Back in 2018, in the early days of the #MeToo movement, Mark Schwahn received his comeuppance. The creator of One Tree Hill was accused by several female cast members of sexual harassment. He still hasn’t apologized. But allegations of bad behavior continue to pour out, including from three alums who have their own One Tree Hill podcast.
As per Variety, Sophia Bush, Hilarie Burton, and Bethany Joy Lenz — who played Brooke, Peyton, and Haley, respectively — spent a recent episode of their podcast Drama Queens talking about an episode that really brings up some bad memories. In the fourth episode of Season 4, Brooke takes pictures of Rachel (Danneel Ackles) for Maxim magazine.
As it happened, the following month Bush, Burton, and Ackles all appeared on the cover of the men’s magazine for real. Bush was not into the idea, especially considering how the show had suddenly started leaning more into sexualizing the female characters. She told the producers she wasn’t into it, which did not go over well.
“I literally got told, ‘If you do not go and shoot this cover with your co-stars, we will guarantee you that you will never be let out for a press day, a movie, an event, any of your charities. We will keep you here for ever,’” Bush recalled.
Burton herself remembered being chewed out by Schwahn. “It was very much a, ‘No one else wants you, the studio wants to cancel your show,’” she said. “You don’t start to generate some buzz and attract these male numbers, we’re dead and all your friends are going to lose their jobs.’”
And so the Maxim shoot happened, but Schwahn, they claimed, tried to punish them by pitting them against each other. Lenz was told about the shoot and informed she hadn’t been invited to participate.
“They told me that they didn’t come to me because I was too fat,” Lenz recalled. “I wasn’t a hot girl on the show anymore.”
At this point during the podcast, both Bush and Burton expressed shock, saying they’d been told Lenz had been invited but turned it down.
“When I said I don’t want to do it, I was like, ‘But Joy’s not doing it! She said no. Why does she get to say no?’ They go, ‘Well she said no, so you have to say yes. She said no first,’” remembered Bush. “They scapegoated you to tell the three of us we couldn’t say no… We weren’t mad at you but we were pissed about it.”
There are more shocking claims in the podcast episode, all of which paint a picture of an unpleasant show to work on.
The CEO of Co-op, one of the UK’s largest supermarket chains has made an important statement about excess at a time when many families are struggling in the UK.
The Daily Mail reports that Shirine Khoury-Haq, the head of a company with over 3900 retail locations says she’s giving her twin, six-year-old daughters one present each this Christmas because she could not “in good conscience” give them more while millions of families struggle with inflation and high energy prices.
Khoury-Haq makes over £1 million ($1,190,000) a year after bonuses, so she pledged to give her family’s present money to those in need. “It just feels like excess, given what’s happening in the world. In good conscience, I can’t do that in my own home,” Khoury-Haq said according to The Guardian.
“The rest of our budget will be given to Santa to provide presents for children whose parents can’t contribute to the elves,” she continued. “We’re going to go out shopping for those other presents and [we will] send them to Santa.”
u201cInstead of an ad, this Christmas @coopuk is focussing on supporting @yourlocalpantry, community fridges with @hubbubUK, Caboodle, The Peer Action Collective through @YouthEndowFund and other great organisations that are making a real impact in their communities. ud83dudc99ud83cudf84ud83dudc99u201d
According to the Sunday Times, one of her daughters would like a Paw Patrol toy and the other, a Barbie.
Much like America, people in the UK are having financial hardships as inflation reaches a 40-year high. They are also dealing with exorbitant energy prices. Through July, natural gas prices in the UK were up 96% and electricity was up 54%.
Khoury-Haq’s company has also made sacrifices this holiday season to help those who are less fortunate. Co-op has decided to hand over all of its holiday advertising budget to Your Local Pantry shops. These community-based pantries across the UK are places where people can pay as little as £3.50 ($4.20) a week to take at least ten grocery items.
“Whilst many of our competitors are also adapting their Christmas ads to reflect the mood of the nation in a cost of living crisis, we are going further by pulling our ad altogether,” Khoury-Haq said according to Retail Gazette.
u201cThis Christmas season, we’re so happy and to be working with @coopuk to support our network of Pantries.u201d
— Your Local Pantry (@Your Local Pantry) 1668688201
“In doing so we will be shining a light on the need to support vital community causes, throughout the year and not just at Christmas, especially with a deep recession looming,” she continued.
Through their partnership, the Co-op and Your Local Pantry hope to help over 32,000 households over the next three years, saving them nearly £5 million ($5,980,000) on shopping bills.
Khoury-Haq’s decision to give her kids one gift each on Christmas may not save everyone in the UK from their financial troubles but it sends an important message that people who are well off should consider. When millions of people are hurting, it’s not the time to flaunt your wealth or spoil your kids. Her gesture is a great reminder that hopefully inspires others to give as well.
When the going gets tough, it’s time for those who can afford it to be a great example to their kids and society-at-large by giving when people need it most. Because in the end, the spirit of giving is the true meaning of the holiday season.
Welcome to SNX DLX, your weekly roundup of the best sneakers to hit the internet. Don’t expect a strong showing this week from the big sneaker brands and while no huge noteworthy drops were released during the Black Friday weekend, that doesn’t mean the big brands aren’t sneaking out a few sneakers worthy of your time. From vintage silhouettes that have been chilling in the vault for decades to a couple of dope jaw-dropping Jordan drops, there are a handful of releases this week that are sure to keep sneakerheads psyched.
So while our list is a bit truncated this time around, there are still plenty of gift-worthy sneakers hitting the internet, whether you’re shopping for a friend or loved one, or just yourself. But be warned, while we are digging on six fresh pairs this week, next week will be jam-packed with a lot of noteworthy sneakers you’re not going to want to miss, so if nothing is speaking to you this time around, just save your money!
Let’s get into the six under-the-radar sneakers from this past weekend!
Nike Terminator High Granite and Dark Obsidian
Nike
It’s kind of a shame that the Nike Terminator is dropping in such a quiet week because this is one of the rarest Nike drops of the year. Sure the Terminator doesn’t have the clout of something like a Jordan, but that’s because it’s been locked away in Nike’s vault for so long that most people don’t even know it exists.
The Terminator was designed specifically for the Georgetown University basketball team in 1985 and stands as the first signature sneaker ever made for a school. It’s essentially an altered high-top Dunk and this Granite and Dark Obsidian drop represents what that original pair looked like complete with a crispy premium leather upper.
The Nike Terminator High Granite and Dark Obsidian is out now for a retail price of $125. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or your favorite aftermarket site.
NikeNike
Women’s Nike Dunk High Burgundy Crush
Nike
If the Terminator is look a little too retro for you, Nike is also delivering a high-top Dunk in exclusive women’s sizing. This autumnal Dunk features a white leather upper with Burgundy Crush overlays with a matching outsole and laces. It’s a simple classic Dunk in a colorway that speaks to the season, what more can you ask for?
The Women’s Nike Dunk High Burgundy Crush is out now for a retail price of $125. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.
NikeNike
Nike Air Jordan 4 A Ma Maniére
Nike
Your eyes don’t deceive you, if you’re a regular SNX reader you might’ve seen this pair of Air Jordan 4 by A Ma Maniére on our list last week and here it is again. We did that for two reasons, 1). Last week’s drop was ultra limited, this one is dropping via the Nike SNKRS app so you have another chance to cop it, and 2). As we mentioned, it’s a slow week, and this truly is one of the best sneakers to drop this week.
The sneaker features a mixed leather and mesh monochromatic upper over an aged midsole with a black heel piece. We love the way the brown takes on a sort of violet hue, it’s like getting two colorways in one.
The Nike Air Jordan 4 A Ma Maniére is set to drop on November 23th at 7:00 AM for a retail price of $225. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.
NikeNike
New Balance MADE in USA 990v2 White with Blue
New Balance
New Balance doesn’t have the drop rate of bigger brands like Nike or Adidas but what the brand lacks in quantity, it makes up for in quality. Coming out of the MADE in USA line, this week brings two new MADE in USA 990s. Let’s start with the v2.
Featuring a premium full-grain leather upper with mesh details, this v2 sits atop an ABZORB midsole and sports an eye-catching white with blue colorway with USA branding on the heel.
The New Balance MADE in USA 990v2 White with Blue is set out now for a retail price of $194.99. Pick up a pair at the New Balance webstore.
New BalanceNew Balance
New Balance MADE in USA 990v3 White with Blue
New Balance
New Balance’s other notable release of the week is another 990, this time a v3 which is good news if you’re into more of a dad-shoe aesthetic. Featuring a full-grain nubuck upper with more prominent mesh details, the v3 features a lightweight ENCAP midsole in place of the ABZORD with more subtle heel branding and hits of grey on the front and heel mudguard.
The New Balance MADE in USA 990v3 White with Blue is out now for a retail price of $199.99. Pick up a pair at the New Balance webstore.
New BalanceNew Balance
Nike Air Jordan 6 Metallic Silver
Nike
We’re not sure why Nike is sneaking out one of the dopest Jordan 6 drops during a quiet week, but hey, we’re not complaining. Featuring a stealthy black upper with glittering Metallic Silver accents on the heel and branding, the Air Jordan 6 Metallic Silver sits atop an icy outsole for an ultra-sleek look.
This sneaker is definitely in the running as one of 2022’s best, it’s a shame it’s being buried in one of the busiest shopping weeks of the year. While everyone is buying TVs and other electronics on the cheap, they’re missing out on a truly great Jordan drop. Nike’s release strategy continues to puzzle us!
The Nike Air Jordan 6 Metallic Silver is set to drop on November 26th at 7:00 AM for a retail price of $200. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.
Republicans didn’t exactly get their clocks cleaned at the midterms, but they did find most of their extremist elements rejected by voters. How to get back in their graces? They seem to think the answer is to double down. For instance, one person wants to challenge current chair of the Republican National Committee, arguing the party needs fresh ideas. Unfortunately that person is Mike Lindell.
As per Axios, the MyPillow Guy — who’s gone from successful entrepreneur to conspiracy theorist wacko who’s spent the last two years effectively burning money, and who’s still banned on Elon Musk’s Twitter — went on Steve Bannon’s podcast, where he made an announcement: “I am 100% running for the RNC chairman against Ronna McDaniel.”
The GOP saw one MAGA candidate after another either underperform or flame out. Is the problem Donald Trump? Or is it current chair McDaniel. It could be both, but Lindell — who’s as MAGA as they come — thinks it’s her, not Trumpists like himself.
“You need a different input to get a different output,” Lindell said. “That’s business 101.”
How would Lindell juggle running a bedwear business, spreading unhinged misinformation about a two-year-old election, and lording over a party in trouble? He said he’d focus on the RNC gig full-time. And he’s already reaching out to all 168 members of the committee, listening to their concerns, of which they have, he says, “a lot.”
Would the RNC give Lindell his blessing? According to him they are. He claimed “one of the things that one of the big donors said to me, he said, Mike, everybody wants you to be head of the RNC, some of them just don’t know it yet.” Sounds like something that definitely happened to a guy who keeps claiming he has proof of voter fraud but never delivers.
Anyway, good luck running for office despite claiming that voter fraud is rampant.
An Instagram post featuring Yoel Diaz, a recent Cuban immigrant, is going viral because it shows a powerful example of something many of us in America take for granted. The freedom to earn a paycheck for a day of honest labor.
In the video, Diaz is ecstatic after he opens his first paycheck after getting a job as a seasonal worker for UPS. CBS reports that before coming to the U.S. last year, Diaz made $12 a month as a computer science teacher in Cuba.
“This is my first hourly paycheck that I feel every hour counted,” he told CBS News. “That every hour of work has importance in my life and that I know I can work hard for something. I can’t compare that emotion with anything. Because I never had that in my country.”
The new job was a big change from life in Cuba where he had trouble filling his refrigerator. He told CBS News that sometimes he only had two items: “Water, water, water, five, ten eggs, water.”
“First paycheck in AMERICA!!! This is the American dream!!!” his wife Marissa Diaz of Pheonix, Arizona captioned the post. “There are no words to describe how proud I am of your courage to enter a country and a culture that is not yours. This content is a mini documentary not only for us but dedicated to the many immigrants who sacrifice everything to film what we just filmed. A little bit at a time, with hard work and dedication anything is possible in this country.
Diaz’s video comes at a time when Cuba is facing some of its most difficult economic hardships since Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution. Widespread food and medicine shortages have led to protests in the streets, a rarity in the authoritarian country.
Diaz moved to America from Cuba to be with his wife whom he met as a child living in the communist country. After moving to the U.S., she shared stories of what life was like outside of Cuba. After the couple got together, Diaz had a choice: to stay in Cuba or go to the U.S. for greater opportunity.
“We want a future, we want a family… wherever you go I go,” he said. “This time, I finally can dream—I can help my family and this is the first step in my new life where I can be whoever I want now,” he said according to The New York Post.
On election day, Diaz shared why Americans should be grateful to have the ability to choose their leaders because where he is from, there is only one party. His perspective is important at a time when many Americans feel the country has been divided by political tribalism.
“Sometimes I see people fight with each other and they don’t know the blessing they have. Just that you can think differently is a positive,” he said in the video. “To Americans: Think about what you have. You Should stop fighting because it’s something so beautiful. To think differently.”
Diaz’s appreciation of his life in America is a great lesson to all of us who may take our unique freedoms for granted. America may not be a perfect place, but it’s still a country where people are free to pursue their dreams. Diaz’s story is also a wonderful reminder of the power America has to transform lives through immigration and that it should embrace that opportunity and give the gift to as many people as possible.
What exactly isa winter beer? While there’s no legal definition of what a winter beer is, you probably have a general idea of what one will taste like when you crack it open. Winter beers cover a broad range of styles, but they are generally higher in alcohol than their summery counterparts, utilize more malts, and (on some occasions) have wintry, seasonal spices included. Under this umbrella, you’ll find double IPAs, barleywines, stouts, winter warmers, brown ales, and various other styles.
Like with all beer styles (especially seasonal), more well-known examples seem to pop up every year. We found eight of these classic gems and decided to rank them based on quality and flavor. Below, you’ll find winter warmers, lagers, IPAs, and even Christmas ales. Keep scrolling to see them all.
This festive, wintry spiced wheat bock starts with Hallertau Mittelfrueh & Spalt Spalter Noble hops. The addition of lager yeast, 2-row pale, Caramel 60, Carafa, Munich 10, and malted wheat give it a toasty, sweet, slightly spicy flavor profile.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is fairly light with caramel malts, wintry spices, orange peel, and not much else. The palate follows suit with more like vanilla, caramel, bready malts, orange, and cinnamon. It’s an okay beer if you like light wintry spices, but nothing to get excited about.
Bottom Line:
Samuel Adams recently changed the recipe for this beer and it has more wintry spices and orange peel flavor. Clearly, it’s designed to be more of a festive beer, it just misses the mark.
This 7.3% ABV winter ale is brewed with 2-row, C40, C60, Black Malt, and Black Prinz malts. It gets its snappy, floral flavor from the addition of Chinook, Centennial, Cascade, Simcoe, and Cryo Chinook hops. It’s a well-balanced, citrus and spiced winter ale you’ll look forward to every year.
Tasting Notes:
This beer starts off in an unexpected way for a winter ale. There’s a ton of citrus and pine up front with aromas of vanilla and caramel following closely behind. Drinking it reveals more caramel malts as well as pineapple, citrus peels, and piney, herbal hops. It’s a fun beer, but a little hoppy for some winter beer fans.
Bottom Line:
While the hop presence is nice and it’s a highly drinkable winter beer, we’d just prefer that the malts and hops were a little more balanced.
Sometimes you just want to deck the halls by drinking something that seems out of place during the holidays. This award-winning beer is referred to as a double IPA, but it’s more like you mixed a winter warmer and a bold Crystal malt and Centennial hop-based IPA together.
Tasting Notes:
Another beer that has floral, herbal pine right off the bat, Wreck the Halls also has a ton of bready and caramel malt aroma. The palate is surprisingly bitter for a winter ale with a ton of pine needles, grapefruit, and tangerine, as well as bready and caramel malts. It’s very hop-forward but has a nice balance to it.
Bottom Line:
As wintry double IPAs go, this one is fairly well-balanced. This finish is dry and a little sweeter than we’d prefer in a double IPA though.
Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome is just that. It’s a seasonal, limited edition beer that helps to usher in the start of winter. It’s malt-forward with a nice kick of Fuggle and Goldings hops to tie everything together nicely in one neat, holiday package.
Tasting Notes:
Caramel malts, freshly baked bread, dried fruits, vanilla, and lightly herbal hops aromas are prevalent on the nose. The palate continues this trend with toffee, honey, raisins, floral hops, and gentle holiday spices. Overall, it’s a little watery, but surprisingly flavorful.
Bottom Line:
To really live up to its name, we wish this winter warmer had a little more oomph to it. The ABV is a little low and the palate is a little watery.
This aptly named beer is referred to as a “festive winter ale”. Its complex flavor profile of chocolate, caramel, and winter spices comes from the addition of Pale, Crystal, Extra Special, Carapils malts and roasted barley as well as Bravo, Cascade, Delta, Us Tettnang, and East Kent Goldings hops.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is dried fruits, caramel candy, and chocolate fudge. It doesn’t seem like much, but it really draws you in. Drinking it reveals a nice mix of toffee, milk chocolate, wintry spices, and lightly floral, herbal hops that tie everything together with an earthy, spicy flavor.
Bottom Line:
This is an interesting winter ale, to say the least. It’s not all hops and it’s not all spice. There’s a nice caramel and chocolate component that make it a truly special beer.
This eagerly awaited seasonal beer is brewed with house yeast, Pale 2-row, Crystal, and Munich malts as well as oat flakes, Northern Brewer and Chinook hops. It’s known for its bold, caramel, toffee, and spiced flavor profile that needs to be tasted to be believed.
Tasting Notes:
Cinnamon, nutmeg, toffee, dried fruits, and light, earthy hops are prevalent on the nose. Toasted malts, wet grass, dried fruits, more wintry spices, brown sugar, caramel candy, and lightly bitter hops round out the palate nicely. The finish is a nice mix of sweetness and bitterness.
Bottom Line:
There’s a reason this is such a beloved, eagerly awaited holiday beer. It’s well-balanced and flavorful with everything you’d want in a winter brew.
There aren’t many winter seasonal beers as eagerly awaited as Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale. This winter favorite is brewed with ale yeast, caramelized, and 2-row pale malts. It gets its bright, hoppy flavor from the addition of Cascade, Centennial, and Chinook hops.
Tasting Notes:
The nose starts off with light cereal grains, toffee, and bready malts and moves onto aromas of grapefruit, lemon zest, orange peel, and herbal, earthy pine. The palate continues this start with flavors like caramel candy, honey, grapefruit, tangerine, and spicy, floral, earthy pine needles. The finish is a nice mix of malt sweetness and citrus and piney bitterness.
Bottom Line:
This is an extremely complex, complicated beer. This one and the beer that took the top spot could easily be interchanged based on your beer preference. This is the holiday beer for the hop fans.
There aren’t many winter beers (or any beers for that matter) as beloved and eagerly awaited as Anchor Christmas Ale. Brewed since 1975 (you read that right), Anchor doesn’t release the recipe. But you can bet that year after year it will be loaded with caramel malts, wintry spices, and light hops.
Tasting Notes:
Complex aromas of cocoa powder, sticky toffee pudding, molasses candy, cinnamon, nutmeg, and floral, herbal pine greet you before your first sip. The palate is loaded with bready and toasted malts, caramel, toffee, honey, molasses, fudge, nutmeg, cinnamon, and lightly bitter, earthy hops. The finish is a mix of roasted malts and bitter, floral hops.
Bottom Line:
The folks at Anchor have had a long time to perfect this beer and they definitely have. It’s an amazingly balanced beer with caramel malts, wintry spices, and hops playing together nicely.
TikTok is a weird place full of bad ideas, but the app didn’t get massively popular by solely feeding people content about mysterious sauces or by trying to convince people to cook chicken in NyQuil, the platform is also full of well-intentioned people who present functional hacks that can improve your life and save you some scratch in the process. In a viral TikTok content creator and comedian Elyse Myers let people in on a skincare hack that won’t just save your skin, but save you some money in the process.
“Before you spend a lot of money on skincare products just hold on,” Myers begins in a video that has now been viewed over 12 million times, “Just go buy Head & Shoulders and wash your face with it and see what happens. I have been using the Wal-Mart version of Head & Shoulders, since I was in middle school because I had a dermatologist tell me the zinc in it is incredible for your face.”
you ever look at a word so long it starts to look like a made up word? my brain started convincing me ‘zinc’ wasn’t the right spelling by the end of editing this.
Myers claims that for as long as she’s used the shampoo facewash hack she’s had clear skin and only began breaking out once she stopped using it in lieu of the fancy products that were being sent to her for free. We don’t blame you if you watch a TikTok telling you to smear stuff on your face that isn’t explicitly intended for your face with a healthy dose of side-eye but it turns out Myers is right about zinc’s beneficial effect on the skin.
According to Healthline, pyrithione zinc — the active ingredient in Head & Shoulders and most other dandruff shampoos — is effective at treating skin conditions like psoriasis, eczema, and acne due to its antimicrobial, antibacterial and anti-fungal properties.
If that isn’t enough to convince you, a few TikTok dermatologists have weighed in on Myers’ hack, adding a bit more context as to why the product can be beneficial.
While it doesn’t sound like Head & Shoulders is the cure-all for every skincare woe, it looks like it’s worth a try if you’re suffering from the sort of skin condition caused by bacterial and fungal growths on the skin.
Also, a bottle costs under $5 so if it doesn’t work for you, you can just pass it on to a friend. Christmas is coming up after all.
Republicans are in a lot of trouble with voters right now. They’re so extreme, so still in thrall to a guy who dines with anti-Semite bigots on Thanksgiving, that their beloved midterms “red wave” failed to coalesce. Have they read the writing on the wall and simmered down? Of course not! In fact, one of them is doubling down so hard he’s struggling to find hooch that isn’t woke and/or pro-Ukraine.
As per Rum Raiders, longtime fixer and Nixon tattoo-haver Roger Stone went on his podcast and ranted about…vodka. Specifically, he ranted about Roger Sterling fave Stolichnaya, which may be a Russian brand but which recently came out in support of Ukraine. Stone, however, is pro-Putin, like some others in his party, and he unleashed a torrent of conspiracy theories to support his stance.
“That means the people who make Stolichnaya vodka support child sex trafficking, money laundering … and the arming of actual Nazis on the ground in Ukraine,” Stone railed. He declared that he will “will never drink another sip of their swill,” and that instead he’s “going all-American, Titos, made in Austin, Texas, is my new brand.”
Thing is, then he ran into another problem: His party is currently waging war on the LGBTQ+ community, despite the recent Club Q mass shooting in Colorado.
“I decided to switch to American-made Tito’s until I learned that they sponsored a drag queen show,” Stone fumed. “Now I have no choice but to use Russian Standard Vodka in my extra dry Martinis.”
Mount Gay/Diplomatico/Ten to One/Denizen/istock/Uproxx
Like other dark alcohols, rum starts as a clear spirit before it enters the barrel and begins aging. While there are various types of rum, dark rum is aged for an extended period in charred barrels. Just like with whiskey, the longer the maturation, the more pronounced, nuanced, and rich the flavors will be. Known for its sweet notes, dark rum can carry myriad flavors including molasses, vanilla, oak, coconut, and various baking spices.
A great dark rum is invaluable when it comes to holiday mixing. The time is right to stock up on all of the essential styles, but a great dark rum can be enjoyed neat (instead of your usual bourbon or single malt Scotch), on the rocks, or mixed into a dark ‘n’ stormy, Planter’s Punch, or even a hot, buttered rum.
To find the best bottles of dark rum for the holidays we asked a handful of well-known distillers and spirits experts to pick bottles for this party-filled season. Keep scrolling to see them all.
Montanya Oro Rum
Montanya
Caley Shoemaker of Altar Spirits in Santa Fe, Mexico
When it comes to rum, I am forever a fan of anything that Montanya Rum from Crested Butte, Colorado releases. Their rums are interesting and complex, making them an absolute delight to sip straight. A great beginner dark rum is its Montanya Oro Rum.
Aged for one year in American oak barrels, it’s known for its flavors of vanilla, chocolate, caramel, and tropical fruits.
Real McCoy 5 Year
Real McCoy
Jason Barrett, founder and master distiller of Black Button Distilling in Rochester, New York
Real McCoy 5 Year. It’s the real deal and what rum should taste like with no additives. Aged for at least five years, this favorite or distiller, bartenders, and drinkers alike is known for its notes of vanilla, candied orange, caramel, and oak.
Mount Gay Master Blender Collection Madeira Cask Expression
Mount Gay
Meghan Ireland, head blender at WhistlePig in Shoreham, Vermont
We love supporting our female friends in the industry doing awesome things. There are a few we are geeking on right now. Mount Gay’s Madeira Cask (Maggie Campbell and Trudiann Branker) is a great expression. Being fans of Madeira finishing ourselves, this expression takes the cake with juicy pear, brown sugar, vanilla, and dried fruit.
Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva
Diplomatico
Matt Chavez, brand ambassador for Beefeater Gin and beverage director at Ci Siamo in New York City
As a fan of rum, I tend to gravitate towards so many different producers depending on my mood. My most comforting and tried and true bottle may be Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva. I am a big fan of rum old fashioneds and Diplomatico carries all those notes inherently. Brown sugar, cola spice, toasted nuts.
A perfect sipping rum over a large cube of ice.
Lyon Dark Rum
Lyon
Max Hames, distillery operations manager at Sagamore Spirit in Baltimore
Some phenomenal dark rums are being made right here in Maryland. Lyon Dark Rum from Windon Distilling in St. Michaels, Maryland embraces the Maryland eastern shore maritime rum tradition with a classic palate of caramel and molasses. Rum has a long history of production in Maryland, and that is carried out today across the state.
This consideration of the rum roots of distilling in Maryland is in part what inspired our Rum Finished Rye Whiskey.
Ron Centenario Fundacion
Ron Centenario
Jared Adkins, founder and master distiller at Bluebird Distilling in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
Centenario Rum from Costa Rica. I travel there to surf several times a year, and I always make it a point to pick up a bottle of their 20 — the Ron Centenario Fundacion — or 25 year at the start of my trip. It’s chock full of brown sugar, spice, and dark fruits.
New Liberty Distillery Dreadnought Dark Rum. It’s got a rich velvety sweetness with notes of molasses, chocolate, and cherry, sugary caramel, as well as a touch of oak and spice. It’s a great, bold rum that’s great for drinking neat, on the rocks, or as a base for your favorite seasonal cocktail.
Ten to One Caribbean Dark Rum. Its palate is dominated by two of my favorite things: toffee and apples. Plus, a slight hint of oak with baking spices. This highly complex rum is a combination of 8-year-old Barbados, Dominican, Jamaican, and Trinidadian rums matured in ex-bourbon barrels.
Denizen Vatted Rum is the perfect bottle to have at the house. This blend is well-balanced, fruity, and funky, and it doesn’t break the bank — perfect in stirred and shaken cocktails. A good portion of the blend is made in Guyana and this award-winning rum is known for its flavorful palate featuring hints of caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, plantains, and tropical fruits.
Rhum Barbancourt 5-Star 8 Year
Rhum Barbancourt
Andrew Hueston, bartender at El Vez in Philadelphia
5-Star Rhum Barbancourt 8-Year. The perfect daiquiri dark rum. Made from sugar cane juice, this unique rum is matured for at least eight years in oak barrels. Flavors include chocolate, barrel-aged stone fruits, oak, vanilla, caramel, and dried fruits.
In 1971, Melissa Highsmith was kidnapped from her home in Fort Worth, Texas. Her disappearance has been one of the oldest missing person cases in America. Now, she gets to celebrate a long-awaited reunion with her family in what she calls a “Christmas miracle.”
As ABC affiliate WFAA reported, Melissa’s mother, Alta (who now goes by Alta Apantenco) had put out an ad for a babysitter to watch over her then 21-month-old while she was at work. A white gloved, well-dressed woman going by the name of Ruth Johnson responded to the call, but she was no babysitter. After Johnson picked up baby Melissa from Apantenco’s roommate, the two were never seen again.
As any parents would do in this situation, the Highsmiths worked tirelessly to find their little girl, involving the Fort Worth police and even the FBI. Sadly, it was all to no avail. The only glimmer of hope remaining was that there was no evidence of harm, so maybe, just maybe, their Melissa was being well taken care of. And for 51 years, the family held onto that possibility.
Meanwhile, Melissa—who never remembered being kidnapped—led a hard life with the woman who claimed to be her mother. “I didn’t feel loved as a child. It was abusive, and I ran away at 15 years old. I went to the streets. I did what I had to do to get by… I worked the streets,” she shared in a one-on-one interview with WFAA.
Then in September, everything would change. After receiving a failed tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that Melissa had been sighted, her father Jeffrie Highsmith (now divorced from Apantenco) decided to try his luck with DNA testing. DNA testing service 23andMe came back with a match linking him to Highworth. Their son Jeff (Melissa’s brother) then found her on Facebook and reached out.
Even though Melissa was skeptical, she was shown a baby picture by the Higworths which she admitted looked like her “twin.” According to Good Morning America, Melissa had a special birthmark and celebrated a birthday very close to the child taken all those years ago.
Any remaining shadows of doubt immediately disappeared when Melissa confronted the woman she thought was her mother. “The person that raised me, I asked her is there anything you need to tell me and it was confirmed that she knew that I was baby Melissa so that just made it real,” she told FOX 25.
Mother & daughter reunited after 51 YEARS!
Melissa was kidnapped when she was 21months old from their Ft Worth apt.
They both gave up on hope. Melissa: “I ran away at 15, & worked the streets.”
In perhaps the strangest twist of fate, Melissa and her family had been so close, yet so far this entire time—living less than 20 minutes apart.
That discovery is not without its bittersweetness, but so far the family is focusing on making up for lost time and celebrating their reunion.
“I’m just elated, I can’t describe my feelings. I’m so happy to see my daughter that I didn’t think I would ever see again,” Apantenco told WFAA. “I feel like I am dreaming and I keep having to pinch myself to make sure I’m awake,” Melissa added.
On their shared Facebook Group page the family wrote, “the joy is palpable amongst all family members” adding that finding Melissa “was purely because of DNA, not because of any police / FBI involvement, podcast involvement, or even our family’s own private investigations or speculations.” They are not alone. Previously a man kidnapped in 1964 found his real family using different ancestry services. There are still miles to go in terms of diversifying DNA databases, but DNA testing has taken on an increasingly significant role in finding missing persons over the years, and continues to be a game changer.
As for the newly reunited Highsmith family, the plan is to simply take things day by day. According to WFAA, Melissa has officially adopted her birth name (she had previously gone by “Melanie”), and is even planning on remarrying her current husband so that her father can walk down the aisle. These are sure to be hard won memories the entire family will cherish forever.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
