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Rum is an interesting spirit. Those drinkers who love it will tell you that it’s complex, and nuanced, and when aged, it rivals some of the best whiskeys in the world. But it just doesn’t seem to get the love single malt Scotch whisky, bourbon, rye, Japanese whisky, and other barrel-aged spirits get. We think that’s a shame. While there are lower-end (sometimes bottom shelf) white rums on the market that are used almost exclusively for mixing, there are countless aged, dark rums that deserve to be sipped neat, on the rocks, or with a few drops of water to open them up.

Some are so great that after just one sip, you remember them forever. So that’s exactly what we asked a few well-known bartenders — “What’s the most game-changing, memorable sip of rum you’ve ever had?” Keep scrolling to see all of the sugarcane-based selections.

Ron Del Barrilito 3 Star

Erica Dimmig, lead mixologist at Hotel Pendry in Chicago

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $65

The Rum:

Puerto Rico is home to some of the best rums in the world. I remember having my first sip of Ron Del Barrilito 3 Star in an old fashioned. My mind was blown and forever changed my view on the ways rum can be enjoyed. As a spirit, rum is generally vastly underrated, meaning high-quality brands are priced at incredible value.

Tasting Notes:

This 3-star rum packs a punch in flavor bombs of banana, caramel, and toasted almonds and has a surprisingly smoky and woody finish.

Mount Gay XO

Alex Clark, lead bartender at Square 1682 in Philadelphia

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $60

The Rum:

My best sip of rum is Mount Gay XO. This is a great-priced spirit that has way more character than the $50 price tag that’s on the bottle. People go crazy over bourbon and Scotch in the stores and that reflects the price of them but, rum seems to be the forgotten spirit.

Tasting Notes:

This rum has very similar notes to bourbon because it’s aged in American oak. Cloves and caramel show up on the first sip and on the backend, you get a rich vanilla and berry flavor.

Zacapa No. 23 Centenario

Ricardo Cubais, director of food and beverage at Zachari Dunes on Mandalay Beach in Oxnard, California

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $50

The Rum:

Coming from Central America, I am partial to Zacapa Centenario Rum from Guatemala. It is made from local sugar cane and then barrel aged at high altitudes. All these contribute to the “terroir” of the rum.

Tasting Notes:

This is a complex rum, featuring flavors like caramel, cinnamon sugar, vanilla, dried fruits, honey, and orange peels.

Bacardi Cuatro

Donny Largotta, beverage director at Gansevoort Meatpacking in New York City

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $20

The Rum:

The best rum to sip is Bacardi Cuatro, due to its incredible flavor profile. It gets its name because it’s a blend of rums each aged for at least four years. The result is a surprisingly complex, inexpensive bottle of rum.

Tasting Notes:

Featuring mild notes of vanilla and clover honey topped with a toasted oak and toffee finish, it makes it the perfect taste for sipping.

Foursquare Exceptional Cask 2007

Brandon Ristaino, co-founder and beverage director at Good Lion Hospitality in Santa Barbara, California

ABV: 59%

Average Price: $90

The Rum:

The best sip of rum I’ve ever had is from the Exceptional Cask Selections of Foursquare Distillery in Barbados. It’s difficult to narrow it down to one precise sip, as I’ve been lucky to have so many amazing sips of these rums from Master Distiller Richard Seale over the years. But if I had to, I would pick Foursquare Exceptional Cask 2007, a blend of rums, each at least twelve years old, all aged in ex—bourbon barrels.

Tasting Notes:

The age statements, techniques, barrels, and proofs vary in Richard’s bottlings, but I’ve found them to be consistently excellent from mark to mark, and the flavors profiles are always exciting; and range from classic notes of baking spice, brown sugar, and tropical fruit to leather, mushroom, and nuts.

Paranubes Oaxaca Añejo Rum

Guillermo Bravo, bartender at Vol. 39 in Chicago

ABV: 53.8%

Average Price: $62

The Rum:

I’m a big fan of Paranubes Añejo Oaxacan Rum. Rum is in my opinion one of the wildest categories of spirits. I can put rums in front of you from South Asia Pacific, Mexico, Africa, and the US east coast to name a few.

Tasting Notes:

The Paranubes tastes like salty black olives with a hint of vegetal molasses. It’s glorious.

Copalli Barrel Rested Rum

Will Krepop, beverage director at Wiggle Room in New York City

ABV: 44%

Average Price: $35

The Rum:

Copalli Barrel Rested Rum is one of my favorites at the moment. Made sustainably in the rainforest in Belize, it really speaks to the terroir of the land where the sugarcane is grown, without being too intense or funky for those who aren’t used to rums made from fresh sugarcane juice, rather than molasses.

Tasting Notes:

Bold aromas of fresh leather, dried fruits, and vanilla lead you to a palate of caramel, oak, tropical fruit, and gentle spices.

Camazotz Oaxacan Rum

Alex Barbatsis, head bartender at The Whistler in Chicago

ABV: 48%

Average Price: $49

The Rum:

Camazotz Oaxacan Rum is my current favorite sipper. It has amazing bold vegetal notes and a soft sweetness when over ice. It’s versatile in cocktails, making a wild and delicious rum negroni and a phenomenal Cuba libre when mixed with Mexican Coke and fresh lime.

Tasting Notes:

It’s vegetal, earthy, and herbal with light vanilla and spices. It’s a very versatile rum that belongs on your home bar cart.

The Hampden The Great House 2021

Garth Poe, bar manager of Easy Bistro & Bar in Chattanooga, Tennessee

ABV: 55%

Average Price: $125

The Rum:

The Hampden The Great House 2021 is the best sip of rum I can remember. This expression is truly an old-school Jamaican rum and it is absolutely phenomenal. A blend of rums, distilled, aged, and bottled at the renowned Jamaican distillery, it’s a can’t-miss rum.

Tasting Notes:

Tons of tropical fruit and strawberries on the nose with a small hint of that delicious funk that is so characteristic of Jamaican rums. On the palate, there are wonderful notes of cacao, wood spices, and very ripe bananas.

Barrell Rum Taste of Two Islands

Adnan Kahn, food and beverage director at FireLake Grill House & Cocktail Bar in Chicago

ABV: 66.4%

Average Price: $95

The Rum:

Barrell Rum Taste of Two Islands is my favorite memorable sip. It’s a Jamaican pot still rum with incredible Smoky flavors. This is because this blend of rum at least eight years old is finished in Islay single malt Scotch casks and released at cask strength.

Tasting Notes:

This is a very fruity rum with notes of ripe pineapple, honey, dried fruits, vanilla, and a nice kick of smoke from the smoky Islay barrels it finished in.

The Kansas State Wildcats are on their way to the Elite 8. Kansas State traveled from one Manhattan to the other this weekend, and on Thursday night, the team took down Michigan State, 98-93, in overtime in the Sweet 16. The driving force behind the win was 5’8 point guard and New York native Markquis Nowell, who was nothing short of brilliant with 20 points, 19 assists, and five steals.

One Nowell assist has gained a ton of attention, as it came in overtime with the game tied at 92. Nowell looked over to Kansas State coach Jerome Tang to figure out what they were going to run on that possession, but the veteran guard noticed Keyontae Johnson cutting to the rim, so he threw an audacious alley-oop that Johnson finished with authority.

It was pointed out that Nowell looked like he said something to the crowd right before everything started. As it turns out, Nowell turned towards Isiah Thomas, who was sitting among a crowd of Spartans, and had something to say to the Hall of Fame guard.

“I gotta watch what I say, I be in the zone,” Nowell said. “Yeah, I was talking to Isiah Thomas, cause I think he had a friend over there and he was rooting for them. And I was like, ‘You’re not gonna win today.’ And I just kept looking at him for some added motivation, but it was nothing but cool vibes with them over there.”

Thomas, meanwhile, said after that game that he was awfully impressed with Kansas State’s floor general.

The Wildcats will play Florida Atlantic on Saturday with a spot in the Final Four on the line.

As much as people would like for Penn Badgley to be a murderous stalker forever, his character’s crimes have got to catch up with him at some point. Justice for Guinevere Beck!!! And John Stamos, whose character is still sitting in a jail cell somewhere while watching Joe globetrot.

Netflix has confirmed that You will conclude with season five, which will debut sometime next year. Hopefully, the show will get an increase in its baseball cap budget before then.

In a statement via Deadline, producers Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter confirmed that showrunner Sera Gamble would be stepping down from the series ahead of the final season. “Ever since our friends at Alloy shared Caroline Kepnes’ fantastic book, we have always conceived it as a five-season journey. We are excited to continue our relationship with [producers] Mike Foley and Justin Lo as they take over the reins as co-showrunners and prepare to bring Joe Goldberg home.” Has anyone checked in on how Drew Barrymore is handling the news?

Badgley has surely had a lot of fun playing Joe Goldberg, the stalking murderer who has pretentious taste in books, though he has expressed interest in the series ending with a fifth season. At the end of season four, Badgley said, “You could leave it off where it is now, and it’s somewhat satisfying. But I think what’s particularly dystopic or chilling about it is he has effectively won. You have taken this man and shown him going out on top. In that sense, I don’t think it’s the conclusion that anybody wants.”

Right, so what do the fans really want? All of the women in Joe’s life to come back from the dead and haunt him, of course. Peter Friedlander, Netflix’s VP of Scripted Series, promises a satisfying conclusion to the series: “We’re excited — and a bit terrified — to see how it all ends for Joe Goldberg, but one thing is for sure: You are in for an unforgettable ending.” Again, bring back Stamos!

(Via Deadline)

White wine is one of the world’s most consumed categories of wine and Americans certainly drink their fair share of it. Who could blame them? White wine is delicious. But the goodness of white wines extends far beyond just flavors. Sure, it can exude delicious citrus, stone fruit, and tropical fruit notes, but there’s power in its texture, too.

Depending on the variety, white wine can feel refreshing, mineral-laden, and even crispy on the palate, making it a cool sipping option in the blazing heat. It can also display oily viscosity or a smooth, creamy texture, making your mouth feel warm and cozy like a cashmere sweater. And let’s not forget how solid a pairing partner can be. Yes, you can drink it all on its own, but some styles of white wine can really amplify the flavors of certain foods.

While there are more white wine varieties and producers than most people can count, there’s no denying that some styles and brands are incredibly popular, especially with American drinkers. The list of top-selling wines on Drizly proves that. I looked at the white wine best-sellers on the delivery app, and it turned up all Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Grigio made by producers commonly spotted on retail and grocery store shelves. So which of them is the best?

I put my palate to the test to find out, and — voila — below, you’ll find an official ranking of the top-selling white wines on Drizly. Let’s dig into it.

10. Barefoot Pinot Grigio (#7 on Drizly)

7-Eleven

ABV: 12.5%

Average Price: $8

The Wine:

Even people who aren’t fans of white wine will recognize this bottle. It’s on shelves at grocery and liquor stores across the country. Barefoot has existed since the 1960s, though it didn’t become a household name until the 1980s. The wine is made in California, and that’s where the grapes come from too, but it’s anyone’s guess as to where in California.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This wine smells like apples and peaches sprinkled in sugar.

Palate: This wine is light-bodied and easy to drink. There are hints of orchard and stone fruits and a taste of something that can only be described as artificial that arrives in the backend of the sip. But overall, this wine isn’t knocking you over the head with flavor or nuance.

Finish: What finish?

Bottom Line:

Pinot Grigio is known and loved for its light, refreshing, bright, delicate profile. But it is also known and loved for its alluring aromatics and fruit flavors. This bottle doesn’t come close to the depth Pinot Grigio can display. Nonetheless, if you’re looking for a cheap, easy-drinking wine that you don’t have to overthink, this will get the job done.

It’s also a good one for novices and those who are just now joining the wine wave.

9. Bota Box Pinot Grigio (#9 on Drizly)

ABV: 12%

Average Price: $15

The Wine:

Here’s another Pinot Grigio from California — though the packaging doesn’t indicate precisely where the grapes come from in the golden state. At least, it’s a sustainable choice with its recyclable box container holding two bottles of wine. Not to mention, there’s no need to rush to finish this. Your Bota Box Pinot Grigio can last up to four weeks in the fridge.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The aroma of this wine is like a crescendo of white peach, nectarine, and citrus, with soft notes of white flowers wafting from the glass.

Palate: This wine is bright and juicy, and while it’s easy to drink, it skews a little more medium-bodied than the average Pinot Grigio. There are noticeable fresh, fruity flavors of peach, pineapple, nectarine, and grapefruit that really sink in on the palate. The wine is balanced with clean acidity that leaves a mouthwatering impression.

Finish: The finish is delicate but thoroughly refreshing. It wraps up seamlessly with a bouquet of flowers and a hint of tropical fruit.

Bottom Line:

This is an upgrade in Pinot Grigio from the last. The wine is not super complex, but it still displays enough aromas and flavors expected from a Pinot Grigio. Drink it at a large gathering when you need to fill many cups, like a picnic or a beach party, or use it for a white wine sangria.

8. Cavit Pinot Grigio (#4 on Drizly)

AppleJack Liquors

ABV: 12%

Average Price: $10

The Wine:

Cavit is among the Pinot Grigio pioneers that really helped put the grape and wine style on the map in the 1970s. Produced in the Delle Venezie DO wine region, Cavit’s Pinot Grigio has remained consistent in style and taste since its origin. So it’s no wonder the wine remains a fan-favorite with drinkers after all these years.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This wine bursts with intense aromas and freshness. Scents of green apple. Scents of lime. Scents of grapefruit. It’s almost as if you can smell the mountain air of Trentino and the many apple orchards and lakes surrounding the region.

Palate: The palate is just as intense as the aroma with green apple and citrus flavors, and it exudes a fresh crispness that feels light and cool on the palate. It’s clean, easy-drinking, and, overall, quite a thirst-quenching wine.

Finish: The finish lingers with fruit flavors and freshness.

Bottom Line:

If you like light wines bursting with fruity flavors and mountain-air freshness, this is the wine for you.

7. Josh Cellars Chardonnay (#10 on Drizly)

ABV: 12.5%

6. Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc (#6 on Drizly)

ABV: 13%

Average Price: $20

The Wine:

This wine hails for the land of Sauvignon Blanc, aka Marlborough, the New Zealand wine region where the white grape thrives. It’s produced by Whitehaven, a winery launched by Sue White and her late husband Greg in 1994, and the property remains family-owned to this very day.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s great, zesty power behind the flavorful fragrances of papaya, passionfruit, and peach that shows up as green fruit skins, fresh-cut greens, and a lot of grapefruit.

Palate: The wine tastes exactly as it smells. It’s vibrant with tropical fruit, citrus fruit, and lemon grass flavors while a zippy dose of acidity keeps the wine feeling bright and lively on the palate.

Finish: The finish is long, crisp, and clean.

Bottom Line:

It’s a little pricey for what it is. Sure, it hits all the markers for good Sauvignon Blanc, but there are a lot of wines on the market made in a similar style with a similar taste that are just as flavorful for less. That said, if you’ve got the extra bucks to spend, this would be a great wine to drink with a platter full of oysters, clams, and chilled shellfish.

5. Matua Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (#5 on Drizly)

ABV: 13%

Average Price: $14

The Wine:

Here’s another a solid Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. It’s produced by Matua, a winery that helped put Sauvignon Blanc from the wine region on the map when it released its first bottling — the first of commercial Sauvignon Blanc from the country — in 1974.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Aromas of crispy green apple, fresh cut grass, melon, lime, and grapefruit are present and quite tantalizing. One whiff of this wine, and you’re going to want to take a sip.

Palate: Fresh, crisp, and tropical — exactly what a Sauvignon Blanc should be. The flavors picked up in the aroma are even more obvious on the palate while mouthwatering acidity pulls it all together.

Finish: The finish is long and zippy, full of juicy acidity and fresh green flavors.

Bottom Line:

A porch-pounder for $15 that is actually quite tasty and refreshing for the palate? Say less.

4. Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio DOC (#3 on Drizly)

ABV: 12.5%

Average Price: $26

The Wine:

Italy’s Santa Margherita is one of the most famous producers of Pinot Grigio worldwide. Seriously, this wine has had the masses in a chokehold since Santa Margherita’s winemaking team first started fermenting Pinot Grigio without skin contact in 1961. It was a very controversial move at the time because Pinot Grigio was predominately used to make Romato — Italian rosé — styles of wine back in those days. But the result was worth the risk.

This winery is why we drink Pinot Grigio the way we drink it today. The wine is made in Italy’s Veneto region from Pinot Grigio grapes picked from the winery’s Adige River Valley vineyard in the Italian Alps.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The aroma is fresh, fruity, and bright.

Palate: This wine is awash with flavors of red, yellow, and pink apples, but it remains bright and easy-drinking. An abundance of freshness influences the lightweight feel of the wine on the palate. A sip of this kind of feels like standing in the middle of an apple orchard on a hilltop in Italy and breathing in the fresh, clean surrounding air.

Finish: This wine wraps with a delicate finish that leaves the mouth feeling as clean as a glass of ice-cold water.

Bottom Line:

People who genuinely enjoy Pinot Grigio love this wine, and it’s no secret why. This wine hits all the markers for a quality Pinot Grigio regarding taste, texture, and drinkability. It’s the most expensive Pinot Grigio on this list, but considering the site-specific grapes used to make a well-balanced wine and Santa Marghertia’s history, we think it’s worth the price.

3. Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc (#2 on Drizly)

ABV: 12.5%

Average Price: $15

The Wine:

Oyster Bay is one of the most recognized producers of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc in the world, which is quite an achievement considering the winery only released its first vintage of the white wine in 1990. Since then, Oyster Bay has won dozens of international awards and plenty of critical acclaim for the wines it makes with grapes from Marlborough and Hawke’s Bay.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This wine is supremely aromatic with tropical fruit, citrus fruit, and clean, green flavors. Mineral undertones and aromas of crushed limestone and wet rocks really drives the intensity.

Palate: This wine is like a shock of energy to the palate. It starts with a bolt of electrifying acidity, followed by vibrant with apple, pineapple, mango, lemon grass, fresh green herbs, grapefruit, and lime zest flavors that appear mid-palate while mineral nuances help tone down all the acidity and bring everything together.

Finish: The finish of this wine goes on and on and on.

Bottom Line:

Nothing to argue here. This wine has all the signature characteristics of a Sauvignon Blanc and more. That alone makes it one of the top picks.

2. Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay (#8 on Drizly)

ABV: 13.5%

Average Price: $16

The Wine:

This is said to be the best-selling Chardonnay in America. Certainly, you’ve spotted it in the grocery store a few thousand times. The good news is that it’s actually crafted with care from “California coastal grapes” (pretttty vague) and created in small batches (another vague buzz term). That said, this wine is very good — so there’s that.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This wine smells like a sunny day in the tropics. The aroma is full of tropical fruit flavors like cantaloupe, guava, pineapple, and even a little banana. But it also features the signature aromas of Chardonnay, too, like peach and citrus.

Palate: This medium-bodied white wine oozes with rich melon, honey, peachy, and pineapple flavors. Hints of baked peaches covered in honey intertwine with notes of oak and vanilla. You may think all the flavors make this wine a fruit bomb, but it’s really more structured and complex than that. Everything is well-integrated and uplifted by crisp acidity, resulting in a completely balanced, enjoyable wine.

Finish: Long and steady.

Bottom Line:

This is a rich and velvety Chardonnay that tastes way more luxe than its price point. We love a more-quality-for-less-money moment, and that’s precisely what this is.

1. Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc (#1 on Drizly)

ABV: 12.5

Average Price: $18

The Wine:

Kim Crawford Wines launched in Marlborough within the northeastern corner of New Zealand’s South Island in the early 2000s. Since then, the winery has become a household name, loved for its zesty, zippy, delicious Sauvignon Blanc.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Take a whiff of this wine and be transported to the scenic rolling hills and dazzling waters surrounding New Zealand’s iconic Marlborough wine region. The wine is fresh with citrus and tropical fruit nuances, while crushed green herbs give it a lift.

Palate: Upon first sip of this wine, the most noticeable aspect is its juicy acidity complemented by flavors of cool melons and grapefruit. By mid-palate, notes of lemongrass and crushed rocks come into focus and mellow into a mouthwatering finish.

Finish: The finish on this wine is so long that you’ll still be licking your lips and tasting the flavors long after the bottle is done.

Bottom Line:

You simply can’t beat the refreshing quality and jam-packed flavor this wine delivers at an approachable price point. Drink it at the pool. Sip on it at the park. Having a clam bake? Hell yea you are, and you’re gonna want to suck this wine down with all that fresh seafood. Or maybe you’re just having a relaxing evening at home and need something flavorful to wash off the day?

This is the wine for all of that.

Thursday night (March 23), I went to the first evening of SZA’s sold-out Los Angeles tour dates at the Kia Forum where she performed songs from her No. 1 hit album SOS and her critically acclaimed debut album Ctrl. It was truly an ethereal experience filled with oceanic splashes of glowing reds, yellows, oranges, soft purples, and pretty pinks, intertwined with bright sparkling lights.

While many were in attendance to simply watch Solana perform “Kill Bill” or her soon-to-be-hit-record “Snooze,” I wanted to see how all the Easter eggs she’d been placing into her music videos since 2014’s “Babylon” video aligned with her show. Puzzles are my thing, what can I say?

This particular puzzle started on December 8, 2022, the day SOS was released. It was a full moon, which is said to be the perfect time to set intentions of releasing things that no longer serve you. That had to mean something, right?

The day she shared her tour dates, I immediately noticed that it was set to take place right in the bosom of Pisces season on February 21 while the new moon was in Pisces (her moon sign) and wrapping on March 19. The original final date of the tour was March 22, during the Aries full moon. The full moon is said to be the best time to manifest fresh intentions. From there I got lost in a rabbit hole of discovery.

Aware of these connections, I was better able to understand her tour performance — which could be seen as something like a Broadway play where SZA is acting out the journey of saving herself with help from the stars. When the show began, SZA sat on the ledge of a board, mimicking her cover art, as she rapped the unreleased “PSA.” Then, she took a dive into the ocean.

That moment reminded me of the “Babylon” video when she fully immersed herself in a lake, leaving behind $7 (a number that is significant for many reasons) and a note that read, “Gone fishin’,” an idiom for checking out of reality. Fishing for what? Wisdom.

As she got into “Seek & Destroy,” “Notice Me,’ “Love Galore,” and “Broken Clocks,” I noticed her performing on a boat dock.

It’s reminiscent of her “Broken Clocks” video where the kids from Camp SZA are shown running to a lake to hang out. TDE’s own Jay Rock is there too and he holds a lifesaver.

When she spit the words to her title track “SOS,” it looked like she was on the side of a ship or a submarine. Then she eased into, “Blind,” a song about discovering that everything you need to be great is already inside of you. ”It’s so embarrassing / All of the things I need living inside of me / I can’t see it,” she crooned. “It’s so embarrassing / All of the love I seek living inside of me/ I can’t see, I’m blind.”

Although there’s no music video, I peeped that the lighthouse she was singing in front of was from her Saturday Night Live performance. Lighthouses guide ships safely to the harbor, especially when the weather is difficult and dangerous.

Next up was the Darkchild-produced banger “Shirt,” a song that was well worth the wait — as was the live performance for it. Now, at the end of the “Broken Clocks” video, she gets beat up at a strip club, causing her nose to leak and putting a bloodstain on her shirt, while her friend yells “Sis! Wake up!” Jay Rock’s music plays in the background. In the “Shirt” video, she tells LaKeith Stanfield, “Color is light, light is energy, everything is energy.” Also, while she dissociates n another part of the video, we witness SZA attempting to grab a fish.

Following “Shirt,” she got into “Smoking On My Ex Pack” while impressively doing a full-on costume change. Then, boarded a ship named SOS, and on the back, it read “Ctrl Fishing Co.” Appearing in a flowy black outfit, a beautiful performance of “All The Stars” took place along with Ctrl goodie “Garden (Say It Like Dat).” So far, the ride on her ship appeared to be pretty tranquil even as she rocked out to “F2F” alongside her glorious, stand-out guitarist.

Suddenly the ocean wave patterns became turbulent with rain pouring down as she performed the choreography to “Low” upon the deck of her ship. After wowing us all with the splits, SZA disappears into a sea of darkness.

Then, a bright light circulated the stadium, and to my left, a lighthouse resurrected in the middle of the audience. My eyes followed the light until it landed on SZA, who was adorned in a fairy-like yellow dress and floating in an orange lifeboat while singing “Supermodel.” Fans below were blessed with a rain of flowers sprinkled over their heads. With each song she performed, the closer to the lighthouse she got.

Once she returned to the stage for performances of “Kiss Me More” and “Love Language,” however, she was underwater with fish and a large anchor. Then, a large red shipping crate appeared to emerge from the ocean at the beginning of her “Kill Bill” performance and into “I Hate U,” where streams of water cascaded behind her. According to an interview with Rolling Stone, SZA originally envisioned herself sitting atop a shipping crate for her cover art.

SZA wrapped with “Good Days.” Back into her golden fairy-like dress, she was peacefully seated on the same board from the start of the show but instead, she glowed with the sun. “Half of us chasin’ fountains of youth and it’s in the present now,” she sang as a final reminder to the thousands of supporters who came out in the rain to see her.

SZA’s SOS Tour was indeed an immersive experience based on the Easter egg hunt alone (and I didn’t even detail all of the eggs!). At the end of the show, she teased the visual for “Low” which is expected to drop “soon.” The way SZA utilized her power to steer herself into a massively successful album that has touched people across the globe coupled with holding down the No. 1 spot for 10 weeks straight and a sold-out tour is absolutely inspiring. And if my intuition is correct, SOS could be making a return to No. 1.

The Ticketmaster hate train just boarded another fan group, Drake fans. Although the live event and ticketing conglomerate is reportedly working on a transparency initiative to outline what fees patrons are paying for, that isn’t enough for the “Rich Flex” rapper’s fans.

According to the Toronto Star, the company is being accused of price gouging. To be more specific, in the newly filed class action lawsuit in the recording artist’s home country, Canada, prospective concertgoers are alleging that Ticketmaster is intentionally spiking the cost of his It’s All A Blur Tour. When the tour was initially announced, fans took to social media to share in their excitement of the moment. However, that all changed when ticket prices were revealed reaching into the thousands.

The suit filed by the law firm LPC Advocat Inc. on behalf of a Montreal man, documents that the name purchased two “Official Platinum” tickets at $789.54 each for the rapper’s July 14 show at the Bell Centre. Then after checking back the very next day those same tickets dropped about $350.

Inside of the document, LPC Advocat Inc. alleges Ticketmaster is “intentionally misleads consumers for their own financial gain.” Later in the suit, the firm notes, “The tickets advertised and sold as ‘Official Platinum’ are neither ‘premium tickets’ nor ‘some of the best seats in the house’ and are, in fact, just regular tickets sold by Ticketmaster at an artificially inflated premium in bad faith.”

Ticketmaster has not issued a public statement on the matter.

Keanu Reeves spends months prepping for the intricate action scenes in the John Wick movies, but sometimes, things don’t always go as planned. Case in point, the time Reeves accidentally sliced a dude’s head open.

While promoting the latest (and longest) installment, John Wick: Chapter 4, Reeves talked about what it’s like filming the tightly choreographed fight scenes. Despite working with seasoned professionals, and going through an intense “training camp” for each film, accidents do happen because the whole experience can be grueling — but in a good way.

Via Comic Book:

“Well I mean everyone is pretty tired – but it’s the best kind of tired. It’s like you climbed a mountain now you’re resting; like you finished the game and you won. So in terms of accidents: I made a mistake once – I cut a gentleman’s head open. So that really f*****g sucked (excuse my language).

Only Keanu Reeves can admit to cutting a man’s head open with a sword and casually make it sound like just another day on the job. That said, he did make it a point to stress that safety is a huge priority, which is why accidents have been kept to a minimum.

“All of this to say: that you do have to take care,” Reeves said. “But it’s great that everyone [on set] is watching out for each other. So there’s some bruising and aches and pains, but [imitates official PSA announcement] ‘No humans were harmed in the filming of this motion picture!’”

(Via Comic Book)

Last month, Jimin of BTS announced his debut solo album Face. The lead single “Set Me Free Pt. 2” got fans excited, and now the full album is available, along with an enthralling video for the track “Like Crazy.”

Fittingly, the singer went all-out for “Like Crazy,” having a fun time at a club. The video is colorful and invigorating, serving as the perfect visual accompaniment to the exuberant song.

About the video for “Set Me Free Pt. 2,” he previously said that he “tried to express the grand scale of the song and [the ideas of] determination, passion, and overcoming.” This video is similarly capturing that ambition and excitement, taking the music to the next level through cinematic scenes.

“BTS member Jimin will be releasing his first solo album Face,” the label, BigHit Music, shared in a statement upon the announcement of the record. “Face is all about Jimin facing himself head-on as he gets ready for his next step as a solo artist. Jimin will see the fans through various activities including the Face release, so we ask for your continued interest and support for Jimin’s first official solo activity.”

Watch the video for “Like Crazy” above.

Face is out now via BigHit. Find more information here.

Houston’s own Don Toliver has been announced as the halftime performer for the 2023 McDonald’s All-American Games. Taking place on Tuesday, March 28 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, the MCDAAGs are the premier showcase of amateur basketball talent in the nation outside of March Madness. Toliver will perform between halves during the boys’ game, while the Texas Southern University Ocean of Soul Marching Band will perform during the girls’ game.

In a press statement, Toliver said, “I’m ready to do my thing at the McDonald’s All-American Games halftime show. I have a lot of respect for how hard the players have worked to be at the top of their game, and it’s an honor to take center stage in my hometown where it all began for me.”

The rosters for the 2023 McDonald’s All-American Games were announced earlier this year and include names like Bronny James — the son of NBA All-Star LeBron James — and No. 1-ranked girls’ player Juju Watkins of Watts, California. You can check out both groups’ rosters below.

Boys Roster:

East

Omaha Biliew, Iowa State
Aaron Bradshaw, Kentucky
Matas Buzelis, G League Ignite
Stephon Castle, UConn
Justin Edwards, Kentucky
Kwame Evans Jr, Oregon
Aden Holloway, Auburn
Elmarko Jackson, Kansas
Mackenzie Mgbako, Duke
Sean Stewart, Duke
D.J. Wagner, Kentucky
Cody Williams, Colorado

West

Xavier Booker, Michigan State
Isaiah Collier, USC
Mookie Cook, Oregon
Baye Fall, Arkansas
Jeremy Fears, Michigan State
Brandon Garrison, Oklahoma State
Ron Holland, Texas
Bronny James, Undeclared
Jared McCain, Duke
Reed Sheppard, Kentucky
Andrej Stojacković, Stanford
Ja’Kobe Walter, Baylor

East

Zoe Brooks, NC State
Essence Cody, Alabama
Aalyah Del Rosario, LSU
Jadyn Donovan, Duke
Milaysia Fulwiley, South Carolina
Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame
Riley Nelson, Maryland
Courtney Ogden, Stanford
Laila Reynolds, Florida
Emma Risch, Notre Dame
Taliah Scott, Arkansas
Ashlynn Shade, UConn

West

Kamorea Arnold, UConn
Sofia Bell, Oregon
Madison Booker, Texas
Addy Brown, Iowa State
Breya Cunningham, Arizona
Kymora Johnson, Virginia
Tessa Johnson, South Carolina
Amanda Muse, UCLA
Juju Watkins, USC
Jada Williams, Arizona
Mikaylah Williams, LSU
Sahara Williams, Oklahoma

A lot has changed in the two-plus years since we last published our comprehensive best grilled chicken sandwiches ranking. More than half of the eleven sandwiches we reviewed straight up don’t exist anymore! It looks like the grilled chicken sandwich, like the salad, is a dying breed in the fast food universe. That’s unfortunate because even though the idea of a grilled sandwich doesn’t inspire salivation quite like the thought of a juicy fried chicken sandwich does, they’re actually pretty damn good. On top of that, they’re significantly healthier than their fried counterparts.

That leaves fewer options for the people who want the convenience of eating a sandwich but would rather not eat something deep-fried. So what happened, are people not interested in healthier fast food options? Or was the issue the sandwiches themselves?

We think maybe it was the sandwiches. The six that have been discontinued include Dairy Queen’s, Sonic’s, Arby’s, and the most painful for me personally, Wendy’s. A majority of these sandwiches weren’t very good to begin with — so even though there is less variety out there, it isn’t a total loss. Plus, a couple of new sandwiches have hit the scene.

Here is where you can find the best fast food grilled chicken sandwiches in 2023, ranked from least delicious to most.

11. Subway— The Great Garlic

Tasting Notes:

I cannot speak enough about how much I find this sandwich absolutely vile. The sandwich features rotisserie chicken (not technically grilled, but not fried so we’re counting it), bacon, provolone, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, and a creamy roasted garlic aioli, sounds great right? Well, it’s not. This sandwich has exactly one tasting note: garlic. It tastes so overwhelming that it’s inedible.

Roasting garlic is an art, you want it blistered and slightly caramelized, offering a flavor that has a touch of sweetness, floral and caramelized earthiness, and a noticeable depth. It’s supposed to elevate a dish, not drown it. This garlic aioli Subway serves is extremely bitter — which suggests it’s not roasted, it’s burnt.

The Bottom Line:

It sounds good, but if you order this, ditch that garlic aioli and replace it with one of Subway’s other sauces, like the Baja Chipotle.

Find your nearest Subway here.

10. Subway — Mexicali

Tasting Notes:

Again, this isn’t grilled chicken, it’s rotisserie (Subway seems to have discontinued grilled chicken in any of their signature sandwiches), and it’s not even tender juicy rotisserie chicken — it’s dry and stringy.

We’ll grade the chicken for you — it gets an ‘F,’ and everything else about this sandwich misses the mark as well.

Mexican food, and I’m totally biased here, is the best food on earth. The flavors are rich, complex, and excite the palate as they dance across your tastebuds. The Mexicali has none of that. There is avocado, which is great, but everything else about this sandwich is bland. Lettuce? Why not cilantro? Tomatoes? Okay, but how about jalapeños? Why is this sandwich so lacking in flavor?

The only saving grace is the Baja chipotle sauce, which tastes fine, but… I mean why not just have some sort of salsa? Do you know how many people would order their sandwich with salsa if it was an option?

In short: Subway makes me so f*cking mad.

The Bottom Line:

Run away from Subway, find your nearest taqueria, and order a f*cking torta.

Find your nearest Subway here.

9. Jack in the Box — Sourdough Grilled Chicken Club

Tasting Notes:

It hurts me to rank this one near the bottom of the list, but Jack in the Box could do better so I’m going to call them out! A few elements of this sandwich absolutely work, the sourdough bread is great, it’s airy and chewy, and adds a nice subtle sour tinge to each bite. The filet is fine, it’s not as juicy and tender as I want it to be, but the flavor is good enough…

It’s everything else about this sandwich that misses the mark.

It’s smeared with mayo, which is fine if not a bit unimaginative, but the lettuce is inedible, it’s dry and flavorless, the tomatoes aren’t as juicy as the press photo would suggest, and the bacon is too thin to really make an impact. The Swiss cheese, excuse me ‘Swiss-style cheese,’ adds a bit of nuttiness to the flavor, but mostly just tastes like some kind of altered American cheese and doesn’t really compliment the other flavors of this sandwich.

You can make a few improvements yourself — skip the mayo and douse this thing in either Jack’s BBQ, Ranch, Honey Mustard or my personal favorite, Frank’s Red Hot.

The Bottom Line:

It just needs a few tweaks and it can be a significantly better sandwich. Hopefully, Jack in the Box makes those tweaks rather than straight out discontinuing it.

Find your nearest Jack in the Box here.

8. Chick-fil-A — Grilled Chicken Sandwich

Tasting Notes:

If you’re a big Chick-fil-A fan this one is going to feel like it’s ranked very low, and it is, but Chick-fil-A offers much better grilled chicken sandwich and this one is just a bit too bare bones to rank any higher for us. This sandwich features a grilled chicken filet on top of tomatoes, green leaf lettuce, and a toasted multigrain bun. That’s it!

The chicken is delicious, it has a balance between charred flavors with some brightness from lemon and a floral herbal flavor, it’s some of the best seasoned grilled chicken in all of fast food, but it’s dry like the desert. Yes, you can fix that by choosing your favorite Chick-fil-A sauce and dipping it or smearing it on the top bun, but that’s not how the sandwich comes, so we have to take it and rank it as it is. Ultimately, it tastes too empty to rank any higher.

The Bottom Line:

Delicious chicken, poor construction.

Find your nearest Chick-fil-A here.

7. Carl’s Jr — Charbroiled BBQ Chicken Sandwich

Tasting Notes:

We’re officially in the category of grilled chicken sandwiches that taste good. I don’t have any notes of improvement for Carl’s Jr’s Charbroiled BBQ Chicken, it’s a solid grilled chicken sandwich that is worth ordering if you love BBQ sauce.

Carl’s Jr has some of the best BBQ sauce in the game, it’s tangy, smokey, sweet, and obliterates the dry texture you’re going to get with a charbroiled chicken breast filet. The chicken has a great flavor, I’m tasting salt, black pepper, and that delicious charred flavor, but as a result of the cooking method, it’s a bit dry. Trust me, the BBQ remedies that.

Rounding on the sandwich is tomato and lettuce and while the lettuce is low quality offering more texture than flavor, the tomatoes are deliciously juicy and ripe, bringing brightness to counteract the darker smokey flavors.

The Bottom Line:

If you love BBQ sauce, this is your sandwich!

Find your nearest Carl’s Jr here.

6. Carl’s Jr — Charbroiled Chicken Club

Tasting Notes:

It’s the same chicken that’s in the Charbroiled BBQ so it’s good, juicy, charred, and flavorful, and the build here is much better. You’ve got smokey notes from the bacon, a nice infusion of salty and creamy Swiss cheese, and a buttery brioche bun that is soft and easy to chew through. Here is the thing though, instead of BBQ sauce you get mayo, which is fine but… this sandwich would taste better with BBQ.

Why isn’t bacon on the Charbroiled BBQ sandwich? Bacon and BBQ is an unbeatable combination!

While the rule here is to take these sandwiches as they come, I’m going to rank the Charbroiled Chicken Club just a bit higher than the BBQ because I think the addition of bacon and cheese makes this a more satisfying sandwich. But between you and me, switch out that mayo for BBQ.

The Bottom Line:

Bacon, chicken, cheese, what’s not to love? (The mayo, mostly.)

Find your nearest Carl’s Jr here.

5. Panera — Signature Take Chicken Sandwich

Tasting Notes:

Last year Panera unveiled two new chicken sandwiches and they instantly shot up our favorites list. This sandwich is simple, it features a seared chicken breast filet (not technically grilled but we’re counting it) atop a layer of slightly bitter and earthy greens, parmesan crisps, and a garlic aioli sauce-smeared brioche bun. It’s simple, direct, and delicious.

The chicken is tender with a sort of citrusy zest to it and the parmesan crisps, while not particularly flavorful, add a great textural mouthfeel. The garlic aioli is fragrant and savory and elevates the dish. Subway take note — this is how you make garlic aioli!

By searing the chicken, Panera has managed to offer a nice semi-crispy crust to the meat, giving you a similar texture to fried chicken without the crunch. It’s an all-around winner and definitely worth seeking out if you haven’t given Panera a try.

The Bottom Line:

Simple and delicious, Panera offers one of the best-tasting and newest non-fried chicken sandwiches in the fast food space.

Find your nearest Panera here.

4. Carl’s Jr — Charbroiled Santa Fe Chicken Sandwich

Tasting Notes:

I have a bone to pick with Carl’s Jr. This sandwich used to be served on a honey wheat bun and it added a sweet element to the flavor profile that really helped to make this one of my favorite grilled chicken sandwiches, but somewhere over the past two years Carl’s Jr has gotten cheap and dropped the honey wheat bun and replaced it with brioche. It changes the flavor profile, and while it’s still good, I can’t help but miss the old sandwich.

Two things make this sandwich delicious, the Santa Fe Sauce, which tastes like a savory blend of mayo, smokey paprika, earthy curry powder, and a hint of cayenne on the backend to give it a spicy lift, and the mild green chili. More chicken sandwiches need a giant chili in them!

This chili isn’t hot, at all, if you’re looking for spice, look elsewhere, but what it does provide is a nice earthy, vegetal, and smokey top note to the sandwich that makes each bite a true pleasure. There is a delicious medley of natural flavors here, and on top of that you’ve got salty American cheese, and that char-broiled chicken. I rarely say this about any sandwich but: ditch the cheese, you don’t need it.

The Bottom Line:

One of the most interesting and flavorful chicken sandwiches in all of fast food. The green chili here really brings something fresh and interesting to the fast food space.

Find your nearest Carl’s Jr here.

3. Chick-fil-A — Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich With Pepper Jack Cheese

Tasting Notes:

The fact that this sandwich exists makes Chick-fil-A’s other grilled chicken sandwich just seem sad in comparison. Joining the tender lemon and herb-marinated chicken are a few strips of smokey bacon, and a layer of cheese (your choice of Colby Jack, American, or Pepper Jack). My suggestion is the pepper jack — it’s creamy, slightly sweet, and adds a small kick of spice to this already delicious medley of flavors.

Like all Chick-fil-A sandwiches, this thing comes sauceless, which is fine. It’s delicious even without sauce, but Chick-fil-A suggests you eat this with some Honey Roasted BBQ and we agree — it strengthens the smokey notes of the bacon and pairs excellently with the citrus-marinated flavor of the meat. I’m going to suggest you try it with Polynesian as well. The Polynesian adds a touch of sweet and sour flavors that help to take your taste buds on a journey, and that’s what good fast food should do.

The Bottom Line:

Hands down, Chick-fil-A’s chicken filet is the best in all of fast food. If you’re looking for the best chicken, this is your sandwich. But if you’d like something a bit more inventive, there are two more sandwiches we think you should try.

Find your nearest Chick-fil-A here.

2. Panera — Spicy Take Chicken Sandwich

Tasting Notes:

Grilled chicken is marketed as a healthier fast food option, and smartly so, but Panera’s Spicy Take chicken sandwich looks at that marketing, and goes in the exact opposite direction. Guess what? It works! Featuring a seasoned and seared chicken doused in a spicy buffalo sauce, this sandwich sports a double smearing of garlic aioli and a layer of thin cut crispy fried pickles. The result is an explosion of flavor that shifts from spicy and sweet, to floral and rich, with an earthy tang and a satisfying crunch.

This sandwich is executed perfectly and on top of that, you have the opportunity to add bacon and avocado. If that came stock on the sandwich, forget it, this easily gets the number one spot, but it doesn’t, so we have to give the crown to the same sandwich we gave it to back in 2021.

The Bottom Line:

A must order, we never thought we’d say this but: get to a Panera as quickly as possible and try this sandwich!

Find your nearest Panera here.

1. The Habit — Grilled Chicken Club

Tasting Notes:

The Habit absolutely nails its chicken sandwich. There is an attention to craft here that the other sandwiches on this list just can’t match. The chicken is hand-filleted, offering something that isn’t quite as thick as the other filleted breasts on this list, meaning the chicken is juicer and more tender. It’s well-marinated and perfectly seasoned, offering hints of bright lemon and earthy black pepper with each bite.

The idea of a thinner piece of chicken might not sound great to you, I get that, but remember that attention to craft I was talking about? The Habit anticipated that and added a layer of crispy bacon to the sandwich, which more than makes up for the thinner cut of meat, and on top of all of that, is a layer of freshly cut seasoned avocado, adding a creamy butteriness to this sandwich in both flavor and texture. It is sandwich perfection!

The sandwich has mayo on it too, just to make sure it doesn’t come across as too dry, but it doesn’t need it at all, so if you’re looking to cut calories, look there! Everything in this sandwich is absolutely on point, and then it’s served on some of the best, airy but chewy perfectly toasted sourdough in all of fast food.

Let me make one thing clear — I think The Habit makes mid-tier burgers, so if you share that view and you’re reading this thinking “this can’t be possible,” trust me: try the sandwich, it’ll change your mind.

The Bottom Line:

The only fast food restaurant where the grilled chicken sandwich is better than both the burger and fried chicken sandwich. This is fast food’s greatest chicken sandwich, easily.

Find your nearest The Habit here.