Category: News

Each week our staff of film and TV experts surveys the entertainment landscape to select the ten best new/newish movies available for you to stream at home. We put a lot of thought into our selections, and our debates on what to include and what not to include can sometimes get a little heated and feelings may get hurt, but so be it, this is an important service for you, our readers. With that said, here are our selections for this week.

10. The Velvet Underground (Apple TV+)

The Velvet Underground is one of the most influential bands of all-time. But unlike other iconic 1960s groups like, say, the Beatles, there’s not a ton of footage of Lou Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison, and Moe Tucker performing. To get around this, director Todd Haynes has made a documentary that captures the “idea” of the VU rather than a Wikipedia summary. Don’t walk, but “run run run” to watch The Velvet Underground! Watch it on Apple TV+.

9. Home Sweet Home Alone (Disney Plus)

This is a surprisingly star-studded — Ellie Kemper! Rob Delaney! Kenan Thompson! — addition to the Home Alone franchise, written by SNL veterans Mikey Day and Streeter Seidell. The plot remains the same: A 10-year-old boy gets left behind when his parents head off to Tokyo and he has to defend his house from various bumbling criminals. The reviews so far are… not great, but it might be worth a go if you’re looking for a nostalgia blast to the face or something to watch with younger kids. Order yourself a large cheese pizza first. Watch it on Disney Plus.

8. Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin (Paramount+)

The spooky business all gets rebooted here, with the franchise focusing in on a collection of teens, one of whom is on a mission to discover what happened to her mother. Does she uncover a secret? Is the secret described in the preview materials as “a terriying truth”? Buddy, you know it is. We’ve all see enough of these movies to know that. But it doesn’t make them any less fun. Watch it on Paramount+.

7. The Electric Life of Louis Wain (Amazon Prime)

What we have here is Benedict Cumberbatch as an eccentric old-timey artist whose — and we’re just going to go ahead and quote Amazon’s summary because there’s no improving on this phrasing — “playful, psychedlic pictures transformed the public’s perceptions of cats forever.” Yeah. And Claire Foy is in there, too. It’s a whole thing. Watch it on Amazon Prime.

6. Army of Thieves (Netflix)

Netflix bet on dead with Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead, and that bet apparently paid off handsomely, which is a good thing because there’s already a prequel in the can. Matthias Schweighöfer returns to the franchise as Dieter, a then-bank teller who’s recruited by Nathalie Emmanuel (who promises “a life less ordinary”) to begin his heisting career. Of course, this prequel isn’t entirely devoid of zombies, but the focus is on those safes, which are cracking. Watch it on Netflix.

5. Finch (Apple TV+)

You like Turner and Hooch, right? Of course you do. Tom Hanks + a dog = good ’80s movie. OK, well, what if Turner and Hooch was set in the post-apocalyptic future… and instead of working as a cop, Tom Hanks is one of the last people on Earth and he travels the planet with his dog and a robot… and the movie was directed by the guy who did the awesome “Hardhome” and “Battle of the Bastards” episodes of Game of Thrones. It’s Finch time. Watch it on Apple TV+.

4. Passing (Netflix)

In the mood for a critically-acclaimed new drama? Good news: Passing is on Netflix. The film, shot in black-and-white and starring Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga, is the directorial debut from Rebecca Hall. It tells the story of two women who live in New York, both of whom are Black but one of whom has lighter skin and passes as white, with twists and turns and tragedy unfolding throughout. It’s a heavier watch than some of the other options out there, but hey, you could use a little culture. Watch it on Netflix.

3. Dune (HBO Max)

At long last, Dune is here. Denis Villeneuve’s science-fiction epic starring everyone you like (including Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Zendaya, and Jason Momoa) should probably be seen on the biggest screen possible. But it’ll still look darn good at home. Watch it on HBO Max.

2. The Harder They Fall (Netflix)

Jeymes Samuel’s slick, stylish Netflix Western is a “pick your fighter” lineup of gun-slinging, swag-dripping Black cowboys ready to dust off the history books and give us a more accurate, diverse representation of the Old West. Jonathan Majors is having a hell of a year and here, he imbues the deadly Nat Love with some impressive comedic beats that make it easy to root for the vengeance-minded outlaw – unless, of course, you’re swayed by the prospect of Regina King riding a horse and f*cking sh*t up in every scene. (Who wouldn’t be?) Idris Elba, LaKeith Stanfield, and Zazie Beetz round out the main cast members with the most things to do on screen and all of the shoot-outs and train robberies and saloon fights are timed perfectly to an eclectic mix of Reggae/Dancehall bangers produced by Samuel and collaborator Jay-Z. This ain’t your grandpa’s Western, and really, that’s kind of the point. Watch it on Netflix.

1. Red Notice (Netflix)

Red Notice may be making its Netflix debut (after an initial theatrical drop last week), but there’s still a cost for admission outside your subscription fee; a requirement that you unplug your brain a little and let the reliance (or overreliance) on cliches, exotic locales, and movie megastar charms wash over you. If you want to do that owing to a desire for Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Nic Cage Stealing The Declaration Of Independence nostalgias, cool. You’re going to going to get a lot out of Gal Gadot having just so much fun with a villainous turn as a master thief while Ryan Reynolds and The Rock bumble, banter, and double-cross through a sort of buddy-cop routine while globetrotting in pursuit of McGuffin-y antiquities. Just don’t look for much more. Watch it on Netflix.

Instead of eating too much stuffing (jk there’s no such thing as too much stuffing) and watching football, Mike Lindell will spend his Thanksgiving futilely attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Sounds… fun? “I cannot wait to drop this Supreme Court case the Tuesday at 9 a.m. before Thanksgiving and the whole world is going to be watching all this unfold over Thanksgiving,” he previously told Steve Bannon. “We’re going to do a marathon from Wednesday night of Thanksgiving all the way to Sunday.”

Can’t you do a Turkey Trot like the rest of us?

This week, Lindell shared a teaser of his Thanksgiving week broadcast, including an interview with Donald Trump wearing an ill-fitting tuxedo. “You go back to November 4 and we all lived this Twilight Zone… There’s an old saying, y’know, if a tree falls in the forest and no one heard it, did it really fall? Well, then the media tells us there is no forest,” the pillow lord said in the clip. “We were all living in this Twilight Zone and you were living there with us, but then you had all the betrayals and attacks on you that escalated to a whole another level.” He also regurgitated something Trump’s son Eric told him once, and said that he’s been “praying” for the ex-president to “have strength.”

Here it is:

I’m inspired to hit the streets and demand that Trump… get a better tuxedo. Otherwise, the teaser is not having its intended effect.

(Via Raw Story)

Following Tucker Carlson’s emergency back surgery (and leaked remarks on opioids), the Fox News host was back in propaganda mode on Wednesday night. To that end, GOP Rep. Mike Turner found himself explaining — to a highly influential far-right talking head — why Republicans in Congress (including Turner) have implored President Biden to line up military aid for Ukraine. This took place after Politico published satellite images that revealed Russian forces preparing to take action at the Russia-Ukraine border. And Tucker declared that he was “totally confused” about why the U.S. would want to help the Ukraine rather than stand with Russia. Oh boy.

“Why would we take Ukraine’s side and not Russia’s side?” Tucker asked in that way that he usually wants to sound rhetorical. “It’s a sincere question. If you’re looking at America’s perspective, why? …. Who’s got the energy reserves? Who’s the major player in world affairs? Who’s the potential counterbalance against China. I’m totally confused.”

To that, Turner opened up his metaphorical text book and let Tucker know that the U.S. stands for democracies, rather than authoritarian regimes that are trying to control democracies, via Mediaite:

“Maybe if you get out a map and you look to see where the Black Sea is and Romania, where we have our missile defense system, with Greece, and Turkey, the entrance to the Black Sea and then from there you look at what the conflicts have already been on Russia’s areas there. Ukraine is a democracy. Russia is an authoritarian regime that is seeking to impose its will upon a validly elected democracy in Ukraine and we’re on the side of democracy. That’s what people were chasing those planes Afghanistan and wouldn’t be chasing Russian ones.”

To that, Tucker did not sound convinced, but he sort-of agreed. “I guess I’m for democracy in other countries,” he skeptically responded. “I guess?”

From there, Tucker claimed, “I’m really for America.” He added, “I just think that our interest is in counterbalancing the actual threat, which is China. And the only other country with any throw weight that might help us do that is Russia. And our continuation of the Cold War has pushed Russia toward China, and that does not serve our interests in any way. Does it?”

Tucker’s really knee-deep in that Russian propaganda. With that said, let the record reflect that Marco Rubio, who might be the most anti-China lawmaker out there, has condemned Russia’s ongoing aggression with Ukraine. Maybe Rubio should pop in as a Tucker guest, too.

(Via Mediaite)

Finding a unique place to stay around Bardstown, Kentucky — the world’s bourbon capital — is weirdly hard to do. There are some chain hotels and a handful of Airbnbs and … that’s pretty much it. There’s a real dearth of options for anyone looking for a bespoke and one-of-a-kind experience in the heart of bourbon country. That’s why the brand-new The Samuels House (the family behind Maker’s Mark) just outside of Bardstown is such a needed addition to the local scene.

Before we get into the details of the property, let’s get into the history of the house a little bit. The house was built by the Samuels family in 1820. The Samuels were pivotal figures in the area. They hosted the surrender of the James Gang guerillas after the Civil War at the house, for instance. The house was the home to generations of the family while also being a meeting place for the Beams and Van Winkle clans who were also making bourbon in the area back in the day. In short, this is real, living Kentucky and bourbon history under one roof.

Add in that it’s in horse country (the property is a small two-acre horse farm), and you have something that oozes everything you want from a Kentucky trip. The house today — which opened in September of 2021 — is also an altar to one of the most important women in bourbon history but let’s get into that while we list why this place is so dope.

WHY IT’S AWESOME:

It’s hard to find anything that even comes close to this experience in Kentucky. The Samuels House is a bit of a time machine on its own. When you walk into the dining room (off the kitchen), you’re greeted with a mural that was painted in the late 1800s by a member of the family that maps out what the area around Bardstown was like around the Civil War. You could spend 30 minutes just taking in this old piece of folk art before even getting drawn into the rest of the history on display in the house.

A true highlight is the centerpiece of the family room. Above the mantle, a portrait of Marjorie “Margie” Samuels draws you in. Margie was one of the most important figures in Kentucky bourbon in the 20th century and was instrumental in creating Maker’s Mark as we know it today. She came up with the name, designed the label, and even implemented the iconic red wax dip. Below her portrait, you’ll see the original deep fryer she used to melt the wax for bottle dipping. The house really is a celebration of Samuels’ family history in Kentucky and bourbon, but it’s Margie who’s the star of the show as one of the greatest women in the industry.

All of this is before you even get into the property, rooms, and rest of the experience. We’re really only scratching the surface here. There’s a deep history to the James brothers/gang, horse racing, and an awesome collection of Maker’s bottles that we could go on and on about. Instead, we think you should go and experience all of this yourself. If you have the extra cash, you can get Bill Samuels, Jr., one of bourbon’s true icons, to come over and give you a private talk about all of this for an extra $750.

IN-HOUSE FOOD + DRINK:

The kitchen is fitted out with the best of the best appliances and kitchenware. Generally, this is more of an Airbnb situation where you can cater your own food. If that’s not your jam, the house offers an in-house chef who’ll prepare a three-course dinner paired with three bourbon cocktails for $150 to $225/person depending on how many people you’re with and the time of the week.

The food is locally sourced, leans into farm-style cooking, and, of course, comes with classic Maker’s Manhattans and old fashioneds that are crafted with style.

When it comes to drinks, the house has a bar that’s stocked with some seriously good booze, a high-end ice maker, and hand-blown glassware for your cocktail needs.

AMENITIES:

• Parlor room with custom-crafted bar and 50+ historic bottles of family-produced whisky on display.
• Stocked chef’s kitchen with gas range, fridge with premium whisky icemaker.
• Numerous Samuels family artifacts and pieces of bourbon history on display for the first time.
• Dining room with custom-designed dinnerware and glassware, adorned with the 200-year-old original mural.
• Covered porch with outdoor dining area.
• Basement media room and game lounge.
• Stone patio featuring a gas grill and fire pit.
• Whole-home WiFi.
• Nearly 3500 sq ft of space (main level, upper level, and basement).
• Set on 2-acres of mature oak trees surrounded by horse pasture.
• Ensuite bathrooms.
• 100 percent Turkish cotton towels.
• Aveda bath products.
• Iron/Ironing board.
• Hairdryer.
• Smart TVs with cable access and streaming capabilities.

ROOM TYPES:

There are three bedrooms. Two bedrooms come with king beds, a fireplace, and old-school wardrobes. Another bedroom has a queen bed with its own bathroom as well. You can also get two single beds, meaning a crew of eight can stay in the house.

THE BEST THING TO DO WITHIN A 15 MINUTE WALK:

Since you’re smack-dab in the middle of farm country, your best bet is to walk the property. You’ll be around horses, donkeys, and mules that roam the two-plus acres. Truly, it’s postcard picturesque Kentucky horse country.

If you’re hankering for a little pizza, you can walk to Hometown Pizza. It’s about a mile away. Other than that, it’s all farms, folks.

THE BEST THING TO DO/EAT/DRINK WITHIN A $10 CAB RIDE:

Bardstown — the bourbon capital of the world — is a ten-minute cab/drive away. If you arrive earlier in the day, the whole town smells like fermenting grains. It’s a sweet and warming smell that really endears you to the town immediately.

Beyond the smell of the air, there are tons of food, bars, shopping, and liquor stores. It’s a bit of a right of passage to grab lunch at Mammy’s Kitchen (get the fried pickles, fried green tomatoes, and any of their awesome dinner plates). After you fill up on all that Southern hospitality at Mammy’s, head across to the street to the Old Talbott Tavern, which is the oldest watering hole in the state. There’s a gift shop in the foyer with a dive bar to the right. You’ll see buses of bourbon tourists drop in for a drink, but you’ll also have access to an incredible bourbon list with accessible prices. The bartenders also make a killer Manhattan with any bourbon you want. It’s a kitschy fun good time.

BED GAME:

8/10 — The beds are Tempur-Pedic and solid enough to give you a good night’s sleep. The linens are premium Comphy sheets made from a quilted microfiber twill. They’re top quality but not mind-blowing.

SEXINESS RATING:

7/10 — It really depends on your vibe. There’s a very “museum” aspect to this property. That being said, if you want to chill on a small horse farm in bourbon country with a James gang revolver on the wall, this is 100 percent going to be sexy to you.

INSTAGRAMABILITY:

9/10 — The area is like a bloody postcard with horses munching on the green grass next to those iconic horse fences with an 1800s brick house as your backdrop. Add in that you’ll see antique bottles of bourbon that certain corners of IG will salivate over and you have a very IG-friendly spot.

BEST SEASON TO VISIT:

It’s always time to drink bourbon and dig into its history. That being said, the Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown is every September and the primmest of times to stay at this house.

IF I HAD TO COMPLAIN ABOUT ONE THING:

It’s really remote and not walkable or reachable without a car. You need a car to get around Kentucky’s bourbon country anyway, but once you’re at this house, you’re there to stay.

BOOK HERE:

$1,000 to $1,500 per night based on double occupancy and season.

Click here to see the availability calendar for the next six months.

MORE PHOTOS:

We’d like to acknowledge and honor the original peoples of this land, the Ni-u-kon-ska (Osage), ᏣᎳᎫᏪᏘᏱ Tsalaguwetiyi (Cherokee, East), Shawandasse Tula (Shawanwaki/Shawnee), S’atsoyaha (Yuchi), Adena, and Hopewell nations.

Idles are as idle as a bouncer named Tiny is tiny. Cue up a concert video on YouTube and you’ll see that the British post-punk outfit is anything but lazy or purposeless. Rather, they are in constant motion, a whirling dervish of sweaty head-banging, literal chest-beating, and half-naked Angus Young-style guitar theatrics. You’ll also understand how and why Idles have become one of the world’s most popular indie-rock bands. Few acts at the moment are as straight-forward about wanting to be perceived as great.

Therein also lies the problem. Idles aspire to the mix of political righteousness and musical bluntness that once caused people to call The Clash “the only band that matters.” And you can see surprising manifestations of that ambition when scores of backward hat-donning lads swarm in mosh pits and sing along with frontman Joe Talbot on lyrics like, “My blood brother is an immigrant / a beautiful immigrant.” No other successful rock band is doing that right now. But do good intentions — or simply good messaging — equal good rock ‘n’ roll? Four albums into their career, including the new Crawler out Friday, Idles haven’t yet made a persuasive case.

Comparing Idles to The Clash flatters them too much. By this point, The Clash were making Sandinista!, a flawed classic of uncommon imagination that a meat-and-potatoes guitar-and-bark band like Idles couldn’t even conceive of attempting. More and more, I find myself instead likening them to Mumford And Sons, with generic post-punk signifiers subbed in for the old-timey folk garb. But whereas Mumford offered listeners a reductive version of musical purity upon their rise in the late aughts and early 2010s, Idles deal in ideological purity during the fraught post-Trump/post-Brexit era of the late ’10s and early ’20s.

Otherwise their trajectories are pretty similar. Both bands came to prominence in large part due to their live performances, in which they utilize a highly energetic and infectious musical attack in the service of big, shout-y choruses and do-or-die emotionalism while wholly jettisoning nuance or the quieter end of the dynamic range. Mumford won an audience by delivering knockout performances on TV award shows, while Idles have wowed audiences with blistering appearances at music festivals. These relatively compact presentations suit them, concentrating all that energy in a tight time frame before it can become tiresome.

This kind of music is so heightened that is bound to elicit equally charged reactions. Some will hear it as rousing and even potentially life-changing music; others will find it strident to the point of irritation. I fall in the latter camp for both Mumford and Idles. For me they share the same essential weakness — they are musically one-dimensional, and they are relentless about hammering that solitary dimension with aggressive force. When every song is an anthem, it’s like eating a meal where each course is a piece of chocolate cake. Even a treat will eventually make you sick when consumed in large doses. Similarly, a single-minded focus on making EVERY. SINGLE. GESTURE. HUGE. will feel bludgeoning over the course of an album.

I wonder if Idles, on some level, agree with this. When they’ve been dragged by critics in the past, it’s been for their lyrics, which can read like Madlibs from the most zombified corners of lefty Twitter. (The line from “Grounds” where Talbot sings, “Saying my race and class ain’t suitable / So I raise my pink fist and say, ‘Black is beautiful’” might be their most notoriously wince-inducing.) But I would argue their music has been more of an issue. Crawler is the Idles album I’ve enjoyed more than the others precisely because it varies up their musical approach ever so slightly, which in the sonically monochromatic world of Idles albums registers as a seismic shift. Instead of starting each song at 11, they’re now experimenting with launching at an 8 or 9. It’s the first time I can remember having a moment to breathe while listening to this otherwise suffocating band.

Crawler immediately sets itself apart from the rest of Idles’ catalog on the album-opening track “MTT 420 RR,” in which Talbot for the first time on record actually … sings. You could even call it a croon, in the undead cool guy style of Mark Lanegan. The song also establishes the album’s thematic thread — Talbot describes a car accident (“The swell of heaven on my dashboard / I can see my spinal cord rip high”) that prompts fresh appreciation for being alive. This is bookended by concluding song “The End,” where Talbot quotes Trotsky’s famous pre-execution axiom (“In spite of everything, life is beautiful”) as an aspirational mantra in an uncertain and often ugly world.

Yes, this is a band that quotes Trotsky. But there are other parts of Crawler that I would tentatively classify as fun. “When The Lights Come On” is another example of Idles down-shifting from their usual bulged-neck hectoring, affecting a moody posture that approximates Interpol after a year’s worth of daily gym visits. “The Beachland Ballroom” is slow-building R&B torch song that extends the classic soul influence that first appeared with the cover of Solomon Burke’s “Cry To Me” on 2018’s Joy As An Act Of Resistance. Meanwhile “The New Sensation” is a genuine dance party song, with Talbot imploring us to “shake it to the snare and get down to the kick / shake your tiny tooshie like you don’t give a shit.”

Talbot has signaled his awareness of how some critics pilloried their previous album, Ultra Mono, for the trite sloganeering that dot their songs. He’s suggested Crawler is more of a “storyteller” album. But Idles have a way of embarrassing themselves even when they ditch the #resistance buzzwords. (Writing songs about “tiny tooshies,” at best, is a lateral move.)

What Crawler ultimately fails to rectify is their lack of depth. As a lyricist, Talbot deals in platitudes and non-sequiturs, and then he hollers those words like a psychotic gym teacher admonishing his students for not climbing the ropes fast enough. If he aspires to storytelling on Crawler, he rarely lands on a narrative that is insightful or even coherent. As he sings in “Car Crash” — have I mentioned the album’s common theme yet? — “I chewed up your story, some tush between my teeth / The fear’s gargantuan, don’t like what I can see / Racist prick on the right side, no one to trust on the left / So I put my foot on overdrive, close my eyes and press.” Whatever else can be said of Crawler, it is certainly the year’s most “tush”-heavy album.

Then again, I suspect that the album format is not Idles’ ideal or even primary vehicle. On stage, the antics of guitarist Mark Bowen and the flailing, hyperactive rhythm section offset Talbot’s heavy-handed admonishments. And in that arena they can be truly thrilling. At a music festival, you can also walk away once you get your fill. With Idles, that tends to not take very long at all.

Last month, the Jonas Brothers announced they have a new Netflix comedy special, Jonas Brothers Family Roast, set to premiere on November 23. Now, a first look at the program has been shared and it’s a great preview, as it features Pete Davidson — who knows his way around a roast — not holding back as he goes after the Jo-Bros.

The clip shows an interaction between host Keenan Thompson and his Saturday Night Live castmate, who is in the audience wearing an “I [heart] Jonas” shirt. Davidson declares, “I’m a huge fan! I listen to the Jonas Brothers every time I’m in a supermarket.”

He then offers some backhanded praise for Nick’s acting career, saying, “I mean, show some respect, OK? Nick’s a legit actor now. He’s won everything from a Kids’ Choice Award to a Teen Choice Award.” The teaser concludes with Davidson taking a jab at Kevin, saying, “Did you know Nick even had a hit called ‘Jealous’? Though it would have been way more believable if Kevin was singing it.”

Netflix describes the special, “Jonas Brothers Family Roast is a one of a kind comedy special of epic proportions that celebrates the universal truth that no one can get under your skin quite like your own family. You’ll see the multi-platinum global superstars the Jonas Brothers like you’ve never seen them before through sketches, songs, games, and special guests — all to give them a roasting they’ll never forget.”

Check out the teaser clip above and in case you missed it, find the Jonas Brothers Family Roast announcement video below.

While Mike Pence has been notably reluctant to take Donald Trump to task for the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol building even though it put the former vice president and his family’s life in danger as rioters chanted, “Hang Mike Pence,” his staff is reportedly not so eager to forget the violent insurrection and are showing signs of cooperating with the House select committee investigation.

While talking to Anderson Cooper on Wednesday night, CNN reporter Jamie Gangel revealed that Pence’s team may flip on Trump and provide damaging evidence to the January 6 committee. Via Raw Story:

“We’ve heard from the beginning that Pence staffers were very angry, both in the lead-up to January 6th and that day,” she said. “And that, certainly, I think, is playing a role into how and why they’re engaging with the committee.”

Gangel went on to say that the Pence staffers “have texts, e-mails, other documents that could be of interest” that could be of interest to the committee’s work.

Journalist Carl Bernstein, who famously broke the Watergate scandal while working for the Washington Post, opined on Thursday morning that the latest revelation that Pence’s team is cooperating is clearly important because even if they’re not top principals, they might be “some aides to the aides.” Here’s what Bernstein told CNN’s Jon Berman via Raw Story:

Even in the Republican Party there are still people who believe in the Constitution, despite the fact that the party has been taken over by craven Republicans and made the party of Trumpism and authoritarianism, but there are people there, and it is the job of the press, the job of this committee, particularly the press, to find a witness or several witnesses, perhaps among Pence’s aides.

According to Bernstein, the press and Congress needs to “unravel this conspiracy” before Republicans gain control in the midterms and “try to shut down this investigation.”

(Via Raw Story)

Similar to the whisk(e)y and wine worlds, the beer world can seem overwhelming for beginners. From New England IPAs, goses, barrel-aged stouts, lambics, milkshake IPAs, imperial porters, it can be a daunting task to even get started. This is why so many drinkers opt to stick with their tried and true local (or national) domestic lager. We’re talking about the likes of Genesee, Old Style, Narragansett, Utica Club, Miller, and of course Budweiser.

While I’d never tell you what to drink (if you enjoy drinking nothing but Genny Cream Ale that’s great), I would like to help broaden your beer-drinking horizons by at least a little bit. I’m also not going to say that only lager fans should get into the craft versions of this style. The classic, crisp, refreshing lager is the perfect respite from a robust stout or overly hoppy IPA. In fact, it just might be the best example of what a beer should actually taste like. You know, a beer that tastes like beer.

To help you find a new craft lager to imbibe, I decided to once again turn to the blind taste test. I picked eight well-known (and some lesser-known) craft lagers and nosed and tasted them.

Our lineup today includes:

• Jack’s Abby House Lager
• Captain Lawrence Classic Lager
• Night Shift Nite Heavy
• Smuttynose Lager
• Victory Classic
• Creature Comforts Classic City
• Brooklyn Lager
• DuClaw Regular Beer

Time to get our lager on!

Part 1: The Taste

Taste #1

Tasting Notes:

This beer has a ton going on in the aroma department. It smells like a lager should with notes of cereal grains, rice-like sweetness, subtle fruity flavor, bready malts, and just a hint of spicy hop presence at the end. The palate is loaded with more cereal sweetness, caramel malts, slight citrus zest, and a final crescendo of spicy, piney hops that ties everything together nicely.

Taste #2

Tasting Notes:

Complex aromas of ripe fall apples, cereal grains, bready malts, and slight spices are prevalent on the nose. On the palate, I found notable hints of clover honey, sticky toffee, caramel apples, and gentle, spicy, resinous hops that balance everything out nicely.

Taste #3

Tasting Notes:

This beer smells like the way I imagine beer to smell. There are obvious sweet cereal scents, lemon zest, and caramel malts upfront. Sipping it brought more lemon, herbal flavors along with caramel malts, sweet honey, and sweet corn. It’s classic and totally thirst-quenching.

Taste #4

Tasting Notes:

This is a classic lager nose. There are memorable aromas of sweet caramel, bready malts, dry hay, and clover honey. The palate follows suit with flavors like sticky toffee, herbal hops, cereal grains, and more honey. The finish is sweet, slightly spicy, and very dry.

Taste #5

Tasting Notes:

A lot is going on with this beer’s nose. There are notes of manuka honey, ripe tropical fruits, wet grass, dry hay, bready malts, and just a touch of herbal hops. Sipping it, I noticed more ripe fruit, lemon zest, more honey, caramel, and a pleasing, spicy, hoppy finish.

Taste #6

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, I found hints of lemon cake, light corn, and wet grass. But not much else though. The flavor is slightly lemony with more caramel malts and subtle hops. The flavors are fairly muted and unexcited, but overall, fairly straightforward and refreshing.

Taste #7

Tasting Notes:

This beer smells like the lager your parents or even grandparents drank and that’s not such a bad thing. There are hints of cereal, cracker-like malts, corn, and slight citrus on the nose. The palate is highlighted by flavors like sweet corn, toffee, lemon zest, and a finish of floral, spicy, piney hops.

Taste #8

Tasting Notes:

This beer’s nose is fairly unique. While the caramel malt aromas are right up front. There are also floral, piney hops present. The palate is just like the nose with bready malts, caramelized sugar, and spicy, resinous hops at the finish. The hops are a little more prevalent than I’d hope in a classic lager.

Part 2: The Ranking

This is the part of the story everyone has been eagerly awaiting. It’s time for the rankings. You’ve already read (and hopefully enjoyed) my tasting notes. You’ve seen what I smelled on the nose and tasted on the palate. Now it’s time to rank them. Keep scrolling below to see how everything panned out.

8) Smuttynose Lager (Taste #6)

ABV: 4.7%

Average Price: $15 for a twelve-pack

The Beer:

Smuttynose is well-known for its brown ale. But the New Hampshire brewery also makes a classic lager. Brewed with Pilsner, Vienna, and Copper Carapils malts as well as Hersbrucker hops and Weihenstephan Lager yeast, it’s known for its sessionable, refreshing flavor.

Bottom Line:

This beer finishes dry and crisp and is exactly what you hope it would be. It’s just not all that complex and memorable.

7) Brooklyn Lager (Taste #8)

ABV: 5.2%

Average Price: $10 for a six-pack

The Beer:

Brooklyn Brewery’s Garret Oliver is one of the most well-known, respected brewers in America. He’s known for his innovative, exciting beers. While the brewery has many unique and delicious brews, one of its best is also one of its most simple. This award-winning amber lager is known for its combination of malt sweetness and slightly hoppy flavor.

Bottom Line:

This is a great example of a unique take on a lager. The only problem is that it might not be for everyone. It is a great beer to bridge the gap between IPAs and lagers but didn’t quite play as well today against the rest of the beers on this list.

6) Night Shift Nite Heavy (Taste #3)

ABV: 5%

Average Price: $8 for a four-pack

The Beer:

Night Shift set out to make a classic “American lager” and they did so with their Nite Heavy. This golden-hued lager was crafted for people to take a break from their usual macro brews and enjoy a refreshing, crisp, crushable craft lager.

Bottom Line:

This beer proves that you can make a simple beer that can still be crisp, sweet, and highly drinkable. Definitely a well-crafted brew.

5) Captain Lawrence Classic Lager (Taste #7)

ABV: 4.2%

Average Price: $8 for a four-pack

The Beer:

Captain Lawrence is known for its award-winning, envelope-pushing beers. But fans of American lagers don’t need to try any of those because the New York-based brewery makes a “Classic Lager”. It’s known for its light body and clean, refreshing flavor.

Bottom Line:

This beer is light, highly drinkable, and has a great combination of sweet malts and slightly spicy hops. All in all a fairly well-rounded, classic lager.

4) Jack’s Abby House Lager (Taste #2)

ABV: 5.2%

Average Price: $10 for a six-pack of 16-ounce cans

The Beer:

Massachusetts’ Jack’s Abby is a brewery built on its lagers and they’re all great. But if you want to imbibe a classic, Helles-style, crisp lager, look no further than its House Lager. It’s known for its old-world, German lager flavor.

Bottom Line:

This beer is extremely well-balanced and crushable. There’s a nice combination of malts and slightly spicy hops that make it extremely memorable.

3) Creature Comforts Classic City (Taste #5)

ABV: 4.2%

Average Price: $9 for a six-pack

The Beer:

Creature Comforts is known for beers like Tropicalia and Tritonia, but you shouldn’t sleep on Classic City, the brewery’s take on the traditional American lager. This 4.2 percent light, sessionable lager is made with the “choicest malted barley & hops.”

Bottom Line:

This is a complex, exciting beer. It’s the kind of beer that requires multiple tastings to find all the myriad flavors present. But once it hits, it really hits and might become a regular in your beer fridge.

2) Victory Classic (Taste #4)

ABV: 4.8%

Average Price: $18 for a twelve-pack

The Beer:

Pennsylvania’s Victory is a big name in the craft beer world. While it gets attention for its Prima Pils, Dirt Wolf, and Hop Devil, their Classic Lager might actually be their best beer. Brewed with Pilsner malt and Hallertau hops, it’s known for its clean and light crushable flavor.

Bottom Line:

This is a great, dry, refreshing, slightly sweet, subtly hoppy beer that is just as well-suited for warm weather drinking or as a respite from the winter doldrums.

1) DuClaw Regular Beer (Taste #1)

ABV: 4.9%

Average Price: $12 for a six-pack

The Beer:

This beer couldn’t be more aptly named. It’s literally called “Regular Beer” and the tagline is “beer that tastes like beer.” Brewed with a symphony of Pilsner, Carapils, and Vienna malts as well as flaked rice and Chinook and Hallertau hops, this is truly a unique, fresh beer.

Bottom Line:

This is a great example of what a craft lager should taste like. It’s simple, elegant, highly crushable, and refreshing. This is the kind of beer I’d crack open again and again.

Directly on the heels of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier finale (we’re talking mere hours later), Marvel announced that Anthony Mackie‘s Sam Wilson will return in a fourth Captain America movie as the new Star-Spangled Man with the Plan. That announcement was made back in the Spring, and there’s been little mention of it since then, although Marvel has returned to theaters with gangbuster results. But with the MCU movie machine back in working order, producer Nate Moore took a moment away from promoting the Eternals to talk about Captain America 4 and how Sam will be put through the paces, not unlike a certain cinematic boxer. Via Comic Book:

“Because to me, this new Cap is Rocky. He’s going to be the underdog in any situation. He’s not a super soldier. He’s not a hundred years old. He doesn’t have the Avengers. What happens with this guy who announces publicly kind of, without the support, ‘I’m new Captain America.’ What happens next? I think is fascinating because he’s a guy. He’s a guy with wings and a shield, but he is a guy. So, we’re going to put him through the wringer and make him earn it, and see what happens when he is outweighed, outclassed, out-everything.”

According to Moore, Sam will prove to the MCU and audiences that you don’t need super-soldier serum to be Captain America. As for Mackie, he’s clearly ready to tackle the role and has already tried to drop his new Cap into the Black Panther sequel Wakanda Forever.

“I have a passport and a Wakanda visa and I’m vaccinated, so I can go to Wakanda,” Mackie joked to Entertainment Tonight back in May.

(Via Comic Book)

The weather has officially shifted from warm to cold. Leaves are piled high. Rain and maybe even snow is falling regularly. It’s time, folks. It’s Hot Toddy season.

The hot toddy goes back to the days when the medicine cabinet and the liquor cabinet were the same things. The hot toddy is made by taking a little whiskey and adding some citrus and spice for flavor and a little sweetener to make the medicine go down a little easier. Add boiling water and you have the ultimate winter warmer cocktail.

The thing is, within those four base ingredients, you can go in a million directions. Want to use floral tea instead of spice? Sure. In Canada, you’re more likely to see maple syrup than honey. The original recipes call for brandy or rum instead of whiskey. Even which citrus you use is negotiable at the end of the day. All of that aside, the recipe below is a modern-classic version with Tennessee whiskey, honey, lemon, bitters, orange, and clove. This is a basic recipe that you can make your own.

Let’s get mixing!

Hot Toddy

Ingredients:

• 1.5-oz. whiskey
• 1-oz. fresh lemon juice
• 0.5-oz. honey
• 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
• Orange wedge
• Cloves
• Hot water

I’m using Nelson’s Green Brier Tennessee Whiskey because it’s a great mixing whiskey and carries flavors that feel very late fall/wintry. Naturally, you can use pretty much any whisk(e)y you want. Though, I’d stay away from peat monsters from the Highlands, Islands, or Islay regions of Scotland. Mildly peated scotches like Dalwhinnie or Talisker can work though. So don’t be afraid to play around.

Beyond that, I’m using a simple honey, some freshly squeezed lemon juice (that’s sieved to remove pulp), and a couple of dashes of Angostura Bitters. That last component helps to add depth and spiciness to the mix.

Oh, and don’t forget the water. You need boiling water that you’d make tea with.

What You’ll Need:

• Clear mug
• Paring knife
• Barspoon
• Hand juicer
• Fine sieve
• Jigger

Method:

• Boil some water and fill your mug and let rest while you slice an orange wedge and pierce the flesh with a few cloves to make the garnish.
• Pour the water out of the mug.
• Add the honey, bitters, whiskey, and lemon juice to the hot mug and stir with the barspoon to combine.
• Top with boiling water and stir again until the honey mix is completely dissolved.
• Drop in the orange wedge and serve immediately.

Bottom Line:

Even though I was alone when I made this, I said out loud to no one, “Oh, yeah. That’s the stuff!” This was just right for right now.

The depth of the whiskey was not lost with a slight nuttiness and deep caramel and vanilla. The lemon and honey added a great sweet/sour balance. The bitters and cloves created a woody spiciness with a smooth warmth.

This was pure comfort in a mug. I can’t wait to spend the winter months drinking this every time I feel a chill.