Living through 20 months of a worldwide pandemic has definitely taken a toll on everyone’s mental health. It’s also had a significant effect on marriages and families.
A recent group of studies cited by PBS found that the pandemic has created a range of parental stressors, such as school closures, job losses and interruptions in care for children with chronic diseases.
Parents are also dealing with higher levels of stress, clinical anxiety and depression.
A study out of Canada found that 44.3% of parents with children reported worse mental health as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to 35.6% of respondents without children.
On Sunday, Pope Francis released a letter aimed at families called, “Christmas present to married couples,” with some advice for those trying to keep their families healthy in troubled times.
Dear married couples throughout the world! In this u201cAmoris Laetitia Familyu201d Year, I am writing to express my deep affection and closeness to you at this very special time. #LetterToMarriedCouples https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/letters/2021/documents/20211226-lettera-sposi-anno-famiglia-amorislaetitia.htmlu00a0u2026
“For some couples, the enforced living conditions during the quarantine were particularly difficult. Pre-existing problems were aggravated, creating conflicts that in some cases became almost unbearable,” the pope wrote. “Many even experienced the breakup of a relationship that had to deal with a crisis that they found hard or impossible to manage. I would like them, too, to sense my closeness and my affection.”
The pope provided some hope in the letter by reminding his followers of three simple words that can work miracles in marriages.
“May every family be a place of acceptance and understanding,” he wrote. “Think about the advice I gave you on the importance of those three little words: ‘please, thanks, sorry.’”
The pope’s advice may seem just like common sense, but it works. According to Positive Psychology, research has found that forgiveness among married couples improves their commitment, conflict resolution skills and overall relationship quality.
It’s important to remember that forgiveness works both ways. It’s great for those who have been forgiven but it also improves the mental well-being of those who are able to accept an apology. According to Psychology Today, “An apology actually affects the bodily functions of the person receiving it—blood pressure decreases, heart rate slows and breathing becomes steadier.”
He also repeated an oft-cited piece of marriage advice, don’t go to bed angry. “After every argument, ‘don’t let the day end without making peace,’” the pope urged.
The pope says that the failure to make peace before bedtime can cause resentments to ferment. “How many times, unfortunately, conflicts originate within the domestic walls due to prolonged periods of silence and from unchecked selfishness!” he wrote. “Sometimes it even ends up in physical and moral violence. This lacerates harmony and kills the family.”
He also urged people to put down their phones and talk to one another. “It’s sad to see a family at lunch, each one with his or her own cell phone not speaking to one another, everyone talking to the mobile phone,” he wrote.
The pope’s advice may not have been world-shattering but at a time when many people are at their wit’s end, it’s important to be reminded that one of the most important gifts that we can give to one another is grace.
Issa Rae, fresh off the series finale of her acclaimed HBO show Insecure, has a variety of endeavors in front of her, including more television, some movies, and her Atlantic Records label, Raedio, with which she’s trying to change a system that she sees as corrupt and toxic. In a new interview with Los Angeles Times excerpted by Variety, the multitalented creator called music “probably the worst industry I’ve ever come across.”
Comparing it to her experiences in film and television, she pointed out many of the issues she has with the music business that she likely hopes to change with her work with Raedio. “I thought Hollywood was crazy,” she said. “The music industry, it has to start all over again. There are lots of conflicts of interest. Archaic mentalities. Villains and criminals! It’s an addiction industry, and I really feel for artists who need to get into it.” She called it “shocking” to learn how the business works from the inside.
Indicating how her approach with Raedio contrasts this status quo, she explained, “I do not want to be too specific, but even with making our own appointments [for soundtracks] with labels or artists, it would be so intricate. And to find out how artists were treated on other labels … When I myself am a creator and know what I want in relation to a relationship with a production company or a producer, I would like to think that we are more artist-friendly than much of other brands and companies out there. I want to renew things.”
Issa also talked about the music for Insecure, which she curated, and which fans said they’d miss as much as the show. Of curating the vibes for the show with new and rising talents, she said, “As a music lover, nothing excites me more than feeling like you’re on to an artist first.”
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
We completely understand if the reason you haven’t gotten into Scotch whisky is that you feel overwhelmed. Sure, there are myriad great bottles on the market well-suited for palates accustomed to bourbon, rye, or various other whisk(e)ys. But diving into a whole new type of whiskey demands some commitment — both financially speaking and time-wise.
What better season to experiment with Scotch than winter break? And, as always, we’re here to help with suggestions. Samantha Montgomery, beverage specialist at Bardstown Bourbon Company in Bardstown Kentucky believes there’s one specific region perfect for Scotch whisky beginners.
“Any Highland Scotch is a great place to start,” she notes, “as the style uses less peat than others — which is what most people are afraid of.”
Nick du Mortier, lead mixologist at Bar Pendry in Chicago prefers to point drinkers toward Scotch whiskies that have similar flavor profiles to their favorite spirits.
“A lot of recommending drinks to folks, as far as I’ve experienced behind the bar, is getting a feel for what they already like and building upon that,” he says. “If I had someone tell me they really loved mezcal, I would be more inclined to offer them a small sample of some peaty-smoky Islay Scotch.”
Not having that sort of info on hand, we asked bartenders to tell us the one Scotch whisky they like to pour for novices sight unseen. Keep scrolling to see their picks.
Monkey Shoulder blended Scotch is my pick. The vanilla and smoky notes lend themselves to a great intro Scotch. It’s best served on the rocks or neat. It’s also a great base for your favorite cocktails.
Laphroaig 10
Laphroaig
Jeffrey Sacchet, food and beverage director at South Seas Island Resort in Captiva Island, Florida
The richness and diversity in Scotch varieties demand that the novice tippler commits to educating themselves. So, I suggest stepping out of the shallows and diving into the deep end with Laphroaig 10. True to Scotches from the Islay region, this distillation has intense peat smoke flavors with a hint of salty sweetness.
The best Scotch for a beginner would have to be Oban 14. This Scotch is the perfect single malt Scotch that turned me from a typical tequila drinker into a Scotch lover. The dark fruit flavor and sweet aromas opened the door for me to choose Scotch as my spirit of choice.
Glenmorangie La Santa
Glenmorangie
Christopher Devern, lead bartender of Red Owl Tavern in Philadelphia
Glenmorangie La Santa is my pick. A sherry cask finished Highland Scotch that is aged for 12 years. This finish lends the Scotch a unique sweetness along with notes of raisins and dark fruit. It’s a smooth drinking Scotch that doesn’t have the peat and smoke that Islays do, these flavors can be a bit overwhelming for a novice drinker.
The Macallan 12 Year Sherry Oak Cask
The Macallan
Mark Phelan, beverage director at 16″ On Center in Chicago
The Macallan 12 Year Sherry Oak Cask has a soft, balanced profile with a subtle sweetness from the sherry finish that is a great example of the category for a novice drinker. There’s a reason it’s one of the most popular beginner bottles.
The Balvenie DoubleWood 12
The Balvenie
Nicholas Bennett, beverage director at Porchlight in New York City
My pick for whisky novices is The Balvenie DoubleWood 12 Year. This is a wonderfully rich and complex whisky that really exemplifies the best of both worlds. It is first matured in refill American oak casks, so you get some bourbon characteristics like spice and a little vanilla followed by dried fruit and some nuttiness from the European oak Oloroso sherry butts they use to finish the aging.
This is the whisky my brother Henry and I have been gifting each other for years.
Aberfeldy 12
Aberfeldy
Robert Kidd, bar manager at Le Cavalier in Wilmington, Delaware
Aberfeldy 12 Year is great for the novice Scotch drinker. I love to try people out on Highland Scotches when they are new to spirits. I think way too many people get tasted on some super peaty Scotch for the first time. That smokiness can be too aggressive and turn people off from trying other Scotches in the future. Scotch is one of the best spirits with incredible range and complexity and the soft dried fruits and caramel in Aberfeldy 12 Year are a great jumping-off point in my opinion.
Plus, the price is very approachable.
Glenmorangie The Original
Glenmorangie
Lee Noble, lead mixologist at Art in the Age in Philadelphia
Glenmorangie The Original is a good intro to Scotch whisky. As it’s lighter and not peated, so it won’t turn up too many noses. Aged to perfection for ten years. Great as a mixer or in a dram.
Compass Box Whisky Artist Blend is hard to bear for a beginner Scotch whisky. This whisky is complex and works for even the experienced drinker but it’s still very approachable with fruit notes and no peat.
Scotch whisky varies so much from one region to the next, so if I was trying to introduce someone to single malt Scotch, I would probably start them with something that tasted a bit familiar to them, I would likely start them with a whisky from the Highlands region as these whiskies tend to drink a bit sweet, fruity, and rich and taste similar to bourbons. Especially whiskeys from the northern highlands.
If this was a guest at my bar, I’d most definitely be reaching for a bottle of The Dalmore 12. It ticks all of those boxes.
Aberlour 12-Year-Old Scotch is a wonderfully approachable and balanced spirit that has enough softness and fruit to balance its spice. I recommend adding a splash of water to it, which actually opens up the flavors beautifully.
The Balvenie 14-year-old Caribbean Cask would be my first suggestion for novice Scotch whisky drinkers. This Scotch is finished in former rum casks, which gives it a sweeter taste. Even at first smell, you get scents of baked oatmeal raisin cookies.
Glenmorangie X has to be my pick. This is a great mixing whisky, but you can also drink this single malt whisky on its own. A bottle is around 30 dollars and will never put you down.
For friends that have never had a Scotch, I would recommend anything from Speyside or Lowlands. They tend to drink easier, with little to no peat or smoke and more notes of dried fruit and vanilla. Auchentoshan American Oak might be a great entry. It drinks almost as soft and easy as Irish whiskey.
Karl-Anthony Towns and the Minnesota Timberwolves are in the midst of another up-and-down season that has them on the fringe of playoff contention in the West at 15-17, good for ninth currently.
Towns has made clear that he is all about winning this season in his postgame press conferences, going so far as to talk about how food tastes bad and it’s hard for him to be happy after losses. He recently doubled down on that by talking with Adin Ross about how he doesn’t care about stats if he doesn’t win, and called out Russell Westbrook as an example of a player who does the opposite and “chases stats.”
Towns is certainly not the first person to lob this critique at Westbrook, as it’s been following him since the early Thunder days when people used to complain he was taking key late shots over Kevin Durant and became a national topic of conversation during his MVP season when he averaged a triple-double. However, Towns’ record as a player certainly calls into question whether he’s the guy who should be making this kind of statement, and Draymond Green tried to put Towns in his place in the comments, recalling a time KAT certainly seemed to be trying to pad his own statline in a game that was long since decided between the Warriors and Wolves.
Instagram
That’s quite the rebuttal from Green who has no real reason to defend Westbrook having never been his teammate beyond on All-Star teams other than wanting to humble KAT a bit.
Insecure: The End (HBO, 10:00pm) — Issa Rae’s brainchild and longtime block party came to an end with Sunday night’s series finale. This documentary-style wrap-up takes an intimate look back at the award-winning comedy’s process and cultural impact. Expect plenty of interviews from star and executive producer Rae as well as Jay Ellis, Yvonne Orji, Natasha Rothwell, Amanda Seales, Wade Allain-Marcus, Kendrick Sampson, and Christina Elmore.
Landscapers (HBO, 9:00pm) — Dream team-up Olivia Colman and David Thewlis lead this inspired-by-real-life story about a couple that apparently turns to murder. Director Will Sharpe (The Electrical Life of Louis Wain) doesn’t pull the straightforward vibe here, and this week, Susan and Christopher head towards trial while fantasy swirls around truth and their love takes a turn.
In case you missed these recent picks:
Reopening Night (HBO Max) — Before Omicron emerged, the New York City cultural scene roared back to quite a reception. Here, director Rudy Valdez (The Sentence) spotlights the return of Free Shakespeare in the Park to demonstrate the resilience of artists on the global stage.
Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street (HBO Max) — Take a deep dive into the beloved children’s program that’s been going strong for over 50 years, long before it pissed off Donald Trump Jr. and the far right. This documentary focuses upon the first two decades of moving and shaking of this visionary “gang,” who’s not afraid to tackle society’s most radical changes.
And Just Like That…: Season 1 (HBO Max) — Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) are back, along with the Big Apple, y’all. No Samantha will be found, given that Kim Cattrall declined to return, but here’s a non-newsflash: even in death, Mr. Big manages to be the biggest cad in the universe.
A new member has joined the Cardi B and Offset household — and no, I’m not talking about their second baby, who was born in September this year. It’s a new puppy that Offset gave Cardi for Christmas. Cardi showed off her new fur baby on her Instagram Story, walking him outside and asking Offset for the dog’s name.
“Its name is Walk?” she asks. However, as it turns out, the puppy is instead named for one of its new parents’ chart-topping hits. “No, Wap,” Offset corrects. “Not your Wap though.” In another video, the puppy follows Cardi around as she playfully warns it to “stop following me,” fearing retaliation from the puppy’s momma. “Then your mom is gonna think I’m bothering you. I don’t want no smoke with your momma.”
Disclaimer: While all of the products recommended here were chosen independently by our editorial staff, Uproxx may receive payment to direct readers to certain retail vendors who are offering these products for purchase.
Welcome to SNX DLX, your weekly roundup of the best sneakers to hit the market. We’re stranded between holiday weekends and that brings the lightest SNX roundup in the history of the series. But. We’re. Still. Here. Nothing is going to keep us from updating you on the best new sneaker drops. We’re like the US Postal Service — neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow will stop us. Even during the holidays!
If you’re doing some return-based shopping for the holiday season, we’re confident any one of these kicks will make for a great pick. If not, we’ve published multiple sneaker-focused gift guides this year featuring a little something for every sort of sneakerhead in your life.
Women’s Air Jordan 1 Atmosphere
Nike
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that this week’s big drop is a Jordan 1. In weeks this slow, the Jordan 1 is always going to rise above the rest, but also, what week hasn’t brought a fire new pair of Jordans? Nike is riding high on the best streak of its life.
The Atmosphere is a women’s size exclusive and features bubble gum pink accents on the toe box, outsole, and collar, over a classic white and midnight blue leather upper.
The Women’s Air Jordan 1 Atmosphere is out now for a retail price of $170. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like GOAT.
NikeNike
Women’s Dunk Low Primal Pink/Primal White
Nike
At this point in the year, Nike is basically doing victory laps with their most famous and best-selling silhouettes. The mightly Dunk Low is getting a double sneaker drop this week dubbed the “Primal Pack.” The collection features two low-top padded collar dunks with leopard print Swooshes over your choice of either a soft pink or white leather base.
It’s not the most imaginative Dunk that has dropped this year, but it still beats one of the normal stock colorways.
The Women’s Dunk Low Primal Pink/Primal White are out now for a retail price of $110. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or your favorite aftermarket website.
NikeNike
Nike Air Huarache Liverpool
Nike
Nike’s Air Huarache Liverpool would make a great gift for any hardcore fans of the Liverpool F.C. football club that you have in your life. In addition to being one of legendary sneaker designer Tinker Hatfield’s most imaginative constructions, this Air Huarache borrows its colorway from Liverpool’s checkerboard flag pattern, taking inspiration from the club’s support section inside of Anfield, also known as The Kop.
Nike totally could’ve — and we’d argue, should’ve — named this sneaker “The Kop,” but then non-football fans would probably just be left scratching their heads.
The Nike Air Huarache Liverpool is out now for a retail price of $130. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.
NikeNike
Nike Offline Pack Enamel Green
Nike
This winter, your feet deserve some kicks that’ll keep your feet warm, comfortable, and above all else, stylish, and one of the only sneakers to achieve that is Nike’s Offline Pack in Enamel Green. Featuring a puffer jacket-inspired design, the Offline Pack features exposed stitching, a custom fit lacing system, a soft upper, and a durable rubber outsole.
It’s everything you love about slippers with all the functionality, support, and durability of a good pair of sneakers.
The Nike Offline Pack Enamel Green is out now for a retail price of $120. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.
Nike
Yeezy Boost 350 V2 MX Rock
Adidas
If you’re hoping for a new Yeezy drop in these final weeks of 2021, you can go ahead and keep waiting but I’m sorry to report that it’s not happening. The brand is primarily focused on re-stocking some of their high sellers, this week that’s the moody and understated Yeezy Boost 350 V2 MX Rock.
Featuring a marbled design with shades of brown and grey over a black upper with a matching translucent midsole, the MX Rock sports an Oreo milkshake-esque design that puts it up there with some of the best Yeezy colorways of all time.
The Yeezy Boost 350 V2 MX Rock is out now for a retail price of $250. Pick up a pair via the Adidas webstore, Yeezy Supply, or aftermarket sites like GOAT and Flight Club.
AdidasAdidas
Pharrell Williams Adilette 2.0 Slides
Adidas
Pharrell has quietly been on a roll lately. This year, he has been dropping some of his most inspired designs since the days when he first unveiled the ICE CREAM, and this week he’s taking a shot at reimagining the Adidas Adilette.
The Adilette is one of the simplest and most recognizable sandal silhouettes of all time, so the idea of reimagining it is a bit like reimagining an Air Jordan 1. Where do you go with it? Pharrell took the shape and beefed it up with a chunky silhouette sporting a texture upper and footbed with a synthetic outsole and a reflexology diagram graphic on the footbed.
The Pharrell Williams Adilette 2.0 Slides are set to drop on December 23rd for a retail price of $100. Pick up a pair via the Adidas webstore.
It wasn’t that long ago that Jared Schmeck, the Oregon father of four who blurted out the coded Biden insult “Let’s go Brandon”to Biden himself, was swearing he wasn’t a “Trumper.” By “not that long ago,” we mean Sunday, when his first major post-incident interview was published. But life moves pretty fast, and Schmeck is already flip-flopping, and while speaking with Steve Bannon yet.
As per The Daily Beast, Schmeck — who uttered the conservative favorite phrase, which is code for “F*ck Joe Biden,” during a Christmas Eve call with the president and the First Lady — appeared on The War Room, Bannon’s podcast. In a previous interview with The Oregonian, Schmeck had painted himself as just an Average Joe who had some issues with Biden. He even claimed to be shocked by the backlash against him effectively telling the president to screw himself while on a festive call about a “Santa tracker.”
Now, a mere three days after the infamous call, Schmeck had gone all-in on Trump. He wore a MAGA hat and parroted election lies to his possibly jail-bound host.
Jared Schmeck tells Steve Bannon: “Donald Trump is my president and he should still be president right now. The election was 100% stolen. So, I just want to make that clear.” pic.twitter.com/YbyysPAIbH
When asked about the Oregonian piece that characterized him as someone who’s not a “Trumper,” Schmeck called it “absolutely false,” adding, “Donald Trump is my president, and he should still be president right now.” He declared that the 2020 election was “100 percent stolen.”
When speaking to The Oregonian not long before his chat with Bannon, a very different Schmeck emerged. “I understand there is a vulgar meaning to ‘Let’s go, Brandon,’ but I’m not that simple-minded, no matter how I feel about him,” he said. “He seems likes he’s a cordial guy. There’s no animosity or anything like that. It was merely just an innocent jest to also express my God-given right to express my frustrations in a joking manner… I love him just like I love any other brother or sister.”
Jump a day or two, and Schmeck was singing a different tune. “‘Let’s Go Brandon’ is more than just ‘F Joe Biden.’ ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ encompasses the entirety of our frustration with Joe Biden, the administration, the leftist mob, the cancel culture, the mainstream media,” he told Bannon. “They’re the ones who made this a thing.”
And it seems yet another far right superstar has suddenly emerged.
On Sunday, it was revealed Jean-Marc Vallée, the Canadian director of movies like Dallas Buyers Club and the shows Big Litlte Lies and Sharp Objects, had suddenly died. He was only 58. Initial reports did not reveal the cause of his passing. But multiple sources have told Deadline that it was a heart attack — a shocking development considering Vallée was reportedly a longtime health enthusiast.
According to Deadline, Vallée was “known as a fitness fanatic and a teetotaler, a practitioner of the Wim Hoff fitness method, which is not for the faint of heart.” He died while at his riverside cabin outside Quebec City, reportedly while awaiting guests who were to arrive on the 26th. It’s believed he passed away on Christmas Day and that his body wasn’t discovered till Sunday.
Vallée had an unpredictable, shape-shifting career. He started off making shorts in his native Canada before breaking through with 2005’s C.R.A.Z.Y. which won four Genie Awards (basically Canada’s Oscars), including Best Picture. He soon found himself in the U.K., directing Emily Blunt in 2008’s The Young Victoria.
He soon found himself in America. There, he hit his stride, directing Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto to Oscars with Dallas Buyers Club, directing Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern to Oscar nominations with Wild, and getting an excellent turn out of Jake Gyllenhaal in the grief drama-comedy Demolition.
Vallée reinvented himself again by heading to TV. He directed the first season of Big Little Lies, starring Nicole Kidman, Witherspoon, Shailene Woodley, and Zoe Kravitz, and hung on as an executive producer for its second. He then helmed Sharp Objects, his take on Gillian Flynn’s novel, which scored Amy Adams some of her best notices.
The filmmaker’s unexpected passing prompted much mourning from his colleagues and others in the industry. “Beautiful Jean-Marc Vallee,” Dern wrote on Instagram. “The world has lost one of our great and purest artists and dreamers. And we lost our beloved friend. Our hearts are broken.”
I hope I’m not dropping anyone’s jaw when I say this, but vegan baked goods are often good but rarely great. What can I say, eggs and butter make anything baked slap. I get that there is a whole group of people who for all sorts of reasons can’t or don’t eat dairy, but I can/ do — so when it comes to choosing to eat a warm and fresh cinnamon roll I’m going non-vegan every time.
Or at least that’s how I lived my life before I walked into a Cinnaholic. If you’ve never been to Cinnaholic but the name still sounds familiar to you, maybe you watched founders Shannon and Florian Radke pitch the concept of gourmet customizable vegan cinnamon rolls on Shark Tank, where the duo dared to promise the “world’s best cinnamon roll experience” on a planet where Cinnabon has existed for some 35 years. After flooring the panel with rolls that featured “half the calories” of their competition, Robert Herjavec offered a deal the duo accepted (though, ultimately, the brand went another direction).
Today, there are over 55 Cinnaholic locations nationwide, and it looks like the brand isn’t stopping expansion efforts anytime soon. Its big selling point is that each cinnamon roll is made from scratch, with over 20 frosting flavors to choose from, as well as a whole host of fresh, decadent, and increasingly wild toppings — all 100% vegan and cholesterol-free.
The 100% vegan and cholesterol-free bit is awesome, of course, but if humanity’s consumption habits have proved anything over the decades it’s that health and the environment take a back seat to pleasing customers. For better or worse, all that matters is what these rolls actually taste like. To find out, I hit my local Cinnaholic to try their new holiday specials as well as a few brand favorites and local specialties. Let’s get into some rolls!
The Winter Lineup
Sweater Weather Roll
Dane Rivera
This is the roll that totally dispelled any notions I had about what a vegan cinnamon roll could be. It’s packed with wonderful textures and flavors, combining freshly baked banana bread bites, slices of banana, walnuts, powdered sugar, and maple and cream cheese frosting. It’s an explosion of delicious sweetness that captures everything great about a banana split in a form factor that matches perfectly with the colder winter weather we’re experiencing.
I know “Sweater Weather” evokes a certain sort of season and vibe, but Cinnaholic would be crazy not to add this flavor to the permanent menu.
The Bottom Line:
Cinnabon who? The Sweater Weather roll may be the best sweet snack I’ve eaten all year.
Spiced Apple Cobbler Roll
Dane Rivera
Cinnamon and apple are a classic winter flavor combination, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that this roll’s flavors work so well together. The Spiced Apple Cobbler features baked apple cobbler, cinnadoodle cookie dough, crushed graham cracker cookies, cinnamon sugar, and chai and caramel frosting.
The cardamom and bouquet of spices from the chai frosting really make this roll something special, it’s refreshing and inviting, while still delivering on the sweetness you expect from a cinnamon roll. The inclusion of fresh and crisp apple slices serves as a nice counterbalance to what this decadently sweet roll offers.
The Bottom Line:
Of the two winter classics, I’d say the Sweater Weather is a must while this one is a little bit more forgettable. But if you’re all about warm apple pie, this is definitely worth a try and that chai frosting is a must-taste.
Year-Round Rolls
Caramel Apple Pie
Dane Rivera
While I loved the Spiced Apple Cobbler roll, I’m way less enthusiastic about this Caramel Apple Pie flavor that enjoys permanent menu status. This roll features fresh apple chunks, pecans, pie crumbles, and caramel sauce with a matching caramel frosting.
To my palate, it’s just way too sweet and the inclusion of apples didn’t do anything to balance out the sweetness like with the previous roll. Instead, this just struck me as a mishmash of flavors with little focus.
The Bottom Line:
If you love apple pie, it might be worth giving this flavor a try. But if you’re not thrilled by sweet apple flavors, this one isn’t going to win you over. Skip it.
Cookie Monster
Dane Rivera
If you can’t decide between ordering a cookie (which Cinnaholic has) or a cinnamon roll the Cookie Monster attempts to satiate your appetite for both, and it manages to be way more enjoyable than the sum of its parts. This roll features cream cheese frosting peppered with bites of cookie dough, chocolate chips, and a generous portion of chocolate sauce.
It tastes less like the lovechild of a cookie and a cinnamon roll, and more like a piece of well-crafted cake. Be warned though, this cinnamon roll is very sweet and decadent, so don’t end your night by grabbing this roll as an after-dinner dessert. It is the dinner.
The Bottom Line:
It’s a cookie merged with a cinnamon roll, and somehow better than both.
Campire S’mores
Dane Rivera
The Campfire S’mores is Cinnaholic’s version of a s’more, obviously, but where the Cookie Monster excelled, the Campfire S’mores sadly fails. It’s not that this cinnamon roll is bad, it’s not, but while you’re eating it it’s a little hard to not want to actually have what it is so desperately trying to mimic.
This isn’t quite as good a s’more but it does have all the same ingredients: marshmallow frosting over graham cookie crumbles, marshmallows, and chocolate sauce. It just never comes together right. It doesn’t have the same mouthfeel as a s’more, it’s way mushier and the chocolate sauce, while delicious, isn’t enough to capture the magic of melting a milk chocolate bar between two graham crackers.
The Bottom Line:
It sounds like a good idea but doesn’t hold up quite as well as you’d imagine.
Local Favorites (exclusive to Long Beach location)
Each individual Cinnaholic has a handful of location-exclusive flavors. Theoretically, these flavors can be recreated at your nearest Cinnaholic by ordering a custom roll. So while you might not find these rolls on the menu, if they sound good to you, build ’em! My tasting was at the Cinnaholic Long Beach, which offered up these four custom rolls slightly inspired by the city.
Shoreline OG
Dane Rivera
I love the Shoreline, it features textured-filled crushed pecans, banana bread bites, and pie crumble, over cream cheese frosting with a caramel drizzle that comes together and manages to taste almost exactly like a slice of good pecan pie. This roll is a bit like the Sweater Weather but with better texture and less sweetness. You lose the decadent-dessert quality of the former, but gain a crunchy mouthfeel with earthy and nutty flavors.
The Bottom Line:
Sweet and earthy, the Shoreline boasts great texture and a nutty flavor that captures the magic of pecan pie in cinnamon roll form.
Cookies And Cream
Dane Rivera
In my review of the Campire Fire S’mores roll, I mentioned Cinnaholic wasn’t able to pull off the magic of a real s’more, that’s not really the case for the Cookies and Cream. This is as it looks, a giant Oreo, it features vanilla frosting with a couple of cracked Oreo cookies on top and manages to capture the experience of eating an actual Oreo. On steroids.
The end result is a cinnamon roll that tastes like the best Oreo cookie you’ve ever eaten. This one leans on the decadent end, so order this one and split it with one or two friends.
The Bottom Line:
Yes, it’s essentially a giant Oreo cookie and it tastes even better than it looks and sounds.
Strawberry Cheesecake
Dane Rivera
I’m not the biggest fan of cheesecake, so this one was never going to win me over. It accurately translates the flavor and texture of a rich cheesecake into cinnamon roll form. If that’s your thing, more power to you, but for me, this was just too heavy on the sour tang.
I can see it being enjoyable during the warmer spring months but in the middle of a beachside California winter, I wasn’t feeling this one. I like the inclusion of the fresh strawberries and the crumbled graham cracker dust, but overall this didn’t offer anything that speaks to my palate.
The Bottom Line:
If you like cheesecake you’ll like this, if you don’t, this isn’t going to win you over.
Queen Berry OG
Dane Rivera
Why deal with the cheesecake cinnamon roll when you can have this refreshing and sweet berry-based roll. The Queen Berry features a generous portion of fresh-cut strawberries alongside whole blueberries that make each forkful an explosion of natural sweetness.
This is by far the most refreshing cinnamon roll I’ve ever eaten, the strawberry and blueberry blend adds a nice level of sweet tartness to the roll without being overwhelmingly bright. I’ve never thought of cinnamon rolls as breakfast food (they’re an after-dinner dessert!) but the Queen Berry is my new go-to on mornings when I want something that tastes like a leveled-up pancake.
The Bottom Line:
A perfect breakfast cinnamon roll that is refreshing and, dare I say, healthy. Okay, not healthy but maybe… healthier than your average cinnamon roll. Healthy adjacent.
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