This year’s Oscar nominations drew the usual cheers and jeers, as well as some gasps. Among the surprises was a Best Actress nod for Andrea Riseborough. It’s not that the acclaimed English actress didn’t deserve. It’s not even that few people saw To Leslie, the small indie drama for which she’s nominated. It’s that the recognition seemed to come not from the usual moneyed campaign routes but from a grass roots effort by high-profile Hollywood figures like Cate Blanchett, Kate Winslet, and Gwyneth Paltrow. AMPAS is now investigating campaign efforts in general, efforts that are being slammed by some other key figures.
One of them is Marc Maron, who, as per Entertainment Weekly, took AMPAS to the cleaners on Monday’s episode of his podcast WTF. “Apparently, the Academy of Motion Picture Sciences, or whatever the f*ck it is, has decided to investigate Andrea Riseborough’s grassroots campaign to get her the Oscar nomination,” Maron railed. “Because I guess it so threatens their system that they’re completely bought out by corporate interests in the form of studios.”
He went on:
“Millions of dollars [are] put into months of advertising campaigns, publicity, screenings by large corporate entertainment entities, and Andrea was championed by her peers through a grassroots campaign, which was pushed through by a few actors. The Academy is [like], ‘Well, we gotta take a look at this. This is not the way it’s supposed to work. Independent artists don’t deserve the attention of the Academy unless we see how it works exactly. So, we’re going to look into this.’”
The podcaster and actor called the grass roots campaign “earnest,” and called out the Academy working “at the behest of special interest and corporate interest and paranoia about how they look.” He concluded, “Who gives a f*ck?”
Maron wasn’t the only one who sprung to Riseborough’s defense. In a since-deleted post on her Instagram stories, Christina Ricci said it was “elitist” for AMPAS to single out campaign efforts not fueled by an avalanche of cash.
“Seems hilarious that the ‘surprise nomination’ (meaning tons of money wasn’t spent to position this actress) of a legitimately brilliant performance is being met with an investigation,” Ricci wrote. “So it’s only the films and actors that can afford the campaigns that deserve recognition?”
When they announced that they were looking into this year’s campaign efforts, the Academy didn’t single out Riseborough, nor did they specify what rules, if any, had been broken. AMPAS has revoked nominations before. In 2014, they did just that to composer Bruce Broughton after he was caught having “improperly lobbied” members of the the music branch by contacting them over e-mail.
For her part, Riseborough has said she is “not entirely sure how the f*ck” she got nominated, but was beyond touched: “It has been special to feel so supported by the community — especially by actors — and to feel like the work has broken through that. It’s really not something I’ve ever experienced before.”
Meanwhile, you can watch the trailer for To Leslie below. The Oscars will air on March 12 at 8pm on ABC. Heck, maybe Riseborough will even win for this little movie that could.
As a native of Miami, Florida, the musician will make several stops across the United States. However, now, as a resident of Italy, their international fans are hoping that the tour will extend across the pond, which it will.
While, Pretty Sick, Izzy Spears, Frost Children, Nation, and Evanora Unlimited will appear as supporting acts on the To Spite Or Not To Spite Tour, only Nation will accompany Tumor during their shows in the United Kingdom and Europe.
Latto deals with a lot of trolls. When she released “Another Nasty Song,” she received a repeated complaint: “p*ssy is that only thing she raps about.” Luckily, she’s always prepared to address the issues head-on. She responded by tweeting, “I got plenty [of] songs [that] not about ‘p*ssy.’ Y’all don’t blow them up & that’s not my problem.”
This time, the situation is even more unhinged. She recently got the ridiculous accusation from a Twitter user that she “can’t afford new panties” because she wore the same pair twice. Initially, she reacted just by quote-tweeting: “Oh no, it’s the panty police,” which went instantly viral. But then she took it up a notch. Or a few notches, really.
The rapper used this as an opportunity to clap back in the funniest way possible; she listed them on eBay for 99 cents. In the caption of her Instagram post, she wrote: “Auction live on eBay since I can’t wear them twice.” The eBay listing reads: “Latto’s everyday cheetah print panties. Used. As seen on Latto multiple times.” Bids quickly rolled in, nearing hundreds of thousands of dollars before the listing was removed.
She kept it up for hours on her Instagram stories, entertaining fans with this seemingly endless bit. She even gave them a tour of her underwear drawer.
Scotch whisky in the $60 to $70 range is where you start breaking into the good stuff. Still, it depends on what you’re looking for. There are some bold peated whiskies at this price point that might be a little too much right next to super subtle peated whiskies that you might fall in love with. There’s also a ton of entry-point — think 10 and 12-year-old — unpeated whiskies that’ll taste amazing until you get your hands on their 18 or 20-year-old siblings.
It’s a lot to figure out, so I’m calling out the 10 Scotch whiskies that I think you should try at this price point. For the list, I gathered 10 whiskies that I recommend for anyone from a newbie to a pro. Because the truth is that no matter how far down your whisky road you are, there are still solid whiskies to be found at around $65.
When it comes to ranking these whiskies, it’s a bit looser. We’re still very much in the “Welcome to the party” level of Scotch whisky. These are all mixing whiskies for the most part with a few sippers thrown in near the end. That basically means that I’m looking at the depth to find the best whisky at this price point.
Finally, when it comes to the price, these are all priced according to delivery services in Louisville, Kentucky (Drizly and Total Wine). Local prices and availability will vary.
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Scotch Whisky Posts of The Last Six Months
This Highland malt is blended by Scotch icon Dr. Rachel Barrie to highlight the beauty of the Scottish Highlands. The juice is a blend of whiskies aged for 12 years in Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks before vatting, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This opens with spicy berries next to tart apples with a hint of lemon/lime and old leather.
Palate: The sip leans into a honey sweetness with vanilla beans, dark plums, and spicy malts.
Finish: The finish smooths out with a mineral water softness as old cedar boards mingle with a raisin tobacco chewy spice on the very end.
Bottom Line:
This is a great place to start any whisky journey. This is a stone-cold classic unpeated malt that delivers a great profile. That said, I’d generally use this for a killer highball or cocktail before I’d use it as a sipper.
The heart of Dewar’s is Aberfeldy whisky. This blend is a testament to Master Blender Stephanie MacLeod’s prowess in bringing good whisky together to make great whisky. The juices are aged for 18 long years in American oak before they’re vatted into a large oak tun and allowed to rest before proofing and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s that signature Aberfeldy honey on the nose with hints of almonds, stone fruits, and red berries next to a hint of dried leather, Christmas spices, and maybe even some tobacco leaf.
Palate: The palate dials all of this in with a marzipan vibe next to floral honey, bruised apricot skins, and dark chocolate-covered red berries with a hint of tartness and bitterness.
Finish: The end is soft, silky, and brings a final bite of sweet oak with a slight tobacco chew layered with dark chocolate and marzipan.
Bottom Line:
This is a nice blended whisky. It’s perfect for highballs or over a ton of ice in a rocks glass. It also works as a decent cocktail base with a penicillin or Scotch old fashioned.
8. Benriach The Twelve Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Dr. Rachel Barrie’s reimaging of BenRiach has been a stellar success. This dram is a marrying of 12-year-old malts that matured in ex-bourbon, ex-sherry, and ex-port casks before vatting, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This has a bold nose full of apple and pear candy, plenty of blooming heather scrub, and blueberry juice and stems with a hint of dark orange chocolate balls.
Palate: The taste boils everything down to a silken palate of stewed pears with cinnamon sticks, sherry-soaked prunes, freshly milled oats, orange-infused marzipan with dark chocolate frosting, and a slight espresso bean oily bitterness.
Finish: The finish creates a creamy espresso macchiato vibe that’s spiked with that dark orange chocolate note and a final hit of those stewed fruits.
Bottom Line:
This is a solid Speyside that works as an intro to the region and a killer cocktail base. That said, no one is stopping you from pouring over some ice and enjoying it that way too.
Compass Box is one of the most interesting blender/bottlers working today. This expression is the perfect example of the craft of whisky blending, with six masterfully married peaty barrels coming together, focusing on Caol Ila and Laphroaig. A touch of Highland malt is added to bring in hints of dark spice to balance all that Islay peat.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This is peaty but not ridiculously so, thanks to the subtlety of the Caol Ila in the mix.
Palate: There’s a really rich and sweet apple/pear vibe that cuts through the earthy peat while a vanilla cream brings about a velvet mouthfeel.
Finish: The smoke returns but is tied to the fruit — like a bushel of smoked apples, pears, and apricots next to a touch of ashy smoke — on the finish.
Bottom Line:
This peated whisky pulls no punches. It’s bold and vibrant but a little intense. So maybe think about this as a float over a cocktail to add some earthiness and smoke. You’ve been warned.
6. Bruichladdich Port Charlotte Heavily Peated Islay Single Malt 10
Bruichladdich really has fun with peated whisky. This expression keeps the peat phenols in the mid-range, leaning high. The casking is a mix of first and second-fill bourbon barrels and second-fill French wine barrels. That utilization of second-fill oak means there’s a very light touch of wood on this peated whisky.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Imagine a dark chocolate orange drizzled in salted caramel and served on a wet leaf of seaweed on the nose.
Palate: The smoke kicks in on the palate with those wet seaweed leaves thrown on a smoldering pile of pine to create a massive billow of smoke everywhere, as hints of buttery white wine and strawberry jam-covered scones linger in the background.
Finish: The finish leans into the bready nature of the scones with a dry straw edge that’s followed by a mouthful of seaweed-heavy grey smoke.
Bottom Line:
This is another boldly peated whisky. It’s not for the faint of heart. Still, there’s a lot of complexity under all that smoke that’s worth seeking out. Though you may need an ice cube or two to help coax it out.
This whisky is an independently bottled expression. Beyond that, not much more is known besides that it’s from Islay and heavily peated.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a heavy campfire smoke with a hint of lemon pepper, fresh ginger juice, and honey malt cookies dipped in an almost burnt dark chocolate.
Palate: The palate leans into smoked honey and burnt orange with a deep sense of gingerbread and plum jam next to notes of burnt espresso and smoldering camp stoves.
Finish: The end feels a bit like a campfire that fizzled out overnight and has gone cold next to burnt honeycombs, apple chips, and caramelized malts.
Bottom Line:
This is a pretty intense sipper. It’s truly smoky AF. Still, there’s a lot to be found in its depths as a sipper and worth spending some time with (if you can get past the initial billow of smokiness).
This is the whisky that launched the “double aging” trend back in 1982. This unpeated single malt spends 12 years mellowing in ex-bourbon casks before it’s transferred to ex-sherry casks for a final maturation of nine months. Finally, the whisky is vatted in a “tun” where it rests for three to four months before proofing and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Soft and floral honey mixed with a hint of vanilla extract, sweet red berries, and wine-soaked oak.
Palate: The palate meanders through light touches of marzipan with a hint of cinnamon and fields of plum trees with a whisper of tree bark and leather lurking in the background.
Finish: The finish lets the spicy malt kick in with a dose of hot cinnamon and honey tobacco.
Bottom Line:
This is a really solid unpeated malt with a great balance and depth of flavors. Use it in your favorite whisky cocktails or just sip it over some rocks. Either way, you’re set.
3. The Dalmore Aged 12 Years Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
This Highland whisky is a gateway whisky that feels like a classic. The juice is aged in ex-bourbon for nearly a decade. The whisky is then transferred to former sherry casks for that crucial finishing touch of maturation for around three years. It’s then proofed down to a very accessible 80 proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Oranges studded with cloves mingle with a deep dark chocolate foundation and a hint of eggnog creaminess and spiciness.
Palate: The palate goes even deeper on the orange and spice as heavy vanilla arrives — the husks, seeds, and oils are all present.
Finish: The end is fairly succinct and touches back on the chocolate with a bitter mocha-coffee vibe and more vanilla.
Bottom Line:
Quintessential. This is unpeated entry-level single malt at its best. It makes a mean cocktail or serves as a mean sipper on its own, especially if you’re looking for something easy on the palate.
2. Talisker Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 10 Years
This is one of the most awarded single malts ever. The juice is matured in ex-bourbon casks in Talisker’s warehouse which is literally feet away from the sea. The subtly peated malts take on a real seaside feel as those years tick past, creating a whisky that will not disappoint.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with this soft sense of pitted orchard fruits next to a thin line of beach campfire smoke far off in the distance with a hint of minerality and bright spiced malts.
Palate: The palate has a hint of an oyster shell that leads to dried pears and apricot with a hint of warmth and spice malt next to dry sweetgrass.
Finish: The end is full of lightly smoked plums with a touch of cardamom and cinnamon next to sea salt and a final whiff of that beach campfire way down the beach somewhere.
Bottom Line:
This whisky has the perfect balance of peat, brine, and fruit. It’s devilishly simple while carrying true depth. It’s wonderful in a cocktail or neat.
1. Johnnie Walker Green Label Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
Johnnie Walker’s Green Label is a solidly crafted whisky that highlights Diageo’s fine stable of distilleries across Scotland. The whisky is a pure malt or blended malt, meaning that only single malt whisky is in the mix (no grain whisky). In this case, the primary whiskies are a minimum of 15 years old, from Talisker, Caol Ila, Cragganmore, and Linkwood.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Soft notes of cedar dance with hints of black pepper, vanilla pods, and bright fruit with a wisp of green grass in the background.
Palate: The palate really delivers on that soft cedar woodiness while edging towards a spice-laden tropical fruit brightness.
Finish: The finish is dialed in with hints of cedar, spice, and fruit leading toward a briny billow of smoke at the very end.
Bottom Line:
This is a whisky that’s so much greater than its equally great parts. This is one of the best blended malt whiskies you’ll ever find.
Despite the album not hitting streaming platforms until March, the electric musician has announced a full world tour to support the album kicking off at Coachella. Officially named the To Spite Or Not To Spite World Tour will feature a gang of featured acts, including Nation, Pretty Sick, Izzy Spears, Frost Children, Nation, and Evanora Unlimited.
View the full tour schedule below.
04/14 — Indio, CA @ Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
04-21 — Indio, CA @ Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
04/25 — Tempe, AZ @ The Marquee ^$
04/27 — Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live ^$
04/28 — Austin, TX @ Austin Psych Fest $
04/29 — Dallas, TX @ The Factory ^$
05/01 — New Orleans, LA @ The Joy Theater ^$
05/02 — Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern ^$
05/04 — Washington, D.C. @ Echostage *$
05/05 — Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall *$
05/06 — Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground Ballroom *$
05/07 — Montreal, Quebec @ M Telus *$
05/09 — Toronto, Ontario @ History %$
05/10 — Detroit, MI @ Majestic %$
05/12 — Chicago, IL @ The Riviera %$
05/13 — Minneapolis, MN @ First Ave %$
05/15 — Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre %$
05/17 — Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory Concert House $
05/18 — Vancouver, British Columbia @ The Vogue Theatre #$
05/20 — Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo #$
05/21 — Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater #$
05/23 — San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield #$
06/02 — Barcelona, Spain @ Primavera Sound
06/04 — Barcelona, Spain @ Razzmatazz
06/07 — Madrid, Spain @ Shoko
06/09 — Madrid, Spain @ Primavera Sound
06/10 — Porto, Portugal @ NOS Primavera Sound
11/07 — Prague, Czech Republic @ Roxy !
11/09 — Warsaw, Poland @ Progresja !
11/11 — Stockholm, Sweden @ Slaktkyrkan !
11/12 — Copenhagen, Denmark @ Vega !
11/14 — Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Paradiso !
11/17 — Berlin, Germany @ Huxleys !
11/21 — Paris, France @ Elysee Montmartre !
11/24 — Manchester, England @ New Century Hall !
11/26 — Glasgow, Scotland @ O2 Academy Glasgow !
11/27 — Dublin, Ireland @ 3Olympia !
! with Nation
$ with Pretty Sick
^ with Izzy Spears
* with Frost Children
% with Nation
# with Evanora Unlimited
To purchase tickets for any of the dates listed above, click here.
Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) is out 3/17 via Warp Records. To pre-save, click here.
Welcome to Style Watch, our monthly roundup of the best streetwear and apparel to hit the internet. It’s now 2023, so as the old adage goes — new year, new you. If you’re looking to redefine your look, this is the perfect time.
Fashion is in flux right now — it’s always in flux! Everything is always in flux! — both aesthetically, as previous trends die out, and because we’re in that weird time of year where apparel brands don’t quite know what to deliver. Do they double down on the winter fits from the fall and winter 2022 season? Or do they already start rolling out breezier and less weighed-down spring fits?
That means we get a mix of a little bit of everything. And with the weather seeming to vacillate wildly around the country, we’re not complaining!
Highlights from this week include Adidas’ new Y-3 collection, a Joe Freshgoods Vans link-up, and a few highlights from smaller labels that are producing some cutting-edge fits that speak to streetwear’s current dominant aesthetic. If you’re looking for a pair of sneakers to complete the look, be sure to hit up our weekly sneaker roundup SNX Deluxe. For now, let’s dive into the best apparel that has dropped or will drop this month!
Also Read: The Most Popular Style Posts In The Last Six Months on UPROXX
Joe Freshgood’s x Vans — Chocolate Valley Resort Collection
Joe Freshgoods/Vans
For Chicago designer Joe Freshgood’s latest, he teamed up with Vans for an apparel and sneaker collection dubbed the “Chocolate Valley Resort.” The capsule of clothing and sneakers is inspired by the story of the Black Travel experience and takes direct influence from the Midwestern cabin-bound aesthetic of Freshgood’s own youth.
The imagery for the collection was shot by documentarian Yashaddai Owens and stars musician Barrington Darius who assumes the role of a 1950s writer ala James Baldwin or Audre Lorde, holed up in a resort writing a masterpiece. For the campaign, Darius is dressed in some of the collection’s key pieces, like the Resort Puffer, and Chocolate Cardigan which features faux mohair and coral jacquard stripes.
It’s a colorful and cozy collection from one of streetwear’s best current designers. The Chocolate Valley Resort collection is available to shop at Joe Freshgood’s online store and select Vault By Vans retailers globally.
Joe Freshgoods/Vans
Entire Studios
HBX
If you’re all about luxury-quality fabrics and construction but still like that understated and minimalist vibe, Entire Studios is the brand for you. Founded by designers Dylan Richards and Sebastian Hunt, the duo’s latest unisex collection feature streetwear basics and essentials in neutral but rich color palettes that will appeal to those looking for loungewear and casual styles.
The loose-fitting collection includes the stylishly simple Box Crew sweater, a heavy cotton Hoodie, puffer jackets and pants for those in colder climates, and earth-toned cargo baggie cargos. Much of the collection features the same color palette — a simple mix of faded green, black, brown, and lavender.
Did you know Playboy makes clothes? Yes, in addition to tasteful nudes and video content, Playboy also has an extensive line of both apparel and lingerie that utilizes the brand’s iconic imagery in really interesting and fresh ways. My favorite collection from the brand is the Tokyo Club collection, which combines streetwear with anime imagery that celebrates the ‘70s Playboy Club in Tokyo.
Featuring unisex essentials like hoodies, cropped sweaters, t-shirts, baby-tees, and hats, the Tokyo Club collection features simple Playboy bunny imagery with Japanese kanji and reimagined magazine graphics recreated in anime-inspired stylings. Highlights from the series include the Tokyo Club Cowgirl t-shirt, Happy Hour crew neck, and cropped Rabbit Head cropped long sleeve.
London-based brand Jehucal’s first collection of 2023 dropped earlier this week and features a mix of heavyweight varsity jackets, hoodies, sweatpants, and accessories for all your winter fit needs. Dubbed the “Daily Coffee” collection sports quality construction over fabrics like heavyweight French terry cotton with embroidered details and graphic simplistic graphic prints that don’t distract from the silhouettes and rich warm colors.
Much of the collection utilizes deep chocolate brown tones that resemble rich coffee with a few pieces in black and white. Shop the Jehucal Daily Coffee collection at the Jehucal webstore.
Jehucal
Y-3 — Spring/Summer 2023: Chapter 1 Collection
Adidas
Adidas and Yohji Yamamoto have just unveiled their latest Y-3 collaboration for 2023, the Spring Summer 2023 Y-3 Chapter 1 collection. Featuring avant-grade cuts and tailored silhouettes, the new sportswear collection features apparel, accessories, and footwear that combine Yamamoto’s luxury aesthetic with Adidas classic sportswear pieces.
Highlights from the collection feature the Y-3 half zip logo hoodies, leopard printed knit cardigans, bomber jackets, and Yohji-logo graphic long sleeves, tees, and hoodies all done in a unisex style with pieces that run from double XS to double XL. Shop the Y-3 Spring/Summer 2023: Chapter 1 collection at the Adidas webstore.
Adidas
Editor’s Pick: Luxfort Builder Zip-Up
Luxfort
When I first saw the Luxfort Builder, I knew I had to feature it in the kickoff of this column. It’s fly in photos but even better in person — in fact, I remember seeing a friend wearing it in orange and texting him an hour later, “I’m getting that same coat in green!”
Founded by Nick Bower, former head of creative at Stussy, and his son, Tristan, the brand puts a very fine point on the relationship between workwear and streetwear. This coat feels highly functional but looks cool and young. It’s more stylish than Dickies and still comfortable enough to cruise around town in.
To tell you the truth, I don’t know that I’m the best person to make use of all the Builder’s pockets (I hate carrying stuff), but I do know that with a white tee under it, this look has gotten tons of comments from people whose style I respect. Better still, it can go “dress up” very easily — I wore it to dinner this week at a nice restaurant and it was bold enough that I stood out while still being substantially dressier than a hoodie.
It’s not every day a ventriloquist act is so jaw-dropping that it has to be seen to be believed. But when it does happen, it’s usually on “America’s Got Talent.”
Ana-Maria Mărgean was only 11 years old when she first took to the stage on “Romania’s Got Talent” to show off her ventriloquism skills, an act inspired by videos of fellow ventriloquist and “America’s Got Talent” Season 2 champion Terry Fator.
Using puppets built for her by her parents, the young performer tirelessly spent her quarantine time in 2020 learning how to bring them to life, which led to her receiving a Golden Buzzer and eventually winning the entire series in Romania.
Mărgean is now 13 and a competitor on this season of “America’s Got Talent: All-Stars,” hoping to be crowned the winner and perform her own show in Vegas, just like her hero Fator.
The routine started with a hilarious bit between Mărgean and Waldo, her “rescue dog.” But it’s when she begins singing a bold and brassy version of Lesley Gore’s “You Don’t Own Me” that you know you’re witnessing something truly special.
Take a peek below. Holy moly, those high notes that Mărgean…er…I mean Waldo hit are fabulous.
The feedback from both the viewers and judges was unanimous awe.
“I mean, no wonder you won [RGT]. You are incredible, you are gorgeous, you can sing so beautifully…I love your furry friend, and it was funny, too! I love all the banter and the jokes,” applauded judge Heidi Klum.
Howie Mandel added, “I was laughing. And I cannot believe your story that you just started doing this during lockdown. Like, you don’t even have two years under your belt. That was amazing. The fact that this was something you looked up online, the fact that you were inspired by people you saw on America’s Got Talent—you are an AGT All-Star! The Superfans are gonna love you!”
Prior to her performance, Mărgean shared how winning “Romania’s Got Talent” completely changed her life, allowing her family to afford a brand new home. While her fate might still be up in the air for “AGT,” she’s already made huge strides and has racked up a lot of people rooting for her.
Like whiskey, rum, and other spirits, gin is dominated by a handful of big names. We’re talking about the likes of Bombay Sapphire, Tanqueray, Hendrick’s, and Beefeater. Even when you jump to the more craft level of gin, you’ll still find the same names over and over again — Sipsmith, The Botanist, Money 47, and others. And while you can’t go wrong with any of those brands, gin is such a popular spirit that there are also countless lesser-known gins well worth your time.
Sometimes these smaller brands get lost in the shuffle. It’s much easier to stroll into your local liquor store or peruse your favorite online retailer and simply grab the popular bottles. But if you don’t give some of the underrated, lesser-known brands a shot, you’re really missing out — this is where a lot of innovation occurs.
In an effort to find some of these proverbial juniper-filled diamonds in the rough, we went to the professionals who bide their time behind the bar for help. We asked a few well-known bartenders to tell us their favorite lesser-known gins to mix with this season. Keep scrolling to see all of their picks.
Blackwoods Classic Dry Vintage Gin
Blackwoods
Mikee Hardison, bartender at American Barrel in Columbia, Tennessee
I think Blackwoods Vintage Dry Gin is a fun winter cocktail gin based on its seasonal flavor profiles. It adds to the flavor profile of the different vintages based on the regional growing conditions for the time period.
Tasting Notes:
Juniper, earthy grass, vanilla, and citrus are all prevalent flavors that will add depth to your favorite wintry cocktail.
D. George Benham’s Sonoma Dry Gin
D. George Benham
Roberto Cibrian Stockbridge, USBG bartender located in Boston
D. George Benham’s from Sonoma. Derek George Benham created this expression after falling in love with the bold flavors of gin while on a trip to Spain. It’s a great gin for cocktails year-round, especially during the winter months.
Tasting Notes:
It’s very balanced botanical notes with buddha’s hand lemon, mint, and juniper. One of my favorites for mixing.
Sipsong Indira Gin
Sipsong
Greg Coll, food and beverage director at Dawn Ranch in Guerneville, California
Sipsong Spirits Indira Gin is a boldly unique Sonoma County favorite, distilled using grapes and corn with cumin, cardamom, and coriander dominating the palate.
Tasting Notes:
Something about the combination of flavors like juniper, coriander, and lime is just magically warming the soul. Simply mix with tonic or venture out of the box for a whole new winter cocktail experience.
One of my favorite Gins to mix during wintertime is Ransom Old Tom Gin from Seattle Washington, because of its clean taste and provocative coastal flavors and aromas.
Tasting Notes:
Malty and woody with hints of orange and seductive evergreen shrubs. Perfect for straightforward drinks like a Martinez or an old fashioned.
St. George Dry Rye Reposado Gin
St. George
Brandon Ristaino, co-founder and beverage director at Good Lion Hospitality in Santa Barbara, California
The St. George Dry Rye Reposado Gin is perfect for wintry cocktails. The gin is made from 100% pot still rye, which is then rested in French and American oak wine casks. It makes a world-class Martinez and can be subbed in for most whiskey and cold-weather classics.
Tasting Notes:
The flavors of heavy malt, spicy rye, and barrel sweetness really add up to being a cold month classic ingredient.
Gray Whale Gin
Gray Whale Gin
Kirk Paganelli, taproom mixologist at The Clancy in San Francisco
Gray Whale gin is a California-curated gin and is great for a winter mix. The ingredients are sourced from well-known places throughout the state. Its Juniper comes from Big Sir, the Sea Kelp comes from Mendocino Coast, and its almonds are from Capay Valley, alongside several other unique ingredients from other local areas.
Tasting Notes:
While most gins are powerful and heavy on botanicals, this is a much softer, balanced product. Having such balance, Gray Whale can be poured over a large ice cube, enjoying all of its raw flavors, or it can be mixed with our house-made Earl Gray syrup, a splash of lime juice, and topped with tonic.
Porter’s Tropical Old Tom Gin
Porter’s
Alex Barbatsis, head bartender at The Whistler in Chicago
Porter’s Tropical Old Tom Gin. With botanicals like passion fruit, guava, and white tea, it makes for a wonderful base for your favorite tropical cocktails.
Tasting Notes:
While there are noticeable juniper flavors and aromas, there are also a ton of orange peel, honey, and dried fruit flavors.
I gravitate to District Made Barrel Rested Ivy City Gin because of the flavor bomb that it brings to cocktails. As a martini paired with Lo-Fi Aperitifs Dry Vermouth or as a cocktail like our Juniper Tree, a high ball riff with a house turmeric syrup, this gin shines like no other.
Tasting Notes:
The nose has a lot of wood, honey, and citrus notes. The mouthfeel has a beautiful creaminess to it. On the palate, there’s a lot of juniper, bitter citrus, and a nice roundness of warming spices. The gin finishes with a little bit of heat (from the gin being a bit overproof) which I’m a huge fan of.
Matchbook The Land of Muses Gin
Matchbook
Nick Akira Amano Dolan, general manager at Trick Dog in San Francisco, California
The Land of Muses gin from Matchbook Distilling Co. out of Brooklyn has been one of my favorite gins lately. The team is led by a female distiller who has been putting out some killer products.
Tasting Notes:
The incorporation of Brooklyn Kura’s Shochu creates a very unique flavor profile of almonds and tropical fruit.
Old World Blade Gin belongs on your radar. It’s from Morgan Hill, California, and is a single pot still distilled gin flavored with California and Italian blue juniper, ginger, cilantro, citrus peels, and other herbs and botanicals.
Tasting Notes:
It’s crisp, rich, and full-bodied with aromas of orange peel, chili pepper, and cardamom. You’ll savor freshly zested citrus, ginger spice, and blue juniper blossoms.
FEW Breakfast Gin is a great lesser-known expression from the popular distillery. It’s infused with earl grey tea and bergamot making it a fun twist to stirred cocktails. Try it with a Martinez for a little intrigue.
Tasting Notes:
Black tea, bergamot, juniper, lemon zest, cinnamon, and vanilla beans take center stage in this highly flavorful, mixable gin.
I love using Bulrush Gin — it’s locally made and has great cucumber, melon, and juniper flavors — very herbaceous, which I think makes it perfect in winter drinks.
Tasting Notes:
This memorable gin has a perfect mix of citrus, juniper, and floral aromas and flavors. This results in a mixable, versatile gin.
Bob Woodward doesn’t suffer misbehaving presidents gladly. The legendary reporter is partly responsible for taking down no less than Richard Nixon. Now he’s caught the ire of another misbehaving commander-in-chief: Donald Trump. Last fall he ranted and raved when audio of him saying self-incriminating things was made public. Now he’s his Woodward with what is likely yet another of one of his frivolous lawsuits.
As per Bloomberg, Trump is seeking just under $50 million in damages from both Woodward and his publisher Simon & Schuster. His beef? That Woodward made public audio of the nearly two dozen interviews they did between 2019 and 2020, which provided the fodder for his second book on the 45th president, Rage, which was published less than two months before the 2020 election. Trump alleges he never consented to those recordings being made public.
“This case,” the legal filing reads, “centers on Mr. Woodward’s systematic usurpation, manipulation and exploitation of audio of President Trump.”
In a statement, Simon & Schuster called the lawsuit “without merit,” and that it is “in the public interest to have this historical record in Trump’s own words.”
Among the more shocking bombshells in the book and in the released audio was one that would have ended any other president’s political career. In an interview from the early days of the pandemic, Trump admitted he knew COVID-19 was “more deadly” than the common flu and that he liked “playing it down.” (That Woodward sat one that one for nearly a year is, as others have argued, not great.) Trump spent months brushing off COVID as similar to the flu, which very likely made the situation much worse than it had to be. It’s worth pointing out that Trump only objects to audio of him saying that, not that he said it in the first place.
Anyway, Woodward has a good track record when it comes to taking on presidents who may have broken the law. Hell, there’s even a beloved movie about it.
In the simplest terms, wheat beer is a top-fermented beer that has a large percentage of wheat as opposed to the usual barley. There are different types of wheat beers — including the popular American wheat beer, witbier, hefeweizen, gose, Berliner Weiss, and a handful of others. And while winter is usually the domain of darker, maltier beers, we believe there is absolutely room for this wheat-centric, flavorful beer when the weather is cold.
Don’t believe us? Well, take a look at any online beer retailer or stroll down the aisles of your favorite grocer or beer store and you’re sure to run into at least a handful of these bready, lemongrass-tinged, sometimes spicy brews. Keep scrolling to see eight of our favorites ranked based on overall flavor and how well they match with freezing winter weather.
In the American beer landscape, there are few wheat beers more recognizable than Blue Moon Belgian White. Launched back in 1995, this Belgian-style witbier is brewed by MillerCoors and is available pretty much anywhere you can find beer.
Tasting Notes:
The smell is all cereal grains and generic orange zest aroma. There are some yeasty smells as well. That’s about it. The palate is more of the same. Sweet cereal grains, orange zest, light yeast. That’s it. It’s not an abrasively bad beer, it’s just as boring as it gets when it comes to wheat beer.
Bottom Line:
If you’re looking for a simple, easy-drinking wheat beer with little to no substance, Blue Moon Belgian Wheat is for you. Otherwise, grab one of the myriad other options.
You absolutely know what you’re getting when you crack open one of these bad boys. It’s literally called Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat. First brewed in 1990, it’s known for its light, easy-drinking, citrus-forward flavor profile.
Tasting Notes:
On the nose: orange peels, lemon zest, yeast, banana, and the usual wheat beer notes. Sipping it reveals sweet malts, cereal grains, yeast, orange peels, lemon, light banana, grass, and just a hint of spice at the finish. Sadly, while it has a ton of flavor, it’s all fairly muted.
Bottom Line:
Great aromas and flavors, but it’s all a bit watery and unexciting. Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat is a crushable beer, but that’s about it.
Another name that most beer drinkers are familiar with is Hoegaarden. This classic Belgian witbier is known for its balanced, complex flavor profile featuring orange, banana, and wintry spices. It’s definitely well-suited for winter drinking.
Tasting Notes:
Classic witbier aromas of sweet yeast, bananas, fruit esters, and light spices greet your nose before your first sip. The flavor is a mix of bubblegum, banana, yeast, coriander, orange zest, and other flavors. Like some of the other beers above it, the lower ABV makes it slightly watery.
Bottom Line:
It’s obvious why this beer is popular. It’s just a little watery and light for our liking. We wish the flavors had a little more oomph.
Avery White Rascal is the popular Colorado-based brewery’s take on the traditional Belgian-style witbier. This award-winning beer is unfiltered and flavored with Curacao orange peel and coriander. It’s sweet, yeasty, spicy, and perfect for winter.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is loaded with orange peel, sweet yeast, coriander, and various other spices. It’s a very inviting start that leads to a palate of cereal grains, yeast, cracker-like malts, banana, coriander, fruit esters, and light wintry spices.
Bottom Line:
As wheat beers go, it’s hard to beat the appeal of Avery White Rascal. It’s well-balanced and highly flavorful. Its added spices might turn off some drinkers, but we think they’re very complimentary.
Cooperstown, New York’s Brewery Ommegang is as close as you’ll get to an authentic European-style brewery in the United States and its Witte is one of the best examples of this. Brewed with malted and unmalted wheat, it gets its memorable flavor from the addition of coriander and sweet orange peel.
Tasting Notes:
Complex aromas of cloves, coriander, orange peel, lemon, yeast, and banana are prevalent on the nose. The palate is fruity and dry with notes of coriander, candied orange peel, lemon zest, banana, and yeast. The finish is a nice mix of sweetness and bitterness that leaves you craving more.
Bottom Line:
When it comes to authentic takes on classic European wheat beers, it’s difficult to beat the complexity and flavor profile of Ommegang Witte.
Named for Quebec’s Fort Chambly, this 5% award-winning Belgian-style witbier is known for its mix of wintry spices (coriander, cloves, and other spices), orange peel, and yeasty flavor. Even though it was made in Canada, one sip will transport you to Belgium.
Tasting Notes:
Bready, yeasty aromas start things off and then move into orange peels, coriander, and cloves. The palate follows suit with sweet wheat, orange zest, lemongrass, fruit esters, and gentle, warming spices. Overall, it’s a very flavorful, sweet, spicy winter sipper.
Bottom Line:
Unibroue is one of those breweries that produces nothing but authentic, flavorful bangers and Blanche de Chambly is no different.
If you took a poll of beer fans and asked them to tell you the best American wheat beer, you’d probably get a majority telling you about Allagash White. Great for the summer and even better in the winter, this Belgian-style wheat beer is brewed with oats, malted wheat, and raw wheat. It gets its memorable flavor from coriander and Curaçao orange peel.
Tasting Notes:
Wheat, yeast bread, orange peel, coriander, and light banana are prevalent on the nose. Wheat, cracker-like malts, yeast, orange zest, coriander, cloves, banana, and light spices make up the complex palate. It’s the kind of beer you need to drink more than once to find everything.
Bottom Line:
Allagash White with its complex, well-balanced flavor profile is a beer that you’ll want to (if you already don’t) stock in your fridge all year long.
Not only is Germany’s Weihenstephaner the longest continually operating brewery in the world with a genesis of 1040, but it also produces a variety of award-winning, delicious beers. This includes its flagship Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier. This traditional Bavarian beer is known for its complex flavor profile of bananas, cloves, and orange peels.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is highlighted by fruit esters, bananas, bready malts, cloves, yeast, coriander, and sweet orange peels. The inviting nose leads to a palate of yeasty bread, cracker-like malts, sweet wheat, coriander, bubblegum, orange peels, ripe bananas, and wintry spices.
Bottom Line:
There are few wheat beers more flavorful and well-rounded as Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier. If you haven’t yet tried it, we implore you to. It will be your new favorite wheat beer.
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