Year: 2022

Years ago, there was a commercial where people were shown grimacing with a “bitter beer face” after taking a sip of “bitter” beer. This was a reference to the rise of dank, piney, and very bitter IPAs in the late 1990s. While the ad was simply bigger brands pushing back against craft beer movement of the time, it’s still true that not everyone enjoys mouth-puckering, over-the-top bitterness in their beer. (Although, statistically speaking, a lot of people clearly do.)

As the craft brewing movement progressed, brewers started toying with the IPA as a style to lower that bitterness and attract more beer drinkers. Today, the standard IPA has branched off into sweeter juicier versions like the New England IPA and milkshake IPA, which do indeed attract beer drinkers looking for fruitier and softer versions of the dank and bitter style.

To that end, we asked a few well-known craft beer experts, brewers, and beer professionals to tell us their picks for the best IPAs with the lower levels of bitterness. Keep reading to see all of their sweeter, softer, picks that won’t leave your face looking any more uncomfortable than drinking a glass of orange juice.

Founders All Day IPA

Luis G. Brignoni, founder of Wynwood Brewing Co. in Miami

ABV: 4.7%

Average Price: $8.50 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

Why This Beer?

Founders All Day IPA is a fantastic option for drinkers who specifically avoid bitter beers. It’s a session IPA packed with hop flavor and aroma with low to mild bitterness. It’s very refreshing any time of year.

Firestone Walker Mind Haze

Jeremy Marshall, brewmaster at Lagunitas Brewing Company in Petaluma, California

ABV: 8.3%

Average Price: $12.50 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

This is hard because I would generally route this type of person into the hazy IPA sub-category, which, in general, features much less traditional bitterness and more fruity tropical hop aromas that burst out of the beer. The hazy subcategory is crowded and features many beers that generally all taste the same. One that stands out to me is Mind Haze by Firestone Walker. It is just delicate and balanced, but not over-done.

It’s light enough to bring you in, not bitter at all, and bursts with a very alluring and complex hop aroma that just keeps me coming back again and again.

Lawson’s Finest Sip Of Sunshine

Michael Palmer, lead innovation pilot brewer at Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in Chico, California

ABV: 8%

Average Price: $15.99 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

Why This Beer?

Lawson’s Finest Liquids Sip of Sunshine has layer upon layer of hop complexity. There are tropical, floral, citrus, and just a touch of bitterness to bring the beer together. Overall, it’s a fantastic IPA for drinkers weary of hop bitters.

Metazoa Wicked Pawesome

Broc Eichhorst, brewer at Sun King Brewing in Indianapolis

ABV: 6.3%

Average Price: Limited Availability

Why This Beer?

New England IPAs are tailor-made for folks who want lots of hop aroma without much bitterness, and they are everywhere. Metazoa Wicked Pawesome is an excellent local example here in Indiana. The beer hits in all the right places with low bitterness, soft mouthfeel, heavy tropical and citrus aromas, and a dry enough finish to keep you coming back.

Zero Gravity Bike Beer

Dan Lipke, head brewer at Clown Shoes Beer in Boston

ABV: 4.8%

Average Price: Limited availability

Why This Beer?

Zero Gravity Bike Beer was a great summer IPA from the Burlington, Vermont-based brewery. It’s easy-drinking at 4.8 percent ABV. There are plenty of tropical hop flavors and a bit more malt sweetness to counter the barely-there hop bitterness. I think it’s a perfect easy-drinking IPA.

Lone Pine Oh-J

Rob Day, senior director of marketing at Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers in Framingham, Massachusetts

ABV: 8.1%

Average Price: $16 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

Why This Beer?

The field is open on this one, but I’ll nod to Lone Pine Oh-J. As the name implies, there are big citrus flavors that appeal to a wide range of fans who don’t want it to be bitter. It’s juicy, sweet, and very memorable.

Transient The Juice is Loose

Garth E. Beyer, certified Cicerone® and owner and founder of Garth’s Brew Bar in Madison, Wisconsin

ABV: 8.1%

Average Price: $19 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

Why This Beer?

The Juice Is Loose by Transient Artisan Ales is one of those juice bombs absent of any hop bitterness. It’s a smoothly satisfying beer with bursts of citrus (mainly from the Citra hop) and passion fruit (mainly from the Simcoe hop). The name of this beer really says it all.

Weldwerks Juicy Bits DDH

Ryan Pachmayer, head brewer at Yak & Yeti Brewpub and Restaurant in Arvada, Colorado

ABV: 6.7%

Average Price: $9 for a 16-ounce can

Why This Beer?

The double dry-hopped versions of Weldwerk’s Juicy Bits really hit the spot for me when I don’t want anything super dry and bitter or big and roasty. It has a really pillowy mouthfeel, with a pretty well-balanced base for a NEIPA. But with the double dry hopped variants, they really showcase strong hop flavors on top of that base.

Boulevard The Calling

Jesse Sommers, vice president at Berthoud Brewing Company in Loveland, Colorado

ABV: 8.5%

Average Price: $12 for a four-pack

Why This Beer?

I might have to go to The Calling from Kansas City’s Boulevard Brewing for this one. It goes back to the tropical fruit flavors. It’s also malty and filled with hop flavor with little bitterness.

Eagle Park Goon Juice

Brian Jaszewski, director of product management at Sprecher Brewing Co. in Glendale, Wisconsin

ABV: 8%

Average Price: Limited Availability

Why This Beer?

My pick is Goon Juice by Eagle Park Brewing, Milwaukee. The number of tropical fruit aromas is huge, which is backed up by a little bit of pine. The bitterness is subtle with almost a slightly sweet ending.

Bell’s Two Hearted Ale

John Swanson, brewing supervisor at New Belgium Brewing in Asheville, North Carolina

ABV: 7.1%

Average Price: $8 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

Why This Beer?

Bell’s Two Hearted Ale is by far the most drinkable IPA readily available on the market. Although I grew up in the pinky of Michigan, I cut my teeth brewing and drinking beer in the mountains of Colorado where Two Hearted was unavailable. Anytime a friend from the Midwest was coming out to visit, I always made sure to ask them to bring some.

It is the epitome of balance between tawny grains and crisp hop flavor. It’s not too sweet, not too bitter.

Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing

Brian Bergman, brewing director at Sycamore Brewing in Charlotte, North Carolina

ABV: 6.7%

Average Price: $10 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

A very easily accessible and pretty solid option for a low bitterness IPA is Hazy Little Thing by Sierra Nevada. It’s not going to blow you away with hop flavor, but there’s enough there to keep things interesting. It’s super consistent every time, and it also contains very little hop bitterness. It’s just easy, approachable, and can be found practically anywhere.

System of a Down isn’t the first band that comes to mind when you think “weed.” “Aerials,” doesn’t make you want to light up the same way… just about any Snoop track does, B.Y.O.B. (that’s bombs, not beers) can’t exactly be described as chill, and “Chop Suey,” beautiful and transcendent as that breakdown sounds when you’re stoned out of your mind, doesn’t have any explicit lines about weed. It’s certainly not overt, in the way Bieber’s “Peaches” is. So we don’t blame you if you weren’t on pins and needles just waiting to find out more about System of a Down bassist Shavo Odadjian’s weed brand.

That said… maybe you should have been. Because Odadjian’s cannabis brand, 22Red, is more than a cheesy vanity project or a celebrity gash grab — something the weed space is flush with. There’s actual passion behind this company and the quality of bud proves that.

22Red (which is available at select dispensaries in CA, OR, and WA) takes Odadjian out of the picture. He’s not on the packaging, he didn’t personally design the jar a la Seth Rogen, his name isn’t anywhere in sight. There is no mention of System of a Down or a strain called “Chop Suey.” Everything is focused on just the important stuff, the bud.

According to the website, the brand sees itself as a “boutique quality cannabis brand” and the frosty nugs from the brand’s stock — which are sourced from a variety of master growers in California and hand-selected by Shavo — illustrate that. The brand’s seemingly obscure name was inspired by Shavo’s love of numerology and synesthesia, according to the brand’s website the number 22 “possesses the energies of your biggest dreams,” so if there was ever a doubt in your mind whether Shavo actually smoked weed… we can confidently say he does.

But how does his weed smoke? We found out by sampling three of the brand’s strains. Here are our stoned thoughts.

22Red — Strangelove

Price: $50

The Strain: Hybrid

Tasting Notes & Experience

First up is Strangelove, a hybrid strain with Gelato 33 and Kush Mints genetics and a high 30% THC potency. The buds feature a deep green color with a powerful pine smell. Burned in a bong, it produces a thick milky smoke with sweetened citrus flavors with a floral mint finish.

The high comes on quickly and hit me with a soothing buzzing feeling at my brow that gently settled across my body, inducing a bit of euphoria and a sense of well-being. This is definitely something you want to smoke when you’re setting out to relax and take in your surroundings.

The Bottom Line:

Smoke this before chilling at the beach and taking in the waves, or when you’ve reached your hiking destination. It produces a euphoric high that heightens your visual senses.

22Red — Butter Crunch

Price: $50

The Strain: Hybrid

Tasting Notes & Experience

Another hybrid strain, Butter Crunch is much more Indica leaning than Strangelove, with a slightly more manageable THC content of 25%. This results in a much less blissed-out high, but is equally relaxing. So far it seems like 22Red’s vibe is geared toward relaxing and checking out mentally, so if you’re about those mind trip highs, this is definitely your brand.

The Butter Crunch has a sweet earthy and buttery flavor, worthy of its name, and produces a gooey full-body high that will want to make you lay down, listen to your favorite music, and do little else.

The Bottom Line:

If you’re looking for a cheap, relaxing, body buzzing vacation, smoke some Buttercrunch and it’ll get you there.

22Red — Angry Apple

Price: $50

The Strain: Hybrid

Tasting Notes & Experience

Yet another hybrid strain from 22Red and you know what? I don’t hate it. Bring on the hybrid — strains have always been more complicated than ‘indica’ and ‘sativa’ so we’re happy to take on attributes from both strains. It’s all about the terpenes anyway.

Judging by Angry Apple’s sweet tropical punch flavor, we’re going to guess the dominant ones involved here are myrcene, known for its relaxing sedative qualities, and limonene, known for its mood-boosting, anxiety-melting benefits.

We don’t know that for sure, 22Red sadly doesn’t list terpene information on their packaging or website, but the flavors here and the feelings of well-being brought on by the strain strongly suggest it. With a high 27% THC content, Angry Apple is going to blow your mind, with a high that isn’t quite as heavy as the Butter Crunch or intense as the Strangelove, and instead expresses itself cerebrally.

It’s the only one out of the three strains that I can imagine smoking outdoors or while hanging out with friends.

The Bottom Line:

This strain is slightly geared more towards those who like to be active while stoned, with a sweet and fruity flavor that tastes best in a bong or vape.

Final Thoughts On The Brand:

We’re digging on 22Red. The quality of the bud is top-notch, and the experience given by the curated cannabis matches the best of celebrity brands, like Houseplant, at a more affordable price.

Find a dispensary holding 22Red near you here.

Few things in this life are more universally delightful than having a conversation with a 3-year-old. You never know what they’re going to say, what they say is usually hilarious and even if what they say is nothing special, the way they say it is too-freaking-cute. I can’t count the number of times I wished I’d had a camera on my kids at all times when they were tiny so I could capture the near-constant daily adorableness.

Speaking of adorableness, meet 3-year-old Saylor and her dad Zeth, who are entertaining millions with their conversations on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. It’s really just a dad and his daughter chillin’ together with a couple of microphones, shooting the breeze and doing little activities together. It doesn’t sound like much, but their sweet, wholesome interactions have garnered them 10 million followers on TikTok alone.

When you see their videos, you’ll see why.

Like many kids her age, Saylor loves Disney characters. Here’s a brief clip showing how she likes to pretend to have them on the phone:

@zeth

Got the whole Mickey Mouse clubhouse coming over

But little Saylor had her mind completely blown when Zeth left her with a walkie-talkie and then called her from outside the room to talk to Goofy. I dare you not to smile watching this. (Hold onto your ovaries if you have them, folks. I’m serious.)

@zeth

I don’t know if we can top this reaction 😂

Her hyperventilating excitement, though. Too cute, right? And the “And he answered!” at the end. I love how kids this age mix things that really happened with things that they think happened, as well as things they totally imagined happening. The lines between reality and fantasy are so blurry at age 3, and having dad play along with that sense of wonderment is just awesome.

According to NBC 7 San Diego, Zeth has been a content creator for about 10 years, but most of it revolved around his love of extreme sports. When he bought some podcasting equipment, Saylor helped him break it in, and when he looked at the footage later, Zeth realized they were onto something. Now he gets to live the dream of sharing his preschooler’s cuteness with the world.

Zeth said that they’ll continue making videos together until it’s not fun for Saylor any longer, but for now they’re both clearly having a blast. And millions of us are having a blast watching right along with them.

OK, one more for good measure. Guaranteed, you don’t see the last line coming.

@zeth

Meet the newest member of our family, Sassy Bassy.

It’s tough to quantify whether today’s parents are stricter or more permissive than previous generations, but the overall sentiment seems to be that parents are more lenient than they were a few decades back.

A poll by YouGov found that younger Americans are more likely than their elders to have been raised by “not very strict” or “not at all strict” parents. Thirty-nine percent of under-30s say that their parents weren’t very strict or not strict at all, compared to only 15% of over-65s.

Nicola Kraus, author of “The Nanny Diaries,” believes that it’s a natural outgrowth of the fact that we know a lot more about children than we did in the past.

“We are deeply aware that our children are cognizant, conscious humans in a way previous generations weren’t aware. Children were treated like pets or-worse-release-valves for their parents’ stresses and fears, then expected to magically transform into healthy, functional adults,” she writes.

But this change in parenting has encouraged other trends that many think are creating a greater number of entitled young adults who can’t fend for themselves. These days we have helicopter parents, bulldozer parents and dependent parents whose overinvolvement in their children’s lives renders them incapable of becoming fully integrated adults.

Reddit user u/qquackie asked the online forum “What parenting ‘trend’ do you strongly disagree with?” and got an overwhelming number of responses from people who think that today’s parents are raising entitled children.

Many of the responders think that parents are being too sensitive with their children and they don’t provide firm boundaries. They also think it’s a big problem for kids to think they’re the center of the universe.

Here are 21 of the most popular responses to the parenting question.

1. Pretending that not parenting is parenting

“I won’t tell my child to stop kicking your leg repeatedly because i don’t want to crush his spirit!’ — StoicDonkey

2. ​Denying your kid any negative experiences or emotions

“They are a normal part of being a person, teach them to handle negative emotions now before you send them out into a world they are not prepared to handle.” — IAmRules

3. Fake “gentle parenting”

“You hear and see so many parents letting their children do whatever they want, no matter how destructive, rude or hurtful their behaviours are. Parents find themselves beholden to the whims of their childrens’ emotions in the name of gentle parenting, instead of true gentle parenting where (so I hear) boundaries are set alongside validating emotions.” — candianuk

4. Not setting clear boundaries

“You are the adult, not the kid. Children benefit sooo much more from clear rules and consequences.” — NorthWeight3580

5. The “bulldozer” parent

“The parent who removes all obstacles/challenges from a child’s life so they don’t learn about perseverance, problem solving, failure (sometimes you can try hard and still not get the reward) and learning from mistakes – unless the goal is to develop a highly anxious person – then, being a bulldozer parent is great.” — spinefexmouse

6. Stage-mom syndrome

“Abusing the talents of your child just to boost your self image in society.” — sweettooth_92

7. Nonstop supervision

“Hovering over them at every turn. Whatever happened to tossing them in a play area in another room and letting them create, explore, and get the occasional bumps?” — ansibley

8. Not believing the teacher

“‘My kid never lies to me.’ Seriously. Parents absolutely should be their kid’s biggest supporter. But support sometimes means holding the kid responsible when they don’t do the right thing.” — jdith123

9. “No talking back!”

“If this also counts… Parents who punish their kids for speaking up or otherwise explaining something, saying that they’re ‘talking back.’ I honestly don’t get why most parents refuse to admit they’re not always right sometimes. Besides, what if their kid one day comes up to them and says another adult is touching them inappropriately?” — EntryRepresentative5

10. Helicopter parenting

“Kids need freedom to explore the world, get dirty, engage in free play. I am not advocating putting the child outside on a Saturday morning and telling them to come home when the street lights come on, but an age acceptable level of freedom.” — Cat_Astrophe_X

11. Pushing them too hard

“Pushing them too hard in sports, academics, etc. Like pushing til they need therapy or get injured, no free time, no downtime. FFS, they only get to be young & without excessive responsibilities once.” — Oh-Oh-Ophelia

12. Tablets in public

“Loud cartoons and games on tablets in public places.” — StarrCreationsLLC

13. Potty training too late

“Oh man, I’m a nanny and work in daycare. I can talk so much about this. One is late potty training. Waiting to potty train a child is more and more common. Which I generally agree with. Wait until they’re 2.5-3 and knock it out. Some take longer, some are probably ready earlier. Better than rushing it and causing issues. What this has turned into. Not potty training. I nanny a 4 year old that is still in pull ups. She is more than capable of using the potty. Our 4 year old classroom just installed a diaper genie because so many 4 year olds are starting preschool in diapers. My best friend who is a Kindergarten teacher had 2 kids start kindergarten in diapers. Luckily they’re potty trained now.” — cleaning-meaning

14. Kids on social media

“Creating social media channels for your children where they proceed to upload videos and photos of their kids. Perfect place for pedophiles.” — AJSK18

15. Too much structure

​”I guess the overall trend of prioritizing academics/extracurriculars and college admissions over everything else. Give your kids some chores and let them hang out with their friends outside of structured sports and musical activities!” — hausfrau224

16. Tablet addiction

“Constantly giving your kid(s) a tablet or cellphone to keep them busy because you can’t be bothered to actually be a parent or pay attention to them.” — ZRuneDemonX

17. Letting the kid make all the choices

“I believe kids should have reasonable choices, like what their snack is and the character that’s on their bedspread, but you can’t let your 3 year old decide when you’re allowed to leave your house. The world doesn’t work that way.” — cihojuda

18. Silence

“Saying ‘what goes on in this house, stays in this house.’ I know hundreds of victims of abuse, go through years of pain because of this phrase.” — Dixie_Maclant

19. Birthdays

“The social media trend that keeps upping the expectations for birthday parties and any celebration connected to a kid. When I was a kid, birthdays consisted of a handmade invitation made by me, a cake from the grocery store, food that my Mom cooked and then inviting some friends and family over for games. Today’s expectation is that every monthversary and half-birthday consist of a huge arch of balloons that will end up in the trash, a customized three-tier fondant cake, gift wrapping that color-coordinates with the themed party favors and of course, a very intentional outfit for the numerous photo ops that will take up most of the day. Anything for the ‘gram, right? Don’t even get me started on gender reveal announcements.” — littlebunsenburner

20. Parent, not friend

“Trying to be your kid’s ‘friend,’ not a parent. A parent is there to provide guidance and responsible behavior to model. Yes, sometimes making their actions have consequences and setting boundaries can be difficult and they’ll not be too happy with you. That’s part of the job. Ultimately I think that will result in a healthier relationship than being the “cool” permissive parent. I’ve seen results of that style of (not) parenting with very sad outcomes.” — DataPlenty

21. You’re not special

“Perpetuating the myth that one’s children are somehow special. With about 97% certainty, they are not. Teaching them that they are just sets them up for crushing disappointment down the road. It’s far better to raise kids to believe they are ordinary people with a few gifts, but also some flaws and weaknesses.” — AssistantToTheSensei

Manatees are one of Earth’s more oddly beloved creatures. They’re cute in a “so ugly they’re cute” kind of way, and their bulbous, slowly meandering bodies have earned them the nickname “sea cows.” They are a migratory species, and in the U.S. they congregate mainly in the waters of Florida.

Sadly, manatees are also dying at an alarming rate after only being taken off the endangered species list in 2017. During the first nine months of 2021, nearly 10% of Florida’s manatee population died—more than double the five-year average. Many of those deaths were due to water quality issues impacting the growth of seagrass, one of the manatee’s primary food sources.

Boat strikes, habitat loss and toxic algae blooms also threaten the species, but far too many are dying of simple starvation. According to WUSF, at least 58% of the seagrass in the northern Indian River Lagoon has been lost since 2009, and at least 96% of the Banana River‘s seagrass is gone. Both river habitats have long served as winter homes for manatees.

To help stave off starvation, officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) have staged a salad intervention of sorts. CNN reports that around 350 manatees are currently coming to a temporary field response station in Cape Canaveral to get their daily servings of romaine and butter lettuce. Since the feeding program started, it has served between 25 and 800 manatees a day.

The sea cows salad bar serves up 3,000 pounds of lettuce a day, and officials say it’s helping.

Bravo—more than 50,000 pounds of donated lettuce have been fed to starving Florida manatees to keep them alive this winter, thanks to a program directed by @MyFWC.pic.twitter.com/uIpl9l45Ly

— Lorenzo The Cat (@Lorenzo The Cat)
1645041606

“At this point in time, we have been successful. Manatees are eating the romaine,” Ron Mezich of the FWC told CNN. “We are exposing [a] large amount of animals to this food source and we are making a difference.” The lettuce has nutrients and digestible carbohydrates the sea cows need, he said.

The program has been funded largely through donations from the public and is slated to continue through March.

Hopefully, the FWC will see improvement in the manatee mortality numbers as a result of its efforts. As of February 11, there have already been 261 manatee deaths in the state, though most are still awaiting necropsies to determine the cause of death.

Hungry #manatees have eaten 25 TONS of lettuce from an emergency feeding program, started due to declining seagrass ecosystems. nExperts discourage feeding wild animals, as they will associate humans with food. Instead, consider donating to a manatee orgnhttps://miami.cbslocal.com/2022/02/16/officials-starving-florida-manatees-fed-more-than-25-tons-of-lettuce/u00a0u2026pic.twitter.com/e0u21TaFU5

— The Miami Foundation (@The Miami Foundation)
1645128035

Everyone can take part in helping these gentle giants have a healthy future by following guidance for wise use of waterways, supporting legislation for wildlife protection, reducing and cleaning up pollution along beaches and waterways and encouraging leaders to take meaningful action on climate change.

Don’t try to throw your own salad in the ocean to feed the manatees, though. Officials recommend leaving the lettuce to experts.

With the NBA All-Star Game in Cleveland this year, the Celebrity Game has a distinct Northeast Ohio flair. Cavs legends like Boobie Gibson and Anderson Varejao will participate, as well as Cleveland rapper Machine Gun Kelly.

Another major Cleveland representative, and one who raised eyebrows when he popped up on the roster, is Browns All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett. Garrett is, by far, the best athlete who will grace the court for the event as an in-his-prime NFL player who has plenty of skills on the hardwood, which he’s shown on offseason pickup game highlight reels that regularly go viral on social media. Garrett is ready to put on a show for the hometown fans, something he simply couldn’t pass up with the event in, as he called it, “my city.”

That will certainly endear him to the Browns faithful even more than he already is as the leader of the defense and the team’s best player, although his football career has caused him to put his pickup basketball exploits on hold — the Browns famously asked him to go into a bit of a retirement this summer. But he couldn’t pass up the chance to get out there on the court on Friday night, and prior to Garrett taking the court, we caught up with him at the Reebok “The ‘Bok Door” pop-up in Cleveland to talk about his hoops career, whether he’s going to put MGK on a poster, and getting his Jordan wearing the 45 moment.

You played high school ball right?

Yeah.

What was the scouting report on high school Myles Garrett?

Man, um, a solid mid-range. Streaky shooter. Can slash. Can play above the rim. And loves to play defense, he loves to lock up.

What’s your mindset going in to the Celeb Game? Because obviously we’ve seen the videos you on the pickup court, but like, what’s the effort level gonna be tonight?

Out of 10, maybe like a six or seven. Gonna have a good time, not try to hurt any celebrities or influencers [laughs]. You know, just put on a show but not try to put anybody out for any extended time.

Okay, are we gonna see MGK on a poster?

If he jumps. [smiles]

That’s all I need.

I’m just sayin’.

Have you thought about who you got to work with, because you got Boobie Gibson on the squad, you got Jack Harlow. We gonna get a little two man game? Some pick and roll?

I think so. You know, I like to play outside on the perimeter a little bit. But I ain’t got no ego. I’ll roll to the post. Whatever we need.

This summer you kind of have do a little bit of retirement from ball. Is this your Jordan wearing the 45 moment for you coming out in the Celeb Game.

[laughs] A little bit. It feels sweet.

Feels good.

It does feel good.

You’re here with Reebok, and growing up, what was your favorite Reebok shoe? Because it was fun walking through here getting to see all the all the old shoes — I had a bunch of these Iversons in here. Were you were an Iverson guy or a Shaq guy?

I was a Shaq guy. I was big man back then.

So they were built for you?

Yeah. All through growing up like until like my last year in high school, I was big man. I was a three like my last year. They didn’t need me in the post no more, so I got to chill a little bit.

You stopped growing at 6’5 and then they were like, go outside.

Yep, they were like, you can move outside a little bit.

What does it mean to you as somebody who is from outside of the world of basketball now, but get to do some stuff with Reebok and their hoops sneakers?

Man, it’s big. Basketball’s been a big part of my life for forever. It’s been a big part of my family’s lives with my brother and some of my other relatives, and so just being able to be a part of this is it’s amazing. And I want to be able to show that, you know, I’m not just a football player. I’m an athlete. I do a little bit of everything and do it at a high level.

And then being here in Cleveland and getting to put on for the city that you’ve now made your home and getting to be a part of the All Star Weekend. What does that mean to you to do it here in Cleveland?

Man, it’s my city. I gotta put on. I couldn’t couldn’t let this go on without know me have a little bit part of it. So I was trying to bring the win home, bring the trophy home and I’ll have a good time.

A scheduled concert at London’s O2 Arena was canceled today as Atlantic storm Eunice battered much of Europe, tearing part of the roof off of the building with winds as high as 90 mph, according to Billboard. The parts of the roof that were removed are made of tent fabric, but Billboard was unable to confirm if they affected the arena floor.

Anschutz Entertainment Group, which leases and operates the arena, verified the report through a spokesperson, who said, “The affected areas have been cleared and The 02 will remain closed for the rest of the day. The safety of our visitors remains of paramount importance, and we will continue to assess the ongoing situation and act accordingly.”

Incidentally, the concert that was canceled was the second one that was nixed for this date; in January, the Fugees announced they’d canceled their entire reunion tour, set to engage the main 21,000-capacity arena over touring challenges stemming from COVID-19. Meanwhile, their replacements Punjabi music stars AP Dhillon and Gurinder Gill were set to play the 2,800-capacity Indigo venue, have rescheduled their own show for Tuesday, with all tickets remaining valid.

The next show scheduled for the O2 is British rapper Dave’s, on February 21 and 22. It’s not currently known whether it will be able to take place as scheduled, which would be a shame as Dave is coming off a victorious BRIT Awards that saw him win Best Hip-Hop/Grime/Rap Act and play a flamethrower guitar.

The mind-boggling case of Michael Peterson‘s wife Kathleen’s death is about to get a whole new look on HBO. A dramatization of the case, which has been famously dubbed “The Staircase” over the years thanks to a French documentary filmmaker’s groundbreaking work, will come to life in HBO’s aptly named The Staircase series, which airs this spring. Of course, many people are aware of the case and the conviction of Michael Peterson, but not many people are aware of the bizarre (but also not super far-fetched) theory known as The Owl Theory.

For context: in 2001, Peterson called 911 after allegedly finding his wife Kathleen dead at the bottom of the stairs in their home. Kathleen was covered in blood and her body was mangled, which caused many to believe her death was not an accident. The investigation brought about many twists and turns, mostly due to the mishandling of the case and the crime scene itself by authorities. Eventually, Peterson was tried for murder amid rumors of an unhappy marriage and a bad temper. He was convicted in 2003 to life in prison for her murder, and he has since been released after a plea bargain, and maintains his innocence. But if he didn’t do it, who did?

Here comes the seemingly absurd theory that actually could be plausible: an owl did it.

The Owl Theory is actually backed by some experts, who think that the night went as follows: Kathleen was sitting outside by the pool drinking, when a barred owl attacked Kathleen, leaving talon marks on her skull (which were found in the autopsy). A bleeding and confused Kathleen rushed inside, which is why blood was found on the door, and eventually bled out at the bottom of the stairs where her husband found her. Authorities actually found pine needles and owl feathers in her hair when they first examined the body, but nobody thought to investigate further, despite the fact that owl attacks are not uncommon in the area of North Carolina where the Petersons lived.

In a post on his website, David Rudolf, Michael Peterson’s lead attorney during his original murder trial, laid out some of the main aspects lending credence to this theory.

— Barred owls were living in the woods by the Peterson house
— Barred owls are aggressive and can be dangerous, as explained in: https://www.audubon.org/news/was-owl-real-culprit-peterson-murder-mystery.
— Barred owls have attacked people on numerous occasions
— There were drops of blood on the outside walkway leading to the front door of the house, as shown in police photos
— There was a large smear of blood on the outside of the front door frame as shown in police photos
— At least two of the wounds on Kathleen Peterson’s scalp are in the shape of the talons of a barred owl, as shown on autopsy photos
— The tiny wounds on Kathleen’s face are consistent with the tip of an owl’s beak
— A feather was found on Kathleen Peterson’s body
— A twig was found in dried blood on Kathleen Peterson’s body
— There were numerous strands of Kathleen Peterson’s head hair, which the roots indicated had been pulled out (not cut), found in dried blood on her hands
— Kathleen’s head injuries are not consistent with her having been beaten by a blunt object or on a stair, as she had no brain injury or swelling, no subdural hematoma, and no skull fracture.

Sure, the theory kind of sounds like something out of a Final Destination movie, but the evidence is there, despite how seemingly absurd it is. The theory was dismissed by police, which is why it was never taken further in the investigation.

We will have to wait to see HBO’s take on the story, but according to director Antonio Campos, they took the owl theory “as seriously as any other theory.”

Trying to find the best bourbon whiskey is getting harder and harder. That’s largely due to the bourbon boom and there being so, so many brands on the shelf these days — with umpteen expressions from each brand, special limited editions, retailer picks, bar picks, and on and on. We’re spoiled for options, is the point, and that means we’re more likely to need help navigating.

One way to track down the best bottles is to follow the spirits award circuit. This, at the very least, can help you source whiskeys that are actually breaking through the noise. To that end, I’m tasting some award-winning bourbons blind and sharing what I think are the best of the bunch.

I chose eight Double Gold winning bourbons from last year’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition (which, full disclosure, I’m a judge at this year). It’s a shockingly diverse mix of whiskeys with high-ryes, wheated bourbons, newbie craft, and some of the biggest names in the business. I pulled eight bottles from my shelves, had my wife shuffle and pour, and then I started tasting.

Today’s lineup:

• Blue Run 13.5-Year
• Eagle Rare 17 Antique Collection
• Still Austin “The Musician”
• George T. Stagg Antique Collection
• Redemption High-Rye Bourbon 10-Year
• Maker’s Mark
• Barrell Craft Spirits Batch 024
• George Dickel Bottled-in-Bond Fall 2008

Let’s get tasting!

Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months

• The Single Best Bottle Of Whiskey From Each Of The 50 States
• The 50 Best Bourbon Whiskeys Of 2021, Ranked
• Every Winning Bourbon From Our 2021 Taste Tests, Blind Tasted And Re-Ranked
• The Best Value-Per-Dollar Bourbon Whiskeys, Ranked
• The 100 Best Whiskeys Our Head Drinks Writer Tasted In 2021

Part 1: The Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

Buttery toffee opens the nose, with a Cherry Vanilla Coke vibe next to a lot of old leather and cedar with just a hint of fresh green jalapeño. The spice builds on the palate towards rich and almost creamy dark chocolate and black-tea soaked dates layered into sticky toffee pudding. A cherry candy sweetness arrives on the mid-palate with a final note of green pepper.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

Wintry spice mingles with rich Black Forest cake on the nose as a flake of smoked salt and almost raw leather (hello, Buffalo Trace) rounds everything out. Freshly ground nutmeg, allspice, dried ginger, and cinnamon open up the palate, towards stewed cherries with a hint of salted black licorice, cedar bark, and cherrywood. The end arrives with dark, black potting soil, sharp nasturtiums, and a hint of old mint.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

This is pretty light on the nose with tropical fruits leaning towards papaya and a very young-feeling raw pancake batter. The taste leans into Christmas cake spices with caramel, spicy hot chocolate powder, a touch of marzipan, and vanilla cream pie. The end is soft and watery with more of that savory tropical fruit and spiced chocolate powder flavor.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

Lots of big spice and bark notes on this nose with dark leather and a flutter of dried roses. There’s a singed cedar bark vibe on the palate that leads towards cinnamon bark, vanilla pods, and a hint of apple butter. The mid-palate leans into the cherry with more of a bark feel as soft cherry tobacco leaves give way to a very mild and, well, lovely floral echo.

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

Floral honey counterpoints burnt toffee on the nose as vanilla pods and an almost sour birch soda builds towards old leather. Espresso beans covered in chocolate move the taste towards black peppercorns, green reeds, and a minor note of tobacco. The mid-palate gets sweet with apple candies as the dark chocolate bitters the thinnish end back towards the peppercorns.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

Sweet char leads off a very “classic” feeling nose with plenty of caramel apples, vanilla cream, and sweetgrass notes. The taste is slightly floral with spicy apple pie filling that gets watered down with a rocky mineral vibe. The mid-palate fights its way past the proofing water to bring about chewy apple tobacco that turns into more sweetgrass, sweet leather, and a final note of cherry-infused caramel chews on the finish.

Taste 7

Tasting Notes:

Apple tobacco and stewed pears (with a hint of saffron) mix with a hint of cedar and soft suede on the nose. The palate is part dried mint and part summer squash with nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon sticks adding warmth. Almond and chocolate combine on the mid-palate to create a boozy Almond Joy with hints of wet wicker furniture right after a rainstorm and touch more of that soft suede.

Taste 8

Tasting Notes:

This opens with a hint of dried florals next to pecan pie, maple syrup, and apple Neco Wafers (hello, Dickel). Dried apple chips lead towards roasted nuts on the palate as vanilla pudding powder and dried cherries covered in dark chocolate with a flake of salt round out the taste. The mid-palate leans into a spicy/fruity tobacco chewiness with a brown butter underbelly, vanilla pound cake, and a cherry-infused cedar humidor.

Part 2: The Ranking

8. Still Austin “The Musician” — Taste 3

ABV: 49.2%

Average Price: $45

The Whiskey:

The folks at Still Austin have spent the last six years perfecting their grain-to-glass whiskey experience. The juice is rendered with grains from Texas and water from the ground beneath their feet. The actual whiskey is a two-year-old bourbon that’s batched to highlight the bright fruits of the new and crafty whiskey.

Bottom Line:

The youth and thinness of this really left it pretty far behind today. What’s wild is that there are lower ABV bourbons on this list that didn’t feel as low ABV as this. Also, those young IPA tropical fruit notes and raw dough just feel a little unfinished.

7. Redemption High-Rye Bourbon 10-Year — Taste 5

ABV: 57.2%

Average Price: $102

The Whiskey:

Redemption has a knack for sourcing some of the best barrels from MGP in Indiana. This multi-award-winning bourbon starts off with a base mash bill of 60 percent corn, 36 percent rye, and four percent barley. After 10 years of maturation, the barrels are expertly vatted to make a highly sippable bourbon. That marriage of bourbons then goes into the bottle, uncut and unfiltered.

Bottom Line:

I really like this but it just missed the massive heights of some of the other bottles on the list. That being said, this has a solid beginning, middle, and end that make sense and deliver a great drinking experience …just maybe not a “wow” one.

6. Maker’s Mark — Taste 6

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $32

The Whisky:

This is Maker’s signature expression. You know the drill: Red winter wheat, seasoned Ozark oak, six to seven years in the barrel. This expression’s juice is then sourced from only 150 barrels (making this a small batch, if you want to call it that). Those barrels are then blended, proofed, bottled, and dipped in red wax.

Bottom Line:

This nearly lost me on that minerally mid-palate and then it completely recovered for a bold yet refined finish. And that, folks, is why something as well known as Maker’s is still winning big prizes this many decades later, in my humble opinion.

5. Barrell Craft Spirits Batch 024 — Taste 7

ABV: 56.95%

Average Price: $90

The Whiskey:

This much-loved expression from Barrell marries bourbon from Tennessee, Indiana, and Kentucky. The juice is pulled from nine to 15-year-old barrels. Those whiskeys are vatted and then go into the bottle with no cutting or fussing.

Bottom Line:

This is where things get very “I’m splitting tiny hairs” in this ranking. This dram offers something unique in bourbon and it’s stellar. For whatever reason, it wasn’t what I was looking for today, which doesn’t mean it wasn’t a damn fine dram (a DFD, if you will).

4. George T. Stagg 2020 Antique Collection — Taste 4

ABV: 65.2%

Average Price: $1,100

The Whiskey:

We started off with the biggest whiskey of the line-up. This juice is distilled from Kentucky corn, Minnesota rye, and a touch of malted barley from North Dakota. The whiskey then spends 15 years and four months in oak in three different warehouses on three different floors. Over that time 59 percent of the whiskey is lost to the angels, leaving a high-proof bourbon.

Bottom Line:

This always runs a little hot for me. It’s nuanced and spicy with serious depth. This time, it felt a little more approachable. That could be from this bottle/sample being open for two years and oxygen seeping in to calm it down. Still, this had real nuance that felt super accessible.

3. George Dickel Bottled-in-Bond Fall 2008 — Taste 8

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $45

The Whiskey:

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 the fall of 2008. Eleven 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.

Bottom Line:

This is unique while still being delicious and approachable. I know a lot of people get turned off by that “Neco Wafer” or “vitamin” note but it works for me. Moreover, there’s so much more going on that speaks to the depth of this whiskey’s build that you can’t help but be drawn in.

2. Blue Run 13.5-Year — Taste 1

ABV: 63.41%

Average Price: $1,755

The Whiskey:

Jim Rutledge’s new project after leaving Four Roses is one of the most sought-after new bourbons on the market (we’ll be doing a live tasting soon). The juice in the bottle is hand-selected by Rutledge and barreled as a single barrel at cask strength. That also makes each bottle unique… and fleeting.

Bottom Line:

This was one of those whiskeys you never want to end. It had the depth of something special while still feeling like you weren’t being overwhelmed with “flavor” or “ABVs.” I wish I had more.

1. Eagle Rare 17 2020 Antique Collection — Taste 2

ABV: 50.5%

Average Price: $1,560

The Whiskey:

This whiskey was produced in the spring of 2003. Since then, it lost 73 percent of its volume to the angels as it rested in warehouses C, K, M, and Q on various floors. The barrels were then vatted, proofed down, and bottled.

Bottom Line:

I’ve been drinking a lot of Eagle Rare lately and I think that’s why this hit so well for me today. It’s just classic while also being refreshing and interesting. As I mentioned, the top five are so close that maybe had I not known this was Eagle Rare it would have ranked (a little) lower. But, it really just is too damn tasty to deny.

Part 3: Final Thoughts

This tasting was a little front-loaded. I wasn’t going to miss Eagle Rare or Dickel Bottled-in-Bond in this tasting. And whether I knew they were there or not, there’s very little that can beat them.

All of that being said, it was pretty clear why all of these whiskeys are beloved and win awards — well, maybe with the exception of Still Austin’s bourbon. It’s so young and fruity. It feels almost there but not quite, especially when tasted against the heavy-hitters on this list.

In the end, the top five could have easily been a tie or ordered differently, depending on my mood. If you can find one of those bottles, you’ll be set.

After a little over three months of pregnancy, Ashley Agnitch got the heartbreaking news no parent ever wants to receive. Her daughter, Greta Lynn, had a genetic abnormality and was not expected to survive pregnancy.

Searching for solace, Agnitch discovered an innovative resource called the Cuddle Cot, a cooling bassinet that keeps a baby’s body from deteriorating—without making it too cold—for days. During the most difficult event in a parent’s life, they get a precious gift: time.

Time to touch. Time to take photos. Time to hold a baptism. Time to introduce the family. Time to say goodbye.

The Cuddle Cot had been unavailable to Agnitch, which was yet another tragedy. But against all odds, Greta had been born and gave her mother “five beautiful hours of life.” However, as Agnitch became a labor and delivery nurse, she could see an overwhelming need for this kind of bereavement support in other families experiencing the loss of a child. And how difficult it was to get.

“I wanted to give local families precious time to bond with their babies,” Agnitch told news sources. So she started a fundraiser to purchase multiple Cuddle Cots, making the resource available to families at two birthing centers on California’s Central Coast.

Agnitch writes on the fundraiser’s website, “I started this fundraising campaign to bring Cuddle Cots to local hospitals. I am beyond grateful to share that through generous donations we have been able to provide a Cuddle Cot to both Marian Regional Medical Center and French Hospital. My goal is to continue to provide high volume hospitals with Cuddle Cots. Through this campaign we have also identified a need for digital cameras and photo printers for the birthing units. We cherish our photos with Greta and it is one way we can share her life with our young kids. We would like to provide photos for families that are unable to have a professional photographer at their delivery or during their stay. Beyond your financial contribution you will be giving the gift of time for bereaved families to preserve a lasting memory with their child before saying their final goodbyes.”

So far, Agnitch has raised over $12,000.

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Without this type of resource, babies are often immediately placed in the hospital’s morgue, giving parents little time to grieve. Hopes and dreams are snatched away, both figuratively and literally. According to The New York Times, only 400 to 500 hospitals in the country have Cuddle Cots available, mostly donated. Considering that one in four pregnancies end with child loss, there is no doubt that there is a need for more cots. Agnitch, and others like her, are helping parents create memories and say their goodbyes.

Nothing can ever truly take away the heartbreak of losing a child. But stories like this are a gentle reminder that, through innovation and compassion, support during a difficult time is out there. Even in our deepest pain, the opportunity to create beautiful, lasting memories is available to us. And that is something worth cherishing.