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USA Today
3 days ago
- Health
- USA Today
Pricklee Cactus Water works best when it leans into its (deep, desert) roots
Hydration is important. It's also much easier when you're drinking something with actual flavor. That latter piece has gotten more important as younger generations drink less alcohol and instead lean toward social drinks without the booze. This has helped fuel a robust market of non-alcoholic beers and cocktails expanding their reach into liquor stores across America. It's the same in your local grocery store as companies look for the right combination of taste and branding to fill coolers and the space in fridges created by downsizing from a case of beer to a six pack. That's a void Pricklee hopes to fill. This cactus water has been featured across startup media -- Shark Tank and Thrillist, come on down -- and is looking to turn that splash into a lasting crater in the hydration landscape. The best way to do that is by tasting great on top of brain-reviving electrolytes and vitamins within. Let's see how it turned out. Prickly Pear Original: B+ I've had nothing but good experiences with prickly pear. But coming from the northeast and currently living in Wisconsin, there's been like three of them. I'm optimistic, but aware things could go downhill quickly. It pours with some minor carbonation. The liquid itself is a orange-ish pink flavor that looks more peach than pear. It smells sweet and tangy, inviting and a bit exotic. The drink is light but flavorful. The prickly pear hits your tongue with a little tartness that creates a push-and-pull with the sweet fruit flavor. There's an unmistakable influence of agave sugars, though it's not overpowering. That braids together for a satisfying and thirst-quenching finish. The citrus-adjacent tang of the prickly pear is the headliner, an underutilized fruit that makes entirely too much sense in cactus water. Honestly, Pricklee could go a bit harder with the flavor here, though that may throw off the 40 calorie diet drink balance. Wild Strawberry + Hibiscus: C+ We're getting flowers on flowers here. And strawberry, which is probably where I should have started. It pours an uncarbonated pinkish orange, though it's light. The three flavors here combine for a complicated mix. They don't especially work in harmony, with the strawberry squaring off against the floral backdrop of the hibiscus and cactus. It's busy, which is satisfying. It also may not be what you're looking for in a hydrating refresher. Thus, you're left with a sloppy drink that tastes a little bit like those red-and-green wrapped hard candies you can find at most nursing homes. It needs some kind of sharpness or acidity to cut through that, but it never comes. That's a little frustrating, but it's easy enough to drink that it's not a total loss. Tropical Mango + Ginger: B- This is an interesting combination -- the creaminess of a mango contrasted with the spice of ginger. I'm not a huge mango fan, but this is appealing. Cracking the can unleashes a wave of light mango flavor. A hint of ginger creeps in at the end. The first sip is more of the same. You get moderate mango, balanced here against the prickly pear that was overpowered in the Wild Strawberry flavor. That creates a soft texture that's just waiting for something sharp to cut through it. The ginger doesn't quite get there, leaving you to linger on that softness rather than snap off each sip dryly. I'd like a little more flavor, turning up that ginger spice as well as bringing more mango into the mix. But it's a pleasant enough drink on its own, even if it's light on the benefits you might expect from what's ostensibly a healthier choice. Per the label, you get a modest amount of vitamin C and not much else. Would I drink it instead of a Hamm's? This a pass/fail mechanism where I compare whatever I'm drinking to my baseline cheap beer. That's the standby from the land of sky-blue waters, Hamm's. So the question to answer is: on a typical day, would I drink Pricklee over a cold can of Hamm's? I'd swap one or two in if I'm drinking over the course of an afternoon, but there are better tasting hydration drinks out there. This is part of FTW's Beverage of the Week series. Here, we mostly chronicle and review beers, but happily expand that scope to any beverage that pairs well with sports. Yes, even cookie dough whiskey.
Eater
25-06-2025
- Business
- Eater
An Intern's Guide to Happy Hour in D.C.
Skip to main content Current eater city: Washington, D.C. Where to drink on the cheap Monday through Friday Jun 25, 2025, 8:14 PM UTC Tim Ebner has been a food and travel writer for over a decade. He has been featured in Bon Appétit, The Washington Post, Thrillist, and appeared on-air on the PBS television show 'If You Lived Here.' Bars in the nation's capital are a dime a dozen, but some stalwarts have stood the test of time. And a select few appeal to summer interns seeking cheap drinks and pub grub that won't break the bank. As someone who first learned how to pinch pennies in the early aughts in D.C., there are still tried-and-true places where a few dollars stretches far enough on everything from draft beers to vodka sodas. In this economy, $35 margaritas are not the way to go. So why not rally up the colleagues and head to one of these price-conscious happy hour spots during the work week. Where to drink on the cheap Monday through Friday Jun 25, 2025, 8:14 PM UTC Tim Ebner has been a food and travel writer for over a decade. He has been featured in Bon Appétit, The Washington Post, Thrillist, and appeared on-air on the PBS television show 'If You Lived Here.' Bars in the nation's capital are a dime a dozen, but some stalwarts have stood the test of time. And a select few appeal to summer interns seeking cheap drinks and pub grub that won't break the bank. As someone who first learned how to pinch pennies in the early aughts in D.C., there are still tried-and-true places where a few dollars stretches far enough on everything from draft beers to vodka sodas. In this economy, $35 margaritas are not the way to go. So why not rally up the colleagues and head to one of these price-conscious happy hour spots during the work week.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Vox Media Union Reaches Agreement on Three-Year Contract
Vox Media's union employees will not hit the picket line for now: On Friday morning, the union said it had reached a tentative three-year agreement with the digital media company after an overnight bargaining session. The Vox Media Union covers editorial staff at The Verge, Eater, SB Nation, Pop Sugar, Thrillist, Vox Media Podcast Network and The Dodo. More from Variety Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe Relaunching 'A Touch More' Podcast With Vox Media OpenAI Inks Licensing Deals to Bring Vox Media, The Atlantic Content to ChatGPT WGA East Backs The Dodo, Thrillist in Fight to Merge Unions With Vox Media Employees: 'One Union, One Contract' (EXCLUSIVE) An overwhelming 90% of the members of Vox Media Union had voted Thursday to authorize a strike if a deal was not reached by the time their current contract expired at 11:59 p.m. ET, on June 12. 'As a deal has now been reached, there will not be any pickets outside Vox Media's office in New York,' the union said Friday. The tentative deal covers about 250 writers and other editorial workers represented by the Writers Guild of America East. Union members and the WGAE Council's Online Media sector representatives will vote to ratify the contract in the coming days. The union said full details of the agreement will be released upon ratification. Union leadership said the top concerns for a new deal included proposals on pay, AI protections, benefits, and assurances for severance and layoff procedures. Vox Media, like many other media companies, has implemented multiple rounds of layoffs in recent years, most recently with a third wave of job cuts in January within a brief succession of weeks. Vox Media at one point had about 2,000 employees but that number has shrunk with the job cuts. In 2019 the company acquired New York Media, publisher of New York Magazine, in an all-stock deal designed to gain synergies of scale. Two years later, Vox Media merged with Group Nine Media, a digital media roll-up venture whose backers had included Discovery. Disclosure: Variety parent company Penske Media Corp. is a shareholder in Vox Media. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? 25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar
Forbes
03-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
The Curious Case Of Booze-Free Beverages
JW Wiseman, founder of Curious Elixirs, has pioneered an original approach to the non-alc space. What began as a personal quest to drink less has blossomed into a pioneering force in the non-alcoholic beverage industry. In this interview, JW Wiseman, founder of Curious Elixirs, shares the decade-long journey of his brand, from kitchen experiments to navigating market shifts and shaping the future of social drinking. We sat down to discuss the evolution of his innovative elixirs, unique marketing strategies, and the unconventional distribution model that has propelled Curious Elixirs to the forefront of a booming category. Dave Knox: This year is your 10-year business anniversary with Curious Elixirs. What led you to launch the business? JW Wiseman: The short answer is I was drinking too much. While working at Thrillist, I had 20 drinks one night and didn't even have a hangover the next day. That experience started me on the path to launching the first craft non-alcoholic cocktail company. I was a big cocktail enthusiast, loving Negronis, Blood and Sands, and other innovative drinks. But as I changed my relationship with alcohol, I couldn't find anything adult to drink. Curious Elixirs started with me tinkering in my kitchen, then slowly realizing there might be a business here. Knox: How did you go from tinkering in your home kitchen to bottling and tweaking formulas, transforming a hobby into a professional business? Wiseman: It was a slow burn. I started mixing different things in my kitchen, trying to make a non-alcoholic Negroni or Dark and Stormy. Then I brought my creations to parties. At the opening party of Playland Motel, a hotel I co-owned, I put out a giant carafe labeled Curious Elixir No. 1. People didn't realize it had no alcohol and drank it more than the mezcal or other cocktails. I thought, "People are drinking this because it's delicious." That was the "aha!" moment, realizing it had a much bigger audience than just me and my friends who were drinking less. That led me to consider a Kickstarter, find a commercial kitchen, and research the market. I discovered that over 75 million adult Americans didn't drink alcohol, and another 90 million had two or fewer alcoholic drinks a week—these numbers were from over a decade ago and have only increased. The term "sober curious" didn't even exist when we started. The process was slow at first, taking a couple of years to piece together that this should be a business and a huge opportunity. It wasn't until I saw Martha Stewart speak in 2015 that I decided to turn this into a real business. Knox: When you first put Curious Elixir No. 1 on the bar, how has the formula changed since then? Did that original one include adaptogens, which you're known for today? Wiseman: Yes, Curious Elixir No. 1 had functional herbs. After leaving Thrillist, I started a marketing company for growth-stage clean food companies. One client was Daily Harvest, which opened my eyes to the power of adaptogens and functional herbs to support the body. I saw a market for these remedies—herbs with a long history of traditional usage. Rhodiola rosea particularly stood out, with its multi-thousand-year history, first referenced in 77 AD. It can help balance cortisol and aid serotonin and dopamine absorption. Adaptogens were built into Curious Elixirs from day one. I felt this could be Curious Elixirs' "secret mission": be flavor first, and as the market matured, we could talk more about the functions and how adaptogens support the body. That's what we're increasingly known for. But initially, we focused on making the best possible drinks with depth, complexity, and sophistication to appeal to beverage directors, sommeliers, and aficionados. Knox: Balancing education about the non-alcoholic space and the use and safety of adaptogens must have been challenging at the early leading edge of these trends. How did you approach this? Wiseman: For the first five years, adaptogens were very secondary, almost tertiary, messaging. It was like being vegan 30 years ago—people didn't know what it meant, and many still don't quite understand adaptogens. So, we went heavy on flavor first for the first five years. That's why Daniel Boulud restaurants, Alinea in Chicago, and other world-class establishments picked us up. We focused on creating the world's best non-alcoholic drinks, which hadn't been done before. It's only been in the last two or three years, from 2020 onward, that people started to realize there's a whole class of plants that can boost the body or reduce adrenal fatigue. That's when things picked up in the adaptogen space. Now you see ingredients like Lion's mane, which is in our newest Elixir, Curious Zero, a Lion's mane lager. These ingredients are having a moment, but it's been years in the making. Knox: You have an amazing marketing background, working with brands like Daily Harvest and trendsetters like Thrillist. How has that influenced Curious Elixirs' branding and marketing? Wiseman: Taking the Thrillist example, we described Thrillist's voice as if Han Solo were your friend telling you about the coolest spot. It's like having a cool older brother or a friend who's more in the know, but always with a fun and whimsical style. If someone entertains you while educating you, it performs better, sticks better, and reaches more hearts and minds with a sense of humor. We took that to heart. When we launched our Kickstarter, we did a Game of Thrones spoof video that got over six million views on Facebook. That was huge for us in breaking through the clutter, especially when video was relatively new on that platform. I think incorporating an eye and voice from comedy is incredibly helpful for breaking through clutter, and that's something we've always baked into the brand. Knox: Let's discuss funding. You started with Kickstarter. How have you approached your funding journey as you've grown the business over the last decade? Wiseman: Because we were so early and this segment of the beverage industry literally didn't exist before Curious, we decided not to take outside capital. We did it ourselves, using Kickstarter to break through the noise, create a time-boxed campaign to get our first 500 buyers, and secure initial press and validation. Since it was so early, we didn't need to raise a lot of money. Because we make a luxury item—something at the high end of what's now a real segment of the beverage industry—we've been running on cash flow ever since. Profits are reinvested to grow the team, expand distribution, secure multiple warehouses, reduce costs over time, and continuously refine our recipes. We never stop refining, just like with business practices or marketing; we always strive to make our drinks better. Knox: Regarding your distribution strategy, many brands go straight to large retailers. You've taken a different approach. What led to your choices in distribution and driving consumption and awareness? Wiseman: A lot of this comes from the Warren Buffett school of "look at what everybody else is doing and do the opposite." Everyone was launching celebrity tequila or going retail-first. We decided to go direct-to-consumer (DTC) first because we believed we'd build an army of ambassadors and then determine distribution based on where our highest quality customers were. Once we saw a concentration of great customers in Michigan, for instance, we knew we should have a distributor there. I also started with DTC because it's what I knew. At Thrillist, I was also head of marketing for JackThreads, an e-commerce clothing company. I learned e-commerce and DTC marketing strategies at scale, taking JackThreads from a few million to $55 million in annual revenue. It was leaning into my strengths. Also, a retail-first strategy requires a ton of capital. In the early days, without raising money, we needed a capital-light approach. We needed to sell all our product, reinvest in the next production run, and keep going for years while refining our practices for efficiency. Now, we're finally moving beyond the self-distribution we've done for 10 years. We're in a few thousand doors across the country. To get from 2,000 to 20,000 or 50,000 retailers, we'll need the best distributors in the business. That's a big part of the current and next few chapters for Curious: working with best-in-class distributors who care about craft, serve their customers well, and understand that this growing segment is not a fad; it's a seismic shift in how we consume beverages. Knox: Are there any places in your current distribution footprint that you're most proud of or that would surprise people? Wiseman: Some came to us organically, like Alinea in Chicago reaching out. The French Laundry, within our first couple of years, had a sommelier targeted by an Instagram ad who became a wholesale client. These things surprised us. Another inbound surprise was the Four Seasons on Oahu—we didn't have a broker pitching a high-end hotel; they came to us. I think that's because we've focused on making the world's best booze-free beverages, and the reviews speak for themselves. Being named Best Non-Alcoholic Drinks five years in a row by the New York Times or being the official non-alcoholic partner of the James Beard Foundation attracts these "wow, I can't believe we're carried there" moments. But it's also the small ones. Not just the big names, but places like a local winery in Asheville, North Carolina. The fact that Curious does well there warms my heart because that's our mission: to transform how we drink socially. When your local craft brewery or winery carries Curious for an inclusive drink menu for friends who don't want alcohol, that's how we're changing culture. The more small wins we have, the more we change culture. Knox: Your marketing and social media presence are built around the concept of curiosity and mystery. Why are those at the heart of your marketing strategy? Wiseman: Because that's where it all started. Curious Elixirs began with the question: What would a high-class drink without alcohol look like? And then: What if that drink could make my body feel better than feeling awful the next day? Questions lead us down the path of progress. That's why it had to be baked in from the start. Knox: How have you creatively brought that concept to life for consumers? Wiseman: We do super fun stuff. For example, when we launch a new flavor, we always have a mystery pre-sale. We announce the number of the next elixir—it's clear we've been doing this for 10 years because we have Curious 1 through 9, and now Curious Zero for our 10th. The mystery pre-sale launches with no hints about the flavor, just some education on the function. For Curious Zero, we said, "This will lift your libido and boost your brain with adaptogens." Our diehard fans love it; they enjoy the unboxing moment where they don't know what they'll get. Another fun, Curious initiative was the Great Curious Cocktail Party. This was our third year, and happened on May 14th, 2025. We host 100 parties in 100 cities on one night—a constellation of celebrations. It's wild to see the hosts' creativity. We put out a call for hosts, saying, "Tell us what you want to do, whether it's five people or 50." We've had everything from beach bonfires in San Diego to speed dating in Buckhead, Atlanta, to backyard concerts in Nashville, Bollywood movie nights, comedy nights, and ballroom dancing. People devise all sorts of ways to celebrate what being curious means to them. We host our own party at Club Curious, our sober speakeasy in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and have a toast across the country with over 100 parties going on simultaneously, celebrating life, because life is more interesting with less booze and more creativity. Knox: For the Great Curious Cocktail Party, how does it work? They submit ideas, and then what's the brand's involvement beyond marketing and promoting? Wiseman: We had about 400 people apply to be party hosts. Our marketing team approved just over 100, plus over 50 retailers, so we had 150 parties this year. We sent them a party pack with Curious hand fans, other party materials, and four cases of Curious Elixirs. We provided the drinks, they provided the people. We even had a Spotify playlist and did a live stream at 9:00 PM Eastern Time on May 14th. So, it's a lot of coordination from the marketing and wholesale teams working with retailers. We even had a webinar on how to throw a Great Curious Cocktail Party to help people understand how to serve them. Curious Elixirs are easy to serve: just flip it before you sip to remix ingredients, then pour over ice. Garnish with abandon—add whatever you like. We have suggestions, but we encourage people to tinker. That's how this all started, with me tinkering, and it's important for people to know it's okay for them to tinker too. Knox: The brand has achieved enormous recognition. The category has changed significantly with many new competitors. How have you stayed at the forefront of brand awareness and remain the first choice for consumers? Wiseman: We just focus on what we're doing. It's great that so many new non-alcoholic beverages have emerged; it validates that this category should exist. There should be many quality non-alcoholic options. How we've distinguished ourselves: A dozen years ago, I knew making Curious would change beverage culture. Taking that to its logical extreme means hundreds of options. If you focus on making the best version of your specific product, you don't have competition. You focus on yourself and your customers. That also ties into why we don't have investors—we're only accountable to our customers. I read every review, good or bad, and listen to feedback to make our products as good as possible, while balancing factors like sugar content. One key learning is that customers want delicious flavor but not a lot of sugar, especially those seeking healthier lifestyles. We've found ways to balance natural fruit with bitter and herbaceous elements. We're obsessed with quality. No other brand gets blood oranges from Sicily for a spritz. Our numbering system, Curious Zero through 9, is a nod to cocktail culture with famous drinks like Corpse Reviver No. 1 or Pimm's No. 1. It's an homage to the history of brewing, fermentation, distillation, and mixology that inspired me. When it comes to the non-alcoholic sector at large, we're just focused on making the world's best booze-free beverages, and we think it's great that many other players have entered the space. A word of caution: just because something is non-alcoholic doesn't mean it's good for you. Many companies claim to be healthy while using carcinogens, preservatives, and other problematic ingredients. Always read your labels. It takes time and research, but it's crucial as the non-alcoholic industry evolves. We're obsessed with high quality, not using preservatives, natural flavors, or other shady stuff. Knox: The business is 10 years old, and you just released Curious Zero, your 10th formula. Where does the business go from here? What do you envision for the next 10 years of innovation in flavor, distribution, and beyond? Wiseman: There will definitely be more innovation in the non-alcoholic sector. People will become more curious about how they feel after drinking something and what supports their body. For Curious Elixirs specifically, you'll see us in more restaurants, performance venues, and regions. I can't predict the next 10 years exactly, but it's getting easier for Curious to get on shelves and behind bars. Bartenders and restaurateurs are realizing they can make more money by serving the most followed brand in non-alcoholic. It has a gravitational pull now, which will continue to help us transform our drinking culture as the years go by.
The Sun
22-04-2025
- The Sun
People need to stop the viral plane seat hack – it's selfish and it ruined my flight
CHECKING in late, buying snacks for the crew - the internet is full of hacks for trying to get the best plane seats possible without paying for them. But there is one viral flight seat hack that I absolutely hate - despite travellers bragging about it. 3 3 If travelling with a mate or partner, it can be tempting to try and get a whole row to yourself with an empty middle seat. The online trick means booking the window and the aisle seat while keeping the middle one free. Not only are people less likely to book a middle seat, but even if they do, they are more likely to move so they aren't between a group. However, I've found that the latter rarely happens when I am forced to book a middle seat because of a full plane. Not only is it infuriating, but it ruined my flight after being stuck between two rude passengers. While I certainly don't like a middle seat - notoriously the worst seat on the plane - I won't begrudge anyone if I am forced to sit in it. But what happened on this occasion was two friends - who I had "separated" after sitting between them - then refused to swap. And rather than just sit in their respective seats, they spent the rest of the flight talking over and round me. I was forced to lean back in my seat as every few moments they decided to have a full conversion, with me unable to even look at my phone without feeling like I was blocking them. It might have only been a short trip to Ibiza but the selfish passengers completely ruined the flight. Plane passenger blasted for refusing to swap seats with crying toddler on flight SUES airline & woman who filmed her If it had been any longer it would have been even worse although little could be done, after all, how would I tell the flight crew that they were "talking too much over me" without sounding like a child? But it's not just me who has been annoyed by it. 'Ghost floating between them' One solo passenger recounted to the Thrillist: "Here I am, single and squeezed between two people who are happily passing around iPads and snacks, having a full-blown conversation as if I'm just a ghost floating between them. 'This experience has been haunting me, to be honest." So to anyone thinking about trying the hack, I urge you to not risk annoying your fellow passengers. Or at least make sure you give up your window or aisle seat instead. One tried and tested method to getting a better seat without annoying anyone is to have the plane app up while boarding to see if there are any empty rows on the seat map. You can then ask crew if it is okay to move to them. Just make sure to always ask - sometimes they have been left empty to balance the plane. 3 How to get a free upgrade to first class on a plane Travelers often wonder how to secure an upgrade to first class without paying the premium price. According to a flight attendant, there are several strategies passengers can employ to increase their chances. Firstly, loyalty to an airline is crucial; frequent flyers and those with elite status are more likely to receive upgrades. Additionally, booking directly with the airline rather than through third-party sites can improve your odds, as can being flexible with your travel dates and times. Dressing smartly and arriving early can also make a difference. While airlines generally prioritize upgrades based on status and fare class, a well-dressed passenger who checks in early may catch the staff's attention. It's also beneficial to be polite and friendly to the airline staff, as they have the discretion to upgrade passengers at their own judgment. Lastly, if you're celebrating a special occasion, such as a honeymoon or birthday, it doesn't hurt to mention it. While not guaranteed, some flight attendants might consider this when deciding on upgrades. Overall, while there's no surefire way to get a free upgrade, combining these strategies can certainly improve your chances.
