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One way to track a musician’s success is through their brand deals. Many rappers, like Travis Scott and Tyler The Creator, choose to collaborate with shoe companies like Nike and Converse. But Post Malone has taken a different route, instead opting to continue his partnership with Crocs.

Despite being a divisive style, Malone’s fans were in a frenzy to get their hands on a pair of his Crocs. The shoes were released Tuesday and instantly began trending on Twitter as interested customers waited in long online queues trying to score a pair.

Along with debuting a line of shoes, Malone has been up to a lot in 2020. On top of being the top-charting artists for a second year in a row, Malone got into the wine market with his own brand of rosé, dropped a collection of sunglasses in collaboration with Arnette, and even started his own celebrity beer pong league.

Speaking to Uproxx in a recent interview, Malone said he’s surprised that his music charted so well in 2020 despite not releasing an album this year. “I can’t believe this many people still want to hear my sh*tty songs,” he said. “It’s crazy with all the talented artists and all the massive records out over the past year or so. For me to have a song on the charts that long is just unbelievable.”

It’s been a tough year for Saquon Barkley. The jewel of the New York Giants’ backfield suffered a torn ACL in his right knee during the team’s second game of the season, and as a result, his third year in the league came to an end after 19 carries, six receptions, and no touchdowns. To make matters worse, New York got off to a wretched start to the season, beginning 0-5 and falling all the way to 1-7.

Things have been looking up lately for both team and player. The Giants are now 5-7 after ripping off four wins in a row, most recently a victory against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, and sit in first place in the NFC East. Barkley, meanwhile, has been happy with how things have been going with his rehab, and while his preference is to be on the field, he’s gotten a sense of pride out of watching his team turn things around, thanks in large part to a good ground game spearheaded by Wayne Gallman. Off the field, Barkley teamed up with Gillette to design a limited-edition razor as part of its Every Day Is Gameday initiative. In conjunction the razor, which fans can win via a drawing, Gillette is giving $26,000 to Covenant House New Jersey, a charity that helps at-risk youth that Barkley has worked with in the past.

Uproxx Sports caught up with Barkley this week to discuss the razor, the Giants’ season, his former college quarterback taking the field for the Baltimore Ravens last week, and more.

What was your conversation with Trace McSorley like at the end of last week?

[laughs] It’s crazy, before the game happened, I sent a Snapchat to all my boys and was like, “I’ve got a feeling Trace is gonna get in, and when he gets in, he’s gonna be a rat, he’s gonna win the game.” Unfortunately, he didn’t get that drive. Ben Roethlisberger did an amazing throw to James Washington, and we never got to see that two-minute drive that we all wanted to see, but I was happy for him, man. I was proud of him, excited that he was able to experience some actual live play. He’s a heck of a player, he works his tail off, so for him to get out there on live TV and be able to throw his first touchdown pass was definitely a dope experience to be able to see.

How’re you feeling? It’s been two and a half months, how’s rehab going and where are you in the whole process?

Rehab’s going really well, surgery went really well. I’m just coming in every single day trying to attack the day, get better every single day, and try to prepare myself for whenever I’m able to come back.

I’m interested in, kinda going off of what you’re doing with Gillette, what your gameday routine is right now? Have you kept things from your normal gameday routine? Are you keeping notes and communicating with guys after? “Lucky” jersey or anything like that?

No, I would say nothing really changed for me. The only thing that’s changed is I’m not physically there, instead of waking up in the morning, getting my mind ready to go play a game, I’m waking up in the morning trying to do whatever I can do at home, get some rehab in, getting ready to turn the game on and cheer my guys on.

Adrian Peterson said he has reached out to you about this injury. What have your conversations been like with him and what’s the best bit of advice he’s given you as a guy who knows about bouncing back from this and performing at a high level?

He said something to me along the lines that God gives his toughest challenges to his toughest warriors. That’s something that stuck with me, everything happens for a reason, and there’s not much I can do about it. It happened. So now, the only thing I can do is try to make the best out of it and try to come back stronger and better from it. And to have a guy like AP reach out, not only AP, but a lot of people reached out to show love and support, definitely means a lot to me.

I think it’s easy for any team that started 0-5, 1-7 to just take that final punch and fold, but I look and see a bunch of one-score losses in there. What was the message from the coaches, in the locker room, when the team was losing but you’re possession in either direction away from being 5-3, 6-2, instead of where the team was?

Exactly. And that’s something that we knew. We’re right there, we’re right there, we’re in all those games and we couldn’t find a way to win those games, and that’s something that we were able to do the last couple of weeks. That was the message, we have what we have. We have it in this locker room. We have the talent, we have the team, we have the right mentality. We just gotta continue to work and it’s gonna start showing up, and it’s starting to show up. So we gotta finish the season off strong and continue to have that same mentality, continue to buy in, continue to believe in each other.

And now, the team has just ripped off four in a row, and three are those one-possession wins, including this week against Seattle. Has anything changed, in your eyes, or is a matter of, listen, some breaks we weren’t getting the first eight games of the season are going our way?

Yeah, that’s how football works. Sometimes the ball just goes your way. Sometimes it doesn’t. And these last couple weeks, it’s been going that way. You gotta give credit to the offensive line and to the running backs, especially Wayne. The run game’s stepping up big. When you get the run game going, you can be able to control the game. And then our defense is also playing at a high level.

You gotta give a shoutout to all the coaches in all three phases of the ball, especially coach Judge for instilling that confidence in this team, and for us to be able to go out there and continue to win.

The team has been running the ball really well, and they’ve really found something lately. How much of getting into a groove running the ball is stuff like what you’re scheming out, and how much is just getting into a rhythm that carries from one week to the next?

A lot of it is just getting into that rhythm. The gameplan doesn’t really change, the scheme doesn’t really change, you’re not doing anything crazy for weeks and weeks. It’s all about having confidence, and you can see the confidence grow in the run game, from the offensive line all the way to Wayne, how he’s hitting the holes and he’s making people miss, and how the offensive line is controlling the line of scrimmage. That’s something that, no matter what, that’s always gonna be important in football. No matter how, if it’s a passing league or if it’s this or that, it always starts up front, it always starts with the offensive line establishing the line of scrimmage.

That’s something that they’ve been doing and Wayne’s doing a great job of hitting the holes. Coach Garrett’s done a great job of dialing up the calls for us and we’ve been able to find ways to win games, starting with the run game and with everyone else stepping up big and making big plays when needed.

And then on Wayne, he was a wonderful, wonderful college player, and he’s always had flashes in the NFL, but it’s been more consistently lately, now has his career highs in yards and touchdowns. Is it just lately he has found a groove that has led to him having success, or has he been doing anything particularly special?

He’s always been special, he’s always been a talented back, that’s something that we’ve all seen. But it’s confidence, man. His confidence is growing, he’s able to get into that groove, he’s able to establish a rhythm for himself. He don’t gotta go out there and try to force anything. He’s been playing extremely well, and I don’t mean to say it like a big brother or anything like that when I say I’m proud of him. I’m just happy for him, all the hard work that I know that he’s put in is starting to show.

What do you have going on with Gillette?

I got a razor, I never thought I’d have my own razor, but I got a razor with an amazing design, the design fits me, my personality, how I am as a person. We’re giving away a limited edition to help give back, and Gillette is doing an amazing job. Any time you can partner with a company that has the same views as you of giving back, it definitely means a lot, and for them to be donating $26,000 to Covenant House New Jersey is amazing to me, because it’s an organization that I’ve been working with and something I’m passionate about.

I would urge fans to visit GillettexSaquon.com for a chance to win, and Gillette will donate an additional dollar to Covenant House New Jersey, up to $26,000.

Part of this is the Every Day Is Gameday initiative, how do you take that mentality into your everyday life? Into fashion and style and grooming, but also football and your rehab and business ventures and everything else Saquon Barkley does?

You gotta make it count, you gotta make everything count, especially when it comes to football, especially when it comes to everyday life. I wanna have that mentality, to try and improve and get better in every single thing that I do, strive to be the best and strive for greatness. You have to have that approach, every day is gameday.

Final two questions are about our alma mater. First, it’s kind of funny how Penn State’s followed the Giants’ path this year — they lost a couple of really close games, but they’ve been finding wins lately. What’s your read on the season so far?

Yeah, obviously the season didn’t go the way we would like, but you gotta finish it strong, and I know that’s something that coach Franklin is telling those guys. A little adversity, they’re a young team, a lot of players come back, especially the running back core, proud of those guys. You can see that they’re growing every single week and starting to get a groove for themselves, too. But I love my alma mater no matter what, win, loss, or draw, and we’re gonna find a way to get things back on the right track.

Last one: You have a bye week and it just happens to be the weekend that Penn State’s hosting Ohio State for the White Out. What are the three spots, if you can make it with some teammates, you’re definitely bring them to?

The Field, I love the Field Burger. The Lion’s Den, go visit my guy Chris. I feel like the stadium’s the easy answer, obviously the stadium is something that they’ve gotta see. But then … I would say the Creamery, right? I gotta say the Creamery, right?

You have to say the Creamery.

I have to say the Creamery.

It’s December now, and part of what comes with that is a torrent of holiday cards arriving in the mail. Celebrities are just like us, and one of the biggest of them all, Taylor Swift, sends out holiday cards as well. Now we’ve gotten a look at what hers looks like this year, and it’s both totally wild and not completely unexpected.

Journalist Kyle Meredith — who interviewed Swift earlier this year and has one of the best music podcasts you should be listening to — shared a photo today of the card he got from Swift. The front features a trio of cats, and one is donning a Santa hat, another is wearing a scarf, and the third has a party hat on and a drink in front of them, and it’s all in Folklore-style black and white. As for the inside, it reads, “Wishing you a season of moments so wonderful, they become folklore. Love, Taylor Swift and everyone at 13 Management.”

Meredith wrote when sharing the photos, “Getting a holiday card from @taylorswift13 is a great way to start the season. And cats in Santa hats make it even better.”

Meanwhile, Swift just discussed her decision to drop her first on-record F-bomb on Folklore, saying it felt “f*cking fantastic” to do so.

It doesn’t matter where you live in the United States, signs of winter are everywhere. The weather has gone from chilly to cold, the days are uncomfortably short, and the holidays are upon us.

It’s a great time to crack open a “winter” beer. Or three.

First, what exactly is a winter beer? Traditionally, bocks and winter warmers (with high ABVs) make up a majority of “winter beers.” But we can also throw porters, stouts, Christmas beers, and pretty much anything filled with pumpkin or pumpkin pie spices (cloves, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, cinnamon) in the mix. Compared to summer and fall beers, they’re usually darker, bolder, stronger, and more flavorful.

To find the winter beers that don’t get enough shine, we went to the experts for help. We asked some of our favorite bartenders to tell us their picks for the most underrated winter beers for December 2020.

Southern Tier Old Man Winter

Erin Gowdy, bartender at Paul’s Landing in St. Petersburg, Florida

Southern Tier just came out with their Old Man Winter beer, so it’s currently lesser known than many other seasonal beers. It has great winter flavors like subtle smoky malts, dark chocolate, and just a hint of bitterness — like the old man himself.

Flying Dog Family Drama

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

It’s easy to see how a pilsner can get lost in the mix during the winter – the summertime staple can feel out of place among barrel-aged stouts and Christmas ales. Perhaps that’s why Flying Dog’s Family Drama Imperial Pilsner doesn’t get nearly enough love, especially as a winter beer. As with any great pilsner, the sweet maltiness and hop spiciness are perfectly balanced, and this one has plenty of baking spice throughout the finish as well.

Despite how smooth and drinkable this beer is, it packs quite a punch at 8.4% ABV, which is a plus if your uncle decides to start talking politics during holiday gatherings.

Six Point Bengali IPA

Yasin Orhun Akinci, manager at Orient Express Bar in New York City

Not quite a winter beer, but Six Point Bengali IPA should be something all the IPA and beer drinkers try. Very well balanced, hoppy but not irritating.

Who says you can’t enjoy an IPA in the winter?

Notch Brewing Cerne Pivo

Fatima Kuras, general manager at 15 East @ Tocqueville in New York City

Notch Brewing Cerne Pivo is very underrated. It’s a small brewery in Massachusetts. Made in the style of black session lagers from the Czech Republic, it’s low in alcohol but high in flavor.

Anderson Valley Winter Solstice

Hayden Miller, head bartender at Bodega Taqueria y Tequila in Miami

Anderson Valley Winter Solstice is a creamy and delicious option for a winter warmer ale. Go try one for a toffee and spice delight.

Anchor Christmas Ale

Stefan Huebner, co-owner and head mixologist at Dot Dot Dot in Charlotte, North Carolina

Anchor Christmas Ale. They’ve been making this beer since the 1970s. They were the first to release a holiday beer in America since Prohibition. Every year, it’s a little different, but they consistently deliver with big coffee and cappuccino flavors.

In a culture of “what’s new,” these guys have been doing it forever and they do it the right way.

Shiner Holiday Cheer

Robert Gleim, managing partner of Bamboo Willie’s Beachside Bar in Pensacola, Florida

Shiner Holiday Cheer is my go-to. It’s just an all-around fun holiday beer. They do it right with pecans and peaches. It’s underrated in that it does not have great distribution in small markets.

Lift Bridge Fireside Flannel

Bryce Moltzan, assistant restaurant manager at FireLake Grill House and Cocktail Bar in Bloomington, Minnesota

Fireside Flannel brown ale by Lift Bridge Brewery. Brown ales overall are underappreciated with all the craft focus on IPAs and now sours. Lift Bridge does a really good job and makes a great brown ale that’s easy to dink. It has notes of roasted hazelnuts, coffee, and a light chocolate finish.

Writer’s Picks:

Boulevard Snow & Tell

This oak-aged Scotch ale is big, bold, and full of roasted malts, sweet vanilla, and seasonal spices. It’s the perfect warmer for a cold winter night.

Hopworks Abominable Winter Ale

This might be the perfect winter beer. One sip with its subtle resinous hops, sticky toffee, and rich malts, and you won’t want to drink anything else. It’s high ABVs will warm you up until the final spring thaw.

When CBS All Access decided to push forward with debuting The Stand reboot (a limited series) on December 17, I’ll admit to feeling skeptical. At that point, the U.S. will have endured a worsening pandemic for over nine months, and it seemed like a not-timely idea to expect people to watch Captain Trips take out 99% of the population, as carved out in Stephen King’s sprawling post-apocalyptic masterpiece. Even with Alexander Skarsgard as Randall Flag, James Marsden as Stu Redman, Amber Heard as Nadine Cross, Whoopi Goldberg as Mother Abagail, and so many more onboard, yeah, this project needed to land in an optimal fashion to score.

As it turns out, the most optimal structure will be to go non-linear. So, the pandemic happens in flashbacks later during the runtime. In doing so, the reboot detours away from the layout of Stephen King’s book, which spent several hundred pages on people dying by the thousands and immune people traveling across the country to Boulder, Colorado before heading to Vegas. As showrunner Benjamin Cavell has revealed to CBR, it felt important (and it’s damn wise) to not subject viewers to the same moves as pandemic movies that came out long after The Stand‘s original 1978 publication date:

“Having a nonlinear narrative differentiates us from the original miniseries, which has the same kind of linear narrative as the book, but we when first were sitting down to lay all this out, it certainly felt to me that everyone has seen Contagion and Outbreak — and I love those movies — did we want people to sit through three episodes of the world dying before we got to the meat of our story?”

Cavill continued while stressing that “The Stand isn’t really a story about a pandemic — of course part of it is and it has a pandemic in it — but really, the pandemic is the mechanism in which the world gets emptied out so that our heroes can walk to Mordor across a dead world.” Fair enough, so it sounds like this limited series will boil down the struggle to match up those leaders who felt drawn to Mother Abagail’s light and those who fell under the influences of Randall Flagg’s darkness. On a similarly spooky note, director Josh Boone has clarified that Marilyn Manson did record a cover of The Doors’ “The End,” which released on streaming services before it was yanked for being “too expensive” for the show, and that caused a little spiral where Manson’s planned role got cut from the script (it wasn’t Trashcan Man, who will be portrayed by Ezra Miller).

In addition, Entertainment Weekly has interviews with some of the cast, including a mention of Alexander Skarsgard portraying Flagg like “sort of sexy Trump,” according to Fiona Dourif, who plays Rat Woman. Aaand I’ll try to forget about that mental picture before watching the first episodes of The Stand, which will debut on December 17.

(Via Variety & EW)

When Miley Cyrus began teasing her seventh studio album Plastic Hearts, she told fans that it sounded “super rock and roll.” But not many could have anticipated that it would actually be a proper rock album, or that it could have bested veteran rock stars like AC/DC and Smashing Pumpkins to land at No. 1. But Miley has always been a true rock star at heart, and she pointed to a song from her Hannah Montana days as proof.

Plastic Hearts debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Rock Albums chart dated December 12 after selling 60,000 units. Celebrating her success, Miley shared a clip of her performing the 2007 Hannah Montana track “Rock Star,” which she thinks playfully predicted her official rock star status.

The video shows Miley dressed up in full Hannah Montana garb and rocking out alongside a guitar player. “Way too smart to be waiting around Tai Chi practicing, snowboard champion / I could fix the flat on your car / I might even be a rock star,” she sings in the lyrics. “I tried to tell y’all!” she wrote alongside the clip.

While Cyrus’ No. 1 marks her first time landing the top slot on the Rock Albums chart, it also marks an achievement for women in rock. Miley is the fourth woman to top the Rock Albums chart in 2020 following Fiona Apple, Hayley Williams, and Alanis Morissette. That’s the highest amount of solo women who have reached the No. 1 spot on the chart in a single year since 2012.

Plastic Hearts is out now via Interscope. Get it here.

React Like You Know is back with another classic video for our panel of Gen Z rappers to enjoy. This week’s panel — consisting of 2KBaby, Babyxsosa, Black Fortune, Lil Keed, NLE Choppa, and Shordie Shordie, gets nostalgic with Trick Daddy and Trina’s 1998 hit “Nann N****.” The first single from Trick’s second album, http://www.thug.com, the track is widely considered Trina‘s mainstream breakout, introducing the world to her raunchy rap style and setting the foundation upon which many of today’s female rappers have built similar brands.

As usual, the younger rappers’ reactions may make viewers feel wistful for times past — or just old — as they comment on everything from the baggy clothes to Trina’s impact on modern-day rap. This episode’s MVP might just be 2KBaby who keeps it extra real when he’s asked about his affinity for Polo by Ralph Lauren, although NLE Choppa’s commentary and Babyxsosa’s uncontrollable dancing make for fun additions. Meanwhile, Black Fortune shuts down any suggestions that he spends money on his lady friends, while Shordie Shordie seems impressed by the video’s simple concept. “They threw a party and shot a video,” he says, awed.

Unfortunately, Trick Daddy himself has had a bumpy 2020. In January, he was arrested for DUI and possession of cocaine. Maybe he can reach out to Swizz Beats about getting on a Verzuz and bringing some spotlight back to his influential name. Trina, however, has already turned down a challenge from former rival Khia, although it’d be fun to get a glimpse of her during the rumored Foxy Brown/Lil Kim battle that is supposedly in the works.

Watch the latest episode of React Like You Know above.

Shawn Mendes is fresh off the release of his latest album, Wonder, which dropped on Friday. He’s even more fresh off the release of two deluxe editions of the album, both of which came out on Monday, December 7. The standard deluxe edition (which is an oxymoronic thing now, it seems) features mostly live renditions of Wonder songs, while the “Holiday Deluxe” edition features Mendes and girlfriend Camila Cabello teaming up on a rendition of the holiday classic “The Christmas Song.”

A day later, the two have shared a quaint video for the song, which Mendes filmed and looks like an old home movie. It includes footage of Mendes and Cabello working on the song, hanging out by a fire, spending time with their dogs, having Zoom calls with friends, and hanging Christmas decorations, among other things.

Cabello has been working on some new music of her own, as she shared in an update from this summer, “Sending so much love to everyone. Been writing a lot of new music and it’s coming from a really pure place. reminding myself everyday that life is now; and not in yesterday or tomorrow. let’s be extra gentle, soft, and kind to ourselves and others today.”

Watch the “Christmas Song” video above.

It’s officially mulled wine season — when Christmas markets in the United States and Europe serve steaming mugs of spiced glühwein by the ladleful. Of course, with COVID continuing to spike, many of those markets don’t exist this winter. Making 2020 your year to finally prep your own mulled wine at home. God knows we could all use a drink.

Thankfully, this recipe doesn’t present a particularly tough challenge. You just need the right ingredients and a little patience.

Having lived in Berlin since 2008, I’ve become something of a mulled wine snob. Roaming the German Christkindlmarkts is one of my favorite activities of the season — if not the year — and I happen to live next door to the best in the city. (It’s hard not to put on the pounds in December when you’re a five-minute walk from a daily drunken Christmas party with piles of fried, stewed, and grilled foods at every turn.) This year, the markets are canceled — which saddens me for a whole host of reasons. But missing out on glühwein isn’t one of them.

To be honest, I usually bring my own mulled wine to the Christmas markets anyway. Don’t get me wrong, I still buy food and gifts while strolling the stalls, but I know where the market’s mulled wine comes from, and you’re getting industrial juice sold in five or ten-gallon plastic jugs. It’s… fine. But homemade mulled wine is a million times better. My play is to fill up a big thermos and walk around the market sipping that.

The (somewhat) secret to the perfect mug of glühwein is hard alcohol. You want to get your order “mit schuss” or “with a shot” of either brandy, rum, whisky, or amaretto liqueur. That extra bump of dark booze adds depth and ABVs to the otherwise light (and sweet) drink.

Okay, enough pre-game. Let’s get into the recipe. Again, this really isn’t a terribly tough one. If you have a big pot, stove, and a little time, you can make glühwein perfectly with ease.

What you’ll need in the kitchen:

• Large pot
• Ladle
• Slotted spoon
• Kitchen knife
• Mugs

STEP 1: Make The Mulled Wine

Ingredients:

• 2 bottles of red wine
• 16-oz. dark berry juice
• 1-oz. simple syrup
• 3-oz. Orgeat syrup
• 10 juniper berries
• 10 allspice berries
• 4 stars of anise
• 6 cloves
• 1 large cinnamon stick
• 1 orange

I’m using a Temperallino wine from Rioja in Spain for this recipe. But you can really use whatever red wine you like to drink. BUT: Don’t just get some cheap bullshit wine. Get wine you like to drink in the $10 range. You’re making enough for 10 servings. So $20 worth of wine is a very fair price to pay for that much.

I’m also using Amarena cherry juice. It’s basically a sweet cherry juice (it’s not the syrup from a jar from Amarena cherries). Alternately, you can also use blackberry, blueberry, red currant, plum, or even red grape juice. The point is to use a juice that is as dark as the wine, but sweet. In the end, we’re using this to add flavor and sweetness to the mulled wine.

The real x-factor is the Orgeat syrup. Orgeat is an almond-based syrup made with rose water, orange oils, and sugar. Every liquor store will have it. It’s also the key ingredient for a Mai Tai. So if you buy a bottle, you can always use what’s left for whipping up some nice tropical cocktails.

As for the rest, it’s really up to you. The mix of dried spices I’m using is what I personally dig. You can play around with it for your palate. If you like more cinnamon, then use more of it. This is just a basic launching pad for spicing up your mulled wine however you want.

WARNING: Careful with the cloves. Too many and you’ll get a medicinal flavor and an anesthetic effect (cloves were once used as precisely that in early dentistry).

Method:

The only thing you really need to prep is the orange. I use a sharp kitchen knife to slice the peel from the body. You don’t want to bring along too much pith (inner white part). You can also do this with a vegetable peeler.

Other than that, put everything in a big pot, give it a quick stir, and that’s it!

I place the pot on medium-low heat. You want to bring the whole thing up to just below a boil. If you want to be super technical about it, you’re aiming for 195f to 200f, temperature-wise. That’s hot enough to steep the spices and emulsify the sugars and alcohol without simmering anything down into a syrup and cooking off the alcohol. You don’t need a temperature gauge. Just don’t let it boil or even simmer.

After about 45 minutes to an hour, taste your glühwein. Does it taste good? Then it’s done. Basically, the spices, orange, Orgeat, juice, and wine should all be present in the taste. It should be sweet, woody, nutty, spicy, and still feel like red wine.

If you’ve hit that mark, use a slotted spoon to fish out the orange rings and spice berries. You don’t want to leave those in as they’ll turn everything very bitter if overcooked. I do leave in the cinnamon stick if I’m serving right away. If not, take it out to avoid overly bitter mulled wine.

STEP 2: Serve

I like setting up a little service station on the table with mugs, the pot and ladle, and some booze for spiking. I’m using a well-aged rum, as that adds the nicest depth in my opinion. Again, use a dark booze you dig: Brandy, scotch, bourbon, whatever.

I ladle in a mug full, leaving room for a three-second pour off the rum bottle. I top it up with said rum and take a sip.

It’s delightful. There’s a nice sense of those spice berries next to nuttiness and sweetness that’s subtle. It smells wonderful as well. It’s exactly what you need this time of year: Pipping hot, sweet, spicy, nutty, and delicious.

And this particular year? Feel free to treat yourself to an extra glass.

With the news that Alfred Molina is reportedly returning as the villainous Doctor Octopus, it’s getting harder and harder to deny that Spider-Man 3 is planning on going buck wild in the Spider-Verse. News of Molina’s involvement comes from The Hollywood Reporter, which cites sources close to the production as well as reports of Molina already being spotted on set. However, much like Jaime Foxx reportedly returning as Electro, Sony and Marvel are being extremely secretive and refusing to comment. Via THR:

Molina’s involvement ties together three generations of Spider-Man movies. Jamie Foxx is returning as Electro after playing the role in 2014’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which starred Andrew Garfield as the wallcrawler, while Molina’s Doc Oc terrorized Maguire’s version of Spidey. In October, Foxx suggested in a since-deleted Instagram post that three different Spider-Men could appear in the film.

Molina returning is only going to add further fuel to rumors that former Spider-Men Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield will collide with Tom Holland in the highly-anticipated sequel that’s currently filming in Atlanta. Just last week, Comic Book reported on a now-deleted Sony Latin America YouTube video that boasted all three Spider-Man will appear in the new film. Not long after that, Zendaya appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live where she coyly dodged a question about Maguire and Garfield’s rumored involvement. “I can neither confirm nor deny,” the Euphoria actress replied with a smile.

As for where all these multi-dimensional shenanigans are coming from, Spider-Man 3 will also feature Benedict Cumberbatch‘s Doctor Strange, who will take over the mentor role left open by Tony Stark following his death in Avengers: Endgame.

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)