Another Wednesday, another installment of your favorite newsletter. Let's get into it:

• The worst glassware for your cocktail? Mason jars.
• Your new favorite watch? The best of last month's releases, right here.
• Fly fishing on the South Holston: Recounting a trip to Tennessee when the trout were abundant but luck was decidedly not.

Seriously, Can We Retire the Mason Jar as a Cocktail Glass?

What Is a Mason Jar?

The wide-mouth glass jar was invented by John Landis Mason, a tinsmith in New Jersey, in the 1850s to improve the canning process. The threaded rim allowed for the lid to create an airtight seal, making the contents safely preserved. But other companies quickly picked up the design, replicating it.

The Jar as Glassware

In recent years, the jars have been used at bars and restaurants as drinking glasses. These establishments seem to want to evoke some sort of laid-back atmosphere, a farmhouse aesthetic. They might be used to serve a neon moonshine concoction named “Pappy’s White Lightning Lemonade” or “Bourbon Sweet Tea.”

However, these glass jars were never meant for drinking out of, no matter the aesthetic they represent.

Yesterday, we asked how you like your whiskey. About 16% of you are drinking it in a cocktail, 35% of you are sipping it neat and 40% of you prefer it in an Old Fashioned, which means we're happy to report only 9% of you said you prefer it as far away from you as possible. 

The Best Watches of May 2024

With summer in full swing, it’s time to bust out those dive and field watches and get ready to hit the beach — or the mountains, as the case may be. And with new cycling watches celebrating the famed Giro d’Italia bicycle race, plus colorful divers from the likes of Zodiac and Hamilton, you should be able to make quick work of equipping yourself for sun-drenched adventures. In other corners of the watch world, we’ve got high-end, complicated Japanese creations for you to check out, plus two of the most insane tourbillon-equipped timepieces we’ve ever seen. Get ready, because the best watches of May 2024 truly run the gamut!

IN THE NEWS

Yusaku Maezawa cancelled a second space trip due to SpaceX delays.

Shellfish poisoning outbreak halts Oregon’s mussel harvest.

When it comes to music festivals, nostalgia is in vogue.

Ticketmaster’s latest headache is a wide-ranging data breach.

When Things Don’t Go According to Plan: Fly Fishing on Tennessee’s South Holston River

BY ROBERT ANNIS

The weekend had all the elements of a grand adventure. I invited three friends to join me on a fly-fishing trip on one of the most trout-filled rivers in the U.S. A hired guide would take us on the famed South Holston on the first day. From there we’d be on our own, but hopefully with enough knowledge to catch a few more fish elsewhere on the river. We reserved an incredible cabin about 30 minutes outside Bristol, which, from what I’d been told, was a happening little town with plenty of opportunities for live music, fun and excitement. Beer was procured, whiskeys packed. But what’s the old saying about the plans of mice and men?

Things went south even before we crossed the Mason-Dixon line.

These Bacon, Egg and Cheese Empanadas Will Make You Forget About Bagels

Of all the Industrial Revolution-era inventions that New Yorkers rely on for their daily existence — including the telephone, internal-combustion engine and electricity — there is perhaps none more vital for day-to-day survival in NYC than the bacon, egg and cheese.

One of the home-cooked items that Lebanese chef Edy Massih, the owner of Edy’s Grocer in Brooklyn and author of the new cookbook Keep It Zesty, began feeding close customers was a Lebanese-inspired take on New York’s favorite breakfast sandwich with a twist: BEC everything empanadas.

Let Work Pick Up the Tab: 9 Expense-Account Restaurants in Chicago

If you’re taking clients out for dinner, you could certainly make a reservation at one of your favorite standbys. On the other hand, since it’s on the company dime, you could opt for a more memorable (read: lavish) experience. To help, we’ve compiled nine of the best expense-account restaurants in Chicago, whether you’re indeed looking to seal the deal, or perhaps visiting town on business, heading out to lunch with the boss or simply in the mood for a luxurious night out. From steakhouses to Michelin stars to tasting menus, we’ve got options no matter the boxes you’re looking to check.