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Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co. is one of the hottest craft distilleries operating right now. Their flagship rye is considered one of the top rye whiskeys currently on the shelf. Meanwhile, their bourbon has piled up award after award while developing a devoted and enthusiastic fan base.

Part of that appeal is based on the perception that Kentucky Peerless never cuts corners with their whiskey. It’s an idea they do everything they can to perpetuate at their distillery at the far end of Whiskey Row in Louisville, Kentucky, which I was able to experience first hand on a recent tour.

In this new series for UPROXX, I’m going to be diving into the distilleries I love (and have been lucky enough to tour) around the world. This will serve as a guide to what to expect from the tour, whether the bottle shop is worth popping into, and whether it’s worth paying extra for a tasting, as well as the basic need-to-knows about the area, the vibe, and the overall experience.

So, let’s get right into it!

WHY IT’S AWESOME:

Kentucky Peerless is a very small, mom-and-pop operation and they don’t hide anything. It’s sort of a miracle that they’re able to produce so much of their beloved rye and bourbon from this fairly compact operation.

Having such a centralized, streamlined operation means you really get to feel the whiskey being made. You can smell the fermenting tanks when you walk in, and realize very quickly that they’re not for show. That mash will become their whiskey, and you can feel the warmth coming off the still as it boils the mash into the distillate.

There’s an intimacy and veracity to this tour. That’s not to say other, bigger distilleries are only putting on a show for tourists (though some certainly are) but there’s an unmistakable familial vibe among the team at Peerless as you walk around their open-plan facility. You see their employees eating lunch together. Everyone says “hi” to one another. You’ll leave there with a greater understanding of their whiskey, but also with a small taste of what it’s like working with a tight-knit team who really care about the product. Bluntly speaking, as someone who has visited more than his share of distilleries, you don’t always get that vibe from these places.

THE TOUR:

Tours like these tend to highlight each step of the process and Kentucky Peerless is no exception. They begin their tour with the expected history lesson. Thankfully, Peerless has a particularly interesting brand story thanks to its founder, Henry Kraver, a Polish-Jewish immigrant who arrived in the U.S. to find freedom and fortune, and did just that by creating one of the biggest whiskey and beer empires in pre-Prohibition America. From there, you learn how Corky Taylor and his son Carson, Kraver’s direct descendants, reinvented the brand in the modern era.

After that you go directly to the fermenters, frothing with mash. You’ll see their bespoke Vendome still, working hard turning that mash into the spirit. From there, you’ll learn about Peerless’ low entry-point ABV when they barrel their product, which helps them create more approachable barrel-proof whiskeys.

Finally, you’ll hit the bottling room near the back dock, where the whiskey goes into Peerless’ iconic bottles, crafted in Georgia and functioning as a miniature replica of their still’s doubler.

WHY IT’S UNIQUE:

Frankly, a lot of the tours on Whiskey Row are for show. Huge brands have outlets there with small “distilleries” or bottling lines, etc., even though the bulk of their operation is done off-site at larger facilities on the fringes of Louisville or further afield. And that’s all good! Plenty of people want a small taste of their favorite brands and their process without having to trek out to a huge industrial facility in the middle of nowhere.

Kentucky Peerless isn’t that. This is a small craft distillery where everything is on display. And since it is right at the west end of Whiskey Row, it’s a great place to start or end your trip down Main Street.

TASTING ROOM:

There’s a nice tasting room at the end of the tour but you’ll need to book a tasting separately. Tastings are available by appointment only Monday through Thursday at 1:45, 3:45, and 4:45, and Fridays at 1:45 and 3:45. They last 45 minutes and cost $12, which is a bargain for the quality of rye and bourbon you’ll be tasting. You’ll usually be treated to their signature rye and bourbon and a single barrel version of each.

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You can also book a “Heritage Tour” that includes a VIP tour and a private tasting. Those start at $75 per person and need to be booked at least two weeks in advance. That VIP experience runs Monday to Thursday only. You will get a chance to taste a few more expressions. What exactly those are will depend on which bottles have just hit the shelves.

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BOTTLE SHOP/GIFT SHOP:

The gift shop is pretty straightforward. You’ll find plenty of shirts, hats, sweatshirts. You’ll also find branded bar tools, whiskey books, and local specialty foods from the area.

The bottle shop is where it’s at. This is where you’ll find one-off single barrel and special limited-edition releases you simply cannot find elsewhere. Right now, the Absinthe Finished Rye and Double Oak Bourbon are on the shelves. Depending on the day, you might also find some single-barrel gems for your collection. The latter is what you want to keep an eye out for as you won’t find these bottles otherwise.

WHAT TO DO NEARBY:

As we mentioned above, Kentucky Peerless Distilling is the furthest west stop on Whiskey Row. So, you’re within walking distance of several other distilleries and whiskey experiences, the Muhammad Ali Center, the Louisville Slugger Museum, a slew of bars, restaurants, and hotels, and the Ohio River Waterfront Park.

BEST TIME TO VISIT:

Since this is right in Louisville, I’m going to say year-round. The city setting makes this a very easy place to visit no matter the weather. If you’re looking to score some special releases, you might want to consider early spring or early fall.

IF I HAD TO COMPLAIN ABOUT ONE THING…

There’s no bar to hang out in and just enjoy Peerless at your own pace. Granted, all of Whiskey Row is within walking distance, but it’d be nice to hang out in a place like the Tasting Room and order up a nice Peerless Rye Manhattan or Peerless Bourbon Old Fashioned and take in the still house or just enjoy the vibe of the place with a small crew looking to drink great whiskey and have a great time.

That being said, if you want to enjoy those drinks, hit up Repeal at Distil just down the road.

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The standard distillery tour costs $24 ($10 for veterans) and must be scheduled at least one hour in advance. Tours run Monday through Saturday at 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, and 2:30. They last one hour.

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MORE PHOTOS:

As streaming services become the predominant source of entertainment to the point where you even parents dropped their cable package and bought a Roku, more and more Americans are becoming overwhelmed by the insane amount of options available. In fact, according to a new survey, over two-thirds of U.S. streaming customers would like some sort of “bundle” that ties all of their accounts together into kind of a… package, maybe? Yeah, that’s the word. Do they make something like that?

Jokes aside, yes, obviously, what we just described is a cable package, which Americans just abandoned in droves to jump on the streaming boom. But, now, it’s getting out of hand, and as the results of Nielsen’s first State of Play report shows, customers would like to be shackled again, please. If you don’t mind. Via The Wrap:

“The inaugural State of Play really underscores the fact that we’ve entered the next phase of streaming, based on the trends we have been detailing about streaming over the past few years,” Brian Fuhrer, SVP, Product Strategy, Nielsen, said in a statement. “We’ve moved from infancy into adolescence, and all the complexities that one would expect at that point. It’s not just that streaming is increasing year over year. Now consumers want access simplified and the explosion of services has renewed discussions around bundling and aggregation.”

As the report highlights, consumers have every reason to be overwhelmed. As of February 2022, there are now “817,000 unique program titles” to choose from as the average user is now juggling at least three to four streaming services. That’s a whole lot of content and passwords to remember. Wouldn’t it be a neat if there was a box where the shows just up without having to choose Netflix or whatever the heck Philo is? Can science make something like that?

(Via The Wrap)

That Rihanna reign just won’t let up. The Bajan singer has made her debut on Forbes‘ 36th Annual World’s Billionaires List. Joining her peers and frequent collaborators Jay-Z and Kanye West, the Fenty Beauty founder comes in at No. 1,729 on the list. In addition to this accolade, Rihanna is also the world’s richest female musician, with a $1.7 billion net worth.

Her “Umbrella” collaborator Jay-Z comes in a No. 2,076. With his Roc Nation conglomerate, along with the sales of TIDAL to Square and Armand de Brignac champagne to LVMH last year, Jay is worth $1.4 billion.

Kanye West, who has produced and collaborated with both Jay and Rihanna, places at No. 1,513 on the list, with a hefty net worth of $2 billion. Ye has climbed up over 200 spots on the coveted list since last year, thanks to his partnerships with Adidas and Gap.

Ye recently dropped out of performing at Coachella, but given his rising net worth, he may not even need to take the stage. Perhaps the same is true for Rihanna and putting out new music, though fans have been starving for a follow-up to her 2016 album, Anti.

Jay-Z is often known to boast about his wealth in his songs, most recently on his Pusha T collab “Neck And Wrist,” on which he proclaims, “I put your mansion on my wall / Are you sh*ttin’ me?”

In case you didn’t know already, trap rap godfather T.I. has recently made a pivot to standup comedy. While some of his initial material has received mixed reactions online, he’s kept at it, refining his material and accumulating the most important part of any good standup career: Experience. However, he may want to also develop a thicker skin, judging from a video that recently surfaced on social media.

During a recent open mic night in his hometown, Atlanta, T.I. reportedly went from heckling the host to having an outright confrontation with her on stage when she retaliated by poking at a sore spot for the rapper turned comedian. In 2021, T.I. and his wife Tiny were accused of multiple instances of sexual assault by a group of women who claim that the couple drugged them on several instances in both California and Georgia. As he heckled the host, comic Lauren Knight, Knight apparently clapped back with a reference to the allegations, prompting T.I.’s outburst on stage.

Later, on Instagram, both parties detailed their respective sides of the story. Knight said, “I’m talking about marriage and sh*t [and] he keeps cutting me off, telling me to ‘shut the fuck,’ calling me all kinds of bitches—heckling me. So, I’m like, ‘Alright, c’mon. Stop playing with me. It’s crazy, like you keep going and I can’t say nothing to you.’” She said after T.I. jokingly told her to remove her wig, she struck back. “I said, ‘Alright, I’ll take my wig off when you speak on the allegations. Nobody was tight, except for him. Nobody called him a rapist. I responded to him telling me — in a room full of people — to rip my wig off, and made a joke just like he did. So if you got a problem with it, not mine.”

Meanwhile, T.I. addressed the incident in a separate live stream in which he defended himself, claiming that he did not call Knight any names. However, she responded with a video of her own that seemed to refute his statements.

T.I. previously refuted the allegations against him and his wife, challenging the accusers to come forward publicly.

The first two weeks of April feature the end of two huge things on the basketball calendar every year: the NCAA Tournament and the NBA’s regular season. Right after the college basketball season reaches its conclusion, the NBA ramps up its race for a championship, something that has an extra layer of intrigue now that the play-in tournament exists.

A major domino fell in the race for the play-in on Tuesday night, as the Los Angeles Lakers were officially eliminated from postseason contention thanks to a 121-110 loss to the Phoenix Suns. It knocked L.A. to 31-48 on the year, putting them three games back of the San Antonio Spurs for the 10-seed in the Western Conference.

In the immediate aftermath of the loss, one of the best things about the NCAA Tournament made its way to the NBA, as someone took the song “One Shining Moment,” put it over a whole bunch of clips of this Lakers season, and tweeted it out.

It’s a stunning fall from grace for the team that entered this season with the second-best odds to win a championship — interestingly enough, the only team with better odds were the Brooklyn Nets, which are also headed to the play-in tournament.

Jack Black rules. You already know this, but it’s worth mentioning again. He’s a dynamic singer and comedic actor, who also happens to give the occasional Oscar-worthy performance. I’m still angry he wasn’t even nominated for Bernie, one of three movies he’s made with director Richard Linklater, along with Apollo 10 1⁄2: A Space Age Childhood and School of Rock. The 2003 love letter (written by Enlightened and The White Lotus creator Mike White) to the power of AC/DC, Fleetwood Mac, and Kiss isn’t Black’s biggest movie — Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is, at least by box office success — but it’s maybe his most beloved. It’s also the “highlight” of his career.

“My best memories are just that group of kids, and how funny and great they were. It’s definitely the highlight of my career, I can say that honestly,” Black told ET Online. He also discussed working with Linklater again on Apollo 10 1⁄2: A Space Age Childhood, which is available on Netflix now.

“I thought a lot about School of Rock while we were making this movie, because that’s a Richard Linklater joint as well, and that’s when we first met,” Black said. “He brought that same kind of realism and humor and genius to both projects. Even though they’re very different movies, there’s that Richard Linklater DNA.”

I still stand by this being the highlight of Black’s career:

But School of Rock is a good pick, too.

(Via ET Online)

Kim Kardashian is blissfully happy in her relationship with Pete Davidson, and she doesn’t care who knows it. In fact, like most things in the reality TV star’s life, she wants everyone to know just how great she is doing. So she’s telling the world in the most Kardashianesque (yes, it unfortunately deserves to be an adjective now) way possible: By sitting down for a one-on-one with Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts to talk all about her post-Kanye love life… in a primetime special.

Many of Kim’s family members want to get in on the action, too—because god forbid they miss out on an opportunity to talk to a camera. And the 41-year-old’s declarations of relationship euphoria have even been turned into a score-backed, Hollywood-style trailer (unfortunately, Hans Zimmer doesn’t seem to have been available for the gig).

As the thrice-married, self-described “relationship kind of girl” tells Roberts in a preview of the interview that plays like a B World War II romance-drama: “Obviously I wanna take my time, but I’m very happy and very content and it’s such a good feeling just to be at peace.”

Kardashian filed for divorce from Kanye West in February 2021, whom she married in 2014. The couple shares four children, who Ye has insisted will “NEVER MEET” Davidson—though, according to BuzzFeed, it seems like that ship has sailed.

Just in case you’re not convinced when Kim tells you that she is “very happy and very content” being with the SNL star, her mom Kris Jenner says that “Pete’s great,” while sister Khloe confirms “he just makes her laugh. And she laughs all the time.”

Yep, sure does sound like ever-lasting love!

Roberts’s hour-long special titled, what else, The Kardashians, airs on ABC tonight at 8 p.m.

(Via Good Morning America)

Well, that was quick. Just days after Kanye West pulled out of headlining Coachella — allegedly to get his head on straight after months of juvenile social media antics — the festival has announced his replacement: A double act consisting of EDM supergroup Swedish House Mafia and ’80s pop revivalist The Weeknd.

Funnily enough, The Weeknd actually beat the actual festival in posting the new lineup on Twitter by about five minutes. That said, the fest’s official account quickly corroborated the new information by posting the flyer shortly after.

In the wake of Kanye’s withdrawal from the festival, there was plenty of speculation about who could take his place, with some sources positing everyone from Doja Cat to Justin Bieber. With Swedish House Mafia and The Weeknd, Coachella has found a pair of artists who collectively have the clout to fill the void left by West’s departure.

The Weeknd — who recently became the artist with the second-most diamond certifications in history — may use the headlining set as a dry run for his upcoming After Hours Til Dawn Tour with Doja Cat. The Canadian singer had pushed back the tour after finding that arenas were too constraining to do everything he wanted to do with the show, which will now take over stadiums in 18 cities, including his native Toronto.

Killing Eve is currently churning through its final season, and in my review, I politely requested a Konstantin spinoff, and it sure looks like I’m not getting one. Yet!

There’s still hope on the horizon, though, but the first order of business, it seems, is for BBC America and AMC Networks to bring the early story of a spy chief to life. That’d be Carolyn Martens, the high-ranking MI6 officer (and head of Russia’s desk) who may not have initially seemed like a spinoff-grade character, but they’ve been spicing her up, for sure, including a Season 3 arc that revealed her previous romance with Konstantin. Oh, and Carolyn also went HAM in the Season 3 finale while whipping out a gun and killing that weasel, Paul, after making Konstantin grovel for mercy.

Yup, it sure seems like they’ve been setting up Carolyn for more intrigue, given how she’s hell-bent upon vengeance for Kenny’s death in the present timeline. And that could build curiosity for seeing her origin story, especially since the show’s already included one for Villanelle. Deadline has confirmed (following The Sun newspaper’s first mention) the in-development goods, and it’ll probably be a prequel “likely looking into her time as young spook in the former Soviet Union.”

Bring in the young Dasha, too. This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about spinoffs, either. Previously AMC Networks has signaled that this would be the drill as the show builds some sort of Eve-verse. Heck, why not. Season 4 looks like it’s building for the future, and now, things look set to build for the past as well.

(Via Deadline)

With only a month to go until Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness sling rings into theaters, the latest teaser for the Benedict Cumberbatch starring sequel is going surprisingly big on the film’s WandaVision connections. Granted, previous trailers have shown Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff embracing her new identity as the Scarlet Witch, but in true Marvel style, there’s been little in the way of details on how exactly the Disney+ series will fully connect to the film. Well, the new teaser just dropped a pretty big clue.

In the spot, which also kicks off ticket sales for Multiverse of Madness, Wanda is seen reuniting with her twin sons, Billy and Tommy, who were revealed in the WandaVision finale to be illusions created by Wanda. However, in a post-credits scene for the show, Wanda hears their voices while studying the secrets of the Darkhold. As the teaser shows, Wanda does reunite with her sons, but only to watch them vanish in front of her eyes. She describes seeing her sons again as a recurring “nightmare,” but given the immense power of her chaos magic, and the presence of the multiverse, there’s a high probability the boys’ appearance is much more than just a bad dream.

Wanda’s obsession with seeing her children again also bolsters theories that the Scarlet Witch could very well be the film’s main villain or, at the very least, a wild card who causes the multiverse to unravel even further following the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness opens in theaters on May 6.