What we’re drinking: Meili, a new American vodka Where it’s from: The sustainability-minded spirits brand was co-founded by entrepreneur Blaine Halvorson and actor Jason Momoa in 2023. Why we’re drinking this: We’re unapologetically vodka fans — it’s versatile, offers a sense of place and has to work harder to stand out.  Admittedly, a new celebrity spirits brand will catch our eye pretty quickly, though usually with an exasperated sigh attached. But Meili (MAY-lee, meaning “the lovely one”) offers a fascinating history and identity (besides not being a celebrity tequila). Co-founded by M ..read more

During the month of April, we’re publishing a series of interviews, essays, advice columns and reported features about the male friendship crisis in the U.S., a particularly troubling slice of the country’s larger loneliness epidemic. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, so we’re breaking it down from all angles in The Male Friendship Equation. A TikTok from earlier this year expertly lampooned the male aversion to birthday affection, with a series of increasingly ridiculous substitutions for the customary “happy birthday”: “Wishes and winning, bro” “Kudos on another life chapter” “Pro ..read more

It’s a common misconception that bourbon must be made in Kentucky to bear the product name. The legal requirements dictate that the spirit be aged in charred new oak barrels for at least two years with a mash bill of at least 51% corn…and produced in the United States.  While there’s no denying that Kentucky will always make up the majority of the market share (a dubious and often-cited 95%), non-Kentucky bourbon is on the rise around the country. In fact, honors like the World Whiskey Awards have non-Kentucky bourbon categories. The SIP Awards honored bourbon from Texas, Utah and Indiana ..read more

Climate change is a serial killer snaking down the dusty country lanes and crusty back alleys of the world. You never know where it will strike next.  The cumulative human death toll from climate change alone since 2000 will reach four million this year, according to an analysis in Nature Medicine. Its well-documented role in destructive and costly wildfires, devastating droughts, floods and many other forms of misery is, at this point, all too familiar.  The latest unexpected victim — potentially — of climate change is your favorite hoppy beer. IPAs — from hazy to farm to West to Ea ..read more

April marks the 60th anniversary of the Ford Mustang, which has been in production since 1964. To recognize the occasion, InsideHook is running stories all month long celebrating, dissecting and probing the legacy of the world’s first pony car. Here’s to another 60 years.  When Ford unveiled their first major electric vehicle, they decided to roll the dice. The Mustang Mach-E, presented to the public in 2019, wasn’t controversial because of its powertrain (electric cars were relatively well established) or its design (the increasingly popular crossover style). It was a lightning rod becau ..read more

For his birthday yesterday, which falls on the same date (April 16) that Tom Brady was drafted by the New England Patriots in 2000, Bill Belichick received birthday greetings from the franchise that called his January firing a “mutual decision” to part ways. Posting on social media, the Patriots wished 72-year-old “BB” a simple “HBD” and added a photo of him clad in New England gear. Questioned by some for seeming to string along a relationship that the Patriots don’t seem to want to admit they ended, the move looked even hollower the day after Belichick’s birthday when ESPN published a piece ..read more

You’d be forgiven if, prior to January 5, 2024, you weren’t perfectly versed in Boeing aircraft, the 737 Max 9 chief among them. That said, following that fateful Alaska Airlines flight — the one where the door plug blew out — there’s been a sudden uptick in plane model experts, with even fair-weather fliers making it a point to check the aircraft type before booking (some travelers are refusing to fly on the Max, full stop). The good news for the 737 Max 9 averse is that there are only two major U.S. airlines that operate the Max. Further, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered them ..read more

If you’re a regular cannabis user over the age of, like, 23, it’s probably time to upgrade your smoking gear. Yup, you should retire that super gross bong from college and the crappy vape you hastily bought at the nearest convenience store that one night because you drunkenly lost your other one at the bar. Now that medical marijuana is legal in 37 states and recreational cannabis use is legal in 21, a plethora of companies have popped up to modernize and normalize the space — and sell you on all their fancy new weed gadgets, of course. Before you roll your eyes and hug your crusty old bong, k ..read more

Welcome to a new series where we sit down and chat with cool, influential and interesting people who have great taste, to hear about the products they love the most. Verena von Pfetten wanted to create a platform for people who also smoke weed. “We looked around and realized so much initially in cannabis was focused on people who defined themselves by the fact that they smoked weed. If you smoke weed, you were a stoner, or it was the most important thing about you,” Pfetten tells InsideHook. Pfteen, along with her co-founder David Weiner, launched Gossamer in 2018. What started as a bi-annual ..read more

The world’s top-ranked golfer for the 47th consecutive week heading into the Masters and the favorite to win the tournament, Scottie Scheffler will likely be the favorite to win May’s PGA Championship, June’s U.S. Open and July’s Open Championship after capturing his second green jacket in three years on Sunday afternoon in Augusta. Situated amid a crowded top of the leaderboard on Sunday morning, Scheffler had a dominant final round that gave him an 11-under par final score and held off Ludvig Aberg, Tommy Fleetwood, Collin Morikawa and Max Homa. To cap it off, the 27-year-old had to sink a t ..read more