Today marks President Trump’s first state of the union address. No matter which side of the political aisle you find yourself on, you could probably use a drink right about now. We asked LA-based artist and mixologist Steph Russ—author of ENERGY: Cocktails to Get You UP— to craft some creative Trumpian cocktails, to commemorate making it this far.
Global Warm-Up
2 ounces rum
1 ounce lemon juice
½ teaspoon activated charcoal
1 chunk dry ice
Sugar, to taste
Pour all ingredients into a goblet over dry ice. Serve as black smoke begins to billow over the cup’s edge. Enjoy with soda, beans, chewing gum, and milk. Warning: Will likely cause excess gas.
FBI Leak
2 ounces vodka
1 ounce Kahlúa
1 ounce heavy cream
Fittingly, the FBI Leak is a White Russian, served up in a plastic bag full of holes. Pour all ingredients into the bag, making sure to cover the punctures. When ready—release! Drink whatever you can as fast as you can, before all evidence disappears.
Bannon’s Brew
3 ounces moonshine
2 ounces heavy cream
1 egg white
Dash of bitters
Shake ingredients with ice until frothy, and serve in an Old-Fashioned glass. If the cream causes other ingredients to separate or curdle, that’s to be expected. This all-white cocktail will taste like milky garbage, and we do not recommend actually drinking it.
Alternative Facts
2 ounces light rum
1 ounce dark rum
2 ounces milk
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Dash of bitters
Dash of salt
Garnish with maraschino cherries, pineapple chunks, and lime
A Trump-inspired cocktail list wouldn’t be complete without a drink designed for deception. Welcome to the alt-piña colada. While the Alternative Facts resembles the classic, refreshing tropical treat, it’s actually quite bitter, salty, and tangy in flavor. Shake all ingredients over ice and serve in a tiki-inspired tumbler, conservatively topped with fruit. Recommended to serve any time you’re forced to discuss a task you’ve made no progress on and need to divert attention.
Cheeto Jesus
3 ounces Tang
1 ounce Sprite
Cheeto dust for rim of glass
Garnish with Cheetos and a lemon peel
Here’s a nonalcoholic cocktail designed for the child in everyone—particularly our elected officials—and is perfect for insolent youngsters and immature adults. Rim a martini glass with lemon juice, then crushed Cheetos. Blend the Tang with ice, like a smoothie, and pour into the glass. Top with Sprite for fizz. Garnish with plenty of Cheetos and the lemon peel. Excess is encouraged.
Barron’s Playplace
1 ½ ounces Stolichnaya Gold vodka
1 ½ ounces Patron Gold tequila
1 ounce Goldschläger
24 carat gold flake
This over-the-top, all-gold cocktail draws its inspiration from the decor at Trump’s opulent penthouse in Manhattan. We can’t promise this drink actually tastes good, but as they say, appearances are everything. Mix all ingredients and serve in a chilled champagne flute or the most ornate glass you have on hand.
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The grief journey is to be taken in solitude and community depending on your needs.
"It isn’t necessarily 'bad' to go through grief alone...it can be a healthy way to process a loss if it’s what a grieving person needs to do... —especially after the funeral is over."
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Say hello to my little friend...literally.
TikTok shocked by 15-year-old unhinged viral clip of kids performing Scarface in school play
Think about the most outrageous film that could be adapted to the stage. Now, imagine the cast of that theatrical production is entirely children, ranging in age from 7 to 10. Now, film it and let the world react.
That’s what director Marc Klasfeld had in mind when he held auditions with professional child actors for a shocking video, meant to look like an elementary school production of the cult film-favorite Scarface. In a now 15-year-old interview with Entertainment Weekly, when asked why he thought this was a good idea, Klasfeld admits, "I thought this would be a nice fit into the kind of YouTube arena of viral videos. And I was right."
The result? Kids yelling “mother-fudger,” piles of popcorn meant to look like cocaine, and outrageous, lengthy scenes of children pointing Super Soakers at one another.
Marc, mostly known as an accomplished commercial and music video director, later adds, "I enjoy making provocative art. I like stirring debate and causing conversation. You're going to get two sides of the coin no matter what you do. People are going to love and hate everything. People loved and hated Avatar. People loved and hated the Jennifer Aniston movie. And people love and hate this. I guess that's a part of having something that's successful out there. There’s got to be certain people that hate it for people to love it."
Once they got their perfect cast, it didn’t take long to put together. He shares, "It was a one-take, so it was pretty much just choosing the right take. About a month altogether."
People sure did react, as it acquired millions of views and comments from all over the Internet. Some were horrified, some were outraged, and many thought it was the funniest thing they'd ever seen. But Marc emphasizes that the kids in the video were not scandalized. "They’ve heard the f-word. They’ve seen more violence in their everyday lives for as long as they can remember. So for this, they’ve seen worse things than this all the time. So this wasn’t that big of a deal for them."
Enter TikTok. The clip (which just popped up again recently on Facebook) was reposted a few years back, and, once again, the comments continue to run the gamut from indignation to full praise. One TikTok user exclaimed, "Bro, I can’t even remember my grocery list, how the fudge did these kids memorize this whole scene lol?"
Others expressed confusion: "I'm not sure whether to be angry or amazed." Some chose anger: "Just imagine, you know these kids watched the movie to get the characters right. And the parents cheering? Yeah, yeah."
Many commenters believed it was a real school play and commended the production for "keepin' it real": "That school keeps it real. Nowadays, kids know so much about guns and drugs, might as well teach them that bad choices don’t end well."
Yet another enjoyed it but was concerned that the parents of the children would not. "Love the tray full of popcorn. But my God, I would hate to see the hell these parents probably raised."
For the most part, the reviews were glowing. Many complimented the acting, and one claimed they definitely would have "preferred this play over their own school production of Macbeth."
And perhaps the biggest compliment? "Al Pacino will be proud."