Maxim February 2015

INSIDE WILDEST WEEKEND GETAWAYS ADAM SCOTT BRINGS THE FUNNY DISSECTING THE DAYTONA 500 THE POWER OF THE PICKLEBACK It begins at a San Francisco stoplight, when a sun-kissed brunette rolls up next to the 2016 Mercedes-AMG GT S I’m driving. “Oh, my God. That car is so beautiful. What is that?” Not five minutes into our drive, the car passes its first test: Women dig it. Mercedes’ absurdly photogenic, long-nosed newcomer gets A’s in other critical sports-car exams, too—from acceleration to clock-ticking laps at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. But the shift-and-brake world is only concerned with one question: Is this German freshman really in the same league as the classic Porsche 911? In truth, it’s a trick question. As only the second car fully designed by AMG, Mercedes’ performance division,…

DAYTONA 500’S WON 7 RACES LED 20 LAPS HE LED IN 1964 RACE 184 YEARS BETWEEN WINNING RACES (1964–1981) 17 MILES FINISHED 12,150 NFL PLAYERS WHO SERVED AS HONORARY RACE STARTERS: TROY AIKMAN, TERRY BRADSHAW, JIM KELLY, DAN MARINO, RAY LEWIS, BRETT FAVRE, AND KEN STABLER. SEVEN ONE…

BEACHCOMB LIKE BRANDO Tetiaroa, French Polynesia This remote atoll in the South Pacific served as Marlon Brando’s private escape hatch/love nest for four decades; now it’s the ultimate tropical paradise in which to channel your inner Colonel Kurtz. Brando (who died in 2004) made plenty of native conquests here (including his third wife), and THE BRANDO resort, which opened last year, captures his legendarily hedonistic ethos. On TETIAROA, a series of pristine islets engulfing a gorgeous turquoise lagoon, you and your posse can overtake its secluded three-bedroom villa (about $11,700 a night). Eat just-hooked fish at Michelin-starred chef Guy Martin’s LES MUTINÉS. Liquor up at BOB’S BAR on the beach, or at your own private poolside. And if you crave eye-popping island idylls, take an exotic-bird-watching trip, snorkel pink coral,…

These days the best seat in the house is often at the bar. We’re talking about insanely elevated tavern standards reimagined by serious chefs with topnotch ingredients, modern techniques, and damn-near pornographic visual presentation. So put down that rubbery mozzarella stick or pathetic chicken finger, and pair your next round of brews with one of these must-eat morsels… 1 THE NOMAD BAR New York City Instead of jalapeño poppers… SCOTCH OLIVES A play on the Scotch egg, these addictive little sodium bombs from chef Daniel Humm are practically begging to be downed with a few cold beers. Sicilian olives are stuffed with feta, wrapped in lamb sausage, panko-breaded, then deep-fried to golden greatness. Get ready to pop them like pain pills after an ACL tear. 2 PUBLIC HOUSE Las Vegas…

Thanks to its palatability and simplicity— a jar of pickles, a jigger of whiskey, and you’re in business—the pickleback has graduated from novelty to ubiquity, a secret handshake for off-duty bartenders and clued-in drinkers alike. Since its 2006 birth at Brooklyn dive Bushwick Country Club (Old Crow + McClure’s pickle brine = awesome), it’s become a boozy-savory sensation. Today, you’ll find picklebacks everywhere from Chicago’s elevated Au Cheval to London’s down-home Pitt Cue Co. “It’s for every occasion,” explains BCC’s John Roberts. “There’s just no bad time to have one.” REACH FOR ROTGUT Picklebacks are perfect with most any whiskey, but since the assertive brine will obliterate nuances, skip pricey spirits and bend your knees for the bottom shelf. Old Crow, Benchmark, Old Grand-Dad, and Evan Williams Black Label are…

Adam Scott is seriously hilarious. Few actors nail the droll deadpan better than he does as sci-fi-loving auditor Ben Wyatt on Parks and Recreation—soon to take its final bow— or in such films as Our Idiot Brother. But Scott never actually set out to be a comic actor. In fact, prior to his breakthrough role alongside Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly in Step Brothers, he was a classically trained dramatic actor whose only improv experience came “as an Upright Citizens Brigade audience member.” Scott struggled— and sweat—his way through his role as ultra-douchey Derek Huff. “I liken it to learning the high jump at the Olympics in a stadium full of cameras,” he says. “I was terrified.” That is, until he kissed his dignity goodbye and learned to embrace…