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You can enjoy drinking stouts, porters, strong ales, Scotch ales, and weizenbocks any time of year. Yes, even in the summer months. Nobody should tell you when to drink your favorite beer. And you shouldn’t have to explain why you still like sipping a roasty, malty, chocolate, or coffee-filled stout in July or August. Plus, it’s not like anyone stops drinking Guinness just because it’s hot outside. A refreshing beer is a refreshing beer any time of year.

But when it comes to darker summer beers, there’s more than simply stouts. To find these dark, malty, bold beers worthy of summer drinking, we went to the brewers for help. We asked some brewing and craft beer experts to tell us the dark beers they actually drink during the summer. Keep reading to see all of their picks.

North Coast Old Rasputin

Jeremy Marshall, brewmaster at Lagunitas Brewing in Petaluma, California

ABV: 9%

Average Price: $9.99 for a four-pack

Why This Beer?

North Coast Old Rasputin is a massive nine percent ABV stout rife with flavor, but keep in mind Bay Area summers can be like everyone else’s winters. It’s perfectly balanced between roasty coffees and dark chocolate but manages to also be a silky velvety texture, perfect for those foggy San Francisco evenings. There is now a barrel-aged incarnation but I’m partial to the original, and it has decent distribution. You can find this one.

Crooked Lane Schwarzbier

Rob Lightner, co-founder of East Brother Beer Company in Richmond, California

ABV: 4.5%

Average Price: $12.99 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

Why This Beer?

Without a doubt a Schwarzbier. People often expect dark beers to be heavy or high ABV, but black lagers are neither. They’re typically around five percent ABV, so they’re very drinkable but still pack in all the wonderful flavors of chocolate, coffee, and a pleasing roastiness. Our friends at Crooked Lane in Auburn, California, just brewed an amazing one. This black lager is bold, roasty, and perfect for summer evenings.

Guinness Stout

Karlton Graham, head brewer at Kansas City Bier Company in Kansas City

ABV: 4.2%

Average Price: $9.99 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

Guinness Stout, of course. I’m sure there are a few breweries near mine that make a dry stout, but when I’m out and about I never see them. I think it’s hard to get a stout handle during the summer, but you can always find Guinness and it is a legit summer beer in my book. Low in residual sugar and lower in alcohol, I’ve found myself ordering Guinness just as often in the summer as any other time. Thankfully, you didn’t ask which stout is underrated so I can use Guinness.

Beaver Brewery Clubman Stout

Kyle Pearson, founder of Alice Springs Brewing Co. in Northern Territory, Australia

ABV: 4.4%

Average Price: Limited Availability

Why This Beer?

The Clubman Stout is an Oatmeal Stout made specifically for the hot climate in Northern Territory, Australia. It has a lower ABV and drier finish, so your thirst is easily quenched in the summer heat. The flavor is rich, allowing you to savor every sip. Not to mention the drink has a caramel head that adds some sweetness to the flavor, too.

10 Barrel Glen Coco

Parker Penley, lead innovation brewer of Widmer Brothers Brewery in Portland, Oregon

ABV: 6.5%

Average Price: Limited Availability

Why This Beer?

If you haven’t made it there already, I highly suggest you check out the beers Whitney Burnside is making at 10 Barrel Brew Pub in Portland, Oregon. She has a great stout called Glen Coco which is brewed with flaked coconut. The hint of coconut goes great if you are summer vibin’. Chocolate and coconut, what’s not to love?

Giant Jones Dark Weizenbock

Garth E. Beyer, certified Cicerone® and owner and founder of Garth’s Brew Bar in Madison, Wisconsin

ABV: 8.5%

Average Price: $7 for a 16.9-ounce bottle

Why This Beer?

My palate is seasonally flipped in that you’ll find me drinking more dark beers in summer than in the winter months. I usually grab a weizenbock and the one I’m loving right now is from Giant Jones Brewing Company. Its malt flavor is rich, dark-sweet-bready but gives you a nice splash of summer on the nose with notes of banana.

Deschutes Obsidian

Gary Glass, head brewer at Left Hand Brewing in Longmont, Colorado

ABV: 6.4%

Average Price: $9.99 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

Every season is a good season to drink stouts. One stout other than Left Hand’s that has been a go-to for me for years is Obsidian Stout from Deschutes. With Obsidian you get rich, complex, and well-balanced flavors that make this beer quite drinkable for a stout.

Begyle Flannel Pajamas

Ben Saller, founder and brewer at Burnt City Brewing in Chicago

ABV: 5.2%

Average Price: $9.99 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

I would actually drink all kinds of stouts any time of year. Begyle’s Flannel Pajamas is one that I had for the first time in a while recently, and I would definitely drink that again. This oatmeal stout is loaded with flavors like dark chocolate, roasted coffee, and vanilla. It’s so flavorful, I drink it all year long. It’s also great as an accompaniment to a roaring campfire.

Oliver Bmore Breakfast Stout

Josh Radigan, director of food and beverage at Viceroy in Washington DC

ABV: 6%

Average Price: $11.99 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

Oliver Bmore Breakfast Stout. It has that coffee essence without being bitter. A great example of the oatmeal stout style, this beer that can be enjoyed all day (not just during breakfast) and during any season is known for its nice mix of oatmeal sweetness and rich, bold, roasted coffee.

Writer’s Pick: Stone Xocoveza Stout

ABV: 8.1%

Average Price: $8.79 for a 22-ounce bottle

Why This Beer?

It’s tough to beat the appeal of a Stone Xocoveza on a cool summer evening. This mocha stout was created to taste like a traditional Mexican hot chocolate. The brewers at Stone did this by brewing it with coffee beans, pasilla peppers, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, and chocolate. It’s spicy, sweet, and refreshing.

Writer’s Pick: Firestone Walker Nitro Merlin Milk Stout

ABV: 5.5%

Average Price: $10.99 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

Firestone Walker is well-versed in the IPA world, but its special offerings definitely aren’t to be missed. This includes Firestone Walker Nitro Merlin Milk Stout. The use of a nitrogen widget gives this velvety smooth, sweet, chocolate, and coffee-centric beer a creamy, memorable mouthfeel that will leave you wanting more.

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

On the first song of his new album The Blue Hour, Rexx Life Raj points out how little actually likes the album. “I really only like a few songs on this album,” he muses. “All these feelings still inside me, wanna go in-depth about them.”

Weirdly enough, I find myself agreeing with his assessment. Not in the sense that the music isn’t good; on the contrary, it’s still the same quality we’ve come to expect of the ever-consistent Bay Area rapper. But, written as it was in the immediate aftermath of losing his mother to cancer — and then losing his father less than a year later — it’s a difficult album to get through.

The emotions Raj unpacks throughout the project’s 12 songs are so raw and visceral that The Blue Hour unlocked many of my own anxieties about losing my parents. I’m of the age that many of my friends and loved ones have had to lay their progenitors to eternal rest, and hearing a rapper whose music I’ve invested so much of myself into detail his struggles to process the grief of his mother’s passing got me thinking about the eventuality of having to do the same myself — and the realization that I’m not ready to.

It’s been said that the mark of great art is that it makes you feel something. If that’s the case, then The Blue Hour is one of the greatest hip-hop albums I’ve ever heard. Rexx Life Raj has always been gifted at scene-setting with his words but here, the intensity with which he evokes such an acute sense of loss and despair hits like a cavity pain. Hip-hop music often deals with mortality, but rarely in the way that Raj does here.

While death in rap primarily revolves around the pervasive paranoid sense of sudden death as the result of turf wars and revenge, I haven’t heard very many albums that impress on the listener the helpless dread of watching a loved one slowly, inexorably waste away. Making it all the more unbearable is Raj’s extensive use of recordings of her voice as she professes her belief that everything will be okay. “The thing about grief is it don’t have a warning,” he offers, as if in response. “It comes as random as birds chirping in the morning.”

Even the braggadocio typical of the genre is informed by his loss. On “Save Yourself,” Raj rhymes about pulling up shining and staying on the grind, but when he says, “Ain’t nobody finna come save you / You gotta save yourself,” that absence holds the weight of the elephant in the room plus a couple of unruly silverback gorillas. Our parents are supposed to be there for us. Then, one day they aren’t, and we must do everything for ourselves without the safety net they provide. As Raj puts it, we must learn to “say goodbye to the fear and let it disappear,” because we’re on our own.

Raj also struggles with his faith. While his mom reiterates her trust in God, on “Hands And Knees,” he admits to feeling like prayer is futile: “Talking to God with all this praying / Don’t wanna be strong no more, it’s overrated.” His frustration is exacerbated by the apparent indifference of those friends and family members who fail to check in to show their support — another relatable trial of life. The album’s ostensible love songs also make note of how this breach of trust suffuses his romantic relationships. On “Beauty In The Madness” with Wale and Fireboy DML, the upbeat Nigerian pop-influenced beat belies his melancholy outlook. All he wants is someone to help make sense of his hectic life.

In fact, most of the beats on The Blue Hour have a “crying in the club” appeal. Ironically, it’s probably Raj’s most upbeat album to date, with a tempo and pacing a step or two quicker than the hazy, reflective work he’s put out in the past. In spite of that, he argues that he’s not looking forward to revisiting these moments and thoughts in performances. Likewise, I may file this whole collection into the same mental file I keep Kendrick Lamar’s verses from BJ The Chicago Kid’s “His Pain II” and Big KRIT’s “Yesterday,” the one marked DO NOT OPEN in bright red letters with sobbing emojis stamped all over the folder. It’s heavy, it’s gutting, and yes, it made me cry. In other words, it made me feel something. It’s a great album.

The Blue Hour is out now via Empire. Get it here.

Both The Boys and the animated series Invincible are breakout hits that have been scoring big for Amazon, which naturally, has led fans to speculate whether the two properties might honor the tried and true comic book tradition of a good ol’ crossover. While promoting his upcoming role in Jordan Peele’s Nope, Invincible star Steven Yeun fielded a question from Comic Book about the two properties potentially teaming up (or butting heads), and unfortunately, his answer is the same as his big screen role: “Nope.”

Of course, Yeun’s answer tracks because the situation is a lot more complicated than the two shows being on the same streaming network. With The Boys being published by Dynamite Entertainment and Invincible belonging to Robert Kirkman’s Skybound Entertainment (as well as being published by Image), there would be a whole legal headache in getting the two properties together. Granted, Invincible has had his share of crossovers, and even once teamed up with Spider-Man, but it’s a lot easier to hash out a comic book collaboration than a live-action show involving multiple actors, producers, writers, etc.

That said, The Boys has started dipping its toes into the animated waters. Amazon debuted The Boys Presents: Diabolical ahead of the show’s well-received third season. While that doesn’t negate the legal labyrinth of negotiating a crossover with Invincible, it does open the doors creatively thanks to the two properties being animated. However, Yeun seems to be making it clear that a crossover just isn’t in the works. For now.

(Via Comic Book)

Enola Holmes doesn’t appear in the top-10 of Netflix’s most-watched movies ever, but it was still a big enough hit (insomuch as anything that’s half-watched on Netflix can be considered a “hit”) to warrant a sequel. Enola Holmes 2, like the original, stars Millie Bobby Brown as the teenage sister of Sherlock Holmes, played by Henry Cavill. Details are being kept under wraps, but we do know how much Bobby Brown is getting paid to reprise her character — and how she’s making some highly-paid history in the process.

The Stranger Things star will take home $10 million for Enola Holmes 2, which is “thought to be setting a record for the largest upfront salary paid to an actor under the age of 20,” according to the Daily Mail. Netflix couldn’t spare an extra million and make it $11 million? (Actually, they probably couldn’t.)

Bobby Brown’s salary appeared on Variety, which also reported that Tom Cruise — one of only two actors who “justify their salaries” — stands to earn $100 million for Top Gun: Maverick. Other notable figures include $35 million for Will Smith in Emancipation, $20 million for Chris Hemsworth in Extraction 2, and $12.5 million for Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in Barbie. If Greta Gerwig wants to go in a different direction and cast me as Ken, I’ll do it for free. Something to consider.

(Via the Daily Mail)

Lizzo‘s highly anticipated album Special arrived last week, and she’s been celebrating in many ways, from an immersive experience in New York City called Lizzoverse to surprising fans on Jimmy Kimmel Live! by unexpectedly blessing them with her presence, which made most of them scream.

Fans were given headphones to listen to Lizzo’s new music, and as they were listening, the singer changed the lines to describe the fan (“Hey there in the pinstripe vest / Did that piercing hurt on your face?”). This immediately freaked fans out, until Lizzo quietly entered the room and unleashed a yell.

In a recent interview, the “Truth Hurts” performer talked about the downsides of fame. “…Once people knew who I was and it became kind of solidified, they became more comfortable with using me as some sort of punchline or joke, or immediately they want to criticize whatever I’m doing because there’s levels to me that they don’t accept,” she said. “So I’ve found that I’m always going to receive some sort of backlash or criticism whenever I put myself in a public space, just because of who I am and the way I choose to exist.”

Watch Lizzo surprising her fans above.

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

It’s odd to think that Denzel Curry is experiencing the highest point of his career, ten years into his career. But that’s exactly what’s happening. His new album, Melt My Eyez See Your Future, which is out now on Loma Vista, has received nearly universal acclaim from critics, and has been described as his most mature body of work yet. And despite the accelerated and truncated rollout cycles that are the norm, he’s still pushing it, dropping by 30 Rock in New York City to perform lead single “Walkin” on The Tonight Show.

Once again, he was backed by the Cold-Blooded Soul Band from his impressive Tiny Desk Concert, complete with a horn section to replace the vocal sample from the song. Denzel couldn’t be contained to the stage, roaming the studio floor and giving TV audiences a glimpse of host Jimmy Fallon jamming out to the motivational track.

Denzel’s currently on his North American tour to promote the album as well, stopping next at the Hard Summer festival in Los Angeles. After that, he’ll hit Lollapalooza before picking back up his regular schedule in Vancouver, riding out the homestretch through August, September, and October.

Watch Denzel Curry’s Tonight Show performance of “Walkin” above.

Wilco is in the midst of celebrating their iconic 2002 album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot on its 20th anniversary, as an expanded deluxe edition of the album is set for release this September. Now, though, Wilco is taking things even further with Crosseyed Strangers (titled after an “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart” lyric), a new alternate version of the album.

There’s a catch, though: It’s only available in the September 2022 issue of London-based magazine Uncut.

NME notes Crosseyed Strangers features alternate studio takes, live recordings, Jeff Tweedy solo cuts, and the finale from their recent New York performance of the album.

Tweedy told Uncut of Crosseyed Strangers:

“Revisiting Yankee Hotel Foxtrot has been a collaboration with our audience. We are a band that likes to make people happy. The tour, the box set, and now this compilation is all a part of letting everyone in as much as they want to come in.

The songs pulled for this CD come from a variety of places over the years — versions that fans have responded well to. If you ever wondered what a time-travelling-enabled alternate version of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot would sound like, here’s your chance!”

The good news is that Crosseyed Strangers isn’t unobtainable for US-based Wilco collectors: Uncut subscriptions are available for non-UK readers, while just the September 2022 issue with the CD is available for standalone purchase without a subscription.

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (Deluxe Edition) is out 9/16 via Nonesuch. Pre-order it here.

Despite being directly inspired by the fictional sport in the Harry Potter books, the real life version of Quidditch is officially changing its name to distance itself from author J.K. Rowling who has been a lightning rod for controversy in recent years. Rowling has been espousing increasingly anti-transgender views, which has put her at odds with fans and the actors in the Harry Potter movies. Now, the sport that she essentially created wants nothing to do with her and has officially changed its name to Quadball.

Via Deadline:

The governing bodies of the real-life sport first profiled in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter novels and later in its films have said that “Quidditch” will henceforth be known as “Quadball.” The name change is to distance itself from author Rowling;s anti-transgender comments, the organizations said. Beyond that, the organizations said they were switching names because they do not own the “Quidditch” trademark. Warner Bros. Discovery holds that right.

Obviously, the real life players of the game formerly known as Quidditch aren’t flying through the air on magic brooms, but what they have created is something akin to a mash-up of rugby and dodgeball. According to Deadline, the sport took off in 2005 and is played in “40 countries among nearly 600 teams.” It’s become so popular that it has governing bodies, which all agreed to the name change that takes effect this summer.

“This name change is a game changer for us, and we are looking to make the most of it,” Major League Quadball wrote in a statement to players.

(Via Deadline)

Joe Pera Talks with You, the nicest show on TV, was canceled by Adult Swim, but Joe Pera has already found his next gig: playing James Bond.

Pera appeared on Wednesday’s episode of Late Night with Seth Meyers, where host Seth Meyers asked him if he has anything lined up following Joe Pera Talks with You ending after three seasons. “Just the following week, I got a phone call,” he said. “They asked me to be the next James Bond.” It’s a different direction for 007. Instead of being a British sex fiend, Bond will now be a “celibate American.”

Bond now “lives in Philadelphia, he eats pre-wrapped Boar’s Head sandwiches for breakfast and lunch, he’s learning to play the guitar off of YouTube, and he’s very afraid of dogs,” Pera said (Ana de Armas is thrilled). He gives the Bond folks “a lot of credit for trying to refresh this… They’re taking a risk, but I don’t see how it doesn’t work out.” Pera also debuted the first clip from the upcoming movie. I already like it more than Spectre.

You can watch the Late Night with Seth Meyers clip above — and all of Joe Pera Talks with You on HBO Max. Treat yourself. You deserve it.

Over the past 230-plus years, individuals have opted to run for president of the United States for all sorts of reasons—the best of them benignly, if not somewhat naively, hoping they can make our world a better place. Donald Trump, on the other hand, is banking on the idea that living in the White House could keep him out of the big house. And Seth Meyers, for one, seems fairly taken aback by the whole notion—though not at all surprised.

On Wednesday night, the Late Night host—after comparing Trump’s antics to a Dairy Queen employee “sticking his doink in the soft serve machine” (you’ll have to watch and see)—noted that “Trump apparently is quite afraid of the various criminal investigations into his activities on January 6th. Which is reportedly one of the reasons he’s likely run again and wants to announce soon. He thinks being a candidate, and specifically president again, will protect him from going to jail.”

Meyers had plenty more thoughts on what MSNBC’s Chris Hayes described as “the ultimate Get Out of Jail Free card” (in Trump’s mind at least):

So Trump’s plan apparently is to run for president again because he thinks that will protect him from being indicted by any of the various legal entities investigating him. And Trump knows he’s the one on the hot seat because, to state the obvious, none of this would have happened without him. All the various crimes documented by the committee flow from him. He’s the kingpin.

Even if one of his cronies broke the law at his direction, that implicates him, too. I mean, it’s not like these random dudes just got together and hatched a plan to for a coup without him. It wasn’t a surprise birthday party. There wasn’t a magician there. And if there was, Trump would’ve tried to rope the magician into the coup, too.

Meyers went on to point out that it was Trump himself who assembled this gang of criminal goons that includes Mike Lindell, Steve Bannon, and aspiring Diet Dr. Pepper spokesperson Sidney Powell specifically in an attempt to stage a coup and try to overturn the results of a totally legitimate election. Where he went wrong, Meyers noted, is that “this is the kind of crew you put together for Ocean’s Eleven if the goal was to get caught.”

You can watch the full clip above.