Val Kilmer’s book, I’m Your Huckleberry: A Memoir, is out today, and in it, he discusses playing everyone from Jim Morrison in The Doors to (an extremely underrated) Batman in Batman Forever to Doc Holliday in Tombstone to Dieter Von Cunth in MacGruber, which I hope gets three chapters. At least three chapters. Kilmer’s had quite the career, beginning with his breakout role in 1986’s Top Gun, where he plays the Iceman to Tom Cruise’s Maverick. The Daily Beast published an excerpt from the memoir, where the actor discusses working with director Tony Scott and Cruise’s legendary work ethic.

After discussing how his “camp” of actors were the “party boys” who took over San Diego while shooting the film, Kilmer writes, “Tom refrained from our revelry, with good reason. From day one, he was laser-focused on a singular goal: to become the greatest action hero in the history of film. He was up nights learning lines; he spent every waking hour perfecting his stunts. His dedication was admirable.” Kilmer continued:

“Of course even more admirable is the fact that he achieved his goal. I also love that he’s a Mark Twain fan. Tom is a comrade I respect and admire, though as creatures we hail from galaxies far, far away from one another. My favorite moment between us was a small prank in which I gave him an extremely expensive bottle of champagne but placed it in the middle of a giant field and made him follow scavenger-hunt-style clues to find it. I hid behind a bleacher and watched him lug the giant crate to his motorcycle. He never did thank me for the Iceman-style bit. I thought it would break the ice, but I guess the ice was just right.”

Tom Cruise is the teacher’s pet, if the teacher’s pet climbed skyscrapers and clung onto airplanes and jumped from building to building for fun. Kilmer also revealed how Scott pitched the movie (which he was initially hesitant to do) to him: “It has to be you. It’s not the lead, but I’m going to make you feel like it is. And this kid we found, Tom Cruise, he has it, man, and you two together, and Kelly McGillis — you know her from Juilliard, she’s nine feet tall and utter perfection.” Top Gun was the highest-grossing movie of 1986 and spawned a sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, which comes out on December 23.

(Via the Daily Beast)

Smino has a new album on the way, but fans don’t have to wait until that is out for some new music from the rapper: He has shared a surprise new mixtape, She Already Decided. Smino’s 16-track effort runs for about 40 minutes, and it’s available for free on his throwback-looking website, smitransfer.com.

Smino shared a statement about the project, in which he notes that his next album is “100% done”:

“I made dis sh*t at the krib fr tryna stay sane and
Inspired as much as I can mane…
been smokin distancing from
Da world
krazy..
how hard distance hit…
Sh*t different rn
so I jus cooked some fun sh*t…REAL FREE MUSIC..
AINT NUN PERFECT ALL UNMASTERED N ROUGH RAW WTF
EVER for y’all.
Some kool ass artist on dis project dat aint care
Bout no politics n just wanted to make some sh*t for da fun..
S/o Rizz.. S/o Arin Ray.. S/o T Pizzle my big dawg
N all da producers on this mf who was down for da cause..
like Most a y’all im ducked back figuring out how to move
Next off this sh*t…my album 100% done but …
yanno..
UNTIL THEN.
Baby!!!
She Already Decided…Shout out to Her.”

Listen to She Already Decided above.

She Already Decided is out now. Get it here.

Now is certainly a time when people could use some more entertainment. That makes the latest news from Sonos a welcomed dispatch: The company, best known for its speakers, has launched Sonos Radio, an ad-supported streaming service available exclusively to Sonos customers.

The platform brings together internet radio services, giving users access to over 60,000 radio stations. Additionally, Sonos Radio also offers original programming from a variety of recognizable artists. For example, there are ad-free, artist-curated stations. Brittany Howard’s station, “The Encyclopedia Of Brittany,” will be available on May 5, and stations from David Byrne and Third Man Records are also forthcoming. Meanwhile, Thom Yorke’s “In The Absence Thereof” is available with the launch of the service. He shared a statement about his station, writing:

“here
in a new form
is that
ever rolling compilation / office chart habit of mine of putting together what i have found recently that fascinates or moves me, what obsesses me, challenges me, opens new doors, reminds me of what i might have forgotten, is insanely complex or elegantly simple, violent, messy, heavy or light. whatever has hit me over the head basically .
it may be new or old or just dug up again.

with all
this time we have behind doors i hope this provides a welcome connection and escape .. and perhaps stops the walls closing in quite so quick.
— Thom”

Howard also noted of her station, “The Encyclopedia Of Brittany is a collection of songs that weaves in and out of my personal education of music and how one goes about making it. There are beloved songs from my earliest memories of childhood to things I’ve just recently discovered. One song can be so drastically different from the next, because all that is necessary to make this list is a song that made me think, ‘wait, what is this?’ at one point in my life. I’m excited to share this with you and I hope you find something new here that can inspire you as well.”

There’s also Sonos Sound System, the flagship ad-free station of the platform, which is curated and hosted by the Sonos team and has a number of enticing features. Programming is set to include weekly 60-minute artist radio hours, featuring music and commentary from the guest hosts. Participating artists so far are set to include Angel Olsen (on April 22), Jpegmafia (April 29), Phoebe Bridgers (May 6), Nancy Whang, Jamila Woods, Jarvis Cocker, Jeff Parker, Soccer Mommy, Vagabon, Vegyn, and Whitney.

Learn more about Sonos Radio here.

Oktoberfest has been canceled. The world’s largest folk and beer festival was set to take place between September 19th and October 4th this fall.

Bavaria’s Minister-President Markus Söder and Munich’s Lord Mayor Dieter Reiter put it simply in a statement on the official Oktoberfest webpage: “The risk for the people is too high to let the Wiesn [Oktoberfest] 2020 take place.” Söder told the press, “we are living in different times. And living with Corona means living carefully.” This comes on the heels of Germany completely banning all large gatherings until at least August 31st.

This is a big blow for beer lovers who flock to Munich every year to revel in beer, food, parades, and parties. Oktoberfest draws well over six million people every year and they drink over 2 million gallons of beer. For comparison sake, Coachella — which has been postponed until October ironically — only draws 125,000 people. The beer drinkers also eat “124 oxen, 48 calves, 59,000 pork knuckles, 60,000 pork sausages, and 510,000 grilled chickens,” according to the festival’s main reservation system.

The move is pretty devastating for the local economy. Oktoberfest employs 8,000 full-time plus 5,000 part-time employees. Waitresses working the beer tents can make up to €10,000 ($10,800) per Oktoberfest. That’s before you take into account the ancillary financial gains for Munich’s hotels, taxis, restaurants, bars, beer gardens, brothels, farmers, museums, public transport, and, of course, local breweries that will be lost. All told, the massive festival injects $1.3 billion into Munich’s economy every year.

Since the festival started in 1810, it’s been canceled 24 times. Cholera outbreaks, World War I, and World War II are the major events that caused most of the long-term closures throughout history. In total, this will be the 25th year Oktoberfest will not open. In the past, Oktoberfest didn’t exactly reopen right away either. The festival is known for easing back into life via a much smaller and local-focused “autumn festival.”

(Via Deutsche Welle)

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We’re going beyond the extra roll of TP and shower curtain, here.

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IDK about you, but a home decked head to toe in Target exclusives is a home I’d want to live in.

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It was not immediately clear how the latest planned ban he tweeted about would be implemented.

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It’s all on you! (No pressure.)

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Sure, for the first few days (hell, even the first few weeks), being quarantined in our homes wasn’t so awful. We found a nice spot to work, made a little focaccia, and finally slowed the hell down. Our shelves were brimming with salty snacks and toilet paper. We could randomly have sex and take naps whenever we felt like it (though we woke up dreading missed Slack pings).

But it’s been awhile. The snacks and TP are both running low. Our shelter in place partners are too annoyed with our breakfast dishes to stay horny. And the economic fears that marked the beginning of the shutdown have only been amplified. At least there’s still some booze left, right? Something hiding in the back of the liquor cabinet?

With the quarantine rolling on, we asked some of our favorite bartenders to shout out the unexpected spirits they like to drink straight. Maybe you’ll get lucky and already have one of these on hand.

Mr Black Coffee Liqueur

Martin Hudak, bartender at Maybe Sammy in Sydney, Australia

Mr Black Coffee Liqueur. It’s robust in flavor and aroma and has more real coffee content than any other liqueur on the market, which is why it’s great to enjoy on its own. Also, the sugar level is low so you can play around and experiment with it in your cocktail without the guilt.

Plymouth Gin

Mary Cooksey, bar manager at Oak Bar in Nashville

Plymouth gin is the gin you need to be drinking straight. It’s incredibly fresh and aromatic, while only slightly bitter. Its botanicals have a floral quality, as well as big notes of lemon peel, coriander, and, of course, juniper berries. I love how this gin is bright and crisp, with layers of complexity. It’s difficult to not appreciate it straight, honestly.

Illegal Mezcal

Cody Dillon, general manager at Florblanca in Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica

I’m enjoying Illegal Reposado Mezcal these days because it has just enough of the smoky flavor I love about mezcal without being too harsh. I drink it on the rocks with sea salt and lime.

Novo Fogo Cachaca

Cody Goldstein, founder at Muddling Memories in New York City

Lately, I have really been on a rum/cachaca kick because of its slight sweetness and smooth drinkability. Especially Novo Fogo Cachaca’s “Chameleon” — which has been aged for one year and offers a pure taste of the Brazilian specialty with tasty hints of vanilla, hazelnut and some citrus fruits.

I highly recommend putting the bottle in the freezer and drinking the product chilled.

Fernet-Branca

Josh Saphier, bartender at Eighteen36 in Houston

I’m a die-hard bartender when it comes to this, give me a shot of Fernet-Branca (the bartender’s handshake). Super herbaceous and actually makes you feel a little better after a long shift and scarfing down a meal standing up in three minutes.

Coquerel Calvados

Josh Streetman, bartender at Motor Supply Co. in Columbia, South Carolina

Besides your go to neat whiskeys or bourbons, I like to try things a little off the beaten path. After dinner, calvados is a great idea. Try Coquerel. The XO is awesome and there’s one finished in a bourbon barrel that’s nice too. Cognac is a great choice as well. I like Remy Martin XO for the smooth complexity, but I’ll go for some Louie Tres if you’re buying. Be prepared: it’s more oaky though.

L’Or de Jean Martell Cognac

Natalie Migliarini, the mixologist behind Beautiful Booze on Instagram

I have to go with Cognac. L’Or de Jean Martell. This is the ultimate cognac that is a blend of 400 different rare eaux de vies with notes of citrus and gingerbread.

Del Maguey Mezcal

Bryan Long, assistant director of food and beverages at Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa in Palm Beach, Florida

The best spirit to drink straight has to be Mezcal. Mezcal has the smokiness of a scotch, sweetness of a tequila and notes of spice from a bourbon. Del Maguey has a great variety to keep everyone interested.

Coyote Sotol Durango

Mazzarie Parker, bar manager of Maypop Restaurant in New Orleans

I was recently introduced to sotol, which is a Mexican spirit made from the desert spoon plant. The flavors of this spirit are comparable to tequila and mezcal. Coyote Sotol Durango, produced by Alejandro Solís, is a great spirit for sipping. It’s kind of nutty on the nose and has a palate of herbs and slight smoke with a smooth finish. It’s exciting to see new and unique spirits emerging on our shelves that we get to try for the first time. If you’re like me, in quarantine trying new hobbies that you’ve never gotten around to, why not try a new spirit to sip like this one (if it’s familiar to you already, you’ve got me beat) while you learn to crochet?

Tobaxiche Mezcal

Jake Larowe, bar manager at Birds and Bees in Los Angeles

Mezcal. It’s hard to pick a single brand since there are so many wonderful mezcals available in a variety of flavor profiles. I would recommend trying Tobaxiche or Tobala mezcals — which can have less heavy smoke flavor and more light fruity esters.

Dalmore King Alexander III

Piero Procida, bartender at The London West Hollywood in Los Angeles

Dalmore’s King Alexander III Scotch whisky, hands down. If I am going to drink something straight there better be some sophistication there and not just a mouthful of alcohol. Unlike many Scotches, especially young ones where you need to at least add water to make it drinkable, this is so smooth you would almost be doing it a disservice if you added water. It’s going to be a slightly expensive bottle, but the value you are going to get is unsurpassed and is certainly my personal favorite. The King Alex has had the opportunity to age in a variety of casks and is the only single malt in the world utilizing six different types of wood in maturation. Its common practice to use maybe three, but not six. During these processes I feel it’s had enough exposure to moisture and different casks that it has toned down the bite. Instead, you just get a whole lot of flavor.

Xoriguer Gin de Mahón

Alan Walter, spirit handler at Bar Loa in New Orleans

Xoriguer Gin de Mahón. This gin is eau-de-vie based and rested in oak barrels for a superior sipping experience. It definitely can’t be beat… if you can get your hands on a bottle.