The Zombie is one of the most iconic tropical cocktails to come out of the first Tiki era. This drink is all about the ABVs, spices, and tropical vibes. It’s also on fire, which isn’t that important if you’re making these at home and during the day, but adds a nice touch once the sun goes down.
The rum drink is also an ass-kicker that will get you very twisted very fast. Invented in Hollywood at the famed Don The Beachcomber by Donn Beach himself in the 1930s, Old Donn would only allow you two per night. Otherwise, you’ll turn into “the walking dead,” according to old Mr. Beach. Consider yourself warned.
For this recipe, I’m sticking pretty much to the original Don The Beachcomber recipe from the 1930s. Hey, if it ain’t broke, right? That said, this might taste pretty different from the modern takes on the Zombie, which tend to add a lot more sugar and citrus juice to the mix. That’s basically done these days to calm down all that rum and allow you to drink more — read: spend more money at the bar. This version is far more spicy and botanical with a true rum punch to the face like it’s supposed to be. Let’s get shaking!
Also Read: The Top Five Cocktail Recipes of the Last Six Months
For this recipe, I grabbed the first Jamaican and Puerto Rican rum from my shelf. That ended up being Appleton Estate 12 and Bacardi Cuatro, both of which are great for mixing. For the overproof rum, you tend to want to use a demerara rum from Venezuela, but any overproof will do.
The rest is pretty easily found at any good liquor store. The exception is Don’s Mix which you might have to make on your own, recipe below.
*** Don’s Mix is 2 parts fresh grapefruit juice and 1 part cinnamon syrup. Stir the two together to create the mix and then store in the fridge in a small bottle for no more than two weeks.
Zach Johnston
What You’ll Need:
Hurricane glass
Cocktail shaker
Cocktail strainer
Paring knife
Hand juicer
Jigger
Barspoon
Straw
Match
Zach Johnston
Method:
Fill the hurricane glass with fresh ice.
Add the rums, lime juice, falernum syrup, Don’s mix, grenadine, Pernod, and Angostura Bitters to the cocktail shaker. Add a handful of ice, affix the lid, and vigorously shake for about 20 seconds.
Strain the cocktail into the waiting hurricane glass. Take one of the smashed lime halves from juicing earlier and pour a small amount of the overproof rum over the flesh side of the lime, sort of filling it up. Place the lime on the top of the cocktail, skin side down. Use a match to light the lime and serve immediately.
Bottom Line:
Zach Johnston
This is bold with a capital “B”! The rum shines through with a hint of funk next to sticky molasses with vanilla, spices, and sugar cane all coming through. The body of the drink is mellow and smooth but filled with a lot of woody botanicals and spices. It feels almost like the cocktail itself was barrel-aged. There are bitter notes like chinotto and allspice berries next to woody florals. It’s really a great mix of depth and flavor.
It’s also strong AF.
And while lighting this during the day in a bright kitchen was unnecessary, I did it anyway to demonstrate that it’s easy and safe. Just make sure to blow out the blue flame within a minute or less.
In a move you don’t see everyday, comedian Patton Oswalt took his entire profession to task for essentially paving the way for the rise of Donald Trump and the alt-right by making “ironic” racist jokes. All too often these days, comics circle the wagons and wail about cancel culture (looking at you, Joe Rogan), but not Oswalt. While stopping by The Al Franken Podcast, he lamented his generation’s over-use of irony, which he feels handed the alt-right a “blueprint” to mask their actions.
“We thought we were beyond racism. There was a lot of ironic racism amongst a lot of alt-comedy, a lot of Gen X, because we thought, ‘Well, we’re beyond it. We can make fun of that,’” Oswalt said before explaining how that attitude provided cover for Trump and his ilk. Via Mediaite:
“We didn’t realize we were actually mapping out a blueprint for a lot of the alt-right people and a lot of the edgelords and a lot of the shit posters to use for them to go ‘I’m just being ironic,’” he continued. “You’re trying to grandfather your shit in and we are partially responsible for doing that.”
Franken wasn’t entirely on-board with that argument and said that comedians should be more like George Carlin and his generation of comics who push boundaries, but Oswalt wasn’t having that characterization.
“But they were pushing for more openness,” Oswalt argued. “The people that are doing the edgelord stuff now are pushing for, ‘Can we go back to the way,’ think[ing], ‘Can I go back to being able to say these horrible things?’ It’s like, no, we gotta keep moving forward.”
There are a lot of shows these days that have a dystopian premise or are some sort of big franchise spinoff, which, to be fair, can be off-putting to some viewers. Luckily, FX’s latest seriesThe Bear is centered around one thing we can all agree on: food!
The comedy- drama series stars Jeremy Allen White as Carmy, a young chef who returns home to Chicago after a death in his family causes him to run the family sandwich shop. The series will also star Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ayo Edebiri, Abby Elliott, Lionel Boyce, Liza Colón-Zayas, Edwin Lee Gibson, and real-life chef Matty Matheson. The trailer features some truly mouth-watering moments sandwiched between some heartfelt moments. Literally! Ha.
The Bear comes from the mind of frequent Bo Burnham collaborator Christopher Storer, who wrote and directed the series. He will produce alongside Joanna Calo, Hiro Murai, and Nate Matteson. Here is the description:
A hot kitchen, family, Chicago, and the occasional searing burn. FX’s new comedy series The Bear is about food, family, the insanity of the grind, the beauty of Sense of Urgency and the steep slippery downsides. As the young chef Carmy fights to transform both The Original Beef of Chicagoland and himself, he works alongside a rough-around-the-edges kitchen crew that ultimately reveal themselves as his chosen family.
All episodes of The Bear are available to stream starting June 23rd on Hulu, which recently dropped the “FX on Hulu” title. Check out the food-filled trailer above.
To that end, SFWSC just announced their bourbon finalists for 2022. What does that even mean? These are the bottles of bourbon that not only received a “double gold” medal — meaning every judge at the table unanimously and anonymously agreed that the bottle was a gold medal — but the judges also thought that the pour had a chance at winning “best in class.” That means a long-ish list of bourbon bottles went to another round of double-blind tastings where those bottles were whittled down to the finalist, listed below. From this list, SFWSC judges will decide which bourbon whiskey is the bourbon of the year, or the “best in class” bourbon (announced in June).
The eleven finalist bourbons below are all pretty stellar whiskeys. I was lucky enough to be on several bourbon judging panels this year at the SFWSC, so I’ll be providing my tasting notes where I can and adding in notes from the distiller, blender, or judges when I haven’t tried an expression.
This whiskey from Penelope really helps solidify the brand as a powerhouse in blending. The whiskey in the bottle is a blend of three bourbon mash bills (one is 21 percent rye, another 90 percent corn, and a 45 percent wheated bourbon — all from MGP), which create a four-grain (corn, wheat, rye, and barley) bourbon. All of this is to say that this is a masterful blend of four to five-year-old barrels into something bigger than the individual parts.
Tasting Notes:
You get a sense of dry cornmeal on the nose next to apple crumble, plenty of wintry spice, a hint of mulled wine, wet brown sugar, and a thin layer of wet-yet-sweet cedar. A hint of brandy-soaked cherries arrives on the palate with a dusting of dark chocolate powder next to more apple pie filling, spice, and buttery crust alongside a sweet, toffee-heavy mid-palate. The end arrives with a dry wicker vibe, cherry tobacco chewiness, and a hint of that dark chocolate.
Bottom Line:
This really is the “good stuff.” All that orchard fruit, chocolate, and spice combine to make a very fine sipper.
A.D. Laws out in Colorado is renowned for its award-winning four-grain bourbons. The juice is made from 60 percent corn, 20 percent heirloom wheat, ten percent heirloom rye, and ten percent heirloom malted barley. That hot juice is then aged for over six years before it’s batched and cut down to 100 proof per bonded whiskey laws.
Tasting Notes:
This feels more crafty on the nose with a balance between bitter black tea that’s been cut with a summer-y and floral honey as touches of cinnamon, pancake batter, and orange pop in the background. The orange and spice thickens and leans into an orange pound cake with a buttery and spicy streusel crumble as that black tea bitterness circles back to cut through all that butter, spice, and orange. The end leans into the spice with more of a cinnamon candy vibe that leads towards a final dusting of dark cocoa.
Bottom Line:
This is a complex and rewarding sipper. I also think you can build an amazing cocktail on its foundation of orange and spice with that nice black tea bitterness providing a good counterpoint to any sweetness.
This brand from Luxco is still sourced juice though they did start distilling their own in 2018. This bottle is a seven-year-old blend of barrels with a bourbon mash bill of 78 percent corn, 12 percent malted barley, and ten percent rye, which just so happens to be Heaven Hill’s bourbon mash bill. These barrels are blended down and left as-is at cask strength for bottling.
Tasting Notes:
This is a pretty classic bourbon from nose to finish with a strong sense of rich caramel, pancakes with plenty of vanilla, sweet oak, wet brown sugar, and a whiff of cherry tobacco. The palate leans into the woody brown spices as a dark cherry vibe sweetens the mid-palate. The end circles back to that sweet oak and spicy cherry tobacco on a short finish.
Bottom Line:
I wouldn’t be surprised if something like this took home best in class. It’s just so classic with some serious depth. It’s not overly heavy or funky, just easy and deep.
This sourced whiskey is a bit of an outlier. The mash bill (from MGP of Indiana) is 51 percent corn, 45 percent wheat, and four percent malted barley. That makes this a supercharged wheated bourbon (most wheated bourbons are closer to ten to 20 percent wheat). The juice then ages for only three years before it’s bottled as-is by the blenders at Doc Whiskey.
“Vanilla on the nose with a noticeable nasal burn. Semi-sweet on the palate with notes of creamy vanilla and dried fruit which continues through the lingering finish.”
Bottom Line:
Notably, I wasn’t on a single barrel bourbon panel this year, so I haven’t tasted this one yet. That said, “creamy vanilla” and “dried fruit” always work for me so I’m intrigued.
Nashville Barrel Co. is doing some of the best work in the bottling game, full stop. They’re sourcing incredible barrels (a lot from MGP) and bottling them as-is without any cutting, filtering, or fussing — they let the whiskey speak for itself and it’s kind of magical. This expression tends to be five to eight-year-old barrels that will vary slightly in the flavor profile while always leaning into bold and distinct flavors.
Tasting Notes:
Depending on which bottle you come across, expect a nose full of cotton candy, buttered popcorn, vanilla beans, freshly baked cherry pie with a lard crust, and plenty of caramel sauce, mild leather, hints of oak, and a dollop of orange oil. The palate will lean into the spice with plenty of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and allspice with maybe a hint of anise and sweetgrass before a mid-palate of Almond Joy and salted caramel candies take over. That sweet mid-point will give way to a finish with nutty dark chocolate clusters with hints of dried fruits, old leather, sweet oak, and plenty of wintry spices.
Bottom Line:
I can attest that these always rule. They do vary pretty widely depending on who is picking that barrel, but the team at Nashville Barrel Company doesn’t stock bad barrels, period.
This Texas bourbon is made at Firestone & Robertson Distilling Company with an undisclosed mash bill. What we do know is that this whiskey spends two years maturing under the hot Texas sun before it’s transferred into Cognac casks for a final 17-month rest.
Tasting Notes:
Apricots and floral honey mingle on the nose as a hint of raw oats, soft leather, and plum pudding round things out. The palate leans into the spices from the wintry plum pudding with plenty of lush vanilla and salted caramel sweetness on the mid-palate. The finish ramps up the dark brown spices with a Red Hot vibe as the floral honey returns with a hint of grape seeds and skins on the dry backend.
Bottom Line:
This is a nice change of pace that still feels somewhat familiar. That said, this is one of those bottles that sit on my shelf that I forget is there. It’s nice over a rock or two though.
This blender up in Washington is all about finding the prime barrels and creating something new by tinkering, blending, and finishing them in unique ways. In this case, that entailed getting barrels from the Kiona Wintery. The blend of low-rye bourbons are reloaded in Old Block Cabernet Sauvignon casks from Kiona for a final rest before blending and bottling as-is.
“Dark stone fruits, tart cherries, soft licorice, cabernet wine, and toasted vanilla. Dark Chocolate covered brandied cherries (Mon Cheri), baking spice, apple pie filling, and toasted almonds. Full-bodied bourbon with deep flavors of mon cheri cherries, marzipan and crème brûlée.”
Bottom Line:
The team at Doc Swinson’s continually hit it out of the part with these special finishes. That said, this is one of the rarer ones and will be harder to track down. Good luck out there!
This expression of Weller rests in the warehouse for 12 long years. A fair amount of juice is lost to the angels during that stretch. In the end, the whiskey is vatted from the barrels that survived and then proofed down to a soft 90 proof.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a deep, creamy sweet corn note on the nose that gives way to old wool sweaters and vanilla pancakes rolled around soft marzipan. The palate has a warm biscuit vibe with hints of buttery toffee syrup and old cutting boards that still smell of dark spices and dried fruit. The end takes its time and touches back on the cakey vanilla, buttery syrups, soft marzipan, and old, fruit-stained wood as it gently fades away.
Bottom Line:
There’s a lot of backlash to Weller always being so hyped. But … this expression in particular delivers on every bit of that hype. Weller 12 might be the best of the standard Wellers out there these days. Plus, this is the exact same bourbon as Pappy 12, mashbill-wise.
CRAFT DISTILLER
Frey Ranch Single Barrel #589
Frey Ranch
ABV: 66.06%
Average Price: Limited Availability
The Whiskey:
These releases are private barrel picks that usually got to retailers, bars, and private whiskey clubs (who sometimes sell them online). In this case, this is a Distiller’s Reserve pick that you’d only get at the distillery and was picked by the team at Frey Ranch. The actual whiskey in that barrel is Frey Ranch’s five-year-old whiskey that’s barrel as-is with no cutting, filtering, or fussing. Basically, this is Frey Ranch at its purest.
“The nose has notes of dried fruit and cinnamon. It is dry on the palate with pronounced herbal notes and dried fruit, with a long, slightly peppery finish.”
Bottom Line:
Frey Ranch is one of those craft distillers that have yet to miss. This is bound to be a great dram … if you can track one down.
This new age statement released from Jack Daniel’s feels like a throwback to a bygone era in Tennessee Whiskey. The whiskey is aged for at least ten years. During that time, the barrels spend time in the “Buzzard’s Roost” at the top of the rickhouse. Once they hit the right flavor profile, those barrels are moved to the bottom floors of other warehouses to slow the aging down. Finally, the whiskey is vatted, proofed, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
This opens with a rich matrix of cherry syrup, apple cores, sticky toffee, vanilla ice cream, and a thin line of wet and sweet wood. The palate opens up towards the dark fruit but dries it out and married it to a sticky and spicy tobacco leaf while toasted cedar soaked in salted caramel vibes with dry corn husks that are just singed. The finish really takes its time as the cherry attaches to an old cinnamon stick and the tobacco takes on a sticky chewiness with a mild savory fruit edge.
Bottom Line:
It’s no surprise that one of the industry’s favorite whiskeys of last year is winning all the awards this year. Expanding on that, I would not be surprised — at all — if this took home best in class. It’s just freakin’ good. That said, I wasn’t on the finalists’ panels as a judge this year. So, who knows?
Nicole Austin has been killing it with these bottled-in-bond releases from George Dickel. This year’s release is a whiskey that was warehoused in spring 2007. 13 years later, this juice was bottled at 100 proof (as per the law) and sent out to the wide world where it received much adoration.
Tasting Note:
The nose on this one is mildly sweet with almost earthy maple syrup next to pecans from a pie with a touch of dried apple and old leather. The taste runs deep with vanilla leading the way next to a touch of apple and pecan crumble. The mid-palate takes a turn away from all of that and dives into a candied cherry that’s dusted with dark chocolate and a ground-up fruit Neco Wafer or Flintstone’s multivitamin (that’s also cherry-flavored) before the finish gets this browned butter vibe with a touch of soft, sweet oak.
Bottom Line:
This would be my third bet in my trifecta for “best in class.” I was on the original panel that blindly awarded this double gold and everyone at that table was blown away. The fact that it made it through the next round and into the finals is not a surprise whatsoever.
Jaylen Brown is on his way to the first NBA Finals of his career, as the Celtics finally broke through the Eastern Conference Finals ceiling on their fourth visit in the six years Brown has been on the roster, as he has developed into the Celtics second star alongside Jayson Tatum.
The former No. 3 overall pick has steadily improved over the course of his career and is now among the best two-way wings in the NBA, and as he prepares for an increased profile off of a Finals run, he’s making an off-court move to capitalize. TMZ reports Brown has signed with Kanye West’s Donda Sports, although it’s not abundantly clear what the exact relationship will be between the budding agency and the NBA star. Brown is currently on the second year of a four-year, $106 million deal with the Celtics that was negotiated by agent Jason Glushon.
Brown joins Aaron Donald with Donda Sports, as the NFL star announced his partnership with the agency this week — although he noted it was a partnership focused on off the field endorsements and ventures. Whether Brown is leaving Glushon Sports Management in total for Donda Sports or if he is joining them, like Donald, for off-field management remains to be seen, but either way it’s clear he’s getting ready to expand his brand with a new agency.
Over the past year, New York singer Capella Grey’s 2021 single “Gyalis” has become a slow-burning, fan-favorite hit, rising to No. 38 on the Billboard Hot 100 and receiving a Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
It doesn’t look like the song will run out of gas anytime soon; after rising star Chloe offered her own take on the song for Instagram, today, Grey officially added her verse to a sultry “shemix” of the hit single, adding a feminine perspective to Grey’s indecisive single.
Responding to the wishy-washy vibe of the song’s original verse, Chloe flips the script, noting that she too has plenty of options when it comes to romance. Rather than putting up with a reluctant, possibly unfaithful paramour, she dismisses his affections to return to the streets. “I ain’t the bitch that you can lie to,” she asserts. “I ain’t the bitch you gonna cry to.”
Chloe’s covers have been one of the main drivers behind her rise to solo stardom, as she takes on versions of songs like Kanye West’s “24,” Minnie Riperton’s “Loving You,” and more. When she’s not performing covers, she has been using her social media to preview new songs from her upcoming solo debut album, Chloe.
It was revealed a few days ago that BTS had some significant plans to close out the month: They would be heading to the White House to meet with Joe Biden and discuss “Asian inclusion and representation,” “anti-Asian hate crimes and discrimination which have become more prominent issues in recent years,” and “the importance of diversity and inclusion and BTS’ platform as youth ambassadors who spread a message of hope and positivity across the world.”
Well, the day has come and the White House press corps seemed pretty thrilled about it.
At a press briefing today, BTS walked into the room, led by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, and immediately, every phone in the room was raised to get a photo or picture. Jean-Pierre observed, “So much excitement!”
After an introduction, the band spoke briefly, in both English and Korean. RM started, “Hi, we’re BTS, and it is a great honor to be invited to the White House today to discuss the important issues of anti-Asian hate crimes, Asian inclusion, and diversity.” Each other member took a turn at the mic, speaking in Korean before RM concluded, “And last, we thank President Biden and The White House for giving this important opportunity to speak about the important causes, remind ourselves of what we can do as artists. Once again, thank you very much.”
After experiencing a rough couple of months thanks to bleeding subscribers, a drop in share prices, and a lawsuit because of those two things, Netflix kicked off the holiday weekend by dropping its highly anticipated (and very expensive) fourth season of its flagship series. To the surprise of no one, Stranger Things 4 went over like gangbusters.
In a much-needed win, the supernatural series completely shattered premiere weekend records at the streamer as the fourth season proved to be a global hit. “Stranger Things 4 has been running up that hill since Friday, becoming the biggest premiere weekend ever for an English language TV show on Netflix with 286.79 million hours viewed globally!” Netflix tweeted on Tuesday. “It also skyrocketed to the 001 spot in 83 countries — another premiere weekend record!”
Stranger Things 4 has been running up that hill since Friday, becoming the biggest premiere weekend ever for an English language TV show on Netflix with 286.79 million hours viewed globally!
It also skyrocketed to the 001 spot in 83 countries — another premiere weekend record! pic.twitter.com/2mRiT5XQLT
As IndieWire notes, Stranger Things 4‘s viewing hours are a massive increase over the previous premiere weekend champ: Bridgerton Season 2, which only (“only”) had 193 million hours. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the runtime for Stranger Things 4 episodes are crazy long. Most episodes are around 75 minutes long, with the Part 1 finale coming in around two hours.
The overstuffed runtimes were a persistent criticism during early reviews of Stranger Things 4, but clearly, they’re not stopping Netflix subscribers from binge-watching the new season. As for where the heck they’re finding the time, we have no idea. You practically need a week off of work to watch all of them.
Stranger Things 4 Part 1 is currently streaming on Netflix.
Showtime’s long-awaited reboot of American Gigolo is finally almost here, despite some on-set drama that recently made headlines. The 10-episode adaptation follows Jon Bernthal as male escort Julian Kaye, originally played by Richard Gere in the 1980 film. Kaye is released from prison after a wrongful conviction.
Bernthal, who is known for his role as the Punisher, originally thought he was the “wrong guy” for the show. But by the looks of the trailer, he seems to have figured out how to be the right guy! The cast also includes Gretchen Mol, Rosie O’Donnell, Lizzie Brocher, Wayne Brady, and Leland Orser.
Here is the official synopsis:
American Gigolo, a present-day reimagining of the iconic 1980 film, follows Julian Kaye (Jon Bernthal) after his wrongful conviction release from 15 years in prison as he navigates his complicated relationships with his former lover Michelle (Gretchen Mol), his troubled mother, and the people who betrayed him. While Julian struggles to reconcile the escort he was in the past and the man he is today, Detective Sunday (Rosie O’Donnell) seeks the truth about the murder that sent Julian to prison all those years ago, unearthing a much larger conspiracy along the way.
There is no release date set yet, though we can assume it will likely drop sometime this year. Check out the trailer above.
The NRA has never seemed to care much about public perception. Back in 1999, just 10 days after the tragic massacre at Colorado’s Columbine High School, the gun rights group went ahead and held a previously planned event in Denver, less than 15 miles from where 13 people had just been needlessly murdered, and more than 20 others were injured.
Similarly, the NRA forged ahead with its planned annual meeting in Houston, Texas over the holiday weekend, despite the fact that the state was still reeling from last week’s attack on Robb Elementary School—the deadliest school shooting in a decade. On Sunday, CNN’s Jim Acosta was joined by Judge Philip Journey, an NRA Board Member, and immediately took him to task for holding a pro-gun event in the wake of such a horrific tragedy—and promoting a jovial atmosphere. To make his point, Acosta pointed to the fact that former president Donald Trump danced his way offstage… which turned into its own sort of Abbott and Costello routine:
Acosta: Your group is holding its convention in Houston, where you are right now, just a few days after the massacre in Uvalde. We saw Donald Trump dancing on stage at the end of his remarks.
Journey: He was not! I was there; he was not dancing. Give me a break.
Acosta: How is any of this at all appropriate? We’re showing [him] onstage right now. He’s doing a little jig there. People are waving their NRA hats and so on. It’s this celebratory atmosphere right after a mass shooting where all of these kids are gunned down. How is that appropriate?
Journey: I think that what you’re doing is just telling part of the story there. Because at the beginning of his speech, he did do a very memorable memorial for the victims.
This is just gross. They have Trump trying to pronounce and read the names of the dead children while the NRA rings a bell. Disgusting. pic.twitter.com/AADaVc4o0s
Spoiler alert: He also did indeed dance. Watch for yourselves above (around the 1:45 mark) and below.
Acosta: Just a few days after the massacre, we saw Donald Trump dancing on stage l Journey: I was there. He was not dancing Acosta: We’re showing it right now Journey: At the beginning of his speech, he did do a very memorable memorial for the victims pic.twitter.com/Grj2CHwj0W
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(@RonFilipkowski)