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Besides Jack Daniel’s, Tennessee whiskey is almost criminally overlooked. It’s a shame, too, because the state is rich with mellow, often-sweet, slow sipping whiskeys, perfect for cocktails or over ice. Much of the credit for the refined, smooth nature of these expressions is due to the Lincoln County Process’s famed charcoal filtering — plus a mash bill that commonly resembles bourbon.

Most Tennesee distilleries choose not to highlight any bourbon commonalities, but the connection is obvious. Still, this is no copycat spirit. As our own Zach Johnston says:

The Lincoln County Process is a step between distillation and aging wherein the white dog (raw, unaged whiskey) passes through charcoal made specifically from sugar maple wood. This adds a layer of refinement to the proto-whiskey that sets it apart and elevates it. Think of it this way, great gins and vodkas live or die by their filtration before they go in the bottle. So why then wouldn’t the same be true of of a corn-based distillate?

Hear that? “Sets it apart” and “elevates it” — makes you curious, right?

So what are the best Tennessee whiskeys to try this month? To help you find some new faves, we asked some of our most beloved bartenders to point us to their picks for late Spring/ early Summer 2020.

George Dickel Barrel Select

Danielle Becker, bartender at the Aspen Meadows Resort in Aspen, Colorado

George Dickel Barrel Select is a can’t miss Tennessee whiskey. It’s perfect. It’s a prime example of good southern whiskey: perfect caramel, perfect heat, perfect spice. I love this whiskey.

Benjamin Prichard’s Tennessee Whiskey

Jason Strich, bar director at Manresa Restaurant in Los Gatos, California

Benjamin Prichard’s Tennessee Whiskey, it has always been a bottle of well-made whiskey. It’s aged in heavily charred barrels, resulting in a complex whiskey with a great mix of spice and sweetness.

George Dickel No. 12

Hayden Miller, head bartender at Bodega Taqueria y Tequila in Miami

For a straight sour mash, I can never argue with a pour of the George Dickel No. 12. The flavor is palatable on its own but can still come through if you prefer a highball. Not that Dickel is an entirely new name for Tennessee whiskey, but my immediate thought is to also recommend their rye which packs a nice punch of flavor.

Belle Meade Bourbon

Juyoung Kang, lead bartender at The Dorsey in The Venetian in Las Vegas

Belle Meade, they make bourbon in Tennessee, but they have not made Tennessee style whiskey until now. They make good whiskey so I’m sure they did their state proud to finally produce a Tennessee style whiskey. Plus, they’re aging their bourbon in sherry butts, which is pretty awesome.

Fugitives Tennessee Whiskey

Ellen Talbot, lead bartender at Fable Lounge in Nashville

Fugitives Tennessee Whiskey is made with local, Tennessee-grown corn and provides a velvety mouthfeel with notes of cinnamon and honey. It’s local and perfect for slow sipping or mixed into your cocktail of choice.

George Dickel Bottle In Bond

Matt Shields, bartender at The Bay Restaurant in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida

George Dickel Bottled In Bonds is a solid Tennessee Whiskey. I’d say one of the best on the market, though my taste buds normally lean in the bourbon category. Bottled in Bond has the heat to counteract the sweet that comes with the Tennessee whiskey flavor.

Jack Daniel’s Barrel Select

Wesley MacDonald, owner of Caña Bar and Kitchen in Curaçao

Besides George Dickel and Jack Daniels, I am not familiar with any Tennessee whiskeys. If I would go look for some, I would research the mash bill and look for my desired flavor profile. A bit higher proof never harms either. As of now, if I was going to pick one, it would be Jack Daniel’s Barrel Select. Full of oak sweetness, vanilla, and Christmas spices, you’ll want to spend a long time sipping this offering.

Uncle Nearest 1884

Melissa Carroll, bartender at Fisk and Co in Chicago

Uncle Nearest 1884 Small Batch is a fantastic way to celebrate history and good whiskey. A bottle that not only represents the best of Tennessee whiskey, with a clear flavor of its own sugar maple filtration process, it is also something that many people don’t know about yet. Why not respect the legacy of Nearest Green, the first African American distiller on record in the United States.

George Dickel Classic No. 8

Blake Jones, bartender and director of beverage at The Kennedy in Pensacola, Florida

They’re all pretty well known at this point, but George Dickel Classic No. 8 is pretty great. It’s the most famous offering from the distillery for a reason. It’s one of those classic sipping whiskeys you expect from Tennessee.

Writer’s Pick: Nelson’s Green Brier Tennessee Whiskey

For years, the only Tennessee whiskey names most of us knew were George and Jack. A few years ago, the Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery was reopened 100 years after it closed in 1909. Since then, brothers Charlie and Andy Nelson have been cranking out amazing, high-quality whiskeys. This includes their flagship Tennessee Whiskey. It’s sugar maple charcoal filtered and aged in new charred American oak casks. The result is an ultra-smooth whiskey with hints of caramel, vanilla, brown sugar, with a subtle hint of Christmas spices.

If nothing below suits your sensibilities, check out our guide to What You Should Watch On Streaming Right Now.

Stargirl (DC) — Fans had to wait an extra week for the premiere of this new TV series set in DC’s extended universe but it was worth it. The series follows a high school sophomore named Courtney Whitmore who moves to a small town in Nebraska, discovers a powerful weapon called the Cosmic Staff, and leads a group of unlikely heroes against villains of the past, eventually forming the New Justice Society of America. If you’re a DC subscriber you can stream the show now, if not, you’ll have to wait until it airs tomorrow night on the CW. Either way, watch it.

Roswell, New Mexico (CW, 9:00 p.m.) — Cameron offers Liz some advice when Arturo gets detained while Alex, Isobel, Max, Michael, and Maria head to the reservation where Alex’s mother grew up after uncovering a cryptic message from the past.

Look, we know pickings are slim right now, but if none of the listings here look appetizing, might we suggest some killer streaming shows?

The Last Kingdom (Netflix) — This action-packed period drama just returned for a fourth season on Netflix. It’s full of Viking invasions, bloodshed, political intrigue, and fur porn — seriously, every hookup involves fur.

Dead To Me (Netflix) — Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini return to cover up another murder (and deliver some cliff-hanger-heavy drama) in the show’s second season, out now. You should probably crack open a bottle of wine before bingeing though because these women can drink and you’ll want to keep up.

The Great (Hulu) — Wigs, vodka, and royal coups. That’s really all you need to know about this show from The Favourite writer Tony McNamara. Want more? It’s got Elle Fanning playing a freshly-crowned queen intent on killing her husband, a Russian tyrant played with delicious humor by Nicholas Hoult.

Ever since Nicki Minaj popped up on rap blogs over a decade ago, she’s drawn comparisons to her predecessor Lil Kim. However, over time, she’s built her own formidable legacy, as well as a zealous fanbase of Barbz who will often go way out of their way to defend it. Combined with her much-publicized feud with Kim as Nicki came into her own and Nicki’s tendency to rewrite her own history on the fly, it’s reached the point that even the insinuation that Nicki could have been influenced or inspired by Kim draws vigorous attacks from the Barbz — even in the face of facts and evidence to the contrary.

The latest example is the Barbz’s reactions to R&B star Usher’s recent interview with Swizz Beats, the founder and the curator of the ongoing Verzuz Instagram series of “hits battles.” When Swizz asked for Usher’s impression of a fan push to feature Nicki and Kim on Verzuz, Usher seemed skeptical that it would be a fair battle, considering Kim’s impact on so much of Nicki’s music and style. “Nicki is a product of Lil Kim,” Usher said. That was all it took to spark a backlash from Nicki Minaj fans, who immediately set about comparing Nicki’s accomplishments to Kim’s — free of historical context, naturally.

Nicki fans were quick to point out Usher’s connection to Nicki over the course of the past few years, as Nicki had featured on some of Usher’s own hits. They also lashed out at Lil Kim for not having a major hit in recent years. However, some fans readily defended both Kim and Usher’s comments, pointing out the many ways Nicki has paid homage to Kim in the past, despite their differences.

One thing is for sure: If the two women ever were to agree to a hits battle, the results wouldn’t be as cut-and-dried as fans of either seem to think — and would seemingly depend most on which side of their generational gap an observer stood upon.

Check out some of the Barbz’s reactions to Usher’s comparison above.

Considering “motherf**ker” is practically his catchphrase, you’d just assume that Samuel L. Jackson would be the reigning champ when it comes to actors peppering their roles with profanity. But thanks to the very surprising results from a recent study, it turns out the Pulp Fiction star just narrowly missed the top spot after being beat by… Jonah Hill?

According to an exhaustive report from Buzz Bingo, Hill’s role in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street is what helped him beat Jackson. The movie starring Hill and Leonardo DiCaprio as greedy stockbrokers in the 1980s boasted over 715 profanities, which made it the most profane film followed by Uncut Gems with 646 expletives, and Casino with 606.

Granted, DiCaprio dropped more swear words than Hill when the two appeared on-screen together in Wolf of Wall Street, but Hill had the most swear words per line and coupled with his past roles in films like Superbad, that was enough to put him over the top. Via Variety:

According to the study, Hill has spewed 376 swear words throughout his career, barely beating his “Wolf of Wall Street” co-star Leonardo DiCaprio, who has amassed 361 curses. The rest of the list includes Samuel L. Jackson, Sandler, Al Pacino, Denzel Washington, Billy Bob Thornton, Seth Rogen, Bradley Cooper and Danny McBride.

After hearing about his new status as the most swearing-est actor in Hollywood, Hill paid homage to Jackson in an Instagram post while mocking the study that’s only just now crediting him for his role in the Wolf of Wall Street that’s over seven years old.

“So many people to thank,” Hill wrote. “@martinscorsese_ thanks for pushing me over the edge. And of course the great @samuelljackson . Humbled . (Also “new report”? Lol what team of scientists cracked this one?). Lots of love ”

(Via Variety)

Previously on Jesus Christ, Superstars: WWF Champion Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart took a break from trying to figure out whether or not there’s ever been a right time to say goodbye to perform SLAM JAM, currently the fourth biggest song in the United Kingdom.

If you’d like to watch this week’s episode, you can do that here, and you can support the column (so we’re allowed to keep writing it) by reading previous installments on our Jesus Christ, Superstars tag page.

If you like these, and our break from the normal Best and Worst format, make sure to share it around so it gets read and drop us a comment below. As a reminder, why can’t keep writing about stuff if you don’t click on it. We’re trying to run a wrestling jokes business over here!

Here’s what you missed 28 years ago on WWF Superstars for January 2, 1993.

Jobbers Of The Week

This week’s most notable jobber (to the stars) is The Berzerker, which is what’s left after you sign a 6-foot-8 wrestler, Vince McMahon’s best idea is, “I don’t know, a Viking that wins by count-out?” and you wait a few months. If you’ve ever studied Norse warrior tradition or played The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, you know a “berzerker” are the fighters who “transformed into an animal” by putting on animal skins for battles and fighting in a wild trance. They also sometimes transform into actual bears and ruin your dinner party. This Berzerker doesn’t do any of that. He’s Bruiser Brody filtered through a 1993 WWF lens, which means he dresses like Hagar the Horrible and is largely ineffectual unless he’s trying to murder a zombie with a sword. It could be worse. He could be playing basketball.

This week The Berzerker can be seen Making Fuck with Mr. Perfect, who sends him back to Parts Unknown, Scandinavia, in about five minutes with a Perfect Plex. Fun note: In a previous life, The Berzerker teamed up with a masked man named THE GRAPPLER to form “The Breakfast Club,” a Portland wrestling tag team who’d pin you and pour milk and Cheerios on your chest. That’s a real thing! It’s like they put it together with a random gimmick generator. “A ninja teams with an abominable snowman and they call themselves FOOTLOOSE, because after they pin you they cut off your foot.”

George Anderson returns this week, sadly without his baked potato jacket, to lie down and have his rib cage flattened by Yokozuna’s murderous taint. I’m not sure we could rely on George to get through a stiff breeze without turning over and showing his belly, much less defeat a 600-pound sumo champion whose finisher is using his falling ass to turn your entire torso into roadkill.

This young Michael Bolton in a Puma jacket is Mitch Bishop, the jobber whose name 100% sounds like a Jake Peralta alias. “I’m MITCH BISHOP, a pastor who became a professional wrestler to infiltrate the business and uncover the identity of the WWF Superstar who killed his wife! I love mullets, Puma, and getting kneed in the chest.” He’s got some sweet baby blue gear under the jacket with boots that don’t match, making him the world’s worst Ric Flair. He loses to the devastating Normal Knee Drop* of Damien Demento, who is just about to comfortably sink into his plot in the early ’90s WWF character graveyard beside The Berzerker.

*I say “normal knee drop,” but as has been pointed out in the comments section a few times, the idea was that he’d “loaded” the knee pad to make it hurt more. He’d usually “load” it by turning the pad around and dropping a knee with the straps in the back, which … I don’t know if that makes more or less sense than putting a wrench or whatever between your kneecap and the pad, and still kneeing someone with the padding. This is the one part of Damien Demento that doesn’t work!

The highlight of the match is when Jerry Lawler uses “The Magistrator” — a John Madden-style telestrator that allows him to draw pictures on the screen — to reveal who is sending bad brain vibes to Demento:

Here’s a template you can use to draw your own. For example, what if the voices he hears in his head are Randy Orton? What if they’re Super Calo? I don’t know, have fun with it.

Dave Sigfrids steps into the ring without his tag team partner, Dave Roy, to get his head vertically flattened by the brah Crush. Between the hair, the compactness and the jacked physique I’d believe it if you told me he was Kenny Omega’s biological father. His biological father who is deeply disappointed in him for getting into video games instead of World War 2 movies and girls. He might also be a young Tim Storm. No amount of pressing bench can prepare you for an affable Hawaiian squeezing your brain like a stress ball, though, so he loses in short order.

Crush, however, has bigger fish to fry, brudda.

Two For Flinching Of The Week

The World Wrestling Federation is still cool with a clown randomly wandering into their arena and doing clown shit to people against their will, so here’s Doink popping in after Marty Jannetty’s victory over Tom Stone to fake him out with an empty bucket. The last time this happened Marty thought the bucket was full of confetti and got drenched, so no matter what he does, he loses.

Crush doesn’t play like that though, brah. When Doink shows up after his match to boop him in the snoot with a rubber ball on a string, Crush lets it slide … but when Doink boops a fan’s snoot, Crush full-on takes him by the arm like a mom and is like, “NO. STOP IT.” I wish this had been Doink’s last-ever appearance, with the payoff being that sometimes you can just tell someone to stop being an asshole and they’ll stop. Especially if they’re afraid you’re going to use your bare hands to deflate their brain like a whoopie cushion. Crush describes this later as a “stiff warning,” which is the kind of law you need to lay down when snoots are being egregiously booped.

New Announce Team Of The Week

Macho Man Randy Savage joins the announce team this week, much to the chagrin of Jerry Lawler, presumably to warm up before Raw airs its first episode a little over a week later. Savage on joining the team: “I LIKE IT … A NEW TYPE SITUATION, THERE’S A RUMBLIN’ GOING ON, how do you like THAT!” Sure!

Where’s Bobby Heenan, you ask? Why, preparing for the triumphant arrival of NARCISSUS.

All we know for now is that the “Narcissus” is debuting at the Royal Rumble, and Heenan’s 100% convinced that the men and women of the WWF Universe will instantaneously drop trou the second he appears Bobby Heenan has never sold anything with the ferocity of Narcissus’ beauty, which is super funny when you realize he’s talking about Lex Luger. Even at Luger’s peak, he kinda looked like the muscular version of Pepe the Frog. His body is a package in toto, though, so tune in to the 1993 Royal Rumble knowing a Sense8 orgy might break out as soon as he steps through the ropes.

Mean Gene uses his time in the Control Center to crack open a dictionary and inform us that a narcissist is, “A conceited self centered person. Thinking too highly of one’s self. And, unduly preoccupied with one’s own appearance.” Where was this kind of service when I was googling Scandinavia to talk about The Berzerker?

The Numbers Don’t Lie, And They Spell Disaster For You At Sacrifice Of The Week

In addition to that hot, adult Narcissus content, the Royal Rumble will also feature the first WWF pay-per-view match of the legendary Steiner Brothers thanks to a contract dispute with WCW’s Bill Watts. They’re going up against The Beverly Brothers, which if we were talking about the 1992 WCW Steiner Brothers would end with Beau and Blake being suplexed into paste and laid to waste with some top rope bulldoggery. I imagine wrestling the early ’90s Steiners would feel like being in a car accident, as opposed to the late ’90s Steiners, who were IN car accidents.

Scott’s still more into mullet care than lifting weights at this point (although he’s still got that Big Poppa Pump foundation of fit madness), so the most interesting thing he says in the Steiners’ little “choose me” promo is pronouncing “Beverly Brothers” as BEVERLYBLUTHERS. He has no idea what power he possesses.

Next Week Of The Week

The Royal Rumble is almost upon us, Raw lurks just ahead, and two poor chumps get completely Steinerized. See you then!

It’s a question that’s bound to show up during future pub trivia nights: name the two movies that topped the box office for at least three consecutive weeks in the first half of 2020? The first answer is easy: the Will Smith and Martin Lawrence-starring Bad Boys for Life, which remains the year’s highest-grossing movie. The other? It’s not Onward, or Sonic the Hedgehog, or any of the other wide-release titles that came out before the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s a small-budget horror movie you probably haven’t heard of.

Variety reports that IFC Films’ The Wretched was the top-grossing movie at the box office over the weekend, and three weekends in a row, leading the way with $85,000 at 21 drive-in movie theaters. “The horror movie, which premiered at the 2019 Fantasia International Film Festival, has scared up a total of $296,954 since launching on May 1 at 11 drive-ins.” Directed by Brett Pierce and Drew T. Pierce, The Wretched is about a rebellious teenage boy who makes a “chilling discovery” about his next-door neighbor.

Sunday’s box office totals were limited as IFC was the only distributor reporting. Drive-in movie theaters have quickly grown in popularity during the coronavirus pandemic with about 150 of the nation’s 306 locations now open, according to Comscore. (Via)

The totals were limited, but they are official, with The Wretched joining 2020’s other weekly box office toppers, including Swallow (one of the best movies of the year), True History of the Kelly Gang, and Phoenix, Oregon. Your move, No Time to Die.

Watch the trailer for The Wretched below. You can also rent it.

(Via Variety)

The coronavirus pandemic has brought all kinds of humans out of the woodwork, from silly dinosaur dads to kooky conspiracy theorists. A new viral video reveals how differently some people are handling our strange new reality—from a disgruntled customer who refuses to follow a supermarket’s mask-wearing policy to a delightfully unfazed employee dancing while he disinfects the grocery carts.

Shelley Lewis shared a video she filmed after she was told that all customers and employees had to wear a masks to enter a Gelson’s grocery store in Dana Point, California. Lewis—who is listed as a speaker at the 2019 Flat Earth International conference (ahem)—clearly saw herself as the hero of the story, a victim being discriminated against due to her undisclosed medical condition that precludes her from wearing a mask. But the real hero is the upbeat, unassuming grocery store employee who “absolutely and humbly” retrieved a manager for Lewis then continued dancing away while cleaning carts outside the store.

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It’s a joy to behold, truly. The store clerk, who normally works as a bartender, is so happy to have a job. He’s happy to be of service. He happily goes about his work while wearing a mask—which none of us love, but understand is important for protecting others—and doesn’t let this woman’s antics get under his skin.

The store manager also stayed cool, calm and collected as Lewis went through her litany of complaints. When he explained the store’s mask policy, she told him she has a medical condition and couldn’t wear a mask. (If true, maybe you should do your grocery shopping online instead). When the manager offered to shop for her, she told him that she had “private things” to buy. (Ummm… you know everyone can see what you put in your grocery cart when you shop, right?). She was also incredulous about the idea of handing him her “private credit card” to take into the store to process. (Have you really never handed over your credit card through a drive-thru window, Shelley?!)

While much has been made of Lewis’s attempt at victimization—the best part of this story is how the Gelson’s employee with the shades and the unflappable sunny attitude handled this whole situation. She even asked him why he was so happy, as if everyone should be throwing a fit outside the store over having to wear a mask. He never said anything disparaging. In fact, he maintained an impressive level of respect and positivity throughout the video.

If he had read her Flat Earth International bio, he would have seen that she claims to have lupus, which is an autoimmune disease, which increases her risk of complications from COVID-19. If he had known that, he may have kindly pointed out that everyone there was wearing a mask to protect people like her.

This is what an everyday hero looks like right now—a guy enjoying his day job, doing what needs to be done to protect the public he’s serving and entertaining himself and others in the face of abject ignorance. He is the hero we all need.

Upworthy recently shared an adorable baby giggling video on our Instagram page (which you definitely want to check out if you’re starved for feel-good stories) and people expressed gratitude for the instant boost of happiness. There’s something so pure about babies expressing joy and it’s nearly impossible not to get flooded with mood-lifting endorphins when you see it.

So we thought we’d collect some of the Internet’s best baby laughs, since we can all use a little extra dopamine right now.

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Capturing a baby’s first laugh on video is a precious gift—and this family not only captured their baby’s first laugh, but first laughing fit.

Baby’s first LOL

www.youtube.com

In addition to head bops, babies find certain sounds rip-roaringly hilarious.

Anyone remember the baby who thought that paper being torn was the funniest thing to ever happen? It never gets old. Paper rip equals baby laugh— right on cue. So freaking cute.

Baby Laughing Hysterically at Ripping Paper (Original)

www.youtube.com

Seriously, why is paper being ripped in half considered the peak of comedy routines for the wee ones? This baby couldn’t even stay upright. He found paper tearing so funny.

The Baby Laughing at paper

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Pretty much any sound can make certain babies laugh. Why? Who knows. Maybe it’s the unexpected aspect of it.

I mean, this baby totally loses it at the sound of a pacifier being popped out of someone’s mouth. After the first time, just the thought of it does him in, as he keeps laughing in anticipation that she’s going to do it again. Every single time.

Baby laughing hysterically at pacifier noise

www.youtube.com

Oh, baby. If you think a pacifier is chuckle-worthy, wait until your old man starts making fart noises. Fart noises are universally funny and apparently our tendency to giggle at them is ingrained in all of us.

Dad’s Weird Noise Make Baby Laugh

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But it’s not just noises. Apparently, something as simple as blowing on dandelions is next level hilarious for the baby set.

Buzz and the Dandelions

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And a dog eating popcorn? Forget about it. Apparently there’s nothing funnier in the world.

Baby Girl Laughing Hysterically at Dog Eating Popcorn

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How about the baby who laughs at himself every time he gets startled? (It’s impossible not to giggle at this. I’ve tried. It’s seriously not humanly possible).

Baby laughing and chuckling

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If one baby laughing is a delight, why not four at once? I can’t imagine having four babies at once, but this video almost makes it look appealing, at least for a few minutes. And again, it’s just a dad making silly sounds that creates the synchronized, double-stereo baby giggles. So. Much. Fun.

Laughing Quadruplet Babies!

www.youtube.com

For the grand finale, even though this kiddo isn’t technically a baby—more like a young preschooler—his laughter is so infectious and entertaining he had to be included. How much fun would it be to have this kid in class?

Hysterical and contagious laughing boy in music class

www.youtube.com

No matter how bad things get out in the world, the delight of babies and children enjoying the simplest things in life can always bring us back to a place of joy and gratitude. Anytime you’re feeling down, pull up a baby laughing video. It does the heart good.

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