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Tomorrow Is National IPA Day — Celebrate With These Bartender-Approved IPAs

The summer months are full of holidays. Some are important (Memorial Day) and others… not so much (National Filet Mignon Day). While it doesn’t carry the weight of Independence Day or Labor Day, the first Thursday of August is one we eagerly await every summer.

It’s National IPA Day.

The IPA, also known as the India Pale Ale, is still the most popular craft beer style in America. You’d be hard-pressed to find a single brewery that doesn’t produce at least one IPA. This means that there are a lot of IPAs on the market. With that comes variety. West Coast IPAs can be bitter hop bombs; juicy, tropical-flavored New England-style IPAs are anything but.

The fact is, the IPA’s popularity is at least in part the result it being so complex. Which is plenty of cause to celebrate it. To get the most out of National IPA Day, we decided to ask some of our favorite bartenders what they’ll be drinking for the occasion. Check out their answers below.

Funky Buddha Hop Gun

Marta De La Cruz Marrero, food and beverage supervisor at Burlock Coast in Fort Lauderdale

Funky Buddha Hop Gun IPA. It’s locally sourced and I like supporting local breweries. Additionally, it’s a well-balanced IPA. Not too strong but very refreshing for a hot summer day and it’s easy to drink. It pairs great with seafood.

Yazoo Hop Perfect

Franck Savoy, corporate director of food and beverage at Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica, California

Definitely Yazoo IPA from one of my favorite cities: Nashville, Tennessee. An easy-drinking India Pale Ale, made with Citra and Mosaic hops that lend a citrus and grapefruit aroma to an already well-balanced, lighter-bodied beer.

Goose Island IPA

Reniel Garcia, bar director of Havana 1957 in Miami

Goose Island IPA. Fruity hops are lively and playful, making for an interesting take on American IPA. A fun beer to drink. The flavors work well together, and the beer is not overly bitter. An overall great hoppy beer with a touch of malt that is well balanced with the hops flavor and moderate bitterness.

Lagunitas Daytime

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

Lagunitas Daytime is great for summer and it’s light enough to drink a few in the sun. It’s 4 percent ABV and only 98 calories, but full of citrus flavor.

Santa Monica Brew Works Inclined IPA

Piero Procida, bartender at The London West Hollywood in Los Angeles

Santa Monica Brew Works Inclined IPA. Summers in LA, what better than something local and crafty that embodies that spirit in a can?

I think a lot of people expect a heavy bitter IPA when they have this and realize its nothing like that. You are still going to get hints of bitterness but it’s so incredibly smooth — pairing perfectly with the wonderful warm weather in Los Angeles. It’s so refreshing for an IPA we actually carry it as our main staple draft IPA at our rooftop pool.

Southern Prohibition Crowd Control

Adrienne Miller, bartender at Satterfield’s in Birmingham, Alabama

Southern Prohibition’s Crowd Control. The grapefruit and citrus notes are perfect in the summer heat plus it makes a great play on a paloma.

Harpoon IPA

Chris Amirault, bartender at mixology teacher at CocuSocial in New York City

I’m not the biggest IPA guy, but I have to go with the hometown hero in a good old fashioned Harpoon IPA from Boston. It’s fresh, hoppy, and perfect for summer.

Lawson’s Sip of Sunshine

Drew Reid, restaurant manager at W Aspen in Aspen, Colorado

Easy. Lawson’s Sip of Sunshine. This beer is incredibly complex and fits the mold of the top IPAs in the country. Unlike some of the other bigger/high ABV IPAs, I can drink Lawson’s all day in the summer sun.

Founders All Day IPA

Dylan O’Malia, brewer at Bonfire Brewing in Eagle, Colorado

All Day IPA from Founders Brewing. I love the fact that it has a lower ABV but still has a full and complex flavor. Living in the mountains of Colorado, outdoor activities are a way of life, and I appreciate that this beer can accompany me on all my adventures.

Ballast Point Sculpin

Jim Lunchick, master mixologist at Merriman’s in Hawaii

In this summer’s world of only one IPA, I’m going with Ballast Point’s Sculpin. It’s lighter bodied than most (so you can drink more of it) and absolutely brimming with hoppy complexity. It’s hot out there; time for lighter, more refreshing choices.

Rahr & Sons Dadgum IPA

Nancy Conaway, bartender at Cassidy’s in Fort Worth, Texas

Rahr & Sons Dadgum IPA would be my choice. It’s a great IPA made with Citra and Lemon Drop hops. That’s right—lemon drop hops. It’s ‘Dadgum’ good.

Cigar City Jai Alai

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

On National IPA Day I’ll be drinking Cigar City Jai Alai. There’s a reason it’s one of the most loved IPAs on the market. It’s a great IPA for summer days by the pool.

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Ben Simmons Left The Sixers Game Against The Wizards With A Left Knee Injury

The primary concern surrounding Ben Simmons before the Philadelphia 76ers’ season came to a halt in March was whether his injured back would heal in time for him to play in the playoffs. That ended up correcting itself due to the league’s layoff before the Orlando bubble, but on Wednesday afternoon, the 6’11 guard picked up a separate knock that forced him to leave the team’s game against the Washington Wizards.

During the third quarter of play, Simmons tossed in a lob to Al Horford and appeared to tweak something in his left knee. Soon after, the All-Star guard/forward made his way into the locker room.

It’s unclear exactly what the injury is or the extent to which he’s hurt, but as you can see in that clip, Simmons had a slight limp as he was walking back. And prior to the game’s fourth quarter, Simmons was ruled out for the remainder of the contest.

In relatively good news, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports that the preliminary indications are that Simmons did not suffer anything too serious.

While it goes without saying, any injury suffered by Simmons that would keep him from playing would be a gigantic blow to the Sixers’ hopes of making a lot of noise this postseason. Hopefully he just tweaked something and will be able to return to action during the team’s next game — a Friday evening tilt against the Orlando Magic — but we’ll keep you posted as more information is available.

Simmons would leave the arena late in the fourth quarter, walking slowly as the Sixers put the finishing touches on a win.

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The NBA Board Of Governors Will Donate $300 Million To A New Economic Empowerment Foundation

The NBA has made it clear that its bubble restart in Orlando is not an effort to take attention away from the nationwide protests against police brutality and systemic inequality. Rather, the league’s stressed that this is occurring as a way to raise awareness for various charities designed to fight inequality in all forms, and in addition to various symbols that promote equality, has promised to put its financial might into this fight.

The latest example of this came on Wednesday afternoon. In a statement, the league announced the launch of the NBA Foundation, which looks to create “greater economic empowerment in the Black community.” The Foundation’s launch is done in partnership with the NBPA and includes a monster donation from its Board of Governors. According to the statement, the Board will donate $300 million — $30 million over each of the next 10 years — to the Foundation.

“We are dedicated to using the collective resources of the 30 teams, the players and the league to drive meaningful economic opportunities for Black Americans,” commissioner Adam Silver said. “We believe that through focused programs in our team markets and nationally, together with clear and specific performance measures, we can advance our shared goals of creating substantial economic mobility within the Black community.”

Individuals and organizations associated with the NBA pledging monstrous sums of money to support the Black community is something we’ve seen in recent weeks and months. Michael Jordan and Jordan Brand pledged $100 million to charities back in June, while Jrue Holiday of the New Orleans Pelicans will use the $5 million salary he’ll receive for participating in the bubble to create a social justice fund.

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Comedian Keraun Harris shares inspiring story of his traffic stop being recorded by a white woman

Keraun Harris, who goes by the name King Keraun, is a popular comedian on social media who’s appeared as an actor on HBO’s “Insecure” and ABC’s “Black-ish.”

On Monday, he posted a video on Twitter sharing the story of how a white woman had his back during a recent traffic stop.

“I just got pulled over, and for the first time, I watched a white woman record my whole traffic stop,” she said.


Harris was pulled over in his neighborhood for not having official license plates on his car because it was new. “As a black man you’re used to this, you always guilty until proven innocent,” he said.

“I’m just sitting in my car waiting and as I’m waiting, I look to the left and I see this car parked and it’s a white woman in the car,” he continued. The white woman had her phone out, recording Harris’ interaction with the police to ensure his safety.

At first, Harris wasn’t sure what to make of her, but when he saw that she looked concerned, he realized that she was being an ally.

“As a black man, you’re not used to your allies,” Harris said. “But we really got allies now.”

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The Writer-Director Team Behind ‘John Wick’ Has Found Its Next Murderous Project

Chad Stahelski and Derek Kolstad are dominating the action genre like it shot their dog.

Stahelski will direct a remake of the 2010 South Korean action film The Man from Nowhere with a script from Kolstad. The creative duo are the key creatives behind the blockbuster John Wick franchise, and it sounds like their latest collaboration will keep that winning formula going. Via The Hollywood Reporter:

Nowhere is a project that keeps the Wick men definitively on brand, featuring a near-unstoppable former killer on a quest for some stylish vengeance. In this case, the 2010 movie told of a quiet pawnshop keeper with a violent past who takes on a drug-and-organ trafficking ring in hope of saving the little girl who has become his only friend.

Considering Stahelski’s extensive background as a stunt coordinator for The Matrix films and Ninja Assassin, fans of the John Wick films will undoubtedly be eager to see what new methods of brutal fight choreography the director will serve up next.

As for the eagerly anticipated John Wick 4, Stahelski revealed back in April that production on the film can’t even start until Keanu Reeves finishes filming The Matrix 4, which saw its production shut down during the pandemic.

Matrix was only four weeks in when this all happened,” Stahelski explained to Collider. “So, Keanu’s gotta go finish his commitment up on The Matrix, which is a big deal and which I think will probably take him until the end of the year. Then we have to go into our prep mode… Release dates, who knows right now.”

However, since Stahelski last spoke to Collider, The Matrix 4 has reportedly resumed production in Berlin. TMZ spotted Reeves and co-star Carrie Anne-Moss in the German city along with Neil Patrick Harris who plays a mysterious new character in the secretive fourth installment.

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

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Takeoff Of Migos Is Being Sued For Sexual Battery After Allegedly Raping A Woman At A Party

Trigger Warning: Description of rape.

Migos have had their fair share of legal troubles over the years, but one member has stayed under the radar since the trio first blew up in 2013 with “Versace.” That may change with the report that group member Takeoff has been accused of raping a woman at a Hollywood party in June. The woman is now suing Takeoff for sexual battery, according to TMZ, as well as assault and emotional distress.

The woman, who filed the lawsuit anonymously as Jane Doe, says that Takeoff made passes at her during the party, offering her weed and staring at her, making her uncomfortable. Jane Doe claims that she went upstairs with the man who invited her to the party, crossing paths with Takeoff on the steps. The men got into an argument, so Jane Doe went to the man’s bedroom to wait out the discussion. However, Takeoff entered the room and made physical advances, including touching her on the buttocks. She says that she refused him but he pushed her over and raped her, leaving the room afterward.

Jane Doe says that she went to a nearby hospital the same day, where hospital staff observed physical evidence of forced sex and notified LAPD. TMZ has reached out to Takeoff for comment.

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Whisky From An 80-Year-Old Shipwreck Is Expected To Fetch Thousands At Auction

When we were children, we dreamt of Goonies-like adventures in which we’d stumble upon a map that led us to an ancient treasure. In most of these daydreams, the treasure chest was left behind by some swashbuckling, ruthless pirate king. It was full of emeralds, diamonds, and all manner of gold doubloons. Maybe it was buried under an ‘X’ located on a tattered, faded map or perhaps it was hidden in the belly of a shipwreck.

Of course, those dreams never came true (though they did lead to a few kids’ novels). But there are shipwrecks and treasures to be found in the sea’s briny depths. It’s just that they’re usually uncovered by people with submersibles and sonar at their disposal, then auctioned off to the highest bidder. Also, sometimes instead of jewels, the bounty is 80-year-old bottles of Scotch.

Back in 1941, the SS Politician, sailing through choppy seas, ran aground along the craggy shores of Eriskay in the Outer Hebrides off the coast of Scotland. One of the most famous shipwrecks in history, among its contents, the cargo ship was carrying 28,000 cases of malt whisky (and a total of 264,000 bottles including Gilbey’s, Ballantine’s, and VAT 69). During the days and weeks after the ship sank, Hebrides islanders showed up and pillaged the boat of most of its cargo, including much of the whisky. Though they broke marine salvage laws, they had honored the universal law of “finders keepers.” (The government didn’t subscribe to this particular law and many were subsequently prosecuted by Custom and Excise for unpaid duty.)

The locals finished off their share of the whisky decades ago, but it turns out they didn’t get all of it. In 1987, divers found eight bottles. In 1990 a different expedition unearthed 24 more. In 1987, Orkney-based diver George Currie was repairing undersea cable when he happened upon the iconic shipwreck. This is when he unearthed another bottle and years later, this one is up for auction.

The bidding for the bottle of 80-plus-year-old whisky, Currie’s diving helmet from the expedition, a poster from the film based on the islander’s pillaging of the ship, and bricks from the ship is expected to fetch upwards of $20,000. While that’s a lot of money, it’s a price many would be willing to pay to finally get their share of buried treasure. Especially if that treasure can get you buzzed.

Grand Whiskey Auction
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What’s On Tonight: ‘The 100’ Sacrifices One Of Their Own

If nothing below suits your sensibilities, check out our guide to What You Should Watch On Streaming Right Now.

The 100 (CW, 8:00 p.m.) — Sheidheda makes a power grab in Sanctum while the group tries to prevent genocide at the hands of one of their own in Bardo.

Catfish: The TV Show (MTV, 8:00 p.m.) — The show hosts its first virtual episode proving even a pandemic can’t stop Nev Schulman from exposing internet-facilitated identity theft.

Big Brother (CBS, 9:00 p.m.) — A new group of houseguests moves into the Big Brother palace. Is it us, or does the idea of watching a group of people quarantine inside a heavily-surveilled home just hit different in the era of COVID-19?

Coroner (CW, 9:00 p.m.) — This new series follows a troubled young coroner solving crimes from her unique vantage point — by studying a victim after they’ve been murdered to piece together what happened to them.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC, 10:00 p.m.) — Sibyl, Nathanial, and Kora continue to implement their vision of a darker S.H.I.E.L.D. and to stop them, the team will have to think outside of the box.

The Swamp (HBO) — This documentary comes from the team who gave us Get Me Roger Stone, so expect it to deliver on its promise of unveiling the rampant corruption on Capitol Hill. The problem: It focuses on the troubled system surrounding lobbying, and not on the politicians happy to take money in exchange for passing bills. Still, if you want to know why our government sucks, this is a good primer.

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Tekashi 69 Held A Maskless Meet-And-Greet In New York Despite His Previous Health Concerns

Formerly incarcerated rapper Tekashi 69 is once again drawing the ire of observers online after apparently having a meet-and-greet with fans in New York. Video of the event surfaced on Twitter early this afternoon and shortly after began generating unfavorable responses from people who frown on 69’s strategy of trading on his notoriety — especially after securing an early release from prison due to his asthma making him more susceptible to COVID-19. Exacerbating the situation was the fact that few fans at the meet-and-greet appear to be wearing masks.

In the video, 69 is seen posing for photos with small children (a Nino Brown move if ever there was one) and taking selfies with his arms thrown around fans’ shoulders. It’s certainly a sight to behold, after Tekashi previously made claims that he feared for his life after testifying against his former associates in the Trey Nine Bloods in exchange for a shortened sentence. Naturally, the responses from commenters pointed out the discrepancy between his words and actions, in no uncertain terms.

Tekashi drew criticism from several quarters within hip-hop for his testimony, although he was defended by “Trollz” collaborator Nicki Minaj, who was quick to point out the hypocrisy between Tekashi’s treatment and that of rappers who don’t really subscribe to the criminal lifestyle (or stopped when they achieved stardom). Meanwhile, Tekashi celebrated his newfound freedom from house arrest with a new song, “Punani.”

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Of Course Carmelo Anthony Is A Hall Of Famer

On Tuesday night, Carmelo Anthony hit the dagger for the Portland Trail Blazers that assured them a win over the Houston Rockets in a critical game for Portland’s hopes of earning a playoff spot in the West. The win moved the Blazers into solo ninth, 1.5 games back of the Grizzlies for eighth and with a very real chance of swiping that position from Memphis, as the Grizzlies must play their final five games without Jaren Jackson Jr.

However, after the game, the discussion was less on Portland’s playoff hopes and more on comments made by Damian Lillard. The superstar point guard, during his postgame interview, called it “disappointing” that people are surprised when Carmelo does things like hit clutch threes late, noting that he’s a Hall of Famer and should be respected as such. This sparked debate among NBA fans about Carmelo Anthony’s Hall of Fame credentials, which is a patently absurd debate.

Let’s spell this out as clearly as possible: Carmelo Anthony is a no-doubt Hall of Famer and will almost assuredly go in on the first ballot.

His individual NBA accolades alone would probably put him in the Hall, as he’s currently 17th on the all-time scoring list and could threaten the top-10 with another season of play. He’s just 951 points from passing Elvin Hayes, who currently sits in 10th, and there’s no reason at this point to believe he’s anywhere close to stopping. At that point, regardless of the success of Carmelo Anthony’s teams — which, I should remind you, he was the leader of the last good Knicks team and a Nuggets team that was a perennial playoff squad in the West — he’s in.

On top of his prolific scoring in the NBA, something that is regularly forgotten by fans is that it is the Basketball Hall of Fame, not just the NBA Hall of Fame. As such, his college career and USA Basketball career are included in the criteria for entry. Olympic Melo is legendary, the guy that fans always wanted to show up for their team, share the ball, shoot threes, and just generally buy in to the team concept. Anthony has won three Olympic gold medals, the first men’s player to do so in USA Basketball history. He’s the first men’s player to appear in four Olympics and win four medals (he was on the 2004 bronze medal team). He ranks first in USA Basketball history in the Olympic men’s record book in “games played (31), points (336), field goals made (113), field goals attempted (262), rebounds (125), 3-point field goals attempted (139), free throws made (53) and free throws attempted (71). The 57 threes he has made are second in USA Basketball’s history.

On top of his NBA and Olympic profile, Anthony led Syracuse to the national championship in his lone college season, averaging 22.2 points and 10 rebounds per game, earning NCAA Tournament MOP honors. It is Syracuse’s first and only men’s basketball national championship in school history.

When taken in totality, there’s not a chance Anthony isn’t in the Hall of Fame and isn’t there with haste once he’s eligible. He has become a polarizing player in the analytics age and there are certainly flaws to point out, but his career, from college to USA Basketball to the NBA, has been nothing short of astounding. He’ll be headed to Springfield in the fairly near future once he hangs it up.