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Lesser-Known Tequilas To Try This Fall, According To Bartenders

While the fall season is more commonly associated with darker spirits, it’s also a great time to dive deeper into tequila. The subtlely smoky, vegetal notes of the spirit go down nicely with the slight chill in the air. While blanco tequila is perfectly suited for summer drinking and mixing, autumn is actually a pretty ideal time to step up to añejos and reposados.

Bill Whitlow, owner of Proper Food & Drink in Covington, Kentucky has clear fall tequila preferences.

“I tend to prefer barrel-aged stuff,” he says. “I’ve been digging on a new tequila — to me, at least — lately from Casa Maestri. Their añejo is super creamy and thick. Right up my alley.”

Instead of leaving you to wander the aisles of your local liquor store with your mask-covered mouth agape, wondering which bottle(s) you should buy, we turned to bartenders for guidance — asking ten well-known bartenders to share their favorite lesser-known tequilas for fall 2020.

Ocho Anejo

Frederic Yarm, USBG bartender in Boston

Ocho is an amazing tequila brand that sources from individual agave farms for each batch, such that the terroir of the plot shines through. Most tequila brands mix together agaves from all over the highlands and lowlands which makes the agricultural aspect less distinctive. Here, the fermentation and distillation techniques allow the agave itself to shine through beautifully, and it allows each batch to be compared in a horizontal flight or enjoyed on its own.

Riazul Anejo

Seth Falvo, bartender at The Hotel Zamora in St. Pete Beach, Florida

Riazul Anejo is a great sipping tequila for the fall and winter. It’s extremely smooth and has a great French oak-forward flavor. The cinnamon spice on the finish makes it a great after-dinner drink during the holiday season as well.

Don Fulano Fuerte

Christopher Chamberlain, national beverage development manager at E. & J. Gallo Winery in Modesto, California

It may not be a new tequila to many, but its broader availability on the national stage is — and that’s Don Fulano Tequila. This beautifully crafted estate-grown, ground-to glass-spirit truly embodies everything a sipping tequila should stand for. The bright bold flavors of its blanco tequila are intensified if you graduate to the 100 proof ‘Fuerte’ variation. If you prefer a wonderfully aged expression, Don Fulano offers both a dry-yet-fruity sipper with their reposado and a remarkable rich flavored añejo.

That said, for those willing to splurge, the Don Fulano Imperial Extra Anejo is the ultimate accompaniment to the cool crisp evenings that lie ahead.

123 Organic Añejo

Josh Curtis, bar director at Carbon Beach Club in Malibu, California

123 Organic Añejo may just be the best tequila on the market right now. It tastes like an agave plant… which is what tequila is supposed to taste like. It’s also not super sweet like many añejos are.

Una Vida Anejo

Andy Printy, beverage director at Chao Baan in St. Louis

My personal favorite tequila to sip in the colder months is Una Vida Añejo Tequila. A touch smoky, round from ex-bourbon cask barreling, and tons of buttered popcorn notes on the palate. Lots of room to play with various bitters and sugars to manipulate the profile in a cocktail or even just a few drops of water to release more of the barrel and subtle smokey tones.

Una Vida’s Añejo expression has a reasonable price point and acts even better as a fire pit companion.

Corralejo Reposado

Jenny Harris, bar manager at Point Loma Fish Shop in San Diego

Corralejo Reposado Tequila was my first choice in our November cocktail called “Autumn Harvest Sipper.” Corralejo’s Reposado has warm notes of rhubarb, oakwood, vanilla, and orange and will put you in the mood for fall.

It also pairs nicely with fish tacos.

Los Arango Anejo

Joan Villanueva, beverage director at Galaxy Taco in La Jolla, California

Los Arango Anejo Tequila brings delicate notes of spice and vanilla that allow for it to take over in a Manhattan or an old fashioned variation. My first go-to for a fall/winter drink.

El Tesoro Reposado

Crystal Chasse, beverage director at Talk Story Rooftop in Brooklyn

Once the chilliness settles into the air I reach for a bottle of El Tesoro Reposado. It is tahona-milled which allows the earthy qualities of the agaves to showcase themselves in the final product. Black pepper, oak, and citrus round out the flavor profile — creating a delicious juice to drink neat or to stir into an Oaxacan Old Fashioned for blustery nights.

Tears of Llorona

Mario Latona, manager at STK Steak House in San Diego

It always brings a tear of happiness to my eye when I get to taste Tears of Llorona, especially when you pair it with a Dry-Aged Delmonico from STK. This five year Extra Añejo is a perfect choice for the fall with notes of cinnamon, chocolate, and light notes of roasted agave.

Penta Anejo

Vincent Sol Campos, bartender at Hearsay – Market Square in Houston

Penta Tequila is an easy spirit to get behind, especially regarding its añejo. Penta is the tequila that every agave spirit wants to be and is the first tequila to blend 100% blue agave sourced from all five of Mexico’s legally protected “designation of origin” states. Every fall and winter, I gravitate towards whiskey, but once I was introduced to the Penta line I immediately worked it into my rotation. There is no other tequila to drink during the winter. T

he sweetness from the caramel and vanilla, little hints of spice and orange, and the extra maturation (an average of 14 months) in oak barrels is perfection.

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Supreme Has Fully And Officially Sold Out — With A $2.1 Billion Deal

Pour out some of that 40oz out for an icon. Legendary streetwear brand and coveted symbol of fashion-obsessed hypebeasts everywhere, Supreme, has officially sold out for a cool $2.1 billion. The New York Times reports that the brand was bought by VF Corp, which is set to acquire 100 percent of the company and already owns several brands including The North Face, Dickies, and Vans. Label founder James Jebbia as well as senior leadership will remain with the company, which is expected to score VF Corp $500 million in revenue by 2022 alone.

“This partnership will maintain our unique culture and independence while allowing us to grow on the same path we’ve been on since 1994,” Jebbia said in a statement announcing the acquisition.

The move comes at a time of uncertainty for streetwear brands as the pandemic has affected every label from the smallest and least visible to seemingly too-big-to-fail brands like Supreme, as more and more shoppers turn to e-commerce platforms for their fits. According to The New York Times, 60% of Supreme’s sales already come from their virtual webstore so we shouldn’t see too much of a change in the way the company currently operates, but the move begs the question: When the pandemic is over, will the brand still attract around the block lines?

Sure, Supreme already collaborates with mega-brands like The North Face, Vans, and Nike. And it’s cool that the label’s current leadership is staying on board. But the brand is cashing out some of its cultural cool for visibility, and that’s the kind of thing that seems at odds with Supreme’s audience. If they notice and turn on the company or if the market gets saturated, it could be trouble on the scale of Stussy’s collapse.

Check out some of the reactions on Twitter to the news below.

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New Disney ad will make you believe holiday magic still exists — even in troubling times

Given the amount of attention being taken up by the global pandemic and recent election, it’s easy to forget the holiday season is upon us. Although this season looks to be a lot different than previous years, a new ad from Disney shows the magic isn’t completely gone.

Disney’s 2020 Christmas ad tells the story of a woman named Lola who received a Mickey Mouse stuffed toy as a young girl. Sixty-five years later, she’s able to share the vintage toy with her granddaughter who cuddles the plush mouse while making Christmas decorations.


As the years ago by, Lola’s granddaughter becomes less interested in family holiday traditions. But one magical night she reminds her grandmother how important they are to her in the most beautiful way.

Grab a tissue.


FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS | Disney Christmas Advert 2020 | Official Disney UK

www.youtube.com

The song playing behind the video is “Love Is A Compass” by 19-year-old British musician Griff.

“Right now, at this time, it feels very timely and people are going to watch it and crave to be together and want to be together,” she told PA News Agency. “It’s so important to give a message of hope and realize that we will all reconnect at some point. When I watched it I just loved it.”

“Love Is A Compass” is available now with all proceeds going to Make-A-Wish.

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People are overwhelming Trump’s voter fraud hotline with hilarious prank calls

In one of the least shocking developments in recent political history, Donald Trump is claiming the reason he lost the election to Joe Biden is because of widespread voter fraud.

This move has been a part of his election playbook for the entire campaign. He was screaming about the likelihood of fraud for months before Election Day.

For Trump, it appears he figured the only way to win the election is by taking it out of the hands of voters and handing it to the conservative-leaning Supreme Court.


His campaign hopes that its fraud claims will ignite a legal battle that sets the plan in motion.

Even though Biden’s victory is all but assured, Trump has yet to admit defeat because of his conspiratorial claims. “We’re hearing stories that are horror stories,” Trump said. “We think there is going to be a lot of litigation because we have so much evidence and so much proof.”

“Democrat officials never believed they could win this election honestly,” Trump said in a press conference Thursday. “That’s why they did the mail-in ballots, where there’s tremendous corruption and fraud going on.”

The only problem is, according to independent fact-checkers, there is zero evidence of voter fraud.

“Trump has produced no evidence of systemic problems in voting or counting,” an Associated Press fact-check states. “In fact, the ballot-counting process across the country has been running smoothly for the most part, even with the U.S. in the throes of the coronavirus pandemic.”

To whip up some evidence for Trump’s unfounded claims, his campaign created a hotline for people to report voter suppression, irregularities, or fraud. “Tell us what you are seeing,” a tweet promoting the hotline reads.

Since the hotline launched it has been inundated with calls. However, unfortunately for Trump, they are mostly prank calls. The hotline has been so overwhelmed by jokesters the phone number has been changed three times.

According to ABC News, the hotline has become a “nightmare” for some staffers.

Comedian James Mwaura called the line to report something seriously troubling he witnessed at his polling site.

This guy proves the oft-repeated conspiracy theory that countless dead people voted for Biden.

She saw something truly frightening when she voted down in Georgia.

This voter recalled one of the most epic sagas of the ’80s.

This guy found over 100,000 ballots burned in his firepit. But that’s not his biggest concern.

The bees don’t care about Trump’s hotline.

Some people used the hotline to engage in some glorious schadenfreude.

This woman called in quoting Anderson Cooper.

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Furries Are Now Hanging Out At Four Seasons Total Landscaping In VRChat Because Sure, Why Not

Joe Biden and Donald Trump had very different weekends. One was deemed President-Elect; the other was relentlessly mocked online for a gaffe that was surreal even for him. Shortly before major news outlets called one of the most intense presidential races in U.S. history for Biden, Trump bungled an announcement for an upcoming press conference. First he said it was to appear at the swanky Four Seasons hotel in downtown Philadelphia. He amended that to be Four Seasons Total Landscaping, a random business in a rundown part of town. And ever since, people have been alternately celebrating a Biden win while making fun of his soon-to-be-predecessor latest screw-up.

Now the furries are getting involved. According to The Verge, the site of what could go down in history as Trump’s Waterloo has been rereated in virtual reality form. A group of furries — aka people who dress up in animal costumes, or at least creates an avatar of same online — have created their own Four Seasons Total Landscaping analogue with VRChat, the massive VR simulator that allows people to hang out online.

And so users posing as foxes, cats, even dog policemen have been hanging out in the same place that Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani — who’s partially responsible for the whole Four Seasons Total Landscaping debacle — spewed baseless conspiracy theories on Saturday morning, mere minutes after the race was called for Biden. There’s even been calls to expand this VR enclave, adding other notable businesses in the area, including the sex shop and crematorium that sandwich the now internationally famous landscaping company.

It’s not clear how long Trump will spend trying to flip the election to a re-win, how long he’ll file lawsuit after lawsuit, arguing voter fraud with flimsy to non-existent evidence. But there’s every possibility the internet will be talking about Four Seasons Total Landscaping long after he’s been perhaps forcibly removed from office.

(Via The Verge)

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The Rock And Microsoft Are Outfitting 20 Children’s Hospitals With The Xbox Series X

On Tuesday, the Xbox Series X and digital-only Xbox Series S will release stateside as gamers get their hands on the first next-gen console — with the PlayStation 5 arriving to gamers on Thursday. The rollout of the next-gen consoles and games has been tricky in 2020, given the COVID-19 pandemic forcing people into their homes and gaming companies to do a lot of their work remotely.

While some games have seen some significant launch date pushbacks, the consoles and a number of the flagship games that go along with them are set to hit the intended release date this week. Ahead of Tuesday’s launch, Microsoft partnered with their old friend Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to outfit 20 children’s hospitals that serve 50,000 children with some special edition The Rock branded Xbox Series X consoles on mobile carts that will allow kids to enjoy the next-gen consoles while they’re in the hospital.

It’s a cool initiative in partnership with Gamers Outreach, as the mobile gaming carts are complete with monitors, consoles, and controllers that allow them to be brought bedside to children in the hospitals. Hopefully it can bring some much needed joy and a welcome diversion to these kids fighting for their lives and kudos to Xbox and The Rock for this effort.

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Post Malone Earns His Third Diamond Certification With His Swae Lee Collaboration ‘Sunflower’

This year Post Malone has added more tattoos to his body than he has music to his discography, but the rapper continues to earn accolades for his craft. Following his major win at the Billboard Music Awards, which saw him take home nine separate trophies, it was announced that Malone’s track “Sunflower” with Swae Lee has now been RIAA-certified Diamond.

It’s not often that a musician can say their song has achieved Platinum status ten times over, but Malone can claim the feat on three occasions. “Sunflower” follows Malone’s songs “Rockstar” and “Congratulations” in earning a Diamond certification. The momentous achievement was confirmed by Malone’s manager Dre London in a post on social media. “We’ve come so far staying on the right train in our lane keeping focus like a camera lens,” London wrote in congratulations. “Set your goals high & don’t stop till you get there! The path from dreams to success really exists!

Prior to earning his impressive certification, Malone did make some appearances on other artists’ releases to hold them over until his next LP. Back in June, Malone appeared with Tyla Yaweh in the track “Tommy Lee.” He then lended a verse on Ty Dolla Sign’s “Spicy,” which appears on the singer’s recently-released record Featuring Ty Dolla Sign.

Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

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Fox News Cut Away From Trump Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany’s Unhinged, Lie-Laden Address: ‘Can’t in Good Countenance Continue Showing This’

Donald Trump has still refused to concede the 2020 election to Joe Biden despite a growing consensus among national news media (and some on-air counseling from Fox News personalities) that Biden has enough electoral votes to deny the president a second term. Many Republican leaders have followed suit despite Biden assembling a transition team and beginning the necessary steps to take control of the government in January. But one sign that America is potentially heading in a new direction came when even Fox News cut into a Trump surrogate’s press conference at the White House to dispute misinformation.

On Monday, Fox News host Neil Cavuto aired a press conference with White House press spokesperson Kayleigh McEnany that veered directly into outlandish conspiracy theories about voter fraud without, once again, offering any sort of proof that voter fraud happens on the scale that could have possibly “stolen” the election from Trump.

This time, however, Fox News actually cut off the press conference to point out the Trump campaign’s lack of proof. They made the decision not to air more of this talk unless evidence would be presented of the rampant voter fraud that Trump and his allies claim Democrats and the news media has allegedly encouraged.

“Unless she has more details to back that up,” Cavuto said. “I can’t in good countenance continue showing you this.”

It’s a remarkable moment, both that Fox News would willingly dispute something the president clearly wants the network to broadcast. But it also shows just how long people have expected the news network to simply play favorites for Trump despite all evidence or reason. That’s something that as many reporters have noticed, is changing at Fox News, starting with the network’s decision to call the state of Arizona for Joe Biden in a move that reportedly made Trump furious for days afterward.

It’s also worth noting, however, that Fox News hosts like Sean Hannity continue to peddle in the whims of the president, even if world leaders and plenty of other people see the writing on the wall of Trump’s presidency. But old habits die hard, and on Monday, at least one of them seemed to have died in a significant way at Fox News.

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Nav And Lil Baby Explain Why They ‘Don’t Need Friends’ In A Tempestuous Video

After securing back-to-back No. 1 albums with Good Intentions earlier this year, Nav decided to drop yet another project. The rapper shared his record Emergency Tsunami Friday, which boasts features from the likes of Lil Baby, Young Thug, and Gunna. Celebrating the release of his second LP of the year, Nav and Lil Baby teamed up to flaunt their success in the stormy “Don’t Need Friends” video.

The visual opens with Nav remaining calm in the face of a towering thunderstorm. Nav then joins Lil Baby to show off their chains while rapping about others being jealous of their rise to fame. The two aren’t fazed though, as they know they can lean on their wealth for comfort rather than waste time with two-faced friends. “Whole pool heated up and it cost a hundred thousand / ‘Cause I left this sh*t runnin’, I can turn nothin’ to somethin’ / Book me a show and I fly out the country / I eat at Nobu when I get the munchies,” Nav raps.

Just ahead of Nav’s album release, the rapper teased the upcoming project with a brazen trailer. Nav stitched together recognizable scenes from the 2009 Korean natural disaster film Tidal Wave, apt scenery to present an album titled Emergency Tsunami.

Watch Nav’s ‘Don’t Need Friends’ video with Lil Baby above.

Emergency Tsunami is out now via XO Records. Get it here.

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The Best Frozen Burritos On The Market, According To The Masses

Frozen burritos are always there for you. They’re the quintessential hangover meal, late-night stoner nibble, and an old-school post-work snack. A simple flour tortilla stuffed with beans, protein, spicy sauce, and cheese hits a very nostalgia-driven sweet spot for so many of us. Naturally, people are gonna have strong opinions about them.

To help us find the best frozen burritos on grocery store shelves, we hit up Ranker. After thousands of votes, a top ten list emerged that’s… well, it’s pretty hard to argue with. Maybe the masses are better with frozen foods than they are with alcohol?

Check the list below and let us know what you think. Uproxx’s own definitive ranking is on the way!

10. Red’s All Natural Burritos

Reds

The Burrito:

It feels like Red’s should get some more love on this list. The brand has a solid organic line with plenty of burrito fillings with serious heft and good ingredients in play. The fact that there are still real pieces of individual ingredients — like beans, meat, peppers, and so on — makes for a nice change from the reddish mush in several other entries on the list.

The Best Flavor:

Grab the All Natural Steak Burrito. It’s big, bold, and full of enough actual steak, peppers, and beans that helps this one feel like more than just another snack.

9. Las Campanas Burritos

Las Campanas

The Burrito:

This feels more like a number ten if you ask us. Las Campanas are fine… for what they are. This is squarely in the “mush inside of tortilla”-territory and suffers from a certain blandness that’s either endearing (if you were raised with these) or a bit of a disappointment (if you weren’t).

That being said, these do make for decent chimichangas if you thaw and then fry them.

The Best Flavor:

Grab a Red Hot Beef. You really need a flavor punch with these frozen burritos and the Red Hot delivers just that.

8. Evol Burrito

Evol

The Burrito:

Whole Food’s answer to the frozen burrito is … fine. There’s a sense of real ingredients in the tortilla. But, these burritos are always on the bland side with a lack of deep seasoning. If you have a drawer full of Taco Bell salsa packs, you’ll be all set. If not, you might want to buy a bottle of hot sauce to douse this burrito.

The Best Flavor:

Grab the Bean, Rice, and Cheddar. The meatier versions of this burrito line tend to be a tad dry or under-seasoned. The classic bean, rice, and cheese is perfectly suitable — especially if you have a tub of guacamole to use as a dipper.

7. Patio Burritos

Patio

The Burrito:

Patio is exactly a middle-of-the-road frozen burrito. The mushy filling neither shines nor disappoints. It’s the sort of burrito you get at two-in-the-morning from a 7-Eleven while stoned and then end up kind of regretting around 2:15.

The Best Flavor:

Grab a Beef and Bean Hot. This is another burrito where you need more bang for your buck when it comes to spice. While this burrito won’t have you dreaming of your next indulgence, it will fill you up without any overly offensive aspects.

6. Don Miguel Burritos

Don Miguel

The Burrito:

These burritos are another frozen snack that is perfectly fine for what they are. Maybe it’s the years of growing up with a big box of these from Costco in the freezer at home, but the tortilla filled with cheesy and reddish burrito mush does feel like it tasted better than the others.

These also make for an easy and tasty chimichanga if you want to take the time to fry them up.

The Best Flavor:

Grab The Bomb! This is a hefty burrito of beef, beans, and cheese all mushed into a 1,000 calorie burrito with a nice hit of spice.

5. Reynaldo’s Jumbo Burritos

Reynaldos

The Burrito:

These are legitimately big burritos with distinct flavors that hold up. The 10-ounce burritos are big enough that you really only need one. The ingredients are a nice bridge between the mush fillings and real pieces of beans, meats, and rice.

The Best Flavor:

Grab a Beef and Potato jumbo burrito. Potato is always a solid add-in to any burrito and really helps this one stand out from the crowd.

4. Amy’s Kitchen Burritos

Amys Kitchen

The Burrito:

Amy’s are probably the best all-around burrito on this list (especially if we discount nostalgia). The ingredients hold their integrity, they’re also high-quality and organic. And these burritos tend to always be pleasantly tasty and filling.

The Best Flavor:

Grab a classic Beans and Rice burrito. Don’t expect too much spice built into the burrito. We highly recommend grabbing a solid hot sauce for dabbing each bite.

3. Jose Ole Burritos

Jose Ole

The Burrito:

These are solid frozen burritos. They really should be in the number one slot, all things considered. The tortilla always holds up. The filling mush is bold and clearly flavored and seasoned. Yes, this is just a frozen burrito but it gets the job done and you don’t feel regret after eating one (or two).

The Best Flavor:

Grab the Steak and Cheese Chimichanga. Look, you can’t beat a chimichanga, so getting to enjoy a chimichanga without having to fry it is a win. Plus, this burrito has a decent filling with real flavors built in.

2. El Monterey

El Monterey

The Burrito:

El Monterey burritos are fine but certainly not a number two on the market. The fillings tend to be on the bland side and the tortillas are a bit listless. There’s also a bit of a greasy factor that makes these somewhat messy for your hands. It’s not ideal.

The Best Flavor:

Grab a Beef and Bean Red Chili. Our tip would be to skip the microwave and fry one up instead. It’ll add a little more stability to the burrito’s form and amp up the flavors.

1. Tina’s Burritos

Tinas

The Burrito:

Tina’s at number one feels perfectly acceptable. The burrito is a standard flour tortilla wrapped around bean mush, cheese, and meat. Tina’s frozen burritos aren’t going to blow your mind, but they’re absolutely going to satisfy a craving. And sometimes that’s enough.

Plus, the nostalgia factor is huge here.

The Best Flavor:

Grab a Red Hot Beef. The mix of spice, actual beef, and mushy beans makes for an easy burrito experience that you won’t regret 20 minutes later.