UK post punk outfit Black Midi returns with a few exciting announcements. Not only did they share another preview of their impending Cavalcade LP, but they’ve expanded their tour dates an announced a special sweepstakes contest.
The new track “Chondromalacia Patella” shares a similar sound to the bands previously released singles “Slow,” “John L,” and “Sweater.” Inspired by one of the band members’ knee injury, the single boasts their signature abrasive guitars and quick-tempoed chords.
Alongside the single’s release, Black Midi announced they’re officially launching a “Golden Ticket” contest. One special ticket will be inserted to the band’s LP sold in the US and one in the UK. Those who find the Golden Ticket are able to choose one of three prizes. They can choose to have Black Midi perform at a specified function, get the chance to spend the day in the studio with them, or they can secure guestlist spots for two people for all future worldwide Black Midi headline live shows for the next ten years.
Listen to Black Midi’s “Chondromalacia Patella” above and find their expanded 2021 and 2022 tour dates below.
10/10/2021 — Chicago, IL @ Pitchfork Music Festival
10/04/2021 — San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
10/05/2021 — Sonoma, CA @ Sebastiani Theatre
10/07/2021 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre
10/08/2021 — San Diego, CA @ The Casbah
10/09/2021 — Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy and Harriet’s
10/11/2021 — Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Cafe
10/12/2021 — Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall
10/14/2021 — Lakewood, OH @ Mahall’s
10/15/2021 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Spirit
10/16/2021 — Kingston, NY @ Tubby’s
10/18/2021 — Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
10/19/2021 — New York, NY @ Webster Hall
10/21/2021 — Baltimore, MD @ Union Brewery
10/23/2021 — Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle Tavern
10/26/2021 — Birmingham, AL @ Saturn
10/27/2021 — New Orleans, LA @ Republic
10/29/2021 — Austin, TX @ TBD
10/30/2021 — Houston, TX @ The Secret Group
03/22/2022 — Madison, WI @ Majestic Theater
03/25/2022 — Detroit, MI @ The Majestic
03/26/2022 — Toronto, ON @ The Phoenix Concert Theatre
03/28/2022 — Montreal, QC @ Société des Art Technologiques
03/29/2022 — Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
03/30/2022 — Providence, RI @ Columbus Theater
04/03/2022 — Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
04/05/2022 — Washington, DC @ The Black Cat
04/06/2022 — Saxapahaw, NC @ Haw River Ballroom
04/09/2022 — Nashville, TN @ Basement East
04/11/2022 — Seattle, WA @ Neptune
04/12/2022 — Vancouver, BC @ The Biltmore Cabaret
04/13/2022 — Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
04/19/2022 — Berkeley, CA @ The UC Theatre
Cavalcade is out 5/28 via Rough Trade. Pre-order it here.
While sitting down to promote her upcoming role in the Eternals that’s finally making its way to theaters after being delayed for over a year, Salma Hayek revealed that she’s been battling a private COVIDstruggle of her own. The actress revealed that she was infected very early in the pandemic, and at the time, the prognosis was not looking good.
According to Variety, Hayek has never talked publicly about her health struggles until dialing in for a Zoom interview to talk about all things Marvel:
“My doctor begged me to go to the hospital because it was so bad,” says Hayek, 54, from the London manse that she shares with her husband, Kering CEO François-Henri Pinault, and their 13-year-old daughter, Valentina. “I said, ‘No, thank you. I’d rather die at home.’”
Hayek spent about seven weeks isolated in a room of the house. At one point, she was put on oxygen. She still hasn’t fully regained the energy she once had.
Despite still suffering from the long-haul effects, Hayek returned to work last April and began filming Ridley Scott’s House of Gucci alongside Adam Driver and Lady Gaga. “It was the perfect job to just get back into it,” Hayek told Variety.
As for the Eternals, Marvel fans caught their first glimpse of Hayek as Ajak when the studio dropped its Phase 4 trailer/celebration of movies at the beginning of May. An official trailer for Eternals is rumored to be coming soon, which should give fans an even better look at Hayek and the ridiculously good-looking cast in action.
Phosphorescent dropped his latest album, C’est La Vie, in 2018. That came after a long wait, though, as his previous albums before that were 2013’s Muchacho and 2010’s Here’s To Taking It Easy. Now, Phosphorescent is getting ready to revisit that era with his next release, The BBC Sessions, which is set to drop on June 11 via Dead Oceans.
The five-track EP features performances from a pair of BBC Radio performances, one from 2011 and one from 2013. The collection opens with a previously unreleased rendition of “Song For Zula” from the 2013 session, which has been shared today. That is followed by “Terror In The Canyons (The Wounded Master)” from the same performance. Rounding out the release are three songs from the 2011 session: “At Death, A Proclamation,” “Los Angeles,” and “We’ll Be Here Soon.”
Listen to “Song For Zula” above. Below, check out the The BBC Sessions art and tracklist. Also revisit our 2018 interview with Phosphorescent here.
Dead Oceans
1. “Song For Zula” (BBC Radio Performance 2013)
2. “Terror In The Canyons (The Wounded Master)” (BBC Radio Performance 2013)
3. “At Death, A Proclamation” (BBC Radio Performance 2011)
4. “Los Angeles” (BBC Radio Performance 2011)
5. “We’ll Be Here Soon” (BBC Radio Performance 2011)
The BBC Sessions is out 6/11 via Dead Oceans. Pre-order it here.
React Like You Know is back and this week, we’ve got a new panel and an inescapable, game-changing classic for them to watch and respond to. When Missy Elliott‘s Hype Williams-directed video for her debut single “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” dropped in 1997, it blew minds with its eye-popping, surreal imagery, avant-garde fashion choices (the air-filled “trash bag” jumpsuit!), and Williams’ signature fish-eye lens technique. It’s safe to say, hip-hop wouldn’t look anything like it does today without Missy’s adventurous debut video.
So, how does it measure up for our gen-Z panelists? Well, the episode opens with a few “Oh my God!” exclamations from Erica Banks and Fousheé, and even NLE Choppa can’t help but gush, “Missy was beautiful!” BRS Kash notes the fish-eye look “makes the video so much more dramatic,” while Blac Chyna, Cozz, and DaniLeigh all shout out the “trash bag” style — even though Missy revealed long ago it was a patent-leather jumpsuit. The Hummer also gets a lot of attention from the panel, while our studio team gets some interesting responses about the producer-artist relationship between Timbaland and Missy, as well as whether Puff Daddy can be “all in their videos — dancin.’” (The answer’s a resounding yes.)
Missy, meanwhile, is celebrating the 20th anniversary of her third album, Miss E… So Addictive, with the release of her equally groundbreaking 2001 MTV VMAs performance on YouTube coming later today.
Watch the latest React Like You video above.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Jim Carrey won a Golden Globe for his performance in Man on the Moon, but it came at a cost — to everyone around him.
As chronicled in the documentary Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond, Carrey became Andy Kaufman for months, “like the ghost had possessed his body.” This “process” included the comedian’s alter-egos, slimy lounge singer Tony Clifton and a misogynistic wrestler. He essentially gave himself free rein to be a nightmare on set under the guise of method acting, which actor Martin Freeman spoke out against in a recent interview.
On the Off Menu podcast, the Sherlock star called Carrey’s behavior on the Man on the Moon set the “most self-aggrandizing, selfish, narcissistic f*cking bollocks I have ever seen… When younger, I think it’s quite common to think that completely losing yourself is the goal because it feels grown-up and it feels proper. But the older I’ve got, the more I don’t really look to that. To be honest, it’s quite a pain in the arse when someone ‘loses themselves.’ It is a massive pain in the arse because it’s no longer a craft and a job.”
Freeman thinks Carrey is probably a “lovely and smart person,” but he draws the line at his method acting. “The idea that anything in our culture would celebrate or support it is deranged, literally deranged,” he said. “You need to keep grounded in reality, and that’s not to say you don’t lose yourself in the time between ‘action’ and ‘cut,’ but I think the rest of it is absolute pretentious nonsense and highly amateurish. It is not professional.”
So… I’m guessing Freeman won’t be in Sonic the Hedgehog 2?
When video game companies say that they want to create a game as a service that can continue to be profitable well after release there is one title that is the model: Grand Theft Auto V. Everyone knows the popularity of the Grand Theft Auto series, but it’s hard to believe even the most optimistic of developers knew that a game released in 2013 was going to continue to be relevant into 2021.
Yet, that is exactly what is going to be happening. We’ve already known that the game would be ported to next-gen consoles, but it would have been a safe assumption to guess that it would just be a port and nothing else. However, as we approach an intended November release it’s becoming clear that Rockstar plans to put some resources behind this port. Via VideoGamesChronicle.
On Tuesday, Rockstar said that this summer’s updates to GTA Online will include “special benefits” for players to take advantage of the expanded and enhanced versions when they drop.
Plus, in honor of the upcoming 20th anniversary of Grand Theft Auto III, “more fun surprises” are planned, including some specifically for GTA Online players.
…
“Grand Theft Auto V remains one of the most iconic titles ever released and it continues to exceed our expectations, having sold in over 140 million units,” Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said.
“In fact, in calendar 2020, more copies of Grand Theft Auto V were sold than in any other year except for 2013 when it first launched on PS3 and Xbox 360.”
GTA V is an anomaly. It’s already the most profitable piece of media in history, but how it got to that point is unlike other long-lasting titles. It’s not unheard of for a game to have a long lifespan, but that is typically the case with MMO’s like World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy XIV, etc. However, these titles change frequently over that lifespan. Expansions are released, the worlds change, and the game itself will see massive updates. GTA V’s additions have been far more minor in comparison.
This isn’t to say that GTA V’s developers have done absolutely nothing to improve their game. They’ve worked tirelessly to add content to GTA Online since launch with new missions and events. The main game has received new features in ports, but traditional console games typically lose steam after a year or two even with this kind of support. That GTA V has managed to survive this long speaks volumes to how much the community surrounding that game enjoys GTA V, but for a game to become the most profitable of all time it needs more than just a diehard community.
Like many things in modern video games a lot of it can be traced back to Twitch. The online streaming service can keep games alive well past release, or in the case of something like an Among Us, it can vault it to popularity years after it initially came out. GTA V is a fun enough game on its own, but the secret to its long-sustained popularity can be traced back to Twitch.
GTA V is regularly a highly viewed game on Twitch. As of 10 a.m. ET on Tuesday, it has 130K viewers. So what exactly is everyone on Twitch doing? Role-playing! GTA as a franchise has always been at its most fun when the player took control of their own experience. The game releases you into a world and says “Go do whatever you want,” but how much fun that really depends on the imagination. Some players can only play within the constraints of the game, but others have always managed to go well beyond that and make their own experience.
When the developers added an online element to it, the players took off and ran with it to create their own universes. Easily the most popular type of way to play GTA V right now is to create a character and role-play it with others, and this isn’t just something nerds are doing in their basement. NBA stars like Anthony Davis are getting in on the fun as well.
There is nothing more powerful in video games than player choice. When players are given the opportunity to go off and make something on their own they can take a game well beyond its own limitations. GTA V on its own is an award winning game that was considered one of the best on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
GTA V in 2021 is an immersive experience where players can be whatever they want to be. That is how even now it is still the most profitable video game ever made.
Olivia Rodrigo is gearing up for the release of her highly-anticipated debut album Sour. A fair amount of buzz has been created around Rodrigo’s songwriting career after her No. 1 debut single “Drivers License” broke several chart records. The track was originally written as a heartbreak anthem, but Rodrigo now says her opinion on the song has changed since its massive success.
Rodrigo recently sat down for an interview with Nylon about her burgeoning songwriting career. Describing how her feelings about “Drivers License” are different now, Rodrigo said:
“One thing that did change a lot is the pride and how empowered I feel when I listen to ‘Drivers license.’ Before, it was like, ‘Ah, it’s a sad song that I wrote to manifest what I was going through,’ and now, after seeing the reaction that it had, I feel like that vulnerability is really, really powerful. It makes me happy, and not depressed.”
Elsewhere in the conversation, Rodrigo said the love triangle drama that exploded after the single’s release didn’t faze her. However, she did go back and revise some song lyrics on the album to make them more vague. “Broad storytelling just isn’t fun in any art medium,” she said. “So yeah, there have been some songs where I’ve gone back and made revisions to make it a little less specific because sometimes, I think, the drama takes away from the songwriting. I completely understand people’s curiosity. I get so curious about my favorite songwriters and the meaning behind their songs. But songwriting and singer-songwriter music in particular is so special because you can be as specific as you want, but there’s still [space to] fill in the blanks. And lots of the time, people will fill in the blanks with details from their own life. If they don’t want to, they can fill it in with details of my life and if that’s what makes it impactful to them, that’s fine. As long as the song means something to you, it’s all good.”
Sour is out 5/21 via Interscope. Pre-order it here.
The Boston Celtics, despite their myriad of injury and COVID-related struggles this season, are headed to the NBA playoffs. The team earned the 7-seed in the Eastern Conference on Tuesday night by taking down the Washington Wizards, 118-100, behind a monster outing from Jayson Tatum and a really nice night from Kemba Walker.
Now, things get exponentially harder than a one-off against Washington. Getting the 7-seed means that Boston has a first-round matchup with the Brooklyn Nets, which are healthy, boast all three of their All-Star players, and beat the Celtics all three times they squared off this season. It’s a tall task for Boston, even if the team was fully healthy, and as a result, Brad Stevens had a surprisingly candid response to the upcoming matchup.
Brad Stevens: “We’ll do our best to get ready for Brooklyn. They’re the best of the best. As a fan of the NBA, it’s hard to see those guys losing. We’re going to have to play great and play great together.”
On one hand, it is a bit strange that Stevens said something like this, as it looks like a coach is throwing up a white flag before the games are even played, even if he admits that there’s a path forward that involves everything clicking for the Celtics. On the other, there is something refreshing about not getting the usual coachspeak and instead saying the extremely obvious thing — it is, indeed, hard to see Boston beating Brooklyn! — about the upcoming matchup.
Game 1 of Celtics-Nets will tip off at 8 p.m. EST on Saturday, May 22.
With the war between Israel and Palestine becoming increasingly violent, some progressive Democrats are throwing their political weight behind legislation that seeks to stop the U.S. flow of arms to the Middle East, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is one of them.
The Congresswoman is one of three House members who have drafted a resolution that would halt the United States planned $735 million sale of bombs to Israel, according to Jewish Currents. The resolution is intended to prevent the U.S. from supplying Israel with munitions, made by Boeing, that come equipped with special guidance systems for more precise targeting. These are Small Diameter Bombs that the country is currently using to attack media outlets, apartment buildings, and other civilian-populated areas in Gaza.
“At a time when so many, including our President, support a ceasefire, we should not be sending ‘direct attack’ weaponry to Prime Minister Netanyahu to prolong this violence,” AOC wrote in an email. “It is long past time to end the US policy of unconditional military arms sales, particularly to governments that have violated human rights.”
AOC isn’t alone in her condemnation of Biden’s response to the conflict in the Middle East. Though the president’s current position is that Israel, a longtime ally of the United States, has a “right to defend herself,” plenty of progressive members of his party see what’s happening in Gaza as a one-sided fight. Though Hamas targeted Israel first, the country’s advanced defense system ensured that there were few casualties, which is a stark contrast to what’s happening in Palestine as dozens of women and children have been killed by bombs supplied to Israel by the U.S. government.
AOC took to Twitter to clarify her position in the ongoing debate on Capitol Hill that has members within the Democratic party arguing over human rights issues and who deserves American aid during this crisis.
“The United States should not be rubber-stamping weapons sales to the Israeli government as they deploy our resources to target international media outlets, schools, hospitals, humanitarian missions, and civilian sites for bombing,” she posted before encouraging her followers to contact their representatives. “We have a responsibility to protect human rights.”
The United States should not be rubber-stamping weapons sales to the Israeli government as they deploy our resources to target international media outlets, schools, hospitals, humanitarian missions and civilian sites for bombing.
Though the resolution sponsored by AOC, Wisconsin Congressman Mark Pocan, and Michigan Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib probably won’t influence this current arms sale, it does signal a change when it comes to relations between the U.S. and Israel, which is currently run by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“The harsh truth is that these weapons are being sold by the United States to Israel with the clear understanding that the vast majority of them will be used to bomb Gaza,” Tlaib said in a statement. “You cannot claim to support human rights and peace on Earth and continue to back the extremist Netanyahu regime, it’s that simple.”
If you aren’t an avid gin drinker, you may not realize that there are subtle flavor differences between literally every bottle of gin on the market. Because although gin has a juniper base, the rest of the herbs and botanicals are completely up to the distiller. As are the levels of those botanicals and much of the production process itself. A great example is the addition of rose and cucumber to Hendrick’s Gin. This gives the expression a more floral, sweeter flavor than many of its counterparts — helping it to shine in a gin gimlet.
To show just how nuanced and wildly different gins can be, we decided to blindly taste eight well-known gins that all clock at around $30-$40. As always, the blind taste test construct removes all preconceived notions and leaves the taste-testing completely up to our senses — without a push in any direction due to packaging or brand notoriety.
If our test inspries you to try a bottle of gin, these can all be found at your local liquor store. Or click the prices to order online.
Part 1: The Taste
I selected eight gins for this blind tasting. While they aren’t the most expensive bottles on the market, they’re also not bottom shelf swill. All are near in that $30-$40 price range and just as well-suited for sipping as they are for mixing.
Hendrick’s Gin
Sipsmith London Dry Gin
Tanqueray No. Ten
Barr Hill Gin
Plymouth Gin
Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin
The Botanist Islay Dry Gin
Koval Dry Gin
Let’s get started!
Taste 1:
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
A lot is going on in this gin. Right away, I noticed scents reminiscent of a field of wildflowers, vibrant lemon zest, fresh oranges, and a nice hit of herbs fill my nostrils. Taking a sip brought up more floral hints as well as lemons, oranges, and grapefruits, but there’s also a lot more left to find. The finish is dry and ends with more floral and citrus notes.
All in all, a very exciting gin.
Taste 2:
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
When I took a moment to nose this gin, I found aromas similar to a field of flowers, that ever-present juniper, resinous pine, and a nice herbal backbone. There isn’t much new going on with the palate — more juniper, fresh grass, fir tips, and a slight, unexpected, honeyed sweetness.
In all honesty, the honey notes make this gin a little sweet than I’d prefer.
Taste 3:
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
On the nose, I discovered a very citrus-forward spirit. There are orange peels, lemon zest, a good deal of juniper, all alongside an herbal backbone. Sipping it revealed more citrus zest, herbal tea, juniper berries, and pine trees. The ending is subtly spicy and sweet.
All in all, this is an in-your-face citrus gin that won’t appeal to all drinkers.
Taste 4:
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
Before taking a sip, I paused to draw in the aromas of bold juniper berries, lemon zest, subtle cooking spices, subtle pepper, and fresh herbs. The palate held notes of coriander spices, juniper berries, orange peels, and more spicy pepper. But it didn’t seem like there was much more in the flavor department after that. The last few sips were spicy and lingering.
All in all a “typical” gin, but nothing to write home about.
Taste 5:
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
Immediately I was excited by the complexity of this gin. The nose is filled with fragrances of grapefruit, orange peels, juniper, and a has a pleasing spicy backbone. On the sip, I got hints of spicy cinnamon, vanilla beans, juniper, herbal notes, and cracked black pepper. The ending was bright, warming, and finished with a nice mix of floral sweetness and spice.
This is definitely a gin I would like to return to for future samplings.
Taste 6:
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
From the first nosing, you can tell that this is a classic London dry gin. That’s because starts with aromas of juniper, lemon zest, orange peels, and herbal, root scents gin drinkers expect. Once I had a drink, I started to pick up more juniper berries, bright grapefruit, lemons, licorice, and subtly spicy pepper. There’s more juniper and citrus at the finish.
This gin, while staightforward, ticked all the boxes I’m looking for.
Taste 7:
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
I first noticed that the nose was very floral. Almost too much flowery scent. There’s a good deal of rose water, juniper berries, orange peels, and sweet tropical fruits. You don’t usually expect that many scents for one gin. Sipping this gin revealed the expected juniper, coriander, lemon zest, as well as just a hint of cracked black pepper. My last sip was floral, with a lot of juniper.
The sweetness and floral flavors were a little intense for my palate.
Taste 8:
Christopher Osburn
Tasting Notes:
On the nose, I got scents of bright juniper berries, flowers, freshly cut grass, lemon peels, and subtle spices. The palate revealed more juniper, cardamom bite, vanilla beans, and spicy pepper. It’s pleasingly warming, dry, and ended with a nice combination of citrus zest and subtle spices.
This was by far my favorite gin. It felt like there were always more flavors waiting to be discovered.
Part 2: The Ranking
You never know how a blind taste test will go. There were definitely some surprises with this one. Based on the final rankings, you can tell my palate is centered around floral gins.
Ireland isn’t commonly known for its gin prowess. But that could change if Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin keeps racking up awards. Produced by The Shed Distillery, this gin is a combination of classic, eastern botanicals, and locally sourced Irish plants and herbs.
Bottom Line:
With a name like “Gunpowder” you might assume this was a high-proof, over-the-top, harsh gin. You’d be wrong. In all honesty, this name might turn people off to the spirit inside — which is fairly accessible. It just didn’t have enough going on in the flavor department to take a higher spot on this list.
One of the most popular gins in the world, Scotland’s Hendrick’s is made using eleven herbs and botanicals. What starts as a juniper-centric spirit gets a boost with the infusion of rose and cucumber. These additions are why this is a go-to brand for bartenders and cocktail fans alike.
Bottom Line:
Hendrick’s has only been produced since 1999. In that time, it’s become one of the most popular gins in the world. It’s easy to understand why. The flavors are well-suited for a classic gin and tonic. I was, however, surprised at how low on the list this popular gin landed.
Without the eye-popping bottle, I found it to be surprisingly bland.
One of the most well-known gin brands in the world, this English gin has been produced since 1793. This classic, simple gin is made using only seven ingredients (juniper, coriander, orange peels, lemon peels, angelica root, cardamom, and orris root). It’s beloved for its earthy, fresh, subtly sweet flavors.
Bottom Line:
At one point, Plymouth was more than simply a brand, it was a style of gin. It could only be produced in Plymouth, England. Sadly, Plymouth is the only brand left making this style.
While still a well-made product, its simple ingredients didn’t make much of an impact on my palate.
Barr Hill Gin touts itself as the “America’s most awarded gin.” This expression from Vermont’s Caledonia Spirits was Made to pay tribute to the state’s bees. It starts with gin distilled using the brand’s proprietary botanical extraction still. Like most gins, it starts with fragrant juniper berries. But, on top of other botanicals, it gets an added kick for the addition of raw honey.
Bottom Line:
This is an interesting gin. While many classic gins rely solely on juniper and botanicals, this expression gets its unique flavor from the addition of sweet honey. I thought I would enjoy the honey more, but I would have preferred it to be a little muted.
When you think of Koval, you probably envision its highly awarded whiskeys. But its Dry Gin is one of the best craft gins on the market. The distillery doesn’t list the ingredients, but it does say it’s made using “woodland spices.” It’s juniper-forward and highly floral.
Bottom Line:
This is a unique, flavorful gin. We like to keep this on hand at all times because its subtly spicy, floral flavor works well as a complement to the citrus flavors in a gin gimlet.
This gin landed right where I thought it would — it is and will continue to be one of my go-to gins.
If you’re a fan of Tanqueray and you want to take a step up in the flavor department, grab a bottle of Tanqueray No. Ten. First released in 2000, this expression gets its name from the copper pot-still named “Tiny Ten” that it’s distilled in. On top of the usual botanicals, this expression also includes chamomile, grapefruit, and various other citrus fruits.
Bottom Line:
While I was surprised that this mass-produced gin landed at such a high position, I probably shouldn’t be. If you’re the type of person who drinks gin neat or on the rocks, this is a good choice. The heavy citrus flavor also works perfectly in a classic gin and tonic.
Sipsmith has only been around since 2009 but has gained a loyal following in the past decade. This classic, British-made London dry gin is produced using ten botanicals including juniper, coriander, licorice, angelica, orris, almond, cinnamon, cassia, as well as orange and lemon peels.
Bottom Line:
Sipsmith might not have a long history, but it’s already perfected the London Dry gin style. This complex, well-balanced gin is awesome for mixing or drinking neat. It deserves its high ranking. It’s flavorful, filled with fresh botanicals, and works well in a gin and tonic.
If you didn’t know it already, The Botanist Islay Dry Gin not only comes from the whisky-centric Scottish Island, it’s also produced by Bruichladdich. Made to transport drinkers to the sheep and Scotch-filled island, this award-winning gin is made using nine classic gin botanicals as well as 22 more that were foraged from the island itself.
Bottom Line:
Wow, a gin made by a Scotch distillery took the top spot? If you’re a gin cocktail drinker, you can’t do much better (for the price) than The Botanist Islay Dry Gin. It’s loaded with flavors that somehow manage to work together in perfect unity. The best aspect is that pretty much every time you sip it, you’ll find something new and exciting to test the limits of your palate.
As a Drizly affiliate, Uproxx may receive a commission pursuant to certain items on this list.
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EPISODE 104 OUT NOW 
Apple: 
