GoneTrending

It’s National Bourbon Day! That means that it’s a great day to make a killer bourbon cocktail. Hell, let’s not just make one cocktail, let’s make a batch that we can enjoy for the rest of the week. A batched Boulevardier, to be precise.

I love boulevardiers with bourbon. The sweetness and spice of the good bourbon really shine through the bitter Campari and sweet smoothness of good vermouth. It all just makes sense. It’s also a flavor bomb that travels through your senses from familiar and sweet to biting and bold to soft and almost creamy (especially when batched). Moreover, boulevardiers are the perfect candidate for cocktail batching. There are no components that can go off when you store them and it’s super easy to figure out the ratio/measurements when ratching this up from a single serving to a batch.

The key to any batch though is the water. Don’t forget to cut your batched cocktail with water. But we’ll get to that. Let’s dive in a make a big ol’ batch of one of the best bourbon cocktails there is!

• The Revolver Is The Perfect Midwinter Cocktail — Here’s Our Recipe
• Is Tom Hanks’ Champagne ‘Cocktail’ Any Good? We Found Out
• The Bee’s Knees Is Our ‘Welcome To Spring’ Cocktail — Here’s The Recipe
• How To Make A Batched Old Fashioned Just In Time For Super Bowl Sunday
• The Old Pal Is The Only Whiskey Cocktail You Need Right Now

Batched Boulevardier

Ingredients:

• 10 oz. bourbon
• 10 oz. sweet vermouth
• 10 oz. Campari
• 6 oz. water
• Large ice cubes
• Lemon peels
• Orange peels

The key to any bourbon cocktail — batched or not — is to use a really good bourbon that you love drinking. I’m using Michter’s Small Batch Bourbon here because 1) it’s delicious on its own, 2) it makes a killer cocktail, and 3) it’s bold enough to stand up to the big flavors in this Negroni variation.

I also like using French vermouth with this because it’s a little softer and more floral. It’s not as syrupy as the Italian sweet vermouths, which are much more suited to fall/winter mixing. Noilly Prat is my go to.

And yes, you need to add water to a batched cocktail. When you mix or shake a cocktail, you’re adding water by diluting the drink while chilling it. You need to add the water to the batch so that you can simply pour this over ice and you’re done. This recipe is ready to drink.

Lastly, I like orange and lemon oils over my boulevardier. That’s a taste thing (it’s also how we served them at Vicotria Bar in Berlin — so it’s a habit thing for me too). The lemon brightens while the orange deepens. You can use one or the other if you’re not into both. But, trust me, both are better.

What You’ll Need:

• Pitcher
• Measuring cup
• Barspoon
• 1-liter bottle

Method:

• Add the bourbon, sweet vermouth, Campari, and water to a pitcher and stir a few times.
• Funnel the mix into a waiting bottle and chill for at least an hour.
• Pour four ounces of the boulevardier over a large ice cube in a rocks glass, expressed lemon and orange oils over the cocktail, and discard.
• Serve.

Bottom Line:

What I love about batching boulevardiers is that they get this creamy mouthfeel that really elevates the drink. You can get that by stirring individual cocktails for sure, but it takes longer. This is truly a pour-over ready-to-drink cocktail that rocks.

The palate is this wonderful mix of dark orchard fruit that’s cut with cinnamon and allspice that tumbles toward sweet bitter orange, candied lemon, dried lavender, and refined sweetness. It hits so softly at first then builds towards this bold and flavor-bomb finish that begs you to go back for more. Plus, that mouthfeel/texture is just glorious. This is a winner, folks.

The best part is that you have 1 liter of Boulevardier at the end. At four-ounce pours, that should give you nine cocktails to enjoy. Cheers!

Rootin’ tootin’ Lauren Boebert is attempting to move on from missing an incredibly crucial vote before claiming that she purposely skipped it as a “protest.” Of course, video evidence of a scrambling Boebert proved otherwise, so she’s now doing her best to ignore that fiasco (although she’s cleared out plenty of time in her schedule to complain about her hero’s indictment for the second time).

Part of that ignoring tactic apparently involves insulting Oversight Committee witnesses. That’s unfortunately what happened to NYU professor Sally Katzen in a hearing that did not go well on multiple fronts. First, Boebert refused to let Katzen continue her train of thought by continuing to insist, “It is my time.”

For unknown reasons, Boebert decided to mention the reported worth of Katzen’s home, which of course left the witness aghast at why this was relevant or warranted behavior at all. In response to this, Rep. Jamie Raskin remarked, “An insult is not a substitute for an argument.”

Then Rep. Jasmine Crockett took over, and she was not amused by her colleague’s antics:

“I do come prepared for committee, and then there’s always someone from this side who does something that throws me off, so… Oh, Jesus… First of all, let me apologize because that was uncalled for. Let me do what she would never do, which is to be an adult in this room or in this chamber. I am going to start with some nonsense she was trying to spew and unlike Ms. Boebert, I am legally trained, and I passed a few bar exams, and I also legislated before I got here.”

As a result, Twitter users would like to report “a murder”…

Daft Punk hung up their robot helmets and officially broke up years ago, but they’ve been in the news lately as they celebrate the tenth anniversary of their final album, Random Access Memories. The campaign has included a scavenger hunt and previously unreleased songs, and now they’re rolling out a series of mini-documentaries, focused on the collaborators who helped bring the album to life.

The duo started sharing installments, which run from 7 to 12 minutes in length, last week and have posted new videos daily since. There are seven episodes as of this post, and in a recent one, Pharrell reminisces about what it was like to first meet and work with the duo.

As DMY notes, the interview clips were originally recorded in 2013, during the making of the album. In the video, Pharrell explained that he first saw the duo (“the robots,” as he refers to them throughout) at a Madonna party, where Pharrell expressed a keen interest in working with the pair. Eventually, they met up in Paris, where Pharrell noted that he was in a Nile Rodgers phase at the moment. Daft Punk then played Pharrell a song they were working on, which had guitar from Rodgers. (The song? “Get Lucky.”)

Pharrel then noted that the duo gave him a tablet dissolved in water, which gave him a burst of energy. By the time he got back on the plane, though, Pharrell had “forgotten everything,” which had him wondering if the pair pulled a Men In Black memory erasure on him.

Watch the Pharrell video above and find the other mini-doc installments on the Daft Punk YouTube channel.

Kesha has addressed a certain viral video from 2017. In the clip, Kesha is seen on the red carpet of a charity event for the David Lynch Foundation, where actor and comedian Jerry Seinfeld is also in attendance. Kesha approaches Seinfeld, in hopes that he would give her a hug, but Seinfeld, who was in the middle of being interviewed, rejected the embrace.

In a recent episode of The Best Show With Tom Scharpling, she shared a breakdown of the “really sad” moment. She recalled to the house how David Lynch invited her to participate in a charity event.

“I was in the middle of tour, I was exhausted,” she said, “but I really love David Lynch and I heard that Jerry Seinfeld was going to be there. […] I used to take my computer, when there was the CD, and I’d carry it around the world internationally, the little DVDs. […] When it got bumpy on planes, I’d pop in Seinfeld and I’d be like, ‘Everything’s OK in the world’, and watch my buddy.”

She continued by noting that she was looking forward to seeing someone who had brought her such joy over the years. However, the meeting did not go as she imagined.

“Then I get to the f*cking charity event and I got really excited because he brings me peace and love and all things good in the universe, and then he didn’t hug me in front of cameras,” she said. “And it was the most depressing, and hilarious, but also so sad. […] It was like the saddest moment of my life.”

In an interview with Extra taken around the time of the event, Seinfeld explained that he is not one “to hug a total stranger,” though the two did have a laugh about it later.

When Apple unveiled its highly questionable (and wildly expensive) new virtual reality headset, the Vision Pro, the almost overwhelming reaction on social media was that the device looked like something straight out of Black Mirror.

Thanks to the headset’s heavy use of augmented reality, or AR, which blends video calls and TV shows or movies with actual reality, the device already presents a disturbing level of dystopian possibilities out of the gate. But don’t take our word of it. Turns out, Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker couldn’t help but have the same exact reaction as everybody else.

“It’s weird, it’s really weird,” Brooker recently told Wired about the Apple Vision Pro. “One of my instincts when I saw that was like, ‘Oh my God, that’s so Black Mirror.’ We haven’t got anything quite like that in this season — but then that’s because we did it! We did it all years ago.”

Brooker is, of course, referring to the fan-favorite Black Mirror episode “The Entire History of You” written by Succession creator Jesse Armstrong. The story revolves around an eye implant that allows Toby Kebell’s characters to record and replay everything he sees, which goes bleakly wrong as Black Mirror episodes warning of the perils of tech so often do.

The Vision Pro isn’t the only recent tech innovation that Brooker has had words about. The showrunner recently opened up about his adventures with ChatGPT, the AI technology that’s been touted as an apocalyptic event for the writing world. Brooker, however, was not impressed.

“The first thing I did was type ‘generate Black Mirror episode’ and it comes up with something that, at first glance, reads plausibly, but on second glance, is sh*t,” Brooker told Empire. “Because all it’s done is look up all the synopses of Black Mirror episodes, and sort of mush them together.”

That said, Brooker did appreciate ChatGPT for teaching him that he writes way too many episodes about people being trapped inside a computer. He’s gonna try not to do that so much.

Black Mirror Season 6 premieres June 15 on Netflix.

(Via Wired)

Knocked Loose dropped two new singles: “Deep In The Willow” and “Everything Is Quiet Now.” The hardcore band’s latest drop finds them going full-throttle in some fun and creative music videos — ahead of their next album, Upon Loss.

“‘Deep in the Willow’ and ‘Everything is Quiet Now’ are a reminder that we are heavy, intense, and extreme,” lead singer Bryan Garris shared in a statement. “Some elements come and go, but those will never change. After ‘A Tear in the Fabric of Life’ we were inspired to see how much art we could incorporate moving forward — which led us to a style of video we’ve never attempted or approached.”

“Taking myself specifically far outside of my comfort zone and pushing the boundaries on how I’ve been seen in the past was a creative experience I will never forget,” he added. “This video wouldn’t be what it is without the collaboration with Eric Richter, someone we’ve admired for a while. And the songs wouldn’t be what they are without [producer] Drew Fulk, a new friend and creative ear in the entire process.”

Fans can expect to catch Knocked Loose at Bonnaroo this weekend — and other tour dates throughout the summer. Find more information here.

Check out “Deep In The Willow” and “Everything Is Quiet Now” above.

Not every role can be sexy-dancing with Channing Tatum. Sometimes, you have to get a little “disgusting.”

In an interview with Radio Times, Salma Hayek discussed her upcoming episode of Black Mirror. “There are so many moments that shocked me in the script,” she said. “There is one huge one that I had to come to terms with, and made me ask myself, do I really want to do this? Am I going to get in trouble?”

In the episode, Hayek plays the celebrity version of an “average woman [who] is stunned to discover a global streaming platform has launched a prestige TV drama adaptation of her life.” That’s the most Black Mirror plot imaginable.

Hayek continued, “It’s as if I created an alter ego where I could do the most disgusting, grotesque things that you would never do in real life — and have permission to do that.” The social media expert added, “It’s been absurd and a lot of fun. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play an interpretation of myself.”

I’m extending the offer now: if Salma Hayek wants to play me in a prestige TV drama adaptation of my life, she has my permission.

Black Mirror returns to Netflix for season six on June 15th.

(Via Decider and Radio Times)

Rock innovator Jean Dawson has shared an electrifying cover of a 50 Cent classic. Today (June 14), as part of a special Spotify Singles series honoring Black Music Month, Dawson covered 50’s 2005 hit single, “Window Shopper.”

Dawson’s cover of “Window Shopper” pays homage to 50, while giving it a rock-influenced spin of his own, complete with clashing percussion and plucky guitars.

He explained that he chose to cover “Window Shopper,” as 50’s name has been ubiquitous in a variety of genres.

“People fail to realize that he [50 Cent] was an innovator in being hyper-melodic while doing a format of music that was known for being more rhythmic,” said Dawson in a statement. “I have always seen him as being very punk rock.”

50 may posit to say the same thing about his own music. In a recent interview with Vulture, 50 said that he believed that at his peak, his music was able to unite a diverse bunch of people.

“It’s very rare that you can get these people to agree on stuff,” he said. “And one thing within entertainment culture is when it works, it feels like magic because the music comes on and they can agree to have a good time.”

You can check out Dawson’s cover of “Window Shopper” above.

Jack Harlow contemplates the nature of “so-called unconditional love” in the video for “Gang Gang Gang” from his new album Jackman.

“Gang Gang Gang” was a standout even among the outstanding collection of songs that constitutes Jackman. Jack addresses one of the worst parts of growing up: finding out who all among your peers disappointed the optimism of your youth. Detailing the stories of a pair of friends who got into trouble through verses constructed as conversations between Jack and another friend catching up after he returns home, “Gang Gang Gang” depicts the troubling aspects of close friends when our peers let their demons get the best of them.

“Unconditional love / Becomes very conditioned when push comes to shove,” Jack observes. “And all that talk of takin’ bullets suddenly feels foolish / Pictures with him turn to ad campaigns, you gotta pull it.”

Jackman was well-received by fans compared to Jack’s prior album, Come Home The Kids Miss You, prompting the rapper to share a grateful message on Twitter. “I just wanna say the love & respect I’ve felt from not only my peers… but from YALL… the fans… the folks that have supported me from the beginning… it feels f***in amazing…” he wrote. “I have never felt so connected to the people listening to my music… thank you.”

Jack Harlow is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

When actors are presented as a pair out of a press day, I always wonder how the pairing is done. Now, often, the two actors maybe have a lot of scenes together and it makes sense for the two to talk about how they perform with each other. But, that’s not really the case with Jeffrey Wright and Adrien Brody in Wes Anderson’s new film, Asteroid City. In fact, the two aren’t really in the same realm of existence. (I’ll attempt to explain that part ahead.) Now, the two did star together in 2008’s Cadillac Record, but I got the feeling this wasn’t a reunion celebrating the 15th anniversary of that particular film. And they both were in Anderson’s The French Dispatch, but not in the same vignette. It seems, this time, As Brody puts it, he wanted to be paired with someone who gave good answers so he wouldn’t have to do much. (Which is true, Jeffrey Wright does give really good answers.)

The easiest way to describe Asteroid City is to just ask, “What would it look like if Wes Anderson had made Close Encounters of the Third Kind?” It would look a lot like this. This is a movie that features, perhaps, the most twee alien in cinematic history. Getting into the actual plot gets a little more complicated. We are told upfront this story is a play. And there is a play, but the story presented in the play is the behind-the-scenes making of the play, in which Adrien Brody plays the director, Schubert Green. The actual narrative of the play is presented as a movie. The one we are watching. In that, it’s 1955 and a whole host of characters wind up in a remote desert town for a school science invention competition where kids display the new ray guns and jetpacks they’ve built. During the course of the competition, an alien visits, briefly. Jeffrey Wright’s General Grif Gibson shows up to then put the town under indefinite quarantine. (Honestly, when you’re watching it, it all makes perfect sense.)

Ahead, Wright and Brody share their experiences working with Wes Anderson over the years, especially Brody who has been in most of Anderson’s movies starting with The Darjeeling Limited. (So, yes, he did wind up having to say some things.) And Wright tells us, as we were watching poor Felix Leiter meet his fate in No Time To Die, Wright was having quite the blast on that very elaborate set.

When they pair people together, I’m always wondering why they choose the people they do. Like, are these two friends?

Adrien Brody: They paired me because I can sit back and let Jeffrey do the talking. And Jeffrey can eloquently describe a mutual appreciation for the work, and for Wes, and I stand by what he says. So, that’s part of it.

Jeffrey Wright: We’re both in trouble because of that, yeah. We’ll get in trouble together, I think.

I’ve always wondered this about doing Wes Anderson movies. Obviously, he uses a lot of the same people from movie to movie, and Adrien has been in quite a few and this is Jeffrey’s second. When you get the call for the second one, is that when you feel like you’re in the group?

Jeffrey Wright: Yes, this is my second. I guess… well, he’s created a company, and I think he chooses people that he thinks can be versatile and play a variety of things. He’s very specific in what he creates, but also who he invites. And I, as well, think that, after the first one as an actor, you get a sense of how he works. And he gets a sense of how you work, and if it syncs, then why not do it again? I absolutely adored working with him the first time and I really got him. I kind of got his thing, in this sense. He’s very demanding, somewhat perfectionist, and I appreciate that. But he’s demanding in the best way – in that he’s pushing you to go past where you thought you might go. Or pushing you to do something beyond what you expected. Those are the best directors to work with, but he’s doing it with a gentle hand. It’s a relentless but gentle hand. And I also get his irony, his humor, and his writing. So, it was a great experience the first time and why not do it again?

Adrien’s right, that was great. You really don’t have to do much in these interviews, do you?

Adrien Brody: No! That’s what I’m saying, you know? I can sit back and ogle.

Jeffrey Wright: Road to nowhere, road to nowhere.

I also wonder, if you’re not in one, do you worry? Like when Isle of Dogs comes around were you like, “Hey, why am I not in that?”

Adrien Brody: Nah, it’s all right. I mean, we all live busy, creative lives. I love Wes, we have a great… we have a long life ahead, you know? I really appreciate every one of these experiences and I don’t have any expectations in life, or of others, in that sense. I feel profoundly grateful for how he’s influenced my life, both in the professional and in the personal sense. I mean, I’ve experienced wonderful life experiences together with him, and he’s given me a great foray into comedic work, which most filmmakers weren’t as quick to see me in those kind of characters. And so it’s been wonderful.

That’s interesting. So, he’s the first one who saw that side of you? You were trying to do that, and people weren’t letting you do it?

Adrien Brody: I think work begets work. And if you do well in dramatic films and you aspire to do films that touch you, are meaningful, and have some social relevance, which I do, and you do the press to honor that work, there’s less room for sense of humor, you know? And that doesn’t come across as much. So, it takes filmmakers like Wes, and Rian Johnson, and other filmmakers that I’ve worked with in the past, who have kind of seen that side of me, and you know…

The Brothers Bloom, that movie’s great.

Adrien Brody: It is great!

Last time I talked to Jeffrey was for No Time to Die. We really couldn’t get into spoilers then. I am curious, when you were filming your last scene as Felix Leiter, at that point were you aware James Bond would also die at the end of the movie?

Jeffrey Wright: A bit… Yeah, there was a… Yeah.

I didn’t know if you were watching it at the premiere going, “What the hell?” like the rest of us were.

Adrien Brody: [Laughs] Is there an expiration date on spoilers? What about people who hadn’t seen that film yet?

Well, it’s been a couple of years now, I think the word is out that James met his fate.

Jeffrey Wright: Mainly, when we were filming that, I was having the time of my life. That was the most incredible rig that they had engineered, it was just brilliant. We were up at Pinewood in this… I think it was a six million-gallon tank? I forget exactly. Massive. And Chris Corbould had created this rig that was just so ingenious – that sank and then lifted, and submerged, and twisted. So it was like an amusement park ride and we had oxygen tanks at very strategic spots, so if you got in trouble we could go get a breath. I never had so much fun drowning before in my life. It was a blast. That was mainly what I was feeling, I was just having a ball.

‘Asteroid City’ opens in theaters this weekend. You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.