If you don’t have an insulated cup sitting beside you as you read this email, you may be unaware that cups are a big deal in certain corners of the country. Hydration has long been an unreasonable obsession among Americans, but in recent years, large, insulated cups from outdoorsy brands like Stanley and Yeti have become accessories essential to achieving this end. On Eater this past week, Amy McCarthy described the trend thusly: “It seems like an absurd distinction, but the obsession with cups actually differs slightly from interest in trendy water bottles, like Nalgene and Hydro Flasks, as a matter of practicality. Cups are for grown-ups, I tell myself when I add yet another cup to my overflowing cabinets, people who have to mainline coffee on their hour-long commute and sip cocktails after work.”
These cups are more than a practical vessel for beverages, they’ve become a form of self-expression. With stickers, custom patterns, and the like, “cups don’t only help people contain water, they also give us a way to show others a bit about who we are.”
Now — as we enter warmer months made better with a constant supply of ice-cold water — is as good a time as any to invest in a cup if you haven’t already. What McCarthy calls “the latest ‘it cup,’” the 40-ounce Stanley Quencher, is sold out in all shades. But the Yeti Rambler, the cup that started it all, at least for McCarthy, is available with all the customizable options you could hope for.
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A Fredericks and Mae chef's knife, Molly Baz's Great Jones Dutch oven, and a Yeti Rambler. | |
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Elsewhere on Eater, McCarthy tried a bunch of vegan cheese to determine the standouts in the consistently growing category, from the charcuterie-board-worthy wheels from Sonoma-based Miyoko's Creamery to grocery-store Babybel.
Meanwhile, Laila Ibrahim recommends putting pomegranate molasses on (almost) everything. This one has positive reviews on Amazon and a convenient nozzle cap. -
Canned cocktail mixer brand Avec partnered with leisurewear brand Tombolo on a pair of summery shirts to spotlight its jalapeno and blood orange flavor (a soda to be imbibed on its own or with the recommended pairings of tequila, mezcal, or vodka). Available as a terry cloth cabana shirt or a button-down Hawaiian style, both feature art from illustrator Lydia Ortiz. The drinks are sold separately.
If you prefer your canned cocktails to come premixed, note that Madre Mezcal has a new canned beverage inspired by the classic Texas cocktail Ranch Water. Desert Water takes mezcal and combines it with sparkling water as well as various combinations of herbs and fruit for flavors like prickly pear and lemon, as well as grapefruit and yerba santa. Cookbook author Molly Baz lent her name and aesthetic to a couple of limited-edition Great Jones Dutch ovens. The blue pots come printed with a pattern inspired by modernist art and are available to preorder until May 31. -
The Dutch ovens would be right at home in a kitchen with the new rainbow chef’s knife from Fredericks and Mae, the company behind the cute and colorful cutting boards carried at some of my favorite home goods stores.
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If your knife taste skews simpler, you may be interested to know that Misen knives will be 20 percent off from May 24-26 with the code DADSDAY.
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Finally, I invite you to simply imagine greeting guests at a casual outdoor dinner party while wearing this.
Thanks for reading. If you liked this email, please forward it to a friend. — Monica |
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