Month: September 2023

It has been about five years since Nicki Minaj last released a full-length album but she’s been busy since. However, even with hits like “Barbie World” and “Last Time I Saw You” under her bright pink belt this year, fans can’t help but look forward to the full release of Pink Friday 2 — especially after she teased another song from the album at the 2023 VMAs.

When Will Nicki Minaj Release The New Song She Performed At The VMAS?

Unfortunately, we don’t know when Nicki’s next song is due, but thanks to a new post on Twitter (which I’m never calling “X”), we know a bit more about what it’s going to sound like. While the live version of the stripped-down track made the beat a little bit harder to hear, in the sample Nicki shared on Twitter, the beat comes through more clearly. She’s shared snippets of the song before, leading to some listeners criticizing her for referring to having shooters as her husband was sentenced to house arrest for making threats against Offset.

While we don’t know when the track is due, we do have a release date for Nicki’s fifth studio album. Pink Friday 2 is due 11/17 on Young Money and Republic Records.

Rootin’ tootin’ Lauren Boebert is looking for a helping hand. Oh no.

The Beetlejuice groper‘s ability to accidentally remind everyone of her ongoing scandal really has gotten out of hand this week, and now, an apparent job listing for her congressional office is doing her no favors.

This is happening following Boebert’s own ill-advised references to “joy” and “encounters at the Southern border,” along with a messy declaration about a “theater.” Boebert then deflected by making anti-trans statements, and I’m not sure if she thought that would make everyone forget about Beetlejuice (or the drag show hosted by Democrat Bar Guy‘s cocktail joint), but no dice.

Also, there is no telling whether Daybook, a political and non-profit job-posting platform, fully intended to phrase this announcement in this manner, but wow. “Job Opportunity!” read the corresponding tweet. “Congresswoman Lauren Boebert seeks a Digital Director based in Washington D.C.”

If one follows the link, the subject matter appears to be very serious stuff, but that doesn’t make the terminology any less embarrassing.

Presumably, this position will be hands on with all digits, and yes, everyone is thinking the same thing, fairly or not. I’m guessing that there will be a lot of responses to this listing, although they might not be the kind that Boebert’s office was expecting. As you can tell from these replies, people really can’t help themselves at this point.

So much cringe from all directions.

American Single malt whiskey is hitting a stride. Much of that is thanks to a few smart master distillers who had the foresight to lay down barrels about a decade ago. Those barrels are coming of age now. That means that there are some serious American single malts hitting shelves this season.

It’s an exciting time for the category, to be sure. Which means that it’s time for a blind taste test of some super smooth new American single malt whiskeys.

Let’s get a little background. American single malt, like single malt Scotch (or any other single malt made in any region in the world), is always made with 100% malted barley. That’s where the similarities end though. The climates in various regions of the United States mean that American single malt can be drastically different from single malt aged in the cool temps of Scotland, Ireland, or Japan. What can take 20 years to accomplish with oak aging in the cool Scottish Highlands may only take 10 or even six years to accomplish in Kentucky or Texas or California. It’s just a different game — so don’t come into American single malt expecting a carbon copy of what’s going in Scotland or Japan just because “single malt” is in the name.

For this exercise, I grabbed 10 new bottles of American single malt whiskey that have popped off this year with tons of accolades and followers. These are the bottles that people in the whiskey world are talking about, sharing, and enjoying. That makes our lineup today the following American single malt whiskeys:

• Lost Lantern Single Cask Series Andalusia Whiskey Co. Triple Distilled Texas Single Malt
• Root Shoot Whiskey American Single Malt Bottled in Bond Aged 4 Years
• Jack Daniel’s American Single Malt Oloroso Sherry Cask
• Santa Fe Spirits Colkegan Single Malt Whiskey
• Westward American Single Malt Whiskey Single Barrel Reserve Grand Cru Sauternes Cask
• Brother Justus American Single Malt Cold-Peated Whiskey
• Virginia Distillery Co. American Single Malt Whisky Courage & Conviction Double Cask Reserve
• Wolves The Malted Barley Series California Single Malt Whiskey Lot No. 2
• Boulder Spirits American Single Malt Whiskey 2023 Limited Edition The 10 Essentials
• Clermont Steep American Single Malt Whiskey

After my patient wife shuffled, poured, and cataloged these for a blind tasting, I tasted through and ranked them. I was looking for overall taste, balance, and depth. Most of these were pretty damn good with a few that might need a little more time to find the sweet spot (which is a problem with this relatively young category still). Let’s dive in!

• The Single Best Bottle Of Whiskey From Each Of The 50 States
• The Best Whiskeys We Tasted At The 2023 Kentucky Bourbon Festival
• Every Bottle Of Jack Daniel’s Whiskey, Power Ranked
• The Best New Whiskeys To Chase Down This April
• The Smoothest Single Malt Whiskeys On The Market, Blind Tasted And Ranked

Part 1 — The American Single Malt Whiskey Blind Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Notes of fresh chili pepper and leathery spiced fruit drive the nose with hints of stroopwafel (those honey waffle cookies from The Netherlands) and candy cane.

Palate: That candy cane turns to pure peppermint on the palate as subtle notes of clove and allspice mingle with creamy eggnog ice cream and malted honey crackers.

Finish: The finish is nice with a sweet spiciness akin to moist dark Christmas cookies with a touch of malted vanilla.

Initial Thoughts:

This is pretty nice overall. It was very reminiscent of the holiday season and felt very well-balanced from start to finish.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This opens with a fresh honey-laced granola bar with a hint of nuttiness and chocolate next to earthy cherry bark, old cinnamon sticks, and whispers of clove (maybe even anise).

Palate: Poppy seed danishes and mocha lattes drive the palate with a sense of wildflowers and apple orchards while a flutter of old leather tobacco pouches and old whiskey cellars sneak in.

Finish: The end leans into the woodiness of the tobacco and oak with a nice touch of malted spice cakes and orchard fruit.

Initial Thoughts:

This was good too. It had a nice depth overall and felt like well-rounded whiskey. It didn’t wow, but it got the job done.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose draws you in with a sense of plums, dates, and figs swimming in brandy next to toffee rolled in roasted almond and dipped into dark chocolate with a hint of spiced wine cut with molasses and fresh green chili pepper.

Palate: The dark chocolate attaches to the black-tea-soaked dates with plenty of nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice next to malted chocolate spiced holiday cakes and a nice flourish of marzipan just kissed with pear oils.

Finish: The end has an almost woody dark chocolate vibe with the green chili making a comeback with a deep leatheriness and nice maltiness.

Initial Thoughts:

This rocks. It’s deep and vibrant. It goes to interesting places with a fun vibe. It also feels like a fully-rounded pour of whiskey.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a subtle balance of brisk desert smoke next to olive brine umami on the nose and then hints of rich and sweet marzipan arrive with white chocolate fattiness and whispers of vanilla blossoms.

Palate: The taste opens with a hint of smoked plums next to a strawberry rhubarb cobbler with a scoop of malted vanilla ice cream before a thin line of mesquite smoke sneaks in.

Finish: That berry fruit feel carries on into the mellow finish as the smoke dissipates.

Initial Thoughts:

This starts off so boldly but sort of disappears at the finish. I feel like a rock or just more time (exposure to air) would have opened this up a bit more.

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This has a deep nose that takes you on a journey through sweet grains, soft caramel, burnt orange peels, grilled peaches, and summer flowers.

Palate: There’s a sharp cherry soda on the palate with a hint of grapefruit, pineapple, and ripe peach next to bright ginger, soft coconut, and a hint of honeyed malt with a whisper of nuttiness.

Finish: That orange comes back on the finish with a soft fresh floral edge next to light cedar bark braided with chewy fresh tobacco dipped in honey and dusted with citrus zest.

Initial Thoughts:

This is boldly grain-forward but balances it with deep woody whiskey notes.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose is interesting — dried shitakes, forest moss, and spiced oak staves lead the way with a light sense of maple syrup cookies.

Palate: That maple turns into caramel on the palate as more earthiness nudges in with potting soil and wet wicker play with vanilla and orchard fruit.

Finish: The end fades quickly, leaving you with a sense of umami earthiness, caramel, and wood spice.

Initial Thoughts:

This was a little all over the place.

Taste 7

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with deep honey and candied orange next to apricot jam over scones with a hint of malted spice and brandy-soaked oak staves.

Palate: Black Forest cake by way of honey-pear-floral malted crackers drives the palate toward winter spice barks, soft milk chocolate sauce, and a dash of lemon malt meringue.

Finish: Fresh gingerbread and soft oak round out the finish with a nice dose of spice, chocolate, and malt.

Initial Thoughts:

This feels the most like a Scotch. That aside, this is really good.

Taste 8

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Nostalgia drips from the nose with oatmeal raisin cookies, old wicker porch furniture, lemon pepper, and dried red fruit leather next to spicy oak and soft apple cider.

Palate: Soft salted caramel and bruised apricot drive the palate with a sense of honeyed oats, old tobacco pouches, and rich malted vibes.

Finish: The end leans into the malted chocolate with a dried fruit feel with brandied pears and old oak staves leading to soft pipe tobacco and hints of floral honey.

Initial Thoughts:

This is really good stuff. The nuance and journey this sip takes you on are just great.

Taste 9

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a medley of pear and apricot (both dried and candied) with spicy forest honey, old leather, and malty Graham Crackers dipped in dark chocolate and just flaked with sea salt.

Palate: The palate is lush with a sense of eggnog spices and creaminess that gives way to pear brandy-laced marzipan and more of that forest honey next to warm maltiness.

Finish: The warmth leans into fresh green chili, nuttiness, and dark chocolate on the end (almost getting into mole territory) before leaning back toward spiced malts with a woody tobacco finish.

Initial Thoughts:

This is a great pour right here. It has everything while feeling dialed and nuanced.

Taste 10

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a toasted caramel maltiness that’s super grainy with salted toffee syrup and a nice dollop of butter with a hint of chocolate-covered caramels in the background.

Palate: The palate is light with a Kentucky winter spice bark vibe next to a bowl of Cream of Wheat with a hint of honey and nasturtium as a counterbalance.

Finish: The end really leans into the Kentucky wood spice with a hint of pear orchards and soft chewing tobacco just kissed with chili pepper spice.

Initial Thoughts:

This is very, very grainy.

Part 2 — The American Single Malt Whiskey Ranking

10. Clermont Steep American Single Malt Whiskey — Taste 10

ABV: 47%

Average Price: $65

The Whiskey:

This new release from James B. Beam in Clermont, Kentucky is Jim Beam’s foray into the world of American single malt whiskey. The juice was crafted from 100% American malted barley and fermented with Beam’s proprietary yeast strain. That whiskey was left for five years to mellow in toasted barrels that were barely charred. The final product was batched and proofed down before bottling.

Bottom Line:

This was just too grainy today. It feels like it needs another year in the barrel to calm that grain down and let the rest shine a little more brightly. I’d wait for next year’s batch.

9. Brother Justus American Single Malt Cold-Peated Whiskey — Taste 6

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $96

The Whiskey:

This Minnesota whiskey is all about 100% Minnesota malted barley. It’s also about a cold peat malting process called the “Atkin County Process” wherein Minnesota peat is used to malt Minnesota barley without fire. Hence the name, “Cold-Peated”.

Bottom Line:

This was fine but was missing real depth. I’d pass for now.

8. Westward American Single Malt Whiskey Single Barrel Reserve Grand Cru Sauternes Cask — Taste 5

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $99

The Whiskey:

This is Portland’s classic American single malt taken up a level. After years of resting, a single barrel was re-barreled in a sauternes cask from France’s Grand Cru Classé estate. 14 months later, Westward bottled that whiskey with a kiss of local water.

Bottom Line:

This was also very grain-forward on today’s panel. The whiskey did go well beyond the grains into a balanced overall pour. But … it took time to find all of that. So if you’re looking for a grain-forward malt with good depth, this is the play.

7. Santa Fe Spirits Colkegan Single Malt Whiskey — Taste 4

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $53

The Whiskey:

Colkegan is a combination of the Scottish Highlands and New Mexico’s ingredients. Instead of smoking their barley malts with peat, Santa Fe Spirits uses local mesquite logs in the kilning process, giving the base of this whiskey a clear New Mexico vibe. The juice is then aged at 7,000 feet above sea level in a climate-controlled warehouse that drops the temperatures to near freezing before amping them up extremely high while also lowering and heightening the humidity in the room.

Bottom Line:

This is where we get into the “this is pretty nice” territory. There’s nothing wrong with this pour. It’s a solid “B” through and through. My recommendation is to try it when you’re in New Mexico.

6. Root Shoot Whiskey American Single Malt Bottled in Bond Aged 4 Years — Taste 2

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $60

The Whiskey:

This whiskey is made from barley grown, harvested, and malted on a 5th generation family farm in Colorado. The whiskey is aged in new American oak for four years before batching and bottling at 100 proof.

Bottom Line:

Again, this is a perfectly nice whiskey. If you’re into good single malt and in Colorado, pick up a bottle.

5. Lost Lantern Single Cask Series Andalusia Whiskey Co. Triple Distilled Texas Single Malt — Taste 1

ABV: 52.6%

Average Price: $99

The Whiskey:

This single cask from Lost Lantern’s Fall 2023 series is a three-year-old single malt from a very new Texas distillery. The whiskey in this case is made with 100% 2-row malted barley and triple distilled a la Irish whiskey. A single honey barrel was picked by the Lost Lantern team and bottled 100% as-is, yielding only 177 bottles.

Bottom Line:

This is where we get into the really nice stuff. I like this as a slow sipper that isn’t going to make me think. This is an end-of-day pour if there ever was one.

4. Virginia Distillery Co. American Single Malt Whisky Courage & Conviction Double Cask Reserve — Taste 7

ABV: 48%

Average Price: $71

The Whiskey:

This new fall release from Virginia Distillery Co. features double asking. That means that the whiskey was aged a minimum of five years in first-fill bourbon casks and European red wine Cuvée casks before slow batching with a touch of water.

Bottom Line:

This is the close to a nice 15- or 18-year-old Scotch single malt that you can get on this list. It’s that good. If you’re looking for that Scotch whisky vibe from an American producer, get this bottle.

3. Jack Daniel’s American Single Malt Oloroso Sherry Cask — Taste 3

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $99

The Whiskey:

Jack Daniel’s has been toying with American single malt for over a year and has finally pulled the trigger on a permanent expression for retail shelves (albeit just on travel retail shelves for now). The whiskey in the bottle is a 100% malted barley juice (that’s charcoal filtered) that was aged in new oak for over half a decade before being transferred into huge Oloroso sherry casks (from Tonelería Páez Lobato) for even more mellowing.

Bottom Line:

This is just good whiskey, malt or not. It’s deep, delicious, and lush. It’s also great neat. Though, I imagine a rock or some water would make it super creamy. The next time you’re at duty-free at the airport, get yourself a bottle or two.

2. Wolves The Malted Barley Series California Single Malt Whiskey Lot No. 2 — Taste 8

ABV: 55%

Average Price: $305

The Whiskey:

Lot 2 of this California Single malt just dropped. The whiskey was made with imported Irish malts that were fermented with California ale yeasts. That juice was aged for 11 years before very small batching, which yielded only 2,010 bottles.

Bottom Line:

This is American single malt at its best. It’s balanced, nuanced, and freaking tasty. I know it’s pricey, so try it at a good whiskey bar first then commit to a bottle.

1. Boulder Spirits American Single Malt Whiskey 2023 Limited Edition The 10 Essentials — Taste 9

ABV: 49.5%

Average Price: $64

The Whiskey:

This new limited release from Colorado’s Boulder is a blend of five single malt casks. Former armagnac, tawny port, PX sherry, and new American oak were batched for this release after five to 6.5 years of aging. The whiskey was then cut with El Dorado spring water for bottling.

Bottom Line:

This is great neat. I want to go back to it with a single rock and really take my time digging into the deeper layers that are here (but I didn’t have time for in a blind tasting). This is the good stuff, folks!

Part 3 — Final Thoughts on the American Single Malt Whiskeys

This was a fun and pretty delicious panel of American single malt whiskeys. Overall, anything in the top five or so is going to be a great play if you’re looking to get into the style.

If you’re looking to go deep, then any of the top three are great candidates as they’re just really good whiskeys overall.

Brass tacks? The top two really are tied. So go back and re-read my tasting notes. Find the one that really touches your soul and go with that.

The Uproxx 2023 Fall Travel Hot List is live! Visit here for the full experience!

The phrase “destination festival” has had a great couple of years. Over the past half-decade, we’ve seen a flood of images on Instagram featuring stages overlooking the beach, DJs on catamarans, and all-inclusive resorts. And those are all great. But Alaska’s Sacred Acre festival — which balances electronic music with the wonders of the great wild north — takes the idea of traveling to party to the next level.

We’re talking about 1,500 attendees heading to Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula just before the whole area gets cold-as-all-hell for eight or so months. It’s a mission but the effort paid off. Check out my full guide to Sacred Acre below.

Part I – The Festival Grounds

Let’s be honest: Alaska isn’t necessarily the easiest place to get to. Even coming from central California, I had a short layover in Seattle before making another three-hour flight to Anchorage. But that’s what set this festival apart from others that I’ve attended on the summer festival circuit — it was really truly “out there.”

The journey continued once I landed in Anchorage with a breathtaking (but, you know, not short) four-hour shuttle ride with other festival attendees and music headliners along the Kenai Peninsula. The name is derived from the word “Kenaitze” or “Kenaitze Indian Tribe,” the name of the Native Athabascan Alaskan tribe who historically inhabited the area. The Kenaize called this place “the good land” and I certainly felt that on the drive. Especially as the sun set over the coast.

Once I arrived in Ninilchik, I again found myself in awe of the natural environment that surrounded me. We were nestled in the Cook Inlet off of the Gulf of Alaska. The town itself has a population of just under 1,000 people, so the festival more than doubled the town’s population for three days. But from what I witnessed, the locals were very much part of the festival, volunteering and working around-the-clock eager to greet us “lower 48” folk.

Throughout the weekend, attendees were able to explore Sacred Acre’s 40 acres of ancient woods and dance around-the-clock to music at the River Stage. A short walk through a hand carved wooden arch led attendees to The Sanctuary, where Alaska artisan crafts were on full display, while the Stillwater Reflection Center warmly greeted attendees with sound healing, breathwork, cacao ceremonies, and yoga workshops throughout the weekend.

There was almost always something happening — a set to dance to, a workshop to attend, or some other way to connect with others. Pretty impressive considering the scale of the event.

Part II – The Music

Because of the intimacy of Sacred Acre, attendees found themselves dancing alongside the music headliners on the dance floor, bridging the gap between the fans and artists for a truly unique and personal festival experience. Case in point, when Manic Focus threw down his two sets over the weekend, fans saw video projections of themselves dancing alongside him as he watched other headliners play on the main stage.

You don’t get that at Coachella. You just don’t.

Sacred Acre also brought the most visually stunning laser and digital art displays ever showcased in Alaska. Denver-based twin duo MZG got the festival started on Friday with their bass-driven trap beats. The chemistry between these two on stage was infectious and attendees quickly flooded the main stage to get in their first dance session of the weekend.

Friday evening continued with an incredible set by keyboard master and producer Jason Leech as he remixed Ludwig van Beethoven’s Bagatelle No.25 (aka “Für Elise”) into a filthy dubstep mix. Multi-genre producer Artifakts followed suit with his plethora of classic funk grooves and a melodic drum and bass bust-out of Dido’s “Thank You” that hit everyone in the feels.

As the first nighttime set of the weekend, Maddy O’Neal strode onstage and took our collective breath away. The Denver-based, electro-soul maven took over the festival with her hypnotic, hybrid DJ/drum pad live performance, swooning the crowd with soulful, funky bass music. Sacred Acre attendees were the first to hear her recent new track, “Woofer” played live, which was well received and a special treat for her northernmost fans.

The main stage closed down for the night with specially-curated sets by Manic Focus and Of The Trees. Manic Focus sparkled into the starry night with his new-era hip-hop beats and heavy-hitting bass, while Of The Trees conjured deep-rooted bass soundscapes throughout the forested setting, sending attendees to their knees by playing out one of the electronic scene’s biggest unreleased IDs by Hamdi into his set.

Although the main stage was finished by 12:30am, the party went well into the late night. Josh Teed lit up The Abyss with his intricate genre-spanning sound production equipped with his live violin. The dome-shaped mini venue swallowed you up with 360-degree LED panels, making his set one of the best and most memorable of the weekend, weaving one of his latest releases “Obsidian” into his performance.

Saturday offered up a warmer day, making it the perfect day for a more bass-heavy and “wubbier” music schedule. Coming back from my helicopter ride (see below), I found Marvel Years was deep into his main stage set at 7pm, throwing down a tasty concoction of new-era hip-hop driven bass.

Making her way up from Denver, NotLö steered the evening with her dark and low-end bass grooves which effortlessly segued into KOAN Sound’s precision-driven electronic sound design, equipped with some DnB bust-outs.

Saturday night’s mainstage was rounded off the with The Widdler and Boogie T. The festival’s sea creatures of the night came alive during The Widdler’s set, filling the dance floor up with LED multi-person sized crabs and bottom-feeders that wiggled to The Widdler’s menacing bass and dubs — including his “Sandstorm” and “Mr. Brightside” dubstep remixes. Boogie T concluded with a signature dubstep and riddim-based set, finishing off the main stage with a 420-friendly atmosphere that his fans love him for.

It seemed that Saturday night was the “party-heavy” night of the weekend, with attendees flooding The Abyss well into the early morning. Motifv kicked off the LED dome at 1:30am with a special “Pathways” set. Trading in his usual upbeat electro-hop melodies for a more reserved, lo-fi beat-driven performance, the Denver-based producer set up quite the laidback late-night scene. Late Night Radio continued the vibes through 3:30am with his unique hybrid take on electronic sound design, inspired by third coast hip-hop grooves and electrifying bass.

Sunday – the last day – was the warmest of the weekend and provided some clearing of blue skies and sunshine with a relatively warmer evening. Coming back from the boat (see below), I was warmly greeted with a powerhouse duo set between Jason Leech and Phyphr. Together, the two played a monstrous set with live electro-soul guitar stylings and funky key synths. Marvel Years followed after, dosing attendees with yet another soulful electro-groove guitar set. With a quick break, he returned onstage with Manic Focus and Colby Buckler for a Manic Focus Live Band performance, complete with a groove-heavy remix of A Tribe Called Quest’s “Can I Kick It” remix alongside glitchy, funky beats.

Daily Bread closed down Sacred Acre with a revolutionary electro, hip-hop soul performance. Throwing in his heavyweight track “Snickerz,” iconic “Moreland Ave Blues,” and an Artifakts remix, the producer ensured that fans concluded the weekend in high spirits.

Part III – Sacred Sustainability

At this point, I really won’t attend a festival unless there is some hard-evidence available of their sustainability protocols. While many festivals cater to the cookie-cutter sustainability elements of “zero waste” and “zero plastic” messaging (which is still a great thing to do), Sacred Acre focused its efforts on a specific issue at large affecting its homeland — fisheries.

Sacred Acre’s foundation is ultimately one of philanthropy and activism. The festival – placed in one of the biggest fishing towns in the United states – helped raise awareness around trawling: the practice of factory ships dragging massive nets along the ocean floor, destroying and catching everything in its path including sea animals and wrecking precious marine habitats. By gathering attendees in an intimate space, the festival connected, informed, and taught attendees on how to stop active destruction of oceans.

Throughout the weekend, Sacred Acre provided a space where organizations and individuals were able to distribute relevant information on trawling and other critical issues facing the ocean, wildlife, and waterways of Alaska. While this actively affects Alaska and its people directly, the real-time detrimental effects from trawling are set to trickle down and impact the rest of the world’s ecosystems.

In addition to its education initiatives, the festival served all drinks in reusable metal tumbler cups and water bottles, while all vendors onsite used recyclable or compostable wares.

Part IV – Festival Curated Experiences

What’s a destination festival without specially-curated experiences?

Sacred Acre blew me away with its dedication to fan experience and excursions unique to its environment. Attendees were able to choose from a selection of activities unique to Alaska, such as Alaskan native plant foraging, underwater spearfishing, glacier helicopter tours, and fly fishing.

Additionally, many attendees opted for Saturday’s “Bumping By The Bay” three-hour cruise, which featured special sailing sets by Manic Focus, MZG, and Rachel Monae on Kachemak Bay among the gorgeous cascades of mountains and natural wildlife.

I was surprised during my attendance with a personal three-hour helicopter ride out of Homer. I arrived at Alaska Ultimate Safaris on Saturday afternoon. My pilot Kirsten made the whole experience a breeze, and I played the role of co-pilot sitting next to her for the ride. Throughout the journey, she pointed out key elements of Alaska’s breathtaking environment, flying us over three glaciers – Grewingk, Portlock, and Dixon.

While flying over some fall foliage mountaintops, we made a last-minute landing to watch some mama black bears and their cubs eat blueberries and stuff themselves for the forthcoming winter season. As if that weren’t enough, we ended the tour with a celebratory landing on Nuka Glacier, where I geared up with microspikes to walk among the ancient ice and pop a bottle of champagne.

On Sunday, I spent the day on the sacred waters with a personal boat tour by Naughtycal Dreams. Hosts Kira and Sandy took us out on the Cook Inlet, Eldred Passage, and Sadie Cove on Alaska’s only cigarette 38 Top Gun speed boat and the northernmost speed boat in the world. This was my favorite aspect of the festival’s curated excursions because it brought me right on the water that is so gravely threatened by trawling, so it was important to see these waters firsthand.

With plenty of blankets, cookies, and hot cocoa, they took us to tour Stillpoint Lodge, located on the pristine northern waters of Kachemak Bay and Halibut Cove. With spiked drinks in hand, we toured this sliver of remote paradise as it was wrapping up its summer season and sat around a campfire sharing travel stories with the owner JT, threw axes, and toured its beautiful grounds full of homegrown vegetables before taking a scenic boat ride back to Homer.

As a second year destination festival, Sacred Acre has already fostered immense connection and mindfulness to its grounds. While I always hope to see festivals gain larger attendance, I do hope that this gem will forever remain a special, intimate destination gathering for all the cool kids to come back to again and again.

Just one day after Joe Biden joined the United Auto Workers picket line, Donald Trump is set to hold a rally of his own in Michigan where he hopes to stir up support from auto workers. However, the former president is already off to a rough start.

Trump’s decision to hold the rally at a non-union auto plant is already angering workers. UAW president Shaun Fain called the move “pathetic” as he blasted Trump’s track record on CNN. To drive that point home, anchors Poppy Harlow and Phil Mattingly launched a scathing fact check of the former president’s failed promises.

Mattingly kicked off the segment by playing a clip from Trump on the campaign trail in 2016 where Trump promised that, if elected, “you won’t lose one plant.” As Mattingly noted, “GM ended facilities in Michigan” in 2018.

Harlow was next with another Trump promise from 2017 where he boasted that factory jobs were coming back to Ohio. Via Raw Story:

“They didn’t,” said Harlow. “Two years later, that Lordstown auto plant shut down. It was one of the largest employers for workers in that entire area. Autoworkers union president Shawn Fain pointed out, during a short strike against GM in 2019, Trump and Republicans largely stayed on the sidelines.”

Harlow noted that Trump’s failures will most likely come up during tonight’s Republican debate, which the former president is again skipping. Will the other candidates make a better case to auto workers? They’ll certainly have their chance with Trump not in the room.

(Via Raw Story)

Fargo isn’t the only snow-filled anthology series returning after a long break. HBO has released a new teaser for True Detective season four, or its official title, True Detective: Night Country. It looks like The Thing, but instead of Kurt Russell with a flamethrower, there’s Jodie Foster solving murders in Alaska.

The official synopsis reads: “When the long winter night falls in Ennis, Alaska, the eight men who operate the Tsalal Arctic Research Station vanish without a trace. To solve the case, Detectives Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) and Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis) will have to confront the darkness they carry in themselves, and dig into the haunted truths that lie buried under the eternal ice.”

True Detective: Night Country also stars Finn Bennett, Fiona Shaw, Christopher Eccleston, Isabella Star LaBlanc, and John Hawkes, who described new showrunner Issa López as a “really extraordinary” writer. “She wrote extraordinary scripts and is really an amazing director,” he told Pop Culture. “You should check out a film of hers called Tigers Are Not Afraid if you haven’t seen it. It was kind of the movie that got her this job.” He’s right. It’s very good.

True Detective season four debuts on HBO and Max in the chill of winter, on January 14th.

One outstanding question in the aftermath of the Milwaukee Bucks’ gigantic trade for Damian Lillard revolved around how the deal would be received by its centerpiece. It was made abundantly clear that Lillard wanted the Portland Trail Blazers to send him to the Miami Heat, which is not going to end up happening.

But not long after the deal was announced, Lillard took to social media and expressed his immediate thoughts. After making clear that he has nothing but love for Portland, Lillard made clear that he’s excited to go to work in Milwaukee.

The good news for the Bucks is that Lillard has said in the past that he would like to play alongside Antetokounmpo, while their MVP forward has never been shy about how big of a fan he is of his new running mate. While making this trade happen cost a pretty penny — most notably, Milwaukee had to jettison Jrue Holiday, who was a crucial piece to their championship run back in 2021 — Lillard is the exact sort of player who should help them remain at the very top of the Eastern Conference. One of the few things that could have hurt their chances of doing that was Lillard having a problem with the move, but fortunately for Milwaukee, that doesn’t seem like a problem.

Even a movie with three Oscar nominees can’t escape studio notes — especially if the notes come from Barack Obama.

Leave the World Behind, which stars Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, and Ethan Hawke, is the first fictional film from Higher Ground, the production company founded by Barack and Michelle Obama. It’s described as a psychological thriller about two families reckoning with “a looming disaster that grows more terrifying by the minute, forcing everyone to come to terms with their places in a collapsing world.” So, just another day for a former president.

“In the original drafts of the script, I definitely pushed things a lot farther than they were in the film, and President Obama, having the experience he does have, was able to ground me a little bit on how things might unfold in reality,” writer and director Sam Esmail (Mr. Robot) told Vanity Fair.

“I am writing what I think is fiction, for the most part, I’m trying to keep it as true to life as possible, but I’m exaggerating and dramatizing. And to hear an ex-president say you’re off by a few details… I thought I was off by a lot! The fact that he said that scared the f*ck out of me.”

Obama was concerned that Leave the World Behind was too bleak, and his notes were mostly “about the characters and the empathy we would have for them,” Esmail continued. “I have to say he is a big movie lover, and he wasn’t just giving notes about things that were from his background.”

If a character in the movie gets a weird amount of sh*t for wearing a tan suit, you’ll know where that idea came from.

Leave the World Behind hits Netflix on December 8th.

(Via Vanity Fair)

Damian Lillard is headed to the Milwaukee Bucks in a massive, league-shaking trade that saw Giannis Antetokounmpo get paired with the best point guard he’s ever played with — and Damian Lillard get placed on the best team he’s ever been on.

In exchange, the Bucks are sending a 2029 unprotected first rounder, two unprotected pick swaps, and Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers, with Grayson Allen going to Phoenix. From the Blazers perspective, the Milwaukee future first plus swapping Jusuf Nurkic for Deandre Ayton was a superior offer to anything Miami could present, but it also allows them to continue seeking out more future assets by shopping Holiday around to other contenders, as Adrian Wojnarowski reports they plan on doing.

Holiday is considered the NBA’s premier perimeter defender, and will have plenty of value to teams looking to contend. Pretty much any playoff hopeful that is in the market for a point guard (including, yes, the Miami Heat) will probably have interest in Holiday and he should fetch them at least another first round pick. We’ll likely have to wait for the Holiday portion of this deal to get done before it’s officially announced, as it would be much easier to reroute Holiday to a fourth team all as part of one trade than deal him separately, but exactly where he ends up remains to be seen.

Figuring out who will be the frontrunner for Holiday is particularly difficult, as you can talk yourself into him making sense in an awful lot of places. All the teams in the Lillard sweepstakes still figure to want a point guard upgrade, while he’s the type of guard who can fit in alongside an established point guard as well, providing a strong defensive presence and secondary ball-handler to alleviate pressure off of another star guard.

It’s only been a few weeks since Dunkin’ announced their collaboration drink with Ice Spice — where they blended actual Pumpkin Munchkins into it. However, it seems like the coffee chain has its sights on a potential new partnership with another musician: none other than Taylor Swift.

Fans were left wondering after Dunkin’ shared a cryptic Instagram post of an empty iced coffee cup filled with lettered beads. (Something Swifties have notoriously used to make friendship bracelets for Swift’s tour.)

“In honor of National Coffee Day, something is seemingly dropping this Friday,” they captioned.

One user pointed out how Taylor Swift-coded their ad was, to which Dunkin’s team responded with a bunch of eye emojis.

It’s not the first time Swift has teamed up with a coffee chain either, although she usually has worked with Starbucks. As part of the promotion for Red (Taylor’s Version) back in 2021, fans could order the pop star’s regular drink and hear her music in the stores.

Given she is set to release 1989 (Taylor’s Version) next month, it might be perfect timing to collab with the other big coffee company.

Another possible piece of evidence to this is that Swift brought Ice Spice as a feature for the “Karma” remix, and it would be fun if they both had drinks.

Check out Dunkin’s Instagram teaser post below.