And here's my take on the UK's tobacco prohibition.
Opinion | How the U.K.'s generational smoking ban could backfire
Jacob Grier: From black markets to an erosion of civil liberties, history shows how prohibition tends to go sideways.
ms.now
Jacob Grier
@Jake
I write about drinks, public policy, and other vices in Portland, Oregon. Co-founder of Seabird, the app you're using right now!
www.jacobgrier.com3699
Posts
Oh hey, I wrote another book! It's been a weird time to write about cocktails and spirits but I'm excited to share this later this year. The Bartender's Library is available for pre-order now, coming out in October.
The Bartender's Library: A Guide to Curating Spirits and Creating Cocktails--From the Multnomah Whiskey Library
A Guide to Curating Spirits and Creating Cocktails--From the Multnomah Whiskey Library
bookshop.org
They rejected my suggested headline with a pun along the lines of "Czech out Portland's new favorite pastry." Probably for the best.
Portland Is Having a Kolache Moment; Here’s Where to Find the Best Ones
The Czech-Texan pastry is popping up at barbecue joints, bakeries, and pop-ups across the city
pdx.eater.com
New from me in Reason: on a few recent efforts to re-legalize cigar bars for consenting adults and buck the trend of prohibitionist tobacco policy.
Louisville just made it easier to smoke cigars indoors
A Kentucky proposal to legalize cigar bars bucks the trend of prohibitionist tobacco policy.
reason.com
Testing whether Instagram reels work on Seabird by sharing video of me performing at Covers Only open mic tonight. And hey, they do!
Jacob Grier on Instagram: "We've been doing magic together for years, now music too! Debut night for Jake & Jonny! Me and @fiddlinjonny playing "You Ain't Going Nowhere" at @coversonlyopenmic. Video t
4 likes, 0 comments - jacobgrier on January 26, 2026: "We've been doing magic together for years, now music too! Debut night for Jake & Jonny! Me and @fiddlinjonny playing "You Ain't Going Nowhere" at @coversonlyopenmic. Video thanks to @she_lives_to_explore. Such a fun time!".
instagram.com
In commemoration of one full nightmare year of the second Trump presidency, I take a look back from the perspective of late 2024.
We'd Have Been Committed for Predicting Half of What Trump Has Done
We, not our detractors, were the clear-eyed and clear-headed ones, but that is no comfort right now
theunpopulist.net
Better late than never: I finally wrote up my annual blog post rounding up the best books I read over the past year.
Recommended reading: the best books I read in 2025
jacobgrier.com
Call me Bark Kent because I dressed up as an inflatable dachshund to report from the inflatable animal protest outside ICE in Portland.
Facing Down ICE in Portland as an Inflatable Dachshund
I barked at the agency led by a puppy killer and survived to tell the tale
theunpopulist.net
Ungated link to my recommendation of David Wondrich's new cocktail book.
MSN
msn.com
As a follow-up to my piece in Slate, here's a post with the full list of 100 coffeeshops I visited on my #biketobeans tour of Portland.
100 more cups of coffee for the road – Liquidity Preference
jacobgrier.com
So, I happen to have an extremely well-timed article out today...
President Trump Says Portland, Oregon, Is an Anarchic Hellscape in Shambles. He Couldn’t Handle the Truth.
Biking is just better with a caffeine buzz.
slate.com
New music time! A Spotify playlist compiling some of my favorite songs from 2025 so far.
Summer 2025 playlist – Liquidity Preference
jacobgrier.com
Speaking of solar-powered, my latest at the Unpopulist is out today, talking about Superman!
MAGA Pundits Are Triggered That Superman Is an Immigrant
But he is an embodiment of America’s essential goodness and promise
theunpopulist.net
Last month I traveled to Warsaw to deliver a keynote address at the Global Forum on Nicotine, discussing media narratives around tobacco harm reduction and prohibition. Now it's available to watch online!
#GFN25 Keynote #2 | Tobacco harm reduction and the media - evidence, narrative and consequences
GFN 2025 Keynote #1 - delivered by Jacob Grier, hosted by Marina Murphy, response from Harry Shapiro - titled "Tobacco harm reduction and the media - evidence, narrative and consequences". Jacob will highlight how, despite positive gains made by advocates for drug harm reduction, tobacco harm reductionists face an uphill battle to be heard, let alone get the evidence across. From outdated media narratives to prohibitionist policies and their consequences, he will guide us through the current state of THR and tobacco control messaging, and help advocates create compelling narratives that share the evidence underpinning THR.
gfn.tv
New from me: a recommendation of Penn Jillette's very fun and semi-autobiographical new novel Felony Juggler.
World famous magician Penn Jillette’s semi-autobiographical novel about criminal carnies
We’re fortunate that Penn Jillette's real-life trajectory led to the brilliance of Penn and Teller. That his new work of autofiction leads into a fun crime novel instead is just a bonus.
washingtonexaminer.com
I've admired The Unpopulist from the beginning, excited to finally write for them today. New from me on Trump's tariffs and their impact on specialty food and drink.
Trump’s Tariffs Won’t Even Let You Drink Your Way Through these Tough Times
Exotic cocktail ingredients are about to become pricier or disappear from the market altogether
theunpopulist.net
New from me: Ooni, famous for their home pizza ovens, just released a new spiral mixer for making dough. I got to take it for a literal spin.
For True Pizza Mastery, Consider the Ooni Halo Pro Spiral Mixer
We tested the new professional-quality mixer to see if it could dial in our dough
insidehook.com
Realizing belatedly I never shared this here: a playlist of one song each from various musicians Beth and I saw together live in 2024, coming to 59 artists in all!
2024 concert playlist
2024 was the best year for seeing live music I've ever had, especially since I got to share it with my wonderful girlfriend who's always up for a concert. Somehow we made it to more than 40 shows tog
jacobgrier.com
A little more background on my article from earlier this week, on how we made it a crime to sell flavored e-cigarettes.
How we ended up jailing sellers of flavored e-cigarettes
Back in 2022, I wrote a big feature for Reason magazine about how tobacco policies were tipping past mere regulation to enter a new era of actual prohibition. As part of that story, I interviewed
jacobgrier.com
For years, advocates of bans on flavored tobacco and e-cigarettes have been in denial that the policies would lead to illicit markets, arrests, and ultimately jail time for sellers. A case in Massachusetts shows otherwise, as a retailer of untaxed, flavored e-cigs is sentenced to six months behind bars. New from me in Reason.
Sell flavored tobacco in Massachusetts, go to jail
Massachusetts outlawed flavored tobacco. Now, just as criminal justice groups warned, a vape shop owner is serving time.
reason.com
Feels a little weird to publish this in the middle of a constitutional crisis, but I have a fun feature in Slate today on some of the wildest coffees I've ever tried. Read on to learn all about co-fermentation.
I Was a Barista Snob. Would I Hate the Latest Big Trend in Coffee?
A technique called co-fermentation is on the rise. It’s controversial.
slate.com
I'm in Liberal Currents today rebutting the idea that the Portland protests of 2020 justify pardoning the Capitol rioters of January 6.
Portland Is Not Your Punching Bag
Portland is not what right-wing fever dreams make it out to be.
liberalcurrents.com
New today, non-paywalled link: I recommend Henry Oliver's new book on late bloomers, Second Act.
archive.is
I posted my favorite books of the year, here's my favorite music from the second half of 2024.
Winter playlist
Once or twice a year I like to make a playlist of recent music I've been digging. Here's the latest, covering the last six months or so. See my summer playlist for the first half of the year!htt
jacobgrier.com
In under the wire, my annual list of the best books I read over the past year.
Recommended reading: the best books I read in 2024
As always, these are the books I enjoyed most in 2024, not necessarily books that were released this year.Non-fictionQuestion 7, Richard Flanagan -- A (mostly) non-fiction book from an incred
jacobgrier.com
For your last-minute holiday shopping, some food and drink gift recommendations from me.
2024 food and drink gift guide
It's been a while since I've done a holiday gift guide, but maybe you (like me!) are a bit behind on gift-buying this year and could use a few suggestions. Here are a few food and drink items I've be
jacobgrier.com
Processing last night's election results by writing out 23 mostly dismal thoughts.
23 mostly dismal thoughts about the election
1. Well, this sucks.2. Going for an evening bike ride last night on eerily empty streets as the ominous Portland crows flocked into my neighborhood, the feeling it most reminded me of was the las
jacobgrier.com
My last ditch pitch to turn voters against Trump.
Declare your independence from Donald Trump
Do you know any undecided voters? I'm not sure that I do, and it's hard for me to imagine anyone at this late date remaining torn on how or if to vote in this presidential election. And yet, undecide
jacobgrier.com
An invitation for Portland Seabirders: tomorrow (Friday) night I'll be hosting a book talk with author Evan Rail, visiting from Prague to discuss his new book The Absinthe Forger, the true story of a modern con artist who duped the absinthe community with fake bottles of pre-ban absinthe sold for thousands of dollars. Join us at Belmont Books!
Portland book talk with Evan Rail
Portland people: Tomorrow, October 11th, I'm excited to host a book chat with my longtime internet pal Evan Rail, talking about his new book The Absinthe Forger: A True Story of Deception, Betrayal,
jacobgrier.com
Now free to read from the latest print issue of Reason, my article on the Texas case striking down the federal ban on home distillation. Unlike a lot of coverage of the case, I tried to explain the legal reasoning and also spoke with professional distillers about what to expect if more Americans try making spirits at home. Short answer: probably not poison, but maybe some explosions.
Longtime ban on home distilling may finally end
Why is making spirits for personal use any of the government’s business in the first place?
reason.com
Just about a year ago I left X for good. Today I wrote about encouraging others to do the same.
To all my Xs after a year apart
Just shy of a year ago, I decided I was done with X. (RIP Twitter, which used to be my favorite social network.) I don't remember what specifically pushed me over the edge to quitting, but I'm sure i
jacobgrier.com
A twofer from me today: New at Slate, I wrote about Trump, vaping, and what Democrats keep getting wrong about the issue. An article that will satisfy no one!
What Trump Gets Right About a Key Harm Reduction Tool
Flavored vaping should be here to stay.
slate.com
New from me today at Inside Hook: testing out new home pizza gear, including the mondo 24-inch Ooni oven. Check it out! (NB just for Seabird friends: the typos in the opening paragraph aren't my fault and I hope they'll be fixed soon.)
Which At-Home Pizza Oven Set-Up Is Right for You?
There’s never been a better time to make pies at home than right now — but which pizza oven set-up is right for you?
insidehook.com
Republishing something I originally wrote as part of my now defunct Substack newsletter three years ago, because it's unfortunately still relevant. On how libertarians should navigate the current political landscape:
Putting liberalism first
This was originally published as a section of my Substack newsletter on July 16, 2021. Since I've migrated off Substack and the topic of how libertarians should approach politics in the context of an
jacobgrier.com
Take two on my efforts to convince libertarians to make the obviously correct decision and vote for Harris. I'm sure this one will sway the unpersuaded and silence the haters.
In Defense of “Yard-Sign Libertarianism”
"No Human is Illegal" is an ideal we can appeal to, however imperfectly it is put into practice.
liberalcurrents.com
Someone had to write the libertarian case for Harris and I am happy to be that guy.
To My Fellow Libertarians: It's Time to Embrace the Harris-Walz Ticket
Libertarians, long used to holding their noses to pick the lesser evil or abstaining entirely, now have plenty of reasons for enthusiasm.
liberalcurrents.com
You have until November 5 to gather ingredients for this one.
Harris-Walzbanger
2 oz Tattersall toasted coconut aquavit3 oz freshly-squeezed orange juice1/2 oz freshly-squeezed lemon juiceGalliano floatorange twist, for garnishShake the aquavit and juices.
jacobgrier.com
For your weekend listening, it's annual summer playlist time!
Summer playlist
For the past few years I've been putting together a summer playlist to highlight recent music I've been digging. Here's this years: lots of new music, a few covers, and quite a bit from bands I've be
jacobgrier.com
Biker gangs extorting shop owners. Stores getting firebombed. Sellers of e-cigarettes threatened with 7 years in prison. My latest at Reason looks at how Australia's tobacco control policies, lauded by public health officials, have led to violent chaos.
The deadly tobacco drug war down under
Australia’s Prohibition-style attempts to abolish nicotine use have predictably led to a new drug war being fought over a legal substance.
reason.com
I wrote this in 2019, but since I'm sitting in the same coffee shop where I wrote it (Victrola in Seattle), I was just reminded of it. A short piece defending former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz from some of his haters when he was considering a presidential run. He certainly would have been better than the guy we ended up with!
Like your hipster coffee shop? Thank Howard Schultz - Washington Examiner
I take my coffee pretty seriously. By that I mean I’m insufferable. I’m one of those people who will Google the nearby coffee shops before booking a hotel. I will pack my own beans, brewer, scale, and hand-cranked grinder if the options aren’t up to par. But one of the most striking things about traveling
washingtonexaminer.com
Save room on your book shelves, there's a new book coming from me and Brett Adams!
Some book news
Brett Adams and I had so much fun writing our first book together that we've signed on to do a second! From Publishers Marketplace:In The Bartender's Library we'll be taking a much deeper div
jacobgrier.com
Out today, my review of Fuchsia Dunlop's excellent new book on Chinese cuisine, Invitation to a Banquet. (Published in the Examiner but linked here at an archive site so you can read it without a subscription.)
The many tributaries of the river of Chinese food
The journey begins with sweet-and-sour pork balls. A staple of Chinese take-away restaurants in 1970s England, these were school-age Fuchsia Dunlop’s introduction to the cuisine that would change her life. Or, more accurately, one of the cuisines. For in her new book, Invitation to a Banquet: The Story of Chinese Food, Dunlop dispels the notion
archive.ph
Today in Slate, I wrote about the political risks of announcing a menthol ban in an election year and encourage activists to cut Biden some slack. It's a potentially divisive issue now and he'll have plenty of leeway in 2025, but first he has to win.
If Biden Bans Menthol Cigarettes, Could He Hand the Election to Trump? It’s a Valid Concern.
Millions of people smoke them. Just a few votes could really matter.
slate.com
Advocates for bans on flavored nicotine and tobacco products say they won't lead to people getting arrested. Massachusetts shows once again that they're wrong.
Massachusetts keeps arresting people for selling flavored e-cigarettes
Last week the Massachusetts Multi-Agency Illegal Tobacco Task Force released its annual report. That probably isn't exciting reading for most of you, but it's a really useful document for understandi
jacobgrier.com
Since I quit Substack, it's time to get back into old school cocktail blogging. Here's one of my latest drinks from a winter menu at the Multnomah Whiskey Library.
I like to drink, drink, drink apples and bananas
What do you call a cocktail with a split base of apple brandy and banana rum? If you grew up with the songs of a certain children's singer, a tune by Raffi is probably one of the first things to come
jacobgrier.com
Slate let me go off today on why there's more to ZYN than just a dumb online culture war and how Democrats are blowing it on tobacco policy.
I Regret to Inform You That Marjorie Taylor Greene and Tucker Carlson Are Right About Those Viral Nicotine Pouches
Right-wing posters defending the freedom of adults’ right to use Zyn have the better of the argument
slate.com
If I asked you to name a country that has slashed cigarette sales by nearly 50% in just seven years, you probably wouldn't guess Japan. Today in Reason, I look into how Japan became an unexpected and unrecognized success story and what the rest of the world can learn from its experience.
It’s not a cigarette. It’s not a vape. And it’s big in Japan.
Heated tobacco products are coming to America, at long last. How will they change the landscape for smokers and prohibitionists?
reason.com
A bit belated, my annual list of my favorite books I read over the past year.
Recommended reading: the best books I read in 2023
I always write an annual post with my favorite books from the past year. Sometimes I even get it done before the year ends. This is not one of those times, but better late than never. As always, thes
jacobgrier.com
My suggestion for a 2024 New Year's resolution: never tweet.
A New Year’s resolution for 2024: never tweet
It's almost a new year, so you may be thinking about making a resolution for self-improvement in 2024. Go to the gym. Eat or drink less. Quit smoking. All of these are worthwhile ideas. Unfortunately
jacobgrier.com
I'd already pretty much decided to phase out my Substack newsletter, but management has made that decision easier. Here's my last post, see you on the blogs!
So long, Substack
Readers, this has been a fun experiment, but I’ve decided to pull the plug. This is the last installment of my Substack newsletter. I’ve only written five posts prior to this one all year, so it’s hardly a great loss, but thank you for reading nonetheless!
jacobgrier.substack.com