Johnny Motley
Glent Custom Shoes Turned Me Into a Bespoke Shoe Devotee
In a workshop near Madrid’s Parque del Retiro, señor Antonio, Glent Shoes’s master shoemaker, sits monocled at his workbench as he applies the finishing touches of polish to a pair of loafers. The atelier, redolent of rich leather and fresh rubber, looks much the same as a medieval Spanish workshop…
This Umami-Packed Whiskey Is Distilled With Gourmet Mushrooms
Pipe tobacco. Caramel. Baking spices. Honey. The spectrum of flavors a talented whiskey maker can conjure from distillation and wood alone is impressive, but rarely do descriptors like umami, petrichor (the smell after a warm rain), or funk enter the conversation. Yet those are the perfect descriptions for the newest…
The Perfect Beach Day Watch: Keil James Patrick’s Mount Gay Rum Collaboration
It took me until my thirties to understand the aficionado’s zeal for watches, an expensive accessory ultimately serving a humble function fulfilled just as easily by a cell phone or wall clock. But the more I build my wardrobe, the more I appreciate beautiful timepieces—portable art carried on the wrist;…
An Ode to Oklahoma Style Barbecue
You’ll find people who insist that there are four epicenters of barbecue in America that constitute the undisputed quadrumvirate of masterfully smoked meat: Texas, Memphis, Kansas City, and North Carolina. Ignore such blowhards: just about every corner of America boasts a time-honored, cherished barbecue tradition. Whether it's Santa Maria tri-tip…
Why You Should Embrace the Bolo Tie With Confidence
Late morning finds me at a saloon counter in Cheyenne, nursing a hangover with a pack of Spirits and some hair of the dog. I normally don’t start this early, but it’s Frontier Days, and excess is in the spirit of the season. The famous rodeo, “The Daddy of ‘Em…
All Whiskey Lovers Should Add This Indian Spirit To Their Bar Cart
Welcome to Add to Bar Cart, where Cool Material’s writers and editors recommend the spirits that they’re enjoying most right now. Whiskey: the nectar of barley, the poetry of Celtic lore, an elixir as primal and earthy as the knotted wood that lends its flavor and color to the spirit.…
The Disciplined, Fast Lane Life of a Race Car Driver Turned Winemaker
If you were to ask me to rattle off my dream jobs in five seconds, I would probably list: rock star, National Geographic explorer, and whatever exactly Magic Mike’s professional title is. With a few more moments to consider, I would add elite racecar driver and winemaker, professions I admire…
The Guayabera Is the Summer Shirt To Add To Your Wardrobe This Year
Every summer, or whenever traveling somewhere tropical, I look forward to donning my favorite hot-weather garment: a bespoke guayabera I picked up in Texas. Hands down, this airy button-down is a piece-de-resistance of my wardrobe. Like a sharp leather jacket, you just feel badass wearing a guayabera—think Hemingway in a…
It’s Time To Give Santa Maria Style Barbecue the Respect It Deserves
Texans, understandably proud of their storied barbecue tradition, are wont to throw down the following boast: Sure, North Carolina, Memphis, or Kansas City might have fine barbecue, but Texas barbecue is the best when it comes to beef. Yet while Lone Star pitmasters reign supreme when it comes to brisket…
Mount Gay 1703 Rum Is As Complex and Enjoyable As Your Favorite Whiskeys
Welcome to Add to Bar Cart, where Cool Material’s writers and editors recommend the spirits that they’re enjoying most right now. There’s something poetic about rum: ambrosia squeezed from the cane’s rugged stalk, perfume of the Tradewinds captured in a glass, nectar as dark and seductive as a tropical night.…
Tips and Essential Books To Live a Happier Life Through Stoicism
Can people train themselves to be happier? Can they hack the human psyche for greater fortitude, fulfillment, and joy? According to the teachings of Stoicism, one of the richest intellectual threads of the classical world, yes. Stoicism is often misunderstood in popular culture. Tony Soprano, during one of his many…
