Over the years, Jason Isbell has been open about his journey with addiction. Now, he’s celebrating a major milestone on that front: he’s been sober for ten years, which he revealed on Twitter.
Last night, Isbell shared a photo of a tattoo on his right forearm, of ten tally marks, and wrote, “Ten years sober.” Ryley Walker, who has discussed his own struggles with addiction, asked, “How did you do it?” Isbell responded, “A conscious effort to be as grateful as possible, and the luck of having good people around me. Then eventually I started spending my addiction money on guitars and it got a bit easier.” Walker then offered a pat on the back, responding, “Good work homie.”
A conscious effort to be as grateful as possible, and the luck of having good people around me. Then eventually I started spending my addiction money on guitars and it got a bit easier.
In a 2020 interview with Uproxx, Isbell explained how being sober has impacted his creativity, saying, “When it came time to write Southeastern, I didn’t have anything else to do. I was sober and I didn’t have any kids and my day was my own. I had a lot of space to fill and I filled it by just sitting there writing, and working really hard on each individual lyric, and trying to make everything as perfect as I could. So when I went into the studio with that, I went in with a bomb strapped to my chest.”
In a 2019 Uproxx interview, Walker discussed what life on the road is like while sober, saying, “I have a routine now because before tour was about no routine. Tour was about, ‘Hey, let’s see what trouble we can get in. Let’s let our feet do the walking instead of our brains doing the thinking.’ I was always led by vibe. Now, the vibe is: I’m going to do this for my own benefit for once, instead of trying to impress anybody else by how much cocaine I can shove up my nose in one evening. I just go to a meeting every day. I used to look for crazy people like me in dive bars and now I look for crazy people like me in recovery meetings.”
The Super Bowl lands in LA this Sunday, February 13th at SoFi Stadium. If LA wasn’t already going to be a mad house, the fact that one of its home teams is playing adds a whole other level of excitement to the already buzzing city. Between loyal LA Rams fans, Bengals super fans in town from Cincinnati, and the die-hard football fanatics flying in from all around the United States, it’s safe to say things will be pretty damn insane in the country’s second largest city during America’s most-watched game of the year.
If you’re heading to LA for the momentous weekend full of football, beer, and rowdy, jersey-wearing fans but you don’t have game tickets, read on. I’m sharing where to celebrate and watch Super Bowl LVI, including the best sports bars in the city along with the most epic Super Bowl weekend events.
SPORTS BARS
Busby’s West — Santa Monica
Busby
Busby’s West is personally one of my favorite sports bars in the city — I’ve spent scores of Saturdays here watching my beloved Oregon Ducks (scooooo Ducks!) play. What looks like a dive bar from the outside is actually an incredibly spacious sports bar, with several rooms and lounge areas, TVs everywhere you turn (50 TVs total), and three bars. No matter what games are going on, you’re sure to find a lively crowd at Busby’s — so I can only imagine what it’s going to be like during Super Bowl weekend.
As far as bar food goes, Busby’s is some of the best I’ve had. They serve your classic greasy favorites like nachos, wings, pizza, and burgers, but they also have vegan options available upon request. There’s no shortage of beer at Busby’s (an essential for watching the Super Bowl), but they also offer a selection of signature cocktails. I recommend the “Sage Against the Machine,” a mixture of Botanist Gin, St. Germaine elderflower liquor, lime juice, sage, and cucumber.
I never thought I would say “trendy” and “sports bar” in the same sentence, but that’s the best way to describe 40 Love. The bar’s interior is designed with sophisticated wood paneling, while the patio is filled with chic white brick and greenery that make it feel more like you’re walking into an exclusive country club. Instead of posh, polo-wearing country club members, you get tipsy sports fans cheering at the property’s 25 flat-screen TVs.
Just like the general ambiance of 40 Love, the menu is more elevated than your usual sports bar grub — don’t worry, chicken wings and loaded nachos are still on the menu. But it’s hard not to opt for crab cake sliders, caviar with potato chips, and wagyu hotdogs when you see such elevated comfort food on the menu. As for drinks, you can order from the draft beer selection, the wine list, or the selection of signature cocktails.
If you’re flying out to LA for Super Bowl weekend and don’t want to miss out on the classic California beach experience, head to BREWCO in Manhattan Beach. It offers everything you love about a classic sports joint — 10 flat-screen TVs, memorabilia, tasty pub-style food — but with the added luxury of an ocean view.
BREWCO’s beer and whiskey menus go above and beyond. They offer a selection of 48 unique rotating taps and over 50 beers by the bottle. It’s also got a whiskey library with over 130 Premium bottles. Whether you opt for a brewski or an old fashioned during the game (or both), you’re sure to find drinks to your liking.
Peruse BREWCO’s dining menu and rotating craft beers menus here.
Berkshire House — Mid City
Berkshire House
Berkshire House is like a cocktail lounge and sports bar hybrid. It’s got some swanky velvet-lined decor and leather furniture, but the classy ambiance doesn’t mean it’s not a lively and jam-packed spot to watch the Super Bowl. There’s a TV visible from every table and plenty of beer to keep the good vibes flowing, even if your team is losing.
The drinks menu serves a variety of draft beers, an extensive selection of whiskeys, as well as the various spirits and cocktails you’d expect to find at any bar. The Berkshire House’s specialty is authentic NYC-style pizza, so you’re definitely going to want to get one (of every kind) for the table.
Barney’s Beanery is a long-time favorite sports bar among local Angelenos. So much so that it now has five different locations throughout the city — West Hollywood, Santa Monica, Pasadena, Burbank, and Westwood. The original West Hollywood location opened its doors more than a century ago, in 1920, and it’s been a welcoming hub for sports, booze, and good times ever since.
Barney’s Beanery has a full bar with over 40 beers on draft, as well as a food menu packed with all the traditional game-day fixins like hot wings, mac ‘n’ cheese wedges, signature burgers, and various pizza options. And make sure to try the famous three-bean chili!
Learn more about the legendary Barney’s Beanery here.
SUPER BOWL WEEKEND EVENTS
Bullseye Event Group Presents The Players Tailgate
Bullseye Event Group
If you want to be immersed in all the game-day action without actually going to the game, you’re going to want to attend the 2022 Players Tailgate. Starting on February 13th at 11 a.m., the event is located near SoFi Stadium at the Hollywood Park Casino property. It’s an open-air venue that’ll come complete with red carpets to make you feel like you’re one with the stars.
Speaking of stars, there will be 50 active NFL players and celebrities in attendance, including the tailgate’s host and celebrity chef for the event, Guy Fieri. He’ll be serving crispy fried all-natural tenders with his signature sauce bar. The tailgate will also feature tasty eats from eight more renowned chefs — serving everything from king crab and fresh oysters to brisket short rib burgers and a boozy ice cream sundae bar.
Purchase tickets for the 2022 Players Tailgate here.
Sports Illustrated The Party
Sports Illustrated
Start Super Bowl weekend with a night of music and dancing at Sports Illustrated The Party‘s epic kick-off event. The legendary sports magazine is joining forces with Palm Tree Crew to bring together some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment the night before the big game, February 12th, at Century Park.
The event will feature musical performances by Kygo, Jack Harlow, Frank Walker, David Solomon, and DJ Irie. With the incredible shows combined with a neverending stream of Patrón Tequila (the official tequila partner of the event), you’re sure to have an unforgettable (but slightly forgotten) good time.
Purchase tickets for Sports Illustrated The Party here.
If you want to experience Downtown LA’s Crypto.com Arena while rocking the hell out at concerts by your favorite music artists, get yourself some tickets to the Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest. The three-night festival, happening February 10th through 12th, is the perfect way to start your Super Bowl weekend in LA. Performers include Halsey, Machine Gun Kelly, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, Green Day, and Miley Cyrus. Yeah, it’s going to be a downright good time.
Get tickets to the Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest here.
Shaq continues to amaze. The pro basketball-player-turned-house-music-DJ is throwing a Super Bowl bash that sounds more fun than the game itself. Shaq’s Fun House is going down at The Shrine on February 11th. The over-the-top, carnival-themed rager will include performances by the man himself, DJ Diesel, as well as Lil Wayne, Zedd, and Diplo.
In addition to the live music, the event will feature classic carnival games, food courtesy of some of LA’s most popular restaurants, and six hours of an open bar — all of which are included in your ticket!
For the ultimate football fanatics, the NFL Super Bowl Experience is from February 10th to February 12th at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
At the event, attendees can get autographs from current and former NFL players, play games like a 40-yard dash contest, attend youth football clinics, shop NFL merchandise, snag photos with the Vince Lombardi Trophy, and check out an exclusive display that showcases all 55 Super Bowl rings.
Buy tickets to the NFL Super Bowl Experience here.
Alexa has made life easier, but it’s also made it creepier. The smart voice assistant is always listening (and always ready to put Frosted Flakes in your shopping cart because you mentioned the words “sugar” and “cereal” once four months ago). For the seventh consecutive year, Amazon will attempt to humanize the robot eavesdropper with a knowing Super Bowl commercial.
Last year, it was Michael B. Jordan. This year, it’s Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost. It’s like Alexa can “read your mind,” the real-life married couple say at the same time in the spot above. What follows is a mini-Black Mirror episode, with Alexa suggesting they order fresh mint mouthwash when Jost smells Johansson’s breath in the morning, and setting a reminder for the Staten Island ferry owner to fake his own death on the day that her play opens. Ultimately, they agree that it’s better for Alexa to not read minds.
One unique aspect of this particular ad is that Jost, an SNL writer, contributed to the script, although Bodily noted writing ads and comedy sketches are slightly different skill sets.
“Colin would come up with something and the team on our side would be like, ‘OK, that’s really funny, but how do we get that into a 90-second ad?’” [Louise Bodily, business director of Lucky Generals] says. “So it was really, really interesting but something that we haven’t done before on the set of a Super Bowl ad.”
The “Mind Reader” ad will air during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game, at which point Alexa will automatically order you a copy of We Bought a Zoo on DVD.
Euphoriajust delivered its Uncut Gems-style episode, taking fans on a wild, unpredictable run that left us with a serious case of emotional whiplash.
Of course, we’ve got about a week to stew on all the insane plot twists thrown our way in Season 2, Episode 5‘s “Stand Still Like The Humming Bird,” but fans are already theorizing on what’s next for the show’s most at-risk characters. We’ve rounded up some of the more intriguing theories about where the show is heading in the back-half of its season, and we feel it’s only fair to warn you now: If you thought watching Rue’s withdrawal-fueled downward spiral was hard to watch, buckle in because things are going from bad to worse.
Here are the best Euphoria fan theories we’ve seen after episode five.
HBO
Maddy’s Got “The Tape,” And She’s Going To Use It: The tape — yes, that tape — hasn’t really been mentioned much this season save for a passing comment by Nate after his dad questioned him about that brutal confrontation with Fez. Nate revealed he knew Cal was sleeping with Jules, leading his dad to believe Nate had the secret tape he filmed during his hotel rendezvous with the teen. Of course, Nate doesn’t have the tape anymore — Maddy took it when they were still together. It’s likely she’s watched the thing but before now, the possibility of her using it against Nate seemed fairly low. She’s friends with Jules after all and, unlike most of the other kids on this show, Maddy’s actually a decent human being. That said, she’s also out for revenge after learning her best friend has been boinking her ex-boyfriend behind her back. That level of betrayal can push even the saintliest of women to do terrible things. In the promo for episode six, Maddy can be heard threatening to literally kill Cassie — which, fair — but she ominously hints that she’s got other plans for Nate before the camera cuts to the burned CD. Someone warn Jules, please.
HBO
Nate Will Hold Maddy At Gunpoint: Again, this sex tape is causing all kinds of trouble in next week’s episode. In the promo, a very determined Nate can be seen working out and prepping himself to do something … serious. He warns someone he’s “not going to apologize” and though the camera pans to Cassie’s face when he says this, the background of the scene looks to be in Maddy’s room — the pink, floral wallpaper is pretty recognizable. There are also clips of Maddy crying along with a shot of the gun next to the CD, both sitting on what looks like a leather car seat. So, here’s the theory: Nate is going to threaten Maddy to get the tape back. Some fans think the only reason Nate was trying to get back into Maddy’s good graces is because he wanted video but now that that bridge is burned, he’s going to take drastic measures.
HBO
Nate And Jules Will Reconcile:Euphoria’s second season seems to be obsessed with the idea of redemption, especially for its problematic white men. They’ve spent a lot of time diving into Cal’s journey as a closeted gay man, and Nate has morphed from a violent abuser of women to a more quietly-menacing lovesick idiot. In the latest promo, Jules can be heard asking if someone can “became a good person.” The assumption is that she’s talking to Rue, who seems to be trying to get clean again, but she could also be talking to Nate. Jacob Elordi posted a photo of himself and Hunter Schafer in the front seat of Nate’s car. Could Nate be returning the tape to Jules and trying to make amends for how terribly he treated her in season one?
HBO
Fez Is In Trouble: There are no new glimpses of Fez or Ashtray in the promo for episode six but we do see a shot of Faye taking out the trash at Fez’s house. Faye’s staying there to avoid attention from the police after pushing that hotel manager off the balcony which means she’s been observing everything going on in that house in the background. She knows about Mouse’s murder. She knows about Fez dealing drugs. And just a couple of episodes ago, her boyfriend Custer came to Fez freaked out because Mouse’s baby mama was asking questions. Fez has a lot of heat on him right now coming from many different sides and it feels like his storyline is a bit of a ticking time bomb. Sorry Lezco fans.
Over the weekend, Pearl Jam seemingly responded to some criticism from Mötley Crüe’s Nikki Sixx, but the story actually starts a few days ago.
In late January, in an interview with The New York Times Magazine, Eddie Vedder expressed his disdain for Mötley Crüe, saying, “You know, I used to work in San Diego loading gear at a club. I’d end up being at shows that I wouldn’t have chosen to go to — bands that monopolized late-’80s MTV. The metal bands that — I’m trying to be nice — I despised. ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’ and Mötley Crüe: [expletive] you. I hated it. I hated how it made the fellas look. I hated how it made the women look. It felt so vacuous.”
A couple days ago, Sixx caught wind of the Vedder quote and took to Twitter to respond, writing, “Made me laugh today reading how much the singer in Pearl Jam hated @MotleyCrue. Now considering that they’re one of the most boring bands in history it’s kind of a compliment isn’t it?”
A fan responded with a joke about Pearl Jam’s music being boring enough to put babies to sleep, to which Sixx replied, “Or just sing to the baby with marbles In your mouth…Very zen.” Then, in response to a user who didn’t love Sixx’s Pearl Jam criticism, he tweeted, “You’ll be fine. Remember there were zillions of brown haired bands for brown haired fans…..Go find them. You will know them by the bored look on their face”
Made me laugh today reading how much the singer in Pearl Jam hated @MotleyCrue. Now considering that they’re one of the most boring bands in history it’s kind of a compliment isn’t it?#TheStadiumTour#RocknRoll
You’ll be fine. Remember there were zillions of brown haired bands for brown haired fans…..Go find them. You will know them by the bored look on their face
Pearl Jam latched onto Sixx calling their fans “bored” and used it against him yesterday, when they shared a 40-second video from one of their concerts, which shows an excited and participatory crowd that doesn’t seem to include any bored folks. “We [love] our bored fans,” the band wrote alongside the clip.
In the waning days of Donald Trump’s presidency, he still made time (despite the mounting pandemic) to sing the praises of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. He actually tweeted to deny reports that the dictator was ailing and added, “Never underestimate him!” It was the latest in a weird saga that included Trump claiming to have received a series of “love letters” between the two world leaders. Bob Woodward’s Rage book reported how dozens of these letters existed, and now, the Washington Postfurther confirms their existence, given that they were in a pile of documents seized from Trump’s Mar-A-Lago resort in Florida.
That’s wild, of course, given that Trump bragged about those letters for years, going back to a 2018 rally in West Virginia, where he called the letters “beautiful.” From WaPo, yup, these letters totally exist, and “boxes” of the correspondence exist, among the other documents that Trump chose to cart off to Mar-A-Lago, rather than turn them into the National Archives and Records Administration as required, since these are officially “Presidential records,” as defined by the Presidential Records Act.
What’s even more disturbing, however, is that the “love letters” were only some of the recovered documents, which also apparently included documents related to the January 6 failed MAGA coup. Those documents were reportedly put into the hands of the House Select Committee on Jan. 6, according to Axios. In other words, the “love letters” are highly amusing, but Trump carted a whole lot of presidential business away to his private residence after leaving office.
Previously, the Washington Post also relayed how (via Bob Woodward’s Rage book) Trump was so excited about Kim respecting him, and that Trump bragged about how “Kim ‘tells me everything,’ including a graphic account of Kim having his uncle killed.”
“Hi, I’m Johnny Knoxville, welcome to the number one movie in the country.”
Jackass Forever made underwater fart history to the top of the box office this weekend after earning $23.5 million on a reported $10 million budget. It’s only the second time since early December that a movie other than Spider-Man: No Way Home finished in first place; the other was Scream. This is a win for everyone who enjoys the theatrical experience, full frontal male nudity (SO much nudity), and guys named Poopies.
Ticket buyers were overwhelmingly male at 68%, while 25% were over the age of 35 and 67% were between 18 and 34. “In a business that doesn’t surprise all that often, it’s sure nice to know that surprises — good ones — can still happen,” says Chris Aronson, Paramount’s president of domestic distribution. “I was heartened by the percentage of moviegoers over 35. Who knew?”
Jackass Forever has an 85 percent “Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, compared to 49 percent for 2002’s Jackass, 64 percent for 2006’s Jackass: Number Two, and 66 percent for 2010’s Jackass 3. That’s what we call societal growth, folks.
In a glowing review, our own Vince Mancini wrote, “Did we really need for this Jackass to be the ‘best Jackass ever?’ This merely reveals the basic truth that Jackass is still Jackass‘s only competition. I was more than content for the new Jackass to merely be what Jackass has always been: a good hang.”
What was your favorite Jackass Forever stunt? I’m partial to “Vomitron.”
HomeState, the LA-area TexMex joint known for their popular “Band Taco” benefit partnerships with Southern California groups like Chicano Batman and Tijuana Panthers, just launched a new creation with the pride of Fort Worth, Texas, Leon Bridges. It makes sense, considering owner Briana Valdez grew up in Texas and launched her Los Angeles taco, queso, and margarita emporiums to share the flavors of the lone star state with Angeleños.
Known as “The Ft. Worth,” Bridges’ taco is made with spicy achiote chicken, Beeler’s bacon, lettuce, pico de gallo, tomatillo ranch, and pickled jalapeños, on a flour tortilla. $1.25 of each taco sold goes directly to two organizations: CASA LA, which advocates for children and families in LA County’s child welfare and juvenile justice systems, and The Big Good, a North Texas-based organization started by Bridges, that supports educational and professional opportunities for the community.
“I was super excited to create a taco that reminds me of my hometown Fort Worth, and be able to raise funds for The Big Good to boot,” Bridges said in a statement. “I hope people pull up with my taco, queso, and margs and just vibe.”
“The Ft. Worth” is available at all four HomeState locations in the Los Angeles area now until the end of April.
When Spotify employees clock into work on Monday morning, they’re going to have a bold letter to digest from CEO Daniel Ek. In a message sent to the entire “Spotify Team” on Sunday, Ek addressed the mounting controversy surrounding The Joe Rogan Experience. This began when Neil Young decided to pull his music from the platform on January 24th, citing the COVID vaccine misinformation that Rogan regularly purveys on his show. Other artists soon followed suit, including India.Arie, who cited Rogan’s problematic language surrounding race and posted a damning clip on her Instagram Story three days ago, of multiple instances where Rogan used a racial slur on his show.
“I do not believe that silencing Joe is the answer,” Ek said in his letter, which was obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. “We should have clear lines around content and take action when they are crossed, but canceling voices is a slippery slope. Looking at the issue more broadly, it’s critical thinking and open debate that powers real and necessary progress.”
Ek also tried to illustrate that Spotify is not the publisher of The Joe Rogan Experience, but are merely the exclusive license holders — a license that Spotify acquired for that $100 million figure that keeps popping up. He referred to the notion that people assume that the streaming platform is the publisher of the show as merely the “perception” of it, which gave his lengthy letter an odd public relations feel, as if he’s being open with a divided staff about a damage control situation. “…I’ve been wrestling with how this perception squares with our values,” he said.
To that point, the most impactful portion of the letter was Ek pledging $100 million to elevate creators from historically marginalized groups. “If we believe in having an open platform as a core value of the company, then we must also believe in elevating all types of creators, including those from underrepresented communities and a diversity of backgrounds,” he said. “I am committing to an incremental investment of $100 million for the licensing, development, and marketing of music (artists and songwriters) and audio content from historically marginalized groups.”
There are no words I can say to adequately convey how deeply sorry I am for the way The Joe Rogan Experience controversy continues to impact each of you. Not only are some of Joe Rogan’s comments incredibly hurtful — I want to make clear that they do not represent the values of this company. I know this situation leaves many of you feeling drained, frustrated and unheard.
I think it’s important you’re aware that we’ve had conversations with Joe and his team about some of the content in his show, including his history of using some racially insensitive language. Following these discussions and his own reflections, he chose to remove a number of episodes from Spotify. He also issued his own apology over the weekend.
While I strongly condemn what Joe has said and I agree with his decision to remove past episodes from our platform, I realize some will want more. And I want to make one point very clear — I do not believe that silencing Joe is the answer. We should have clear lines around content and take action when they are crossed, but canceling voices is a slippery slope. Looking at the issue more broadly, it’s critical thinking and open debate that powers real and necessary progress.
Another criticism that I continue to hear from many of you is that it’s not just about The Joe Rogan Experience on Spotify; it comes down to our direct relationship with him. In last week’s Town Hall, I outlined to you that we are not the publisher of JRE. But perception due to our exclusive license implies otherwise. So I’ve been wrestling with how this perception squares with our values.
If we believe in having an open platform as a core value of the company, then we must also believe in elevating all types of creators, including those from underrepresented communities and a diversity of backgrounds. We’ve been doing a great deal of work in this area already but I think we can do even more. So I am committing to an incremental investment of $100 million for the licensing, development, and marketing of music (artists and songwriters) and audio content from historically marginalized groups. This will dramatically increase our efforts in these areas. While some might want us to pursue a different path, I believe that more speech on more issues can be highly effective in improving the status quo and enhancing the conversation altogether.
I deeply regret that you are carrying so much of this burden. I also want to be transparent in setting the expectation that in order to achieve our goal of becoming the global audio platform, these kinds of disputes will be inevitable. For me, I come back to centering on our mission of unlocking the potential of human creativity and enabling more than a billion people to enjoy the work of what we think will be more than 50 million creators. That mission makes these clashes worth the effort.
I’ve told you several times over the last week, but I think it’s critical we listen carefully to one another and consider how we can and should do better. I’ve spent this time having lots of conversations with people inside and outside of Spotify — some have been supportive while others have been incredibly hard, but all of them have made me think.
One of the things I am thinking about is what additional steps we can take to further balance creator expression with user safety. I’ve asked our teams to expand the number of outside experts we consult with on these efforts and look forward to sharing more details.
Your passion for this company and our mission has made a difference in the lives of so many listeners and creators around the world. I hope you won’t lose sight of that. It’s that ability to focus and improve Spotify even on some of our toughest days that has helped us build the platform we have. We have a clear opportunity to learn and grow together from this challenge and I am ready to meet it head on.
I know it is difficult to have these conversations play out so publicly, and I continue to encourage you to reach out to your leaders, your HR partners or me directly if you need support or resources for yourself or your team.
Okay, perhaps doughnuts aren’t the first pastry that comes to mind when you think about February 14th, but that didn’t stop Krispy Kreme from unloading a whole line of heart-shaped Valentine’s Day themed doughnuts in celebration of the day, and you know what? We’re not mad at it. We’ve never needed a reason to eat a doughnut before. Heart-shaped, star-shaped, a giant doughnut in the shape of a turkey for Thanksgiving — whatever, fuck it, we’re always down for fried dough.
For a limited time, Krispy Kreme is offering the four adorable heart-shaped doughnuts that you can purchase alone or as a dozen, sold in a valentine card-themed box. But before you drop down the big bucks on a box and send them to your valentine, you’re probably going to want to know if they’re any good. So we tried all four of them to see whether grabbing the dozen is the move, or you’re better off just sticking with the best of the bunch.
Here are our thoughts on each doughnut, from worst to best. Let’s dunk!
Bee Mine
Dane Rivera
Is it possible for a doughnut to be too sweet? Had I been asked this question before I tried Krispy Kreme’s Bee Mine doughnut, I would’ve confidently said ‘no,’ but after tasting this… I’m not so sure. I think this might be too sweet, fam.
I know you don’t want to hear that because I mean look at this doughnut, it’s fucking adorable. I get that, but it’s too much. The Bee Mine is filled with strawberry cream filling and topped with thick candy-like red icing. Artificial strawberry on its own is sweet enough as it is, but when mixed with Krispy Kreme’s ultra-sweet ‘Kreme’ filling it becomes way too overwhelming.
Of the whole lineup, this was my least favorite — as adorable as it is. It’s sickly sweet.
The Bottom Line:
Love bombing in food form. It’s just too much.
My Batter Half
Dane Rivera
As the name would suggest, this doughnut has a birthday cake-like quality to it courtesy of a healthy injection of cake batter filling. However, unlike the Bee Mine, the My Batter Half’s simpler flavors are more complimentary.
The pink-icing-cake-batter-filling combo does bring a lot of sweetness to the palate, but the texture of the red, pink, and white heart sprinkles does a lot to keep the experience from tasting too overwhelming like the Bee Mine. Yes, the sprinkles are sweetened too, obviously, but the added texture kind of mutes the intensity of the cream filling’s sugariness.
The Bottom Line:
A step up from the Bee Mine, but a little too sweet for this Goldilocks’s palate.
Cookies To My Kreme
Dane Rivera
Goddamn, this is good. This doughnut single-handedly makes the whole concept of these themed-doughnuts work. Featuring a white icing glaze with a chocolate drizzle and cookies and cream filling, this doughnut takes everything good from the previous two doughnuts and actually makes it work.
It’s got texture, thanks to a mix of soft and hard sugar sprinkles as well as the tiny granules of Oreo-like cookies in the house-made cream filling, which also helps to deliver the sweetness offered in the other two cream-filled doughnuts.
The Bottom Line:
If you (or your Valentine) are all about the cream-filled doughnuts this one is going to offer you the best experience. It has a great texture and a nice balance of sweet flavors that take you through notes of cream, cookie, and chocolate.
Beary Best Valentine
Dane Rivera
Here we are at the top. Now, I might be a bit biased on this one because I prefer non-cream-filled doughnuts to their cream-filled counterparts but hear me out, this is the ideal way to experience the best of both worlds.
Instead of injecting this heart-shaped, bear-faced doughnut with sweet cream, Krispy Kreme opted to place dollops on the face of the doughnut. This allows you to perfectly distribute how much cream you want in every bite, or, you know just remove the cream entirely.
I’m not sure why throughout this line of new flavors Krispy Kreme felt like going light on the chocolate (and the sprinkles) but I think that was a major misstep. Valentine’s Day and chocolate are synonymous, so why is this the only doughnut that delivers on the flavor?
The Bottom Line:
Skip the dozen, just buy one of these. It is by far the best Valentine’s Day doughnut that Krispy Kreme stocks.
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(@NikkiSixx) 
our bored fans. 
