The Grateful Dead Just Released a Bong (Finally)

There’s always a moment of electric bonding when, decades after the fact, two people realize they were at the same Grateful Dead show. This happened recently when I was speaking with Mark Pinkus, the affable president of Rhino Records who’s also in charge of the entire US catalog for the Warner Music Group as well as Grateful Dead Properties. “July 13, 1984,” he told me within three minutes of meeting him. “At the Greek. That was my first show. The encore was ‘Dark Star.’ I saw 73 shows and I never got another one.” I’d been there, too, and it turns out that, nearly 40 years later, we’d also both seen the same Boulder shows this summer. I was talking to Pinkus because he oversees, among many other things, the Dead’s brand extensions and there’s a new extension dropping in November that I found intriguing. But the newest brand extension was unique and a first of its kind: a bong. Or, as Pinkus refers to it, “a cannabis accessory.” [View in Browser]( [Esquire]( [SHOP]( EXCLUSIVE [SUBSCRIBE]( [You Can Now Buy a Grateful Dead Bong, and Life Is Complete]( [You Can Now Buy a Grateful Dead Bong, and Life Is Complete]( There’s always a moment of electric bonding when, decades after the fact, two people realize they were at the same Grateful Dead show. This happened recently when I was speaking with Mark Pinkus, the affable president of Rhino Records who’s also in charge of the entire US catalog for the Warner Music Group as well as Grateful Dead Properties. “July 13, 1984,” he told me within three minutes of meeting him. “At the Greek. That was my first show. The encore was ‘Dark Star.’ I saw 73 shows and I never got another one.” I’d been there, too, and it turns out that, nearly 40 years later, we’d also both seen the same Boulder shows this summer. I was talking to Pinkus because he oversees, among many other things, the Dead’s brand extensions and there’s a new extension dropping in November that I found intriguing. But the newest brand extension was unique and a first of its kind: a bong. Or, as Pinkus refers to it, “a cannabis accessory.” [Read More](   [45 Christmas Gifts That'll Make You Everyone's Favorite]( [45 Christmas Gifts That'll Make You Everyone's Favorite]( What we all want this season. [Read More]( [Today's Local Elections Will Have Huge Ripple Effects]( [Today's Local Elections Will Have Huge Ripple Effects]( Tons of below-the-radar stuff is on the ballot that could show up on the radar the next time we elect a president. [Read More](     [Even You Can Survive the Apocalypse. Here’s How.]( [Even You Can Survive the Apocalypse. Here’s How.]( I've got good news and bad. Bad first: the apocalypse is coming. We've got climate change, pandemic disease, AI, Mike Johson as the Speaker of the House, comets (probably), and Hollywood seems to only be doing remakes these days. Now the good news: There's a new book out that will teach us how to survive it. Wouldn't it be great if that were the case for all the disasters humanity faces? We talked to David Borgenicht and Joshua Piven, authors of 1999's hit novelty book that taught me everything I know about how to scare bears away, The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook. They're back now with a new masterpiece, The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Apocalypse which covers all manner of misfortune from flood to alien invasion. [Read More](   [A Love Letter to My Lovesac]( [A Love Letter to My Lovesac]( News flash: Sitting on a bean bag-esque chair isn't just for frat bros. It's kind of the peak of luxury. [Read More]( [Think You're Not a Body Spray Guy? Think Again.]( [Think You're Not a Body Spray Guy? Think Again.]( The new breed of body sprays is way, way better than you remember. [Read More](     [Oopsie, Trump Forgot When He Left Office]( [Oopsie, Trump Forgot When He Left Office]( There was bound to be A Moment on Monday when Fulton County (Ga.) Inmate No. P01135809 took the stand in his New York civil fraud trial, which he's already lost, by the way. To paraphrase the old quip, now we're just haggling about the price. Anyway, there was bound to be A Moment and, when it came, according to the folks inside the courtroom, it was choice. [Read More](   [RUN 2024 Wall Calendar]( [LiveIntent Logo]( [AdChoices Logo]( Follow Us [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Notice]( | [CA Notice at Collection]( Esquire is a publication of Hearst Magazines. ©2023 Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This email was sent by Hearst Magazines, 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019-3779