Staff Picks: July 20th

Welcome to InsideHook’s Staff Picks, a compendium of all the stuff our editors are digging on this week.

Bunka Japanese Chef’s Knife
“Fake it till you make it” is not a good strategy for flying a plane or governing the world’s third largest country. When it comes to cooking, though, owning high-quality materials can make all the difference (or at the very least motivate you to actually put them to use). Take this chef’s knife, hand-forged from Japanese steel by a master blacksmith and extremely resistant to both dulling and corrosion. — Walker Loetscher, Editor in Chief

Vacilando Grandfather Quilt
You know how a diner milkshake tastes better when presented in that icy metallic tin? It’s similarly difficult to hold any qualms with a blanket quilted in a 30-year-old, US-traversing Airstream. Vacilando Quilting Co, headed by designer Laura Preston, offers an array of knockout, hand-knitted cotton blankets, each of them paying a delicate homage to the grizzled, sea to shining sea frontiers they were inspired by. — Tanner Garrity, Associate Editor

Timex + Todd Snyder Mod Watch
Nylon straps make for less sweat compared to traditional leather or metal bracelets…plus the bullseye design here will keep the compliments flowing. Best part is that it’s a very affordable $138. — Eli London, Director of Partnerships and User Acquisition

Laird’s Superfood Creamer
Do you put milk and or sugar in your coffee? Would you like to stop doing that, but, like me, are not “macho” enough to drink your coffee black? This delicious (and nutritious!) non-dairy creamer from legendary surfer/human action figure Laird Hamilton gives your cuppa joe just the right amount of creaminess and pleasantly coconut-tinged sweetness plus good energy-sustaining fats and calcium derived from red marine algae. Sounds weird, tastes great. No artificial anything, and dairy/gluten/GMO/soy free. Ability to surf monster waves not included, but hey, you can’t ask for everything. — Danny Agnew, Creative Director

Maapilim’s Red Grapefruit Soap
Washing your hands is an underrated micro-therapy: what’s not to like about a moment of standing still with your hands under running warm water? But hot take: your bathroom soap sucks. For whatever reason, people will have nice bathrooms but then muck it up by having some refill Softsoap by the sink … this is no good. Maapilim has amazing fragrances that are safe bets to elevate your WC. — Athena Wisotsky, Senior Editor

LaMetric Time Internet Connected Clock
Can we all admit clocks (and watches, for that matter) are purely decorative objectives at this point? Middle schoolers can’t even read analog clocks anymore. Allow me to suggest a more modern option: LaMetric. This smart home-compatible alarm clock can be configured to show weather, stock quotes, breaking news and even social media updates. And the 8×8 color LED display also give the LaMetric a retro-modern feel that fits any interior. — Ryan Thaxton, Production Intern

Scosche BoomBottle MM
Waterproof, dustproof, fits into a cup holder or water bottle cage, plays 12 hours of music per charge *yawns*. Bluetooth speakers are all alike! Except this cool Scosche model, which has a built-in bottle opener for your beer. And magnetic mounts at both ends, so you can dock your smartphone on top and then click the entire device onto any metal surface (car top, cooler, etc.) and not worry it’s gonna roll away. If I camped or did anything remotely outdoors-y, I’d take these tunes with me.— Kirk Miller, Nation Editor/Managing Editor

THE BEST THING WE DRANK THIS WEEK

We are thrilled by the excitement our latest spirit, Eau de Musc, has inspired. The castoreum flavored whiskey — also known as “The Beaver Spirit”, is the first limited release through the House of Tamworth line and is just the start of more uniquely flavored and innovative spirits. We highly encourage you to sign-up for our e-mail list by following the link in our bio in order to receive the exclusive on future releases. We’re already working on something extra special and unparalleled. Cheers!

A post shared by Tamworth Distilling (@tamworth_distilling) on Jun 27, 2018 at 2:14pm PDT

Best? Well, most interesting. Tamworth Distilling in New Hampshire recently debuted a beaver sac spirit — a two-year bourbon with a bit of (FDA-approved) castoerum for “natural flavoring.” It’s not gonna replace your Knob Creek, but you’ll certainly have a drinking story to share.

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