Ever driven a car on a frozen lake? How about a $600,000, 1,000-horsepower supercar? Plus:

• Drinks history: Why aren't there more cocktail books by Black bartenders?
• Konbini cuisine: Bookmark this must-eat checklist for the next time you visit Japan.

White Knuckles and Ice-Cold Supercars: My Day Driving Lamborghinis on a Frozen Lake

BY NICHOLAS MCCLELLAND

In plane geometry, two parallel lines can never cross, but earlier this month I rather poetically merged the bone line of a six-figure Lamborghini Urus SE with the finish line of an ice track while sliding across completely sideways. I nearly busted a gut laughing at myself.

But something in the tone of my instructor’s snicker betrayed his disappointment, since I was driving in a timed event and lost inertia, speed and the bragging rights that were on the line. The first few sections of the skills test felt pretty quick and well-executed, if I do say so myself — but the ice proved too slippery for me to keep it together.

Così è la vita! Even losing is fun at Lamborghini’s Esperienza Neve, an ice-driving adventure arranged for a small group of the Italian automaker’s most passionate customers. Earlier this month, I tagged along to see what it's like when 1,000-horsepower supercars are unleashed on a frozen lake.

Why Aren’t There More Cocktail Books by Black Bartenders?

The influence of Black people throughout history is often whitewashed, and the alcohol industry is no exception. Black people played a significant role in distilling alcoholic beverages from slavery to the present. You only have to look at the story of Nearest Green, a former slave who taught Jack Daniel the art of distilling. Few knew of his impact until Fawn Weaver shone a light on that history (and kickstarted a multi-billion-dollar spirits brand).

Not only were Black Americans distilling spirits, but they also played an integral part in the history of cocktails in America, as many worked as bartenders in white establishments. And they were creating cocktails, too. Tom Bullock, the author of The Ideal Bartender, released in 1917, was the first Black bartender to publish a cocktail book. But afterwards, there wasn’t another prominent Black cocktail author till Shannon Mustipher, former bar manager of Glady’s Caribbean, released Tiki: Modern Tropical Cocktails in 2019.

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