GoneTrending

Smoking weed makes sex better. That’s not even really a question, THC is a vasodilator — meaning it dilates blood vessels — allowing for a quicker and better flow to the areas that need it. Above all else, it’s a major sense enhancer. That’s why music, food, and even boring people who you have nothing in common with are better, more interesting, and more enjoyable when you’re a little high. Cannabis is also an uninhibitor, it melts stresses and anxiety away and allows you to get more in touch with the physical sensations you’re feeling without all the baggage of your overactive thoughts getting in the way.

The best sex comes from awareness of not just your body but your partner’s body and the sensations you’re sharing. Weed and sex-focused weed products help with that.

Unlike booze — society’s favorite social lubricant — weed doesn’t numb you out and dry you up. Instead, THC allows you to zero-in on your senses, which you might imagine, is sort of perfect for sex. While we’re happy to sing the praises of THC’s potential effects on your sex life, it’s also important to point out that there isn’t a single strain of weed out there that is proven to increase your libido, “put you in the mood,” or turn you into a sex god/goddess — that’s not really how it works and if anyone tells you otherwise, they’re straight up lying to you.

Strain choice is important, and we’ll get to that in a second but first let’s talk about the science. If you don’t care about the studies, feel free to skip the entire next section but there is some interesting stuff.

PART I — What The Studies Say About Weed & Sex

If anecdotal evidence isn’t enough for you (but seriously, ask your stoner friends, they’ll vouch for it) there are a few studies to back up the claim that THC can be a potent sex enhancer for both men and women. A large study conducted at the Stanford University School of Medicine consisting of data collected from 28,176 women and 22,943 men, found that participants using cannabis were having more sex than their non-cannabis smoking counterparts, showing a 22% increase for men and a 34% increase in women. So even if smoking doesn’t necessarily make sex better, you’ll at the very least be having more of it and practice makes perfect!

A few studies do in fact indicate that cannabis has a positive effect on sexual satisfaction though, particularly for women. According to Psychology Today, researchers at Missouri’s St. Louis University conducted two separate surveys of adult women that in both cases found that women reported that casual use enhanced both their libidos and the quality of their pleasure. A more recent study centered around marijuana’s relationship to sexual function in women and published in the medical journal Sexual Medicine found that most women in the study reported an increase in sex drive, improvement in orgasm, and a decrease in pain with women who used marijuana before sexual activity having higher odds of satisfactory orgasms than women who reported no marijuana use. Notably, women also reported that THC didn’t necessarily result in a change of lubrication, but guess what, there are cannabis products designed to do just that.

As cannabis continues to be legalized nationwide, we’ll undoubtedly get even more studies exploring THC’s connection to sexual wellbeing. Having said that, it’s always important to remember not to overdo it.

PART II — Choosing The Right Strain For Sex

When it comes to choosing the right strain for sexual enhancement, it’s less about the strain (indica, hybrid, sativa) and more about the terpenes. Terpenes are the aromatic compounds found in cannabis that make you feel relaxed, euphoric, and relieve pain. If you like the way a certain strain makes you feel, that’s most certainly down to the terpenes.

Strains high in the terpene Limonene tend to fill you with feelings of euphoria, tamping down anxiety and depression. Linalool on the other hand is a calming mood booster that puts you in a state of relaxation and enhances your senses. Caryophyllene decreases inflammation and pain. Notice that none of them explicitly enhance sex — so what strain you choose is a very personal choice. To learn more about cannabis terpenes and their effects, check out our terpene guide here.

You may find that you and your partner would be better off using entirely different strains, depending on your role that night in the bedroom — so feel free to experiment, that’s part of the fun. The only thing you really need to worry about is getting too high which can increase sedation, paranoid, and frankly make you too lazy to want to have sex. Keep the THC% low and limit yourself to a handful of hits, not a full bowl that’ll get you blazed and make your eyes bloodshot. Bloodshot eyes aren’t sexy, fam.

Now that we’ve exhausted you with technicalities, here are 10 strains that will help set the mood in just a few hits, with a focus on strains that smell and taste as good as the sex you’re about to have.

Amnesia Haze

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Weedtal (@weedtal)

Strain: Hybrid
Dominant Terpenes: Myrcene, Caryophyllene, Limonene
THC: 19%

Packed with the relaxing effects of myrcene, and mood-boosting limonene, Amnesia Haze tends to produce uplifting feelings of euphoria and a boost of energy and confidence conducive to getting creative in the bedroom.

This is an ideal strain for couples who like to role-play as this hybrid strain will fill your head with new ideas and a desire to experiment. Will all the ideas be good ideas? Well, that remains to be seen, but if a good idea ends up in a bedroom failure, at least you and your partner will have something to laugh about over a second bowl before round two.

Visit Weedmaps to find Amnesia Haze at a dispensary near you.

Blue Dream

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by #theVictoriousVegans (@the_invasive_trimmer)

Strain: Hybrid
Dominant Terpenes: Myrcene, Pinene, Caryophyllene
THC: 18%

The famous Blue Dream, with its intoxicating blueberry taste and smell, is a legend in the cannabis community thanks to its mood-boosting and mind-sharpening effects. This hybrid strain tends to get people in a relaxed state but doesn’t completely dull the mind, keeping you sharp, active, and ready for whatever comes your way.

A couple of hits of Blue Dream go a long way and the flavor and smell are so nice that it won’t be a total turn-off once things get hot and heavy.

Visit Weedmaps to find Blue Dream at a dispensary near you.

Do-Si-Dos

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Krystaleaves (@krystaleaves_colorado)

Strain: Hybrid
Dominant Terpenes: Limonene, Caryophyllene, Linalool
THC: 20%

Do-Si-Dos is a bit on the higher end of sex-enhancing strains THC-wise, so if you’re already a heavy user this might be the best play if your tolerance is totally shot. Do-Si-Dos sports a floral peppermint scent and will melt your body into a buzz of euphoric sensory pleasure after a single hit.

Pass the bowl between you and your partner (or partners!), take a few hits, reach for the blindfold, and prepare to enter a world of shiver-inducing touch with closed-eye visuals that turn sex into a psychedelic experience.

Visit Weedmaps to find Do-Si-Dos at a dispensary near you.

GSC (Girl Scout Cookies)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by I.WANT.TO.BELIEVE (@_tocahontas_420_)

Strain: Hybrid
Dominant Terpenes: Caryophyllene, Limonene, Linalool
THC: 19%

You may know GSC by its former name, Girl Scout Cookies, and this famous and beloved strain is the perfect sexual enhancer thanks to its stress relieving, mood-boosting, and calming effects. So if you’ve had a rough couple of days and you’re full of anxiety and stress, take a few hits of this to melt your troubles away and get your mind ready for life’s pleasures.

Aside from the effects, GSC just tends to taste and look great, sporting bright orange hairs and purple-flecked leaves, making this the perfect weed to break over the body of your partner, you know, if you’re into the sort of thing.

Visit Weedmaps to find GSC at a dispensary near you.

Granddaddy Purple

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dominus “Salty Army” Dank (@dominusdank)

Strain: Hybrid
Dominant Terpenes: Pinene, Caryophyllene
THC: 17%

With its fairly low THC percentage, Granddaddy Purple is the perfect starter strain for experimenting with cannabis in the bedroom. The dominant terpene here in Pinene, has relaxing and pain-reducing properties, making this strain adaptable to any type of sex you’re trying to engage in, while boosting your senses, putting you in a relaxed state, and emboldening you to go beyond the vanilla.

Visit Weedmaps to find Granddaddy Purp at a dispensary near you.

Green Crack

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dutch-Headshop Seeds (@dutchheadshopxseeds)

Strain: Sativa
Dominant Terpenes: Myrcene, Caryophyllene, Pinene
THC: 17%

We know, the name is an absolute turn-off, but Green Crack is one of the best sativa sex enhancers we’ve ever come across. This mind-sharpening and creativity-boosting strain will fill you with a buzz of energy and euphoria, perfect for long sessions in the sheets that you can stretch throughout your day. Green Crack is the perfect wake and bake strain and an ideal vacation companion.

Aside from its effects, Green Crack also sports tropical citrus and mango notes, making it a great option for bongs and vaporizers. But if you choose the former, be sure to refresh that bong water or use mouthwash after your session, there is nothing less sexy than bong breath.

Visit Weedmaps to find Green Crack at a dispensary near you.

Harlequin

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by MelbaToast420ᵀᴹ (@yummyberrikixx)

Strain: Sativa
Dominant Terpenes: Myrcene, Pinene, Caryophyllene
THC: 5%
CBD: 9%

If you’re the type who likes microdosing, you probably read our proclamation of Granddaddy Purple as a low THC strain (17%) and shuddered at the thought of smoking something that strong — in which case, Harlequin is for you. This strain will hardly get you high, even if your tolerance is super low, but its high CBD and low THC content make it the perfect option for those looking to take the edge off.

High CBD strains tend to relieve pain and anxiety, so if those are particular hurdles for you to clear, Harlequin’s got your back.

Visit Weedmaps to find Harlequin at a dispensary near you.

Northern Lights

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Thicksmokingchic420 (@thicksmokingchic420)

Strain: Indica
Dominant Terpenes: Myrcene, Caryophyllene, Limonene
THC: 17%

If you’re all about spicy herbal flavors, flower aromas, and enhanced sensory experiences, Northern Lights is your strain. A few hits of Northern Lights (about five or six if you’re a heavy user) will send you into an instant body buzz as its euphoric effects take hold, making this an ideal option for extended foreplay sessions and sensory exploration.

Northern Lights has a time-slowing effect that will inspire you to take your time on everything, which will make you a better lovemaking partner. If any strain is going to sell you on the idea of cannabis as a sexual enhancer, it’s this one.

Visit Weedmaps to find Northern Lights at a dispensary near you.

Pink Panties

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kvsh Gawd (@supaadank365)

Strain: Indica
Dominant Terpenes: Myrcene, Caryophyllene, Pinene
THC: 20%

We know, the name is a little on the nose here, but whoever named this strain knew exactly why they were doing it. This strain is another stress-buster, and its tantalizing name and flowery and fruity flavor are guaranteed to put you in a good mood no matter how stressful the day has been.

But beware, Pink Panties is a high THC indica — so take it easy on this stuff or you’re more likely to hit the bed for sleep than any sort of sexual activity.

Visit Weedmaps to find Pink Panties at a dispensary near you.

Sour Diesel

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Milton mark (@markmilton4200)

Strain: Sativa
Dominant Terpenes: Caryophyllene, Myrcene, Limonene
THC: 18.5%
CBD: 2%

Other than Harlequin, Sour Diesel is the only other strain on this list with a significant amount of CBD, which will help to melt away anxiety and pain, making this the perfect option for anyone with anxious thoughts wrecking their bedroom game.

Having said that, keep in mind that the name “Sour Diesel” is very apt, this strain has an overly pungent and chemical-infused aroma and flavor, it straight up stinks. That’s not a turn-on, so smoke this stuff with your partner outside — it’ll only be a matter of minutes before you’re hit with some cerebral enhancement that’ll have you excited to hit the bedroom. Or you know, just keep things outside. Go wild.

Visit Weedmaps to find Sour Diesel at a dispensary near you.

Trainwreck

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by 2 High Media (@2highmedia)

Strain: Hybrid
Dominant Terpenes: Terpinolene, Myrcene, Pinene
THC: 16%

One of the weaker strains on this list (aside from Harlequin), Trainwreck, despite its name, actually provides a super chill experience. This is the sort of strain to smoke when you need a simple head change, and a few hits will have you giggling and poking at your partner as its playful effects take hold.

Trainwreck sports a flowery and herbal flavor that’ll fill the room with a deliciously intoxicating smell, so if the smell of weed isn’t a complete turn-off, feel free to light up inside so you can get to the action even quicker. Keep this strain handy for quickies and shorter sex sessions that aren’t going to occupy your whole day, the high isn’t going to last too long with this one which is perfect if you’ve got a packed schedule.

Visit Weedmaps to find Trackwreck at a dispensary near you.

Wedding Cake

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by David Rowe (@nucleargenetics)

Strain: Hybrid
Dominant Terpenes: Limonene, Myrcene, Caryophyllene
THC: 23-25%

This list is in alphabetical order but we couldn’t find a better strain to end it on than Wedding Cake. This indica-dominant hybrid is absolutely packed with THC, so we only suggest it for hardcore smokers and heavy users, but the effects you get out of this strain cannot be denied. Its earthy and herbal flavors with hints of sweet vanilla will tantalize the palate while providing a sense-enhancing head change and a rush of euphoria with a single hit.

Plus, with a name like Wedding Cake, this strain is practically begging to come along on your honeymoon getaway or romantic weekend. If the idea of domesticity is a turn-off, Wedding Cake will still get you hella high and feeling euphoric, two ingredients for great sex.

Visit Weedmaps to find Wedding Cake at a dispensary near you.

Former Attorney General Bill Barr stopped by Fox News on Wednesday where he continued to voice his opposition to U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon’s ruling that a special master could review the documents seized by the FBI during its search of Mar-a-Lago. According to Barr, the Department of Justice had every right to scoop up Donald Trump’s personal items because it could be “evidentiary” and would be quickly sorted by a “taint team” at the DOJ.

As Barr explained, the FBI agents aren’t going to sift through every single document during the course of the search, and there’s a process to remedy that. More importantly, Barr said there is no doubt about the ownership of the government documents and it’s relevant to know that Trump had them mixed in with personal items. Via Mediaite:

“There is no scenario legally under which the president gets to keep the government documents, whether its classified or unclassified,” Barr said. “If it deals with government stuff, it goes back to the government.”

Barr went on to explain that FBI agents could have seized Trump’s passports and personal materials if they were stored with the classified documents, which could be kept as evidence of how those documents were managed.

When asked where he thinks this situation will end, Barr said he believes the DOJ is “very close” to having enough evidence to indict Trump. While that’s a damning statement for Trump’s former attorney general to make on Fox News, Barr then tempered his comments by saying that he hopes the DOJ decides not to indict Trump because it would be “unprecedented.”

“What will that do to the country?” Barr said. “What kind of precedent will it set? Will the people really understand that this is not failing to return a library book? That this was serious? You have to worry about those things.”

(Via Mediaite)

Quavo and Takeoff, aka 2/3 of Migos, announced their duo album Only Built For Infinity Links earlier today, but they aren’t the only members of the Atlanta trio dropping new music soon. Offset, the third leg of the Migos tripod, has also been gearing up for a solo project, releasing the singles “54321” and “Code” in anticipation. Last night, he stopped by the Tonight Show to perform a medley of the new songs and talk with Jimmy Fallon about his other projects like his show The Hype and his and Cardi B’s son Wave’s over-the-top first birthday celebration.

In explaining his reasoning for launching The Hype, Offset talked about how he wants to give a platform to streetwear designers while preparing them for the trials of breaking into the world of fashion, which can be brutal for up-and-coming designers. He also recalled how he discovered his oldest son has been making beats on the side and his plans to let him develop before working with him as a father/son tandem.

Meanwhile, fans continue to wonder whether Offset has had some sort of falling out with the other two Migos since they are all releasing separate projects and remaining cagey about the group’s status. Offset also had some legal issues with the group’s label, Quality Control Music, which he says is trying to take credit for his solo material. Whether that friction contributed to the group’s (temporary?) dissolution also remains to be seen. Until then, you can check out Offset’s interview and performance above.

In the same viral spirit of, “What color is this dress?,” the latest topic sweeping social media debates and celebrity truthers is Harry Styles and Chris Pine’s “Spitgate.” Chances are you’ve seen some form or angle of videos of Styles allegedly spitting on his Don’t Worry Darling co-star Pine at the film’s Venice Film Festival premiere. But did Harry Styles really spit on Chris Pine? Here’s what actually happened.

Harry Styles’ Spitgate: Here Is What Actually Happened

As Harry Styles was taking his seat next to Chris Pine at the Don’t Worry Darling premiere, he hovered over Pine for an instant and Pine’s reaction makes it look like Styles dropped something on him… perhaps a droplet of saliva from his mouth? But Styles has publicly denied that he spit on Pine, issuing a statement via his representatives (“sources close to Styles”) saying, “This is not true.” A Pine rep added, “There is nothing but respect between these two men.”

But the big reveal comes from a Spitgate truther who seems to have uncovered what actually happened via a different angle of the incident. They set up their argument by citing that Pine was already zoning out earlier in the day during a Venice Film Festival press conference for Don’t Worry Darling. Then, while sitting at the premiere before Styles arrives, he’d been looking for his glasses to no avail. So because he was out of it all day, his reaction when he notices that they were on his lap the whole time, was like him talking to himself to say, “They’re right under your eyes, silly!” while chuckling at himself.

And for good measure, here is a super slow-motion video of Styles hovering over Pine, which clearly shows him NOT spitting on the actor.

Case closed? Seems that way, but the debate somehow continues on the interwebs.

Eminem is a notably explicit rapper with some of the most controversial lyrics in mainstream music history. In fact, his words (and the marketing practices of the entertainment industry more broadly) were once the topic of a congressional hearing in 2001, with one representative saying, “When you hear the words about raping your mother or killing your mother, I think that the industry should be embarrassed that that’s award-winning entertainment.”

Back then, it may have seemed unlikely that Em would ever top any Christian music charts, but here in 2022, that’s just what he’s done. On Billboard‘s latest Hot Christian Songs chart, DJ Khaled’s “Use This Gospel (Remix)” featuring Kanye West and Eminem debuts at No. 1. This gives Em and Khaled their first leaders on that chart and Ye his fifth.

The “Use This Gospel” remix has multiple lines in which Em expresses his love for God, including, “Bible at my side like a rifle with a God-given gift / Every single day I thank God for / That’s why I pay so much homage / Praises to Jesus,” and, “So my Savior, I call on / To rescue me from these depths of despair / So these demons better step like a stair / Because He is my shepherd / I’m armed with Jesus, my weapon is prayer.”

So, while a lot of Eminem’s past material may not have been gospel-chart-worthy, his latest is, despite how odd that may read as a headline.

During filming for the final episode of The Walking Dead, Norman Reedus, who plays Daryl Dixon on the AMC zombie series, suffered a concussion. “Thank u for the nice thoughts it’s been a week. or two,” he wrote on social media following the incident. “I was in an accident. but getting better getting cleared and gonna be back at work Tuesday.”

Reedus further discussed the injury during an interview with Entertainment Weekly. “Oh dude, that was horrible,” he said. “That whole ordeal for me personally was terrifying. I thought I was going to die.” Reedus didn’t disclose exactly what led to the concussion, but “it was very serious. It was scary. I’ve been hit in the face and the head a million times. I’ve gone through car windows, but that one rung my bell.” He was also worried about how it would affect the shooting schedule for the final season.

“You’re shooting over a year, and now we’re having to postpone some of the shooting because I’m lying in bed,” So the guilt of me not being at work and people are like, ‘Are we going to go a week over? Are we going two weeks over?’ — that was bothering me.”

Luckily, Reedus recovered (and enjoyed some martinis) and The Walking Dead will return for eight more episodes beginning on October 2.

(Via EW)

In some circles, Atlanta rap group Crime Mob‘s 2004 hit “Knuck If You Buck” goes beyond just being a cultural touchstone. As Charlamagne Tha God recently put it during an interview with Regina Hall about her new movie Honk For Jesus, it’s damn near a “Negro spiritual.” The song came up in the course of the conversation because Hall’s character quotes it in the movie, leading to Hall admitting that she hadn’t heard it before she had to learn the lyrics for one of the film’s awkward-funny gags. This naturally led to some consternation among the Breakfast Club crew, prompting Hall to defend herself.

“I’m highly disappointed that you and Sterling K. Brown had to learn the words to the Negro spiritual, ‘Knuck If You Buck,’” Charlamagne joked. “You’re Black, Regina Hall!” Hall chuckled as she agreed, “It’s embarrassing! That’s what I found out!” She goes on to explain that she was in LA, not her hometown, DC, when the song came out (“It was in LA too!” CTG protests), and that it was a club hit, which is why she didn’t hear it. As she self-deprecatingly jests, “The club days ended so early for me.” When Charlamagne notes that the song is “18 years old,” Hall replies, “It was over by then!” She also explains how it took her a few days to learn Princess’ rhymes (the best part, as acknowledged by the interview crew), and laughed that Issa Rae would be disappointed in her, too.

At least, for Regina’s sake, she proved she remembers the lyrics to Juvenile’s “Back That Azz Up” and Lil Jon’s “Get Low,” or she would have been in danger of getting her Black Card revoked. You can check out the full interview up top.

Following the racist backlash to The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power featuring a diverse cast of actors, the original Hobbit quartet from the Peter Jackson films are throwing their full support behind the Amazon series. In a photo tweeted by Elijah Wood, who played the iconic role of Frodo Baggins in the original trilogy, he’s flanked by Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan (Merry and Pippin, respectively) as they sport T-shirts that read “You All Are Welcome Here” in elvish. Under the writing is a series of elf ears in various skin colors to support The Rings of Power‘s commitment to diversity.

Sean Astin also joined his fellow Hobbits by tweeting a photo of himself wearing a hat with the same message and elf ears.

The shirts, hats, and also hoodies bearing the “You All Are Welcome Here” message can be purchased from Lord of the Rings enthusiast Don Marshall who will donate a portion of the proceeds to a charity that supports people of color.

Of course, this latest move is sure to rankle the ever-watchful Eye of Elon. The Tesla CEO complained that “Tolkien is spinning in his grave,” which resulted in being dragged by several users on Twitter and beloved fantasy author Neil Gaiman, who told Musk to stay in his lane. Whoopi Goldberg also joined the fight against the anti-woke hordes on the season premiere of The View. Goldberg blasted anyone complaining about Black elves or Hobbits and flat-out told them to “get a job.”

(Via Elijah Wood on Twitter)

As the whiskey boom continues, just about everything about the industry is changing. Rapidly. One of the sectors where that’s most evident is in the distillery experience. Not long ago, visiting a big or small distillery was mostly about touring a factory and/or barrel house, and then tasting some whiskey at the end. Over time, bars were added so that whiskey tourists could enjoy a few more pours and a cocktail or two.

Then in 2019, The Bar at Willett opened and everything shifted (more on that, below). Today, there are still plenty of Kentucky distilleries that simply offer whiskey tour experiences and tastings, but there are few that have caught onto the “full-experience” aspect of visiting a distillery and added stellar food programs.

Today, I’m calling out five dining stops along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail in case you’re in the Bluegrass State for Bourbon Heritage Month. While this list isn’t a comprehensive listing of every food option at every distillery, it is a list of the absolute best dishes out there. Let’s dive in!

Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months

• We Blind Tasted A Whole Bunch Of $30-60 Bourbons To See If Any Could Beat Weller
• We Put A Whole Bunch Of Bourbons To A Giant Blind Test And Discovered Some Absolute Gems
• We Blind Tasted Classic Bourbons And Were Shocked By The Winner
• The Best-Known Basic Bottles Of Bourbon, Blind Tasted And Ranked
• All The Double Gold-Winning Straight Bourbons From This Year’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition

Barrel House Distillery, The Elkhorn Tavern

The Restaurant:

This is the most easy-going stop. It’s also one of the easier to get to, as it’s located just outside of downtown Lexington at the old James E. Pepper Distillery campus. The Tavern is attached to a small craft distillery, Barrel House Distillery, which makes crafty vodka, rum, moonshine, and bourbon that’s still a little young and more suited to cocktails.

The Tavern is a laid-back walk-in friendly place. There’s nice outdoor seating with the red-brick dead warehouses of the Pepper distillery behind it. The interior is full of woody vibes and old-school Kentucky charm (deer heads, leather chairs, big old whiskey bar). The crowd tends to lean younger and there’s live music most weekends.

What To Eat:

The menu is pretty light and very Kentucky-focused. I dig the Soup Beans. It’s a hammy pinto bean affair with some pickle and a cornbread muffin on the side. You also cannot go wrong with their Pimento Cheese Sandwich. The pimento is made in-house (like any self-respecting Kentucky tavern) with jalapeños and topped with crispy bacon crumbles, tomato, and bright lettuce. The best part, for $4 you can get a cup of the Soup Beans on the side.

The menu also rotates seasonal treats — like the hot dogs pictured above. Their chicken salad sando is pretty spot on, too.

What To Drink:

You can grab a flight of Barrel House’s offerings but I’d recommend the Elkhorn Smash. It’s a mix of Barrel House Bourbon, pinot noir, simple syrup, lemon, and cherry. It’s a deeply satisfying drink that hits a sweet/sour spot with a good spicy bourbon base.

Check hours, menus, and make a reservation here

Stitzel-Weller Distillery, The Garden & Gun Club

The Restaurant:

The Garden & Gun Club feels like one of those hidden-away Kentucky clubs you’d need a membership for. While that’s the vibe, you can totally walk in, though I’d recommend reserving a table.

The joint — in West Louisville (Shively) at the famed yet non-operational Stitzel-Weller Distillery (where Pappy and Old Fitzgerlad were born) — is an old-school place with dark green walls, plenty of deer heads, leather, and laid-back vibes.

What To Eat:

While the menu is far smaller than its sibling outlet in Atlanta, there are some good treats to go with your whiskey pours.

The Seasonal Meat and Cheese Board is the best way to go. It includes local country ham (usually boiled and/or hanged) with local cheeses, jams, pickles, and mustard. It’s the perfect plate for one if you’re really hungry or easily splittable. It’s also a great way to get into Southern country ham if you haven’t. It’s basically America’s prosciutto.

The Pimento Sandwich is also on point. It’s house-made and served on toasted sourdough with spicy pickles and house-made kettle chips on the side.

If you’re looking more for a snack while sipping whiskey, the Boiled Peanuts are the way to go. They’re very soft, nice, and warm, and dusted with a sharp spicy seasoning that makes for a great whiskey pairing.

What To Drink:

The distillery is now owned by Diageo, so the bar is stocked with a lot of their brands. You can get decent tequila, scotch, and gin pours alongside Guinness and all their bourbon brands (Bulliet, Blade & Bow, I.W. Harper, George Dickel, and Orphan Barrel). That means a flight might be the way to go.

If you’re going for a cocktail, I dig the Bourbon Bloody Mary. There’s a good amount of peppery heat, pickle brine, and tomato-y goodness. I also really like the Stranger in Paradise with Blade & Bow bourbon, pineapple habanero shrub, almond liqueur, lime juice, and topped with nutmeg. It’s like a spicy tropical surprise in a glass.

Check hours, menus, and make a reservation here

Willett Distillery, The Bar At Willett

The Restaurant:

This restaurant opened back in 2019 and completely changed the way people look at food in both the distillery experience and rural Kentucky, especially around Bardstown. The Bar At Willett leans heavily into fine dining with a menu of small plates crafted to accentuate the world-renowned whiskeys made just feet away by the Kulsveen family, who have kept the brand alive since the 1980s.

The restaurant has a great outdoor porch vibe with the distillery and warehouses providing a dramatic backdrop to your meal and drinks. The interior is understated, dark, and modern. It’s still cozy with plenty of bourbon-bar charm. It’s also immaculate to the point of being Michelin star-level.

That all means that you do need to make a reservation.

What To Eat:

The menu shifts a bit from season to season. If you’re around when they have the cheeseburger on the menu, then that’s the play — it’s one of the best in the country. They also bake some amazing oysters from time to time. The point is, the menu is always in flux and you want to just go with the flow because it’ll be stellar no matter what’s on.

The real star of the show, though, is the Egg Salad Sandwich. The sandwich is so good/popular that it has its own IG account. The bread is thick white slices toasted off in plenty of butter sandwiching a beautifully creamy and spiced egg salad with grated yolk all over it. It 100 percent lives up to the hype.

What To Drink:

Willett! Seriously, Willett bourbon and rye are hard enough to find so get yourself a killer flight. That said, their bar program is also phenomenal. Their Sazerac, Manhattan, and Vieux Carre are all stellar Willett Rye cocktails. You cannot go wrong with any of them.

Check hours, menus, and make a reservation here

Bardstown Bourbon Company, Kitchen & Bar

The Restaurant:

Sticking to the Bardstown area, Bardstown Bourbon Company took Willett’s amazing food program and made it accessible to the masses without cutting corners. The Kitchen & Bar at BBC is a great place to drop in or relax after a tour and tasting.

The Kitchen is right in the middle of the welcome center. There are massive, ceiling-high windows that let the light pour in. Hell, there’s even a selfie wall on the back wall of the place. There’s also a great bottle/gift shop right next to the dining room as well. If you’re not feeling the light-filled dining room, you can hit the bar outside for a little alfresco drinking and dining with rows of barrel houses filling your view.

What To Eat:

This menu also shifts slightly from season to season. I tend to be a Club Sandwich snob and BBC knocks their Bardstown Club out of the park. The bread is perfectly toasted, the turkey is actually house-made and perfectly seasoned, the bacon is just the right amount of crispy and fatty, the mayo is spot on, and the lettuce/tomato element feels fresh and has the right crunch. Plus, the fries are great (hand-cut, dark fried, and good seasoning).

There’s so much other good stuff on this menu. Nashville Hot Chicken and Waffles, Southern Eggs Benny, a dope local Charcuterie board, Kentucky Poutine (with country gravy!), Brisket Pasta, Shrimp and Grits, and a Pan-Seared Salmon that has no business being as good as it is this far from a coastline (trust me, I grew up on the Washington Coast). It’s served on a butternut squash puree and it’s really damn good.

Their Cheesecake is one point too with a great creaminess and that perfect buttery/crumbly crust that makes it shine.

What To Drink:

This is another spot that has some whiskeys that are harder to find outside of Kentucky. So a slight of BBC Fusion Series or Discovery Series is a solid move (or both). Their single-barrel Old Fashioned or Manhattan is also a great choice. Both have serious depth and really hit the spot.

I also really dig their One Of Those … Please, Berry Cream Soda. It’s a mix of five-year Plantation Rum, house-made white cacao liqueur, and house-made blackberry syrup topped with sparkling white wine and lemon. It’s light yet bursting with flavor. You’ll want one more for sure.

Check hours, menus, and make a reservation here

James B. Beam Distilling Co., The Kitchen Table Restaurant

The Restaurant:

James B. Beam Distilling Co. just finished a massive revamp of, well, everything on their Clermont, Kentucky campus. The biggest change is their restaurant and bar right next to the old Beam family home and the visitor’s center.

The Kitchen Table Restaurant sits on a hill in the middle of the distillery, so you get a great look at both the black warehouses and distillery grounds but also over the rolling green hills of central Kentucky. The restaurant is modernist with big, open spaces (and an open kitchen). There’s indoor seating around the central bar with more seating on a covered porch. You can also sit outside at picnic tables and enjoy the fresh air.

What To Eat:

This is another great menu. The Brisket is perfectly smoked and served on some of the best, creamiest grits money can buy. The sous vide Fried Chicken is a moist masterpiece. Hell, even the iceberg Wedge Salad is excellent with legitimately solid mini iceberg wedges, fresh cherry tomatoes, crispy bacon lardons, fresh and sharp radish, and a wonderfully fresh ranch dressing made with fresh herbs instead of dried ones.

The real star of the show is the pizza though. The crust is fermented with the same proprietary yeast that’s used to make Beam’s whiskeys. The cold fermented dough spends days in the fridge before it’s proofed, hand-stretched, topped, and baked in a blazing wood-fired oven. This is one of the best pizzas you can get outside of Naples, Rome, Sao Paulo, New York, or Chicago. Fucking legit.

The dough has that perfect fermented chewiness on the edges while the middle crust is thin and moves from soft to cracker-y. The tomato is perfectly balanced between sweet, spicy, and umami. The cheese is a good mix of low moisture mozzarella and some high-end parm. The toppings are also spot on. The Pepperoni pie has the perfect spicy bite with Calabrian chilis and is drizzled with spicy honey, providing a wonderful counterpoint to the mildly spicy pepperoni slices. The Hot Brown pie loses the tomato base but adds a cheesy mornay sauce, smoked turkey, bacon lardons, cherry tomato, and Swiss cheese. It’s just great on that crust.

What To Drink:

The cocktail bar scene is on point. I really dig the Blossom, which is an old fashioned take that feels like a Manhattan in a lowball glass with Legent Bourbon, sweet vermouth, maraschino liqueur, and bitters. The Old Grand-dad Brown Derby is also a citrus delight with a hint of honey and thyme.

Naturally, the whiskey pours are great too. You can try the new Hardin’s Creek expressions, the new Booker’s and Little Book releases, as well as a long list of all of Beam’s other whiskey brands.

Check hours, menus, and make a reservation here

A few years ago, Anna Kendrick starred in HBO Max’s Love Life, in which she portrayed a serial monogamist (Darby) who finds herself in a batch of unfulfilling relationships, including one with a sophisticated guy portrayed by Scoot McNairy. Then came a particularly awful marriage to a jerk named Magnus (Nick Thune) who was not only bad with money but emotionally abusive. Darby ended up getting married in Season 2, although the details of that relationship weren’t too clear. We do know she was drinking a lot at her wedding, but moving onto other characters with bad relationship experiences, Anna picked up a role in a film, Alice, Darling that hit close to home.

While speaking to PEOPLE, Anna revealed how the script — about a woman who finds herself trapped in an emotionally abusive relationship that greatly concerns her friends — got passed her way from her rep, who was aware that Anna had a “personal experience with emotional abuse and psychological abuse.” Anna wasn’t sure whether she should take the role (when she received the script, her experience had happened “very recently”), but in the end, she found it telling that she found the film “at that moment in my life.” It’s a sobering thought to realize that abuse can not only be invisible, but it really can happen to anyone, even an Oscar-nominated actress who outwardly seems to have a fantastic life. Anna unloaded what happened to PEOPLE:

“I was in a situation where I loved and trusted this person more than I trusted myself. So when that person is telling you that you have a distorted sense of reality and that you are impossible and that all the stuff that you think is going on is not going on, your life gets really confusing really quickly. And I was in a situation where, at the end, I had the unique experience of finding out that everything I thought was going on was in fact going on. So I had this kind of springboard for feeling and recovery that a lot of people don’t get.”

Anna went on to describe “the hardest task of my adult life” as figuring out really “what happened” in that relationship.

In addition, it sounds as though Anna found some authenticity in Alice, Darling, given that she mentions how she’d seen “a lot” of movies about relationships with abusive or toxic components, and none of them really resonated with her and helped her recognize when it happened to her. And whew. It sounds like Alice, Darling will be a heavy viewing experience but also an invaluable one when it premieres this weekend at TIFF. In other Anna news, she’s also gearing up for her directorial debut in The Dating Game, in which she will also star. This shall be a true-crime thriller about a serial killer (Rodney Alcala, who died in 2021) who ended up on the 1970s show of the same name. Again, whew.

(Via PEOPLE)