure . "People like me who have big egos sometimes have to be put down to earth a little bit. But it makes me feel like I want to work even harder."

Sometimes people just don't work well together. That's exactly why Captain Lee fired Chandler Brooks during season six of Below Deck , telling the boson, "I don't think it's a good fit."

(E! and Bravo are both part of the NBCUniversal family)

Below Deck Trailer: See a Diva Real Housewife Rock the Boat

We're so excited to reveal these secrets of saved by the bell.

• Curbside Pick-Up

Welcome Back!

June 15, 2020

We know it’s been a while, but we’re back and ready to serve up your favorite meads, ciders, and beers starting Thursday, June 18th.

CLICK HERE FOR ONLINE ORDERING – CURBSIDE PICKUP ONLY FOR ONLINE ORDERING.

Online ordering & curbside pickup hours are different from our dine-in/outdoor seating hours.

Tues-Fri: 5p-9p Sat: 2:30p-9p Sun: 2:30p-7p

Please see below for our indoor and outdoor seating hours!

READ BELOW FOR MORE INFO ON VISITING THE TAPROOM TO HAVE A DRINK!

Things will obviously look and feel a bit different in the taproom, but we’re committed to providing our friends and family with a safe, clean experience. The B. Nektar taproom will be operating at 50% capacity for the time being. We do also have outdoor seating available!

Please take a moment to read our new house rules. These have been created with the safety of you and our staff in mind. Following these rules will provide a good experience for all. Cheers!

House Rules

• We miss you but, don’t visit if you are, or have recently been sick.
• Guests will be required to wear a mask unless they are seated at their table.
• Guests will be provided a one‐time use menu(s) for use during the duration of their dining experience, the menu will be disposed of immediately following your time in the taproom.
• Touch-free hand sanitizer and paper towels to safely touch/open doors are available upon arrival.
• Please only send in ONE person from your party to arrange seating for your group. Please wait outside while we prepare your table and maintain a safe distance from other customers. 
•  Taproom Staff will seat you for your safety and ours. Parties greater than 6 are encouraged to contact us 24 hours in advance to reserve seating.  (313-744-MEAD ext. 1 or [email protected] ) We will be working to accommodate all requests.
• Once seated, please remain at your table.  Do you see some friends at another table? Just wave or text each other. Do NOT go over to their table. 
• Guests will be asked to provide their contact information upon entry into the establishment so that they may be contacted in the event of a confirmed COVID‐19 case.
• Do NOT move tables or chairs- tables have been set up with the needed spacing.  Taproom staff will try to accommodate your party.
• Restrooms are only available to paying customers and are cleaned & sanitized regularly by our staff. 
• For added safety, we are using recyclable plastic cups instead of glassware. 
• Taproom staff will clear your table of cups and trash at the end of your visit, PLEASE STACK YOUR CUPS.
• Bottle, crowler, and howler purchases will be available with our “Sushi List”. Any takeaway/to-go products you want can be marked on this list and we will take care of you!
• Due to menu limitations, flight paddles will NOT be available at this time.
• Some menu items are subject to change based on availability.
• OUTSIDE HOWLERS & GROWLERS are NOT permitted .  We have 32 oz. Howlers available for purchase.
• We appreciate your patience with these new procedures. We’re happy to serve you again!

INDOOR & OUTDOOR SEATING HOURS

Monday – CLOSED

Tuesday 4p-10p

Wednesday 4p-10p

Thursday 4p-10p

Friday 4p-10p

Saturday 12p-10p

Sunday 12p-8p

Curbside pick-up and online ordering are still available! CLICK HERE

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