Alex Lauer

Alex Lauer is the features editor at InsideHook. Since joining the company in 2016, he’s covered a wide range of topics, including cars, the environment, books and business. His reporting broke stories on the rise of Bookshop (the anti-Amazon online bookseller), the fall of Best Made Company (and sale to Duluth Trading) and the false promises of a supposedly “environmentally-friendly” NFT initiative. His hands-on methods — driving in a Sherp (of Kanye West fame) in northern Minnesota and idling in the electric Ford Mustang Mach-E for 12 hours in the middle of winter — offer a reliable and unique perspective on popular issues. Previously, he wrote for City Pages in the Twin Cities after graduating from the University of Minnesota. After starting at IH in New York City, he now lives in Minneapolis, MN. Follow him on Instagram: @alexlauer.

All Articles From Alex Lauer
A man standing behind an ice bar in the backyard of a suburban home holding a cocktail. We describe how to make your own ice bar in this advice column.

How to Make an Ice Bar, The Winter Sanctuary Every Backyard Needs

Drastic times call for drastic leisure

The Double-Zip Leather Briefcase and two Brakeman Coated Canvas and Leather Briefcases from Shinola that are on sale at Nordstrom Rack in January 2022

Shinola Makes a Superb Briefcase. Get Yourself One for 40% Off.

Pick up an all-leather affair or a rugged canvas bag

Actor Sir Michael Caine pictured next to his Rolex Oysterquartz watch that he is selling through London auction house Bonhams in March 2022

Michael Caine Is Selling Off His Rolex and Other Mementos as He “Downsizes”

The Sir Michael Caine Collection will be auctioned through Bonhams

Snow Peak's Takibi down coat, fleece jacket collab with Mountains of Moods, and insulated pullover, all of which or on sale during the outdoor brand's January 2022 blowout

Assemble the Ultimate Winter Uniform at Snow Peak's Current Sale

From insulated pants and crewnecks to fire-resistant down coats

The $28 million Rolls-Royce Boat Tail at Villa d'Este on Lake Como. The luxury automaker had its best sales year ever in 2021.

Why Luxury Automakers Hit the Jackpot as Others Floundered in 2021

"There is quite a lot of wealth accumulated and that is spent into luxury goods," said Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös

A men's trucker jacket, a car coat in wool and a rugby stripe seater, all of which are on sale at J.Crew in January 2022

From $21 Sweaters to $160 Topcoats, Here's What to Score at J.Crew's Sale

Take an extra 60% off already discounted menswear

A man wearing Blundstone's #2115 Chelsea boots in black, the brand's first-ever vegan boots. We tested and reviewed them to see if they live up to the classic Blundstone #500.

Review: Can a Vegan Boot Live Up to the Blundstone Name?

I tested the Australian brand's first vegan Chelsea boots against my old-school pair

A 2005 Porsche Carrera GT in Guards Red that sold on Bring a Trailer on January 5, 2022 for $1.9 million, the highest price ever paid for this sports car at auction

Record-Breaking Porsche Sale Shows the Ascendancy of Online Auction Sites

Bring a Trailer sold a Porsche Carrera GT for $1.9 million, the highest amount ever at auction

car driving snowy forest

Can Electric Cars Survive in Winter?

Here’s what happens to EV batteries in ice, snow and freezing temps

The Winter Parka from Minnesota company Askov Finlayson in Bear Brown, Superior Blue and Pitch Black. We tested and reviewed the winter coat and talked to Eric Dayton, the man behind it.

Review: Testing Askov Finlayson’s Climate-Positive Winter Parka

An outerwear brand you may have missed makes one of the most intriguing winter coats on the market

The interior of the Sony Vision-S 02 SUV, a new electric vehicle the tech company announced at CES in January 2022

The Sony Car, Not the Apple Car, Is the Most Exciting Potential EV

At CES, the tech company made its intentions in the automotive space clear

A Nomos Glashütte Metro Neomatik, Bremont MBIII and Q Timex, three men's watches that are part of the January 2022 sale at Mr Porter

Our Five Favorite Watches of All Price Points at Mr Porter's Sale

From a rugged Bremont to a timeless Timex, here's what we've got our eye on

Tesla's Gigafactory in Shangahi, China. In 2021, Elon Musk's EV maker nearly doubled vehicle deliveries compared to 2020,

How Tesla Nearly Doubled Deliveries in 2021 While Other Automakers Stagnated

Ford and GM saw sales slumps, but Elon Musk’s EV maker had its best year ever

Weightlifting shoes, a Velocity short sleeve shirt and cold-weather running tights, all of which are on sale at Under Armour in January 2022 for their Semi-Annual Sale

Take Up to 50% Off Workout Gear at Under Armour's Semi-Annual Sale

Score deals on gym shirts, lifting shoes, cold-weather running tights and more

A person wearing a virtual reality headset facing a wall with a light shining down on them. VR games that are part of the metaverse are already experiencing problems of harassment.

The Metaverse Wants to Mirror Real Life. Harassment Is Already Cropping Up.

Groping, sexual threats and other troubling incidents have been reported on multiple platforms

Driver Renée Brinkerhoff, videographer Neil Carey, chief mechanic Simon Redhead, navigator Jason de Carteret and operations manager Christina Brinkerhoff. (L-R)

Blizzards, Breakdowns and Blue Ice: How a ’50s-Era Porsche Conquered Antarctica

Renée Brinkerhoff completed her goal of driving a Porsche 356 on all seven continents