November 6, 2025

Good morning Staker! Here’s what’s cookin’ today. A new way to liven up your moring cup of joe, why the birdies like to serenade you at dawn, and celebrating Bohemian Rhapsody’s 50th birthday 🥳

Let’s get into it!

Angostura bitters are typically a key ingredient in several classic cocktails, but when you think about it, coffee is also a perfect candidate for a dash. Its natural bitter profile isn’t for everyone, but when enhanced with a few drops of bitters, it can be a game changer.

Take it from Dawn cafe, which is a little shop in the Drift Hotel in Santa Barbara, California. Their Bonfire Cappuccino is otherwise made quite simply: espresso, steamed milk, and foam—just like you’d make it at home. However, Dawn also adds a dash of bitters and cherry smoke from a smoke gun, creating an out-of-this-world concoction.

“Coffee already has roasted, smoky undertones, and the aromatic bitters pick those up and carry them further,” says the Drift’s food and beverage manager, Michael Wiggins.

He notes there isn’t a need to use artificial syrups or sugars to unlock the explosive flavor; the bitters actually do that for you.

“Instead of covering up the espresso, the bitters round it out and smooth any sharp edges while letting the natural flavors shine. It’s about balance, not sweetness.”

Want to give it a go at home?

“Start small, stir well, and taste before serving, he says. “Bitters are potent, so the trick is restraint. Stir them in so they integrate fully, then taste. It should feel balanced and seamless, not like an add-on. Once you dial it in, it becomes second nature.”

The world’s first commercial flying car is literally already for sale, though it seems most people aren’t aware.

Here at Stake we’ve covered the development of the aptly named Jetson One for several years. The electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing vehicle (eVOTL) has now passed certification tests at various levels of government, and is available for order today for just $128,000. 👀
 
Its limitations are noteworthy, but so is its potential. It can only manage a flight time of 20 minutes before needing to be recharged. On the other hand, the damn thing can fly.

It’s made of aluminum and carbon fiber, and uses eight propellers to keep itself airborne. It tops out at a speed of about 63 mph and can reach a height of 1,500 before it becomes dangerous due to the onset of air thinness.

This bad boy is a one seater, and can accommodate a pilot weighing up to 210 pounds. 500 have been ordered, with most shipments planned for 2028, though one has actually already been delivered to virtual reality pioneer Palmer Luckey.

"Launching our first Jetson ONE with Palmer Luckey, a visionary who has reshaped both consumer and defense technology, sets the tone for what Jetson represents: innovation, freedom, and the future of mobility," said CEO Stephan D'haene

A study conducted on zebra finches looked into exactly why birds sing so passionately at dawn, and it turns out it’s about as simple as anyone could have guessed.

While they’re not consciously expressing excitement about the day beginning, they are excited and it’s because the day is beginning.

How are those two different? Well, birds don’t have big enough brains to understand the limitless potential of each new day they’re given. However, they do have an almost uncontrollable desire to sing at all times.

That desire is tempered, however, by nightfall and the melatonin rush that comes with it. Biologically, they’re designed to sleep at night, and the melatonin that induces sleep overwhelms the impulse to sing.

When night was simulated for the zebra finches, and made to last longer than normal, the onset of singing was even more passionate once artificial day began. On top of that, when the effects of melatonin were blunted earlier, they began singing earlier—even as night still lingered. Their anticipation of daybreak in response to the depletion of melatonin was palpable.

Birds always want to sing, and the combination of nightfall and melatonin stifle the impulse. Kill the melatonin, and the song will be queued up faster; make the days longer and the song will be queued up earlier.

Bohemian Rhapsody turned 50 years old last week, and though to this day it sounds like a three-act circus as much as a three-act opera, it really wasn’t all that surprising to the members of the band that recorded it. In fact, they were excited to take what Freddie Mercury unironically presented to them and fill it to the brim.

“As we were constructing the opera bit, we were getting more and more wild: ‘Stick a bit more on, stick another bit it, it’ll all be fine when it gets to the heavy section,’” Roger Taylor recently told Classic Rock Magazine.

“And it was. We were planting our flag in the ground: ‘This is really us—it’s a bit mad but it’s got everything in it.’’”

Brian May echoed the sentiment, and alluded to the two songs that predated Freddie Mercury’s magnum opus.

“People have a hard time understanding how unsurprising Bohemian Rhapsody was to us,” May told Classic Rock. “If you look at the first album, you’ve got My Fairy King, which is very complex and goes all over the place. And then you’ve got March Of The Black Queen on the second album”

“It’s way more complicated than Bohemian Rhapsody. 🤯

Fresh picked

If you’ve ever wondered about tunes that are fruitful, then you’ve come to the ripe place (see what we did there 🤣)!

Today’s trivia gives you ten reasons to satisfy that curiosity with some delightful, fruitful tunes. Complete the game and earn a shot at a $25 eGift Card ;)

Winner will be notified on Friday afternoon. Keep an eye on your inbox and don’t forget to check your spam folder!*