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Cardi B Is Awed By A Video Of Angus Cloud Bussing Tables To Her Music Before Being Cast On ‘Euphoria’

One of the things that makes Cardi B so relatable — which is what makes her such a big star — is that she’s quick to join in on culture conversations surrounding viral favorite TV shows like Euphoria and You. Last year, the “WAP” rapper forged an unlikely but delightful friendship with You star Penn Badgley, which found the two stars swapping profile pics and prompted fans to petition to get her on the show.

It seems she’s just as enamored with HBO breakout hit Euphoria, which she commented on when fans unearthed a video of one of the show’s stars, Angus Cloud, bussing tables to her song “Bartier Cardi” before being cast on the show. Cardi expressed her approval, praising him for going from serving food to serving fiends (in the show; Cloud plays a drug dealer named Fezco who has become a fan-favorite character). “Look at him now pushing weight,” she quipped. “You go Fez.”

Cardi’s celebrity circle seems to grow every time she comments on a show she’s watching — and even due to her own show, Cardi Tries. After being ordained to officiate a wedding on one episode of the show, a chance “missed connection” encounter with actor Kal Penn led to Cardi being enlisted to officiate Penn’s own upcoming nuptials. Meanwhile, Cloud’s clout is beginning to grow as well; he recently made a cameo in Juice WRLD’s “Cigarettes” video, and is currently filming two feature films.

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Omah Lay And Justin Bieber Dance Around A Fire In The Video For Their Rhythmic Collab ‘Attention’

Justin Bieber has found himself working more with afrobeats artists in recent years, like when he jumped on WizKid’s “Essence” remix and recruited Alpha P and Omah Lay for “Peaches (Masterkraft Remix),” both in 2021. Now, Bieber and Lay have reunited, as Bieber features on a new tune from the Nigerian artist, “Attention,” which also arrives alongside a video.

Lay told Billboard of the song:

“‘Attention’ is one of those songs where I’m just saying the truth, where I’m telling my story. It’s basically about sometime in everybody’s life, you’re lonely. You can’t just always have somebody all the time. Especially as an adult. That was actually the headspace that I was in when I made this song, a little lonely. I want the people that are going through the same thing to feel like I was talking to them. I’m human. I’m just like them. I feel exactly the same way they feel.”

Lay also explained how the track came together, saying of the fateful Los Angeles recording session, “I was in the studio one day with Harv [a frequent Bieber collaborator]. As soon as I heard the beat, the lyrics were already in my head. We didn’t even spend 30 minutes making the song. Harv called him and I FaceTimed Justin Bieber for the first time in my life. Later on, Harv got to play the song for him, and […] before I knew it, he sent in his verse and the song was good just like that.”

Lay also noted, “One thing I loved about working with Justin Bieber was how easy it was. I didn’t even expect it to be that simple.”

Watch the “Attention” video above.

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

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Flying Lotus Signs A Deal To Direct And Produce Multiple Films

One of the most innovative producers in hip-hop, Grammy Award winner Flying Lotus (née Steven Ellison), is actually a graduate of the Los Angeles Film School too. He made his film debut with the grotesque 2017 horror comedy, Kuso, which he directed and co-wrote the screenplay for (along with Zack Fox and David Firth.) He then really hit his stride with Netflix’s anime series, Yasuke, about a real Black samurai from feudal Japan. He co-wrote the screenplay along with LeSean Thomas of The Boondocks and it starred Lakeith Stanfield as the voice of the titular role.

Yasuke was awesome, and showed that Ellison definitely has the chops to make creative film and visual entertainment (he also scored the music for the show, natch.) Now, he has signed a multi-picture deal via his Brainfeeder Films, with French company Logical Pictures and XYZ Films, to direct and produce a slew of upcoming films. The projects are said to be focused on horror, thriller, and sci-fi realms, and the first flick, Ash, has already been announced with production happening this year. “I’ve a strong desire to innovate in the sci-fi space and I really want to show the world something they’ve never seen before,” Ellison said in a previous statement about Ash.

Logical Pictures Group President Frédéric Fiore added that: “FlyLo is a highly talented and respected musician with such a unique creative universe,” and expressed his enthusiasm for the deal. The statement pretty much sums up who Steven Ellison is as an artist and we’ll look forward to the continued blossoming of his audiovisual universe.

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‘Pam & Tommy’ Star Sebastian Stan Is All For Pamela Anderson Telling ‘The Real Story’ On Netflix

Although Hulu’s Pam & Tommy limited series is a blast to watch, the show also arrived with a shadow over it, given that souces kept making it clear that Pamela Anderson had no interest in watching the project. And it’s impossible to blame her for feeling that way, given that the theft (and rampant circulation) of Pam and Tommy Lee’s “home movie” was not only a horrific violation but also dealt heavy blows to her personal and professional life. And Pam stayed silent without giving an official statement on the subject, but this week, she did reveal how she’s teaming up with Netflix to tell “the real story” to the world.

Meanwhile, Sebastian Stan is following up his butt-bearing, animatronicpenis chatting role with Hulu’s Fresh, and he responded to an inquiry from Variety‘s Marc Malkin about Pam’s next move:

I caught up with Stan on Thursday night at the premiere of his new movie “Fresh.” I asked him for his thoughts on the Anderson documentary news. “I think it’s great,” he said. “I’m feeling grateful and hopeful that the show inspired further conversation and another deeper look that it deserves, so I look forward to seeing it.”

There’s surprise there, really, and I mean that in the best way possible. Sebastian’s always ready to entertain different perspectives during interviews, and of course, he wants to further the nuanced discussion that Pam & Tommy embedded within its layers of debauchery. As for Pam, she alluded to how she’s endured “A thousand imperfection, A million misperception” within the public portrayal of her image, and she’s ready to reveal how she’s “[n]ot a victim, but a survivor.”

(Via Variety)

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The Chaotic Real-Life Heist On The Set Of ‘Lupin’ Was Allegedly Orchestrated By Teenagers With Fireworks

In a very on-the-nose example of art imitating life, or maybe life imitating art, the French set of Lupin was targeted by thieves who reportedly made off with over $300,000 worth of equipment. Considering the popular Netflix series is about a thief who pull off a series of elaborate robberies, headlines ran wild with calling the incident a “heist,” but eyewitnesses are now saying the whole thing is anything but. Via The Hollywood Reporter:

“That’s a big word, ‘heist,’” laughs Brahim Rochdi, owner of Le 35, the restaurant in which a scene was being filmed that day. “You use that word for a bank robbery,” he says in an interview conducted in French. “What I saw was kids with firecrackers that showed up, that’s all.”

Rochdi, whose restaurant serves standard brasserie fare as well as North African specialties, was inside Le 35 when he heard pops going off on the sidewalk. “I didn’t realize [what was going on] at first,” he says. “I thought it was in the movie.” But for those outside, Rochdi says, it was “general panic.”

After rushing to help the cast and crew hide out inside of his restaurant, Rochdi observed the commotion and said none of the perpetrators looked older than 15, and some were possibly even 12. However, they were able to make off with camera equipment just a day after robbers held up the set of The Crown and made off with jewels. Police have not said if there’s a connection between the two, but the haphazard execution of the Lupin robbery suggests it wasn’t the work of criminal masterminds.

To cap off an already rough week for Netflix, on Thursday, a historic textile mill often used on series like Peaky Blinders went up in flames as over 100 firefighters rushed to put out the “full building fire.” Now, if that ends up being the work of kids with fireworks, too, then maybe call Interpol.

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

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‘Winning Time’ Showrunner Max Borenstein On How He Cracked The Story Of The Lakers While Also Making It Insanely Entertaining

It’s truly remarkable how entertaining Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty turned out to be. At this point, I’ve seen eight episodes and, honestly, I could watch 100. A huge reason for this, as showrunner Max Borenstein confirms, is the work of John C. Reilly as Dr. Jerry Buss, who at the beginning of the series buys the Lakers and demands the team draft Magic Johnson (played by Quincy Isaiah, and even both of these aspects are very complicated and almost don’t work out). So many truly crazy things happen during the course of this series about the beginnings of the Lakers dynasty, but Dr. Buss kind of becomes our, the viewer’s, pal. He’ll often break the fourth wall and talk straight to us. And it gets to a point, well, why wouldn’t he talk to us? He is, after all, our pal.

Another interesting aspect is Jack McKinney (played by Tracy Letts), who replaces Jerry West as head coach. When you think of the Lakers head coach from that era, you think of Pat Riley (played by Adrien Brody, surprisingly, at least at first, as kind of a sad sack). But McKinney starts out that first season as the head coach and, today, is almost forgotten. His story alone could be its own series. And, ahead, Borenstein explains why he hopes Winning Time might restore some of the credit that’s due to McKinney.

(At the time of this interview I was supposed to speak to both Borenstein and fellow producer and writer, Rodney Barnes at the same time for a set period of time. What happened was, right before the interview, it was changed to speaking to both separately, with one half of the allotted time being used for Borenstein and the other half for Barnes. I mention this because at the end of this interview I ran out of time and make a comment how I’ll save the question for Barnes. Which I did and that interview will publish next week.)

How did you crack this story? This really could just be people in a boardroom going, “maybe we should draft Magic Johnson.” As opposed to being unbelievably entertaining.

Well, I love to hear that. I mean, the truth is the whole story is about the way in which Magic Johnson, Jerry Buss, a whole group of people transformed basketball. From a sport that was the third, fourth, fifth tier sport in the country into the thing that was the most exciting thing to watch. And they did it on the court with this incredible fast-break style that Magic was the point guard of, that Jack McKinney initiated, that all these characters were part of. Jerry Buss created this show around the sport, a way of presenting sports as entertainment. And that’s what this moment was about.

They made sports into entertainment. And in doing that, they transformed the way that sports impacts culture at large – from fashion, aesthetics at every level. And so it felt like we absolutely had to find a way, totally, to bring to our show the same kind of energy, the same kind of showmanship. And that’s really how we landed on things like talking to the camera or cutaways to animated sequences. For all of those things, it was about having a freewheeling style that was similar, in its own weird way, to the freewheeling style of the game.

I always knew who Jerry Buss was, but I didn’t know his personality that well. As you mentioned, with John C. Reilly talking to the camera, after a few episodes, as a viewer, it starts to feel like, oh, my new pal, Dr. Jerry Buss, is going to take me through another hour of this wild world.

Yeah, it’s funny you should say that because John C. Reilly, it’s hard to imagine, honestly, anybody filling those shoes so brilliantly, but he looks at it that way. He sees himself as the kind of your escort into this world. And he brings such a level of charisma and charm and humanity and depth of emotion at the same time, to this character who’s larger than life. He’s a PT Barnum. He’s a very American success story who came from nothing, has a dream and the drive to accomplish it, and a great deal of charm along the way.

Speaking of that, obviously a lot was made about the situation with Will Ferrell, but now that I’ve seen this show I can’t imagine anyone else playing Jerry Buss. And it makes so much sense why it had to be John C. Reilly.

I can’t wait for audiences to watch John. And I mean, I love John in every role he’s done for his 80 odd movies, but I think still there’s something he’s bringing to this that’s special, that we’ve never seen before.

You mentioned Jack McKinney. There’s literally there’s an episode titled “Who the Fuck is Jack McKinney?” I think there is kind of a misconception that Pat Riley just took over the Lakers and off they went. And you portray Pat Riley, at first, as a sad sack. And then Jack McKinney’s this genius who comes in and then this thing happens to him. It feels like McKinney got kind of a raw deal with his place in history.

Well, I mean, I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but assuming that you’ll treat it with kid gloves in that respect. Yeah, the story of Jack McKinney is something I didn’t know when I, even as a Lakers fan, first read Jeff Pearlman’s book. And he was the visionary who started it all and had the initial conception of what this sort of fast break offense could look like and brought it into being. And for reasons that I won’t divulge, has been largely forgotten from the history. I hope that one of the things that our show gets to do is bring him back into the public’s attention, or into the public’s attention in a way that he’s deserved.

At the same time, the story of Pat Riley is every bit as counterintuitive to what we’ve come to expect. We know Pat Riley, the Armani-clad icon of ’80s. The fashion and sex symbol that he became and has kind of remained. What people don’t know is that, at this moment in time when we begin, he was a washed up NBA player who was wandering the beaches of Southern California wondering what the next act of his life would look like. And it was not obvious or inevitable that he would become the Pat Riley that we remember. Because how many NBA players retire and never become these iconic figures?

It’s a similar thing with Jerry West. Jerry West is one of the most famous and beloved and respected figures in the league as a general manager. He’s arguably one of the greatest general managers, if not the greatest general manager ever in the game, or in any game. At this moment in time, he’d never been a general manager. What he was, was a retired player who hated coaching and who didn’t know what his future was going to hold. So one of the fun things about the show is that even though people think they know what happens, and maybe know where it ends, there’s a lot along the way that’s surprising and compelling.

I was going to ask you about this Jerry Tarkanian and the mob story, because all of that is insane. But I’m out of time, so I’ll save that for Rodney Barnes…

Excellent. Yeah, ask Rodney!

[And we did ask executive producer and writer Rodney Barnes about the Jerry Tarkanian story and much more, coming soon.]

‘Winning Time’ premieres March 6th on HBO and HBO Max. You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.

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The Regrettes Announce Their New Album ‘Further Joy’ And Drop The Single ‘That’s What Makes Me Love You’

The Regrettes, a rock band that’s been increasingly orbiting the pop music sphere, have just announced their third album called Further Joy. Out on April 8th, the band says the album explores the proverbial pursuit of happiness in the midst of these wild times we’re living in.

“That phrase, ‘further joy,’ summarized what it meant to be on the hamster wheel of constantly chasing happiness, but in turn, that’s what makes you unhappy,” singer songwriter Lydia Night said in a statement. “I was stuck in a loop of wanting to be better, wanting to be good, and therefore I couldn’t be here. I couldn’t be present.”

Along with the album announcement comes a full headlining tour and the new single, “That’s What Makes Me Love You,” a buoyant poppy jam that’s super sticky. It has a more indie pop lean than the big, pop rock shine of the previously released “Monday,” which featured Olivia Rodrigo in the music video.

Listen to “That’s What Makes Me Love You” above and check out the Further Joy art and tracklist, as well as the band’s upcoming tour dates, below.

The Regrettes Further Joy
Warner Records

1. “Anxieties (Out Of Time)”
2. “Monday”
3. “That’s What Makes Me Love You”
4. “Barely On My Mind”
5. “Subtleties (Never Giving Up On You)”
6. “La Di Da”
7. “Homesick”
8. “Better Now”
9. “Rosy”
10. “You’re So F*cking Pretty”
11. “Step 9”
12. “Nowhere”
13. “Show Me You Want Me”

03/04 – Burlington, VT at Higher Ground*
03/05 – Albany, NY at Empire Live*
03/06 – Poughkeepsie, NY at The Chance*
03/09 – Richmond, VA at The Broadberry*
03/11 – Louisville, KY at Headliners Music Hall*
03/13 – Cincinnati, OH at The Ballroom at Taft Theatre*
03/15 – New Orleans, LA at Toulouse Theatre*
03/16 – Houston, TX at Warehouse Live Studio*
03/17 – San Antonio, TX at Paper Tiger*
03/21 – Las Vegas, NV at 24 Oxford
03/22 – Fresno, CA at Strummer’s
03/24 – Eugene, OR at Sessions Music Hall
03/26 – Boise, ID at Treefort Music Festival
03/28 – Sacramento, CA at Ace of Spades
04/15 – Indio, CA at Coachella
04/18 – Pomona, CA at The Fox Theater Pomona^
04/21 – San Diego, CA at Humphreys Concerts By the Bay^
04/22 – Indio, CA at Coachella
04/23 – Tucson, AZ at Rialto Theater+
04/26 – Austin, TX at Scoot Inn+
04/27 – Dallas, TX at Echo Lounge & Music Hall+
04/30 – Atlanta, GA Shaky Knees Festival
05/01 – Charlotte, NC at The Underground+
05/03 – Washington DC at Lincoln Theatre+
05/04 – Philadelphia, PA at Theatre of Living Arts+
05/06 – Boston, MA at Big Night Live+
05/08 – New York, NY at Irving Plaza+
05/10 – Toronto, ON at Opera House+
05/12 – Columbus, OH at Newport Music Hall+
05/13 – Chicago, IL at Metro+
05/14 – Madison, WI at Majestic Theatre+
05/15 – Minneapolis, MN at Varsity Theater+
05/17 – Denver, CO at Summit Music Hall+
05/18 – Salt Lake City, UT at The Depot+
05/20 – Portland, OR at Roseland Ballroom+
05/21 – Vancouver, BC at Fortune Sound Club+
05/22 – Seattle, WA at The Neptune Theatre+
05/24 – San Francisco, CA at The Fillmore+
06/17 – Manchester, TN at Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival
07/01 – Rotselaar, BEL at Rock Werchter
07/03 – Bilbao, ESP at Bilbao Bizkaia Rock Day
07/06 – Madrid, ESP at Mad Cool Festival
07/08 – Glasgow, UK at TRNSMT Festival
07/09 – Cheltenham, UK at 2000trees Music Festival
09/22-25 – Dover, DE at Firefly Music Festival

* support from Kississippi
^ supporting Wallows
+ support from Alex Lahey

Further Joy is out 4/8 via Warner Records. Pre-order it here.

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

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Peacock’s ‘Pitch Perfect’ TV Show Adds Sarah Hyland And Jameela Jamil To The Cast

Gather ’round, a capella geeks: your time to shine is almost here. The long-awaited Pitch Perfect spinoff show has added some more core members to its cast, including Sarah Hyland, Jameela Jamil, and Lera Abova. The crew will join Adam Devine and Flula Blorg, who are both reprising their roles from the hit musical franchise.

The series will follow Devine’s character Bumper Allen (yeah, that’s the character’s real name) as he moves to Germany to pursue his music career when one of his songs unexpectedly becomes a hit in Berlin. He will be joined by Blorg’s character Piëter Krämer who was first introduced in 2015’s Pitch Perfect 2.

Modern Family alum Sarah Hyland will star as the duo’s assistant who also has a hidden songwriting talent. Hyland and Devine also played love interests in the long-running family sitcom. Jamil, who rose to fame on NBC’s The Good Place will star as Krämer’s ex-girlfriend Gisela, a German pop-star with a competitive side. Abova will star as Krämer’s sister, an up-and-coming Berlin DJ.

The series will be produced by Elizabeth Banks, who produced the original three Pitch Perfect movies, which starred Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow, Ben Platt, and Skyler Astin. Banks also directed the second film. The franchise followed the Barden Bellas, a university a capella group of misfits. Hopefully one of them will make a cameo to reprise their infamous “Since U Been Gone” cover.

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Sandra Bullock Speaks To, Um, ‘A Certain Part’ Of Channing Tatum’s Naked, Leeches-Covered Body In ‘The Lost City’

In terms of scenes where someone has to pick leeches off another person’s body, it’s tough to top Stand by Me (no offense, Anacondas 2). But The Lost City of D is going to try. Paramount has released a clip from the adventure-comedy where Sandra Bullock, playing a romance novelist who is kidnapped by an eccentric billionaire who wants her to take him to the treasure from one of her books (happens), removes leeches from her cover model. The would-be Fabio is portrayed by Channing Tatum, who described what it’s like to have an Oscar winner pick blood-sucking worms off his naked body.

“Walking to set with a bunch of leeches super-glued to my butt and not having met everybody and just kinda being like, ‘OK, I’m gonna be butt-naked, my name’s Chan today. This is just what it is.’ And then not only that, but to have Sandra Bullock have, like, a two-page monologue with, uh, a certain part of my body,” he said in the video above.

sandra
Paramount

Tatum’s “front area,” as co-director Adam Nee referred to it, was protected by a sock, but “there was no weirdness,” Bullock said. “You would think that there would be weirdness, but because he was so chill about it, he dropped everything and I spoke to it.” It’s worth mentioning that this happened on day two of filming. Acting is a very weird profession.

The Lost City (really shouldn’t have dropped the “of D”) comes out on March 25.

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Bartenders Shout Out Bourbons Guests Ask For That Make Them Say ‘Good Pick’

In general, your neighborhood bartender likely isn’t spending a ton of time judging you and your alcohol preferences. They have more important things to do than wonder why you’d order a shot of Fireball. They have other patrons to worry about, drinks to mix, and various other jobs grabbing for their attention. But if you order a cocktail with a spirit they enjoy as the base or neat dram, there’s a chance they’ll say something like “great pick” or “good choice” and sometimes even mean it.

This is especially true when it comes to bourbon.

“Bourbon has such a range of flavors and textures, and introducing people to different profiles is one of my favorite things to do,” says Heather Buelna, head bartender at Sun Outdoors San Diego Bay in San Diego. “If people are ordering on their own, I always give a little nod to people that order things like Angel’s Envy, Four Roses Single Barrel, and Basil Hayden’s. Each represents a slightly more sophisticated profile of vanillas, spice, and sweetness and I always appreciate when people appreciate these offerings.”

This week, we asked a few well-known bartenders to tell us their pick for the one bourbon a guest ordered that made them say “good pick.” Keep scrolling to see them all.

Stagg Jr.

Stagg Jr.
Buffalo Trace

Daniel Yang, lead bartender at Electra Cocktail Club in Las Vegas

ABV: 60-65%

Average Price: $300

Why This Bourbon?

If someone orders Stagg Jr. at the bar, I know they mean business. Sitting at somewhere around 130 proof, depending on the batch, this uncut and unfiltered bourbon has some beautiful notes of cherry and rich chocolate with hints of spice. Definitely one that lingers on the palate a bit, this is a bourbon that’s not for the faint of heart.

Breckenridge Bourbon

Breckenridge Bourbon
Breckenridge

Evan Hosaka, lead bartender at The Dorsey Cocktail Bar in Las Vegas

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $43

Why This Bourbon?

Breckenridge Bourbon from Colorado is known as being the world’s highest distillery because of its altitude on the mountain. It is a high rye bourbon aged for three-plus years. You’ll notice flavors and aromas of butterscotch, apple, brown sugar, vanilla, and of course pepper and spice. Easy to drink neat or on the rocks, this bourbon clocks in at 43 percent ABV. This “good pick” with all its enjoyability will only set you back at about $40.

Weller Antique 107

Weller Antique 107
Buffalo Trace

Joshua Scheid, beverage manager at REX at The Royal in Philadelphia

ABV: 53.5%

Average Price: $200

Why This Bourbon?

I’m really digging Weller bourbon lately. It’s a wheated bourbon, which lends a slightly different kind of sweetness than you typically find in bourbons. If you’re going to order one, make it Weller Antique 107 with its notes of soft, sweet, fruity, and vanilla flavor.

Chicken Cock

Chicken Cock
Chicken Cock

Amanda Phelps, beverage operations supervisor at Frannie & The Fox in Charleston, South Carolina

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $58

Why This Bourbon?

Chicken Cock is my pick. It’s an amazing bourbon, it’s smooth, well-crafted, and has the perfect balance of oak and vanilla.

Knob Creek 9

Knob Creek 9
Knob Creek

Kristan Arnold, bartender at Elgin Public House in Chicago

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $37

Why This Bourbon?

Knob Creek 9 is always a good pick in my book. It pairs well with cocktails and is great on its own. It has a subtle oaky flavor which I like to enhance with a solid smoking technique.

Garrison Brothers Small Batch

Garrison Brothers Small Batch
Garrison Brothers

Andrew Guerin, bartender at Bourbon O Bar at the Bourbon Orleans Hotel in New Orleans

ABV: 47%

Average Price: $90

Why This Bourbon?

Every time I get an order for Garrison Brothers Small Batch, it just feels like the right call. The flavor notes have something for everyone. There is the sweetness from the white corn and red winter wheat, the right amount of heat from a 94 proof bottling, and perfect barrel flavors too.

Woodford Reserve

Woodford Reserve
Woodford Reserve

Claire Sexton, bar manager at Kettner Exchange in San Diego

ABV: 45.2%

Average Price: $35

Why This Bourbon?

Woodford Reserve Bourbon is made by Master Distiller Chris Morris and rising whiskey superstar Assistant Master Distiller Elizabeth McCall. The whiskey is mellow, sweet, and perfect.

Maker’s Mark

Maker’s Mark
Maker’s Mark

Jurien Martijn, bartender at Curaçao Marriott Beach Resort in Willamstad, Curaçao

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $28

Why This Bourbon?

Maker’s Mark is my pick. Overall, it’s a very tasty and smooth bourbon. The caramel and vanilla notes make this bourbon perfect for a good old-school old fashioned.

Widow Jane 10

Widow Jane 10
Widow Jane

Subhash Sankar, head mixologist at Alaia Belize in San Pedro Town, Belize

ABV: 45.5%

Average Price: $80

Why This Bourbon?

Widow Jane meticulously sources its favorite bourbons from Kentucky. The distillery’s signature 10-year-old bourbon presents a nose of nutmeg, cream, vanilla, a dash of cinnamon, and a palate that flirts with maple syrup, almond, orange, and cherry. It’s straightforward, flavorful, not heavy-handed, and terrific neat.

Old Bardstown

Old Bardstown
Old Bardstown

Charles Bement, sommelier and beverage director of B. Hospitality in Chicago

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $20

Why This Bourbon?

This bourbon, produced by the Willett Distillery, teeters on that perfect balance of being a sipping whiskey and a mixing whiskey. It has a great body that gives it that heft to power through in a cocktail but enough complexity to stand on its own as a sipping bourbon.

Basil Hayden

Basil Hayden
Jim Beam

Aaron Ramirez, lead bartender at Mr. C Beverly Hills in Los Angeles

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $55

Why This Bourbon?

Guests who order Basil Hayden always makes me say “good choice.” These people know that a good bourbon does not have to be an expensive one. Its exceptional smooth finish and the vanilla accents makes this bourbon a “good pick.”

Orphan Barrel Rhetoric 25

Orphan Barrel Rhetoric 25
Orphan Barrel

Christopher Devern, lead bartender at Red Owl Tavern in Philadelphia

ABV: 45.5%

Average Price: $511

Why This Bourbon?

Orphan Barrel Rhetoric 25 is a special bourbon on our back bar at the Red Owl. I sell a few pours a year. It is pricy but it is a 25-year-old bourbon. Tasting notes include cacao, cinnamon, nutmeg, toasted oak, vanilla, and a savory long finish.

Buffalo Trace

Buffalo Trace
Buffalo Trace

Samantha Seltzer, beverage and service manager at Royal Boucherie in Philadelphia

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $24

Why This Bourbon?

Buffalo Trace is a great pick. You cannot find a better bourbon for the price point. It mixes beautifully in a cocktail and sips like a dream neat or with a cube.

Four Roses Small Batch

Four Roses Small Batch
Four Roses

Annie Pierce, bartender and co-owner of Law Bird Bar in Columbus, Ohio

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $30

Why This Bourbon?

Four Roses Small Batch isn’t the sexiest bottle, but damn if it isn’t delicious on its own or in any type of cocktail. It’s definitely a bang for your buck bourbon.

Michter’s US-1 Small Batch Bourbon

Michter’s US-1
Michter

Rob Krueger, bartender at Bar CHRYSTIE in New York City

ABV: 45.7%

Average Price: $48

Why This Bourbon?

There are many great everyday bourbons, but Michter’s US-1 is a standout for me, and ordering it is a marker of an educated drinker. It’s got a little more oomph at 91.4 proof so it holds up over ice. It has a caramel sweetness and rich stone fruit flavors balanced with vanilla and oak. It’s smooth and plump and just delicious. It tastes like the barrel didn’t just age it but loved it and cared for it.

Lost Republic

Lost Republic
Lost Republic

Ron Manlapid, bartender and mixologist at Menlo Tavern in Menlo Park, California

ABV: 45.5%

Average Price: $34

Why This Bourbon?

Lost Republic is my pick. This straight bourbon whiskey is a Northern California local and is not well known outside of our area. Guests love discovering the maple and cinnamon notes on this hidden gem of a bourbon.