GoneTrending

While the question of which sibling has it worst in Succession is hotly debated, when it comes to which of the show’s stars is taking the most heat right now, the answer is much clearer. On Sunday, December 5, The New Yorker published a lengthy and bewildering profile on Kendall Roy actor Jeremy Strong, kind of implying that the Emmy award-winner was not only delusionally unaware of the show’s status as a dark comedy, but was also — to put it lightly — difficult to work with.

In the profile, the author reached out to quite a few of Strong’s Succession co-stars, as well as former directors and castmates such as Robert Downey Jr. and Aaron Sorkin. While their time spent with Strong varied a great deal, each person reached out to for a comment seemed to help paint this picture of Strong as comically intense about his work and status (much like his onscreen counterpart), with Succession star Brian Cox going as far as to voice concern over Strong’s methods, telling The New Yorker “I just worry about what he does to himself.”

However, following this somewhat humiliating onslaught on the actor, one star has come to Strong’s defense: Jessica Chastain. According to tweet shared by Chastain last night, the piece written by The New Yorker “incredibly one-sided,” using “snark” to sell while painting Strong in a very disingenuous way. Chastain said that after knowing Strong for 20 years — and even working with the actor on two separate projects — she finds him to be a “lovely person” who is “very inspiring and passionate about his work.”

“I’ve known Jeremy Strong for 20 years & worked with him on 2 films,” Chastain wrote. “He’s a lovely person. Very inspiring & passionate about his work. The profile that came out on him was incredibly one sided. Don’t believe everything you read folks. Snark sells but maybe it’s time we move beyond it.”

Unfortunately for both Strong and Chastain, it might take more than a few testimonies to change the public’s perception of the actor following this profile. With everything from his methods to his overall intelligence thrown into question in the piece, this incident comes close to being a real life, Succession-level PR nightmare for Strong. Based on the profile, however, Strong could very well be welcoming the trial by fire — it doesn’t get anymore method than this.

In his book Atomic Habits, James Clear notes that “your outcomes are a lagging measure of your habits … you get what you repeat.” Basically, if you want to predict where your life is leading, take a look at your daily choices. And Clear is certainly not the first or last motivational speaker to promote this wisdom. Pick up any self-help book, and it will most likely tout the message of how small, incremental changes can have an enormous impact on our lives.

See on Instagram

A recent thread on AskReddit posed the question: What improved your quality of life so much you wished you did it sooner? For those of us who still can’t seem to tick off things like “drink more water” from the to-do list (despite knowing full well all the benefits) it might help hearing success stories from real, everyday people.

Here are some of the highlights:

---

Swimming for back pain

“Drugs, bed rest for weeks, chiro, deep massage, electroshock. Then I swam some laps and over a three day period months of decrepitude vanished. I couldn’t believe and am now obsessed with swimming.” – DontShootTheFood

“Most people who have back pain (especially lower back pain) have it as a result of sedentary lifestyle (exacerbated by sitting in office chairs for a long period of time). Swimming is a fantastic total body and core workout which just builds and balances strength to reduce back pain. If you have pain due to an injury, it may not be as effective.” – hanksredditname

Managing road rage

“Someone wants to pass me when I’m in the left lane? Move over and let them pass. Someone wants in my lane? That’s ok, I don’t consider the gap ahead of me to be my real estate. Semi puts on their blinkers when I’m intending to pass? Let off the speed and flick my high beams to let them know there’s enough room to enter my lane. All of this helps traffic flow better, makes things safer, and actually feels good to do. And all it required was to stop feeling like all of those things were a personal attack on me and my desire to get to my destination.” – Buddahrific

Setting boundaries … even with family

“I used to feel like I had to hang out with people when they asked, and as an introvert would resent losing my ‘me’ time. Now I’m just honest with people and say I’m tired, or that I had a long weekend of Great British Bakeoff and dog snuggles that I was really looking forward to. Might sound lame but I’m 150% happier.” – Acceptable-Place0872

“…I’m in my late twenties and talk to neither of my parents. I forgive them for what they did, but I don’t want a relationship of any kind with them and have made that very clear. I just stopped picking up the phone, texting back, messaging back at all. My brother still talks to one, but he suffers for it. I know I made the right decision.” – thekindwillinherit

Exercising for more than just your body

“I wish more people knew exactly how helpful exercise really is for both mental and physical health! Throughout high school I was seeing psychologists for anxiety and other issues and they repeatedly told me to eat healthy and exercise to improve my mental state. It’s pretty easy when you are in a bad place to dismiss that and say ‘a chemical imbalance in my brain isn’t going to fix itself if I go for a run’ so I never followed their advice. When I was around 20 I got a gym membership and actually started exercising for unrelated reasons and WOW does it help a lot! If you have mental health issues, a healthy lifestyle might not totally fix you but it will DEFINITELY help.” – vindaflyfox

Breaking free from phone addiction

“Disable your push notifications in tandem with uninstalling all social media apps. It’s quite fascinating how much better you feel when social media isn’t installed. Bye bye FB/Meta, Insta, Twitter, all of it gone. Talk about liberating. Took me about a month of “training”, but now I hardly ever look at my phone, and I no longer feel phantom vibrations while it’s in my pocket. It’s disgusting how we’ve become slaves to our devices.” – dj92wa

Improving sleep

“I’ve been using my CPAP for a few weeks now and I actually know what it’s like to have energy and motivation and not be a zombie by 2 pm. If anyone else feels like that, I heavily recommend talking to your doctor about having a sleep study done.” – whomikehidden

“Sunrise Alarm Clock. I wake up so much better during the dark winter months.” – herbstavore

Decluttering

“…A consistently clean home is amazing and doesn’t take a ton of time. 10-15 minutes a day I can keep things fairly tidy.” – unwinagainstable

“Nothing feels so relaxing when everything is in its place, organized and uncluttered. This obviously goes for at home, but also a clean car, clean desk, clean and organized computer and filing. Taking notes and reminders and deleting them when the task is done really relieves the mind. You can relax and focus better when your brain isn’t cluttered and overwhelmed.” – KanataCitizen

Walking for an hour

“This literally saved my life. A lot of people think just going out for a walk has minimal benefits, but it has both great physical and mental ones. Highly underrated (and free).” – grittypitty

Journaling affirmations

“…it helps remind me of my values, which helps me make better decisions each day, and having done it for three years now, I can see the progress I’ve made in learning not to sweat the small stuff. It’s encouraging. I’m figuring myself out.” – babblewocky

Dropping sarcasm

“I thought this gave me sharp, dry wit but really it was one step up from a teenager’s whiney voice making fun of people. It really was a low form of humor and, indeed, the perfect analog to the pseudo-intellectualism of the cynical act. It’s so easy to be sarcastic and nasty and it gets old REALLY fast.” – zazzlekdazzle

Opting for positive content

“I stopped consuming true crime content this past summer. It overall made me a more fearful, less empathetic, and more judgemental person by nature. The content encouraged my negative thought spirals and called it awareness. Never going back.” – notwest94

Practicing gratitude

“It is small but it genuinely makes a big impact. I had an assignment for a university course last year where we had to spend one week noting down something positive/good each day and then the next week negative things and I hadn’t realized just how much my life has improved until the week where I focused on negative things, it really solidified how much of a difference it made on my mood, how I felt about myself, and even how much I accomplished.” – supersaurus65

There were some other great contenders: daily dancing, seeing a therapist, stretching before bed and at waking … just to name a few. But no matter the habit, they planted seeds for not only a new life, but for a new identity. As Clear would put it, “every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.”

Let authors like Clear help guide you—and stories like the ones above help inspire you—as you forge a better path for yourself, one small step at a time.

Breanna Stewart‘s not used to spending her time away from basketball. Most winters, the four-time NCAA champion, two-time WNBA champion, two-time WNBA MVP, and two-time Olympic gold medalist is overseas in Russia, where she added a Euroleague ring to her collection in 2021. But after a surgery to repair her left Achilles tendon ended Stewart’s 2021 WNBA season early, the young star found herself having to sit idly as her Seattle Storm made a playoff run.

After a loss in the second round by Seattle, Stewart stayed stateside to rehab. With all that free time and no ability to get on the court, Stewart went virtual, partnering with NBA 2K and American Express on an exciting event at Staples Center this weekend, which will feature, among other things, Stewart clashing with Clippers star Paul George in the NBA 2K22.

Stewart spoke with Dime this week about the event, her recovery, and what she’s looking forward to in the 2022 WNBA season.

We’re kind of in the early stages of the W really being integrated into NBA 2K. So I’m curious, how did you get involved with this American Express/NBA 2K22 experience and what has it been like for you personally to get more involved as an ambassador for the game and the W’s place in it?

To be involved in the American Express/NBA 2K22 experience is really exciting not only as someone who plays 2K, but also really [loves] being able to be a part of the experience as well, and appreciate the pop-up and the opportunity to play against Paul.

Like you touched on, the WNBA hasn’t been in 2K for that long, but as I was preparing for this weekend and playing against Paul on Twitch, it just made me think of all the times that after a game or whatever it was, so many people on social media would (tell me), “Oh I just dropped 50 with you on 2K or I played with you on 2K,” and things like that, so really connecting the WNBA to video games and esports is something that’s helped our platform continue to gain eyes and gain viewers from a different direction. So, it’s exciting and it’s exciting to be part of this event.

Zooming out a little bit, it always sounds scary to hear “surgery” and “Achilles” in the same sentence, and I know there was a “minor” in there as well, but especially with someone like you who has a history with that injury, where are you right now in your recovery from that procedure and what was it like for you to have your season be so affected by that injury again?

It was really tough for me, to be honest, to be dealing with a similar injury at the end of the season. The hardest part for me was, like you said, having Achilles and injury in the same sentence, and it was my other side, the one that I didn’t have surgery on before.

A lot was going through my mind. I didn’t want to go through an Achilles rupture. I didn’t want to go through rehab. I basically didn’t want to go through anything. But that wasn’t really an option for me.

So to kind of, you know, be a little bit ahead of the game, I had the precautionary surgery, just to make sure I clean everything up. I have the time. I am not going overseas right now. It was the best decision for me. And I actually just had rehab this morning and I’m now walking in two shoes, so I’m very happy about that. No more boot. No more crutches. Getting back to normalcy a little bit.

Looking forward to next year’s WNBA season, the Storm will be making their debut at Climate Pledge Arena. Have you been able to see the arena yet and what will it mean to get an upgrade to a bigger, newer facility?

I can’t wait to be in Climate Pledge. To be honest, I haven’t seen it yet. I’ve only seen the pictures and videos on social media. And when the [NHL’s Seattle] Kraken opened the arena, I was still on crutches, so it was just kind of like a pain in the ass to get around. So I just wasn’t really feeling that, but I’m sure once I get back to Seattle, I’ll make sure to really get the grand tour.

But it’ll be nice, you know, it’s nice to be back in Seattle playing, it’s nice to be in Seattle center. Obviously, our fans, the majority of our fans are in Seattle. And that’s our home, that’s where we play. It’s not Key anymore. It’s Climate Pledge, but it’s gonna be awesome. And, you know, for those that haven’t played in that arena or in Seattle before, it’ll be great.

I thought of you a little bit watching the announcements come through for Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd and their NIL deals the past few weeks. If you’re able to put yourself in that space, how do you think your college career is different if you have that ability to build a brand and make money and get your name out there in that way?

Well, I mean, first of all, I’m really happy for the NCAA athletes to be able to take advantage of the NIL. It’s something that (has) been a long time coming and you can’t help but think about, you know, myself and the other athletes who made an impact in college and what would have happened in their college career.

But I think the biggest thing was it would have … I would have been able to really take advantage of my brand (from) the moment that I stepped on campus at Storrs and had that start then, instead of four years later. But this is the way things work. And to be able to kind of have a path to make a sacrifice to help the next generation, that’s perfect for me.

After Lauren Boebert graced the internet with a family Christmas photo that featured her and her children all brandishing guns less than a week after the school shooting in Michigan, the hosts of The View tore into the “shameless” Colorado senator and the state of the Republican Party. While the panel discussion was initially about Dan Crenshaw calling some of his GOP colleagues “grifters” and “performance artists,” the conversation soon shifted to Boebert’s photo, which the daytime TV show decided not to air because it was “too annoying,” according to host Joy Behar.

After co-host Sarah Haines ripped Boebert by saying you can be “pro-Second Amendment, and not pro-those kind of trashy pictures,” Behar wondered if there’s any chance of dealing with the Republican Party considering this type of behavior is becoming standard procedure.

Via The Wrap:

Behar, who dubbed the representative “Lauren ‘Bobblehead’ Boebert” took particular issue with the timing of the picture, considering that four students were killed in a school shooting in Michigan just last week.

“For her to put out a picture like that, shows that she’s completely shameless,” Behar said. “My question is can you even negotiate with shameless people? I don’t think it’s possible.”

While most of the panel agreed with Behar that there’s not much hope for the GOP, Whoopi Goldberg offered up her thoughts by pointing to Roy Moore‘s failed 2017 campaign. According to Whoopi, Republicans made a lot of noise about still voting for Moore despite his sexual misconduct allegations, but when they went inside the voting booth, they voted differently. As for the chances of that happening to provocateurs like Boebert when it comes time for reelection, it’s kind of hard to share Whoopi’s optimism that gun-filled Christmas cards will turn away Republican voters.

(Via The View on Twitter)

Jeopardy! is slowly but surely scrubbing away the taint of the Mike Richards hosting fiasco. A new champ, Amy Schneider, keeps racking up wins (while also taking time to call out Republicans after a lawmaker congratulated her on the current winning streak), and the two “temporary” hosts, Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik, have kept the train running smoothly with no controversy to be found.

Well, it seems that producers realize that they’ve got a good thing going, and as such, the official Jeopardy! account tweeted that things will stay constant with the two hosts for the time being. “We are delighted to let you know our excellent and experienced team in front of and behind the camera will continue into 2022,” the show tweeted. “@missmayim and @kenjennings will share hosting duties through the end of #Jeopardy! Season 38, and Michael Davies will remain as executive producer.”

As Hollywood Reporter notes, the dual-hosting scenario will carry through much of next summer with new showrunner Michael Davies sticking around, too:

Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings, who have been sharing hosting duties for season 38 following the Mike Richards debacle, will continue to serve in the same capacity into 2022. Producers Sony Pictures Television said Wednesday that the duo will remain hosts through the end of the syndicated game show’s current 38th season, which ends July 29.

Michael Davies, who has been serving as interim showrunner after Richards was fired after selecting himself as the replacement host for the late Alex Trebek, will also continue through season’s end.

Seriously, this situation could continue forever, and I don’t think Jeopardy! fans would be mad. Why rock the boat, you know? A split situation allows Mayim to keep hosting the show’s special editions (including this week’s Professors Tournament) while both she and former champ Jennings remain wildly popular with the show’s viewers. For his part, Jennings seems very at ease at the hosting podium with those old tweets proving to be no problem at all. Let the games continue.

(Via Hollywood Reporter)

While we like to go on (and on) about whiskey, there is a whole universe of other bottles of booze out there. It’s also the gift-giving season, which means you might be looking for a great gift bottle to give someone special this year, and maybe whiskey isn’t their jam. We don’t judge around here.

While we do get to sample a lot of whiskeys every year, we also get to sample tons of other spirits too. Let’s focus on the spirits that don’t quite get as much attention as whiskey for this gift guide because, let’s face it, there are a lot of great options available.

The ten bottles below highlight five styles of alcohol: tequila/mezcal, rum, brandy/cognac, gin, and vodka. We tried to keep everything findable and not too pricey (though there’s a bottle that’s a little spendier on the list). Overall, these are some options that will make any burgeoning cocktail mixer or aficionado happy when they tear off the paper to reveal one of these great bottles of booze.

Código 1530 Artesanal Mezcal

ABV: 43.1%

Average Price: $75

The Mezcal:

Código generally kills it in the tequila game. So we were pretty stoked to hear they were making mezcal this year. The brand hired a Mezcal Master to make the spirit by hand in Oaxaca with wild agave — espadín and tobalá specifically — from the San Juan del Rio region. No machines or automation was used in the making of this mezcal either. Traditional stone and wooden sticks were used for mashing. The fermentation took place in old leather vats. Finally, the distillation happened in earthen clay pot stills.

Tasting Notes:

Earthiness layers into this sip from top to bottom as the nose presents with mineral-rich dirt that leads towards hints of smoked honey, dry cantaloupe skins, and a hint of smoked vanilla beans. The taste harnesses that vanilla and sweetens it with more honey as orange oils, smoked cherries, and a nice dose of chalky clay mingle on the senses. The finish is long-ish with a hazelnut moving from fatty nut to dry shells with a wisp of fruity smoke in the background.

Bottom Line:

While I really dig this on the rocks, it shines in a cocktail, especially in a white Negroni variation or a smoky old fashioned. This is just a great mezcal overall.

Cardenal Mendoza Gran Reserva

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $52

The Brandy:

This Spanish brandy has some serious pedigree. The juice is made from Airen grapes grown in Jerez. The juice then goes into former Pedro Ximenez sherry casks where it rests for 15 long years. The result is a deeply flavorful snifter that’s second to none.

Tasting Notes:

Roasted nuts, orange-infused dark chocolate, espresso beans, and brown bread greet you. The sip embraces the oak, nuts, and coffee as the body of the brandy feels like sharp beams of golden light flooding through darkly colored stained glass. The fruit is fairly dried and plummy and the sweetness edges ever-so-slightly towards molasses. The end is dry, bold, and leaves you warmed to your soul.

Bottom Line:

While France’s cognac tends to dominate a lot of the conversation around brandy in the U.S., Spanish brandy is starting to make an impact — in large part thanks to this very bottle. This is pure Christmas vibes in a bottle that works as a sipper as easily as a base for a killer nog. It’s also a cool, old-school bottle which helps make it a great gift overall.

Artingstall’s Brilliant London Dry Gin

ABV: 42%

Average Price: $45

The Gin:

Famed director and boulevardier Paul Fieg went all-in on the cocktail game and released his very own gin, named after his mom no less. The gin is a London Dry gin (more botanical and less sweet than an Old Tom or sloe gin) that’s specifically designed to make a great cocktail, especially if you’re stirring up a martini. Fieg teamed up with Minhas Craft Brewery & Distillery in Alberta and Wisconsin and actually built this gin from scratch himself (this isn’t a simple white label). Feig found a nice balance of eleven botanicals with a focus on orris root, cassia, elderberries, and citrus while the juniper took more of a back seat.

Tasting Notes:

You get a mild sense of dry, almost desert-kissed juniper on the nose that leads right into a dried berry with hints of lemon and orange pith next to a touch of dark and woody spices (think clove and anise). The palate is gentle and touches back on that dried berry vibe while the woody spices give way to dried roots with a very mild Black Jack gum vibe. The softness of the taste leans into a light minerality as the spices, dried, fruit, and citrus pith fades away fairly quickly.

Bottom Line:

While this is the perfect martini (or Negroni) base, I really dig it on the rocks with a dash of Angostura Bitters. Drinking aside, the presentation of this gin is also stellar with a hefty decanter that can be reused as a bar centerpiece for years to come.

Zubrowka Bison Grass Vodka

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $25

The Vodka:

Poland’s Zubrowka is one of the most subtly flavored herbal vodkas on the market — so much so that you might not even know it’s flavored while you drink it. The vodka is based on bison grass that grows on the Białowieża Forest, which stretches from Eastern Poland into Belarus and is Europe’s last primeval forest. Bison and wolves still roam between its ancient, mossy trees.

Tasting Notes:

You’re greeted with a mix of honey, freshly shorn wheat fields, and a note of lemon citrus with a hint of almond. The taste very much keeps hold of those notes as the grass sweetens and a creamy texture leads towards a distinct pistachio essence. The end of the sip feels a bit like a lemon cake with a creamy, pistachio-filled frosting.

Bottom Line:

I fell in love with this vodka over 20 years ago and it remains a personal favorite. That’s staying power. This unique spirit is a great gift in that it’s not the easiest to find and is a truly unique expression from a very broad and sometimes boring style of alcohol.

D’USSÉ VSOP Cognac

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $60

The Brandy:

This is Jay-Z’s signature brand. The juice in the bottle goes way back to Baron Otard from the famed Château de Cognac. The new line was re-crafted to suit American palates and includes a blend of Cognacs that are aged at the château for four to eight years before blending, proofing, and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

The florals and fruit take a back seat to wood, spice, and vanilla on the nose. The palate of rich caramel leads to butter toffee with plenty of that oak shining through next to mild dark spices. The end lets the florals and fruit come out to play a little as the wood, spice, and caramel fade through your senses.

Bottom Line:

This makes a great gift in that it’s stylish and also very drinkable. Look, that bottle is going to look great wherever it’s displayed. What makes this gift shine is that the actual brandy in that pretty bottle is damn fine and worth sipping slow throughout the rest of the year.

Mount Gay Andean Oak Cask Finish Rum

ABV: 48%

Average Price: $192

The Rum:

Master Blender Trudiann Branke is creating some amazing Barbadian blends with Mount Gay’s Master Blender Collection. The fourth release takes Mount Gay rum that spent 14 years mellowing if former bourbon barrels just a stone’s throw from a beach and finishes that rum in South American oak from the Andies. After eleven months in those barrels, the juice is proofed and bottled as-is.

Tasting Notes:

The nose of this ranges from a Christmas cake full of dark and candied fruits, dark spices, fatty nuts, and buttery vanilla to a counterbalance of bitter espresso beans, very dark chocolate, and a distant flutter of dried rose. The taste really leans into the spicier end with freshly ground nutmeg and clove marrying the creamy vanilla to make lush eggnog as candied ginger spices this up with a light sweetness. Mint-kissed marzipan arrives on the mid-palate and leads towards a finish that’s brimming with dark chocolate-covered marzipan, rum-soaked holiday cake, and dark red fruits tied to sticky tobacco leaves.

Bottom Line:

This expression just dropped last October and only 1,026 bottles were sent to the U.S. That makes this a truly special release/gift for any rum fan this year.

Jose Cuervo Reserva De La Familia Reposado

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $85

The Tequila:

This brand-new release from Jose Cuervo comes from Master Distiller Alex Coronado. Coronado makes this tequila using more traditional methods than the autoclaves and automated operations for the brand’s entry-point expressions. This tequila starts off with single-estate Blue Agave that’s hand-harvested. Those agave pinas are then roasted in old-school ovens (and diffusers for sugar extraction). They also use old-school fermenters and copper pot stills before the juice goes into French oak and ex-bourbon barrels for maturation with a toasted American oak barrel in the mix too.

Tasting Notes:

Hints of black pepper draw you in with a faint essence of cottage cheese that’s cut with fresh pineapple, bay leaf, and brittle toffee. The palate leans into roasted agave by amping up that black pepper vibe while soft vanilla extract mingles with clove, anise, and allspice. A subtle cinnamon stick takes over on the mid-palate with slightly sweet almond. The finish doesn’t last too long but carries that spice towards a cedar box full of spicy vanilla tobacco with a final crank off the black pepper mill.

Bottom Line:

This well-crafted tequila from Cuervo feels like the antithesis of everything the brand has become known for. This is about refinement and slow-sipping or building a great cocktail. The presentation of the bottle and packaging also help it stand out from the crowd and make it a great gift bottle.

Equiano Light

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $46

The Rum:

The heart of this rum is a combination of aged dark rums from Foursquare in Barbados. Those rums are rendered from rich molasses before they’re aged pretty much right on the beach. That rum is blended with Gray’s rum from Mauritius. That rum is made from fresh sugar cane juice, bringing the “light” to the mix.

Tasting Notes:

You get a big dose of fresh sugar cane juice on the nose that’s been cut with bright and dark spices and oily vanilla next to green apples and ripe pineapple. The palate has a delicate balance of tropical fruits next to coconut creaminess, a dash of woody spice, and a mild molasses sweetness with a small stringy sugar cane greenness. The finish is short and sweet and leaves you with that fruit, stringy sugar cane sweetness, and a touch more of the woody spice with a final creamy coconut mouthfeel.

Bottom Line:

This was one of my favorite new rums of the year. It’s so light yet refined. It also makes a perfect daiquiri, which is the gift that keeps on giving year-round.

Beluga Transatlantic

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $45

The Vodka:

This vodka from deep in the Siberian forest was built to celebrate Russia’s sailing team. The juice in the bottle is made from local wheat and cut with Siberian well water before it’s filtered through fresh cotton. The vodka then rests in tanks for 45 days, allowing it to mellow out even more.

Tasting Notes:

The nose on this is saline leading to sea spray with a silky roundness. The palate goes from super soft mineral water neutral to the oyster liquor from a just-opened oyster with a very distant honey/oat vibe. That oyster liquor note intensifies on the next sip and the next, leading towards a real seaside depth.

Bottom Line:

This is a nuanced and unique vodka that few others can stand up to. It’s also a vodka that’s from really far away, making it a great gift that shows you’ve taken the time to find something truly special.

Beefeater 24 London Dry Gin

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $36, 1-liter bottle

The Gin:

You’ve probably seen a bottle of Beefeater London Dry Gin on the shelf before. This takes that to new heights that deserve your attention. The gin utilizes 12 botanicals and teas with grapefruit peel and Japanese and Chinese green teas the main focus and juniper, Seville orange peel, bitter almonds, orris root, coriander seeds, angelica root, licorice, angelica seed, and Sicilian lemon peel making up the rest. Beefeater infuses those ingredients into the distillate for 24 hours, which is on the shorter end of the infusion spectrum.

Tasting Notes:

Citrus pops on the nose and palate like fireworks on a cold New Year’s Eve. That grapefruit shines through on the nose with a brightness that’s enticing while the juniper takes a backseat. The dark roots have an earthiness to them that’s tied to a light minerality with spice and anise leading the way. The sip softens dramatically on the back end as the green and black tea feel takes over and leads your sense towards a soft landing full of citrus, green tea, and minerals.

Bottom Line:

This is another perfect mixing gin. It’s also very affordable and findable while also being a great-looking bottle. All of those are wins for gift-giving booze this year.

Verzuz battles have become a great way to salute and pay homage to the legacies of artists who probably don’t get as much recognition as they should — or at least, give them their flowers while they’re still around to appreciate it — but as the series continues, there are some who want to see even bigger stars hit the stage to play their hits.

One of those who do is LA Reid, who stated during an interview on The Real that his dream matchup would be between two megastars in Beyonce and Mariah Carey. While both are vocal powerhouses who have sold millions of records and become nearly ubiquitous household names — especially now that it’s December, which is slowly but surely becoming more of a celebration of Mariah than yuletide cheer — many fans, upon hearing the suggestion, voiced their disapproval on Twitter.

While much of the chatter was the typical stan war stuff (“Beyoncé is the Queen of what exactly?” one user questioned), there were others who pointed out that the two aren’t exactly peers, since Mariah debuted a solid decade before Beyonce’s solo career took off. The best Verzuz battles so far have been those between artists from similar generations, such as The Lox and The Diplomats, or the recent showdown between Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Three 6 Mafia.

Meanwhile, still, others pointed out, simply, that neither artist seems particularly interested in doing Verzuz, which has always seemed to book artists who are perhaps slightly past their commercial prime or who flew under the radar as songwriters and producers. Beyonce and Mariah Carey are both still selling millions of records — even if it’s just “All I Want For Christmas,” Mariah’s pull is enough to warrant a month-long McDonald’s menu — and thus, Verzuz “couldn’t afford” them.

And others wondered why LA Reid was being given a platform at all, considering he was recently accused of sexual harassment by multiple women, leading to his ouster from Epic Records, and a huge settlement payment from Sony.

Check out more responses to LA Reid’s dream matchup below, and watch the full interview above.

It’s a simple question, really: Do you think Cousin Greg — the sweet, lanky, awkward Roy-adjacent boy from Succession — can dunk a basketball? It shouldn’t require too much thought. A simple yes or no will do. And yet, here I am, after months — not an exaggeration — of debating both sides of the issue in my head, writing it up and presenting it to you. It’s my last hope. I have, at various times in various moments, convinced myself completely that both options are correct. It’s honestly becoming a problem. I have other things to do. Paperwork is piling up on my desk while my brain cranks itself into a smoking lump of ooze. That doesn’t even make sense. Ooze forms in pools, not lumps. This situation has ruined me.

It’s not even the first time I’ve debated the hoops prowess of characters on the show. I wrote a whole manifesto just last year about how good I thought each character was at basketball. I stand by almost everything I said then, but especially the things I wrote about Greg, who I ranked ninth for the reasons explained in this blockquote.

Toughest entry on the list. My sweet boy is very, very tall, and younger than just about anyone else on the show. He has all the physical advantages one could want. On the other hand, he is hilariously uncoordinated and passive and appears to be developing a secret cocaine habit. I’ve been trying so hard to envision a scenario where he can be a contributing member of a basketball team but every time I start to get there I see him tripping and falling on a fast break because he somehow got his shoes tied together in the middle of the previous play.

Still, he ranks this high because there is a bubbling rage inside that gangly body and we simply cannot rule out the possibility that he plays with the intensity of Kevin Garnett in the brief spells between him falling like a whirling cyclone of arms and legs.

Do you see what I mean here? Do you see why this is tearing me apart? Both possibilities are reasonable. If the show would settle this once and for all — please, even just one line of dialogue confirming he can dunk or explaining that he can’t, for me, for my deeply troubled soul — I would happily accept whatever they put forth. I would put this issue to bed for good. This is a lie. I would not. Especially if they say he can dunk. Because then I would need to see it. It would tear me apart. But we’ll cross that shaky rope bridge when we get to it.

Below, I will lay out the case for and against Cousin Greg being able to dunk. We will really get into it. But first, I need to be clear about three things:

• I am not asking if Nicholas Braun, the actor who plays Cousin Greg, can dunk in real life
• I’m asking if Cousin Greg, the character on the show, can dunk
• I’m doing great

Okay, here we go.

CASE FOR: Cousin Greg can dunk, absolutely, 100 percent

The case for this breaks down as follows:

• Cousin Greg is very tall — Nicholas Braun is 6’7 and the show has never portrayed him as anything shorter than that — and has long arms
• He would not have to jump very high
• Like, we’re taking a 20-24 inch vertical leap, tops
• I believe in him
• He is young enough that we can assume he retains a solid amount of whatever athletic ability he had at his peak
• I would like it a lot if he could dunk
• He appears to have hands that are large enough to palm a basketball
• This would make it easier because he wouldn’t have to use two hands or cup/cradle the ball in his wrist on the way up
• He is so tall
• I know I said that already but still
• I saw this video of Nicholas Braun sitting courtside at a Lakers game and getting super pumped up about a cool windmill dunk and, even though I made a whole point a minute ago about how this question relates only to the actual character, I feel like it’s important
• I saved the file for this draft as “Greg Basketball,” which has nothing to do with anything but would be a pretty hilarious fake name

All fair points. But this brings us to…

CASE AGAINST: Cousin Greg cannot dunk, no way, be serious

The case for this alternative:

• lol
• No
• Come on
• Cousin Greg is the most awkward and uncoordinated person alive
• Just picture him trying to dunk
• Heck, just picture him in basketball shorts
• He would almost certainly injure himself
• I have this crystal clear image in my head of him trying to dunk and banging the ball into the front of the rim and falling down and knocking himself unconscious in front of, like, Beyoncé
• He could be eight feet tall and he still could not dunk
• There’s a principle here, like it would alter the dynamics of the entire show in irreversible ways if he was able to dunk
• I feel like it would have come up already if he could
• I feel like Kendall would be super jealous and bring it up a lot, in large part because Kendall named his son Iverson, which remains perfect
• If Greg could dunk then I think Tom would have challenged him to a game of basketball already, if only because Tom has the most “scored 2000 points at his small Midwestern high school and needs everyone to know it” energy of any character on television
• No
• Be serious

Come on.

VERDICT

Here’s the closest I’ve come to a solution, only because it feels right: I think Cousin Greg has dunked a basketball a few times, but only when he’s alone, and he’s tried and failed to replicate it numerous times in front of other people or on video, with the end result being that no one believes him. I’m going to stick with that until the show gives me a firm answer one way or the other. It’s part of my general life philosophy: When presented with two equally appealing alternatives, choose the one that is funniest.

The beer world is massive. There are countless styles, variations on styles, and seemingly random flavors that somehow work well together … most of the time. Take a stroll into your closest craft brewery and you’re likely to find some creative, imaginative milkshake IPA, spiced winter warmer, or fruited smoothie IPA alongside the more classic lagers, pilsners, and West Coast IPAs.

This is what makes beer so fun and exciting. There’s something for every palate. If you enjoy classic Czech-style pilsners and nothing else, you can spend your days sampling the style from countless breweries. If you’re more about the sour beers coming out of Belgium, you can find what feels like a million takes on those beers from thousands of American craft brewers across the country. The list goes on and on. And all of that hommage, imitation, and innovation lead to a litany of amazing beers popping up every now and then.

To find the gems, we asked a handful of well-known brewers and craft beer experts to tell us the most unique, innovative, and thought-provoking beers they’d ever tried. Keep reading to see all of their picks.

Wicked Week Oaxacan

Eric Warner, brewmaster at Karbach Brewing Co. in Houston

ABV: 7.1%

Average Price: $17 for a 500ml bottle

Why This Beer?

One of the more unique beers I’ve had is the Oaxacan tequila barrel-aged smoked sour from Wicked Weed Brewing in Asheville, North Carolina. The base beer is brewed using smoked wheat malt and soured using traditional Belgian-style fermentation techniques. The finishing of this elixir is a complex process that ages the beer in tequila barrels, which had originally been used for aging red wine. To top it all off, grapefruit and lime zest is added as a finishing touch. This smoky, citrusy “beertail” is deliciously refreshing and an ingenious take on a tequila-inspired cocktail.

Jester King Snörkel

Alex Wenner, owner and brewer at Lasting Joy Brewery in Hudson Valley, New York

ABV: 4.3%

Average Price: $15 for a 750ml bottle

Why This Beer?

It is harder and harder to find “unique” these days. So many breweries are trying to constantly find a way to make something that no one else has. My favorite beer which was certainly unique is Jester King’s Snörkel. It’s a farmhouse ale with smoked sea salt and locally grown oyster mushrooms. It is hard to get umami flavor out of a beer, but this one really delivers. The real key is that the beer, even if they never added salt or mushrooms, would still be a truly world-class saison. And then they go and have the perfect touch of smoke, salt, and mushroom to round it out.

Rogue Beard Beer

Andrew Hood, wood cellar manager and brewer at Sun King Brewery in Indianapolis

ABV: 5.6%

Average Price: $8 for a 22-ounce bottle

Why This Beer?

One of the most unique beers I’ve ever had was the Beard Beer by Rogue. The beer is made with the yeast strain from brewmaster John Maier’s beard. It’s actually a super clean tasting beer and goes to show you can ferment anything with wild yeast.

Scratch Chanterelle Biere De Garde

Derek Gold, director of brewing operations at WeldWerks in Greeley, Colorado

ABV: 6.5%

Average Price: $24 for a 750ml bottle

Why This Beer?

My pick is Scratch Brewing Chanterelle Biere De Garde. This French farmhouse-style beer is brewed with chanterelle mushrooms foraged from the woods surrounding the brewery. It’s malty, earthy, and funky with notes of fresh apricot, toffee, and cracked peppercorns. It’s a must-try if you get the opportunity.

Big Alice Jalapeno Rye

Jeremy Cowan, owner and founder of Shmaltz Brewing Company in Clifton Park, New York

ABV: 7.1%

Average Price: Limited Availability

Why This Beer?

The Jalapeno Rye from Big Alice in New York City is a rocking combo of unpredictable flavors that still shines after several years of production. It’s a crowd favorite of elegant “extreme” beer. It’s a super tasty adventure.

Prairie BOMB!

Shaun O’Sullivan, co-founder and brewmaster at 21st Amendment Brewery in San Francisco

ABV: 13%

Average Price: $10 for a 12-ounce bottle

Why This Beer?

This imperial stout has so much going on and there is definitely a lot to unpack. Rich dark malt aromas with sweet toffee notes are what you would expect from an imperial stout. BOMB! takes it a step further as it’s brewed with coffee, chocolate, vanilla beans, and ancho chili peppers. The flavor of this beer is where it really opens up with spicy, pepper notes, chocolate, and soft vanilla tones. For such a big beer at 13 percent ABV, it finishes dry with bittersweet raisin notes.

Urban South Toasted Marshmallow Pumpkin Pie

Erika Wojno, US director of marketing at BrewDog in Columbus, Ohio

ABV: 6.1%

Average Price: Limited Availability

Why This Beer?

I’d have to go with Urban South’s Toasted Marshmallow Pumpkin Pie Fruited Sour. Totally unexpected flavor combination, but the pumpkin and spices bring a nice savory character, all balanced by the nice sweetness from the toasted marshmallow.

Cantillon Gueuze

Patrick Ware, co-founder and head of brewing operations and Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. in Phoenix, Arizona

ABV: 5.5%

Average Price: $22 for a 12-ounce bottle

Why This Beer?

This beer is so unique in that it is nearly impossible to replicate exactly. The unique character they achieve has been derived through a painstakingly long aging process in seasoned puncheon barrels over one to three years. This is only achievable after undergoing an archaic hot-side production process which is pivotal to creating a complex wort base for the bacteria living in the wood to flourish. The tart, musty, earthy, yet bright aromatic complexity in this beer is what brewers dream of if they have ever caught the lambic bug.

Riggs American Lager

Jack Hendler, co-owner of Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers in Framingham, Massachusetts

ABV: 5%

Average Price: $12.50 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

Why This Beer?

It’s a pretty cool story. They grow their own corn and barley on their own farm to make this American lager. I think it’s a very unique story and process that they actually use their own ingredients. They even worked with a local university to create an heirloom variety of corn that works really well for this style of beer. It’s crisp and hits all the right notes for an American lager.

Goose Island Bourbon County Stout

Luis G. Brignoni, founder of Wynwood Brewing Co. in Miami

ABV: 14.4%

Average Price: $14 for a 16.9-ounce bottle

Why This Beer?

I’ve always been a fan of Goose Island’s Bourbon County Stouts. I think what those brewers have done and continue to do is amazing. They really spearheaded the barrel aging process with beer since way back when, and they’ve done an awesome job keeping the standards up throughout the years. This year it’s tasting really good. I love the use of the bourbon barrels. I’m a big bourbon fan, and the beautiful thick full body of the beer with the vanilla and oak flavors make for an unbeatable experience. This is a beer that’s played as an inspiration to some of our barrel-aging beers we’ve done through the years and one that I look forward to every year. Also, this is one of those styles that ages really well and can continue to develop as you age it. It’s fun doing verticals and opening different vintages at once and comparing the different notes among the same beer. It’s always a nice treat.

Schneider Weisse Aventinus Eisbock

Todd Bellmyer head brewer at Wynkoop Brewing Company in Denver

ABV: 12%

Average Price: $7 for a 330ml bottle

Why This Beer?

Schneider Weisse Aventinus Eisbock is one of my all-time favorite beers ever. Besides the hilarious invention of the style (a German brewer accidentally left a barrel of bock outside and freeze-distilled it), it boasts a high ABV and an enhanced flavor of sweet raisin, brown bread, and caramel.