diff --git a/app/drops/base_drop.rb b/app/drops/base_drop.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..18355cc1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/drops/base_drop.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+class BaseDrop < Liquid::Drop
+  def initialize(object)
+    @object = object unless object.respond_to?(:visible?) && !object.visible?
+  end
+
+  # Defines a Liquid method on the drop that is allowed to call the
+  # Ruby method directly. Best used for attributes.
+  #
+  # Based on Module#liquid_methods
+  def self.allowed_methods(*allowed_methods)
+    class_eval do
+      allowed_methods.each do |sym|
+        define_method sym do
+          if @object.respond_to?(:public_send)
+            @object.public_send(sym) rescue nil
+          else
+            @object.send(sym) rescue nil
+          end
+        end
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/config/environment.rb b/config/environment.rb
index 3c174193..0ae61ffe 100644
--- a/config/environment.rb
+++ b/config/environment.rb
@@ -49,6 +49,9 @@ Rails::Initializer.run do |config|
   # (by default production uses :info, the others :debug)
   # config.log_level = :debug
 
+  # Liquid drops
+  config.autoload_paths += %W( #{RAILS_ROOT}/app/drops )
+
   # Enable page/fragment caching by setting a file-based store
   # (remember to create the caching directory and make it readable to the application)
   # config.action_controller.cache_store = :file_store, "#{RAILS_ROOT}/tmp/cache"