@Jake
I write about drinks, public policy, and other vices in Portland, Oregon. Co-founder of Seabird, the app you're using right now!
www.jacobgrier.comReads far and wide — 131 sources in 90 days
Also a writer — 4 original pieces this quarter
This is so on my beat that I'm mad I didn't write it: how the confounding factor of cigarettes and coffee being consumed together led to erroneous conclusions about coffee's negative health effects.
The surprisingly strong case for feeling great about your coffee habit
Your morning coffee is one of modern life’s underrated miracles.
vox.com
A profile of the Foster Wallace children, via David's surviving sister Amy, now a public defender. Recommended.
Consider the Sister
Amy Wallace has spent two decades guarding the human her brother was—against a world that prefers David Foster Wallace as a puzzle.
thesmallbow.com
A little evening doom and gloom.
Why Fears Are Growing Over the Fate of a Key Atlantic Current
Scientists are increasingly worried that a vast system of ocean circulation, which delivers warmth to northern Europe and impacts climate globally, is at risk of collapse. Mounting evidence suggests it may be nearing a tipping point, though the research is far from certain.
e360.yale.edu
For the 60th anniversary of Pet Sounds, Paste is running a series of song-by-song essays (and other writing), starting with this one. Going to dig into more of these. "Pet Sounds goes to a place that still feels unreachable. And yet, the album begins with two of the most achievable goals there are: finding love and getting older."
Pet Sounds at 60: "Wouldn't It Be Nice"
Paste Magazine is your source for the best music, movies, TV, comedy, videogames, books, comics, craft beer, politics and more. Discover your favorite albums and films.
pastemagazine.com
I don't think our dog would do well on a plane, but this restaurant for dogs might entice him to make the trip to Lyon.
thetimes.com
A delightful read on David Attenborough, who's had an amazing life and is still working at 100.
David Attenborough Turns 100
For generations of TV viewers, the beloved presenter has linked the patch of glass in our living rooms and the wide world beyond. Today, he celebrates his centennial.
newyorker.com
If you like big bugs (and you cannot lie), what you may have been taught about how they got so big millions of years ago may be wrong.
science.org
Endorsed.
Stop Microlooting the Tax Code
The demand for hyper-specific tax exemptions is just a more respectable manifestation of the same impulse that leads people to justify shoplifting.
joshbarro.com
I didn't then know there is a Milky Way photography competition, but these are some stunning photos.
2026 Milky Way Photographer of the Year
The 2026 Milky Way photographer of the year. Discover the best Milky Way images taken around the world in 2026!
capturetheatlas.com
On what it's like for young people growing up in an America in which the only politics they've ever known is dominated by MAGA, with a local Oregon angle.
The Age of No Innocence
What if all you knew was extremist politics? Welcome to being young in America.
thewesternedge.media
Much more fun than the other cruise story in the news.
Wish You Were Her | Mina Tavakoli
Martha Stewart, Walter White, and Rodney Dangerfield walk into a bar. The bartender looks at Dangerfield, asks what he’s having. “Vodka soda,” he replies. The bartender starts shoveling ice. “Double?” he checks. “Course I am,” says Dangerfield. “Dangerfield’s dead.”
nplusonemag.com
Well that's mildly terrifying if you're doing an Alaskan or Norwegian cruise.
The Forensics of a Skyscraper-Sized Tsunami - Eos
A landslide in Tracy Arm Fjord in Alaska created the second-largest tsunami on record. A new analysis links this abrupt event to the retreat of a glacier and, ultimately, to climate change.
eos.org
Canada's turn against American booze as a textbook example of how a country can lose market access and hurt its own domestic industries in ways that are hard to reverse.
Canada is kicking its US booze habit as trade tensions persist
Canada’s shunning of beer, wine and spirits from the US is a textbook example of how market access for politically exposed goods can quickly unravel.
theconversation.com
An ode to foraging for morels. I haven't gone morel hunting, but the spirit of this is similar to looking for chanterelles here in the northwest.
The Last Incorruptible Thing
Life lessons from the morel majority.
open.substack.com
Wrote up just a bit more info on my forthcoming book, The Bartender's Library, coming out this October. Available for pre-order now!
Introducing “The Bartender’s Library” – Liquidity Preference
I’m delighted to finally share details about my next book, The Bartender’s Library: A Guide to Curating Spirits and Creating Cocktails from the Multnomah Whiskey Library. This is another collaboration with my friend Brett Adams, my co-author on Raising the Bar, and also published by Chronicle. This time we got to work with photographer Nicola Parisi, who did an incredible job capturing the cocktails, spirits, and overall feel of the Library. Publication day is October 13 and you can pre-order it
jacobgrier.com
How "blue zones" went from dodgy science to big business.
Are blue zones real? Answering that question is harder than ever
"Blue zones" as a concept have strayed far and wide from their humble roots, write Shelley Wood and Eric Topol.
statnews.com
Another story from my home state. A long read, but really good reporting on the southern evangelical movement.
How an Alleged Child Predator Remade the Nation’s Second-Largest Faith Group in His Image
Paul Pressler helped ordain the marriage between white evangelicals and the GOP, all while accusations of sexual abuse piled up. Right-wing groups are still using his political playbook
texasmonthly.com
On how to escape the gerrymandering trap.
Lessons from the Redistricting Wars
Gerrymandering is just tweaking a bad system at the margins.
liberalcurrents.com
The Tejas history of Cinco de Mayo.
The Hero of Cinco de Mayo Was Born in Texas
Ignacio Zaragoza led ragtag Mexican troops to victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla.
texasmonthly.com
This is really well done.
A Southern Grandma Wore a Shocking Outfit to a No Kings Protest—and Was Violently Arrested for It. I Went to Her Trial. It Was Even Worse Than I Expected.
Never has a “Dick Tator” pun caused so much trouble.
slate.com
How the quest for clear ice finally succeeded.
How Cocktail Ice Visually Vanished
Contributing writer Wayne Curtis uncovers how the cocktail renaissance and science finally solved the cloudy ice problem.
imbibemagazine.com
Today in petty Chinese censorship abroad...
Bitter aftertaste: Taiwan’s leading baristas forced to compete at global coffee championship as ‘Chinese Taipei’
Decision by the World Coffee Championships has enraged members of Taiwan’s coffee community, including previous winners of the competition
theguardian.com
If you've ever dreamed of conducting an orchestra but lack the talent, good news, there is another path. You just need to become or gain the favor of a billionaire.
We Bought an Orchestra | Jeffrey Arlo Brown
Why did all this energy, skill, and money flow into a concert led by a conducting neophyte?
thebaffler.com
Apt reading for my current Texas visit, which unfortunately has time for no road trips longer than taking the highways from the suburbs into downtown Houston.
Five Scenic Texas Road Trips to Take This Year
These leisurely routes prove that taking the long way is worth the distance
texashighways.com
I read the transcript rather than listen to this, but it's a really good discussion of the current stance of Israel, and how many (especially older) Americans' view of it is terribly outdated.
Opinion | Reckoning With Israel’s ‘One-State Reality’
The political scientists Shibley Telhami and Marc Lynch discuss Israel’s continued expansion into the West Bank, Gaza and Lebanon.
nytimes.com
Despite the title, there's much more to this than just nostalgia for the good days of Twitter. Recommended.
The Tweet as a Literary Form
Or: theres actually zero difference between tweets & literature.
typebarmagazine.com
Pretty thorough list of new drink books coming out this year, including one in particular that you should definitely pre-order.
2026 New Drink Books - Alcademics
Here are new cocktails and spirits (and a few other) books out or coming out in 2026. The Nonalcoholic Bar: Classic and Creative Cocktails for Everyone (Jan) Bottom Shelf: How a Forgotten Brand of Bourbon Saved One Man's Life (Feb) Spirits of '76: Celebrating 250 Years with Cocktails from Every State (March) Bar Design Essentials:
alcademics.com
A notable example of China's authoritarian censorship extending beyond its borders, to force the cancellation of a digital rights conference in Zambia that included a delegation from Taiwan.
The Chinese Government Just Got the World’s Largest Digital Rights Conference Canceled
Access Now, the group that organizes RightsCon, says Zambian officials asked it to exclude Taiwanese participants if it wanted the event to proceed as planned.
wired.com
Smart piece on the evolution of social media into what the author suggests we should think of as "parasocial media" instead.
journals.sagepub.com
Love to see magicians in the news.
Epstein files show extent of his unsavory relationships with magicians David Blaine and David Copperfield | CNN Politics
A CNN review of the Epstein files found numerous messages and photos that show the extent of the financier’s interactions with two prominent magicians.
cnn.com
The story of one of the plaintiffs in the case overturning Trump's tariffs, who sounds like a fun guy to enjoy a glass of wine with.
How a Boomer-Lib Wine Importer Took Down Trump’s Tariffs
Meet the man who hobbled the president’s favorite policy.
nymag.com
Adam Serwer on the Callais decision.
Voters Can Be Disenfranchised Now
Just say it’s because they’re Democrats.
theatlantic.com
Nice profile of one of the most interesting craft distilleries in America, which just happens to be in southeast Portland.
Portland’s Weirdest Distiller Is Also One of Its Smallest
All Tuff Talk releases are one-offs and once they’re gone, they’re gone.
wweek.com
I've been following Derek Thompson's grappling with these themes over the past few years, and here he tries to unite them in one piece on the "Tragic Twenties": how so many things have come together to create a rogue wave of American unhappiness despite some relatively solid economic figures.
If America's So Rich, How'd It Get So Sad?
Or: How the 2020s broke our brains
derekthompson.org
"Philosophers, in general, are used to disagreeing vehemently in the classroom and then gathering over a beer. Mathematicians aren’t. Usually, if they disagree, it means somebody royally messed up."
What Can We Gain by Losing Infinity? | Quanta Magazine
Ultrafinitism, a philosophy that rejects the infinite, has long been dismissed as mathematical heresy. But it is also producing new insights in math and beyond.
quantamagazine.org
A contrarian case for bringing back the chicken breast. By most standards an inferior cut of meat, but maybe you just need to challenge yourself to cook it right?
The Chicken Thigh Is the Current Darling of the American Table. But Its Popularity Is Costing Us More Than We Realize.
Which cut will reign supreme?
slate.com
Fascinating history here on the role of literary agents and how an unsavory scammer sensed the opportunity to disrupt the "gentlemanly" practice of submitting manuscripts to only one publisher at a time, instead making the publishers compete on price for a sought after book.
Meet the Literary Agent Who Invented the Book Auction
In 1952, literary agent Scott Meredith did the unthinkable: he sent the same manuscript to ten publishers at the same time, and single-handedly invented the book auction. At least, that’s how Mered…
lithub.com
10 minutes with Lucinda Williams on her songwriting, from the NYT's new feature on the greatest living songwriters.
The Lucinda Williams Interview
The singer-songwriter talks about being self-taught, and reaching down into the deepest, darkest parts of herself to pull out a song.
nytimes.com
I don't have any trips to Senegal planned, so I guess I need to find grains of Selim if I want to try this intriguing "cafe Touba" drink with a very cool history.
How a Sufi Saint’s Coffee Recipe Took Senegal by Storm
Cafe Touba was created as spiritual fuel during Sheikh Amadou Bamba’s French-imposed exile. Now it’s giving Nescafe a run for its money
newlinesmag.com
News you can actually use: what the whiskey glut will likely mean for consumers.
The Whiskey Glut Won't Lower Prices, but It Will Mean Older, Better Bottles
Whiskey has an oversupply problem. In both bourbon and Scotch, stocks are way up, consumption is flat to down, and many producers are responding by slowing or pausing production, temporarily closing distilleries, and, in some cases, laying off staff. For companies that buy barrels of new-make or aged American whiskey to supply their brands, prices have dropped dramatically. “There are some pretty fire-sale prices out there,” says Adam Polonski, co-founder of independent bottler Lost Lantern, whi
vinepair.com
Solid podcast on the current state of the economy, particularly for young people.
“The Job Market for Young People Is Brutal” - The Ringer
Today’s guest is Rogé Karma. We talk about the labor market for new hires, why young college graduates are so miserable, and why economic vibes are worth paying attention to, even if the official statistics are pointing in another direction.
theringer.com
"I had long since accepted the fact that I would have to take a substantial portion of my compensation in the form of moonlight and birdsong, but that was a bargain I was willing to make." This is a really great symposium of writers on what they do to actually make money, and a reminder that no matter how successful you are, you're only as valued in the industry as your next book or feature.
The Profession That Does Not Exist | Baffler Symposium
A partial history of the hidden labor that makes possible the poems, stories, essays, and books you read.
thebaffler.com
“We’ve not identified a way to make [the tax] not annoying.” Also in this piece: a proposal for Portland to tax subscriptions to Netflix, Spotify, OnlyFans, and other online entertainment.
Portland’s annual arts tax would increase, fewer people would pay under new proposal
Portland’s arts tax is headed for a makeover. But the fix might not address everyone’s grievances with the long lamented fee.
opb.org
I definitely haven't read all of this yet, but it looks fun to at least dip into in parts. (And FWIW I scored 17/30 on the quiz, thanks in no small part to lucky guesses.)
How to Be Cultured
A highly idiosyncratic compendium of what you need to know right now.
nytimes.com
And here's my take on the UK's tobacco prohibition.
Opinion | How the U.K.'s generational smoking ban could backfire
Jacob Grier: From black markets to an erosion of civil liberties, history shows how prohibition tends to go sideways.
ms.now
Friedersdorf on the UK's generational smoking prohibition. My own take on this should be out this weekend too.
The U.K. Smoking Ban Is Illiberal
Distaste for cigarettes is no reason to cede bedrock liberties to the state.
theatlantic.com
News you can use.
What would a primordial black hole do to a human body? Nothing good
Subatomic black holes from ancient cosmic history could, in principle, make you have a very bad day. But chances are you’ll never encounter one
scientificamerican.com
From 2017, an essay from the road by musician Tift Merritt. (I should hat tip Beth, but she shared this so long ago I'd never find it.)
THE WHOLE SHEBANG
Amps & Raisins “There is neither a proportional relationship, nor an inverse one, between a …
oxfordamerican.org
Data centers in space? A guide to what it would take to make them feasible.
Four things we’d need to put data centers in space
SpaceX wants to put up to a million data centers in orbit. There are a few technological hurdles standing in the way.
technologyreview.com
What slippery slope? Tobacco prohibition taking effect in the UK, making it illegal for anyone born after 2009 to ever purchase cigarettes, cigars, or pipe tobacco.
Proposed Lifetime Smoking Ban to Become Law in Britain
The proposal, which was approved by Parliament on Tuesday, will ban the supply or sale of tobacco products to anyone born in 2009 or after, permanently.
nytimes.com
