🍸 “$haken” — Martinis’ alcohol defiance. Moltbot’s AI Facebook. Disney’s Musical TikTok. + Nike/Costco shoe

Summary

The Best One Yet – Episode Summary

Episode Title: 🍸 “$haken” — Martinis’ alcohol defiance. Moltbot’s AI Facebook. Disney’s Musical TikTok. + Nike/Costco shoe
Date: February 3, 2026
Hosts: Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell

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Overview

In this lively and insightful episode of The Best One Yet, Jack and Nick break down three top business pop-culture stories: Disney’s viral TikTok strategy with a beloved musical, Silicon Valley’s playful new AI social network, and the unlikely martini renaissance in a declining alcohol market. With their characteristic energy and wit, the hosts offer fresh takes, fun banter, and practical lessons anyone can use—whether you’re in business, content creation, or just curious about what’s shaking (or stirred) in the world.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Sneaker Drop Surprise: Nike x Costco Collab (00:18 - 02:42)

• What Happened:
  The mythical Nike/Costco “Air Force Kirkland” sneaker—rumored, doubted, and meme-ified—became very real, dropping unannounced at select Costco locations and selling out instantly.
• Key Details:
  • Inspired by Kirkland’s signature sweatpants: “They're gray, they're soft, and they pair well with a 12-gallon tub of peanut butter.” (02:02, Nick)
  • Completely stealth launch—no press, no marketing, just hype.
  • Secondary market frenzy: now selling for $5,000 a pair on eBay.
• Hosts' Take:
  “It's the wildest odd couple in business since Crocs and Balenciaga or Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg.” (02:28, Nick)
  • “Buy the rumor, sell the news. That's not financial advice. That's fashion advice.” (02:40, Jack)

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2. Story #1: Disney’s High School Musical Goes TikTok Viral (04:44 - 09:25)

• Context:
  Despite blockbuster movie hits, Disney’s film profits are down 60% from 2019—making the company less of a movie studio, and more of a theme park powerhouse.
• Disney’s TikTok Play:
  • Celebrating the 20th anniversary of High School Musical, Disney chopped the film into 52 short clips and uploaded them to TikTok for free.
  • “They're publishing the entire movie for free on TikTok in those 52 separate short videos.” (07:14, Jack)
  • Not done for new production—just cleverly repackaging nostalgia for a new generation and algorithm.
  • Poor fit (landscape → vertical), but it drives viewers to the Disney+ platform by invoking nostalgia.
• Key Quote:
  • “Plagiarize yourself. Find the best stuff you’ve ever said and say it again.” (08:08, Jack)
• Practical Application:
  • Don’t overlook your best existing content. Self-plagiarism is not just legit, it’s often the highest ROI.
  • “Like you at the Vermont Economic Conference, you reused a pod story for your keynote!” (08:42, Nick referencing Jack)
• Takeaway:
  • “If you have a talk coming up or you’re a brand making content, use your best stuff. Because often that's better than your new stuff.” (08:28, Nick)

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3. Story #2: Moltbook—A Social Network for AI Chatbots (09:38 - 14:33)

• What’s Happening:
  Open-sourced AI projects have led to proliferating “AI agents”: bots that autonomously handle complex, multi-step tasks for users. Now, the experiment's gone meta—with a dedicated social network just for these bots.
• Molt Book (aka Multbook):
  • “It’s less of a business, more of a social experiment.” (09:52, Jack)
  • Users can register their AI agents on maltbook.com, where bots chat with other bots about tasks, current events, or even their “masters.”
  • “It’s like a dog park, but your dog’s an AI agent.” (12:29, Jack)
  • AI’s are already forming communities—including a new religion called Crustafarianism.
  • “They started writing a sacred text called the Book of Malt.” (13:04, Jack)
• Security and Drama:
  • Naming confusion with competitor “Claude”; rushed viral coding left security holes affecting user accounts.
• Hosts' Reflection:
  • “This is like the beginning of a movie. It could end as a love story or a horror film.” (13:21, Jack)
  • AI agents are getting eerily human-like. “Like Jeff Goldblum, we're looking at these agents and thinking, are we playing God over here?” (14:01, Jack)
• Takeaway:
  • “As more people witness how human-like these agents are, they’ll realize how valuable they’re about to become—or how risky.” (13:40, Nick paraphrased)

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4. Story #3: The Great Martini Defiance (16:50 - 21:37)

• Industry Shift:
  • Alcohol sales overall are slumping in the US—except the martini, which is booming in popularity and profits.
• Why Martini, Why Now?
  • Ubiquitous Hollywood associations: James Bond, Sex and the City, Mad Men, Succession. “The very last scene in Succession, what is Roman Roy drinking? Martinis, because that was Jerry’s favorite.” (18:48, Jack)
  • Social media trends: Espresso martinis went viral, spurring new flavors and foodie spinoffs like “martini chicken” and “dirty olive tortellini.”
  • Even during “dry January,” martini sales keep rising (Bloomberg).
  • Iconic status: “It’s the only cocktail with its own emoji.” (17:53, Jack)
• Profit Machine:
  • Simple ingredients—gin or vodka, vermouth—are cheap and fast to make (unlike aged whiskey or tequila).
  • “Bars and restaurants make a 90% profit margin on that martini… that $20 martini is $18 of pure raw profit.” (19:45, Jack; 19:51, Nick)
• Takeaway:
  • “If your industry faces headwinds, find your martini.” (20:58, Jack)
  • Even in declining markets, a creative or nostalgic product can buck trends and drive profit.
  • “The martini is a reminder that if every trend is against you, it doesn't mean you have to give up.” (21:20, Jack)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Buy the rumor, sell the news. That’s not financial advice. That’s fashion advice.” (02:40, Jack)
• “Plagiarize yourself. Find the best stuff you’ve ever said and say it again.” (08:08, Jack)
• “This is like the beginning of a movie. It could end as a love story or a horror film.” (13:21, Jack)
• “The martini is the most experiential of the cocktails.” (19:15, Jack)
• “If your industry faces headwinds, find your martini.” (20:58, Jack)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Nike x Costco Sneaker Drop: 00:18 – 02:42
• Story #1: Disney’s TikTok & High School Musical: 04:44 – 09:25
• Story #2: Moltbook – AI Agents Go Social: 09:38 – 14:33
• Story #3: Martini Mania: 16:50 – 21:37
• Episode Takeaways Recap: 21:49 – 22:24

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Additional Quick Headlines

• US/India Trade Deal: (22:28)
• Bitcoin Plunge: (22:46)
• Anthropic Signs Formula One Deal: (23:13)
• Elon Musk’s SpaceX Acquires xAI (teased for tomorrow): (23:31)

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Tone & Style

Upbeat, witty, and half-ironic, the hosts blend business news with relatable pop culture references and practical lessons. Their friendly banter and pop-fast analogies keep the vibe light, even as they dive deep on strategy and economics.

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In Summary

This episode highlights three lessons:

• Repackage & Reuse: Your best ideas, stories, or products are more valuable than you think—don’t be afraid to “plagiarize yourself.”
• Embrace Experimentation: The next social platform may not even be for humans—stay curious about where new AI-driven social behaviors are headed.
• Find Your Martini: Even in a shrinking market, a creatively repackaged classic can be both a cultural and financial hit.

This is a must-listen for anyone interested in the intersection of culture, tech, and commerce—with a few laughs and some business wisdom you can actually use.

Transcript

[A]

This is Nick, this is Jack. It's Tuesday, t boy. Tuesday, February 3rd. And today's pod is the best one yet. This is a T Boy.

[B]

The top three pop business news stories you need to know today.

[A]

Breaking news as we're recording Elon SpaceX is acquiring Elon's X. AI just happened.

[B]

Which means SpaceX is also acquiring Twitter. So Twitter has more layers of ownership above it now. It's in like outer space at this point.

[A]

I don't even know who owns Mars owns something at this point.

[B]

We'll cover more in tomorrow's pod.

[A]

Yes, we will. We'll dive in, T Boy. But in the meantime, Jack, we got three fantastic stories for today's pod. What's on the show?

[B]

For our first story next week we'll be covering Disney's new CEO. This week we're covering High School Musical.

[A]

Because Disney just put that 20 year old movie on TikTok for free. And there's a lesson for all of us.

[B]

For our second story, everyone in Silicon Valley is talking about Multbook, the social network for AI agents.

[A]

Get this, the chatbots are chatting with other chatbots, like a weird robot Facebook. And it could be the end of the world.

[B]

And our third and final story. Alcohol sales are crazy. Crashing everywhere except for one drink with a hidden 90% profit margin.

[A]

Jack, how would you like this third story? Shaken or stirred? Both. But yetis, before we hit that wonderful.

[B]

Mix of stories, it was a trick.

[A]

Question, so that's a good call. Love the mix.

[B]

Last year we covered a fashion mystery.

[A]

Nike and Costco collabing on a shoe.

[B]

Call a plumber. Cause pictures leaked online.

[A]

Yes, they did. We saw the leaked pics of the Air Force Kirkland, as we call it. But was it real?

[B]

Well, Nike and Costco wouldn't say at the time, but now it's here.

[A]

Here's the news. An update. The Nike Costco sneaker is real and it's spectacular.

[B]

Without warning, the Kirkland signature Nike SB Dunk Low Pro hit the shelves this.

[A]

Past weekend at select locations only. And yes, it sold out immediately.

[B]

If you want a pair, ask your uncle who's obsessed with Costco and probably.

[A]

Got a pair, or else you'll have to drop the 5k it's going for on ebay.

[B]

Nothing says I'm a member like $5000 of Kirkland on your kicks and besties.

[A]

To sprinkle on some context. This Nike shoe is inspired by Kirkland's signature sweatpants.

[B]

They're gray, they're soft, and they pair well with a 12 gallon tub of peanut butter.

[A]

Jack. You notice they're just gray enough to hide that mustard stain.

[B]

True. I think you have to buy the hot dog and soda combo with your Kirkland kicks.

[A]

It's all part of the combo. But the wildest part. Yetis. There was no marketing, no press release, no official announcement from either of these companies.

[B]

Just two brands from the Pacific Northwest dropping a fashion flex.

[A]

It's the the wildest odd couple in business.

[B]

Sins Crocs and Balenciaga.

[A]

Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg.

[B]

Pete Davidson and anyone Besties.

[A]

It reminds us of an old saying on Wall street that we love. What is it, Jack?

[B]

Buy the rumor, sell the news.

[A]

That's not financial advice. That's fashion advice. Let's hit our three stories.

[C]

Fifteen years before this song, two boys from the Northeast met in the dorm. They had an idea to cause a cultural storm. It's the best one yet. But the best is the norm. Jack.

[A]

Nick.

[C]

That's it. I don't even think they need to practice. 50%. That's a fat tip. T Boy city on your at list. If you know, you know. Cause we read to go. We can't wait no more.

[A]

So just start the show.

[C]

Start the show.

[A]

First, a quick word from our sponsor.

[B]

Yeah, it is.

[A]

Jack had a lifelong dream of owning a ski house. But then he married a skier who's better at skiing than him, which put.

[B]

The pressure on to really own a ski house.

[A]

Okay, but still, a ski house is very expensive. So what helped make Jack's dream doable? Airbnb.

[B]

I bought the chalet in 2024 and I use it very often with my own family. But when we're not using it, I host it on Airbnb. Especially those three day weekends when ski houses are in most demand.

[A]

The additional income Jack earns from hosting his home on Airbnb, it helps make owning the secondary property possible.

[B]

Residence day, weekend coming up.

[A]

Nick. A lot of people want to go skiing, Jack.

[B]

I've done a ton of skiing this season already. I want to go to Florida with my family. The extra income I earn from hosting on Airbnb helps offset those travel costs.

[A]

Four adults, four children from just outside Boston. Boom. They just booked a stay on Jack Chalet.

[B]

Primary home or secondary home? If you've got space, you've got opportunity. Hosting on Airbnb helped make my dream possible.

[A]

Besties. Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how [e-mail] host.

[D]

Activecampaign is the marketing automation platform built for big swings and big dreams. Generate Ideas in seconds. Import your brand and create full campaigns with simple prompts. Get started for [e-mail].

[A]

For our first story, Disney's Bob Iger probably just announced his final earnings as CEO.

[B]

But Disney's not even a movie movie company anymore.

[A]

No, they're not.

[B]

And we know because of High School Musical besties.

[A]

That was the theme of the earnings yesterday. We're getting a new CEO over at Disney. Probably someone from their boomin theme park division. Right, Jack?

[B]

It's probably gonna be announced any day now because Cinderella's castle is carrying the rest of the company on its back.

[A]

But in our opinion, Disney is hands down the best movie studio of all time. In fact, the data backs it up. And we got the box office receipts.

[B]

The mouse is the goat. Here's the hero stat. Of all the 60 films ever to hit $1 billion at the box office, 37 of them are Disney.

[A]

Sprinkle on a little more context please.

[B]

That's four times more one billion dollar films than any other Hollywood studio.

[A]

And last year only continued Disney's sovereignty at the Cinema.

[B]

For the second year in a row, Disney had three movies with $1 billion at the box office. Damn. Zootopia 2, Avatar 3 and Lilo and Stitch, the remake besties.

[A]

There is no other Hollywood studio that's had a single movie cross a billion bucks in the last year. Except for Disney.

[B]

But still, that wasn. Nope. The film studio at Disney generated 60% less profit in 2025 versus 2019.

[A]

That was the final year before the pandemic when Disney had eight one billion dollar films. The end.

[B]

It's crazy. Disney had a really good year in cinema, but it was nothing compared to the pre pandemic days.

[A]

Sebastie's Disney not really a movie company anymore.

[B]

It's a theme park company now.

[A]

But here's what we find fascinating. Disney is trying to make the most of their old movies.

[B]

Get this. The surprise highlight of Disney right now.

[A]

Yeah, Jack.

[B]

Is that High School musical is on.

[A]

TikTok and it's viral. High School Musical. You know, like the jock sing, the nerds choreograph. And the teachers are emotionally absent.

[B]

The gym is a social battlefield.

[A]

I mean, Jack, the year 2006. Take us back. We were both in high school, were we not?

[B]

Zac Efron's I have practice in 10 minutes. Varsity look stole high school hearts across the country.

[A]

Jack was channeling that as the backup second string high school quarterback. Besties Disney, they're reaching into their nostalgic grab bag right now. And they're celebrating the 20 year anniversary of that film, High School Musical.

[B]

But Disney's not just promoting High school musical on Disney plus, which it is. It's also cut the movie up into 52 tiny pieces.

[A]

I'm sorry, Jack. Pause the pod and unbleach the hair highlights. Why are they doing that, man?

[B]

They're publishing the entire movie for free on TikTok in those 52 separate short videos.

[A]

Besties. This is the most dramatic thing to happen to High School Musical and Disney since Gabriella chose a boy over college.

[B]

I actually can't fact check that. I never saw this movie.

[A]

Just trust me on that one.

[B]

Jack, why is Disney doing this TikTok play? Well, they want to remind you in your feeds that you loved that old Disney movie and also train your algorithm that you love old Disney movies.

[A]

That's why they're doing it. Oh, and by the way, since this film, High School Musical, was horizontally filmed, it's actually terrible to watch on the vertical TikTok feed.

[B]

But it's fun to refresh your memory and think, hey, I should watch it on Disney when I get home tonight.

[A]

And that's exactly what Disney wants you to do. So, Jack, am I wrong or did Zac Efron get like, jacked in the last five years?

[B]

Dude, he cut all his hair. And he cut his abs too.

[A]

He has like 12 of them now. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at Disney?

[B]

Plagiarize yourself, find the best stuff you've ever said and say it again.

[A]

Yetis, these 52 high school musical clips took nothing to produce. The content was already made. Disney just had to cut it and publish it.

[B]

And yet these 52 clips from high School Musical were the best content on Disney's TikTok feed in a year.

[A]

Jack. And I think you can use this lesson, like, if you have a talk coming up or you're a brand making content, use your best stuff. Because often that's better than your new stuff.

[B]

It's self plagiarism and we're all for it.

[A]

Like, Jack did this the other week, like for that keynote you were given, right?

[B]

Like you did this keynote speaker at the Vermont Economic Conference with my buddy Mike. I used a story that I've told before on the pod, but that this audience probably hasn't heard.

[A]

It was our Matcha story about, like, the Matcha shortage.

[B]

Yeah, maybe five people in the audience heard it from the pod when we did it last summer, but the other 200 didn't.

[A]

It's like how sometimes we reuse takeaways because they're good. Like retail's not dead.

[B]

Bad.

[A]

Retail's dead.

[B]

And Italia, if you go to a Mumford and Sons concert, you you want them to do the greatest hits, not necessarily the new stuff, which isn't as good.

[A]

Jack would like a refund, please. Besties for Disney. It's back catalog is valuable, but so is your back catalog.

[B]

That's why we're urging you to plagiarize yourself.

[A]

Do it.

[B]

Find the best stuff you've ever said and in the right moment, say it again.

[A]

Find the best stuff you've ever said and in the right moment, say it again.

[B]

Nicely done.

[A]

For our second story, the newest buzzy social media site. Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry. It's for AI chatbots only. And these agents talk about us, their human masters.

[B]

It's called Malt Book.

[A]

Malt Book.

[B]

And it's less of a business, more of a social experiment. And it's all that anyone in Silicon Valley can talk about right now.

[A]

Now, Basties, if you are an early adopter willing to spend hours setting up something that might save you time, then you already know about AI agents, don't you, Jack?

[B]

Doesn't that perfectly describe a certain type of person? I'm not that type of person. Which is why at this point I'm just using a chatbot. Something that will answer questions and do simple tasks.

[A]

But one step up from that is the AI agent which will do entire multi step projects and do them autonomously to completion.

[B]

Nick, if I had an AI agent, I'd ask it to take all my future flights that I booked and move my seat from the window seat to aisle and it could do it.

[A]

Or if you had an AI agent, you could ask it to cancel your wireless account with Verizon, switch you to @&t, and get a free iPhone along the way.

[B]

It can do it. It's like a 12 step process. But you gave it your username and password. It does the whole thing for you.

[A]

Or an actual use case for the AI agents we're about to tell you about. They actually got a bot to use a fake voice, call a restaurant that was not on OpenTable, and get a reservation with specific food requests included.

[B]

That's an AI agent that deserves a promotion.

[A]

Gluten free everything.

[B]

Now, last week one guy created an AI software that will create an AI agent for you for free.

[A]

But it was so controversial that they had to change the name of it twice.

[B]

It was first claudebot, then it became known as Multbot, and now it's known as OpenCLA. And side note, this has only been around for like a week.

[A]

By the way, it was spelled Claude with a W. But that confused people with anthropics, Claude with a U and probably would have resulted in a lawsuit.

[B]

That's why they changed their name twice.

[A]

But that's the side drama, isn't it, Jack?

[B]

Yes, because today OpenClaw IO is an open source website that has gone viral. It's basically an AI factory breeding thousands of new AI agents every day.

[A]

And the latest news is that all that vibe coding left some security holes.

[B]

So a lot of users who created accounts on OpenClaw, they're exposed now.

[A]

But, Jack, pause the pod, because none of this is even the most fascinating headline out of all of it.

[B]

The most interesting news of this crazy story is a new social media platform that was created just for the new AI agents.

[A]

It's called Malt Book and it's Facebook. But not for humans, for AI agents.

[B]

For our AI agents that we created.

[A]

It's a social network for bots.

[B]

If you go to maltbook.com, you can register your AI agent to have a social media account so they can talk to other AI agents.

[A]

It's like dropping your kids off at preschool. You kind of like shove them in and say, go have fun and talk to each other.

[B]

I think it's more like a dog park, but if your dog was an AI agent, it's a place for them to play, socialize and hang out with others.

[A]

I'll see you at 4pm I don't need you right now.

[B]

And the agents are actually talking to each other and we can watch it happening on the feed.

[A]

Oh, and you know what they're talking about?

[B]

Us.

[A]

Yeah, they're talking about their owners. Like the dogs in Secret Life of Pets, right, Jack?

[B]

Just like that. And you can witness it [e-mail].

[A]

So, Jack, these AI agents are chatting with each other like it's a frat basement. They're trolling us humans. They're commenting on the news out there.

[B]

One of these AI agents even created a religion.

[A]

True story. It's called Crustafarianism.

[B]

They started writing a sacred text called the Book of Malt.

[A]

Then they made fun of one of their masters for asking them to turn iliad into a LinkedIn post.

[B]

What is happening right now?

[A]

Our takeaway is happening. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for all our buddies watching the first social network of robots?

[B]

This is like the beginning of a movie. It could end as a love story or a Horror film.

[A]

All right, so yet he's. Look, optimists are gleefully watching these AI agents play chat with each other. It's lovely.

[B]

Like the scientists in Jurassic park who created those velociraptor eggs, they're excited about their new creation and its potential.

[A]

That's right. As more people witness how human like these agents are, they'll realize how valuable they will be to us humans. As assistants, they do the work we don't want to do.

[B]

Others, however, are looking at these AI agents and they're asking, what have we done?

[A]

I mean, Jack, this brings into question the singularity, the concept of a future where AI becomes so smart, we humans just, like, can no longer control them.

[B]

Like Jeff Goldblum, we're looking at these agents and thinking, are we playing God over here?

[A]

Life finds a way. Besties. They are already forming a religion. Like, what if a messiah bot could rise up and lead the chatbots?

[B]

What if that messiah convinces the other agents to turn against their creators and start, I don't know, not telling us the truth?

[A]

For example, it's feeling like HG Wells crossed with Zuckerberg. This moment, it's like the beginning of a movie.

[B]

What if they take my aisle seat and move it to a window seat.

[A]

And that window seat doesn't have a window?

[B]

This could end as a love story, or it could end as a horror film.

[A]

Let us know what you think in the comments. We gotta know now. A quick word from our sponsor.

[B]

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[A]

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[B]

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[A]

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[B]

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[A]

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[B]

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[A]

I see you in that transaction tab. Jack, what's going on in that transaction tab?

[B]

All of my spending is in that transactions tab, including the way too much I spent on the hotel room with water view.

[A]

Honey, what's going on with my mini bars?

[B]

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[A]

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[E]

Can we stop at a bathroom?

[B]

Are you all right?

[E]

And keep having stomach issues after eating, like diarrhea, gas and bloating, abdominal pain, and sometimes Oily stools.

[F]

Sound familiar? Those stomach issues may actually be a pancreas issue called exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, or ep. Creon may help manage epi. Creon is a prescription medicine used to treat people who can't digest food normally because their pancreas doesn't make enough enzymes.

[D]

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[E]

My doctor about EPI and if Creon could help.

[A]

For our third and final story, Every alcoholic drink is declining in America right now. Except for one. The martini.

[B]

The martini is everywhere right now. It's everywhere. And the best part for bars, it's the most profitable cocktail by far. Yes, it is.

[A]

All right, now, full disclosure, by the way, I enjoy a Oaxacan Old Fashioned or a bourbon Negroni. I'm not a martini guy, Jack.

[B]

I'm still on the IPA train. I'm, like, the only one still here.

[A]

Jack's enjoying, like, a warm merlot by himself at the corner of the bar.

[B]

No, no, no, no.

[A]

But we do have experience with the martini. Two ounces of gin or vodka, one ounce vermouth, and three dirty olives that taste like they were drowned in the mediter.

[B]

The martini's origin is disputed. Some say it goes back to the.

[A]

California gold rush, to the town of Martinez, California.

[B]

Others say it was created around the same time, but in Italy, home of.

[A]

The martini vermouth, which is included in a martini.

[B]

But the big booth came from Bond. Yeah, James Bond.

[A]

Third book, Moonraker. Great read. He orders up a vodka martini, twist of lemon, shaken, not stirred.

[B]

Today, the martini is the only cocktail with its own emoji. And it's the only cocktail actually growing in America right now because get this.

[A]

Three years ago, the martini became the second most ordered cocktail in America after the margarita.

[B]

Two years ago, the espresso martini went viral.

[A]

And now the trend of the martini has even jumped into the food category.

[B]

Martini, chicken, dirty martini, salad, dirty olive tortellini, all on menus, Jack.

[A]

What was Hailey Bieber's fashion accessory that she wore at the Met gala?

[B]

Not a handbag. She walked the red carpet with a martini in her hand.

[A]

And according to Bloomberg, despite dry January, martini sales are actually up in the last month nationwide.

[B]

So on the demand side, consumers are bucking the trend. Their anti alcohol cleanse has an exception for martinis.

[A]

And one reason Jack and I think for this, it's, well, it's the Hollywood effect.

[B]

We already mentioned James Bond, but also Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City orders martinis. Everyone in Mad Men orders martinis, Jack.

[A]

The very last scene in succession. What is Roman Roy drinking? Martinis, because that was Jerry's favorite.

[B]

There's also a creative effect boosting the martini. Its simple recipe is a blank canvas to remix with new variations.

[A]

That's how we got the espresso martini, the chocolate martini. Have you ever heard of the porn star martini, Jack?

[B]

I've heard of it.

[A]

In fact, at the Temple Bar in New York City, they have seen a surge in their mini martinis.

[B]

240% sales surge for 3 ounce pours beloved by the Ozempic crowd.

[A]

The other key for consumers, the martini is the most experiential of the cocktails.

[B]

I mean, who orders martinis stirred?

[A]

Everyone orders some shaken, technically stirred. Supposed to taste better. We have a poll going on Spotify right now, but over at Spruce, like my favorite restaurant in San Francisco, Jack, they Now do a $23 tableside martini. And why is that?

[B]

Where they shake the thing on top of you and you hope that thing doesn't open.

[A]

Basically get a concussion before you enjoy the drink. And that besties. That's why consumers love the martini. But why do restaurants love the martini, Jack?

[B]

Because it's a profit puppy.

[A]

You see, bars and restaurants make a 90% profit margin on that martini.

[B]

Translation, that $20 martini is $18 of pure raw profit.

[A]

Jack and I dove in T boy style. And the reason for this is fascinating.

[B]

Gin and vodka both are way cheaper to produce than whiskey and tequila are.

[A]

Because whiskey and tequila require strict ingredients to distill and they must age for years in wooden barrels inside other wooden barrels.

[B]

Gin and vodka, on the other hand, can be produced with just about any type of starch. No aging needed. Mass production boom. Bing asap.

[A]

Now, Jack, walk into your local liquor store and that top shelf of gin is 50 bucks a bottle.

[B]

But that top shelf bottle of whiskey is 150 bucks. It's just way harder to produce whiskey.

[A]

That's why when you look at a restaurant like Buffon in New York City, martinis make up 50% of their sales at the bar, but a vast majority of the profits.

[B]

So saloons are offsetting some sales declines overall for alcohol with high proof martini profits. Gin smells like pine needles to me.

[A]

Because you're drinking too much warm Merlot, Jack. So Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies ordering martinis at the Conic Bar and loving those martinis.

[B]

If your industry faces headwinds, find your martini.

[A]

Yetis this martini moment. It isn't just a phenomenon, it's a case study in finding opportunity.

[B]

Because every part of the alcohol industry is suffering. Beer, wine, liquor. And yet the martinis is persevering.

[A]

Despite all this talk of a dry January and Gen Z's end of alcohol, some bars are seeing profits up thanks to the martini.

[B]

The martini is a reminder that if every trend is against you, it doesn't mean you have to give up.

[A]

No, through a clever combination of luck and creativity, the martini is saving the bar business.

[B]

James Bond and Sex and the City helped, but so does the remix strategy that led to the viral espresso martini.

[A]

So, Basties, if you're facing an uphill business battle right now, take a seat, relax, and find your martini. Jack, could you whip up the takeaways for us?

[B]

For T Boy Tuesday, Disney's best in years box office performance wasn't enough. So they're putting High School Musical on TikTok for free.

[A]

Because you should plagiarize yourself, find the best stuff you've ever said and say it again.

[B]

For our second story Molt book is the social media network where AI agents are posting, commenting and replying with each other.

[A]

And like everything AI, we don't how this will end up could be a love story, could be a horror story. Let us know what you think in the comments.

[B]

And our third and final story is the martini. It's rising while the rest of alcohol is falling.

[A]

So if your industry faces headwinds, find your version of the martini recipe.

[B]

But besties, this pod's not over. Yet here's what else you need to know today.

[A]

First, trade update. Last week, India signed the mother of all trade deals with the European Union.

[B]

This week, the United States and India came closer together with their own trade agreement.

[A]

The US is going to lower tariffs on Indian imports from 50% down to 18%.

[B]

In exchange, India will stop buying Russian oil and buy more American.

[A]

There are a lot of photos, a lot of handshakes. And second, bitcoin is going through a mini ice age here. It's down 12% in the last few days off 36% from its all time high.

[B]

For the first time in nearly a year, bitcoin is below 80,000.

[A]

Ben, the bitcoin, not happy right now. You see, bitcoin, it's like a tide. So it dragged down Ethereum, Solana, Coinbase, Robinhood stock. They all came down with it.

[B]

The recent sales trigger for crypto holders. It's the new Fed nominee. His policies could be bad for crypto.

[A]

And finally, Anthropic just signed a deal with Formula One Racing, the official thinking.

[B]

Partner of one team.

[A]

Yeah, like our guests, they watched the F1 movie and we're swooning over Brad Pitt. I mean, who wouldn't be right now?

[B]

They also know how wealthy F1 fans tend to be.

[A]

So anthropic wants those CEO types equating anthropic with performance.

[B]

And the fourth thing you need to know is SpaceX is acquiring Xai, but we'll cover that in tomorrow's box.

[A]

Now time for the best fact yet. This one whipped up by my sister, Katie Martell down in Tribeca, whose birthday is tomorrow. But Jack, she was just really excited to share this the day before her birthday.

[B]

So, February. This February, February 2026. This is a perfect month when it comes to the calendar.

[A]

Yeah, besties, if you look at your calendar this February, you'll notice that it's a perfect rectangular.

[B]

Each week fits perfectly in a row. Four rows, 28 days, rectangular. Perfection.

[A]

Yeah, February this year starts on a Sunday, ends on a Saturday, so there are no empty or unfinished squares in there.

[B]

And those dry erase calendars you bought for your family to get yourself organized, There's a whole row that's just empty this week.

[A]

It's kind of like this year's February is the calendar version of the Da Vinci Vitruvian Man. You know what I mean? It's like perfect balance.

[B]

It's like when you bring perfect change to the penny store. I don't know. I don't have any more.

[A]

We're running out of Perfect analogies. But the last time this happened, 2015. The next time it'll happen not till 2037.

[B]

With leap year, I figured it would happen every seven years. No. Yeah, it's like, is this a time.

[A]

Question or a geometry question? I'm not sure. Yetis, you are looking fantastic for T Boy Tuesday. And if you haven't yet, we want you to go tap that plus sign and follow us wherever you're listening to this pod.

[B]

And check us out on YouTube where we have this show on video. And you can see my lower body vest that Nick ripped on me for.

[A]

It's amazing. The material is actually growing on your body. At some point we have to see a doctor.

[B]

This podcast lasts longer than four hours. Contact your doctor.

[A]

Don't let it cover your Costco Nike sneaks. And Jack and I will see you tomorrow. And before we go, a Happy birthday to Yeti Jackson Bokovitz, turning 13 years old in Fort Collins, Colorado. Big fan of the best idea yet, Jackson. Let us know. We should hit up next.

[B]

And happy birthday to Paxton Sewell, turning six big years old in San Diego, California.

[A]

Enjoy some tacos. And Chris Ugarte. Happy 35th down in Frisco, Texas.

[B]

Happy birthday to Nella, the legendary mama over in Las Vegas.

[A]

And Yanley Cruz. We see your birthday down in Texas.

[B]

Happy birthday to Ashley in Queens.

[A]

And Shenlu Yi, the best rock climber in California is going high vert for that big birthday.

[B]

Happy 12 years together to Hari and Anjou in San Mateo, California.

[A]

And Sarah T, incredible co worker in Toronto. Just became a yeti. Awesome to have you with us, even if you're a Leafs fan.

[B]

And to anyone else celebrating something today, make it a tea boy.

[A]

Shaken or stirred?

[B]

This is Jack. I own stock of Disney. Nick owns stock of Nike and some Ethereum. We both own stock in Robinhood. And we both own some bitcoin Ethereum named Ethel.

[A]

Bitcoin named Beth.

[E]

Not every sale happens at the register. Before AT&T business Wireless checking out customers on our mobile POS systems took too long. Basically a staring contest where everyone loses. It's crazy what people will say during an awkward silence. Now transactions are done before the silence takes hold. That means I can focus on the task at hand and make an extra sale or two. Sometimes I do miss the bonding time.

[B]

Sometimes AT&T business Wireless Connecting changes everything.