Month: January 2024

The beauty of American whiskey is that it doesn’t have to cost too much to be genuinely enjoyable. That’s especially true of bourbon. The corn-based spirit is made in massive quantities by huge distilleries that can make it cheap and well. That translates to very good bourbon hitting the shelf at very low prices — yes, even under $30.

Below, I’m calling out 12 bourbons that you can find, that taste great, and are all under $30. It’s a true sweet spot and a great place to start a bourbon journey and/or simply stock your home bar with quality cheap juice that’ll please pretty much everyone who loves whiskey. Those are all wins, folks.

I did rank these whiskeys. Look, they’re all good but some do offer that little bit more somethin’ somethin’ that help them stand out a tad more. So read through my tasting notes and find that bourbon that grabs you. Then hit those price links and then enjoy!

A quick note on price. These prices are set according to Total Wine in Louisville, Kentucky. Local prices may vary. Let’s dive in.

• The 100 Best Bourbon Whiskeys Of 2023, Ranked
• The ‘Smoothest’ Bourbons Under $100, Blind Tasted And Ranked
• The Best Bourbons Under $100 For Thanksgiving Dinner, Ranked
• The Absolute Best Bottle Of Whiskey From Each Of The 50 States
• The Best Mainstream Bourbons Under $40, Blind Tasted And Ranked

12. Old Bardstown Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Bottled in Bond

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $21

The Whiskey:

This is a standard bourbon from Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, otherwise known as Willett. This blended batch of bourbon is all about the small level of proofing to bring it down to bonded level (100 proof). That lack of water lets those barrels shine a touch more.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This opens with a nice mix of woody vanilla next to cherry hard candies that mellow towards cherry cotton candy lace with echoes of oak and toffee in the background.

Palate: The palate leans into the cherry but layers in wintry spices with vanilla sugar cookies and caramel apples straight from the fairgrounds.

Finish: The finish isn’t long but doesn’t disappear either, as that cherry and spice merge into cherry cough drops.

Bottom Line:

Willett has a rabid fan base. This is where it all starts. This is perfectly good mixing bourbon for cocktails. It has enough ABVs to stand out and will deliver a classic Kentucky bourbon vibe to any cocktail.

11. Old Forester Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 100 Proof

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $22

The Whisky:

Old Forester bourbons are stone-cold classics. Their 100-proof expression is made in the same way as their 86-proof (72% corn, 18% rye, and 10% malted barley and aged in Louisville, Kentucky). The key difference is that after these barrels are blended, they’re barely touched with water, keeping the proof very hearty.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Oak and caramel draw you in on the nose with a nice dose of cherry candy and a hint of coffee bitterness.

Palate: The palate wallows in vanilla as a spicy apple pie with a vanilla-flecked, buttery crust drives the taste before the cherry comes back in full force with a hint of brandy oak spice.

Finish: The oak, cherry, and spice powers the pour with a medium-length fade and plenty of bourbon warmth.

Bottom Line:

This is another great whiskey-forward cocktail candidate. It’ll imbue all those classic sweet and cherry bourbon notes that you want in a simple old fashioned or bourbon sour.

10. Bulleit Bourbon Frontier Whiskey Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $23

The Whiskey:

This whiskey embraces a high-rye mash bill that’s comprised of 68% corn, 28% rye, and 4% malted barley. The hot juice is then rested for six years before blending, cutting down to proof, and barreling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose is classic Kentucky bourbon with clear dark cherry tobacco, apple cider doughnuts, plenty of cinnamon, eggnog creaminess, and a little rye grassiness (think dry sweetgrass).

Palate: The spice on the palate is squarely in the cinnamon category with creamy vanilla, more warm fruity tobacco, and a hint of orchard bark lurking in the background.

Finish: The end is warm but fades pretty quickly, leaving you with soft oak, dark spice, brown sugar, and a whisper of sweet and creamy grits.

Bottom Line:

This is almost a no-brainer buy. You should have this bottle on hand simply by virtue of it being so well-known. Anybody cruising by your place will know it likely like it. Moreover, this whiskey makes really good cocktails while working perfectly fine as an on-the-rates pour or shooter.

9. 1792 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Small Batch

ABV: 46.85%

Average Price: $27

The Whiskey:

This whiskey from Barton 1792 Distillery is a no-age-statement release made in “small batches.” The mash is unknown, but Sazerac mentions that it’s a “high rye” mash bill, which could mean anything. The whiskey is batched from select barrels and then proofed down and bottled as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a woody cherry bark next to sour apple pies, distiller’s beer, and caramel candies next to vanilla cream with a counterpoint of cumin and dry chili lurking in the deeper reaches of the nose.

Palate: The palate opens with a Cherry Coke feel next to rich and buttery toffee, vanilla malts, and sharp Hot Tamales cinnamon candy with a nod toward allspice and root beer.

Finish: The end is soft and lush with vanilla smoothness leading to black cherry tobacco braided with cedar bark and wicker.

Bottom Line:

This is another whiskey that makes a hell of a cocktail (and it’s built specifically to do so). I would lean more citrus-forward with this one — so think sours, smashes, and the like. The malty vanilla and cherry shine through nicely with lemon and sugar.

8. Weller Special Release Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $25

The Whiskey:

This is a classic wheated bourbon from Buffalo Trace, which doesn’t publish any of its mash bills. Educated guesses put the wheat percentage of these mash bills at around 16 to 18%, which is pretty average. The age of the barrels on this blend is also unknown.

Overall, we know this is a classic wheated bourbon, and … that’s about it.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a tannic sense of old oak next to sweet cherries, vanilla cookies, and that Buffalo Trace leathery vibe with a hint of spiced tobacco lurking underneath.

Palate: The palate has a creamy texture kind of like malted vanilla ice cream over a hot apple pie cut with brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and walnuts next to Frosted Raisin Bran with a hint of candied cherry root beer.

Finish: The end takes that sweet cherry and apple and layers it into a light tobacco leaf with a mild sense of old musty barrel warehouses.

Bottom Line:

This is another one that’s a no-brainer. Every whiskey lover will know “Weller” in one way or another. This is their mixer expression though, so treat it accordingly. I tend to use this more for sours and smashes too and save the Antique 107 Weller for whiskey-forward cocktails.

7. Ezra Brooks 99 Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 49.5%

Average Price: $24

The Whiskey:

This whiskey — distilled at Lux Row Distillers in Bardstown — is kind of like a Tennessee whiskey made in Kentucky. The whiskey has a standard mash bill of corn, rye, and barley. The juice is then aged but before it goes into the bottles it is charcoal filtered. That whiskey is then batched, proofed down with limestone water, and bottled.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This leans very classic bourbon with hints of corn on the cob with melty salted butter next to hints of soft leather pouches filled with roasted peanut shells, a touch of caramel, and a vanilla/chocolate ice cream vibe.

Palate: The palate keeps things super easy as that rich vanilla ice cream leads towards holiday spices, tart green apples, and a freshly baked cornbread bespeckled with dried chili flakes and black pepper.

Finish: The finish is soft and fast with that spice leading back towards a leather tobacco chew.

Bottom Line:

This is soft and very nutty/creamy bourbon. It works really well in cocktails where a hint of nuttiness works — think of Manhattans, creamy nogs, or even boulevardiers. I would also argue that this is nice enough to pour over some rocks for everyday sipping.

6. Old Grand-Dad 114 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 57%

Average Price: $24

The Whiskey:

Hailing from the James B. Beam stills and warehouses, this “Old” whiskey is a fan favorite. The whiskey is from Beam’s high rye mash bill. The hot juice is then matured until it’s just right. The barrels are blended, the whiskey is just touched with water to bring the proof down, and it’s bottled.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Vanilla tobacco meets hints of rye spiciness with a dose of caramel and old oak on the nose.

Palate: The palate holds onto that rye spice as notes of cherry and oak dominate the vanilla and toffee sweetness.

Finish: The end returns to the spice with a chewy tobacco edge that lingers for a short time but leaves you wanting more.

Bottom Line:

This is a great “table” whiskey. That means that it works for everyday sipping (over some rocks), good mixing, or just chilling with a beer. It’s not going to blow you away but it will get the job done when you’re looking for a classic Kentucky pour.

5. Maker’s Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $24

The Whisky:

This is Maker’s signature expression made with Red winter wheat and aged seasoned Ozark oak for six to seven years. This expression’s whiskey is then sourced from only 150 barrels (making this a “small batch”). Those barrels are then blended and proofed with Kentucky limestone water before bottling and dipping in their iconic red wax.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose is full of those heavily charred oak barrel notes next to classic hints of caramel and vanilla with a grassy underbelly.

Palate: That grassiness becomes vaguely floral as slightly spiced caramel apples arrive, along with a chewy mouthfeel that leads towards a soft mineral vibe — kind of like wet granite.

Finish: The end holds onto the fruit and sweetness as the oak and dried grass stay in your senses.

Bottom Line:

This is a great standard whisky to have on hand. It’s clean and soft with a nice nuance to it (thanks to the red winter wheat instead of rye in the mash bill). Overall, this is the whisky you want to use for Manhattans and Sazeracs thanks to that nice bite of dry grassiness that powers through the other cocktail ingredients while working well with them.

4. Elijah Craig Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 47%

Average Price: $25

The Whiskey:

This is Elijah Craig’s entry-point bottle. The mash is corn-focused, with more malted barley than rye. The whiskey is then rendered from “small batches” of barrels to create this proofed-down version of the iconic brand.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a light sense of rickhouse wood beams next to that mild taco seasoning on the nose with caramel apples, vanilla ice cream scoops, and a hint of fresh mint with a sweet/spicy edge.

Palate: The palate opens with a seriously smooth vanilla base with some winter spice (especially cinnamon and allspice) next to a hint of grain and apple pie filling.

Finish: The end leans towards the woodiness with a hint of broom bristle and minty tobacco lead undercut by that smooth vanilla.

Bottom Line:

This is an essential Kentucky bourbon and house pour. It’s as versatile in a glass on the rocks as it is in a cocktail. Have fun with this one.

3. Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $28

The Whiskey:

This is the whiskey that heralded a new era of bourbon in 1999. Famed Master Distiller Elmer T. Lee came out of retirement to create this bourbon to celebrate the renaming of the George T. Stagg distillery to Buffalo Trace when Sazerac bought the joint. The rest, as they say, is history, especially since this has become a touchstone bourbon for the brand.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Classic notes of vanilla come through next to a dark syrup sweetness, a flourish of fresh mint, and raw leather that veers towards raw steak.

Palate: The palate cuts through the sweeter notes with plenty of spices — like clove and star anise — next to a hint of tart berries underneath it all.

Finish: The end is long, velvety, and really delivers on the vanilla and spice.

Bottom Line:

This is a straight-up modern classic. It’s easygoing but delivers on the hype around Buffalo Trace in general. I’d use this for simple yet delicious whiskey-forward cocktails but would never turn down a pour over some ice either. It’s dealer’s choice, really.

2. Four Roses Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $28

The Whiskey:

Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon is a blend of four whiskeys. The blend is split evenly between the high and low-rye bourbons with a focus on “slight spice” and “rich fruit” yeasts — that means OBSK, OESK, OBSO, and OESO are in the mix (here’s what all of that means). After six to seven years of aging, the whiskey is blended, cut with soft Kentucky water, and bottled.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Soft and sweet apple and cherry woods greet with a good dose of sour red berries dusted with brown winter spices, especially clove and nutmeg.

Palate: The palate leans into soft and salted caramel with a hint of those berries underneath while the spices get woodier and a thin line of green sweetgrass sneaks in.

Finish: The finish is silky and boils down to blackberry jam with a good dose of winter spice, old wood, and a hint of vanilla tobacco.

Bottom Line:

This is a strong whiskey that could easily be number one on this list. It’s very good, dynamic, and gettable everywhere. It also makes a killer fruity-forward cocktail. At the same time, you can easily sip this slowly over a big ol’ rock.

1. Jim Beam Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 54%

Average Price: $20

The Whiskey:

Each of these Jim Beam bottlings is pulled from single barrels that hit just the right spot of taste, texture, and drinkability, according to the master distillers at Beam. That means this juice is pulled from less than one percent of all barrels in Beam’s warehouses, making this a very special bottle at a bafflingly affordable price.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with classic notes of vanilla sheet cake, salted caramel, wintry mulled wine spices, and a sense of cherry pie in a lard crust next to a hint of dried corn husk, old broom bristle, and dark chocolate pipe tobacco.

Palate: The palate layers in floral honey and orange zest next to sticky toffee pudding, old leather, and cherry tobacco layered with the dark chocolate with this lingering sense of coconut cream pie lurking somewhere in the background.

Finish: The finish leans into more woody winter spices (especially cinnamon bark and nutmeg) with rich toffee and cherry-chocolate tobacco braided with dry sweetgrass and cedar bark.

Bottom Line:

This is the best choice in this price bracket. You simply cannot beat this whiskey at this price. It’s deep and nuanced with a great drinkability that works wonders in whiskey-forward cocktails or over a big piece of ice. Hell, you can shoot this one too if that’s your jam — but you’ll miss a lot of the details that make this one great.

Legendary Star Wars actor Mark Hamill was finally united with his “mom” at the Golden Globes on Sunday night. In a jokingly proud moment, Hamill shared a backstage photo with Natalie Portman as he couldn’t resist letting Star Wars fans know about this long overdue family reunion.

“Now I have finally met my “mother”, thanks to the @goldenglobes,” Hamill tweeted.

If you don’t get the reference, we’ll walk you through it. While Luke Skywalker’s birth mother was only briefly referenced in the original Star Wars trilogy that mainly focused on Luke’s father and son relationship with Darth Vader, that was not the case in the Star Wars prequel trilogy.

Portman portrayed Luke’s mother, Padme Amidala, in all three of the early 2000s films where her character was front and center thanks to her burgeoning relationship with Hayden Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker. While Anakin becoming Darth Vader was known to fans, the fate of his bride remained a mystery until the final installment, Revenge of the Sith.

In that film, Anakin finally succumbs to the Dark Side, leaving behind a pregnant Padme who gives birth to Jedi twins Luke and Leia in the final moments of the prequel trilogy. However, she dies shortly after naming the future heroes before they’re whisked away to separate locations by Senator Bail Organa (Jimmy Smits) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor).

Considering Revenge of the Sith came out in 2005, it’s only taken Hamill 19 years to meet his “mom, but better late than never.

(Via Mark Hamill on Twitter)

What do Pearl Jam, Ed Sheeran, Stevie Nicks, Maná, Kali Uchis, Megan Thee Stallion, Queens Of The Stone Age, The Kid Laroi, Dominic Fike, St. Vincent, Norah Jones, The Offspring, My Morning Jacket, Nelly, T-Pain, and others have in common? They’re set to perform at the BottleRock Napa Valley festival this year, from May 24 to 26. The 2024 lineup was announced today (January 8), and if this all sounds exciting, here’s what to know about when you can pick up tickets.

When Do The 2024 BottleRock Napa Valley Festival Tickets Go On Sale?

Three-day general admission tickets will be available for purchase starting tomorrow, January 9, at 10 a.m. PST. VIP tickets are currently marked as sold out on the BottleRock website, but perhaps that’s a temporary thing before the tickets actually go on sale. There are other ticket tiers as well, so find more information about that on BottleRock’s tickets page. Some ticket tiers will have one-day passes available, although it’s not currently clear when those will go on sale.

As for price, BottleRock is going with a “no surprises at checkout” policy for the first time this year, meaning no hidden fees. So, GA tickets are listed at $456 ($409 for the ticket and $47 for fees), and VIP tickets are set to cost $1,264 ($1,195 for the ticket, $69 for fees).

Learn more about 2024 BottleRock fest tickets here.

Claudia Johnson was “Lady Bird.” Helen Taft was “Nervous Nellie.” Pat Nixon was “Plastic Pat.” But among first ladies, Ronald Reagan’s wife, Nancy, had the best nickname of them all: “the Blowjob Queen of Hollywood.”

Of course, no one called it her that (or “Throat GOAT”) at the time. But Reagan earned the moniker after right-wing dipsh*t Ben Shapiro’s sister compared her (“classic living”) to pop star Madonna (“trashy living”), followed by everyone pointing out that Nancy was allegedly “renowned in Hollywood for performing oral sex” and “known to give the best blowjob in town.”

This is all-important context for “Throat Surgeon.”

Over the weekend, Republican presidential wannabe Vivek Ramaswamy saluted his surgeon and cancer researcher wife, Apoorva, on X. “Throat surgeon. Mother. Future First Lady. Star of the day on the Iowa campaign trail,” he wrote. Ramaswamy probably could have phrased that better.

Here’s how that went over:

Instead of “throat surgeon,” Ramaswamy, who opposes affirmative action, described the trans community as a “cult,” and has said that he would consider Ted Cruz as his running mate, could have gone with his wife’s actual title. It’s literally the first four words of her bio: “I am a laryngologist.”

But nope. “Throat surgeon.” Reagan really is every Republican’s favorite Republican.

(Via X/@VivekGRamaswamy)

In promotion of his new era, Lil Nas X has been leaning into Christian themes, especially today (January 8) with the announcement that his new single, “J Christ,” is coming out on January 12. The single’s cover art features a re-creation of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, with Nas playing the role of Jesus. This appears to have rubbed some people the wrong way, and now Lil Nas X has something to say about it.

In a tweet shared after the announcement, the rapper dismissed the idea that he’s mocking Jesus, writing, “the crazy thing is nowhere in the picture is a mockery of jesus. Jesus’s image is used throughout history in people’s art all over the world. I’m not making fun of sh*t. yall just gotta stop trying to gatekeep a religion that was here before any of us were even born. stfu.”

He also retweeted some tweets supporting him.

One reads, “The reason a lot of yall are not understanding J Christ and Lil Nas X’s new era in general is because you also blatantly misunderstood Montero (Call Me By Your Name) and its message. There is no mocking happening anywhere. It’s just art like so many other artists have done.” Another one says, “If y’all truly cared about religion like yall say u do, You could easily see how heavy of a Christian he & his family is. Yall wanna gatekeep people from religion so bad. Its not him making religion look bad it’s yall making it look bad by saying who can&cant be a Christian.” Somebody else wrote, “Imagine telling Lil Nas X that he’s not allowed to use the iconography of the world’s largest religion, that shaped the western culture and informed ALL of the western art, to express himself, like ALL western artists have been doing for the past couple of millenia.”

Meanwhile, on January 3, Nas tweeted, “my new song features a very beloved popstar who ive been a fan of for a long time,” but who that is has not yet been revealed.

Suits successfully ran for nine seasons on the USA Network and concluded in September 2019. Currently, every season is available to stream on Peacock, although the first eight seasons dominated Netflix bingewatching sessions for much of 2023. Is this still a mild surprise? Perhaps, but the show was enjoyable enough while airing and has presumably been bolstered about curiosity about Meghan Markle’s pre-royal career.

It certainly didn’t hurt Suits that the streaming services did slow their original series output during Hollywood’s recent shutdown, which gave people even more available time to crank through the fluffy legal drama and watch Harvey Specter close those deals. Now, the show’s world has expanded because no studio can resist reviving a hit show where there’s potential. Here’s what we know about the Suits-related series that has been greenlit:

Plot

NBCUniversal nursed that interest by having four Suits cast members (Patrick J. Adams, Gabriel Macht, Gina Torres, and Sarah Rafferty) materialize at the recent Globes ceremony to present an award, as seen below.

During the evening, Macht, who portrayed deal-maker extraordinaire Harvey Specter, remarked (to Variety) of the show’s zombie resurrection, “It’s just gotten incredible eyes. And we’re very grateful for it.” Whereas Adams, who embodied fake lawyer Mike Ross on the hit series, went further to declare, “If I got the phone call, I’d be ready to suit up again. I loved the show, I loved the character and I loved working with all these people.”

Could a real reunion actually happen? Suits creator Aaron Korsh has gone on record to declare that his new Suits-related show is not reboot, a revival, or a spinoff (the series previously spinoff with the short-lived Pearson series, starring Torres). The new show will likely not take place in New York but in Los Angeles, and the setup could be similar to how NCIS has expanded into different cities with different casts. Yet what’s most notable is that Deadline reports that this new show has been “fast tracked,” so ideally, we will know more soon.

Viewers will likely be disappointed if there isn’t some sort of crossover character or two, at least in the new show’s setup. If that happens, definitely do not expect to see Meghan Markle return as Rachel Zane, however, since she has spoken fondly of her previous experiences on the show but did not join her fellow cast members for this past weekend’s onscreen reunion.

Cast

Again, there has been absolutely no confirmation of any former cast members (or new ones) who are joining this continuation series. Still, there must be some logic behind trucking out four former cast members onstage at the Globes.

Release Date

Producers will surely want to get this series out as soon as possible, although no one knows if this show will be another USA Network staple or move solely to streaming, on Peacock or Netflix. Still, no firm date exists at this time.

Trailer

If only! Let’s imagine, instead, how Prince Harry felt while watching this scene between Rachel and Mike.

The 2024 edition of the BottleRock Napa Valley festival is set to go down at the Napa Valley Expo in Napa Valley, California from May 24 to May 26. The lineup was revealed today (January 8), and scheduled to perform at the fest are Pearl Jam, Ed Sheeran, Stevie Nicks, Kali Uchis, Megan Thee Stallion, Queens Of The Stone Age, The Kid Laroi, Dominic Fike, St. Vincent, My Morning Jacket, Nelly, T-Pain, and many more.

So, how can you get in on this?

How To Buy Tickets For The 2024 BottleRock Napa Valley Festival

Three-day general admission tickets will be available to buy starting tomorrow, January 9, at 10 a.m. PST. Per the BottleRock website, for the first time in 2024, there will be “no surprises at checkout” with all fees included in the price seen up front. Currently, tickets are listed at $456 ($409 for the ticket and $47 for fees).

VIP tickets, meanwhile, are set to cost $1,264 ($1,195 for the ticket, $69 for fees). On the BottleRock tickets page, VIP tickets are currently marked as sold out, but perhaps that will change when the general admission tickets go on sale.

Other tiers of BottleRock tickets are also offered, so learn more about that here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Jo Koy’s Golden Globes jokes are getting roasted, particularly after taking aim at Taylor Swift. However, the comedian had one group of ladies rushing to his defense: The co-hosts on The View.

Surprisingly, the panel was not feeling Swift’s now-viral reaction where she was visibly not pleased after the comedian made a joke about her recent NFL appearances thanks to dating Travis Kelce. Swift was stone-faced during the bit, and apparently, The View thinks she should lighten up.

Here’s what co-host Sara Haines said about Swift’s reaction via Entertainment Weekly:

“I love Jo Koy and the whole time I was nervous for him because I think he’s so funny. He’s kind, he’s good, all the things. What bothers me more in watching this is, get a sense of humor, because we need to protect these national treasures called our comedians, because life needs them,” she said. “We need to stop binding them in, fencing them in. In that room, Jo Koy is punching up. No one feels sorry. Just smile.”

Whoopi Goldberg also came to Koy’s defense, but wisely steered clear of mentioning the Swift debacle.

“These gigs, these hosting gigs are brutal. They’re just brutal. If you don’t know the room, if you’ve not been in these rooms before and you’re thrust out there, it’s hit or miss,” Goldberg said via EW. “I don’t know whether it was the room or the jokes, I didn’t get to see it, but I do know that he’s as good as it gets when it comes to stand-ups. It’s not an easy gig. If you read any of the reviews of some of the gigs that I’ve had, where they just wished me into the cornfields, die on the vine, it’s not an easy gig.”

(Via Entertainment Weekly)

Released in 2019, Joker defied box office expectations by becoming a billion-dollar smash hit despite eschewing the trappings of the usual superhero fare dominating theaters. While director Todd Phillips and star Joaquin Phoenix were reluctant to agree to a sequel as Warner Bros. saw dollar signs its eyes, the two finally found a story worth telling and Joker: Folie à Deux was born.

With Lady Gaga officially joining the cast as a new incarnation of Harley Quinn, the sequel will once again take another deeper, darker dive into the iconic DC Comics villain. Here’s everything we know about Joker: Folie à Deux:

Plot

The original Joker film ended with Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck being swarmed by the Gotham Police Department after he fully embraced his new Joker persona by murdering beloved late night host Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro) on live TV. While not much is known about the sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux, the film has been touted as a musical and will focus on the introduction of Harley Quinn.

In the animated series, where she quickly rose to popularity, Harley Quinn (real name: Harleen Quinzel) was the Joker’s psychiatrist before being seduced by the Clown Prince of Crime and ultimately serving as his sidekick. However, in recent years, she’s since struck out on her own and become a beloved anti-hero, but the Joker sequel will most likely focus on their deranged courtship. Don’t expect Harley to join the Suicide Squad in this one.

Cast

Joaquin Phoenix will reprise his role as Arthur Fleck, and Zazie Beetz is confirmed to return as Sophie. However, this time around, Phoenix will be joined by a new cast of characters including the heavily-hyped casting of Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn. Catherine Keener and Brendan Gleeson have also joined the film in unspecified roles.

Release Date

Director Todd Phillips kicked off the New Year by dropping two new photos from Joker: Folie à Deux and confirming the film’s October 4 release date with the Instagram post below:

Trailer

As of this writing, Joker: Folie à Deux does not have a trailer. However, Phillips has continued to tease out set photos, and with the release date less than a year away, a trailer is imminent. In fact, we wouldn’t be surprised if Joker 2 has a presence at the Super Bowl, but Warner Bros. could play things close to the vest until closer to the release of the highly-anticipated sequel.

Joker: Folie à Deux arrives in theaters on October 4, 2024.

Fast food can often be delicious, especially if you’ve figured out the perfect order at all your favorite restaurants. But eating the same food over and over again can get dull real fast. If you’re biting into a big juicy decadent cheeseburger and it’s not firing off all the pleasure centers in your brain, it’s probably because your tastebuds aren’t being surprised at all.

You have two routes here:

1. Take a break from fast food and start cooking at home.
2. Mix it up by ordering from the secret menu.

We know it is hard to stray from the favorites but sometimes ordering something unexpected is all you need to excite the palate and get the most bang for your buck. And when you’re looking for something different there is no better place to look than a secret menu. And most fast food restaurants have a secret menu or, at the very least, some food you can remix and hack into something new.

To help guide you to these hidden gems, we’ve put together a list of the secret menu fast food items from all the big chains. For the most part, these will be foods that you can order hassle-free, though a few will unfortunately require some self-assembly. Let’s dive in.

Burger King — Rodeo Burger

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How To Order It:

Unfortunately, because Burger King routinely brings back the Rodeo Burger as a limited-time option, you can’t just ask for a Rodeo Burger off-season. Instead what you’ll need to do is order a Double Whopper and add BBQ sauce, bacon, and onion rings.

They will be able to add all of these ingredients themselves, so you won’t get any pushback if you try and order this.

The Bottom Line:

This burger is crunchy, smokey, sweet, and decadent. You can’t go wrong.

Burger King — Frings

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How To Order It:

I’m still scratching my head over why this isn’t something BK advertises. Frings are an ingenious idea, you get an equal share of french fries and onion rings — what’s not to love here? Order Frings and your favorite sandwich of choice, put the frings inside the sandwich, and experience the absolute best of Burger King.

BK isn’t doing so hot, the restaurant is closing stores nationwide — I kind of think it’s because they keep orders like the Rodeo Burger and Frings a secret.

The Bottom Line:

You get the best of both worlds here, and it’s something you can ask for by name.

Chick-fil-A — Fried Chicken Club Sandwich/Bacon on Everything

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How To Order It:

If you can’t tell already, it truly baffles me why these fast food chains keep some of their best food a secret. If you’re a casual Chick-fil-A eater you may not know that you can put bacon on everything here, and bacon is the best way to elevate a chicken sandwich.

Ask for the Chicken Club, and you should receive a grilled chicken patty with bacon, lettuce, tomato, and cheese on a multigrain brioche bun — but here is the trick, ask for a fried patty (spicy or regular) instead and you’ve got yourself quite possibly the best sandwich on the entire menu.

The multigrain bun adds some nice sweetness to counterbalance the smokey flavor of the bacon and the chicken and pairs nicely with the juicy tomatoes and green leaf lettuce. If you’re not feeling that build, feel free to order your usual favorite sandwich and just ask to add bacon.

The Bottom Line:

Everything tastes better with bacon

Chick-fil-A — Spicy Char

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How To Order It:

This one is a bit of a toss-up as some Chick-fil-A’s will know what you’re talking about, and some won’t. The Spicy Char swaps Chick-fil-A’s charbroiled chicken patty (which is delicious by the way) for a spicy version of the same patty, tossed in the same spices as the fried version, without the breading.

The results are delicious, it’s juicy with a lemon undertone and a sharp cayenne kick at the backend.

The Bottom Line:

Chick-fil-A’s most delicious secret. If you’re in the mood for a grilled chicken sandwich that doesn’t sacrifice flavor for better caloric stats, order this.

Chipotle — Nachos

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How To Order It:

This one is going to require self-assembly, but we guarantee you it’s worth it! Here is what you do: order a burrito bowl with any meat or beans of your choosing (we recommend barbacoa and pinto) with grilled fajitas, salsa of your choice, corn, cheese, and guacamole, and ask for all your ingredients on the side. Then order a side of chips, pour them into the bowl, and build this delicious dish.

If enough of us order these nachos and post them on TikTok, maybe it’ll get an official release. Chipotle did it with the fajita quesadilla so anything is possible!

The Bottom Line:

We know Chipotle is keeping this one close to the chest in case sales ever drop.

Five Guys — The Patty Melt

How To Order It:

This is Five Guys’ best-tasting secret and, in our opinion, is even superior to the regular burger. Simply order a grilled cheese and add as many patties and other ingredients you’d like. Five Guys doesn’t use special buns for this sandwich instead it inverts its regular hamburger buns and grills them with butter, giving the bread a crunchy savory exterior.

To capture that classic diner patty melt vibe, be sure and add grilled mushrooms and grilled onions.

The Bottom Line:

Better than Five Guys’ stock cheeseburger.

In-N-Out — Animal Style Burger with Chopped Chiles

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How To Order It:

In-N-Out posts its secret menu online, which is great, but what they don’t tell you is that you can add chopped chiles to any burger. This build is a favorite of burger master Alvin Cailan, it features mustard grilled patties, a double dose of cheese, extra special sauce, tomatoes, grilled onions, lettuce, pickles, and chopped chiles. The chiles provide a nice subtle heat that builds on the aftertaste and adds a lot of complexity to this already flavor-packed burger.

The Bottom Line:

The easiest way to elevate your In-N-Out experience.

In-N-Out — Animal Style Fries

How To Order It:

For whatever reason In-N-Out also doesn’t advertise these fries on its official secret menu website, but they’re a staple amongst In-N-Out regulars, so expect to order this hassle-free.

The Animal Style Fries include a bed of fries topped with special sauce, melted American cheese, and grilled onions. If you’re wondering, yes, you can add chopped chilies to this as well and it makes each forkful significantly better.

The Bottom Line:

If you still think In-N-Out fries are the worst, give these and try and come back to us.

In-N-Out — Tomato Wrap

How To Order It:

I’m not going to list In-N-Out’s entire secret menu because some of the dishes just aren’t worth ordering (looking at you grilled cheese), but one that doesn’t get enough mention is the Tomato Wrap. This burger is superior to the lettuce wrap because it doesn’t fall apart as you’re eating it and instead of flavorless iceberg lettuce you get layers of umami-rich tomato.

The Bottom Line:

Savory, satisfying, and completely keto-friendly.

In-N-Out — Neapolitan Shake/Rootbeer Float

How To Order It:

I’m going to go ahead and combine these because I think they are equally good. If you can’t decide between a chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry shake, just order a Neapolitan Shake to experience all three flavors combined.

To get a Rootbeer Float, simply ask for one (it’s not on the menu) and the employees will expertly mix rootbeer with any shake flavor of your choice.

The Bottom Line:

Both options are improvements over the stock milkshakes.

McDonald’s — The Egg McMuffin Hack From The Killer

How To Order It:

We were introduced to this hack late last year by the David Fincher movie The Killer. It’s an Egg McMuffin without the bread. In the movie, Michael Fassbender scarfs down a ham version of this sandwich, which in our opinion isn’t as good as opting for sausage instead.

To order ask for a Sausage, Egg, and Cheese McMuffin with an extra patty and toss the bread to nearby birds.

I like this hack and it fits into the keto lifestyle, but I’m going to be real with you, the original with the bun tastes better.

The Bottom Line:

A keto-friendly version of one of McDonald’s greatest sandwiches.

McDonald’s — Hashbrown McMuffin

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How To Order It:

Order a McMuffin and a hashbrown, open up the sandwich, and slide that hashbrown in. Yes it’s a bummer they won’t do this for you but it’s so low effort and so delicious that the self-assembly is worth it. The hashbrown adds more crunch and salt to the sandwich and makes it a way more satisfying experience.

The Bottom Line:

A hack so good and so low effort that McDonald’s should just include it on the menu. Until then, you’ll have to build it yourself.

McDonald’s — The Land, Sea, and Air Burger

How To Order It:

I didn’t really want to include this one but what’s a secret menu fast food list without this legendary sandwich? Two years ago McDonald’s let you order this sandwich by name but still required you to self-assemble it. It wasn’t worth the effort (we covered it here)

The sandwich combines a Big Mac with a fried Filet-O-Fish and a McChicken into one giant ball of ultra-processed protein. It is disturbing, overwhelming, and as close to State Fair food as McDonald’s will ever get.

The Bottom Line:

A disturbing mix of McDonald’s proteins. Order it for the story, not the flavor.

Raising Cane’s — Sandwich on Texas Toast

How To Order It:

Ask for your Raising Cane’s sandwich to be served on Texas toast rather than the Kaiser roll that comes with the stock sandwich, and boom, you’ve instantly got a significantly better chicken sandwich. Yes, it’s still going to fall all over the place and be a struggle to keep intact (what else would you expect from a sandwich that includes three chicken tenders) but each bite will begin with a garlic butter blast of flavor before you reach that tender juicy chicken.

The Bottom Line:

Raising Cane’s should ditch the roll completely and just serve its sandwiches on this delicious Texas Toast. Once you try it, you’ll never eat the Kaiser roll again.

Raising Cane’s — BOBS

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How To Order It:

Ask for BOBS and you’ll receive Raising Cane’s delicious Texas Toast grilled and buttered on both sides, rather than just one side. BOBS stands for, if you haven’t caught on already, “buttered on both sides,’ and is an instant way to turn an already delicious side into something out of this world.

The Bottom Line:

If you love Raising Cane’s Texas Toast, you need to try the BOBS.

Taco Bell — Quesarito

How To Order It:

Taco Bell keeps putting this legendary dish back on the menu only to take it off. You don’t have to deal with Taco Bell’s nonsense though, because you can still order a Quesarito, it just takes some hacking. Ordering a Beefy 5-Layer Burrito, substitute the beans for rice, and add chipotle sauce, then get it grilled, and bam! You’ve got yourself a Quesarito.

The Bottom Line:

Taco Bell loves to take fan favorites off the menu, this is the easiest one to recreate.

Wendy’s — The Meat Cube

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How To Order It:

Wendy’s offers single, double, and triple cheeseburgers but nothing is stopping you from adding as many additional patties to the burger as you’d like. Once you get to four, you’re eating what the Wendy’s secret menu community affectionally refers to as the “Meat Cube.”

“Meat Cube” doesn’t sound appetizing to me, but hey, it’s a pretty apt name for a bomb of beef.

The Bottom Line:

If you’ve got a craving for beef, no other burger is going to satisfy like the Meat Cube.

Wendy’s — The Barnyard Burger

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How To Order It:

Just as you can add as many patties to a burger as you desire, you can do the same with chicken patties, which brings us to the Barnyard Burger. Order a Dave’s single and add a fried chicken filet and bacon and you have a whole barn’s worth of flavor. It’s beefy, crunchy, spicy (assuming you get the spicy chicken filet), and smokey. A real showcase for how good Wendy’s is at everything they make.

The Bottom Line:

One of Wendy’s wildest burgers and everything McDonald’s Land, Sea, and Air Burger wishes it could be.