Posts Written by Vic Arkoff

Did you miss Coachella and the Aperol Aperitivo Italiano pop-up this year? Cocktail Courier’s festival-themed Aperol Spritz Kit brings the fun home without the sunburn. The box is outfitted with a full aperitif spread, including Aperol Spritz, Cinzano Prosecco, San Pellegrino, oranges, dried apricots, Italian potato chips, and festival swag.

Is it an ultralight sneaker or a slide? REEF’s bestselling Swellsole Neptune Sneaker is both thanks to a crush-back heel that lets the wearer choose. Classic styling meets all-day comfort with a breathable stretch-knit upper, memory-foam sock liner, and flexible EVA outsole. It comes in seven colors, including three new bright soles.

The Be a Better Human Coin Wrap Bracelet fashions a piece of peace from unexploded landmines from the Vietnam War. Because there are millions more to clear, sales of each aluminum and waxed cotton cord bracelet fund the clearance of three square meters. It comes with a lifetime guarantee and is TSA-approved.

What’ll ya have, Mack? Let Chronicle’s Cocktail Dice call the shots. Roll the three dice for your answer: one die is for liquors, one’s for mixers, and one’s for garnishes. With 216 possible combos, the fun is in the surprise. The 32-page booklet further helps customize your drink with what you have on hand.

Spring has sprung for Field Notes’ colorful Spring 2024 Quarterly Edition. Three original abstract designs by Chicago artist Emmy Star Brown grace the covers of this limited-edition 3-pack. Printed on high-quality cover stock, the artwork pops with contrasting glossy and dull varnishes. Inside are three page styles: ruled, dot graph, and plain.

With booze co-starring in the hit Apple TV+ show Palm Royale along with the wonderful Kristen Wiig, Cocktail Courier’s Tanqueray Martini Kit is a perfect viewing party in a box. Includes everything you’d need to mix up 8-16 Martini Royales and Damn Dirty Martinis, and even comes with a 2-month Apple TV+ subscription.

To indulge in whiskey tastings without the need for a designated driver, Blind Barrels delivers these fun blind-tasting boxes to your door. Each box includes four 50 ml samples of hidden American whiskey gems and new craft distillery releases labeled A, B, C, and D so you can taste blindly to discover new favorites.

If you love showy smoke-infused cocktails but hate craft bar prices, do it yourself with a Cocktail Smoker Kit from Bark & Barware. The handsome wood gift box contains six wood chip flavors (like cherry, hickory, and maple), a torch (sans butane), four whiskey stones, a metal brush, and tongs.

Bentley’s latest masterpiece is a unique Bentayga Hybrid hand-painted by Stephen Wiltshire, MBE, an autistic savant architectural artist who can sketch detailed cityscapes after a single viewing. Titled “Belonging Bentayga,” the $200K+ Alpine Green car features 29 people and landmarks to embody the unity and diversity of our world while celebrating neurodivergence and craftsmanship.

Camping in cold weather just got warmer with Super Pacific’s cozy Therma Puff Insulation Kit for its X1 rooftop camper. It’s like a puffy coat built to line the tent for four-season adventures. The kit includes insulated panels for the headwall, side walls, and ceiling (with mounting hardware), plus a storage bag. Made in the USA.

The out-of-the-box designers at Discommon Goods have solved the problem of watery cocktails. Instead of diluting spirits by stirring over ice, they created a pricey machined aluminum cup to store in the freezer until it’s needed to instantly chill spirits to the perfect serving temperature. It doesn’t make slushies, but we hope that’s next.

To commemorate 2024’s total solar eclipse, Hopkinsville, Kentucky-based Casey Jones Distillery introduces four-grain Total Eclipse Kentucky Straight Bourbon and releases a new batch of its Total Eclipse Moonshine, first created in 2017 when it was named the “Official Spirit of the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse” on the Kentucky Senate floor.

Limited to just seven vehicles, Range Rover unveiled the Sport Park City Edition for winter sport enthusiasts. Each SUV features unique details throughout, and has a plug-in electric hybrid powertrain for an extended 53-mile range. the Ethereal Frost Silver exterior is contrasted by a Jarvik Black roof, and 23″ SV Bespoke wheels.

An Arabic shemagh is a traditional woven cloth with so many practical uses that it’s issued to British, Irish, Thai and even US Special Forces. Worn on the neck, head or face, this luxurious 44″ x 44″ cashmere version from Afghanistan is a comfy travel essential for chilly planes, dust protection, sun shelter, pillow and more.

There’s an art to infusing spirits with spices and fresh ingredients. This 1800 Tequila does it the right way, starting with the distiller’s signature double-distilled 1800 Blanco Tequila made from 100% Weber blue agave, then infusing it on site using ripe cucumbers an jalapeños to impart natural flavors without pulp residue.

Nemo’s top four-seasons camping pad – the comfy, quiet Tensor All-Season Insulated Sleeping Pad – is now warmer without adding weight, and the valves are easier to open and close. Each baffle has two suspended layers of ultra-thin, metallized Thermal Mirror film to reflect body heat and add to the pad’s 5.4 R-value.

Based on Matt Kracht’s snarky bestseller Field Guide to Dumb Birds, this irreverent bird-watching journal gives you a place to take field notes about stupid stuff that our bird-brained feathered friends do. It also include funny-but-true bird facts, tips, and flighty comments that lighten the mood and enlighten human do-dos.

Leave it to The Kraken Rum to spawn an anti-Valentine’s Day gift for the blackest of hearts… like your ex, probably. The Beast’s Desolate Rose Bundle pairs a preserved black rose in a delicate glass dome (made by Holy Chic Los Angeles) with a bottle of The Kraken Black Spiced Rum.

Porsche pinky promises that their 2025 Taycan all-electric models will be the quickest production cars they’ve ever made. The rear-wheel drive Taycan sedan now sprints 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds (0.6 seconds quicker than before) while the Taycan Turbo S sedan can hit 60 mph in 2.3 seconds (0.3 seconds quicker).

The tiny but mighty Weatherman Travel Umbrella was designed by an actual weatherman to be the strongest compact umbrella available. Weighing less than 1 lb, it fits in any small backpack. With a single click, it opens to battle rain and winds up to 45 mph. Reinforced fiberglass plastic defends against inverting or breaking when the weather turns bad.

With the 2025 Cadillac CT5, the legendary American carmaker continues to redefine luxury with a bolder enhancement of the current model. Cadillac built its reputation by building great luxury sedans so it’s gratifying to see the legendary brand recommit to improving this gem of a modern sport sedan.

It takes a special single-malt whisky to stand out from the pack. Waterford Whisky’s three distinctive Cuvée Concepts do the trick, signifying an impressive evolution in the southern Irish distiller’s mission to use terroir-driven techniques to create naturally flavorsome single malt whiskies with no artificial colors or chill-filtration.

Discommon’s elegantly sculptural take on the classic golf divot tool and ball marker combo is as solid and aesthetically pleasing as their bottle opener. The magnetic ball marker detaches with a smile-inducing “No Gimmes” reminder, while the smooth back of the single-prong divot tool encourages players to “drain it,” i.e., sink the putt.