AI is a bit of a gold rush at the moment, and Spotify has been getting in on it, too, with their AI DJ feature. A new AI playlist feature leaked in late 2023, but now Spotify is moving towards giving it an official, wider release.
How To Use Spotify’s AI Playlist Maker
Per Spotify’s announcement post, the feature is available on the mobile app and can be found by going to “Your Library.” From there, tap the “+” button on the top-right of the screen, then select “AI Playlist.”
Then, users will be presented with suggested prompts or the option to type their own. Spotify encourages specificity, sharing examples that include “sad music for painting dying flowers” or “tracks for horse riding into the sunset.” Spotify will then compile some tracks that match the prompt.
Users can also fine-tune the mix by telling AI Playlist what specifically they’re looking for, with example prompts like “more pop” or “less upbeat.” Once the playlist is in a good state, users can then tap “Create” to save the playlist to their library.
Spotify also notes, “While it’s designed to be fun, the tool is still in beta and won’t produce results for non-music-related prompts, like current events or specific brands. We also have measures in place around prompts that are offensive — so please prompt responsibly!”
Currently, the feature is in beta and is only available to users with iOS and Android devices in the UK and Australia. It’s not clear when or if the feature will be made available to users in the US and other countries.
On Thursday morning, October 3, Elle published a wide-ranging profile on Kesha. Within it, journalist Suzy Exposito relayed how and why Kesha and Rapp changed the “Tik Tok” lyric at Coachella, as excerpted below:
“Prior to their performance, the women discussed a remix of Kesha’s original opening line — ‘Wake up in the morning feeling like P. Diddy’ — to condemn the disgraced music mogul, Sean Combs, who was indicted on sex trafficking charges in September, and faces multiple lawsuits alleging sexual assault and harassment. ‘Wake up in the morning like F*CK P. Diddy,’ Kesha and Rapp shouted in unison, to the approval of thousands of screaming fans.
The decision to make the switch ‘was pretty quick and easy for the both of us,’ Rapp tells me over the phone. ‘Diddy is such a f*cking asshole. So many men who were working prominently at that time were such disgraceful shames of human beings. Kesha certainly doesn’t put up with any sh*t, and I most definitely don’t put up with any sh*t.’”
The NFL season is in full swing as we head into Week 5, and we are starting to get an early idea of what teams are going to be a factor in the various divisional races. There’s still plenty of time for teams to right the ship (or, conversely, fall apart), but we can start focusing in on key games in each division that figure to loom large when it comes time to sort out playoff seeding at the end of the season.
This week features a couple of those, starting with a Thursday night battle in the always tight (even if not always good) NFC South between the Bucs and the Falcons. That leads our Week 5 preview as we take a look at the biggest games of the week, last week’s best performance, and offer up our best bet of the week.
Primetime Game of the Week: Buccaneers at Falcons (Thursday 10/3, 8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video)
The other two primetime games this week — Cowboys at Steelers on Sunday, Saints at Chiefs on Monday — are also interesting, but none of them are the sort of high-profile matchup between Super Bowl contenders that make this space easy. As such, let’s go with the divisional matchup on Thursday between arguably the best story in the league through the first month of the year, Baker Mayfield and the Bucs, and an NFC South foe that entered the year with aspirations of winning the conference, the Falcons.
I am beyond fired up to see how Atlanta deals with Mayfield’s ability to throw the ball down the field, particularly to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. The chess match between Mayfield and star Falcons safety Jesse Bates is going to be a blast, especially because Atlanta isn’t especially great at speeding up or getting to quarterbacks. And on the other side of things, while the Bucs have been pretty good against the pass, teams have carved them up on the ground — they’re allowing five yards per rushing attempt, the third-worst mark in the league, and have to go up against Bijan Robinson, who was banged up this week but is still one of the most dangerous running backs in football. If he gets going, and Kirk Cousins can use the play action game to throw the ball, look out.
You always need to temper expectations a bit with Thursday Night Football, but this game does have a fun mix of stakes in the division, stakes in the conference, and two pretty fun football teams. Maybe this ends up being a 17-10 stinker where Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit clearly wish they could just go home, but I’d bet against it.
Sunday Funday Game of the Week: Bills at Texans (Sunday 10/6, 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS)
The Stefon Diggs revenge game should be a blast, because even beyond the obvious storyline with Diggs going up against his old team, Buffalo and Houston are two squads with legitimate aspirations of winning the AFC this season. They’re both 3-1, and while the Bills have been the longtime No. 1 contender in the conference for the Chiefs’ crown, the Texans have legitimate aspirations of taking that perch and, eventually, overtaking Kansas City.
Houston could really use Joe Mixon back from the ankle injury that has cost him the last three games — their rushing attack has just not been able to get going with Cam Akers in the backfield. Having said that, Diggs and Nico Collins are one of the best 1-2 punches at receiver in the NFL, and Buffalo’s front sans Von Miller will have to get after CJ Stroud. If they can, Josh Allen has been playing well enough to take it to a good Houston defense. If not? Diggs very well may end up getting his revenge.
Under the Radar Banger: Jets vs. Vikings (Sunday 10/6, 9:30 a.m. ET, NFL Network)
Normally I, as an American, am ashamed at the disgusting slop we send abroad for NFL games in Europe. This game should be gross, but in a fun and compelling way, as it’s a pair of elite defenses that have given opposing offenses headaches all year. Oh, and the guy who is in the middle of a career renaissance under center for the Vikings was a former Jet, while the signal caller for the Jets spent the first two decades of his career tormenting the Vikings. Should be fun!
Who Won The MVP Last Week: Jared Goff
I think a pretty good precedent to set is that if you go 18-for-18, throw for a few touchdowns, and catch another one against a good Seahawks defense, you win this. Jared Goff just happened to do all of that, and as such, he gets the Who Won The MVP Last Week for this column. Congratulations to Jared Goff on the honor.
Best Bet (2-2): Raiders at Broncos UNDER 36
Look, let’s not overthink this. Broncos games have come in under this number in three straight weeks. The Raiders aren’t going to have Davante Adams amid his trade request. Both of these offenses will need long, sustained drives to put touchdowns on the board and I don’t think they have the facilities for that. Give me the Under.
One of the best songs on Eminem‘s The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce) is “Temporary,” a sweet ode to the rapper’s daughter, Hailie Jade. The music video for the track is equally touching, with home video footage of the two of them. It culminates with Hailie Jade giving her dad a Detroit Lions jersey with “Grandpa” on the back. That’s right, Eminem — who once rhymed “I smacked him in his face with an eraser, chased him with a stapler” with “and stapled his nuts to a stack of paper” — is about to be a grandfather. To quote Em himself: damn.
You can watch the music video for “Temporary” (which features vocals from Skylar Grey) above.
Hailie Jade discussed her reaction to “Temporary” and “Somebody Save Me,” which depicts an alternate reality where Eminem died when she was young, on a recent episode of her Just A Little Shady podcast.
“Speaking of things I watched this past week, which I guess I’ll say watched, but I refused to watch again — the ‘Somebody Save Me’ music video is out and I did watch the thing. I don’t think I can do it again. I definitely cry every time I hear it at all,” she said. “Between that and ‘Temporary,’ OK, well, that I listened to and it broke me. I audibly sobbed I think for both songs, but especially ‘Temporary.’”
Bourbon and the big screen have a long-running history. Whether it’s a background player, relegated to a quick glimpse in a throwaway scene, or a feature star with prominent placement throughout the film, big name bourbons can be found in some of the most beloved movies of the past 100 years.
Look, it’s still pretty common to see alcohol used in stereotypical ways. Need to portray a character’s devil-may-care attitude? Shot of bourbon. Do they need to establish their machismo (or gender non-conformity for women)? A glass of bourbon should do the trick. Is the character spiraling off the rails due to tragic life events? Drink it straight from the bottle!
While these portrayals are regrettably lazy and cast the spirits industry in a negative light, there are a few cinematic auteurs who have used bourbon to reflect good taste or, better still, as just another normal part of life. Indeed, many movies and individual characters celebrate bourbon as a premium drink or one to be savored, rather than shot with total disregard. That said, this list has many predictable tropes featuring lovable scallywags because, hey…anti-heroes deserve a drink, too.
But while many people might think of the uber-cool spy/assassin or the stoic cowboy on the open range as the only archetypes to slug back the good stuff, you’ll see on this list that many different characters over the years have been known to enjoy a pour of bourbon, and they often ask for their favorites by name.
Typically, it’s the major brands getting all the love, meaning Jack Daniel’s, Maker’s Mark, Wild Turkey, and Jim Beam appear regularly over the years (apparently TV characters drink all the high-end bourbon). Still, the wide range of characters and situations when they drink those bottles is worth celebrating.
Enough talk; it’s time for us to rank the most iconic bourbon-drinking movie characters of all time!
20. Billy Bob Thornton as Willie T. Soke in Bad Santa
Miramax
The Movie:
Bad Santa, directed by Terry Zwigoff, revolves around the story of Willie T. Soke, the career crook who gets a seasonal job as a mall Santa as a means to rob the mall’s stores blind. Throughout the movie, Willie is portrayed as a reckless character showing little regard for those around him, and his penchant for getting drunk on the job and drinking directly from his ever-present bottle of booze is used as a reflection of that, which is why he ranks so low on this list. Show some more respect for OGD, Willie!
Old Grand Dad Bonded is made using Jim Beam’s high rye recipe, and it’s bottled at an even 100-proof, making it a great whiskey for neat sipping but a dangerous one for drinking straight out of the bottle. Old Grand Dad is also offered at 80-proof and the most heralded bottle in the lineup clocks in at a hefty 114-proof.
19. Justin Timberlake as Ronnie Morgan in Black Snake Moan
Paramount Vantage
The Movie:
Black Snake Moan was a critical and commercial failure, written and directed by Craig Brewer, but it also features one of the best bourbons on this list courtesy of Justin Timberlake’s character, Ronnie Morgan. Ronnie is a soldier who suffers from a severe anxiety disorder, which results in him being discharged from the National Guard. When he’s released, he goes on a journey trying to track down his captive, estranged girlfriend, Rae Doole, played by Christina Ricci. Along the way, he happens to have some Rock Hill Farms bourbon, which a disloyal friend proceeds to drink straight out of the bottle, much to Ronnie’s displeasure.
Rock Hill Farms follows the trend from Buffalo Trace’s mash bill #2, which has almost exclusively been used to produce single-barrel bourbons. Named after the rich farmland along the Kentucky River, this hard-to-find bottle clocks in at 100-proof and has become highly sought-after among enthusiasts as an elevated-ABV alternative to Buffalo Trace’s most famous bottle that uses mash bill #2: Blanton’s.
18. Thomas Jane as Frank Castle in The Punisher (2004)
Lion
The Movie:
The Punisher is a film that plucks its story from the Marvel comic of the same name, and it’s centered around the story of undercover FBI agent Frank Castle, who later goes on to dole out vigilante justice as the classic anti-hero “The Punisher.” As you can guess, due to Castle’s double life and dangerous line of work, he takes to drinking one of the best bourbons 2003 (or any year, for that matter) can offer for a respite from the stress: Wild Turkey 101.
The Whiskey: Austin Nichols Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon
Wild Turkey 101 in 2003 wasn’t much different than it is today, with the exception of the fact that there was likely a higher percentage of older whiskey in every bottle, and there’s a chance that Frank Castle’s bottle didn’t have a URL code on the back. That said, Wild Turkey 101 has long been a go-to bottle for society’s heroes and castoffs alike, so the choice was perfect for the troubled Punisher.
17. Kirk Douglas as Jack Burns in Lonely Are The Brave
Universal Pictures
The Movie:
Jack Burns is a Korean War veteran with a horse named Whiskey and a deep love for the nomadic cowboy lifestyle in 1950s New Mexico. He begins at first by trying to break his friend out of jail, deigning to do so by first getting arrested himself by drinking bourbon at a bar and picking a fight with a one-armed man. Upon his arrest, Burns discovers that his friend has accepted his two-year jail stint, content to follow the rules of society to return to his family, while Burns despises the thought of having his freedom impugned, so he breaks out by himself and leads the police on an epic chase toward Mexico with tragic results.
Old Jack Burns would’ve been sipping this discontinued seven-year version of Old Charter Bourbon produced by Schenley in the mid-1950s, a well-regarded 86-proof bourbon in its heyday. Much later, in 1999, the Old Charter brand was acquired by the Sazerac Company, which also owns Buffalo Trace and produces an 80-proof version of this bourbon today.
16. Kurt Russell as “Stuntman” Mike McKay in Death Proof
Troublemaker Studios
The Movie:
Death Proof, the 2007 slasher film that was written, directed, co-produced, and shot by Quentin Tarantino, is a heart-racing ride alongside two separate all-female friend groups who find themselves in the murderous crosshairs of “Stuntman” Mike. To put it plainly, Mike is a pretty abhorrent son of a gun, undeserving of the bourbon he brazenly treats his wounds with, but the feature itself is a cool, bare-bones take on the slasher genre.
Four Roses Yellow Label Bourbon hasn’t always been as stellar as it is today, and in all likelihood, Stuntman Mike was treating his cuts & scrapes with the dregs of the vaunted distillery’s bourbon, but today’s Four Roses Bourbon is really high-quality juice. So much so that we’ve recommended it heremany times.
15. Rip Torn as Maury Dann in Payday (1973)
Fantasy Films
The Movie:
In Payday, Maury Dann, portrayed by the legendary Rip Torn, is a successful Country music performer who has a penchant for getting in fights as well as getting in bed with other men’s girlfriends. While we follow Maury’s exploits across various small-town clubs, we see him bribe a DJ at a local radio station with a bottle of bourbon, namely, Wild Turkey 101.
While it requires closer inspection, we can surmise that the bottle of Wild Turkey 101 Maury was drinking (and bribing DJs with) was probably produced between 1971-1973 when the film was released. That timeframe was a very interesting one in the history of Wild Turkey because, in 1972, the brand began transitioning its labels to “Lawrenceburg, KY” instead of “New York, NY.” According to multiple reports, 1971 and the J.T.S. Brown Distillery’s purchase by Austin Nichols & Co. marked the last year Wild Turkey officially sourced all of their bourbon. That’s all to say that despite Wild Turkey’s decades-long streak of consistency today, in 1973, it was much less clear what you might expect when picking up a bottle of classic 101. Save for the fact that it was probably damned delicious, no matter what.
14. Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn in Spider-Man (2002)
Sony Pictures
The Movie:
Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man and the two films that ended up completing the trilogy stood for years as the modern era’s proof that a superhero franchise could be successful. Of course, 2008’s Iron Man would blow the doors off the genre and usher in the age of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe supremacy, but in 2002, the precocious Spider-Man showcased the kind of grounded storytelling that would soon become absent in a world of high-tech CGI and formulaic, monster-of-the-week style films. Willem Dafoe’s stellar take on the tortured Norman Osborn, however, still ranks highly with critics as one of the best supervillain portrayals in film, so much so that his character was resurrected and served as the most significant foil in Marvel’s most recent Spider-Man film, No Way Home.
Have you ever had an evil mask speak to you telepathically and tell you to do bad things? I’m guessing not, but if you’re reading this, then there’s a high likelihood that you’ve had a glass of Maker’s Mark speak to you. With its mellow and approachable flavor profile and ubiquity on liquor store shelves and local bars around the world, it’s a bottle sure to soothe whatever ails you. The only risk of negative thoughts with this bourbon in your glass is the fear that it’ll soon be empty.
13. Denzel Washington as Easy Rawlins in Devil in a Blue Dress
Sony Pictures
The Movie:
Easy Rawlins, portrayed by Denzel Washington, is a rookie private investigator tasked with locating a woman with significant ties to an upcoming mayoral race in Los Angeles during the summer of 1948. On his journey he finds trouble in all of the most expected places, namely in juke joints, motels, and other underworld haunts. Along the way, naturally, Easy finds himself atop several barstools where he’s served both Kentucky Tavern and, most impressively, Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond Bourbon.
Set in the summer of 1948, that means this Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond bottle would have been comprised of juice from the legendary Stitzel-Weller Distillery. There are brands today built on even the most tenuous relationship to that historic sight, so it’s really remarkable to think that in 1948, bottles like this one would’ve lined the bottom shelf and could’ve been purchased for just a few dollars. Today, a bottle of 1940s Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond would cost you about two grand, and having had some recently, I hate to say that I kind of get it.
12. Cary Grant as Roger Thornhill in North By Northwest
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
The Movie:
North By Northwest is an enthralling tale of mistaken identity, espionage, and murder that stars Cary Grant as ad executive Roger Thornhill. Thornhill is thrust into an underworld of obfuscation and competing motives, and along the way, he’s held down by thugs and forced to drink a copious amount of bourbon for the staging of a drunk driving accident. It’s not exactly a ringing endorsement of the bourbon industry, but in the digital age, it’s one of social media’s go-to gifs for imbibing. Funny how that works.
The Whiskey: Movie Prop Bourbon
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
ABV: ??% Average Price: Not Available For Sale
In an increasingly common move, many films skip the use of real bourbon labels and invent a fake brand for their movie. In one scene, Roger Thornhill is plied with a very real brand, Campari, but immediately after, the “bourbon” he’s poured is from a bottle faintly reminiscent of Four Roses. You can’t believe everything you see on the big screen!
11. Hugh Jackman as Logan in Deadpool and Wolverine
Walt Disney Studios
The Movie:
2024’s thrilling Deadpool and Wolverine featured a team-up that comic book fans have long been calling for, and the critical consensus on the film indicates that it was worth the wait. Fans got the unbridled Deadpool film they wanted, Wolverine fans saw their favorite character extend his final chapter alongside some familiar faces, and Marvel got to milk two cash cows at once. Not one for milk, however, is the down-on-his-luck failure of a Wolverine that we see portrayed in this film, who very much prefers whiskey neat and can be seen guzzling Jim Beam directly from the bottle to drown his sorrows.
Assuming the Jim Beam in the film is the same whiskey found in this universe (Marvel has been dabbling in several alternate universes over the past few years), then Wolvey is drinking one of the most reliable bottom-shelf bourbons on the market. Jim Beam White Label has a reputation as the preferred choice for outlaws and other rough-cut societal figures despite its bare minimum 40% ABV, but then, if you’re liberally drinking it directly from the bottle, your liver’s ABV is sure to increase pretty quickly.
10. Burt Young as Paulie Pennino in Rocky (1976)
The Movie:
Rocky is a timeless sports film that focuses on the titular Rocky Balboa, a small-time loan shark and local boxer who’s spent most of his career wasting his potential. Enter: Apollo Creed, a championship fighter with a big bout scheduled in Rocky’s hometown Philadelphia. Creed’s opponent suffers a last-minute injury and so he goes the unorthodox route of fielding local fighters to replace the injured man, eventually settling on Rocky. Rocky’s best friend, Paulie, is a bit of a lout and that’s underlined by the fact he always has a handy bottle of whiskey in his pocket, casting him as a belligerent drunken townie opposite Rocky’s more resilient, newly goal-oriented disposition.
Four Roses buffs will note that the expression Paulie was slugging throughout his run in Rocky was actually the brand’s blended American whiskey, which, at the time, was beloved by society’s most downtrodden members for its affordability. At the same time, Four Roses’ future Master Distiller Jim Rutledge had just begun working for Seagram in the Louisville Plant’s Research and Development Department. That’s a significant note because it was Rutledge who would eventually bring Four Roses bourbon back to the U.S. market decades later during his tenure as Master Distiller.
9. Paul Newman as Fast Eddie in The Hustler
20th Century-Fox
The Movie:
The Hustler is centered around “Fast Eddie” Felson, a highly-talented pool shark who hustles people out of their hard-earned money on the felt. Fast Eddie suffers many highs and lows throughout the film, something any reprobate gambler can understand, but during one of his short-lived highs he’s seen outclassing the legendary pool player Minnesota Fats to the tune of $18,000 before he goes bust and breaks even. While Fast Eddie is on that hot streak, he and Fats have an entire bottle of bourbon nearby that they share between them. The name of that bourbon is J.T.S. Brown.
Named after John Thomson Street Brown, who was integral in the founding of Brown-Forman, J.T.S. Brown has long been appreciated as a standard bearer of high-quality, affordable bourbon. In 1960, this brand would have been owned by the Ripy Brothers, who most famously would go on to produce Wild Turkey. Coincidentally, the longest-serving Master Distiller in world history would’ve also been producing the whiskey that went into J.T.S. Brown in 1960: Jimmy Russell.
8. John Belushi as John Blutarsky in Animal House
Universal Pictures
The Movie:
Hailed as one of the best comedies of all time, Animal House wouldn’t be what it is without the standout performance of John Belushi as John Blutarsky, the Delta Tau Chi frat bro who serves as the film’s most inspired comedic force. In one of the most memorable scenes in Belushi’s entire career, he’s seen spiraling as the Delta frat house is being raided by police, with the cops going so far as to confiscate “the whole bar.”
Luckily, a bottle of Old No. 7 was saved from the raid, and once tossed to John, he proceeds to down the entire bottle in one shot, instantly regaining his composure.
Belushi’s iconic turn as John Blutarsky was already epic, but the shot of him with a bottle of Jack Daniel’s raised to his lips in his eternally fashionable “College” sweatshirt transcended 80s gross-out film subculture and entered the larger cultural zeitgeist. It’s a touchstone both for the 80s and representative of an enduring American archetype, the affordable whiskey-swigging college dude. Admittedly, it isn’t the world’s best representation of American drinking culture, but it does maintain a level of cool, even all these years later.
7. Paul Giamatti as Paul Hunham in The Holdovers
Focus Features
The Movie:
Set in a small college town in 1970 New England, The Holdovers is about a strict, obstinate all-male boarding school teacher, Paul Hunham, who is forced to supervise five students over holiday break. Eventually the group is whittled down to just Hunham, cafeteria manager Mary Lamb, and Hunham’s most challenging student, Angus Tully. As the group learns to coexist, through fits and starts, the heartwarming core of the film is exposed as Paul and Angus learn about themselves in the process. Over the course of the film, Paul’s appreciation of fine bourbon ranges from Old Grand-Dad to Jim Beam White Label, but he seems particularly fond of vintage Old Forester Bottled in Bond.
Paul’s choice of Old Forester Bottled in Bond would’ve only been a few bucks back in 1970 when the film was set, but today, that same bottle is fetching $2,000. The modern equivalent of Old Forester Bottled in Bond would be Old Forester 1897, part of the brand’s Whiskey Row Series and retails for a much more reasonable sum of $55.
6. Jack Nicholson as Jake Gittes in Chinatown
The Movie:
In the cinematic classic Chinatown, set in 1937, Jake Gittes is tasked with uncovering a mystery that runs far deeper than it initially seems. The story he (partially) gets to the bottom of is ensconced in misdirection and mystery, to the point that no one could blame you for grabbing a drink just from watching the film unfold. For his part, Jake reaches for a liquor cabinet full of National Distillers brands, with Old Crow featured prominently among them.
Quiet as it’s kept, there are few bourbon brands with as rich a history as Old Crow Bourbon. Founded by Dr. James C. Crow in the 1830s, who is at times known as “the father of bourbon,” the brand was formerly one of America’s premier bourbon expressions. Crow pioneered practices that are widespread today, such as sour mash fermentation and the use of charred oak barrels for aging. Today, it’s an overlooked bottom-shelf offering in the Jim Beam portfolio, which has seen its proof changed to 40% ABV, although there was a TTB filing earlier this year that indicates the brand may soon return to the 86-proof format. Watch this space.
5. Bill Murray as Phil Connors in Groundhog Day
The Movie:
Groundhog Day is a classic film about a weatherman tasked with covering the droll Groundhog Day ceremony in sleepy Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, who becomes stuck in an inexplicable time loop that forces him to relive the same day repeatedly. During the repeating bar sequence, Connors carefully orders his preferred drink, “Jim Beam, ice, water,” but switches over to sweet Vermouth on the rocks with a twist to impress his love interest Rita Hanson, played by Andie MacDowell, after learning it was her favorite drink the day before.
Given its classic nature, it should come as no surprise that Jim Beam has a feature role in several classic films. In 1993, when this film hit theaters, Jim Beam was still producing decanters of their entry-level bourbon to entice consumers to buy more bourbon. Because we never get to see Connors actually drink his Jim Beam, we also never see the bottle behind the bar, but it’s a safe bet that he got his preferred pour from the iconic white-label bottle Jim Beam is known for.
4. Taron Egerton as Eggsy in Kingsman: The Golden Circle
20th Century Studios
The Movie:
If you’re looking for an outrageous, polished send-up of the debonair secret agent subcategory, then the Kingsman franchise is just what the doctor ordered. In this sequel to the well-received Kingsman: The Secret Service, we see most of the same cast of characters from the original, showcasing the clandestine spy organization’s British faction teaming up with their U.S. counterparts, The Statesman, whose secret base is hidden in a functioning bourbon distillery in Kentucky. If you were wondering, despite the Old Forester tie-in, the “distillery” featured in the film is the product of CGI magic and isn’t actually a place you can visit on Kentucky’s Whiskey Row.
While many films have been known to create fake brands for the purpose of the film, the Kingsman movie is perhaps the first case where a movie actually partnered with a bourbon brand to create a brand-new expression. The moderate success of the film spawned a franchise that’s currently four films deep, and the commensurate success of the expression transformed Old Forester Statesman from a one-off release to an ongoing one available on shelves to this day.
3. Roger Moore as James Bond in Live And Let Die
Eon Productions
The Movie:
Ian Fleming’s iconic character, James Bond, is famously known to order his martinis “shaken, not stirred” on the big screen but many people don’t know that Bond, loyal as he was to his classic cocktail, also frequently drank bourbon in the books. 007’s discernment in his drink orders made it on film for 1972’s Live And Let Die when, on a train through New Orleans, he wisely orders an Old Fashioned and, ever the exacting man of culture, goes the extra mile to specify his bourbon of choice: Old Grand Dad.
While Bond doesn’t specify which OGD he wanted in his cocktail, given the prevailing drinks culture of the time and the prevalence of the standard version, it seems fair to surmise that he would’ve received this 1971 86-proof version. Contemporary Old Grand Dad is only available at three proofs, 80, 100, and 114 but during Roger Moore’s time portraying the secret agent, Americans wanted a bit more flavor than they found in 80 proof offerings, which was the standard globally. Because Americans always have to be different. And so the 86 proof point became the most popular entry-level proof level for bourbon throughout the 70s and 80s. Also, it seems a little too on the nose for the debonair double-0 to order the “bottled in bond” version, don’t you think?
2. Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrance in The Shining
Warner Bros.
The Movie:
The 1980 psychological horror film The Shining centers around Jack Torrance, the caretaker of the Overlook Inn, during its off-season. Before taking the job, Jack is warned that solitude in the isolated inn has previously been known to drive men mad; in fact, the person who had the job just before Jack viciously murdered his family and chopped their bodies up before doing himself in on the receiving end of a shotgun barrel — brutal stuff. Shaking off the warning, Torrance insists that he favors solitude and that it’ll give him time to work on his manuscript.
Writers and whiskey go hand in hand, I should know, but the Jack Daniel’s that Jack is served comes courtesy of a ghostly barkeep who uses it as a tool to fuel his descent into murderous madness.
If you don’t know the story of expert assassin John Wick, do you even drink bourbon? The underworld’s most famous and feared hit-man successfully got out of “the life” to become a family man, but after the death of his wife and the murder of his dog by an oblivious and overzealous crime boss’s kid, he’s sent on a murderous rampage that spanned four “chapters” and single-handedly produced a new horde of bourbon bros who saw their favorite badass knocking back Blanton’s as steadfastly as he knocked out nameless thugs.
In one of movie history’s most famous bourbon-themed exchanges, the doctor fixing John up after a particularly nasty run-in with some of the thugs above asks, “Do you need anything for the pain?” to which Wick gestures to his glass and replies, “No, I’ve got that covered” before taking a healthy gulp. And that, kids, is how you become iconic.
One of the most polarizing and hyped bourbons in all of the land, Blanton’s is the original single-barrel bourbon. Launched in 1984, each bottle of Blanton’s is the product of a single barrel, an idea hatched by Buffalo Trace’s then Master Distiller Elmer T. Lee. Today, while the quality is still reliably solid, there’s no denying that this bottle’s collectibility (the toppers all have different markings with the full set spelling out “Blanton’s”) and the cool factor is the reason it’s become almost impossible to find on store shelves. While the packaging itself is part of that, Keanu Reeves’ iconic portrayal of John Wick is a significant part of it as well.
Kesha is finally free in “maybe the most beautiful time in my entire life,” as she told Paper, but she also wants to do what she can to prevent young pop girlies’ from struggling like she did.
“Kesha was so lovely to me after my Lollapalooza set,” Roan told Exposito. “Because with that huge of a crowd, maybe only five other people there understood what that’s like. Kesha came to talk to me after, and it felt like a big sister was helping me through it. Me and Reneé were crying because we felt like we were seen in a way we never had been before.”
Roan added, “Kesha has always stood up for women and what she believes in, and that’s very inspiring.”
Elsewhere in the profile, Exposito revealed that Kesha “has offered Rapp a space space to process music industry woes and seek advice” over private Instagram DMs.
“I do have a sense of feeling protective of young women in music,” Kesha said. “I really hope my joy can stand for others to know that it’s available to them and to not give up. I enjoy feeling my power, which hasn’t been available to me for a really long time, and I’d love to give that gift to others if I can.”
While the official recognition of American Single Malt as a category has been long awaited, many brands are taking advantage of the freedom they enjoy to produce highly unique whiskeys that sometimes escape easy definition. Whether it’s by more traditional means or in truly trailblazing ways, consumers have more options now than ever before to find an American whiskey that suits their particular taste.
The whiskeys on this list have only two things in common: they’re produced in America and contain at least 52% whiskey. Beyond those pretty loose parameters, there’s a wide array of flavors and approaches to spirits production featured on this list, and we highly encourage you to keep an open mind and seek them all out.
Now, with that preamble out of the way, here are the most interesting American whiskey blends to try right now!
Bernheim Wheat Whiskey has been around for a while, but the Barrel Proof edition was bumped up for national distribution at the beginning of 2023, and now the latest version is hitting shelves. Made from a mash bill of 51% wheat, 37% corn, and 12% malted barley and aged from seven to nine years, Bernheim Original Barrel Proof Wheat Whiskey is the most readily available cask-strength wheat whiskey across America.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is lively and fruit-forward, with licorice and plums standing out immediately before cinnamon, clove, and faint leather notes rise in prominence. There’s also a slight wintergreen streak running through it all and a drizzle of caramel to round things out.
Palate: The oak tones fuse with a cedar note that brings a ton of cinnamon bark and palo santo flavor with the first sip. As the first wave of flavor subsides, you’ll pick up a lot of nuttiness reminiscent of walnuts, black pepper, and some gentle floral tones with lilac standing out.
Finish: The finish on Bernheim Original Barrel Proof Wheat Whiskey is medium-long and reintroduces a fresh layer of cracked black pepper and cedar with a touch of honey and black tea.
Bottom Line:
Wheat Whiskey is an underexplored category that Heaven Hill has been honing for years now. For this Barrel-Proof version, they display the style in its purest, uncut form, free from chill filtration. The results are well worth your consideration.
For its premium Lady Bird expression, Garrison Bros. Master Distiller Donnis Todd selects barrels that display honey tones and ratchets it up several notches by infusing it with Burleson’s Texas Wildflower Honey for an additional 8-9 months. They then further mature the whiskey in French Cognac XO finishing casks for another three years.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Once you pop the top on Lady Bird, a ton of honey hits the nose with red raisins, plum, and oak aromas, making a distinct impression as well.
Palate: The oak and honey flavors at the tip of the tongue gently recede and introduce a peanut brittle note that arises unexpectedly and obfuscates a touch of chocolate hiding in the background. As to be expected with honey-infused bourbon, the mouthfeel is syrupy and robust. The flavor of over-steeped mint tea brings a slight astringency around the edges of the palate.
Finish: The finish has honey, oak, overripe bananas, and peanut brittle featured prominently in that order, and it lingers for a lengthy amount of time, making it taste like a peanut butter banana sandwich drizzled in honey. I don’t know about you, but count me in for two of those.
Bottom Line:
Here’s the straight-and-narrow regarding Garrison Bros. Lady Bird expression: it’s a sweet treat that ain’t for everyone. The honey is a bit heavy-handed, and the oak is a bit assertive, but the end result is one that errs on the side of boldness, and that’s a commendable choice that will make whiskey drinkers with a sweet tooth absolutely rejoice.
Hogsworth is an intriguing blend of bourbons & Armagnacs aged between four and forty-two years. The blend features 52% bourbon and 48% Armagnac, and the full breakdown is such: 42% is a four-year and five-month-old bourbon from Tennessee, 22% is an 11-year Armagnac, 21% is a 13-year Armagnac, 10% is a four-year bourbon from Minnesota, and 5% is a 42-year Armagnac distilled in 1982.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The Armagnac might only make up 48% of this first-of-it’s-kind blend, but it takes the lead on the aroma notes with the scent of rich port wine coming through while red grapes, cinnamon bark, and spiced walnuts accent the periphery.
Palate: The mouthfeel is lean, which is again more in line with Armagnac than well-aged bourbon, but the flavors are truly dense and resplendent with brown sugar, walnuts, well-aged red port wine, and black pepper intimately kissing the palate before dialing up the nutmeg notes as it travels to the back of the palate.
Finish: The finish is bold with baking spice as cracked pepper, black tea, and red currants tease the edges of the tongue as a faint touch of tobacco leaf settles at mid-palate. The spice is expressive on the brief finish which makes does throw off the balance a bit.
Bottom Line:
As a genre-bending foray into the unknown, Hogsworth is a wild ride that assertively showcases the beauty of well-aged Armagnac with the restrained mouthfeel and curt finish that accompanies it. Time will tell if blends like this turn more American whiskey drinkers into Armagnac aficionados, but this initial hog-wild effort from the man behind Bhakta will surely help.
7. All Points West Malt And Grain Pot Still Whiskey
Drawing inspiration from late 19th-century Irish distillers, All Points West founder Gil Spaier sought to recreate a style of whiskey that was so popular in Ireland that it caused the British government to outlaw the use of corn in pot still whiskies. The mash bill for this old-style whiskey is between 65% and 70% barley, predominantly from County Cork in Ireland, along with some modified German malts, while the rest of the recipe is corn.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Pot still funk combined with red raisins, dates, bubblegum, and bacon fat for this robust and instantly impressive whiskey-nosing experience.
Palate: Sorghum, flan, and fatty brisket notes reach the palate on the first pass of this viscous, delicious whiskey. Butterscotch follows on the second sip, and once acclimated, the oily, buttery mouthfeel reveals deeper layers of nutmeg and black pepper.
Finish: All Points West’s Malt And Grain Pot Still Whiskey has a fairly brief finish that welcomes a touch of cherry and nougat to go with the meaty undertones and butterscotch top notes.
Bottom Line:
All Points West’s unctuous, full-bodied whiskey is impressive throughout its product lineup, but the Malt and Grain Pot Still Whiskey stands out as the most unique among them. This is old-school whiskey transported into present-day Newark, NJ, and it’s as unexpected and unexpectedly delicious as you can imagine.
6. Old Line Madeira Cask Finish American Single Malt
For its Double Oak Series, Old Line Spirits in Baltimore, Maryland, utilizes finishing casks to elevate its base whiskey and showcase how its flavors can evolve. This 100% malted barley whiskey uses both 2-row malt and deep roast malt, ages it for at least three years before finishing it in Madeira casks for an additional 10 months.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The aroma notes are full of several layers of flavor, with pecans, nutmeg, black cherries, and almond extract standing out at first while a touch of clove and cinnamon are buried slightly deeper in the glass.
Palate: This is Old Line’s most multilayered pour, and it starts sweetly with black cherry syrup and pecans taking the lead while clove and walnut notes sprout at mid-palate and introduce black pepper with cinnamon before it transitions to the finish.
Finish: The whiskey’s finish has a quickly receding tobacco leaf note that’s replaced by the walnuts and black cherry note from earlier. It’s short to medium in length, but the curt conclusion is a welcome one, allowing you to reflect on the notes found earlier in each sip without them lingering and distracting you from this whiskey’s strong start.
Bottom Line:
Old Line, out of Baltimore, MD., is producing incredible American Single Malt Whiskey, and their swift embrace of finishing casks is paying dividends with a portfolio that showcases several of them. While their flagship and Navy Strength offerings are the best bottles they’ve got, this Madeira Cask Finish is the most interesting and highlights the brand’s commitment to artfully altering their awesome juice.
5. FEW Spirits Smashing Pumpkins Straight Bourbon Whiskey with Madame Zuzus Midnight Rose Tea
For this atypical collaboration, FEW Spirits worked with the Smashing Pumpkins to produce a unique whiskey that’s brought to proof using Billy Corgan’s own Midnight Rose Tea, a high mountain tea from the Anhui province of China that has been naturally scented with rose petals from Madame Zuzu’s, his tea shop in Chicago. This also marks the first major project that FEW’s new Head Distiller and noted tea aficionado, Erin Lee, helmed.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: It begins really floral, like rosewater, as the tea makes a strong, inviting impression. There are lilacs, brown sugar, tobacco leaf, and oak notes. Vanilla frosting and black pepper as well add to the nuance.
Palate: Vanilla frosting and black pepper flavors make an impression, along with rose tea, honey, and barrel char, which are immediate standouts on the palate. The middle of the palate has a bit of menthol, giving this one a nice balance as all of the baking spices and floral, sweet notes mesh well.
Finish: The medium-length finish is slightly drying, with black pepper and floral notes asserting themselves before it ends.
Bottom Line:
This is a really exciting release that stretches the boundaries of what we expect with bourbon and exemplifies what makes FEW Spirits such a strong brand — they’re never afraid to step outside of the box. This unusual fusion of Madame Zuzus Midnight Rose Tea and Few Straight Bourbon is a perfect match.
4. Stranahan’s Mountain Angel 10-Year-Old American Single Malt
For its Mountain Angel expression, Stranahan’s takes its award-winning whiskey made from locally sourced barley, ages it for ten years in new American oak barrels, and bottles it a mile high in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. This whiskey is made in limited batches and the bottle we’re reviewing today comes from 2024’s Batch 4.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Boiled peanuts and toasted honey notes waft up from the glass before the malted barley asserts itself with a touch of mint candy and lime zest in tow.
Palate: Lemon and lime with white sugar sweetness hits the tip of the tongue at first. From there, malt notes and white pepper wash over the palate in a lush, rich wave before vanilla ice cream and nutmeg crop up at midpalate with a few fresh cracks of black pepper.
Finish: The finish is full of lemon custard, malted barley, and white pepper as is lingers for quite a while and grips the palate assertively, which leads to indecorous lip-smacking in the best way possible.
Bottom Line:
In a world where American Single Malt Whiskey producers are somehow still fighting an uphill battle to have their category recognized, one of the OGs is still humming along and releasing one outstanding release after another. Most of the brands in the category don’t have the luxury of being able to release a 10-year age-stated expression, so this relative rarity from Stranahan’s is well worth buying as a no-frills representation of what American Single Malt will look like in the future.
Wolves Whiskey has been producing some stellar and incredibly unique premium blends over the past few years, but this expression is the brand’s very first crack at creating an evergreen product. Aged for five years in California wine barrels before being finished in Cognac casks, this brand-new American Single Malt debuted earlier this month.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with mocha, deep honey tones, and roasted Brazil nuts. After a few waves of the hand, cinnamon and doughy notes emerge out of the glass, along with dried strawberries.
Palate: This whiskey is immediately supple and expansive on the palate, defying its modest proof to flood your tastebuds with the flavor of Manuka honey, crème brulée, clove, and fresh figs. There are additional layers of nutmeg, cinnamon, and half-baked pastries, complete with a slight doughiness and well-developed sweetness.
Finish: The finish is medium-length and just as silky as the liquid itself, causing it to gently recede, leaving a touch of black pepper and clove with cinnamon bark at the end.
Bottom Line:
Wolves Whiskey’s brand-new American Single Malt is sure to turn heads as the brand’s very first evergreen product showcases an impressive utilization of finishing casks. While the brand has a ton of intriguing higher-end offerings, this new entry-level whiskey is sure to capture a new audience thanks to its more affordable price point and approachable flavor profile.
2. Uncle Nearest 777 Anniversary Blend Premium Tennessee Whiskey – The Lost Chapter (Batch 007)
For this special Anniversary Blend, created to honor Uncle Nearest’s 7th year in operation, the brand takes 7-year-old Tennessee whiskey that’s been hand-selected and mingled by their Master Blender, Victoria Eady Butler. The ABV for these small batch blends varies, but the one we’ll be considering today from Batch 007 landed on the higher side at 121.7 proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Rainier cherries, maple candy, and white chocolate. There’s some clove and more faint cinnamon, but the cherries are the strongest aroma.
Palate: Incredibly smooth and supple mouthfeel that instantly and gently coats your palate with honey, rainier cherries, and allspice hitting the palate. It’s remarkably even-keeled, and it’s only as it transitions to the finish where baking spices from clove to black pepper start to tingle the tongue
Finish: The lengthy finish finds white pepper, sage, and rich, well-rounded honey, gently sending this whiskey on its way.
Bottom Line:
This is far and away the best whiskey I’ve ever had from Uncle Nearest. The 777 Anniversary Blend has an incredible depth of flavor coupled with an impressive balance that subtly and effectively coats the palate and will leave you craving a backup bottle as soon as you take your first sip.
For Westward’s premium Milestone expression, Master Blender Miles Munroe created a twenty-one-barrel Solera system to continuously age and blend some of the brand’s most precious whiskey in various casks. Two other things that make this release unique? The distillate is slow-proofed in-cask, and new for this year is the inclusion of Amburana barrel-aged whiskey in the solera blend.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Rich orange marmalade and cinnamon notes come leaping out of the glass when you run your nose over the rim, with further aromas of malt chocolate and dense French vanilla drawing you in and imploring an initial sip.
Palate: This is an incredibly lush and smooth whiskey with cinnamon and nougat meshing harmoniously with the orange marmalade, French vanilla, and malt chocolate notes from the nose. The texture is also remarkably creamy, allowing all of those decadent flavors to coat your palate and blossom at length.
Finish: The medium-length finish gently recedes with orange blossom, Brazil nuts, and cinnamon, leaving the final impression before it escapes your palate.
Bottom Line:
Westward Whiskey’s annual Milestone expression has quickly established itself as a whiskey not to be missed, exhibiting Master Blender Miles Munroe’s expert blending prowess. This expression’s moniker, a sly nod to Mr. Munroe and aptly named to mark Westward’s growth, definitely fits, and the whiskey exemplifies the neck tag’s Latin dictum Verum Factum, the maker’s knowledge.
Glen Powell summer has turned to Art the Clown in Terrifier 3 fall, but the Twisters and Hit Man star hasn’t gone anywhere. He’s starring in an A24 revenge thriller, Huntington, with Margaret Qualley; remaking The Running Man with director Edgar Wright; and playing the titular Chad Powers in a Hulu comedy about a disguised college football player. Powell can also add “Family Guy voice actor” to his increasingly packed filmography.
The Family Guy Halloween special, “Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Cheater,” follows Peter, Quagmire, Cleveland, and Joe as they aim to unseat the reigning champion Patrick McCloskey (voiced by Powell) in Quahog’s annual pumpkin contest. The episode premieres on Monday, October 14, on Hulu.
You can watch the trailer above.
Family Guy season 23 premieres in 2025 (it’s the first time in nearly 20 years the show hasn’t been on the same night as The Simpsons), with plenty more seasons to come. “At this point, I don’t see a good reason to stop. People still love it. It makes people happy and it funds some good causes,” creator Seth MacFarlane told The Los Angeles Times. “It’s a lot of extraneous cash that you can donate to Rainforest Trust and you can still go out to dinner that night.”
Complaining about frivolous things is a bad habit — it can make people seem ungrateful, rude, and frankly, like a brat… not in that cool Charli XCX way but in that obnoxiously privledged way. But it can also be a lot of fun, especially when the target of your complaint is a big corporation that has probably ripped you off more than it’s given you any value.
These days, fewer and fewer people are hitting up the big fast food juggernauts, opting instead for more elevated restaurant experiences that offer you more bang for your buck or hitting up the specialty fast-casual joints that have higher quality food for similar prices.
Why pay $12 for a meal at McDonald’s when you can spend $9 for higher-quality food at In-N-Out? That’s the kind of question people are asking themselves and as a response, fast food brands are scrambling and trying to win customers back by offering more food for less money.
So clearly, complaining about fast food has some merit and sometimes you’ve got to call out these big brands, especially when they’ve been acting out. So we’re here to do just that. We’re naming all the worst menu items from our favorite big fast food chains.
Our hope is that fast food brands get the memo and start ditching these lesser items for stuff people actually want to spend money on (we know, that’s wishful thinking) or at the very least, we can dissuade you from wasting your money on something that seems like a good idea but fails to deliver. Let’s eat, or you know, not eat.
Arby’s — Chicken Slider
Arby
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
I think Arby’s gets a lot of unnecessary criticism just because a lot of the food seems gross. It’s easy to hate on Arby’s, but they have a few good dishes that hit the spot when you’re in the right mood (drunk or high). You’re going to tell me you don’t like a Beef and Cheddar with a side of curly fries? Get out of here.
That said, don’t ever eat chicken at Arby’s. It’s always awful. We could’ve picked any chicken dish for this list, but we’re going with the Chicken Slider.
The chicken is dry and stringy and it tastes like a mix of rancid oil and black pepper.
The Bottom Line:
Arby’s may “have the meats,” but chicken isn’t one of them.
Burger King — Fiery Mozzarella Fries
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
I desperately wanted this dish to be good. Fried mozzarella is fantastic, add a spicy element and this dish should have everything going for it, yet this is some of the worst mozzarella I’ve ever tasted. I’ve had this dish four times so far, and all four times the cheese hasn’t been fully melted. It’s just a thin, semi-soft strip of mozzarella encased in a soggy, spicy coating.
The Bottom Line:
A great idea, but until Burger King raises its quality control, this dish will suffer.
Carl’s Jr — Loaded Guacamole Bacon Fries
Carl’s Jr.
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
Trust me, I know that the Loaded Guacamole Bacon Fries sound like a great idea, but the execution here is awful. You’ve got Carl’s Jr’s fries, which are oily to the point of being soggy, shredded cheese, onion-heavy pico de gallo, crumbly salty bacon bits, and the worst guacamole you’ll ever taste.
There are a lot of ways to make guacamole. Carl’s Jr chooses to put more onion in this stuff than avocado, and that’s not the way to do it. The avocado used here aren’t great quality, this stuff always has a brownish hue to it, and it totally ruins the buttery savoriness we expect from guacamole.
Once all the ingredients are mixed, this becomes a mush of textures that is a true chore to eat.
The Bottom Line:
A great idea executed horribly.
Chick-fil-A — Kale Crunch Side
Chick-fil-A
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
For an upcharge, you can sub your fries for a Kale Crunch salad which is probably the worst deal in all of fast food. The fact that you can’t get this without an upcharge adds insult to injury.
This dish — if we want to call it that — features a mix of kale, green cabbage, and almonds and is served with a side of Apple Cider and Dijon Mustard vinaigrette. I don’t want to sound like a complete nerd here, but you can tell this kale hasn’t been properly massaged. It’s rough, hard to chew, and tastes like dirt. It also totally dominates the palate, making your entire meal kind of taste like dirt.
Trust me, I’m not some kind of kale hater, I like kale, I just think this is the worst thing you can order at Chick-fil-A. I’m also confused about who it’s for. You’re trying to eat healthy at a Chick-fil-A? Was there not a Panera near by?
The Bottom Line:
Chick-fil-A’s menu is overall pretty solid, but the Kale Crunch Side feels like a real joke and an insult to its customers.
Chipotle — Queso Blanco
Chipotle
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
What disturbs me about the Queso Blanco is not the flavor — though I’m not fan of its heavily onion-y and salty flavor — but the fact that it’s still on the menu. Chipotle has already revamped this recipe once and while I’ll admit that the Queso Blanco today is the best its ever been, that’s really not saying much.
I’m not sure where Chipotle went wrong either, this is certainly made with a good set of ingredients. You’ve got Monterey Jack, cheddar, chili peppers, and onion, and yet onion is all this tastes like. You’re not getting any of the creamy, sweet, or nutty qualities of the cheese,which leads me to believe taht this is some seriously low quality cheese.
The Bottom Line:
A cheese dip that is more onion than cheese. In other words, a bad cheese dip.
Dairy Queen — Pretzel Sticks With Zesty Queso
Dairy Queen
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
If you’re getting anything from Dairy Queen that isn’t a dessert, there is a good chance its awful, but since this is a list of the absolute worst menu items, I’m going to have to go with the Pretzel Sticks with Zesty Queso.
The pretzel is as dry as a bone, and the zesty queso is pure salt. I’d suggest you just dip you r pretzel stick in a Blizzard for a better experience, but I think that would honestly ruin your Blizzard. Skip this at all costs.
The Bottom Line:
It’s like eating a piece of (mostly rotten) wood.
Dave’s Hot Chicken — Mac and Cheese
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
Finding a bad menu option at Dave’s was hard. The chicken is great and the fries are decent, the only thing on the menu that ever feels like a disappointment is the mac and cheese. It tastes right, the noodles still have some bite and the cheese is salty with a hint of smokiness and a touch of spice. It’s just a bit too soupy. I can’t believe I’m saying this but I think less cheese sauce would do a lot to make this dish a little better.
The Bottom Line:
Take this choice with a grain of salt, Dave’s Hot Chicken’s mac and cheese is good enough, but it’s also the worst thing on the menu.
Del Taco — Crispy Chicken
Del Taco
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
I love Del Taco, next to El Pollo Loco it’s the best Mexican-inspired fast food chain. That said, the chicken tenders (which shouldn’t even be on the menu) are some of the worst in all of fast food.
This chicken is awful, it’s overprocessed and chewy and the breading doesn’t properly adhere to the meat, so when you bite into it the meat slips out of its fried sleeve. If that sounded gross to you, good, it was supposed to.
The Bottom Line:
Avoid Del Taco’s Crispy Chicken at all costs, including when it’s served in a taco, which is an option. Tortilla and fried chicken? Get out of here.
KFC — Mac & Cheese
KFC
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
This is a controversial choice because I know there are a handful of people out there who go for the mac & cheese as their go-to side order, to which I have to ask: why? I sincerily mean it, why would anyone order this? It’s not only the worst mac & cheese in all of fast food, it may be some of the worst mac & cheese I’ve ever had.
The noodles are so soggy they dissolve in your mouth, the cheese is salty, with little dimension or nuance. This is essentially a cheese dip! Fast food brands wonder how to get customers back, there are probably board meetings where people are getting paid thousands of dollars to come up with sh*t like the Ch’izza (if it wasn’t a limited-time option, it would be on this list) when all they really need to do is give us better quality, better-tasting food.
The Bottom Line:
One of the reasons this article exists in the first place. Never order this stuff if you have any respect for your tastebuds.
In-N-Out — Grilled Cheese
@epvegsnob
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’ve heard it before — “the fries at In-N-Out are terrible.” I’m sorry, but you’re wrong. If you have a problem with freshly cut potatoes fried to order the issue is not the fries, its you.
I’m saving all my ire for the secret menu item Grilled Cheese. I get it, In-N-Out needs a dish for the vegetarians, and all with all due respect to my non-meat-eating friends I gotta tell you — maybe In-N-Out just isn’t for you.
This Grilled Cheese has everything that’s great about an In-N-Out cheeseburger, minus the star ingredient: the beef. Without the beef this dish is a mess. Too much bread, not enough cheese, and the rest of the ingredients just taste weird when they don’t have a beef patty to support them.
The Bottom Line:
A dish designed for vegetarians, who would better be served by just finding a different place to eat.
Jack in the Box — Chick-N-Tater Melt
Jack in the Box
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
What the f*ck is this monstrosity?! I don’t know that whoever is in charge of the menu at Jack in the Box spends all their time getting super high and then thinking of dishes, but I’m willing to bet money that that’s exactly what they do.
This dish is a stoner’s dream, “what if there was like, a croissant, but it’s filled with hashbrowns, and chicken, and bacon? Oh, and Swiss cheese, and ranch, and white cheddar sauce. Oh and cheddar cheese too!” Biting into this sandwich is hell on earth. It’s a mix of blown-out flavors, it is salty, texturally all over the place, sour, and tangy, it’s just awful!
There is no nuance to this dish, no complexity, and yes, I’m aware we are talking about fast food here, but the way the flavors here hit your taste buds like a sledgehammer is truly one of the worst sensations I’ve ever experienced eating fast food.
The Bottom Line:
Even if you’re stoned, do yourself and your stomach a favor and don’t eat this.
McDonald’s — Sausage Burrito
McDonald
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
McDonald’s has a near-impeccable menu. Most of the food has its die-hard fans, people love the Big Mac, the nuggets, the fries, the McMuffin, even the value menu Double Cheeseburger has people who swear by it. I challenge you to find me someone who feels that way about the Sausage Burrito.
This thing is awful. Its loaded up with dry sausage, a very small amount of onions, funky eggs, and peppers that have a nice vegetal flavor, but are used so sparingly they come across like a mistake, rather than a feature of the burrito. On top of that, McDonald’s adds a slice of American cheese into this burrito, which is straight up insulting.
The Bottom Line:
McDonald’s may be the only brand to f*ck up a burrito.
Popeyes — Coleslaw
Popeyes
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
Coleslaw is easily Popeyes’ weakest side item, and keep in mind that one of the sides at Popeyes is just a single jalapeño pepper. I rather have a single pepper than eat this stuff.
This coleslaw is incredibly sour and rarely crunchy and fresh. It’s maybe the worst coleslaw side I’ve ever tasted at any fast food restaurant.
The Bottom Line:
Skip this one, any other Popeyes side would serve you way better.
Rally’s — Grilled Hot Dog
Rally
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
Oh come on Rally’s, you’re making this too easy for me. I mean, do I really even need to say anything here? Don’t order the Grilled Hot Dog at Rally’s. There is nothing special about this, it’s a mediocre hot dog, you’ve probably had a million of those at a backyard BBQ, don’t spend more than a few dollars for one.
If you must have a hot dog for some reason, at least go for the Chili Cheese Dog, which is loaded with chili, cheese, and chopped red onions.
The Bottom Line:
If you’re ordering a hot dog at Rally’s, you’re not fast fooding right.
Shake Shack — Fries
Shake Shack
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
I’m going to get a lot of shit for this considering I gave a pass to In N Out fries, but you know what? Bring it on. Shake Shack fries are some of the worst. These awful fries don’t taste much different than the crinkle-cut fries you’d find in the freezer aisle at your local market.
The exterior is sharp and hard enough to cut the roof of your mouth, which you’ll become aware of as the salt on these over-salted spuds begins to sting you. Even the cheese fries aren’t much of an improvement. Sure it sogs up the fries a bit, but the sauce is movie-theater quality bad. Plus, the last thing these fries need is more salt.
The Bottom Line:
I will never stop complaining about Shake Shack’s fries, they are a stain on an otherwise impeccable menu.
Sonic — Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Sonic
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
Okay, here is the deal — it’s not that Sonic’s grilled cheese is bad it’s just boring. Sonic has all sorts of great sides and main dishes, why would you ever order a grilled cheese when you could get jalapeño poppers or mozzarella sticks? Those aren’t just better delivery systems for cheese, the cheese in them is also significantly better.
If you like American cheese and grilled Texas Toast it’s safe to say you’ll like this, but just buy some bread and cheese at home and make your own, it’ll probably taste a thousand times better.
The Bottom Line:
It’s a grilled cheese… what are you doing fam?
Subway — The Great Garlic
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
Oh wow is this sandwich bad. The Great Garlic features rotisserie chicken, bacon, provolone, lettuce, tomato, and red onions smothered in a creamy roasted garlic aioli but it almost doesn’t matter what’s in it because all you’re going to taste is garlic.
The garlic aioli is extremely bitter, blunt, and pungent, completely dominating the entire sandwich. Even the biggest garlic lovers wouldn’t like this sandwich. If you like garlic this much, you’re better served roasting a whole clove and squeezing it in your mouth.
The Bottom Line:
This is truly the worst sandwich at Subway, which is saying a lot considering most of the menu is objectively awful.
Taco Bell — Veggie Bowl
Taco Bell
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
Three years ago, when I wrote an article similar to this one, I named Taco Bell’s Nachos Bell Grande as the brand’s worst menu option. I got a lot of sh*t from that from both readers and my editor and while I’ll stand by my feelings that the Nachos Bell Grande are awful, I’d be lying if I didn’t say the Veggie Bowl was worst.
I’m all for the idea of the Veggie Bowl, its the execution I have a problem with. This is one of the worst mix of ingredients of any dish, ever. Here we have watery, soggy, wilted lettuce, hard lifeless cabbage, Pico de Gallo made with tomatoes devoid of flavor, awful pre-shredded cheddar cheese, the driest rice on Earth and decent black beans.
No other order at Taco Bell feels more like of a waste of money than this one.
The Bottom Line:
Taco Bell, no one is pressuring you to offer this dish. It’s a waste of the plastic its served in.
Wendy’s — Baconator Fries
Wendy
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
Finding a bad menu option at Wendy’s was tough, I think the fast food chain is one of the best and they do just about everything on their menu pretty well. Except for the Baconator Fries.
In general, Wendy’s fries aren’t great. They have this bitter flavor to them; they’re often soggy and always over-salted. On top of the fries, you’ve got one slice of American cheese just thrown right in the middle of the fries, rather than distributed, and not nearly enough bacon to earn the “Baconator” name.
The Bottom Line:
Skip this dish and just order a baked potato with cheese.
White Castle — Chicken Rings
White Castle
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
I mean, do I need to say anything? Even the name turns my stomach. These highly processed chicken… rings are garlicky, with a touch of vinegar and a spicy aftertaste. The seasoning is fine, what I have an issue with is the texture of the meat and the overall shape of the dish. Why not take this same seasoning blend and make onion rings? Why does it have to be chicken? Fast food rarely makes me mad, but this dish drives me up a wall.
Even after all these years, Coldplay remains one of the biggest bands (perhaps the biggest) in the world, as their near-billion-dollar-tour proves. Therefore, a new album from them is a big deal, so here’s what to know about when Moon Music comes out.
When Will Coldplay’s New Album Moon Music Be On Apple Music?
Moon Music is set to drop on October 4, so the album will be available on Apple Music starting at midnight ET on the 4th.
In a recent interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, Chris Martin said of the new album, “This album is really, really good. It’s sort of our manifesto or my way of looking at things right now in terms of how to continue, how to not give up, how to accept reality, not run away from it, not hate anybody, even in the midst of always being filled with so many difficult emotions, and it’s with Max Martin, so he made sure that it’s really good.”
Find more info about the album below.
Coldplay’s Moon Music Album Cover Artwork
Parlophone/Atlantic
Coldplay’s Moon Music Tracklist
1. “Moon Music”
2. “Feelslikeimfallinginlove”
3. “We Pray” Feat. Little Simz, Burna Boy, Elyanna, and Tini
4. “Jupiter”
5. “Good Feelings” Feat. Ayra Starr
6. “[rainbow emoji]”
7. “Iaam”
8. “Aeterna”
9. “All My Love”
10. “One World”
Moon Music is out 10/4 via Parlophone/Atlantic. Find more information here.
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