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
Detail image of a Brant & Cochran Allagash Cruiser, a Maine wedge-style axe

How Brant & Cochran Brought Axe-Making Back to Maine

Mark Ferguson tells the story behind the gorgeous workhorse that is the Allagash Cruiser, which includes blood, sweat, tears and a downer of a pizza party

A smokeless fire pit from Breeo, a competitor to Solo Stove. We reviewed and tested both to find the best fire pit.

Review: Is Breeo’s Smokeless Fire Pit the One to Rule Them All?

The American-made brand’s X Series is rougher, tougher and heavier than the ubiquitous Solo Stove

A canoe facing down the Mississippi River. If you're looking for a bucket list adventure, you should consider paddling the great river.

The Adventure of a Lifetime Is Hiding in Plain Sight

In an era of Everest backlogs and space tourism, the bucket list trip you should consider is paddling down the Mississippi River

Two men, one a Republican and one a Democrat, sitting at a coffee shop in an illustration. We spoke with two men, one a Trump voter and one a Biden voter, about how they became friends despite political differences.

One’s a Conservative, One’s a Liberal. Here’s Their Secret to Friendship.

Even though the Republican-Democrat chasm seems wider than ever, two men in Minnesota built a bridge across

A collage of images of Patagonia clothing, synthetic microfibers, microplastics, laundry and bodies of water. Our story looks at Patagonia's microplastics problem.

Patagonia’s Major Microplastic Problem

The outdoor gear brand has long been heralded as proof that a for-profit company can balance consumerism and environmentalism. Then the microfibers were found.

A bag of Birchwood Breakfast Blend coffee beans from Peace Coffee. Here's why April is the best month to try this Minnesota brand's coffee.

Why April Is the Best Month to Try My Absolute Favorite Coffee

Peace Coffee’s Earth Month initiative is about more than just a transcendent mug of joe. But it’s about that, too.

Seven Housekeeping Experts on How to Keep Your Home Enviably Clean

Seven Housekeeping Experts on How to Keep Your Home Enviably Clean

Including one of the highest-ranked Marie Kondo consultants

The hand of a Gen X man holding a domino and a Gen Z man holding a smartphone. We take a look at an intergenerational friendship and see how they bridge the widening generational gap.

Can Different Generations Truly Be Friends?

On social media, age groups have been condensed into antagonistic memes. Here’s how one Gen Zer and Gen Xer are bridging a widening generation gap.

Alex Hirschi, better known online as automotive influencer Supercar Blondie, standing next to the Hyperion XP-1 prototype that will be sold on her new SBX Cars auction site

Can This Influencer Interest You in a $3 Million Car?

Alex Hirschi, known online as Supercar Blondie, launched a digital auction platform that deals exclusively in luxury vehicles. Can SBX Cars compete with the old guard?

An illustration of a group of men. We look at the state of male friendships and what some are calling the "male friendship recession."

The Male Friendship Equation: Meeting a Loneliness Crisis Head-On

Americans are increasingly isolated, especially men. This month, instead of despairing, we’re exploring the state of male friendship, warts and all.

The new 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack, the American brand's new electric muscle car

Dodge Flips a Flaccid Middle Finger to “the System” With Electric Muscle Car

To promote the Charger Daytona EV, they decided to...make fun of kale?

The Afeela EV, an electric car created by Sony Honda Mobility. Can this vehicle do what Apple couldn't?

Can Sony Do What Apple Couldn’t With an EV?

The Apple Car is dead, but you could (maybe) be driving an Afeela by 2026

A 12-ounce bag of Peace Coffee Birchwood Breakfast Blend, my favorite coffee beans. Here's why you should try Peace Coffee.

Stuff We Swear By: My Love Language Is a Mug of Peace Coffee

The coffee beans I recommend most just happen to be organic, fair trade and sustainable. But it's the taste that'll win you over.

The Model T2.3 travel trailer from Type 2 Campers, an offshoot of Dub Box USA that makes steel campers based on old Volkswagen buses

First There Was the “People’s Car.” Will This Be the People’s Camper?

Type 2 Campers hopes to win over Americans with a trailer that channels old-school Volkswagen buses

A man running on the Horizon Fitness 7.0 AT Studio Series Treadmill in a house. We tested and reviewed the popular treadmill.

Review: A Treadmill Without a Subscription? Horizon Can Do That.

Testing the 7.0 AT, an affordable running machine that pairs with your favorite classes

The new Loser watch from Timex and Romaric André (aka Seconde/Seconde/)

Can You Take a Joke? Then This Timex Is for You.

After courting watch nerds, Romaric André returns with the Loser watch