Welcome to InsideHook’s Staff Picks, a compendium of what our editors are digging recently.
Let’s close this week out with some advice: if you’re gonna christen a wind farm, do it like Jeff Bezos.
Fun day christening Amazon’s latest wind farm. #RenewableEnergy pic.twitter.com/cTxeXdsFop
— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) October 19, 2017
Now enjoy our staff picks:
Meehan’s Bartender Manual
Jim Meehan — the acclaimed barman behind New York’s renowned speakeasy Please Don’t Tell — explains the ins and outs of the modern bar industry with his new must-have book. Fun fact: Jim’s brother, Peter Meehan, was one of the founding editors of Lucky Peach, the cult food magazine that shut down operations earlier this year. Distinguished food writing must run in the family. — Michael Nolledo, Deputy Editor
Leuchtturm1917 Hardcover Notebooks
A writer writes — sometimes. And most people who still use and pen and paper to sort their thoughts will have a preference on a personal notebook. Ten years have gone by and Leuchtturms are still the ones for me: soft paper that takes pencil, pen and ink gorgeously; even for less remarkable documents (grocery and to-do lists, etc.) the silky surface is a pleasure to write on. A built-in pocket keeps your paper bits in order, and the sturdy cover can handle daily use without looking worn out. — Athena Wisotsky, Senior Editor
Sutton Flannel-Lined Jeans
Whether or not J.Crew is your cup, they have one winter staple everyone needs in their closet: flannel-lined jeans. A couple days ago, I woke up to an unexpectedly frosty 45° morning, so I pulled out my dark denim pair (that you can dress up for the office) and jumped into them straight out of the shower. Now, J.Crew sells out of these styles at light speed, but if you’re smart you’ll notice their factory website has my go-to on sale for just under $50. I might swing for a second pair. — Alex Lauer, Associate Editor
Cole Haan GrandExpløre Waterproof Alpine Hiker Boot
Designed with input from award-winning alpinist Freddie Wilkinson, this new Cole Haan hiker is engineered to get you up the mountain at the crack of dawn and back down to the lodge in time for happy hour in style. Lightweight and waterproof, the boot’s classic leather and suede upper is complemented by a technologically enhanced sole that offers superior cushioning, breathability and traction. — Evan Bleier, News Editor
Shark ION Robot Vacuum
I don’t want robots to take over. I really like my cab driver. But a robot can sure as hell vacuum for me. This number works wonders and is excellent for chasing my cat. — Shari Gab, New York Editor
Opinel No. 116 Bread Knife
Talk to any chef and they may well suggest that a cook only needs two knives, say, an eight-inch chef’s knife and a paring knife. I disagree. Besides that most specific and marvelous of knives — the grapefruit knife — they also skip the bread knife. Bread knives are different from chef’s knives, if not in their length — mine’s 21 centimeters, which is the European way to say it’s also about eight inches — but in its serration. Let’s just say that if you’ve ever used a real bread knife to cut bread, nothing else will ever suffice. This, from Opinel, is an entry-level deal, but it gets the job done. — Diane Vadino, San Francisco Editor
Iron & Glory Deluxe Gold Carabiner
Do you ever need to clip a thing to another thing? Cut a thing? Find a thing in the dark? Well then, do we have the product for you! This bulletproof carabiner from I&G sports a handy pocket knife and LED flashlight, and additionally looks handsome AF hanging from, well, whatever you’re hanging it from. Plus you have the option to have it engraved for no extra cost — “BAD MOTHERF*CKER” not required, but suggested. — Danny Agnew, Creative Director
And we’ll leave you with the best thing we drank this week …
Jameson, the Irish whiskey company, has a fairly new collaboration going for their Jameson Caskmates bottles — they get 16 craft breweries around the country to make limited-edition beers aged in their whiskey barrels (the program’s called “Drinking Buddies”). We got to try most of ‘em at an event last week in Brooklyn. The winner? Tampa’s Cigar City Brewing, which made a Beoir Le Caife (Gaelic for “beer with coffee”), a full-bodied brown ale with coffee beans aged inside Jameson barrels. It tasted exactly like an Irish coffee. You can try these limited edition brews if you live near one of those locations. — Kirk Miller, Managing Editor/Nation Editor
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