Posts Written by Vic Arkoff

Transferring technology and expertise from the road to the water, BMW is the driving force behind The Icon, the first maritime luxury electric vehicle. BMW teamed up with boat builder TYDE to create a visionary experience that progressively blends the ideals of luxury and sustainable mobility. In other words, it’s a glass-encased plaything for the one-percenters.

Sitting on the ground for outdoor festivals and concerts sucks. Take along ENO’s comfy, go-anywhere Lounger DL Chair. The tie-dye print’s easy to spot in a crowd, the cup holder and pockets keep essentials near, and the cushioned head pillow and armrests help you snooze through boring bits. Adjustable legs let it sit high (10”) or low (3”).

Send a big aloha to our Hawaiian friends by checking out Big Island Coffee Roasters. Not only do they roast the very best Hawaiian coffee, they make ingenious coffee-to-go in bar form. Espresso Bites look like a candy bar but are a solidified version of espresso instead of chocolate. Don’t just drink your coffee. Eat it!

Lalo Tequila was co-founded by Eduardo ‘Lalo’ González, the grandson of tequila pioneer Don Julio. Lalo uses a traditional cooking method and just three ingredients: hand-picked agave from the Jalisco highlands, yeast, and water. Unlike many tequila labels, Lalo distills the agave only twice, and doesn’t add sugar, artificial flavors or additives.

No trees are no problem with the portable Nomad Hammock Stand from Eagles Nest Outfitters. Ready to go anywhere in its carrying case, Nomad’s lightweight aluminum alloy poles use shock-corded construction to snap into place easily. Designed to work with most ENO camping hammocks like the popular, equally packable Doublenest hammock for two.

Hanging out at the shore is a blast with the inflatable Hangout 360 Trio floating lounge. Now available in a vibrant Native Paradise pattern, Bote’s ultimate portable deck is made up of three Hangout 120 platforms that can be joined in a donut shape or used individually. Pontoon backrests makes it comfy for chilling all-day.

A tasty tequila has joined the Campari Group and (surprise!) it’s not an aged anejo. Mayenda Tequila is a rarity: a young blanco made to be equally good for sipping or mixing. How? Mayenda captures flavors of cooked agave by adding two extra steps before distillation: maceration and the addition of agave miel.

Grovemade’s form-meets-function Note-Taking Kit declutters desks with three simple tools in three beautiful finishes: walnut, maple, and oak. The Display Rail keeps notes and devices upright with improved sightlines. The Small Notepad has a metal base so it stays put for whenever genius strikes, and the Vertical Organizer sorts notes. Felt desk pad sold separately.

The Tote Collection from the sustainable bag brand, Troubadour has gotten a bunch of impressive eco-friendly upgrades. Our fave is the handsome Carrier Tote with a zip-top to keep things secure, a padded laptop sleeve, interior pockets, a non-slip neoprene shoulder strap, and side snaps to expand the bag’s cargo space as needed.

A multi-platinum star without a booze brand is like a day without sunshine. Or, in this case a day without a Tequila Sunrise. Not only does Bay Area hip-hop star E-40 have his own Blanco, Reposado and Anejo tequilas — he named them after himself: E. Cuarenta literally means E-40 in Spanish.

Heatonist double dares you to taste the hot sauces used in insane Hot Ones challenges. Recreate Season 21 of the spicy interview show at home with this ten-pack of bottles representing each heat level from 1-to-9 plus an 11 (one-better-than-ten) with a Scoville Heat Unit rating so intense it hasn’t been measured yet.

Southwest style spruces up outdoor folding chairs in this collaboration between portable furniture makers Helinox and iconic Pendleton Woolen Mills. The Chair One HDB comes in two limited-edition geometric patterns that pop on the durable 1200D poly fabric and minimalist black aluminum alloy frames. Polished for the backyard, lightweight for camping.

Seedlip developed the world’s first distilled non-alcoholic spirits. Each botanical ingredient is distilled separately in a six-week maceration, distillation, filtration, and blending process, which yields a zero-calorie drink without alcohol and sugar. The Seedlip Trio is an ideal sampler for sophisticated mocktails.

(PG-13: Language) Opposites attract, so naturally, punk-metal band GWAR and NPR hooked up for a Tiny Desk Concert. Blöthar the Berserker held court, saying they brought maestro Wilhelm Fartwrangler along to class things up, then plunged into a surprisingly blood-splatter-free set of Sex Cow, I’ll Be Your Monster, Ratcatcher, and Phantom Limb.

Mexico City is one of the world’s most dog-friendly cities, especially the charming Condesa neighborhood, where dogs outnumber people. At the pet-loving hotel Andaz Mexico City Condesa, canines live it up at the Rooftop Beer Garden & Canine Club. The indoor/outdoor hangout on the second-floor terrace caters to dogs and their humans.

There are booze cruises, then there’s the 40-week, 60,000 nautical-mile voyage taken by American white oak barrels carrying what would become Goslings Spirited Seas Ocean Aged Rum. Goslings is the Official Rum of US Sailing, so the experiment kinda makes sense. Regardless, the Goslings Spirited Seas rum blend really floats our boat.

When Astral Tequila Blanco debuted, it was practically written in the stars that they’d eventually launch two more affordable offerings: Astral Tequila Reposado and Astral Tequila Añejo. For just a couple extra bucks, go for the Añejo, a mellow 100% Blue Weber agave spirit aged 12 months in single-use American Oak Bourbon barrels.

Ryan Gosling as Ken would totally rock the roomy Everywhere Sling Bag from Away’s Aura Collection. The blue-green gradient matches Ken’s eyes, and the limited-edition Sunrise color looks like a unicorn painted it. A perfect EDC, especially for neon headbands and neckerchiefs. Also great in black, blue, and sand for low-Kenergy peeps.

The clever Lumos squad really use their heads to design smart helmets that protect cyclist noggins. Lumos is now in pre-launch phase for its next two lightweight MIPS innovations — the sleek Ultra Fly and Fly Pro — which promise to boost visibility and protection with the use of attachable Firefly lights.

When a cocktail is this substantial, it’s easy to justify a liquid lunch. For the Taquito-rita, JAJA Tequila took a classic margarita, added muddled jalapeños, and garnished it with a stack of Delimex Taquitos. Genius. The celery stalk makes it a balanced meal in a glass, and Go Puff’s kit makes it easy.

The popular DoubleNest Hammock from Eagle Nest Outfitters comes in its cheeriest print yet — Brave Trails — a blooming happy garden of smiling flowers, bugs, potted plants and watering cans. Roomy enough for two, the durable, triple-stitched 9’5″ hammock is essential equipment for camping, backyard lounging, or hangin’ anywhere you want.

Created nearly 140-years ago by Scotch Whisky pioneer James Buchanan, Buchanan’s whiskies helped establish the art of Scotch blending. The house of Buchanan’s is still at it, most recently blending their smoothest whiskies with the juicy pineapple. Buchanan’s Pineapple brings a touch of the tropics to the not-so-sunny land of the brave.

Tolkien fans know Gollum’s “precious” ring was made of precious metal. Enso Rings, however, makes a case for silicone with its Lord of the Rings collection. They’re flexible for comfort, with interior channels to keep fingers dry, and come in an array of designs inspired by peaceful life in the Shire and fierce battles against Sauron.