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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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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.

8) Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin (Taste 3)

ABV: 43%
Average Price: $39

The Story:

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.

7) Hendrick’s Gin (Taste 7)

ABV: 44%
Average Price: $30

The Story:

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.

6) Plymouth Gin (Taste 4)

ABV: 41.2%
Average Price: $33

The Story:

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.

5) Barr Hill Gin (Taste 2)

ABV: 45%
Average Price: $39

The Story:

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.

4) Koval Dry Gin (Taste 8)

ABV: 47%
Average Price: $35

The Story:

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.

3) Tanqueray No. Ten (Taste 5)

ABV: 47.3%
Average Price: $38

The Story:

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.

2) Sipsmith London Dry (Taste 6)

ABV: 41.6%
Average Price: $32

The Story:

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.

1) The Botanist Islay Dry Gin (Taste 1)

ABV: 46%
Average Price: $36

The Story:

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.

Lucy Dacus’ new album cycle seems to be based at least partially on nostalgia. The forthcoming album is called Home Video and her latest single, “VBS,” was written about Dacus’ first boyfriend and her days in Bible school.

Dacus says of the midtempo song:

“VBS means vacation bible school, and I went to tons of them. It’s where Christian parents send their kids over the winter, spring, or summer breaks from school to get closer to God, maybe learn some outdoor skills, and bring home useless crafts and totems like fruit of the spirit sand art and purity rings.

I wrote the song in the van on the way to Nashville to record Home Video after seeing one of those readerboards outside a church advertising a wholesome church camp for kids. I thought about my first boyfriend, who I met at VBS, the resident bad boy who loved Slayer and weed more than Jesus. I took it upon myself to save him, and make him stop doing drugs (with an exception for snorting nutmeg). God, I was so lame.”

She also previously said of Home Video, “I can’t hide behind generalizations or fiction anymore. […] I don’t necessarily think that I’m supposed to understand the songs just because I made them. I feel like there’s this person who has been in me my whole life and I’m doing my best to represent them.”

Watch the “VBS” video above.

Home Video is out 6/25 via Matador. Pre-order it here.

Two-time Grammy Award-winning singer and former Disney star Demi Lovato, 28, has come out as non-binary in the first episode of her new podcast “4D.” They came out to their guest Alok Vaid-Menon, a gender non-conforming writer and performer.

“Over the past year-and-a-half, I’ve been doing some healing and self-reflective work. And through this work, I’ve had the revelation that I identify as non-binary. With that said, I’ll be officially changing my pronouns to they/them,” Lovato said.

“I feel that this best represents the fluidity I feel in my gender expression and allows me to feel most authentic and true to the person I both know I am, and am still discovering,” they continued.

Identifying as non-binary and using pronouns outside of those used by cisgender men and women, is a fairly new thing for most people, so Lovato knows it’ll take some time for everyone to get it right.

“I think it’s important because I want to use these pronouns that feel right to me,” they said. “I also just don’t want people to be so afraid of messing up that they don’t try to use them.”

Demi came out as #nonbinary & now uses they/them pronouns. When people w/ a platform come out, it can have a huge i… https://t.co/bhJZQsFsuO

— Fox Fisher (@theFoxFisher)
1621447252.0

Non-binary people do not identify as a man or woman. That could mean they reject any gender identity, identify as both a man and a woman, or fall somewhere in between.

“Nonbinary can also be used as an umbrella term encompassing identities such as agender, bigender, genderqueer or gender-fluid,” the Human Rights Campaign said.

Non-binary people can also be transgender, as in the case of Elliot Page.

The news comes after Lovato came out as being pansexual on a March episode of the “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast.

“I’m so fluid now, and a part of the reason why I am so fluid is because I was super closeted off,” they said. “I heard someone call the LGBTQIA+ community the alphabet mafia. I’m part of the alphabet mafia and proud.”

People who are pansexual have a sexual, romantic, or emotional attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity.

During the podcast, Vaid-Menon explained that there have always been people that existed outside the traditional gender binary and it has nothing to do with being confused.

“We are people who have existed for thousands of years who actually experience ourselves outside of the idea of man or woman,” they said. “But what I want you to understand is that it comes from a place of deep joy and healing, not from a place of doubt.”

Lovato’s brave decision to come out as non-binary has to be freeing. Now, she can be her true self without having to live up to the gender expectations placed on her by society. The announcement will also give many of her fans the confidence to be their true selves as well.

Japanese Breakfast, the project of musician and author Michelle Zauner, is a few weeks way from releasing her album Jubilee. Now offering a prequel to her “Posed In Bondage” visual, which saw her walking around a dystopian super market covered in blood, Zauner shares a video to her song “Savage Good Boy.”

The new visual depicts her alongside The Sopranos actor Michael Imperioli. Zauner is trapped in a bunker with Imperioli and eventually takes matters into her own hands. Speaking about the visual’s concept, Zauner said she was inspired by an article about rich people purchasing bunkers to prepare for an apocalyptic world:

“‘Savage Good Boy’ came from a headline I read about billionaires buying bunkers. I was interested in examining that specific type of villainy, and I found myself adopting the perspective of a rich man coaxing a young woman to come live with him underground, attempting to rationalize his almost impossible share of greed and miserliness. I knew I wanted the music video to be a pretty literal interpretation of that idea. I wanted to juxtapose images of this post-apocalyptic, industrial bunker with the lightness and extravagance of rococo fashion and set design. Aiming for that balance, my cinematographer, Adam Kolodny, and I were really inspired by Chan Wook Park’s The Handmaiden, Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon and Sally Potter’s Orlando.”

Ahead of the visual’s release, Zauner spoke to Apple Music’s Zane Lowe about the new direction her music is taking on Jubilee, saying, “I think because my first two records were so rooted in grief and loss and losing my mom, and then I wrote an entire book about that experience, I felt really ready to start a new chapter of my life and fling myself to the other end of the spectrum and write about this whole other part of the human experience, which is joy. And I also thought it was a real challenge for a sad indie girl to take on joy as a theme. And so Jubilee to me is about a year of release, a trumpet blast of victory. And so I wanted to write a record about embracing feelings.”

Listen to “Savage Good Boy” above and find Japanese Breakfast’s 2021-2022 North American tour dates below.

06/04/2021 — Nashville, TN @ OUTLOUD Festival
07/21/2021 — Silver Spring, MD @ The Filmore ^
07/22/2021 — Richmond, VA @ The National ^
07/23/2021 — Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel ^
07/24/2021 — Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade ^
07/25/2021 — Birmingham, AL @ Saturn ^
07/26/2021 — Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle ^
07/28/2021 — Asbury Park, NJ @ Asbury Lanes ^
07/29/2021 — Hamden, CT @ College Street Music Hall ^
07/30/2021 — Jersey City, NJ @ White Eagle Hall ^
08/02/2021 — Holyoke, MA @ Gateway City Arts ^
08/03/2021 — Rochester, NY @ Anthology ^
08/04/2021 — Detroit, MI @ Saint Andrew’s Hall ^
08/05/2021 — Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre ^
08/06/2021 — Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer ^
08/07/2021 — Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer ^
08/08/2021 — Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer ^
08/28/2021 — Lexington, KY @ Railbird Festival
09/10/2021 — Boston, MA @ Royale *
09/11/2021 — Asbury Park, NJ @ Stone Pony Summer Stage
09/12/2021 — Harrisburg, PA @ Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center *
09/14/2021 — Columbus, OH @ The Athenaeum Theatre *
09/15/2021 — Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall *
09/16/2021 — Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall *
09/17/2021 — Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall *
09/18/2021 — Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre *
09/19/2021 — Minneapolis, MN @ First Ave *
09/21/2021 — Ogden, UT @ Ogden Twilight *
09/23/2021 — Boise, ID @ Treefort Festival
09/24/2021 — Eugene, OR @ WOW Hall *
09/25/2021 — Seattle, WA @ Neptune *
09/26/2021 — Seattle, WA @ Neptune *
09/27/2021 — Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre *
09/28/2021 — Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom *
09/30/2021 — San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom *
10/01/2021 — San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom
10/02/2021 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent
10/03/2021 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent
10/04/2021 — San Diego, CA @ Observatory North Park *
10/05/2021 — Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl *
10/07/2021 — Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf *
10/08/2021 — Denver, CO @ Ogden Theater *
10/09/2021 — Lawrence, KC @ Granada Theater *
10/10/2021 — St Louis, MO @ Delmar Hall *
10/11/2021 — Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall *
10/12/2021 — Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall *
10/15/2021 — Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel *
10/16/2021 — Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel *
03/25/2022 — Bristol @ SXW
03/26/2022 — Manchester @ Academy 2
03/27/2022 — Glasgow @ St. Luke’s
03/28/2022 — Leeds @ Brudenell Community Room
03/30/2022 — London @ Kentish Town Forum

^ with Mannequin Pussy
* with Luna Li

Jubilee is out 6/4 via Dead Oceans. Pre-order it here.

The pale ale isn’t a new style. In fact, it’s been brewed since the 1700s. The American pale ale is new. Or… new in the grand scheme of time and space. The Americanized version, featuring North American hops, first arrived in the early 1980s. While the classic English version of a Pale Ale is known for its milder, sweeter flavors, the American pale ale is bolder with bright citrus, vibrant floral, and resinous pine notes.

The crisp, floral, thirst-quenching, subtly bitter flavors of the American pale ale make it well-suited for warm weather drinking. As a bonus, it pairs really well with grilled meats and veggies. Since our goal is to help you expand your beer palate while savoring spring, we’re highlighting eight of our favorite American pale ales to drink this time of year.

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

ABV: 5.6%
Average Price: $9.99 for a six-pack

The Beer:

No American pale ale list is complete without the OG. Way back in 1980, when there were only a handful of craft breweries in the county, Sierra Nevada made a pale ale using floral, crisp Cascade hops. At the time, few brewers were using this hop variety — which is now a staple of West Coast brewing.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, you’ll immediately be met with aromas of grapefruit, lime zest, sweet malts, and subtle pine. The palate is filled with caramel malts, pineapple, lemon peels, grapefruit, and just a hint of bitter hops. It all ends with a nice mix of tropical fruits, citrus, and bitter hops.

Bottom Line:

The chances that you already know Sierra Nevada Pale Ale are high. The brewery pretty much invented the style and it’s even better today than it was over forty years ago.

Pipeworks Lizard King

ABV: 6%
Average Price: $10.99 for a 4-pack of 16-ounce cans

The Beer:

Chicago’s Pipeworks is known for its tongue-in-cheek sense of humor with epic beers like Ninja Vs Unicorn IPA. With tongues firmly in their cheeks, the brewery claims that the Lizard King is going to finally end this historic blood feud. Whether Robert California is behind the recipe or not, this pale ale is crisp, hoppy, and extremely flavorful.

Tasting Notes:

Take a moment to breathe in the aromas of citrus zest, sweet malts, and subtle resinous hops. The flavor is loaded with tropical fruits, ripe, juicy grapefruit, caramel sweetness, and a nice hit of bitter hops presence. The close is a one two punch of nutty sweetness and subtle spice.

Bottom Line:

Many American pale ales rely on piney hops and citrus flavors to lead the way. Lizard King has a more complex, sweet, caramel flavor that’s a nice change of pace.

3 Floyds Zombie Dust

ABV: 6.5%
Average Price: $14.99 for a six-pack

The Beer:

Besides its annual releases that are almost impossible to find, Zombie Dust is arguably 3 Floyd’s most popular beer. Formerly known as Cenotaph, this pale ale is single-hopped using a massive amount of Citra hops. The result is a thirst-quenching, full-flavored citrus bomb.

Tasting Notes:

One of the most highly-regarded pale ales ever produced, Zombie Dust begins with a proverbial cornucopia of fruity aromas. It starts with notes of ripe, caramelized pineapple, fresh guava, sweet peaches, that work its way into tart raspberries, fresh flowers, and pleasing pine resin. The palate swirls with more citrus than is reasonable. It’s crisp, bright, and filled with grapefruit, tangerine, and seemingly a whole field of pine trees. The finish is dry and pairs sweet fruits and bitter hops nicely.

Bottom Line:

If you only purchase one pale al on this list, make it Zombie Dust. If you like ripe, bright citrus flavors, you can’t get better than this.

Lagunitas Born Yesterday

ABV: 72%
Average Price: $12.99 for a six-pack

The Beer:

You might think that referring to a beer as “Born Yesterday” would mean that there’s not a lot going on in the flavor department. Well, you’d be completely wrong. One of Lagunitas’ “One Hitter Series” beers, Born Yesterday begins as a Dogtown Pale that’s fresh hopped with Simcoe, Citra, Mosaic, and Sabro hops.

Tasting Notes:

It’s important to give a beer this brew a nice nosing. There you’ll find scents of ripe grapefruit, sweet tangerines, spruce tips, and a lot of resinous hops aroma. Take a sip and you’ll be met with subtly tart flavors of juicy mango, pineapple, lemon zest, and flavorful, bitter, piney hops. The finish is brings together tart, sweet, and bitter in equal measures.

Bottom Line:

While this pale ale is loaded with citrusy, resinous hops, it’s not so overly hoppy that it would turn away non-IPA drinkers. It’s ripe, refreshing, and has just the right amount of citrus and hops presence.

Deschutes Mirror Pond

ABV: 5%
Average Price: $9.99 for a six-pack

The Beer:

One of the most popular American pale ale on the market, Deschutes Mirror Pond is extremely well balanced. It’s made with a combination of 2-Row, Crystal, Carapils, and Munich malts, and Cascade hops. Quite simply, this thirst-quenching, sessionable beer is one of the most well-rounded on the market.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, you’ll find scents of clover honey, candied orange peels, sweet peaches, and just a hint of resinous pine. On the palate, you’ll be greeted with flavors of grapefruit, pineapples, crisp green apples, a sweet, malty, caramel backbone, and a final kick of citrus and slightly bitter hops at the very end.

Bottom Line:

One of the most well-balanced American pale ales on this list, Mirror Pond ticks all the flavor boxes with caramel, sweet malts, and citrus, bitter hops.

Maine Beer MO

ABV: 6%
Average Price: $9.99 for a 22-ounce bottle

The Beer:

Maine Beer is one of those brands where you honestly can’t go wrong with any of its beer. You can grab a bottle of Lunch, Dinner, Post Ride Snack, or its pale ale MO. Made with 2-Row, Carapils, Caramel, 40L, Red Wheat malts, as well as Simcoe and Falconer’s Flight hops, this brew is fruity, sweet, and filled with bright citrus flavors.

Tasting Notes:

Bask in the scents of grapefruit, pineapple, guava, subtle honey, and resin before taking your first sip. The palate dances with juicy orange, lemon peels, ripe peaches, and sweet malts. But there’s also a nice kick of slightly bitter, piney hops. The finish is filled with tropical fruits, citrus peels, and a veritable forest of pines.

Bottom Line:

This is an extremely complex pale ale. It’s filled with sweet malts, tropic, juicy flavors, and bright citrus notes.

Oskar Blue Dale’s Pale Ale

ABV: 6.5%
Average Price: $18.99 for a 12-pack

The Beer:

One of the most well-known pale ales on the market, Dale’s Pale Ale is Oskar Blues’ flagship beer. One of the first craft beers to ever be canned, it’s loaded with notes of sweet malts, floral hops, citrus zest, and a wallop of subtly bitter hops. It’s easy to drink and highly crushable on a hot day.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, you’ll find aromas of fresh flowers, recently cut grass, citrus zest, and pleasing, piney hops. The sip reveals a cacophony of citrus fruits like tangerine, grapefruit, and lime. This evolves into hints of nutty malts and fruity, spicy hops. The finish is sweet, bitter, and highly refreshing.

Bottom Line:

The ultimate lawn mowing beer, Dale’s Pale Ale is sweet, hoppy, refreshing, and pleasingly bitter. It’s hard to beat that combination on a hot day.

Half Acre Daisy Cutter

ABV: 5.2%
Average Price: $9.99 for a 4-pack of 16-ounce cans

The Beer:

One of the first beers ever brewed by Chicago’s Half Acre, Daisy Cutter was first launched back in 2009. It started as a limited release, but the fruity, citrus-filled, highly resinous flavor appealed to drinkers so much that it became a year-round offering. It’s remained one of the brewery’s most popular beers in the years since.

Tasting Notes:

Before your first sip, take a few moments to enjoy the fragrances of tropical fruits, citrus zest, caramel malts, and bright pine. The flavor is filled with sweet malts, fresh peaches, pineapples, grapefruits, limes, and a nice kick of resinous, bitter hops. The finish pulls together fruity sweetness, nutty notes, and pine.

Bottom Line:

There’s a reason this previously limited-edition beer became a full-time offering. It’s supremely balanced with sweet, biscuit-like malts, citrus, and bitter, dank pine.

As a Drizly affiliate, Uproxx may receive a commission pursuant to certain items on this list.

You might reecognize Emily Kinney from her stint as Beth on The Walking Dead (RIP). But Kinney has spent the last few years working on her musical chops, and her fourth album The Supporting Character delves into the songwriter’s relationship with her career and her reflections on life spent under the scrutiny of Hollywood. Most of the tracks are sparsely arranged, allowing for the listener to dive into the lyrical structures and Kinney’s personal storytelling.

To celebrate the new album, Kinney talked Kacey Musgraves, her first tattoo, and crying through a Mariah Carey show in the latest Indie Mixtape 20 Q&A.

What are four words you would use to describe your music?

Confessional, honest, story-telling, fun

It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?

Fun and helpful.

What’s your favorite city in the world to perform?

NYC.

Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?

My friend Conrad really made me recognize that I was a songwriter and to start investing more time in it, so he was really an inspiration in the beginning. But otherwise, my friends, my romantic relationships, my family tend to be inspiration for my work.

Where did you eat the best meal of your life?

Last week I went to an outdoor dinner with a friend at Brera in Downtown Los Angeles. I ate everything. I had dessert. It was one of the best dinners I’ve ever had. I also hadn’t been to a restaurant with a friend in over a year and I was hungry. Otherwise I’ve had a lot of really yummy, memorable dinners at Sotto Sotto in Atlanta.

What album do you know every word to?

Frightened Rabbit – The Midnight Organ Fight. I also have been listening to the new Hailey Whitters album, The Dream, and feel like I’m pretty close on knowing all the words on that one.

What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?

I went to see John Moreland at Troubadour and it was so simple but so memorable. He’s so good. I also saw Mariah Carey in Vegas and cried through the whole thing.

What is the best outfit for performing and why?

I dunno. But I started wearing these White Rag and Bone boots a while back for shows and I feel like they’ve really improved my stage presence.

Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter and/or Instagram?

Tiny Toast Crumbs. It’s clever doodles by my friend Hayley. We are actually working on a book together.

What’s your most frequently played song in the van on tour?

I dunno, depends on the vibe of the day.

What’s the last thing you Googled?

Natural ways to boost serotonin.

What album makes for the perfect gift?

Kacey Musgraves’ Golden Hour.

Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?

It was in Cleveland. I don’t want to talk about it. Trying to forget.

What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?

I found the design from one of those gumball machines that gives you temporary tattoos for 25 cents. I kept the temporary tattoo design and on Easter went with my friends to a place in Williamsburg. We got mimosas to celebrate. It was a heart with a music note, naturally. Cause I love music? I was excited about it at the time, now I dunno I guess I still like it but it’s like ahhh,,,litttle Emily.. Think I need a new one. Planning my next one.

What artists keep you from flipping the channel on the radio?

I like so many but whenever I check in on country radio, I’ll usually move on pretty quick unless I hear Miranda Lambert or Maren Morris singing. For pop radio, I always really like The Weekend and Ariana Grande.

What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?

My manager took me to get my wisdom teeth out and then went and got my prescriptions and everything. That was pretty nice. A dude I was dating didn’t get my anything for Valentine’s Day this year and it really hurt my feelings and my sister sent me Jeni’s ice cream cause she knew how bummed I was. That was pretty nice too.

What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?

I dunno. I feel like the things I didn’t know, it was important to go through the process of learning the lessons. Practice guitar and piano a little more. I really didn’t realize how much songwriting would become a part of life and the more tools you have the better….I feel like it’s still growing in ways in myself I really didn’t predict. I take my time I guess.

What’s the last show you went to?

I went to see Run River North at The Echoplex in Los Angeles. I had tickets for Delta Spirit at The Teragram Ballroom, but it got canceled the night before and then I never left my house again.

What movie can you not resist watching when it’s on TV?

You’ve Got Mail. I find that movie incredibly soothing. I fall right asleep around Christmas time and wake up for when Tom Hanks bring flowers to Meg Ryan when she’s sick. Then I’m kind of in and out and until the kiss in the park with the dog.

What would you cook if Obama were coming to your house for dinner?

I wouldn’t cook, I would order something really excellent.

The Supporting Character is out now. Listen here.

Michael Che’s doing the rounds to promote HBO Max’s That Damn Michael Che, and he popped over to visit with Howard Stern, who (almost) always manages to rustle up some controversy out of his guests. The wide-ranging interview dove into Che’s thoughts about why he won’t date celebrities, but one of the more interesting nuggets that emerged (via Mediaite) involved a once-rejected sketch idea that Che swung by the SNL writers.

The sketch was deemed to go too far, apparently, given that it bounced off prevalent instances of police brutality to depict a group of superheroes who inadvertently kill a black teen who is unarmed. Che also mentioned that this type of “racially specific” joke is more likely to fly on his HBO Max show, but here’s what happened at SNL:

“For obvious reasons, there’s no way that’s going on [‘SNL’],” Che told Howard. “Something that’s like racially specific, the audience is kind of looking at ‘Saturday Night Live’ as Lorne Michaels’ show. They’re not looking at it as black writers making a nuanced observation… On my show, I can get away with it because they know it’s me.”

Che also added that, when he first arrived at SNL (as a full-time writer in 2013), there weren’t any Black writers on the show, so “If I were to write — or if a Black writer were to write — something that’s specific to Black humor, an all-white staff might not get the joke, so it’s deemed not funny, so it doesn’t go on the air.” However, he says that the writing room’s more diverse these days, and he believes that SNL is better and funnier as a result. Meanwhile, Che is definitely tackling policing and related issues on That Damn Michael Che, and he’s doing so with the help of current and former SNL stars including Cecily Strong, Heidi Gardner, Ellen Cleghorne, Colin Jost, and Colin Quinn.

(Via HowardStern.com)

Okay, you’re entering a sandcastle building contest. Teams of five, timed (let’s say 20 minutes), tournament-style, head-to-head against another team. When the buzzer sounds, it goes to the judges, whoever built the best sandcastle wins. But there’s a twist: In addition to building your own sandcastle, you can also sneak over and try to wreck the castle your opponent is building. Kick it over, tackle it, whip rocks at it from a distance, whatever you want. Mass chaos at the beach.

How do you build your team? Do you get the five best sandcastle-builders you can find and hope their skills at creation will overcome whatever the opponent brings to the table? Do you sacrifice a little building for people who are also good at guarding the perimeter?

Or perhaps you stack your team with four good builders and find one guy who is just really good at wrecking the other team’s castle. He doesn’t even try to build most of the time. He just sneaks over and reaches his long arms out and whacks their towers smack down into their moat, every time, right before the buzzer sounds, taking the pressure off of the rest of your team to build a perfect castle because your opponents’ castle is in disarray. Victory through anarchy. Triumph via havoc. Your adversaries vanquished and demoralized and covered with the sand that was, as recently as moments earlier, a load-bearing wall of their castle.

What should we take away from this exercise? Two things, mainly:

• I should never be put in charge of a sandcastle building contest
• You should consider putting Philadelphia 76ers defensive dynamo Matisse Thybulle on your sandcastle team

This is where we rattle off some stats for the people who like stats. Matisse Thybulle finished tied for third in the NBA in total steals despite playing about 500 fewer minutes than anyone else in the top-20. He finished 19th in the league in total blocks despite being a backup shooting guard. If you stretch his numbers out to starter minutes, he would average something like three steals and two blocks every game, which is crazy. He’s the only player in NBA history to accumulate 100 steals and 70 blocks in a season while playing fewer than 20 minutes per game. He did all of it in just his second season, after a shortened and disjointed rookie campaign that ended inside a bubble in Disney World. It’s all very impressive.

But the stats aren’t even the point, really. You have to watch the way he does it. It’s honestly incredible. I have never seen a player have this much of an impact on a game without scoring, like, at all. I have definitely never seen a player make defense look this exciting. Defense is usually a slog, a try-hard endeavor meant to slow down an opponent and gum-up the flow of a game. Great defense can make for an ugly basketball game.

Matisse Thybulle does not make the game ugly. Matisse Thybulle makes defense look cool as hell. Like, look at this play, in which he chases down Zach LaVine, one of the best athletes alive who is used to blowing by opposing defenders and scoring, and spikes the ball against the backboard like it’s a dang volleyball.

Or this play, where he appears out of nowhere to block Devin Booker’s three-point attempt.

Imagine being Devin Booker on that play. You run through a maze of picks and other subterfuge to get free, jet to the corner to take the highest-percentage three-point shot there is, everything going exactly to plan, and then POOF, Matisse Thybulle appears out of nowhere to swipe your shot into the expensive seats, almost as though he leaped through a portal along the baseline. Zero points. Sandcastle destroyed. Or, to quote Zach Lowe:

He might be the best perimeter defender in the world. He’s one of the best perimeter defenders I’ve ever seen. Thybulle is some sort of phantom. He doesn’t move in normal ways. He’s in one spot, and then suddenly, without warning, he’s somewhere else 15 feet away — only not enough time has passed for any human to traverse 15 feet. Thybulle doesn’t move. He apparates.

I could very easily just keep posting highlights of cool defensive stuff Thybulle has done this year. In fact, now that I think about it, I will. It’s a lot of fun. Here’s a play where he racked up a block and a steal on the same possession.

Here’s a play where he blocked a shot and then saved the ball from going out of bounds in the same series of motions, which he made look natural despite being a borderline impossible thing to make your body do. Think about what would happen to your limbs if you tried to do this. Best case scenario, you end up in the hospital tied up in a pretzel, like a cartoon character.

There was one point in a game this season where Doc Rivers tossed out a zone defense with Thybulle and Ben Simmons out front. It is my suspicion that he only did it that one time because it was too mean to the other team. Every pass was tipped or altered, every ball-handler was smothered before they could enter the paint. This highlight is not technically from that stretch of game, in which about 14 feet of wingspan and reflexes created bedlam for four minutes, but it provides the same energy and ends with a dunk. Plays that end in dunks are cool.

Sometimes he does this thing where it looks like he lets a dribbler get past him on purpose so he can sneak up from behind and block their jump shot. It’s become one of my favorite things in all of sports. It’s almost like playing regular defense is getting too easy for him, too boring, so he has to increase the difficulty just to keep things interesting. That’s what he’s doing in the image at the top of this page.

It’s a blast to watch how confused players get when this happens. They do not understand how any of it worked. Which, really, is kind of fair. It’s not supposed to happen. That shot is not supposed to get blocked. It would be like if you picked up a sandwich and started moving it to your mouth and then you bit down into thin air and your empty hand where the sandwich just was. Your whole reality is now in flux. You are allowed to be perplexed about it.

In a way, I almost like that he has such a limited game on offense. Would I enjoy it if he could score 20 points per game on 40 percent shooting from three? Well, yes, sure. I have rooted for the Sixers for my entire life and would love to see many good things happen to them. But still, it’s kind of perfect this way. It’s like the one tragic flaw a superhero has, Kryptonite to Superman, a software malfunction in Ironman’s suit, a lifetime of pain and abandonment issues after watching your parents get murdered outside the opera for Batman. It makes him relatable and more fun to root for and watch. It makes it really exciting when he dunks on someone or hits a three, in part because it’s like finding a $20 bill on the ground and in part because it triggers the part of my brain that thinks he might have just unlocked the secret to offense, which he has not. Not yet, at least. But it’s really quite thrilling to daydream about. Hope is a wonderful thing, even when it’s fleeting.

For now, though, this is enough. This might always be enough. I never thought I would say anything like this because my ideal basketball game has always been one that ends 150-149 and features dozens of alley-oops and deep threes (I am a child), but here we are. I love the energy of it all. I love the chaos he creates when he enters the game. But mostly, I just love watching Matisse Thybulle turn everyone’s beautiful sandcastles into piles of stupid rubble. Summer is here and it’s cruel as hell. I can’t get enough.

Though she’s been releasing music since a young age, Willow is fully leaning into a pop punk persona with her recent single “Transparent Soul” featuring Travis Barker. The musician showcased her track with a revved-up performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where she also mentioned how Michael Cera was an unlikely muse for her new era of music.

About her pivot to pop punk music, Willow says she had been wanting to learn how to play an instrument for some time. Apparently, she was finally inspired to do so after hearing Michael Cera’s folk-adjacent 2014 album:

“I honestly think that it was brewing in me for a while that I knew I needed to play an instrument to really call myself a musician. I think it was just during the time that I had found out Michael Cera made music. I had no idea he made music. I listened to his album and he’s playing some acoustic guitar, like folk acoustic guitar. Michael Cera, the actor. I had no idea that that was ever going to happen. I think it was kind of the breaking point. I was feeling this way for a while and then I listened to that album. Him being such a unique person to even make music, I was like, ‘Woah. This is inspiring in a really unique, weird way.’ So I just kind of took the bull by the horns.”

Elsewhere in the conversation, Willow described how nerve-wracking it was to send her music to Travis Barker. “Even before I started making this album, I already had insecurities about my voice in rock music and how I could make that work, and if that was going to be authentic to me,” she said. “So sending it to Travis was kind of like, ‘Okay. This is the moment where you get to see this amazing, talented pop punk God is going to let you know if he likes your song or not.’”

Watch Willow talk about taking inspiration from Michael Cera and perform “Transparent Soul” with Travis Barker on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon above.

After literally teasing fans last week with a brief teaser that only showed a silhouette of the cast members walking together from the back, HBO Max dropped the big guns with the official trailer for Friends: The Reunion. In the emotional two minute promo for the long overdue reunion, we finally get to see the cast of Friends together again. Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer, and Matt LeBlanc, they’re all here, and clearly overwhelmed to all be in the same place at the same time after so many years.

In the montage that’s filled with both tears and laughter, the beloved cast looks back at the legacy of the show and the whirlwind experience of being young actors who were instantly catapulted to insane levels of fame. Hosted by James Corden and punctuated with special guests, Friends: The Reunion show appears to be a mix of interviews, table reads, and a nostalgic trip back to the set of the blockbuster sitcom that defined the ’90s if not a whole generation of viewers.

Here’s the official synopsis:

Our favorite friends are back on the set that started it all. Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer, and special guests reunite to discuss everything from their casting process to whether or not Ross and Rachel were really on a break. Witness the unbreakable bond of the group that perfectly captured the moment in life when your friends become your family.

Friends: The Reunion streams on May 27 on HBO Max.