Father’s Day was officially celebrated last month. But daddy duties never stop. First time poppa, DDG would certainly agree. Since the birth of his son Halo at the top of the year, the “Way Too Petty” rapper and his girlfriend and fellow entertainer Halle Bailey have slowly and cautiously shared small milestones online.
On July 3, the couple revealed the adorable infant’s face in a gallery of family vacation photos. Although the images were met with overwhelmingly positive responses, a few outliers hide in the comment section.
Not only did DDG notice the snide remarks, he decided to clapback with a few of his own. In a video captured by The Shade Room, DDG let loose on the trolls.
“I read a few comments,” he said. “I know I have the best looking son in the world. There is no baby out there that is more handsome than my son. But I seen a few poor, broke, dirty, fat back b*tches on Instagram talking about my son, and it just makes me so angry and mad.”
His insults didn’t stop there. “But then I have to realize that my son is richer than them,” he said. “And he has a more successful life than [them]. And he’s in Italy at 6 months [old]. He’s been across the world. He’s been around the world already, and he has only been living for six months. And they are poor, broke, and can barely eat probably on welfare still, and they are grown probably living with they momma.”
Who is BabyTron, the Detroit rapper who joined Big Sean as a feature on Eminem’s new single, “Tobey“?
Eminem’s latest release from the upcoming album The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce), isn’t just a showcase for the self-proclaimed Rap God — it’s a multigenerational display of some of the most notable names from the Motor City. While Eminem represents, in many ways, the generation who helped make rap the global phenomenon it is today, and Big Sean is the contemporary hitmaker keeping that legacy alive, BabyTron is the future of the Detroit sound. A love for truly unhinged wordplay ties them all together.
BabyTron is the definition of a Y2K baby, born in July 2000 as James Edward Johnson IV in Ypsilanti, Michigan. He started rapping at just 13 years old, creating the trio Sh*ttyBoyz in high school with friends TrDee and StanWill. A proponent of so-called “scam rap,” BabyTron’s been putting out mixtapes commercially since 2017, garnering his first big looks from outside his hometown when Lil Yachty released his Michigan Boy Boat tape, putting on various rappers from the Great Lake State — including BabyTron, who appeared on “Hybrid.”
Since then, his star has been on the rise, with a seemingly never-ending stream of new projects released through Empire distribution, most recently, MegaTron 2. He was featured as a XXL Freshman in 2022 and some of his notable tracks have included “100 Bars” and “Emperor Of The Universe” with their Cole Bennett-directed videos, and “Prince Of The Mitten.” Check them out below.
Much like the screeching cries of the cicada, Minions resurface every couple of years for a fun new animated adventure. Even though Gru is the main guy in the Despicable Me movies, the Minions have really made a name for themselves, and those names are Stuart, Bob and Kevin.
Obviously, the Minions became such a stand-out, they needed to have their own separate movies and origin story. This makes the world of Despicable Me that much more rich with important backstories! And the word “banana” over and over again. If you want to watch the movies in release order, then you’ll have to watch the following:
-2010’s Despicable Me
-2013’s Despicable Me 2
-2015’s Minions
-2017’s Despicable Me 3
-2022’s Minions: Rise of Gru
Because Minions and Minions: The Rise of Gru act as prequels and Minion origin stories, if you want to watch the movies in chronological order, start with those two first to get the full picture of the Minion-verse. Then Despicable Me 1, 2, and 3.
As for where to watch them, you’ll have to shuffle around a bit. The first three Despicable Me movies are streaming on Peacock, while 2015’s Minions is streaming on Netflix. The most recent installment, Minions: The Rise of Gru, is on Prime Video. Finally, if you need even more Minion vibes in your life, the short films Minions & More are streaming on Netflix.
When you’re all done with that, you can finally head to the theaters for Despicable Me 4. Your hard work will pay off there.
After a long wait, Westeros finally came back to our TV screens in June, and already, we have reached the halfway mark of the second season. How far can King Aegon II run Team Green into the ground? We shall soon see, but Daemon is doing his part to go off the rails on behalf of Team Black, so we’ll call it even so far. At least the audience agrees that Criston Cole is the absolute worst character on the show, so TV really does bring people together.
When Does ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2, Episode 4 Come Out?
The next episode, “A Dance Of Dragons” arrives on Sunday, July 7 at 9:00pm EST and PST. The magic can be found on HBO or streaming on Max.
This week, the threat of war becomes full-on reality, probably with more evidence that Aegon is not fit to lead since he made Ser Criston Cole the king’s hand when he doesn’t even do the “knighting” thing well. There will also surely be more followup on Daemon’s hallucinations, including what Alys Rivers means to the Harrenhal leg of the story.
The second season contains eight episodes, so we must relish each week’s offerings because it will be a years-long wait until the third season. Fortunately, Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will surface in 2025 to help bridge that gap.
Pride month may be over, but that’s no reason to stop celebrating the stories of LGBTQ+ people all year-round! We’re just past the halfway point for the year, making it a great time for reflection on the year so far. While this year hasn’t been great for LGBTQ folks (what year is?), there have been a lot of great movies and television shows by and for queer people. Some of it has felt truly groundbreaking, like Ncuti Gatwa’s gay Black hero on Doctor Who and Vera Drew’s bonkers, punk rock fair-use Batman parody The People’s Joker, giving audiences of all kinds new ways to see themselves represented. Let’s take a look at some of the best LGBTQ+ TV shows, movies, and performances of 2024 so far, and here’s to six more months of amazing queer entertainment!
The People’s Joker
Haunted Gay Rides Productions
It’s impossible to overstate the audacious inventiveness of The People’s Joker, the feature debut of writer/director/star Vera Drew. The film, in theaters on a road tour now, is an autobiographical story about Vera’s own transition, told through the colorful, twisted lens of Gotham City. As Joker the Harlequin, she tries to marry her desire to be a comedian, which is only for men, with her desire to live authentically as a woman, all while dating a super toxic trans man, Mistah J (Kane Distler). The People’s Joker mixes live action, a variety of different animation techniques, and a whole lot of low-budget creativity to bring Drew’s unique, hilarious, passionate vision to life. It rarely matches and is sometimes really strange to look at, but that only adds to the charm. Movies as fearless as The People’s Joker are truly rare, and it’s something every film fan should check out as soon as they can.
Drive Away Dolls
Focus Features
Ethan Coen’s Drive Away Dolls is a raunchy lesbian road trip crime comedy that harkens back to some of his earliest work. While unrefined, Drive Away Dolls is a tremendous amount of fun in particular because of stars Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan, who are comedic perfection as Jamie and Marian, a pair of friends who do a drive-away in order to get Marian to her aunt’s place in Florida. (A drive-away is when someone transports a vehicle from one place to another as a kind of trade for the vehicle’s usage, like a rental car without the rental!) The two very Queer but very different women end up in way over their heads when they discover illicit cargo in their trunk, roping them into more adventure than they really wanted. Drive Away Dolls is super funny with some great performances, and it’s explicitly, hilariously gay. It may not be what fans of Coen’s work with his brother might have expected, but Drive Away Dolls is a lovely little lesbian lark.
I Saw The TV Glow
Jane Schoenbrun’s debut feature, We’re All Going To The World’s Fair, was a brilliantly crafted look into the dangers of being online as a teenage girl, invoking digital horrors alongside a kind of eerie nostalgia. Their sophomore effort, I Saw The TV Glow, is a heartbreaking, eerie look at how fandom and nostalgia can be both lifesaving and potentially dangerous. There isn’t just a “trans allegory” here but a full-on narrative about a character first grappling with her transness through the safety of fandom and fiction. The central characters (Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine) are young queer people who find solace in a sci-fi show called The Pink Opaque, but in time the lines between reality and fiction begin to blur, leading to the film’s creepiest moments. I Saw The TV Glow is best appreciated going in blind, hence my vagueness here, but it’s a truly devastating work of art that will leave its mark on you.
Interview with the Vampire
AMC
Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles books are definitely homoerotic, but the AMC television series takes things up several notches and makes the story as deliciously Queer as fans have always wanted it to be. The second season of the series, out now, follows the vampire Louis (Jacob Anderson) as he relates his history to dying journalist Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian), showing us his memories of early 20th century New Orleans and post-war Paris. More than Louis’ inhumanity, the show is focused on his extremely messy romances, first with his maker Lestat (Sam Reid) and then with the vampire Armand (Assad Zaman). These complicated and toxic love affairs are the stuff of romantic legend, the ships that launched a thousand fanfics, and the show fully commits. Fans of the novels and newcomers alike will find lots to love, because Interview with the Vampire is doing its own thing and deviates in its adaptation in ways that make it timelier and more compelling than the source material. It’s bloody, it’s sexy, and it’s very, very gay, just as it should be.
Love Lies Bleeding
A24
English director Rose Glass really knows how to create a mood with her films, and Love Lies Bleeding is a sweaty, steroid-soaked lesbian crime thriller. It might be closer to what some fans imagined Drive Away Dolls might be, like the Coens’ later films, particularly No Country for Old Men. Kristen Stewart stars as Lou, who falls in love with Katy O’Brian’s Jackie, a bodybuilder who starts working out at Lou’s gym. Unfortunately, Lou has some complicated connections to organized crime and a need for revenge, and Jackie has a whole lot of anger, leading to a very bloody problem. Love Lies Bleeding is a surreal sapphic story that feels right at home among trailer park neo-noirs like Blue Ruin and Killer Joe, and it’s not just one of the best Queer movies this year, but one of the best movies, period.
On the television front, the Peacock series We Are Lady Parts premiered its second season, following an all-female Muslim punk rock band in the U.K. as they try to make it on the local music scene and balance tradition with their dreams. Created by Nida Manzoor, the series is heartfelt and hilarious with some truly killer music, and it’s especially refreshing because each of the women in the band Lady Parts is so different. There are no bad stereotypes here, just authentic portrayals of incredible young women. In season 2, the band’s drummer Ayesha (Juliette Motamed) found herself with a new girlfriend, even meeting her parents, only to be confronted with the fact that she wasn’t out to her own family. Instead of being relegated to a single special episode, her arc goes throughout the season and isn’t brushed away with any simple slogans or “born this way” positivity. It’s great to see different kinds of Queer perspectives being presented on TV, especially when they come from communities that haven’t been well represented on screen. We Are Lady Parts freaking rocks, and in a just world we’ll get at least a half-dozen seasons.
We’re Here
We’re Here
The Max documentary/reality series We’re Here returned for its fourth season with a brand new team of drag queens, and this time they’re facing some of their biggest challenges yet. The first three episodes follow Jaida Essence Hall, Priyanka, and Sasha Velour as they try to put on a drag show in Murfreesboro, TN, the town that famously banned drag and lost a lawsuit to the ACLU for that discrimination. The second trio of episodes follows Priyanka, Sasha, and Latrice Royale as they try to put on a drag show in rural Oklahoma, where they face similar challenges to Tennessee. In each town, the queens help people from all walks of life become their drag daughters and perform, and some of these performances are heartwarming tearjerkers. Watching a Christian father learn to relate to his Queer children and seeing a trans woman see her true self for the first time through the power of drag are just two of the highlights. We’re Here is the perfect watch for pride month, highlighting the creativity, beauty, resilience, and spirit of the whole LGBTQ community. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll definitely end up lip syncing along.
Quick Mentions
The Emmy-winning Hacks is back for season 3 and several characters on the series are gay or bisexual, though their romantic and sexual relationships weren’t heavily featured this season and we didn’t get another lesbian cruise episode, so it wasn’t as gay as previous seasons. Then again, one could argue that the season finale’s final scene was one of the queerest things the show’s ever done.
Ncuti Gatwa is the latest iteration of the doctor on Doctor Who, and since he’s a gay Black man, that’s riling some folks even more than when the doctor was a straight white woman. I’m not sure why people can wrap their minds around things like the dynamic proportions of the TARDIS or the idea of shapeshifting transdimensional beings but they can’t handle their heroes not looking like them, but here we are.
Last but not least, there’s the delightful coming-out romantic dramedy Am I OK?, which stars Dakota Johnson as a young woman awkwardly taking her first steps out of the closet and embracing her sexuality. Written by Lauren Pomerantz and directed by Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne, it’s a refreshingly authentic sapphic story that never feels forced.
There are, essentially, two things that propelled Skip Bayless to his current position. One is the fact that no human on earth was more willing to tie their professional fortunes to Tim Tebow’s NFL career, which you can argue was the single most important thing for propelling ESPN into its Embrace Debate era of programming.
And then there is LeBron James, who Bayless has long made a career out of criticizing for one reason or another. One of his frequent critiques involves James’ “clutch gene,” which has long been a vibes-based argument. Still, Bayless has jumped at any opportunity to make it, which includes this from the most recent episode of his podcast:
— The Skip Bayless Show (@SkipBaylessShow) July 4, 2024
“I am a Bronny fan,” Bayless said. “In fact, I think Bronny is built even tougher than his father is, because Bronny’s been through a lot in his life in the harshest spotlight any kid can be thrust into as LeBron James Jr. I love how Bronny’s handled this, I get a good feeling every time I watch him, not only play basketball, but just handle himself, carry himself. Kid’s got a backbone, kid’s got guts, kid’s got principle and character — his parents did a good job raising him. I think he’ll be more calm, cool, and collected in the eye of next year’s storm than even his father will be.”
There’s some more talk about how well he’ll play and how weird the vibe could be with the Los Angeles Lakers — both between his own role on the team and JJ Redick taking over as a first-time head coach — before we got this absolute doozy of a take.
“I think he’ll become a clutch three-point shooter,” Bayless said. “I’ve always gotten the feeling that Bronny had a bigger clutch gene than his father does. McDonald’s [All American] Game, he was in the spotlight, they went to him late two or three times, he just nailed threes. He did not shoot the three well at USC, but I’m giving him a complete and utter break, cause I’m knocking on wood for him — he had a serious heart condition that delayed him to start his first year of college basketball at USC, and it just never quite got going, and I get it, and that team never quite got going around Isaiah Collier.”
I don’t know if this is a better or worse example of Bayless using anything and everything to prod LeBron than the time he thought about his special flavor of Ruffles during a Celtics and Bucks game, but it sure is something.
Some fans think a line from Eminem’s new Detroit posse cut contained a veiled slight for one of his fellow rap legends. In his verse from “Tobey” with Big Sean and BabyTron, Eminem raps, “Ain’t feelin’ your top five favorite rappers/ So I know they ’bout to be pissed at me/ But this, to me, is a mystery/ How rappers I’ve already ripped could be/ Higher up on a list than me.”
The line, which refers to a Top 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time list published by Billboard last year, has been interpreted by some fans as a shot at Jay-Z, who came in at No. 1. Eminem is notoriously … let’s say “sensitive” … about being taken seriously as the best rapper, so it’s pretty clear that he’s not happy about not being higher up on the list. The Jay-Z connection from fans likely stems from their 2001 collaboration “Renegade,” which has proven to be controversial among fans for which rapper’s performance was the best. As Nas said in his diss song “Ether,” “Eminem murdered you on your own sh*t.” (More contemporary readings have proven to be kinder to Jay’s verses from the song, but the consensus still seems to be that Eminem outrapped him, considering how “Renegade” entered the lexicon as a verb used to describe the phenomenon of being outshone by a featured artist.)
Eminem has poked fun at the idea that Jay-Z is better than him for a long time… he did it on “Seduction” in 2010 too.. he used Jay-Z’s favorite “ah” adlib from the Blueprint 3 while doing it too. Eminem always knew he was a better rapper than Jay-Z.. and so did anyone with sense
However, one of Eminem’s closest associates and frequent collaborator, Royce Da 5’9, shut down the speculation on Instagram, responding to the question directly in a comment. “Of course not,” he wrote. Not exactly straight from the horse’s mouth, but close enough to say fans still beef-hungry after the combative energy that carried 2024 through winter and spring are probably reaching, just hoping to make something shake. It doesn’t seem likely — Jay hasn’t released a new song or verse since “God Did” in 2022 — but let’s face it; we probably don’t need that in an election year.
You know those moments in nature that leave you wondering, “how is this even real life?” Those time-stopping experiences where you’re just utterly present to the miracle of being alive? Yeah, that’s the sensation travelers live for. It’s not that you can’t feel that in your hometown, it’s just that it’s a feeling that is a lot easier to come by when you’re out of your comfort zone.
And in our experience, those “pinch me” moments happen even more frequently during solo travel abroad. If you’ve never ventured out of the U.S. alone and are itching to embark on your first solo-travel adventure, especially one that’s budget friendly, consider traveling to Uproxx’s favorite Central America destination for solo travel beginners: Belize!
Belize is the northernmost country of Central America, anywhere from only two, to a quick six hours by plane from the U.S. Truly, it’s a cinch to get to Belize. In fact, United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Jet Blue, and Frontier Airlines all fly direct to Belize’s International Airport (Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport). And land borders connecting to Guatemala and Mexico make Belize the “gateway country” for the Central America backpacking route.
But you might want to stay a while before heading elsewhere. Here’s why.
Activities and Culture
Melanie Gordon
Belize is high key an adventure traveler’s dream, and one of Central America’s most culturally and ethnically diverse countries. Despite being really small, like the size of Vermont, there’s so much to do here.
Stay on Caye Caulker or in San Pedro (Ambergris Caye’s party town) to snorkel and scuba dive Belize’s Great Barrier Reef one day, then climb moss-covered Mayan ruins and spelunk caves around the jungle town of San Ignacio the next (don’t miss the ATM cave tour!). Try a Mayan chocolate-making tour in San Ignacio and learn Garifuna traditional drum and dance in Hopkins.
There are many hostels around the country, so you won’t have trouble making friends to have fun with! If you’re into waterfall hikes, I recommend Mayflower Bocawina National Park, and if you’re going to rent a car in San Ignacio with friends (worth it!) stop at Rio on Pools for the afternoon.
Belize was the first country I visited on my solo backpacking journey that began two years ago (it hasn’t really stopped, I just have suitcases now). One of the main reasons I chose Belize to start my travels in is because the official language is actually English!
It wasn’t until I was traveling in Spanish-speaking countries that I realized how hard it is to organize basic travel and lodging and connect with others without speaking the language. Just sayin’, this is a major plus if you don’t speak Spanish.
Easy Currency Conversion Rate
Melanie Gordon
Belize’s national currency is the Belizean Dollar (BZD), which is honored at $.50 to $1USD. You don’t need to change all your dollars to BZD, either, since all around the country food vendors, hotels, hostels, national parks, and transportation services will happily take your USD.
You might have heard that Belize is expensive, which I ~sort of~ disagree with, considering the prices of Costa Rica and even Nicaragua right now. You can backpack Belize cheap staying in hostels and traveling by chicken bus, or you can stay in decent hotels for $45 a night for privacy if you’re more comfortable with that. I did a mix of both!
Bomb Food
Melanie Gordon
The classic Belizean street food are fry jacks, which are sort of like a fried pancake you can get plain or stuffed with meat or veggies. My favorite was a breakfast fry jack stuffed with eggs, beans, and cheese.
Don’t sleep on Garifuna food, like Hudut (pictured above) which you can find easily in Hopkins. That coco-nutty fish stew had me in a chokehold! Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye are full of BBQ stands with fresh grilled fish and lobster for decent prices ($12~). But there’s also a number of “western” type health-food spots where you can get your smoothie bowls and other granola-people food.
Reliable Infrastructure
Melanie Gordon
One of the most important factors that make a country perfect for beginner solo travel is the infrastructure. But Belize has decades of tourism experience under its belt, with tourism being a major part of its GDP.
Belize has a reliable energy grid, airports, ferries, paved roads, organized ground transportation, and comfortable accommodation and dining options. Basically, with some planning and organization, you won’t have a hard time traveling comfortably in Belize all on your own!
Fans have been waiting nearly two years for the fifth and final season of Stranger Things and… they will have to keep waiting, as Netflix has yet to drop a release date. Don’t worry, season 5 is coming sometime in 2025. Still, we’re getting antsy waiting for it, so instead of rewatching the whole series in anticipation, we decided to do something a bit more delicious — we’re tasting and ranking the entire Stranger Things Scoops Ahoy ice cream line.
Scoops Ahoy is the fictional ice cream shop from season 3 that Joe Keery’s Steve Harrington (shout out Djo) worked at that also introduced us to Stranger Things MVP Robin (played by Maya Hawke), and the most cynical among us knew even back then that it was only a matter of time before Scoops Ahoy became a real thing.
While there is no physical Scoops Ahoy location — Scoops Ahoy is sold exclusively at Wal-Mart — there are seven distinct flavors. The full line-up consists of the U.S.S. Butterscotch, Triple Decker Extravaganza, Cinnamon Bun Bytes, Chocolate Pudding, The Void, Mint Flare, and Pineapple Upside Down. That’s a solid lineup and even the most hardcore of Stranger Things fans would be forgiven for not scooping up each pint. So to help save you some cash, we’ve tried all seven and ranked them from least essential to most delicious.
7. Pineapple Upside Down
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
The Pineapple Upside Down features a pineapple ice cream base with chunks of pound cake and a thin salted caramel swirl. The base is incredibly sweet but goes a bit too light on the pineapple flavor, making the dominant flavor here milk, which I find a bit off-putting.
The pound cake chunks are soggy and too chewy, and the caramel swirl does serve as an interesting combination with the base but it’s not spread abundantly throughout the base. You’re going to get some spoonfuls that have no caramel, and I think that’s this ice cream’s biggest weakness.
To be totally fair to this flavor, I generally don’t like pineapple ice cream, so if you do, this might rank a bit higher for you. All biases aside, I still think it’s the weakest flavor of the seven.
The Bottom Line:
Not nearly as delicious as its description might suggest. This ice cream goes too light on the pineapple flavor.
6. Cinnamon Bun Bytes
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
Based on the title and description alone, the Cinnamon Bun Bytes was the ice cream I was most excited to try, imagine my disappointment when I realized that this flavor wasn’t giving me what I wanted from it.
The Cinnamon Bun Bytes features a cinnamon ice cream base with a swirl of cinnamon cream cheese and cinnamon roll dough bites. The base leans heavily on sweet sugar flavors with just a hint of cinnamon, while the cream cheese brings in some light tangy notes.
The base and cream cheese swirl are great but it’s important to point out that the dough bites in this are cinnamon roll dough, not cookie dough. Cookie dough is thick with a hard chew, these dough bites are incredibly soft by comparison, and easily get stuck in your teeth.
The Bottom Line:
Fails to deliver on the cinnamon with dough bites that are way too chewy for their own good.
5. Triple Decker Extravaganza
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
The Triple Decker Extravaganza mixed maple ribbons, chocolate peanut butter candies, and waffle bites with a vanilla and butter ice cream base. I love the mix here, the buttercream base dominates the flavor while the maple swirl brings in some deep woody richness.
The peanut butter candies and waffle bites are sparely spread throughout the base, offering the occasional burst of roasted caramel flavor. I think a higher concentration of the mix-ins would bump this flavor up a few spots in this ranking.
The Bottom Line:
Not quite an “extravaganza,” but there is a nice balance of sweet, buttery, and roasted flavors.
4. The Void
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
It’s hard to make black ice cream appetizing, but Scoops Ahoy is really trying with The Void. The flavor consists of vanilla infused with black food coloring, a thick gelatinous strawberry ribbon, and vanilla cream cookie pieces.
It doesn’t taste all that different from your stock vanilla ice cream, it’s creamy and rich but what really work is the strawberry ribbon which adds some fruity brightness to every spoonful.
Like all the mix-ins in this ice cream line, there aren’t nearly enough vanilla cream cookie pieces, but the one-two punch of vanilla and strawberry is enough for us to overlook that.
The Bottom Line:
If you can get passed the color, this is a pretty great vanilla ice cream with a nice bright infusion of strawberry.
3. U.S.S. Butterscotch
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
The U.S.S. Butterscotch is kind of an elevated version of chocolate chip ice cream. The ice cream features a butterscotch base with ribbons of caramel and chocolate. There is a nice balance of rich and creamy flavors with notes of toasted butter, earthy caramel, and semi-sweet chocolate.
There are no actual chocolate chips, but the chocolate ribbon serves as an effective substitute.
The Bottom Line:
Well-balanced with a rich earthy, toasty, and chocolatey flavor in every spoonful.
2. Mint Flare
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
I’m not usually a fan of birthday cake ice cream so my expectations for Mint Flare were very low considering the ice cream looks like cupcake frosting. The flavor features a mint ice cream base with rainbow sprinkles and chocolate chunks. I was very close to giving this flavor the top spot, it’s that good.
The minty ice cream is refreshing, with a cooling flavor that is counterbalanced by the sweet flavor of candy sprinkles and shards of chocolate chip. Mint Flare really takes you on a journey, beginning with a bright sweet candy flavor that quickly turns rich as the chocolate chips begin to melt in your mouth.
It’s one of the few flavors in the Scoops Ahoy lineup that I would describe as “evolving.”
The Bottom Line:
Minty and refreshing with an addicting rich chocolate aftertaste.
1. Chocolate Pudding
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
As much as I love the journey of flavors Mint Flare offers, Chocolate Pudding is our pick for the top flavor. This flavor doubles down on the chocolate with a chocolate pudding base infused with a chocolate fudge swirl and the occasional vanilla wafer.
The wafers add a nice sense of texture to the ice cream with a gentle hint of floral vanilla, but it’s the double dose of rich chocolate that’ll win you over. It’s rich, with lots of depth, a hint of toasted cocoa, and the smooth yet indulgent flavor of fudge dominating the aftertaste.
All lovers of chocolate ice cream will fall for this flavor.
The Bottom Line:
This is it, the essential Scoops Ahoy ice cream flavor that you need stocked in your freezer come Stranger Things season 5 time.
July is ON. That means there are going to be a bunch of occasions where you ask yourself, “What’s the best-tasting bottle of tequila I can buy on the cheap?” Fourth of July weekend, pool parties, house parties, those hot summer days when the only satisfying respite is an icy margarita. To get through the summer, you’re going to need some tequila.
And if you’re going to drink tequila you might as well be drinking the best, right?
Luckily for you, you don’t have to break the bank to drink great tequila. Yes, there are expensive bottles out there, and I won’t lie to you, they’re great, but there are also a whole bunch of bottles out there between $20 and $40 that punch way above their price point. To help guide you to the best bottles of tequila in that price range, we’ve rounded up all our favorites and ranked them from good to great.
Don’t get us wrong here, we like every bottle on this list, so if you see one for a deal, pick it up, you won’t be disappointed. But if you’re after the absolute best your money could buy, you’re going to want to pay special focus on the top five.
For this list, we won’t be focusing on one particular expression, but since we’re operating in a narrow price range a lot of these bottles are going to be blanco or reposado tequilas. If you’re after the aged stuff, be sure to check out the most affordable sip-worthy bottles here.
You’ve probably seen Milagro on store shelves and been charmed by the bottle. It’s a cool design, but sometimes when you have a cool bottle design, it’s covering up a sub-par tequila. That’s not the case here, this stuff is pretty good even though it’s ranking last on our list.
The brand’s best expression is without a doubt the reposado. Produced at Nom 1559, Tequila Milagro, the agave here is cooked in stone ovens, juiced via a roller mill, and fermented in stainless steel tanks. To reach the repo state, Milagro ages this tequila for 2-4 months in American white oak barrels.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Agave and oak dominate, rich confection-like notes pull you in and a hint of cinnamon lurks underneath the layers.
Palate: Unfortunately that sweetness doesn’t completely translate to the flavor, you get the roasted agave flavor and an overpowering bit of oak, but there is an ethanol-like body that weighs the whole thing down.
Finish: It ends with a burn and a small vanilla lift with a hint of zesty citrus.
If you’re curious about Kendal Jenner’s tequila 818 but don’t want to pay a premium price, go ahead and pick up Astral. It’s produced at NOM 1607, Grupo Solave, the same distillery as 818, and as such shares the brand’s ease of drinkability and smooth and bright flavor.
Once roasted, the agave is tahona extracted, fermented, and twice distilled in a copper pot.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A bit like nail polish remover. A heavy sniff will bring out the slightest hint of green pepper
Palate: Roasted agave and chocolate dominate the palate with the slightest spearmint coolness.
Finish: That mint takes over on the finish. The mouthfeel here is a bit sticky and the flavors linger very strongly on the tongue.
The Bottom Line:
Don’t let the off-putting nose fool you, this tequila is silky, minty, and smooth.
I first tried this brand a year ago and since then it’s had a regular appearance on my bar cart, being one of the go-to bottles I reach for when I’m entertaining bigger parties.
The tequila is produced at Nom 1137, La Cofradia, and cooks its agave in stone brick ovens before being screw mill extracted, open-air fermented among local citrus trees, and finished in oak wine casks.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Very sweet, dominated by floral vanilla and rich deep cocoa notes.
Palate: Oak forward, there are some earthy pepper notes, but without bright citrus tones to balance it out, it comes across as a bit harsh. But there is a nice spicy kick to it that piques the curiosity and inspires repeat sips.
Finish: Oily on the finish with a nice vanilla kiss.
The Bottom Line:
This affordable bottle packs a journey of flavors. With rich cocoa tones, earthy pepper notes, and that sweet vanilla finish, there is a lot to latch onto.
Stadium tequila! If you’ve frequented baseball or football games this year, you’ve probably come across this stuff, and considering it’s served in a stadium, it’s surprisingly good.
The tequila is produced at the famed NOM 1614, Tequilera Tap, and is made using agave harvested at six years maturity that is cooked in an autoclave for a full 24 hours before being roller mill extracted and fermented in a stainless steel pot.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Raw agave on the nose, a bit of cracked black pepper, and a wet grassy earthiness. There is a juiciness to the nose that I’m loving.
Palate: All of that interest on the nose is missing from the palate. I get some gentle agave flavor, but what I’m tasting here is mostly neutral with a bit of an alcohol burn.
Finish: That grassiness returns on the finish, but I’m not tasting a whole lot here. So far this is our bottom.
The Bottom Line:
Grassy and agave forward. By all accounts a good bottle of tequila despite its admittedly garish branding.
Corazón produces some great bottles of tequila, but its premium line is much pricier. If you’re interested in the brand then the single estate series is a great place to start. The tequila is produced at NOM 1103, Tequila San Matias de Jalisco, and is made from agave cooked low and slow in stone ovens before being roller mill extracted, and open-air fermented in stainless steel tanks.
If you like this, I strongly suggest you explore some of the higher end bottles this brand offers.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There is a distinct fruity character here, I’m getting juicy pineapple and a mix of citrus.
Palate: That tropical fruit quality translates nicely to the palate with a hint of fresh green pepper, chilies, and a light hint of jasmine.
Finish: A mild spice that mingles nicely with roasted agave and orange zest.
Lunazul is one of the best-value tequilas you’re going to find. This bottle is produced at NOM 1513, Tierra De Agaves, using agave hand-harvested by jimadores, cooked in an autoclave, and fermented with a proprietary yeast before being twice distilled in copper pots.
It’s not a premium sipping tequila but it makes a fine base for any cocktail.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dry cracked black pepper softened by vanilla with a hint of roasted agave.
Palate: A balance between vegetal and sweet characteristics. I’m tasking vanilla, black pepper, and sour apple skins.
Finish: Dry and peppery with a lingering minty quality.
The Bottom Line:
Mildly harsh but refreshingly agave forward with a nice dry kick at the finish.
Tres Agaves looks like a budget bottle, but don’t let that dissuade you, this is a solid option especially if you plan on using it as a base for a cocktail. The tequila is produced at NOM 1614, the famed Tequilera Tap, using high-pressure autoclave cooked agave that is roller mill extracted and bottled right after distillation. There are no additives here, which is always a treat at this price point.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Citrus zest and roasted agave with a hint of alcohol.
Palate: Bright and sweet with crisp pear flavors and some agave sweetness.
Finish: A bit harsh but not enough to cause you to wince or burn your throat. But it definitely hits back.
The Bottom Line:
An affordable additive-free tequila that serves as a great cocktail base.
Think of Cabo Wabo as the base for a margarita or other cocktail rather than something you’d drink straight. The flavor is very alcohol-forward with a pronounced burn that isn’t for people who like their tequila smoothed out. The tequila is produced at NOM 1440, Campari Mexico, where it is one of three brands produced.
The agave is harvested and cooked in a low-pressure autoclave before being roller mill extracted and twice distilled through a stainless pot with a copper coil.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Ethanol on the nose with some burnt agave, and a hint of lime.
Palate: This stuff burns, instantly, but under the harsh tones are some delicate notes of mint, key limes, and green bell pepper.
Finish: Weirdly smokey for a tequila, almost mezcal-like. There is a sense of vanilla on the finish that would’ve been nice to experience on the palate. It’s a trick to get you to drink more!
The Bottom Line:
Reserve this one as a go-to tequila for batched mixed drinks. On its own it’s a bit harsh and spikey, but that fades away once mixed with ingredients that emphasize its juicy green flavors.
Affordable, agave-forward, and juicy is how I’d describe Olmeca Altos’ blanco tequila. If you’ve had Espolòn blanco, this covers a lot of the same ground flavor-wise but is way less harsh and more pleasing to the palate.
The tequila is produced at NOM 1111, Pernod Richard Mexico, using traditional practices. That means slow cooked agave in brick ovens, tahona crushed, and distilled in copper pots. The tequila is produced using deep well water which supplies a nice earthy minerality to the flavor.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Warm roasted agave wafts from the glass. It’s shockingly pleasant and inviting for a tequila in this price range.
Palate: Heavy on the citrus zest mixed with fresh green peppers.
Finish: Initially herbal and smooth but after a while the heat starts to build.
The Bottom Line:
Earthy, zesty, and agave forward. One of our favorite bottles on the market.
For the price, Suerte is remarkably smooth. The tequila is produced at NOM 1530, Tequilera Simbolo, from single estate agave that is cooked low and slow in stone ovens, tahona extracted, fermented in open-air stainless steel tanks, and aged for seven months in American ex-bourbon barrels.
It leans a bit sweet and juicy, so if you like your tequila with a bite you might want to look elsewhere.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The oak character wafts from the glass backed with caramelized agave and butterscotch candies.
Palate: A strong emphasis on the caramel here backed with agave, some citrus, cinnamon, and a hint of earthy cracked black pepper.
Finish: Agave and oak, it echoes the nose surprisingly well with a slightly syrupy mouthfeel.
The Bottom Line:
Sweet, dessert-like and syrupy. That’s not a bad thing if that’s what you’re after, but if you’re a more seasoned tequila drinker this might lean a bit too sweet for you.
Granted, El Tequileño’s blanco would not be my first choice from the brand, but at this price point it fits this list and while not my favorite, I can’t deny that this punches way above its price. The tequila is produced at NOM 1108, Jorge Salles Cuervo y Sucesores, where it is the only brand in production.
The agave is cooked in a high-pressure autoclave, roller mill extracted, and fermented in a cement tank. Its biggest selling point is that it is completely additive-free, which is always appreciated.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A whiff of ethanol with roasted agave and some citrus.
Palate: Juicy orange with brown sugar, agave, and a mix of all-spice and vanilla.
Finish: I’m strangely getting a slight oakiness here, with a lot of bright agave character and a smooth vanilla aftertaste.
The Bottom Line:
A bright natural-tasting agave forward tequila with a surprisingly smooth finish.
You’ve probably seen Cimarron for a deal and thought to yourself, “there is no way this tequila is any good.” Well, you’re wrong. Don’t let the affordable price fool you, this is some quality tequila through and through.
Using single-estate agave, this additive-free tequila is slow-cooked in an autoclave, roller mill extracted, and rested for three to six months in American white oak barrels.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Spicy cinnamon, roasted agave, and just a bit of oak. There is a very mellow and pleasing quality to this inviting tequila.
Palate: The smell translates directly to the palate. Agave and cinnamon dominate with some caramel notes, a bit of brown sugar molasses, and some of that barrel.
Finish: Floral with a mix of vanilla and dry oak.
The Bottom Line:
Mellow and smooth with a natural spicy cinnamon flavor.
I’ve never seen an affordable tequila list that didn’t have Espolòn on it and for good reason. This is a value buy, and if you’re looking for the best expression by the brand look no further than the reposado.
Produced at NOM 1440, Campari Mexico, Espolòn uses autoclave cooked agave that is roller mill extracted, fermented in stainless steel tanks, and twice distilled in a stainless pot with a copper coil. The repo hits American white oak barrels for three months, which mellows out some of its harshest characteristics.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Mellow and warm with a rich caramelized agave character.
Palate: Juicy pineapple and crushed black pepper. The more natural notes are backed by a rich caramel character.
Finish: Butter and oak, with a very pleasing finish.
The Bottom Line:
Tropical and juicy with a wonderful kiss of oak on the finish.
Another affordable bottle that is a steal. Arette is additive-free, made at a distillery that bears its name (which is often a good sign), and has a delicately balanced flavor that would suggest to the palate a more expensive bottle.
Arette is produced at NOM 1109, Tequila Arette de Jalisco, using agave cooked in a high-pressure autoclave that is roller mill extracted, fermented in open-air stainless steel tanks, and twice distilled in a stainless pot with a copper coil.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A rich blend of caramelized agave and vanilla contrasted by a bit of ethanol burn.
Palate: That burn is absent on the palate, instead what we have here is a bouquet of vanilla and black pepper, a hit of floral honey, and a grassy vegetal character.
Finish: The oak comes out on the finish, which is smooth and supple. Very easy to drink.
The Bottom Line:
Balanced between dessert tones like caramel and vanilla, and bright grassy agave character.
Surprisingly smooth and easy to drink for a blanco tequila, Herradura’s Tequila Silver is probably one of the smoothest tequilas in this price range.
The tequila is produced at NOM 1119, Brown Forman, where it is home to seven brands. The agave used here is cooked in brick ovens, roller mill extracted, fermented in stainless steel open-air tanks, and distilled twice through a stainless pot with a copper coil. The tequila is made using natural spring water, which gives it a palpable sense of minerality.
It’s smoothness is due to being one of the few blanco tequilas on this list that is aged as it rests for 45 days in American White Oak barrels. That results in a faint straw color to the liquid.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Sweet vanilla bean dominates the nose with a zesty mix of orange rind and cracked black pepper.
Palate: The vanilla isn’t quite as prominent as you’d expect given the smell, instead of you have here is an earthy minerality backed by dried apricot and juicy citrus. It’s very fruit-forward.
Finish: The end is a bit harsh but a buttery oiliness sticks to the lips with a sweet agave aftertaste. You get the faintest hint of oak if you really strain for it.
The Bottom Line:
Smooth, juicy, and agave forward. A real people-pleaser.
It has been crazy to watch LALO’s rise in real-time. What was, just a few years ago, a relatively obscure tequila that most people had never come across is now sold at Target. LALO used to cost around $50, but every year it gets a bit more affordable without a drop in quality.
It is additive-free and made low and slow using agave sourced from the highlands of Jalisco. The agave is cooked in stone steam ovens for 20-32 hours and rested for an additional 18 before being roller mill extracted and fermented in open-air stainless steel tanks with Champagne yeast.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Bright and zesty citrus on the nose.
Palate: Buttery with hints of cooked agave and caramel.
Finish: Fruity, bright, vegetal, there is a very pure quality to this tequila.
The Bottom Line:
As pure as it gets. It’s bright, vegetal, and agave-forward. If you like that natural agave flavor, LALO has got it in spades.
Simply put, Tapatio’s reposado is one of the best bottles of tequila you’ll drink in any price range. This might just be your favorite.
The tequila is additive-free and traditionally made at NOM 1139, where the agave is cooked slow in stone brick ovens, extracted via a roller mill and aged in bourbon barrels.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Roasted agave, some warmth from oak, rich vanilla and a gentle hint of banana peel.
Palate: Agave and earth, with some caramel, cinnamon, and creamy butter. There is a confection quality to the flavor here.
Finish: Mellow and soft with a bit of citrus.
The Bottom Line:
It’s sweet and mellow but still has some of that bite characteristic of agave.
Another affordable bottle that is additive-free and, like Tapatio, could very well be your favorite. Recently Ocho was named the TAG Spirit Awards coveted “Best In Show” designation. Ocho is made from hand-harvested agave that is between 7-10 years maturity, slow cooked in brick ovens for 48 hours, rested for 24, and roller mill crushed.
The juice is fermented in wood vats and twice distilled, resulting in a silky and luxurious tequila that suggests a much higher price point.
Our Tasting Notes:
Nose: Fresh-peeled orange rind and roasted agave dance on the nose in equal parts.
Palate: Zesty and earthy, I’m getting cracked black pepper and a rush of fresh herbal flavors. It’s almost cilantro-like, which is something to consider if you find the herb off-putting.
Finish: Mint and pepper with a gentle spice that builds on the aftertaste.
The Bottom Line:
You’re going to get a lot of bang for your buck here. Move fast, because surely the brand is catching onto how beloved this bottle is and I wouldn’t be surprised if the price starts hiking up a bit.
Be warned, sometimes this bottle will cost you just over $40, I’m only including it becuase right now in my area, I can find it for $39.99
I had a hard time choosing between Siete Leguas and Tequila Ocho for the number two spot, but ultimately I’m going with Siete Leguas because I prefer its minerality and earthy flavor over the minty herbaceousness of Ocho.
The tequila is produced at NOM 1120, Tequila Siete Leguas, using agave slow-cooked in stone brick ovens that is tahona extracted, made with natural spring water, and fermented in stainless steel tanks before being twice distilled in copper pots.
Like the rest of the top five here, this tequila is 100% additive-free.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Warm inviting agave notes with a noticeable wet rock and soil character.
Palate: Earthy and highly vegetal with a strong green grass flavor and some cracked pepper spice.
Finish: Citrusy with a hint of vanilla and some cool mint on the backend.
The Bottom Line:
Grassy, vegetal, and bright. Siete Leguas is earthy and natural-tasting, making it one of the finest tequilas in production right now.
It was never even a question for me what would be number 1 on this list. Once I saw that bottles of blanco G4 were selling for $40, I knew this would top the list. Straight up, this bottle should cost more so if you ever see it at this price, pick it up immediately.
G4 is produced at NOM 1579. Destileria El Pandillo, and is cooked in stone brick ovens, tahona extracted, and made with natural spring and rainwater.
G4 comes from fourth-generation master distiller Felipe Camarena and is produced at NOM 1579, Destileria El Pandillo. The agave is cooked in stone brick ovens, tahona extracted, and made with natural spring and rainwater.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A warm and inviting agave aroma swirls above this pour with some sinus-tickling black pepper and citrus notes.
Palate: That smell perfectly translates to the palate, I’m getting a lot of black pepper and citrus, with lush green grass notes to balance it out.
Finish: Warm and slightly nutty with a silky luxurious mouthfeel.
The Bottom Line:
Warm and agave rich with a luxurious finish. This is the best-tasting tequila that you can pick up without breaking the bank. If any bottle on this list deserves a permanent spot on your bar cart, it’s G4.
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