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Bowery Presents’ NYC Venues Seem To Be Teasing LCD Soundsystem Shows

Ever since their preemptive breakup and final show at Madison Square Garden way back in 2011, new live performances from the band have held a kind of mythical status for fans. And even if, ten years later, there’s frankly been plenty of chances for even casual music listeners to see them live — due to a handful of festival appearances and a new album — a year in lockdown has also brought the excitement back to live shows in a new way again.

So a series of new Instagram and Twitter posts from venues like Music Hall Of Williamsburg, Terminal 5 and Brooklyn Steel teasing the signature lightning bolt logo of the band’s label DFA Records is enough to get their many acolytes back in gear for another run of limited shows. Considering LCD is big enough to fill Madison Square Garden and headline festivals, a venue like Music Hall Of Williamsburg would definitely be an underplay for them, and even T5 would be smaller than what they usually do. In the body of the post, Bowery Presents at large is tagged, so that’s another clue as to who will be involved with the shows.

For fans outside of New York, however, who don’t really want to travel during a pandemic just for a show, this might not be quite as exciting. Stay tuned for more info, probably coming very soon.

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‘Alias’ Is Still The Best Spy Show On TV

Sadly, Jennifer Garner gaslighting us all with her ageless visage doesn’t change the fact that Alias is celebrating its 20th anniversary this month. The ABC drama, which ran from 2001 – 2006, marked one of Garner’s first starring TV roles and was a ratings success for the network in its earlier seasons.

Before J.J. Abrams was rebooting the intergalactic soap operas of not one, but two sci-fi franchises he birthed this little primetime baby – an amalgam of spy tropes and kick-ass action sequences, renessaintial prophecies, and dysfunctional family dynamics. It was the piece-de-resistance of the network’s primetime programming, nestled between Disney re-watches and police procedurals and a Skeet Ulrich show billed as a more “spiritual X-Files,” back when network TV was still the wild west and female-led action dramas few and far between.

It starred Garner as Sydney Bristow, a double agent working to take down a villainous organization known as SD-6 after the murder of her fiance. She’s joined on this mission by her father, Jack Bristow (a terrific Victor Garber) who also happens to be a government spy, and her handler/love interest Michael Vaugh (Michael Vartan).

There was a lot to love about the series. It’s reverse chronology storytelling format, which basically amounted to meeting Sydney Bristow in an impossible-to-escape predicament when the episode opened before quickly rewinding to 24 hours before said predicament to see how the hell she got there was always an intoxicating mystery told at the kind of break-neck pace that convinced the body you’ve just snorted a mountain of cocaine once the episode’s hour run was done. Its expert use of wigs — so many in fact that we wouldn’t be surprised if Catherine O’Hara watched the show for research purposes before creating her Schitt’s Creek persona(s). Its many guest stars — everyone from Ethan Hawke and Justin Theroux to Faye Dunaway and Quentin Tarantino popped up, often playing spies or spy villains thwarting Sydney’s endgame.

But a few key elements stood out, highlights that propelled this spy drama to prestige TV heights before prestige TV was really even a thing. There have been imitators and successors, many of them damn good TV shows, but even after 20 years, nothing’s ever replicated the adrenaline-pumping rush of watching Jennifer Garner cheat, fight, and wig her way out of near-death experiences on a weekly basis.

Here’s why Alias is still the best spy show on TV.

The Pilot

ABC

Pilots are notoriously tricky to nail down but, whatever his storytelling faults may be, kickstarting an engrossing, epic adventure is not something J.J. Abrams often struggles with. The first episode of Alias is like an Abram’s-greatest-hits catalog, an intricately detailed first chapter to Sydney Bristow’s story layered with hints of familial discord and future romantic subplots. It opens with a flame-haired Jennifer Garner getting tossed around by Taipei guards before jarringly transitioning to a college classroom. This is Sydney Bristow’s double identity. Grad student by day, CIA agent by night — depending on the time zone she’s in. And the episode fully commits to this premise, right up until her fiance is brutally murdered after she reveals the truth about her “bank job” and she discovers the people employing her are actually the bad guys. Those gasp-inducing twists are a regular theme on this show. Best get used to them now.

Jennifer Garner

ABC

Jennifer Garner has the on-screen charisma of a bona fide movie star, back when those were still a thing. She’s addictively watchable in anything — hence why a certain family-oriented comedy is currently sandwiched between true crime docs and Mike Flanagan horror stories in our Netflix queue. This show was our introduction to her acting talents and it’s still the best work she’s done in her career. She’s fearless as Sydney Bristow, empathetic and engaging during the show’s many emotionally charged moments before seamlessly switching to a Terminator-style ass-kicking machine when the story necessitates. She can play a nerd, a femme fatale, a girl next door, and a rebel without a cause — and she can see-saw between all of them in the span of one episode if she must, changing personas as easily as her character changes hairstyles. Sydney Bristow is the kind of heroine you want to be best friends with, and you also want to maybe save you from a burning building, if the situation arose. She ushered in an era on TV where women could be all things — damaged and resilient, vulnerable, ambitious, stubborn, self-righteous, gutsy — and they didn’t have to possess supernatural abilities or that obligatory “chosen one” moniker to make a difference, to save the day. Sydney Bristow was once — and honestly still might be — the coolest chick on TV.

Those Cliffhangers

ABC

Nowadays, cliffhangers are mostly just a cheap ploy to entice audiences to stream the next episode, but during Alias’ heyday … they were still that. And something more. The show had a deft touch when it came to this specific storytelling device in later seasons — its first was admittedly littered with them — using it as a season-ending conversation starter to hold fans over until a new installment arrived or to bridge the gap between special two-hour episodes. From finding out Sydney’s love interest Michael Vaughn also had a double life to the time jump-reveal that ended the show’s second season, Alias never failed to milk every ounce of drama from its many curveballs. And even when the episode didn’t fade to black, the show infused story-changing revelations with some cliff-dangling flair. Six words: Francie. Doesn’t. Like. Coffee. Ice. Cream.

The Romance(s)

ABC

Alias was a high-octane drama filled with sci-fi-tinged subplots sure, but it was also a show filled with beautiful people which means at least a handful of them needed to be banging each other — or thinking about banging each other — at all times. The ship fans would eventually go down with was the Sydney/Vaughn pairing, and for good reason. Garner and Vartan had easy chemistry on screen which meant the spark was there from their characters’ first meeting — after Sydney turns herself into the real CIA and Vaughn becomes her new handler. But what made their bond so strong was its roots. The two started out as partners, united by their common goal of destroying SD-6 and Arvin Sloane. They became friends when Sydney’s personal life started to fly off the rails, making Vaughn her go-to confidante — and de-facto therapist on occasion. And when they finally gave in to their sexual tension, their relationship was filled with the kind of emotional roadblocks and near-death-inspired romantic monologues that fans swooned over. They weren’t the only couple to root for — we’re still mourning the loss of what could’ve been between Francie (Merrin Dungey) and Will (hello Bradley Cooper), and even though she lied, betrayed, and tried to kill him on multiple occasions, there was something undeniably sexy about the back-and-forth between Irina (Lena Olin) and Jack — but they’re why audiences stuck it out with the show in those later, wildly-uneven seasons.

The Villains

ABC

A story is only as good as its villain. It’s cliched, but in the case of Alias, all too true. Whether she was battling her former boss or her believed-to-be-dead mother, Sydney Bristow never wanted for enemies. Often, the bad guys she faced were more clever and certainly more diabolical than she was, a mismatch that, while it never truly threatened her life, certainly caused us to worry for her safety almost constantly. Ron Rifkin as Arvin Sloane was the show’s overarching baddie, a man with enough fingers in too many pots for Sydney to ever really shake him down. He was complex, clearly deranged, and yet, not a complete sociopath which meant he often convinced us he had turned over a new leaf, only to renege on that promise when the mood struck. Lena Olin also gave a fantastic turn as Sydney’s treasonous mother, Irina, a double agent working for the KGB who faked her own death and spent an entire season orchestrating the downfall of the CIA from a carefully monitored prison cell. Like Sloane, her motives were impossible to pin down which made watching her manipulate from the sidelines all the more interesting. There were minor henchmen who played a part on the show as well, like the wealthy playboy-turned-cartoon-villain Sark (David Anders), Vaughn’s treacherous wife Lauren (Melissa George), and Quentin Tarantino playing the smarmiest criminal with the most obvious bad-guy name ever, McKenas Cole. They were all fun while they lasted and we never tired of watching Sydney triumph over them in the end.

Father-Daughter Spy-Jinks

ABC

Victor Garber is a national treasure and dammit if we didn’t all adopt him as our grumpy, emotionally-repressed TV dad after Alias aired. As Jack Bristow, another double-agent working to take down SD-6, he was a complicated man. Betrayed by the love of his life — who turned out to be a spy herself — he had obvious trust issues and an almost comical inability to express his feelings in earlier seasons. It was only when Sydney discovered his real allegiance and the two began working together to apprehend Sloane did their father-daughter relationship become the cornerstone of the show. Whether they were saving each other from sticky situations, turning each other into the CIA for imagined crimes, framing family members, shooting their way out of foreign prisons, or arguing on missions — they argued a lot — their relationship felt real, nuanced, and often, like the only thing worth rooting for amidst all the chaos.

Bradley Cooper

ABC

Alias did not know what it had in Bradley Cooper — what it had being a future Academy Award-nominated actor and director who would one day craft a remake to a Barbara Streisand-starring musical romance and also, play Barbara Streisand’s one-time boyfriend in a Paul Thomas Anderson flick, thus cementing his status within the Streisandverse. But even if it did waste Cooper’s talents in its first few seasons, it still introduced us to the legend that would one day voice a genetically modified raccoon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and convince us quite thoroughly that he was the future Mr. Lady Gaga during the 2019 awards season circuit. Here, he played Will Tippin, a determined reporter with a soft spot for his friend Sydney Bristow. Cooper and Garner had a good rapport on-screen, and he might’ve even become a worthwhile rival in the love triangle between Vaugh, Sydney, and Will that the show was so obviously pushing. But he was nosy and out of the loop when it came to Sydney’s double-life which meant his snooping often put her in real danger so the odds were always stacked against him. Although he did pop up in later seasons when Vaughn and Syd were going through a rough patch and none of us would have objected to more of that particular romantic drama if Cooper wanted to deliver it.

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Dr. Dre Will Play The 2022 Super Bowl Halftime Show With Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, And Snoop Dogg

As the Super Bowl returns to Los Angeles in 2022, some of the city’s brightest stars (and few out-of-town friends) will join forces for a hometown blowout. Dr. Dre has been announced as the performer for the Super Bowl LVI Pepsi Halftime Show — and he’s bringing a squad of his best-known buddies along, including Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, and Snoop Dogg. So far, there’s no word on 50 Cent, but you can probably bet that where Dre and Em are, 50 is likely to come strolling out to the propulsive beat of “In Da Club.”

https://twitter.com/drdre/status/1443682250172760064/

Securing Dr. Dre as halftime performer is a coup for the NFL, which has caught flak in the past over its musical choices. There were even some grumbles about the 2021 selection of The Weeknd despite his near-universal popularity and the incredible show he eventually put on. Two years before, the NFL was criticized for not including iconic Atlanta performers rather than Maroon 5, so it’s nice that the NFL is acknowledging that Dr. Dre basically is LA. It’s also incredible that he’s doing the show just a year after suffering a brain aneurysm.

Pepsi apparently knew as much, as Todd Kaplan, VP of Marketing, said in the press release. “Artists like Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg were at the forefront of the West Coast hip hop revolution, so to be able to bring them back to LA, where it all began alongside Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar will prove to be an epic, unforgettable celebration of the impact hip-hop has today,” he said. “The Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show has become a landmark cultural moment, bringing about some of the most iconic performances over the years – from JLo and Shakira to Lady Gaga to The Weeknd – and we are thrilled to bring together such an incredible array of talented, record-breaking musicians to put on a performance for the ages.”

Super Bowl LVI will take place on February 13, 2022 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.

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Idaho Officials Openly Mocked The MyPillow Guy’s Debunked Election Fraud Claims: ‘Smooth Move’

In what’s becoming a recurring theme, Mike Lindell‘s latest effort to prove election fraud went down in flames as Idaho officials roundly mocked the easily debunked claims from the MyPillow CEO. What made Lindell’s claims immediately preposterous this time around is that his team (read: a stack of pillows with fake mustaches), claimed to have the IP addresses for Idaho election results that aren’t connected to the internet. In fact, they’re strictly analog paper tallies, which tossed up red flags with election officials.

In a statement to the Bonner County Daily Bee, county clerk Mike Rosedale did not hold back his contempt for Lindell’s stunt:

“What is really infuriating is that nobody from the Lindell group ever called Bonner County Elections to even find out what type of equipment we use, that we weren’t connected to the internet, how we communicated with the Secretary of State, nothing. No verification or validation of claims. For the sake of apparently trying to make a big splash, he tarnished the reputations of possibly thousands of counties across the USA. Smooth move Mr. Lindell.”

In the counties that were electronically counted, Newsweek reports that Idaho election officials found exactly one uncounted vote in Trump’s favor and that votes for Joe Biden were counted accurately the first time. This manual inspection disproved Lindell’s wild claim that over 35,000 votes in Idaho were “flipped” from Trump to Biden.

(Via Bonner County Daily Bee, Newsweek)

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Nessa Barrett Is A Body In The Morgue For Her ‘I Wanna Die’ Video

With the release of her new EP Pretty Poison, Nessa Barrett is slowly but surely making the jump from TikTok star to bonafide pop star. Hey, if Olivia Rodrigo can do it, the sky’s the limit, right? Barrett has been releasing videos for her new songs, and earlier this week she shared the clip for the title track, “Pretty Poison,” where she plays a solo star in a dark cinema packed with masked patrons… spooky!

Today she’s sharing an equally dark video for the straightforwardly-titled song “I Wanna Die.” In the visual, Nessa first appears on a morgue slab where someone is slowly applying makeup to her bruised body, helping prepare her body for the funeral. While the song is technically about being so into someone that being apart from them, or even not touching them, is grounds for wanting to leave this mortal coil, the rest of the video keeps with the gruesome theme, as the mortician continues to work on beautifying Nessa. Until, the camera pulls back to reveal that all along the person working on her body was none other than fellow TikToker JXDN. It’s a clever twist for such a short clip, check out the video above and stay tuned for more visuals from Barrett.

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Netflix May Have Found The Equation For The Most Popular Heist Movie Ever

Move over, Heat, Reservoir Dogs, The Usual Suspects, The Town, Layer Cake, and Baby Driver. You all might be excellent heist films, but you’re about to be displaced in popularity because The Duke has arrived on the scene. Regé-Jean Page, who portrayed Simon Basset in the first season of Bridgerton (before leaving the show and upsetting fans), is entering heist-land. He’s moving onto other horizons including Dungeons & Dragons and The Gray Man and The Sandman on Audible. That’s not all, though.

The Wrap has details on the so-far vague untitled heist movie that will be directed by Noah Hawley (FX’s Legion and Fargo), who’s also writing with Netflix teaming up with the Russo Brothers’ ABGO production company. The Wrap has the scant details thus far:

Plot details are being kept under wraps, but it will be a heist thriller based on an original idea from Hawley.

“AGBO was originally founded to allow us to collaborate with artists we greatly respect and admire,” AGBO’s Mike Larocca said in a statement. “We are very happy to continue to fulfill that pledge by supporting this new film from Noah Hawley and Regé-Jean Page.”

The Russos + Page + Hawley = one winning equation. That’s pretty much all that’s known at this time, but it sounds like more than enough? 8 billion clicks for The Duke.

(Via The Wrap)

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Joseph Chilliams Processes Recovering From A Traumatic Injury On ‘I Ain’t Been Outside’

Pivot Gang rapper Joseph Chilliams has had a relatively quiet couple of years aside from releasing the Sen Morimoto collaboration “Wishlist” toward the end of 2020. Part of the reason is a traumatic injury he recently endured that left him unable to return as quickly as he wished in 2021. The Chicago-bred rapper explains what happened on a new track, “I Ain’t Been Outside,” which describes the harrowing experience of both the initial event and his long road to recovery.

“Got sucker punched with a gun,” he tweeted, sharing the track to his followers. “I have a plate in my face forever now. Made a song about trying to recover.” On the downtempo track, he describes being put on narcotic painkillers, looking like Kanye (who suffered a broken jaw in a car crash in 2002), and losing weight as a result of “struggling to eat.” Even after being released from the hospital, he had to process light sensitivity and looking “out of place hopping around” on his way to the strip club with the rest of the Pivot Gang. “PTSD, pretty sure I need therapy,” he admits, “But tonight I’m just vibing at a party with my n****s and my shorty as I sing along merrily.”

Unfortunately, Joseph’s injury wasn’t the only tragedy the Pivot Gang suffered this year. In August, the group’s producer Squeak was shot to death in the North Austin neighborhood of Chicago at the age of 26. Hopefully, Joseph has a speedy recovery and the crew can get back on track after their triumphant 2019.

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Demi Lovato Breaks Down Dating Relationships And Attraction As A Non-Binary Person

As familiarity with queerness, gender fluidity and the non-binary experience is slowly starting to increase, very visible members of the community like Demi Lovato are often left explaining their experience back to the general public. Luckily, Demi has been in the spotlight long enough that their ability to communicate clearly is top-notch. For instance, in a recent appearance on The Today Show with Hoda Kotb, she clarified that coming out as non-binary has very little to do with things like relationships, and whether or not they want to have kids.

“I’m very fluid,” they explained. “I identify as pansexual. I’m attracted to human beings and it doesn’t matter what you identify as. If you’re non-binary as well, if you are a straight man or if you’re fluid as well, I don’t hold myself back from sharing my love with anybody.” But even Demi sometimes has trouble adjusting to the new phase. “Her is now a they,” Lovato continued. “I don’t identify as just a woman or just a man. I identify as both. I still mess up sometimes and I say things like, ‘I can’t wait to be an aunt one day’ and I’m like, wait what word do I use?’ I think for that one we’re going to use ‘auntcle’.”

Check out their interview below.

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Sam Raimi Didn’t Know If He Could Return To Marvel For ‘Doctor Strange 2’ After Brutal ‘Spider-Man 3’ Backlash

When Sam Raimi stepped in to direct Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness after the original Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson left he project, it was a surprise to fans, given the mixed reception to Raimi’s Spider-Man 3. The 2007 film was widely panned, especially for its “Emo Peter Parker” scenes, and fans were not shy about letting Raimi know what they thought of the movie, which ended up being his final installment in the Spider-Man franchise. (Raimi was set to direct a fourth film, but as everyone knows, that didn’t happen, and the franchise was rebooted with Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker and Marc Webb as director.)

But despite all of that, Raimi ultimately ended up returning to the Marvel realm even though the Doctor Strange sequel will be under the Disney umbrella and not Sony, which Raimi previously dealt with on Spider-Man. As for what convinced him to come back? The challenge. Via Collider:

“I didn’t know that I could face it again because it was so awful, having been the director of Spider-Man 3. The Internet was getting revved up and people disliked that movie and they sure let me know about it. So, it was difficult to take back on. But then, I found out that there was an opening on Doctor Strange 2. My agent called me and said, ‘They’re looking for a director at Marvel for this movie and your name came up. Would you be interested?’ And I thought, ‘I wonder if I could still do it.’ They’re really demanding, those types of pictures. And I felt, ‘Well, that’s reason enough.’”

Raimi also relished the opportunity to work with Benedict Cumberbatch and bring more “improvisation” to the franchise, which the MCU actor delivered.

Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness opens March 25, 2022.

(Via Collider)

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Bartenders Name The Most Overrated Whiskeys On The Market

Calling something overrated is a bit confusing. People tend to immediately see it as a negative. But to become overrated something needs to reach a high level of popularity first. Perhaps it garners this not-so-affectionate title because its price has exceeded its quality or because at one point it was the trendy product that everyone seemed to lust after and now that sheen has faded. Or maybe it just performs worse than the brand’s many acolytes proclaim.

Whatever the case, being highly rated means that, at some point, your product will take some heat. Does this mean it’s automatically trash? Nope. That we should stop buying it altogether? Double nope. Or that you have bad taste if you like something someone else finds overhyped? Triple nope.

Especially in the world of whiskey — where hype from gatekeepers makes brands and being considered overrated can crush them. Sarah Rexwinkle, key bartender for The Grand Marlin in Pensacola, Florida doesn’t like the term at all.

“I personally do not prefer to state any whiskey as ‘overrated’ simply because everyone has a different palate,” she says. “Some choose their favorite based on taste and others find a sense of nostalgia with the classics.”

Not all bartenders are as hesitant as Rexwinkle to call out overrated whiskeys. Not because they’re malicious but because they’re always happy to see less popular brands get shine. We asked a handful of our favorites to tell us the most overrated brands on the market; rather than going scorched earth many of them went a step further and offered up alternates they love.

William Larue Weller Bourbon

Sazerac

Brandon “Habi” Habenstein, bartender at The Kitchen & Bar at Bardstown Bourbon Co. in Bardstown, Kentucky

ABV: 67.25%
Average Price: $800

Wellers are so overrated. Specifically, William Larue Weller. If you can find them at cost, that’s great but when you start having to pony up 3-4 times the MSRP, I suggest moving on.

If you can find a bottle of Larceny Barrel Proof, you should definitely drink that instead. If you can’t, a bottle of Wilderness Trail Single Barrel has 24% Wheat in the mashbill and is delightful.

Bulleit Rye

Bulleit

Jack Tillman, mixologist at Rand Tower Hotel in Minneapolis

ABV: 45%
Average Price: $32

Bulleit Rye. While I appreciate the 95/5 mash bill of Bulleit Rye, it just never hits the way I really want rye to hit, especially at 45%. I truly don’t understand the popularity this rye has achieved when Old Overholt Bonded exists at the same time.

Admittedly original Overholt is somewhat thin, but the bonded version hits all the spice notes you’re looking for in a rye and works perfectly on its own or in a cocktail.

Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year

Buffalo Trace

Kirstin Sabik, mixologist at Sneaky Tiki in Pensacola, Florida

ABV: 53.5%
Average Price: $1500

Pappy Van Winkle. It is overpriced and hard to find. It’s as simple as that. The difficulty finding it and the price you’ll inevitably have to pay aren’t worth the actual whiskey inside.

Crown Royal

Crown Royal

Anastacio Garcia Liley, bartender at Axe and Oak Whiskey House in Colorado Springs, Colorado

ABV: 40%
Average Price: $29

Crown Royal. I will give them credit for the ability to have carved out a space in the flavored spirits world but I think it was a direct effect that the quality of the base spirit became less sought after once smaller local distilleries started popping up with more superior products. And so, I would say what people should drink instead? Those local distilleries in your area.

Support your neighbors, we’re all better off for spreading the wealth.

WhistlePig Piggyback Rye

WhistlePig

Aaron Hanson, bartender at Casa Santo Stefano in Tampa, Florida

ABV: 48%
Average Price: $52

WhistlePig Rye. Specifically, Piggyback. I just haven’t been super impressed. It’s not bad but not the hype it’s given. Michter’s American Whiskey would be my substitute.

Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey

Jack Daniel

Christopher Wright, bartender at Don Camillo Tuscan Cuisine in Corinthe, Texas

ABV: 40%
Average Price: $25

In my opinion, the most overrated whiskey is the classic, Jack Daniels Old No.7. While the name is well recognized, and the whiskey is not to be ignored, I recommend picking up a bottle of Tincup whiskey which sits at generally the same price point. Give it a try and you may find a new love.

This is a fair price point yet high-quality liquor for an old-fashioned, a Hot toddy or even to enjoy mixed with Coke.

Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon

Buffalo Trace

Raffaele Dall’Erta, general manager sommelier at Hampton’s Restaurant in Sumter, South Carolina

ABV: 46.5%
Average Price: $110

Blanton’s. I know, I know. I will be looked at like I am insane for saying this. I like Blanton’s bourbon. I think it is tasty. I do not like that they keep trying to make it harder and harder to get. Because of the scarcity, it is now creeping up in price. I am a believer in: it needs to taste better than the price, and now as it is approaching $100 a bottle, I just no longer think it is a fair price for value ratio.

Drink instead: Buffalo Trace. The same company, but at a much reasonable price point.

Maker’s Mark 46 Bourbon

Maker

Andres Rairan, lead bartender at The Social Club in Miami

ABV: 47%
Average Price: $40

Maker’s 46. This whiskey is shown as such an amazing upgrade to Makers Mark, but honestly tastes very similar and does not bring out anything new or different in comparison to the original. Save the $14 and get Makers Mark, throw a couple ice cubes, and enjoy the same juice for a cheaper price.

Bulleit Bourbon

Bulleit

Todd Johnston, beverage director and sommelier at Marsh House in Nashville

ABV: 45%
Average Price: $32

Bulleit has gained a lot of recognition and popularity as an easy-to-find whiskey but it is personally not my favorite. I think it lacks a bit of balance compared to others in its price point.

I think Evan Williams BIB drinks a little smoother and is probably even a few bucks cheaper on the shelf.

Fireball

Fireball

Jerry Skakun, bartender at Cucina Enoteca in Del Mar, California

ABV: 33%
Average Price: $15

Most definitely Fireball for me. In keeping with the goal of remaining unbiased, I feel as though their brand got their claim to fame in the shot segment, but seldom is it popular after the winter months, due to its sweet and cinnamon notes. There are several other flavored whiskeys out there that would be awesome to drink in the winter months. I personally would buy a bourbon or maybe not-so-prominently-flavored rye and infuse it with maple.

Kentucky Owl Confiscated

Kentucky Owl

Joan Percvival, bartender at Proof Whiskey and Craft Cocktails in Omaha

ABV: 48.2%
Average Price: $140

Something is only overrated if you don’t like it. Real whiskey folk tend to do their research and find what they personally go for. That being said, anything you have to buy on the secondary market at a grossly inflated price is, in my opinion, overrated. If you absolutely need a brand to call over-hyped — Kentucky Owl Confiscated. It’s just nothing special.

Jameson Irish Whiskey

Jameson

Nathaniel Meyers, mixologist at Sear +Sea in Orlando

ABV: 40%
Average Price: $29.99

I think the most overrated whiskey brand to drink this winter season is Jameson. I don’t think that it is a bad product by any means, but with so many other options to drink, I highly encourage everyone to branch out and try something new.


As a Drizly affiliate, Uproxx may receive a commission pursuant to certain items on this list.