The Presidential Dining Power Rankings

George H. W. Bush nearly banned broccoli from his White House. Seriously—there’s an entire Wikipedia page titled George H.W. Bush broccoli comments, and after reading the “analysis” section, I’ve become certain: If I was eight years old, I would’ve lov…

George H. W. Bush nearly banned broccoli from his White House. Seriously—there’s an entire Wikipedia page titled George H.W. Bush broccoli comments, and after reading the “analysis” section, I’ve become certain: If I was eight years old, I would’ve loved to have dined with Bush 1.0.

However, since I’m no longer in third grade, the 41st White House is not my preferred presidential dining destination. As you’ll be happy to know, many of our nation’s leaders didn’t just stomach their green vegetables, they embraced them. Even seasoned them. And, in Nixon’s case, likely poured ketchup on them.

Read More >>

Katy Perry’s Nonalc Drink Actually Rocks

Ever since George Clooney traded his keys to the Casamigos Castle for a crisp billion dollars, celebrities—like Kendall Jenner, Matthew McCounaghey, and the guy that ruined twitter dot com—have hurled themselves towards any opportunity that pours from …

Ever since George Clooney traded his keys to the Casamigos Castle for a crisp billion dollars, celebrities—like Kendall Jenner, Matthew McCounaghey, and the guy that ruined twitter dot com—have hurled themselves towards any opportunity that pours from a 750ml bottle.

Unfortunately, many of these fame-forward forays into the alcohol business have spawned spirits that are some combination of over-priced, unenjoyable, and problematic. Unless you enjoy booze that reeks of hand sanitizer and deleted paychecks, I’d avoid the category altogether.

Read More >>

6 Gin-Based Cocktails We’ll Be Making This Holiday Season

We’ve teamed up with NOLET’S Gin to share a few of the warmest and brightest holiday cocktails. These sips come together with NOLET’S Silver Gin, a floral spirit that’s been crafted with over 330 years of distilling expertise by the Nolet family using …

We’ve teamed up with NOLET’S Gin to share a few of the warmest and brightest holiday cocktails. These sips come together with NOLET’S Silver Gin, a floral spirit that’s been crafted with over 330 years of distilling expertise by the Nolet family using real botanicals.


When it comes to cocktails, holidays call for remixes. If you’re a gin fan like me, that means slightly adjusting your steady rotation of go-to cocktails to align with the flavors and festivities of the holiday season. By subtly incorporating flavors like cranberry, pomegranate, apple, and cardamom into classic drinks like the Negroni and gin sour, timeless cocktails can embrace the holiday spirit without completely abandoning their most essential qualities.

Read More >>

Thanksgiving Cocktails, Ranked

This list favors warmth. It favors the spiced and the mulled—crowd pleasers that prompt the question: “Do we need more star anise?” It favors the cocktails we exclusively sip on the fourth weekend of November. It favors bourbon, tequila, and everything…

This list favors warmth. It favors the spiced and the mulled—crowd pleasers that prompt the question: “Do we need more star anise?” It favors the cocktails we exclusively sip on the fourth weekend of November. It favors bourbon, tequila, and everything that can occasionally taste like the inside of a bonfire. On this list, convenience isn’t required, only spice drawer exploration. This is about drinks that taste like how gourds look. This is about leaning in, committing to the bit, and embracing Thanksgiving, The Brand.

In the spirit of giving, this list will start with our champion and then work down to our fifth favorite. To be clear, any cocktail on this list is worth the requisite time, effort, and ice. In the top tier of Thanksgiving cocktails, there are no skips. As for how we ranked these, you needn’t know more than that we developed a Highly Complex criteria based on personal consumption, visual appeal, spice drawer-reliance, and vibes. Mainly vibes.

Read More >>

Kitchen Soundtracks: The Favorite Music of New York’s Best Chefs

The Doobie Brothers make shucking fava beans tolerable. Blaring Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” while scrubbing a deep fryer will lead to increased cleanliness. Drake’s “Nothing Was The Same” leads to better-looking cavatelli. These are the restaurant tr…

The Doobie Brothers make shucking fava beans tolerable. Blaring Taylor Swift's “Cruel Summer” while scrubbing a deep fryer will lead to increased cleanliness. Drake's “Nothing Was The Same” leads to better-looking cavatelli. These are the restaurant truths that will remain with me, forever.

While you don’t need a collection of black clogs to verify that music makes all aspects of food more enjoyable, restaurant kitchens tend to be dialed in on the interplay of music and food. With that in mind—and in hopes of creating the ultimate kitchen playlist—we asked a few of our favorite New York City chefs what they’re listening to before and after service.

Read More >>

This Cocktail Shaker Is Built for Hosting

We’ve teamed up with our friends at Stanley—makers of beautiful vacuum bottles, mugs, tumblers, and cocktail shakers—to prepare you for your next gathering. Here, we’re highlighting the sleek, versatile Lifted Spirits Prismatic™ Craft Cocktail Shaker S…

We’ve teamed up with our friends at Stanley—makers of beautiful vacuum bottles, mugs, tumblers, and cocktail shakers—to prepare you for your next gathering. Here, we’re highlighting the sleek, versatile Lifted Spirits Prismatic™ Craft Cocktail Shaker Set.


A top-tier cocktail shaker is aesthetically pleasing, reliable, and well-made. In other words, the Lifted Spirits Cocktail Shaker from Stanley. Undeniably situated within the upper echelons of cocktail making equipment, Stanley’s shaker improves more than the drink you’re sipping—it adds convenience and style to the entire hosting experience.

Read More >>

Is There Hope for Canned Cold Brew?

Over the next four years, the canned cold brew coffee market is expected to grow by more than $400 million, reaching a total valuation of $1.37 billion. This shouldn’t come as a surprise. In 2021, cold drinks accounted for 75 percent of Starbucks’ tota…

Over the next four years, the canned cold brew coffee market is expected to grow by more than $400 million, reaching a total valuation of $1.37 billion. This shouldn’t come as a surprise. In 2021, cold drinks accounted for 75 percent of Starbucks’ total beverage sales—a result that led CEO Howard Schultz to describe the company’s global cold coffee opportunity as “simply enormous.” And yet, despite its substantial tailwind, the consensus among my friends, co-workers, and online coffee communities (yes, these are separate groups), is that canned cold brew stinks.

When not canned, cold brew has a high approval rating among my coffee-drinking peers. As its name suggests, the beverage is brewed cold, a process that typically involves soaking coarsely ground coffee in water, steeping the mixture overnight, and then finely straining it. When brewed cold, coffee extracts slower, meaning it takes longer for the beans’ flavorful compounds to dissolve into water. The process impacts coffee’s flavor and chemical makeup, ultimately producing a beverage many describe as “smoother” than traditional, hot-brewed coffee.

Read More >>

25 Breakfasts for a House Full of Holiday Guests

Hosting big holiday gatherings filled with visiting relatives and friends often means putting up a few overnight guests, too. For the best results (read: no fights or political arguments) during an extended stay, you need to keep morale high—and there’…

Hosting big holiday gatherings filled with visiting relatives and friends often means putting up a few overnight guests, too. For the best results (read: no fights or political arguments) during an extended stay, you need to keep morale high—and there’s no better way to boost a group’s collective mood than by feeding them a well-made breakfast.

Don’t forget, though, that your mood will also impact the group’s morale. Tackle too much, too early, and most of us are liable to pout, shriek, or snarl. Our advice: Make everyone breakfast, but do it easily. Turn to some combination of make-ahead and low-effort recipes that deliver convenience and flavor.

Read More >>

Our 7 Favorite Brownie Recipes

Brownies are the LeBron James of desserts. Similar to how nobody can pinpoint exactly what position the Los Angeles Laker plays, brownies lack a clear dessert designation: Are they cookies? Cakes? Fudge? Who’s to say. Of course, nobody really cares. Br…

Brownies are the LeBron James of desserts. Similar to how nobody can pinpoint exactly what position the Los Angeles Laker plays, brownies lack a clear dessert designation: Are they cookies? Cakes? Fudge? Who’s to say. Of course, nobody really cares. Brownies, like LeBron, transcend categorization because they’re so damn good. Whether you’re grabbing one as an afternoon treat or using it as the foundation of an ice cream sundae, the brownie has limitless potential.

With that—and LeBron—in mind, here are seven of our all-time favorite brownie recipes.

Read More >>

The Mezcal Cocktail I Always Make for Friends

The Mezcal Amaro—a smoky, acidic, and spiced cocktail that includes its namesake ingredients, plus ginger beer, grapefruit, and lime juice—is what a Dark & Stormy wants to be. Refreshing and warming, complex but technically straightforward, it upho…

The Mezcal Amaro—a smoky, acidic, and spiced cocktail that includes its namesake ingredients, plus ginger beer, grapefruit, and lime juice—is what a Dark & Stormy wants to be. Refreshing and warming, complex but technically straightforward, it upholds a tried-and-true theory: When a drink’s ingredients are delicious on their own, make two.

I made 12 this weekend. Cramped into a house with five of my best friends, it was the perfect group cocktail. Unlike more involved drinks that require specialty ingredients like grenadine or triple sec, every component of the mezcal amaro is useful on its own, meaning my friends were less apprehensive about chipping in for ingredients. Better yet, the cocktail is easily batched: Combine the mezcal, amaro, grapefruit, and lime juice in a large container or pitcher, and when ready to serve, shake with ice, pour into glasses, and top with ginger beer and a lime wedge.

Read More >>