Welcome to Delicious or Distressing, where we rate recent food memes, videos, and other decidedly unserious news. See last week’s about the worst way to eat a pizza here.
If the words “negroni; sbagliato; with prosecco in it” have been ringing in your ears on loop this week—narrated in actor Emma D’Arcy’s velvety-smooth inflections, of course—I’m with you. There’s something ineffable about the sultry, almost spooky cadence of their delivery that has the internet hooked, and I can’t say I’m immune.
Speaking of spooky: Halloween is nigh, and a batch of neon-colored, “Halloween-flavored” hot dogs are here to usher in its arrival. Equally seasonal is a new candle collaboration between—and I can’t stress this enough—Martha Stewart and the sparkling water brand Liquid Death, in the shape of a dismembered hand. Plus, Dunkin’ Donuts has changed its rewards program, much to the upset of its fans.
Dunkin’ stans are mad after the coffee giant updated its nationwide rewards program last week to nix free birthday drinks and devalue points. “I no longer run on Dunkin,” one promptly posted on Reddit. The brand claimed it had introduced more rewards and increased flexibility on when and how customers could use their points. Though it also stated it raised the rate at which customers could earn points, fans are saying that doesn’t make up for inflated rewards prices. “I had 199 points on Monday and I was 1 point away from a free drink,” wrote another Reddit user. “Now I have 349 points, but it costs 900 points for the same drink I would have gotten for 200 before. This sucks.” Will Dunkin’ feel the effects of its loyalty program snafu? One Redditor thinks so: “I joined the Panera Sip Club and haven’t looked back.” 1.5/5 distressing —Ali Francis, staff writer
Martha Stewart is wearing a black, blood-spattered apron. “C’mere, sweetie,” she beckons to a man. Then she chops his hand off with a meat cleaver, all the while wearing a beatific smile. Presumably, this is how the new Martha Stewart x Liquid Death candles are made: The $58 candle is shaped like a “life-size” severed hand holding a can of the brand’s sparkling water. That may be way too much money for paraffin wax that smells like water (as in, it’s unscented), but I have to hand it to this duo—somehow this warm yet unhinged combination works. 3.5/5 delicious —Karen Yuan, lifestyle editor
I don’t watch House of the Dragon, but I do watch sexually charged interviews where beautiful celebrities discuss their favorite cocktails. Thus, the drink of choice last weekend in my small sapphic home was a negroni. Specifically, a negroni sbagliato…with prosecco in it, as actor Emma D’Arcy puts it. We’ve already explained the meteoric rise of the semi-obscure cocktail, but the drink’s staying power in mind all comes down to the memes. The negroni sbagliato is popping up in Halloween candy, defining people’s sexualities, and prompting publications from BuzzFeed to NPR to weigh in. It’s been, in a word, “stunning.” 5/5 delicious —Nico Avalle, digital production associate