Wheel of Fortune has seen some unlucky contestants over the years, but nothing like Justin. The poor guy was drawn to Bankrupts and Lose a Turns like a moth to a flame, or me to an old-school Pizza Hut.
Justin, a school principal from Kansas City, Missouri, landed on a Bankrupt early in the episode that aired on Tuesday. No big deal. But then came his second Bankrupt, and his third. “Justin, Justin! Go to the principal’s office,” host Pat Sajak joked. Little did they know...
During the Final Spin, Justin’s bad luck continued and the Final Spin was actually not so final. He landed on yet another bankrupt, and had to spin again since a money-making wedge was needed at that point. He was astonished and completely hid his body behind the wheel. After a moment alone Justin emerged. He begged: “Just make it $5,000, Pat, we’ve got this. This is darksided.”
Justin spun again. Guess what? Lose a Turn. “You’re doing this on purpose at this point,” an incredulous Justin accused Sajak. “I can feel it.”
Even the Wheel of Fortune Twitter account had to remark on his bad luck. “Don’t worry, we spoke to the wheel after the show and asked it to apologize to Justin for its behavior today,” the tweet reads.
Don’t worry, we spoke to the wheel after the show and asked it to apologize to Justin for its behavior today. pic.twitter.com/MrlXuT5iRe
Blackpink is one of the three main headliners at Coachella this weekend, alongside Frank Ocean and Bad Bunny. Just a few years earlier, they made history as the first female K-pop group to play the festival — even more of an achievement now that they’re at the top of the lineup.
Given the honor, each member of the band spoke with Billboard about how they felt about the opportunity.
“We’re so excited and honored to be able to return to Coachella as headliners,” Jennie said. “We had the best time in 2019 and can’t wait to experience the energy of the audience again. There are some nerves, but more than anything, we’re just ready to have fun.”
“I think performing for Coachella in 2019 was a moment that really woke us up as Blackpink — to be motivated, to dream on and dream big,” Rosé added. “But we never expected anything as big as being the headliner of a festival we’ve all grown up admiring and hoping someday we could find ourselves in the crowd of.”
Jisoo also reflected on just how far Blackpink has come in four years, noting that she’s hoping for the best during their headlining set.
“2019 Coachella was full of fascination and excitement, but we have no clue how 2023 Coachella will be,” she said. “We try all the time to show a new side of ourselves for each stage to repay the love from Blinks. It is an honor to perform as a headliner for Coachella festival; we want to show our improvement as Blackpink on stage — and will — so, stay tuned.”
“Our motto is to enjoy every stage and moment, ‘as if it’s the last,’” Lisa added, explaining goals to be “interacting with the audience by energy and doing our best while performing.”
Fans can expect to catch Blackpink playing both weekends at Coachella.
Donald Trump, the first president to be impeached twice, gave his first interview on Tuesday night about becoming the first president to be indicted. So many historic firsts! The interviewee: Tucker Carlson, who called Trump “sophisticated” and “remarkable,” and fawned all over him during the chat.
Tucker, who not so long ago said he hated Trump in private correspondence, is now hanging on Trump’s every word pic.twitter.com/U3nkf7u5No
That’s what Carlson thinks of Trump on TV, at least. In private, he’s not a fan, as revealed in texts that were made public in court filings by Dominion Voting Systems. “We are very very close to being able to ignore Trump most nights. I truly can’t wait,” he wrote to an unknown Fox News employee. Carlson also said of Trump, “I hate him passionately,” and on the day of the Capitol wrote, he called the then-president a “demonic force” and a “destroyer.”
None of that came up during the interview on Tuesday. CNN reports:
Carlson sat silent as Trump rambled and ranted his way through the sit-down, making a number of eyebrow-raising comments on a host of topics that were never challenged by the right-wing talk host. Carlson made no effort to press the disgraced president on any of the issues that an actual news anchor would. Instead, Carlson sang Trump’s praises. “For a man caricatured as an extremist, we think you’ll find what he has to say moderate, sensible, and wise,” Carlson told his audience. At another point, Carlson mocked the “Neo-con media establishment” for suggesting Trump is a “dangerous lunatic.”
Phony populist Tucker Carlson crawling back to the Donald—and competing with Hannity for who can do a bigger softball interview—after his real feelings about hating Trump got leaked https://t.co/oSNB8uU9vL
Tucker Carlson, who privately called Trump “a demonic force, a destroyer,” and claimed to “hate him passionately,” now says on Fox News: “For a man who is caricatured as an extremist, we think you’ll find what he has to say moderate, sensible and wise.” #FoxDominion
Denizen/Diplomatico/Wray & Nephew/Ten To One/istock/Uproxx
If you’re a big fan of rum, there’s a good chance you spend most of your time sipping dark rum exclusively. That’s not surprising as maturing in charred oak imparts various flavors like vanilla, caramel, spice, and oak. There are seemingly countless dark rums well-suited for sipping neat or on the rocks like your favorite whiskey. But (as you know) before your favorite dark rum was aged, it began its life as a white rum. While it doesn’t have as many nuanced flavors imparted by spending months or years in charred wood, it still has its place in the spirits world as both a sipper and mixer.
And while there are tons of bottom-shelf, bargain white rums on the market, there are also plenty of complex and high-quality white rums waiting to be enjoyed. Some are great as a base for your favorite tiki cocktails and others are perfect for sipping neat or on the rocks. The throughline is that they all deserve more attention.
To find these sugar-cane-based diamonds in the proverbial rough, we once again went to the professionals for help. We asked a few well-known bartenders to tell us the best and most underappreciated white rums they pour and mix with. Keep scrolling to see all the bottles you need to stock up on this spring and into the summer.
Ten To One White is a blend of Caribbean rums that nods briefly to several distillations methods and lets some of that Jamaican funk shine through. I love using this in a shaken raspberry daiquiri.
Tasting Notes:
This is a very fruity rum with a ton of pineapple, ripe tropical fruit, and light peppery spice flavors that make it a highly flavorful, mixable rum.
Diplomatico Planas
Diplomatico
Cosimo Bruno, beverage curator at Daxton Hotel in Birmingham, Michigan
A surprisingly underrated white rum that I’ve been enjoying lately is Planas by Diplomatico. This aged (the color is filtered out after resting in oak) white rum is fresh and smooth while delivering a complex taste for an elevated beverage experience.
Tasting Notes:
The fresh and tropical aromas lead into a fruity and silky finish with any cocktail.
Captain Morgan White is actually a pretty underrated white rum. I think mostly this has to do with it being overshadowed by Captain Morgan Spiced rum. If anyone asks for Captain Morgan, they are looking for the flagship spirit.
Tasting Notes:
Captain Morgan White has a little vanilla, cola, and a bit of citrus on the nose. The palate is consistent with sweet sugar, vanilla, a touch of caramel, and hints of banana throughout.
My favorite white rum is Wray and Nephew overproof rum distilled in Jamaica. It has such a nice, funky, molasses flavor for a light rum, and at 110 proof it’s not scared to hold up as the backbone in even the most elaborate cocktail. It really is a treat.
Tasting Notes:
A funky, nutty sweetness is followed by caramelized bananas, pineapple, vanilla, and gentle spices. For such a high-proof rum, it’s surprisingly flavorful.
Clairin Le Rocher White Rum
Clairin Le Rocher
Thomas Muscolino, director of beverage innovation at Landmark Hospitality in Plainfield, New Jersey
Clairin Le Rocher is a highly underrated white rum. It is a Haitian rum produced with organic sugarcane juice. A purely agricultural spirit, it is one of the purest expressions in the world. Seek it out if you’ve never tried it.
Tasting Notes:
For a white rum, it’s surprisingly complex and flavorful. There are notes of banana, pineapple, grass, wood smoke, and spice.
Siesta Key Silver Rum
Siesta Key
Michelle Taglieri, bartender at The Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota, Florida
My personal local favorite (and overall favorite) is the unmatched Siesta Key Silver Rum. This small-batch rum does the trick when it comes to quality. We often use it to support our local community, and it mixes perfectly with fresh juice or a traditional rum and Coke.
Tasting notes:
This rum features subtle hints of butterscotch and almond. It’s a great mixing rum but works as a slow sipper on the rocks as well.
Trois Rivières Cuveé de l’Océan White Rum
Trois Rivières
Alex Barbatsis, head bartender at The Whistler in Chicago
Trois Rivières Cuveé de l’Océan is a white rum from Martinique. It’s distilled from sugar cane grown in close proximity to the ocean and aged for six years using oak barrels that have been exposed to ocean air makes for a briny finish that is amazing as a sipper or in any number of rum cocktails, especially a funky daiquiri.
Tasting Notes:
This funky, flavorful, and earthy rum has flavors of toasted vanilla beans, coconut, pineapple, candied almonds, and gentle spices that work perfectly in a mixed drink or on the rocks.
Hard Truth is a highly underrated white rum that deserves much more attention than it gets. It’s surprisingly balanced for a rum and great to throw in a mai tai, other tiki drinks, or your favorite tropical cocktail. Distilled with molasses and pure cane sugar, it’s fermented and distilled at a low proof to keep its sweetness intact.
Tasting Notes:
Molasses cookies, vanilla, caramel, and stone fruits make for an amazing base for a fruity, tropical rum-based cocktail.
Denizen White Rum
Denizen
Mario Flores, beverage director at Maple & Ash in Chicago
Denizen White Rum is a fantastic one with a really good price point. It packs great notes of oak and vanilla, and I personally love using it for daiquiris. It’s aged for three years, creating nuanced, complex flavors great for slow sipping or mixing.
Tasting Notes:
This rum is propelled by flavors of toasted coconuts, pineapples, raw sugar, vanilla, grass, and mango.
Myer’s Rum Platinum White
Myer’s
Keith Meicher, beverage director at Sepia in Chicago
One of the biggest downfalls of the IPA is the way its flavor profile is perceived (unfairly) in broad strokes. There’s an assumption among IPA haters that all IPAs are brutally hopped. They’re often thought to be exploding with citrus or filled with dank funk and finish dry and uncomfortably, mouth-puckering bitter. And that’s pretty fair … sometimes.
Clearly, there are a lot of IPAs that fall into that category, and those are brewed because there’s a wide swath of drinkers who prefer those hoppy, bitter bombs (and it’s also a lot faster/cheaper to make). But the IPA is a complex beer with tons of different styles, versions, and offshoots. Many of which are much more subdued and easy to drink.
That’s why we decided it was a great time to find some of these hoppy, yet more well-balanced IPAs. To find them, we went to the professionals for help and asked a handful of well-known bartenders to tell us the best easy-drinking IPAs for spring. Keep scrolling to see them all.
Levante Cloudy and Cumbersome NE-Style IPA
Levante
Stephen Hood, assistant food and beverage operations manager at The Notary Hotel in Philadelphia
I really like the Levante Cloudy and Cumbersome because it’s not as bold as a traditional IPA. Levante cloudy and cumbersome give me citrus (not too much) as well as refreshing.
Tasting Notes:
It has a nose of citrus peels, bready malts, and floral hops, leading to a palate of tropical fruits, citrus rinds, and gentle bitterness.
Bell’s Two Hearted Ale
Bell’s
Cosimo Bruno, beverage curator at Daxton Hotel in Birmingham, Michigan
The best IPA to drink in the spring is Bell’s Two Hearted IPA. This iconic IPA has a refreshing flavor profile of citrus, grapefruit, and pine that will have you thinking spring with each sip.
Tasting Notes:
Caramel malts, tangerine, lemon, and dank pine make up a well-balanced, highly drinkable IPA.
Founders All Day IPA is a great choice for those die-hard IPA drinkers that still want to get out there and enjoy the emerging spring weather. Founders is a session beer, meaning that it has a low ABV (4.7%) compared to many IPA choices that are in the high sevens, all the way up to 11%. Founders All Day IPA will have you out enjoying the weather instead of passing out on your couch after two beers.
Tasting Notes:
It has the very traditional piney hops notes with some lime zest and a bit of fresh-cut grass. It drinks quite a bit lighter than its bigger brothers but definitely lets you know you are still drinking an IPA.
My favorite springtime IPA is Chief Peak from Topa Topa Brewing Co. based out of Ventura County, California. Springtime beers call for citrusy hops, which incorporate a citrusy bright flavor.
Tasting Notes:
Chief Peak uses Citra and Galaxy, some of the best-known citrus-flavored hops, as well as Magnum and Simcoe to give it a classic piney finish. This beer is bright, refreshing, and crushable — perfect for spring.
Maine Brewing Spring IPA
Maine Brewing
Thomas Muscolino, director of beverage innovation at Landmark Hospitality in Plainfield, New Jersey
They made it easy for us with the name on this one. You might have tried Maine’s more well-known IPAs like “Lunch” or “Dinner”, but this one is also a can’t-miss beer.
Tasting Notes:
The flavor profile features bright citrus and floral notes with some ripe tropical fruit and a beautiful bitter finish.
Riverlands Anchor Hook IPA
Riverlands
Lauren Porto, Cicerone at The Graceful Ordinary in St. Charles, Illinois
Riverlands Anchor Hook IPA is a modern West Coast IPA hopped with Citra, Citra Incognito, Citra Cryo, Mosaic, and Simcoe. This modern or “California Style” West Coast IPA brings notes of bright juicy citrus fruit, fresh picked berries, pineapple, and just enough pine resiny bitterness to keep it crushable.
Tasting Notes:
The berries and citrus complement themselves. It’s very juicy and crisp, and a delightful reminder that summer and warmer weather are on the way.
Bell’s Light Hearted Ale Lo-Cal IPA
Bell
Alex Barbatsis, head bartender at The Whistler in Chicago
Bell’s Light Hearted is a low-cal alternative to their Two Hearted IPA. With great hoppy flavor and only 110 calories, this is a great beer for any pregame or park hang. It’s a perfect easy-drinking spring IPA.
Tasting Notes:
Complex flavors of cracker malts, lemon, grapefruit, light spices, and dank, piney hops make for a classic, yet low-ABV IPA.
Lagunitas Island Beats IPA
Lagunitas
Mario Flores, beverage director at Maple & Ash in Chicago
For an easy-drinking springtime IPA, I go with Lagunitas Island Beats. It’s a very tropical option making it perfect for the season. It was crafted to be a juicy and delicious beer that transports you to a tropical paradise.
Tasting Notes:
It has citrus flavors and notes of pineapple and passion fruit. It’s juicy, sweet, tropical, and a great respite from potentially cold and rainy spring weather.
Fuego by Tonewood Brewing (6.2% ABV) is a ca n’t-miss spring IPA. I love the fruit character from the hops, and it’s still a highly sessionable IPA. Well suited for spring drinking, but you’ll want to keep it on hand all throughout summer as well.
Tasting Notes:
It begins with light and refreshing flavors of grapefruit, peach, and mangos that give you a deliciously resinous and clean finish.
Almanac Love Hazy IPA
Almanac
Shiva Thapa, head bartender at Miller & Lux in San Francisco
Love is in the air! Love Hazy IPA from Almanac, a local brewery in Alameda, California, is our most popular beer this season. Starting with a base of Pilsner malt and rolled oats, it is double dry hopped with Mosaic, Citra, and Sabro.
Tasting Notes:
The hoppy tropical flavors and notes of ripe mango and melon are a match for the hints of warmer weather. Flavorful while still on the lighter side, this refreshing IPA offers a smooth, pillowy mouthfeel.
Denizen/Diplomatico/Wray & Nephew/Ten To One/istock/Uproxx
If you’re a big fan of rum, there’s a good chance you spend most of your time sipping dark rum exclusively. That’s not surprising as maturing in charred oak imparts various flavors like vanilla, caramel, spice, and oak. There are seemingly countless dark rums well-suited for sipping neat or on the rocks like your favorite whiskey. But (as you know) before your favorite dark rum was aged, it began its life as a white rum. While it doesn’t have as many nuanced flavors imparted by spending months or years in charred wood, it still has its place in the spirits world as both a sipper and mixer.
And while there are tons of bottom-shelf, bargain white rums on the market, there are also plenty of complex and high-quality white rums waiting to be enjoyed. Some are great as a base for your favorite tiki cocktails and others are perfect for sipping neat or on the rocks. The throughline is that they all deserve more attention.
To find these sugar-cane-based diamonds in the proverbial rough, we once again went to the professionals for help. We asked a few well-known bartenders to tell us the best and most underappreciated white rums they pour and mix with. Keep scrolling to see all the bottles you need to stock up on this spring and into the summer.
Ten To One White is a blend of Caribbean rums that nods briefly to several distillations methods and lets some of that Jamaican funk shine through. I love using this in a shaken raspberry daiquiri.
Tasting Notes:
This is a very fruity rum with a ton of pineapple, ripe tropical fruit, and light peppery spice flavors that make it a highly flavorful, mixable rum.
Diplomatico Planas
Diplomatico
Cosimo Bruno, beverage curator at Daxton Hotel in Birmingham, Michigan
A surprisingly underrated white rum that I’ve been enjoying lately is Planas by Diplomatico. This aged (the color is filtered out after resting in oak) white rum is fresh and smooth while delivering a complex taste for an elevated beverage experience.
Tasting Notes:
The fresh and tropical aromas lead into a fruity and silky finish with any cocktail.
Captain Morgan White is actually a pretty underrated white rum. I think mostly this has to do with it being overshadowed by Captain Morgan Spiced rum. If anyone asks for Captain Morgan, they are looking for the flagship spirit.
Tasting Notes:
Captain Morgan White has a little vanilla, cola, and a bit of citrus on the nose. The palate is consistent with sweet sugar, vanilla, a touch of caramel, and hints of banana throughout.
My favorite white rum is Wray and Nephew overproof rum distilled in Jamaica. It has such a nice, funky, molasses flavor for a light rum, and at 110 proof it’s not scared to hold up as the backbone in even the most elaborate cocktail. It really is a treat.
Tasting Notes:
A funky, nutty sweetness is followed by caramelized bananas, pineapple, vanilla, and gentle spices. For such a high-proof rum, it’s surprisingly flavorful.
Clairin Le Rocher White Rum
Clairin Le Rocher
Thomas Muscolino, director of beverage innovation at Landmark Hospitality in Plainfield, New Jersey
Clairin Le Rocher is a highly underrated white rum. It is a Haitian rum produced with organic sugarcane juice. A purely agricultural spirit, it is one of the purest expressions in the world. Seek it out if you’ve never tried it.
Tasting Notes:
For a white rum, it’s surprisingly complex and flavorful. There are notes of banana, pineapple, grass, wood smoke, and spice.
Siesta Key Silver Rum
Siesta Key
Michelle Taglieri, bartender at The Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota, Florida
My personal local favorite (and overall favorite) is the unmatched Siesta Key Silver Rum. This small-batch rum does the trick when it comes to quality. We often use it to support our local community, and it mixes perfectly with fresh juice or a traditional rum and Coke.
Tasting notes:
This rum features subtle hints of butterscotch and almond. It’s a great mixing rum but works as a slow sipper on the rocks as well.
Trois Rivières Cuveé de l’Océan White Rum
Trois Rivières
Alex Barbatsis, head bartender at The Whistler in Chicago
Trois Rivières Cuveé de l’Océan is a white rum from Martinique. It’s distilled from sugar cane grown in close proximity to the ocean and aged for six years using oak barrels that have been exposed to ocean air makes for a briny finish that is amazing as a sipper or in any number of rum cocktails, especially a funky daiquiri.
Tasting Notes:
This funky, flavorful, and earthy rum has flavors of toasted vanilla beans, coconut, pineapple, candied almonds, and gentle spices that work perfectly in a mixed drink or on the rocks.
Hard Truth is a highly underrated white rum that deserves much more attention than it gets. It’s surprisingly balanced for a rum and great to throw in a mai tai, other tiki drinks, or your favorite tropical cocktail. Distilled with molasses and pure cane sugar, it’s fermented and distilled at a low proof to keep its sweetness intact.
Tasting Notes:
Molasses cookies, vanilla, caramel, and stone fruits make for an amazing base for a fruity, tropical rum-based cocktail.
Denizen White Rum
Denizen
Mario Flores, beverage director at Maple & Ash in Chicago
Denizen White Rum is a fantastic one with a really good price point. It packs great notes of oak and vanilla, and I personally love using it for daiquiris. It’s aged for three years, creating nuanced, complex flavors great for slow sipping or mixing.
Tasting Notes:
This rum is propelled by flavors of toasted coconuts, pineapples, raw sugar, vanilla, grass, and mango.
Myer’s Rum Platinum White
Myer’s
Keith Meicher, beverage director at Sepia in Chicago
Denizen/Diplomatico/Wray & Nephew/Ten To One/istock/Uproxx
If you’re a big fan of rum, there’s a good chance you spend most of your time sipping dark rum exclusively. That’s not surprising as maturing in charred oak imparts various flavors like vanilla, caramel, spice, and oak. There are seemingly countless dark rums well-suited for sipping neat or on the rocks like your favorite whiskey. But (as you know) before your favorite dark rum was aged, it began its life as a white rum. While it doesn’t have as many nuanced flavors imparted by spending months or years in charred wood, it still has its place in the spirits world as both a sipper and mixer.
And while there are tons of bottom-shelf, bargain white rums on the market, there are also plenty of complex and high-quality white rums waiting to be enjoyed. Some are great as a base for your favorite tiki cocktails and others are perfect for sipping neat or on the rocks. The throughline is that they all deserve more attention.
To find these sugar-cane-based diamonds in the proverbial rough, we once again went to the professionals for help. We asked a few well-known bartenders to tell us the best and most underappreciated white rums they pour and mix with. Keep scrolling to see all the bottles you need to stock up on this spring and into the summer.
Ten To One White is a blend of Caribbean rums that nods briefly to several distillations methods and lets some of that Jamaican funk shine through. I love using this in a shaken raspberry daiquiri.
Tasting Notes:
This is a very fruity rum with a ton of pineapple, ripe tropical fruit, and light peppery spice flavors that make it a highly flavorful, mixable rum.
Diplomatico Planas
Diplomatico
Cosimo Bruno, beverage curator at Daxton Hotel in Birmingham, Michigan
A surprisingly underrated white rum that I’ve been enjoying lately is Planas by Diplomatico. This aged (the color is filtered out after resting in oak) white rum is fresh and smooth while delivering a complex taste for an elevated beverage experience.
Tasting Notes:
The fresh and tropical aromas lead into a fruity and silky finish with any cocktail.
Captain Morgan White is actually a pretty underrated white rum. I think mostly this has to do with it being overshadowed by Captain Morgan Spiced rum. If anyone asks for Captain Morgan, they are looking for the flagship spirit.
Tasting Notes:
Captain Morgan White has a little vanilla, cola, and a bit of citrus on the nose. The palate is consistent with sweet sugar, vanilla, a touch of caramel, and hints of banana throughout.
My favorite white rum is Wray and Nephew overproof rum distilled in Jamaica. It has such a nice, funky, molasses flavor for a light rum, and at 110 proof it’s not scared to hold up as the backbone in even the most elaborate cocktail. It really is a treat.
Tasting Notes:
A funky, nutty sweetness is followed by caramelized bananas, pineapple, vanilla, and gentle spices. For such a high-proof rum, it’s surprisingly flavorful.
Clairin Le Rocher White Rum
Clairin Le Rocher
Thomas Muscolino, director of beverage innovation at Landmark Hospitality in Plainfield, New Jersey
Clairin Le Rocher is a highly underrated white rum. It is a Haitian rum produced with organic sugarcane juice. A purely agricultural spirit, it is one of the purest expressions in the world. Seek it out if you’ve never tried it.
Tasting Notes:
For a white rum, it’s surprisingly complex and flavorful. There are notes of banana, pineapple, grass, wood smoke, and spice.
Siesta Key Silver Rum
Siesta Key
Michelle Taglieri, bartender at The Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota, Florida
My personal local favorite (and overall favorite) is the unmatched Siesta Key Silver Rum. This small-batch rum does the trick when it comes to quality. We often use it to support our local community, and it mixes perfectly with fresh juice or a traditional rum and Coke.
Tasting notes:
This rum features subtle hints of butterscotch and almond. It’s a great mixing rum but works as a slow sipper on the rocks as well.
Trois Rivières Cuveé de l’Océan White Rum
Trois Rivières
Alex Barbatsis, head bartender at The Whistler in Chicago
Trois Rivières Cuveé de l’Océan is a white rum from Martinique. It’s distilled from sugar cane grown in close proximity to the ocean and aged for six years using oak barrels that have been exposed to ocean air makes for a briny finish that is amazing as a sipper or in any number of rum cocktails, especially a funky daiquiri.
Tasting Notes:
This funky, flavorful, and earthy rum has flavors of toasted vanilla beans, coconut, pineapple, candied almonds, and gentle spices that work perfectly in a mixed drink or on the rocks.
Hard Truth is a highly underrated white rum that deserves much more attention than it gets. It’s surprisingly balanced for a rum and great to throw in a mai tai, other tiki drinks, or your favorite tropical cocktail. Distilled with molasses and pure cane sugar, it’s fermented and distilled at a low proof to keep its sweetness intact.
Tasting Notes:
Molasses cookies, vanilla, caramel, and stone fruits make for an amazing base for a fruity, tropical rum-based cocktail.
Denizen White Rum
Denizen
Mario Flores, beverage director at Maple & Ash in Chicago
Denizen White Rum is a fantastic one with a really good price point. It packs great notes of oak and vanilla, and I personally love using it for daiquiris. It’s aged for three years, creating nuanced, complex flavors great for slow sipping or mixing.
Tasting Notes:
This rum is propelled by flavors of toasted coconuts, pineapples, raw sugar, vanilla, grass, and mango.
Myer’s Rum Platinum White
Myer’s
Keith Meicher, beverage director at Sepia in Chicago
One of the biggest downfalls of the IPA is the way its flavor profile is perceived (unfairly) in broad strokes. There’s an assumption among IPA haters that all IPAs are brutally hopped. They’re often thought to be exploding with citrus or filled with dank funk and finish dry and uncomfortably, mouth-puckering bitter. And that’s pretty fair … sometimes.
Clearly, there are a lot of IPAs that fall into that category, and those are brewed because there’s a wide swath of drinkers who prefer those hoppy, bitter bombs (and it’s also a lot faster/cheaper to make). But the IPA is a complex beer with tons of different styles, versions, and offshoots. Many of which are much more subdued and easy to drink.
That’s why we decided it was a great time to find some of these hoppy, yet more well-balanced IPAs. To find them, we went to the professionals for help and asked a handful of well-known bartenders to tell us the best easy-drinking IPAs for spring. Keep scrolling to see them all.
Levante Cloudy and Cumbersome NE-Style IPA
Levante
Stephen Hood, assistant food and beverage operations manager at The Notary Hotel in Philadelphia
I really like the Levante Cloudy and Cumbersome because it’s not as bold as a traditional IPA. Levante cloudy and cumbersome give me citrus (not too much) as well as refreshing.
Tasting Notes:
It has a nose of citrus peels, bready malts, and floral hops, leading to a palate of tropical fruits, citrus rinds, and gentle bitterness.
Bell’s Two Hearted Ale
Bell’s
Cosimo Bruno, beverage curator at Daxton Hotel in Birmingham, Michigan
The best IPA to drink in the spring is Bell’s Two Hearted IPA. This iconic IPA has a refreshing flavor profile of citrus, grapefruit, and pine that will have you thinking spring with each sip.
Tasting Notes:
Caramel malts, tangerine, lemon, and dank pine make up a well-balanced, highly drinkable IPA.
Founders All Day IPA is a great choice for those die-hard IPA drinkers that still want to get out there and enjoy the emerging spring weather. Founders is a session beer, meaning that it has a low ABV (4.7%) compared to many IPA choices that are in the high sevens, all the way up to 11%. Founders All Day IPA will have you out enjoying the weather instead of passing out on your couch after two beers.
Tasting Notes:
It has the very traditional piney hops notes with some lime zest and a bit of fresh-cut grass. It drinks quite a bit lighter than its bigger brothers but definitely lets you know you are still drinking an IPA.
My favorite springtime IPA is Chief Peak from Topa Topa Brewing Co. based out of Ventura County, California. Springtime beers call for citrusy hops, which incorporate a citrusy bright flavor.
Tasting Notes:
Chief Peak uses Citra and Galaxy, some of the best-known citrus-flavored hops, as well as Magnum and Simcoe to give it a classic piney finish. This beer is bright, refreshing, and crushable — perfect for spring.
Maine Brewing Spring IPA
Maine Brewing
Thomas Muscolino, director of beverage innovation at Landmark Hospitality in Plainfield, New Jersey
They made it easy for us with the name on this one. You might have tried Maine’s more well-known IPAs like “Lunch” or “Dinner”, but this one is also a can’t-miss beer.
Tasting Notes:
The flavor profile features bright citrus and floral notes with some ripe tropical fruit and a beautiful bitter finish.
Riverlands Anchor Hook IPA
Riverlands
Lauren Porto, Cicerone at The Graceful Ordinary in St. Charles, Illinois
Riverlands Anchor Hook IPA is a modern West Coast IPA hopped with Citra, Citra Incognito, Citra Cryo, Mosaic, and Simcoe. This modern or “California Style” West Coast IPA brings notes of bright juicy citrus fruit, fresh picked berries, pineapple, and just enough pine resiny bitterness to keep it crushable.
Tasting Notes:
The berries and citrus complement themselves. It’s very juicy and crisp, and a delightful reminder that summer and warmer weather are on the way.
Bell’s Light Hearted Ale Lo-Cal IPA
Bell
Alex Barbatsis, head bartender at The Whistler in Chicago
Bell’s Light Hearted is a low-cal alternative to their Two Hearted IPA. With great hoppy flavor and only 110 calories, this is a great beer for any pregame or park hang. It’s a perfect easy-drinking spring IPA.
Tasting Notes:
Complex flavors of cracker malts, lemon, grapefruit, light spices, and dank, piney hops make for a classic, yet low-ABV IPA.
Lagunitas Island Beats IPA
Lagunitas
Mario Flores, beverage director at Maple & Ash in Chicago
For an easy-drinking springtime IPA, I go with Lagunitas Island Beats. It’s a very tropical option making it perfect for the season. It was crafted to be a juicy and delicious beer that transports you to a tropical paradise.
Tasting Notes:
It has citrus flavors and notes of pineapple and passion fruit. It’s juicy, sweet, tropical, and a great respite from potentially cold and rainy spring weather.
Fuego by Tonewood Brewing (6.2% ABV) is a ca n’t-miss spring IPA. I love the fruit character from the hops, and it’s still a highly sessionable IPA. Well suited for spring drinking, but you’ll want to keep it on hand all throughout summer as well.
Tasting Notes:
It begins with light and refreshing flavors of grapefruit, peach, and mangos that give you a deliciously resinous and clean finish.
Almanac Love Hazy IPA
Almanac
Shiva Thapa, head bartender at Miller & Lux in San Francisco
Love is in the air! Love Hazy IPA from Almanac, a local brewery in Alameda, California, is our most popular beer this season. Starting with a base of Pilsner malt and rolled oats, it is double dry hopped with Mosaic, Citra, and Sabro.
Tasting Notes:
The hoppy tropical flavors and notes of ripe mango and melon are a match for the hints of warmer weather. Flavorful while still on the lighter side, this refreshing IPA offers a smooth, pillowy mouthfeel.
One of the biggest downfalls of the IPA is the way its flavor profile is perceived (unfairly) in broad strokes. There’s an assumption among IPA haters that all IPAs are brutally hopped. They’re often thought to be exploding with citrus or filled with dank funk and finish dry and uncomfortably, mouth-puckering bitter. And that’s pretty fair … sometimes.
Clearly, there are a lot of IPAs that fall into that category, and those are brewed because there’s a wide swath of drinkers who prefer those hoppy, bitter bombs (and it’s also a lot faster/cheaper to make). But the IPA is a complex beer with tons of different styles, versions, and offshoots. Many of which are much more subdued and easy to drink.
That’s why we decided it was a great time to find some of these hoppy, yet more well-balanced IPAs. To find them, we went to the professionals for help and asked a handful of well-known bartenders to tell us the best easy-drinking IPAs for spring. Keep scrolling to see them all.
Levante Cloudy and Cumbersome NE-Style IPA
Levante
Stephen Hood, assistant food and beverage operations manager at The Notary Hotel in Philadelphia
I really like the Levante Cloudy and Cumbersome because it’s not as bold as a traditional IPA. Levante cloudy and cumbersome give me citrus (not too much) as well as refreshing.
Tasting Notes:
It has a nose of citrus peels, bready malts, and floral hops, leading to a palate of tropical fruits, citrus rinds, and gentle bitterness.
Bell’s Two Hearted Ale
Bell’s
Cosimo Bruno, beverage curator at Daxton Hotel in Birmingham, Michigan
The best IPA to drink in the spring is Bell’s Two Hearted IPA. This iconic IPA has a refreshing flavor profile of citrus, grapefruit, and pine that will have you thinking spring with each sip.
Tasting Notes:
Caramel malts, tangerine, lemon, and dank pine make up a well-balanced, highly drinkable IPA.
Founders All Day IPA is a great choice for those die-hard IPA drinkers that still want to get out there and enjoy the emerging spring weather. Founders is a session beer, meaning that it has a low ABV (4.7%) compared to many IPA choices that are in the high sevens, all the way up to 11%. Founders All Day IPA will have you out enjoying the weather instead of passing out on your couch after two beers.
Tasting Notes:
It has the very traditional piney hops notes with some lime zest and a bit of fresh-cut grass. It drinks quite a bit lighter than its bigger brothers but definitely lets you know you are still drinking an IPA.
My favorite springtime IPA is Chief Peak from Topa Topa Brewing Co. based out of Ventura County, California. Springtime beers call for citrusy hops, which incorporate a citrusy bright flavor.
Tasting Notes:
Chief Peak uses Citra and Galaxy, some of the best-known citrus-flavored hops, as well as Magnum and Simcoe to give it a classic piney finish. This beer is bright, refreshing, and crushable — perfect for spring.
Maine Brewing Spring IPA
Maine Brewing
Thomas Muscolino, director of beverage innovation at Landmark Hospitality in Plainfield, New Jersey
They made it easy for us with the name on this one. You might have tried Maine’s more well-known IPAs like “Lunch” or “Dinner”, but this one is also a can’t-miss beer.
Tasting Notes:
The flavor profile features bright citrus and floral notes with some ripe tropical fruit and a beautiful bitter finish.
Riverlands Anchor Hook IPA
Riverlands
Lauren Porto, Cicerone at The Graceful Ordinary in St. Charles, Illinois
Riverlands Anchor Hook IPA is a modern West Coast IPA hopped with Citra, Citra Incognito, Citra Cryo, Mosaic, and Simcoe. This modern or “California Style” West Coast IPA brings notes of bright juicy citrus fruit, fresh picked berries, pineapple, and just enough pine resiny bitterness to keep it crushable.
Tasting Notes:
The berries and citrus complement themselves. It’s very juicy and crisp, and a delightful reminder that summer and warmer weather are on the way.
Bell’s Light Hearted Ale Lo-Cal IPA
Bell
Alex Barbatsis, head bartender at The Whistler in Chicago
Bell’s Light Hearted is a low-cal alternative to their Two Hearted IPA. With great hoppy flavor and only 110 calories, this is a great beer for any pregame or park hang. It’s a perfect easy-drinking spring IPA.
Tasting Notes:
Complex flavors of cracker malts, lemon, grapefruit, light spices, and dank, piney hops make for a classic, yet low-ABV IPA.
Lagunitas Island Beats IPA
Lagunitas
Mario Flores, beverage director at Maple & Ash in Chicago
For an easy-drinking springtime IPA, I go with Lagunitas Island Beats. It’s a very tropical option making it perfect for the season. It was crafted to be a juicy and delicious beer that transports you to a tropical paradise.
Tasting Notes:
It has citrus flavors and notes of pineapple and passion fruit. It’s juicy, sweet, tropical, and a great respite from potentially cold and rainy spring weather.
Fuego by Tonewood Brewing (6.2% ABV) is a ca n’t-miss spring IPA. I love the fruit character from the hops, and it’s still a highly sessionable IPA. Well suited for spring drinking, but you’ll want to keep it on hand all throughout summer as well.
Tasting Notes:
It begins with light and refreshing flavors of grapefruit, peach, and mangos that give you a deliciously resinous and clean finish.
Almanac Love Hazy IPA
Almanac
Shiva Thapa, head bartender at Miller & Lux in San Francisco
Love is in the air! Love Hazy IPA from Almanac, a local brewery in Alameda, California, is our most popular beer this season. Starting with a base of Pilsner malt and rolled oats, it is double dry hopped with Mosaic, Citra, and Sabro.
Tasting Notes:
The hoppy tropical flavors and notes of ripe mango and melon are a match for the hints of warmer weather. Flavorful while still on the lighter side, this refreshing IPA offers a smooth, pillowy mouthfeel.
While there can be a certain level of artifice surrounding a lot of pop stars, that doesn’t appear to be the case with Billie Eilish, who often shares what’s on her mind and pulls the curtain back on some aspects of her life. Now, she has once again offered fans some behind-the-scenes looks at her day-to-day goings-on and her past.
Yesterday (April 11), Eilish shared an Instagram post featuring photos from her Easter weekend. The final slide includes a note revealing that her first word was “dog” and that she said it when she was 8.5 months old, on September 4, 2002.
Later that day, Eilish took to her Instagram Story to answer fan questions while Finneas was “doing a million production things.” Most of Eilish’s responses were to fans asking for photos and videos from certain days or events. One fan asked what is Eilish’s favorite hair color/style she’s ever had, and Eilish responded, “green roots was fresh as sh*ttiuuut. but black has been my favorite to live in.”
@billieeilish/Instagram
She also offered some music recommendations. When asked for her “favorite song to listen to when u drive late at night,” she responded with Kavinsky’s “Nightcall” (a song from the Drive soundtrack that was co-produced by Daft Punk’s Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo) and called it “the greatest song ever made.” When asked for a song she’s “obsessed with these days,” Eilish shared Manu Chao’s “Me Gustas Tu.”
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