Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Mixed Drink

There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Mixed Drink

Constructor: Lindsay Rosenblum

Editor: Jared Goudsmit

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

• PEREZ (38A: F1 driver Sergio) Formula One (F1) racing driver Sergio PÉREZ has won six Grand Prix races since 2020. He has been competing in Formula One since 2011, and currently races for Red Bull Racing.
• EMO (21D: Jimmy Eat World genre) Jimmy Eat World is an EMO band that formed in Mesa, Arizona in 1993. Their tenth studio album, titled Surviving, was released in 2019.
• SAKES (27D: Drinks such as ginjo-shu) Ginjo-shu is a variety of SAKE made using highly polished rice brewed at low temperatures. This process leads to SAKES that are fruity and aromatic.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• NPR (1A: Network with Tiny Desk Concerts) A Tiny Desk Concert is exactly what it sounds like, performers give a concert behind a desk in the NPR offices. The tiny desk featured in the concerts is that of NPR's Bob Boilen, host of All Songs Considered. In 2008, Boilen was complaining about crowd noise at concerts and joked that folk singer Laura Gibson should perform at his desk. A month later he invited her to do just that, recorded the performance, and posted it online. NPR's Tiny Desk Concert archive is a fun site to explore.
• PETER DINKLAGE (20A: He played Tyrion Lannister in "Game of Thrones") In the TV series Game of Thrones, PETER DINKLAGE portrays Lord Tyrion Lannister, who is a dwarf, and the youngest Lannister sibling. PETER DINKLAGE has achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism. He has used his celebrity status to raise awareness of dwarfism.
• EURAIL (24A: Train pass that can take someone from Spain to Estonia) The EURAIL Pass, which was first introduced in 1959, allows non-European residents to travel through 33 European countries. The equivalent for European residents is the Interrail Pass.
• CDC (28A: Health org. that wrote "Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse") In 2011, The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) wrote a blog post titled, "Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse." The post contained educational information about how to prepare for emergencies, such as hurricanes, pandemics, and flesh-eating zombies. It was a brilliant way (in my opinion) to get people's attention and get them thinking about emergency preparedness. The campaign was so successful that it ended up crashing the CDC website due to overwhelming Internet traffic. The CDC retired its zombie-themed campaign a couple of years ago, replacing it with a Prep Your Health website.
• NGO (29A: Grp. such as ActionAid) ActionAid is in international NGO (non-governmental organization) working to "achieve social justice and gender equality, and to eradicate poverty."
• PORK RINDS (35A: What chicharrones are often made of) Chicharrones are often made of PORK RINDS that have been deep-fried, but they can also be made from beef or mutton.
• EPPS (42A: NASA astronaut Jeanette) Jeanette EPPS is an aerospace engineer and NASA astronaut. She is currently in space, as a matter of fact, serving as a flight engineer on the International Space Station. Her mission launched on March 3 of this year, and she's scheduled to spend approximately six months in space.
• LOUVRE (51A: "The ___" (Lorde song named after an art museum)) Lourde's 2017 song, "The LOUVRE," contains the lyrics, "But we're the greatest, they'll / hang us in the LOUVRE / Down the back, but who cares? / Still the LOUVRE."
• BE KIND REWIND (54A: Rhyming request for someone returning a VHS tape) Some of us, like myself, may remember renting VHS tapes. I definitely remember the "BE KIND, REWIND," slogan.
• ERUPT (64A: Spew like Sakurajima) Sakurajima is the most active volcano in Japan. Sakurajima was formerly a separate island, but a 1914 eruption connected it to the island of Kyūshū. The most recent eruption of Sakurajima occurred on February 14 of this year.
• MSG (68A: _adison _quare _arden) In a split fill-in-the-blank clue such as this one, each blank gets one letter. The current Madison Square Garden, which opened in 1968, is the fourth New York City arena to use the name.
• PEOPLES (2D: Indigenous ___ Day) Indigenous Peoples' Day celebrates and honors the history and cultures of indigenous peoples. In the United States it is observed each year on the second Monday of October, which this year will be October 14.
• MALI (6D: African country where Bambara is spoken) MALI is a landlocked country in West Africa. The capital of MALI is Bamako. Bambara is the most commonly spoken of 13 national languages recognized in the country. It's estimated that about 80 percent of MALI's population speaks Bambara as their first or second language.
• ANA (12D: "Sergio" actress de Armas) Sergio is a 2020 biographical drama movie about the United Nations diplomat Sérgio Vieira de Mello, who served as a Special Representative in Iraq in 2003 while he was the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. ANA de Armas portrays Carolina Larriera, a United Nations consultant, and Sérgio's girlfriend.
• OZARK (36D: Netflix drama starring Laura Linney) OZARK (2017-2022) is a Netflix TV series about a couple who relocate their family to the Lake of the Ozarks region in central Missouri to set up a money laundering operation. Laura Linney and Jason Bateman portray the couple, Wendy and Marty Byrde.
• NERO (55D: Roman emperor before Galba) NERO (37-68) was the Roman emperor from 54 CE until his death in 68 CE. He was succeeded by Galba, who was the Roman Emperor for seven months in 68-69.
• DRUM (56D: Dundunba or conga) A dundunba is a West African DRUM with a low pitch. It is a cylindrical drum with rawhide skin at both ends, and is played with a stick. A conga is a tall barrel-shaped DRUM played with bare hands. 
• ROPE (57D: Only nonmetal Clue weapon) I'm always happy to see a reference to the board game Clue, which is my favorite classic board game. In addition to the nonmetal ROPE (made of plastic or string in the game), Clue weapons include candlestick, knife, lead pipe, revolver, and wrench.

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

• PETER DINKLAGE (20A: He played Tyrion Lannister in "Game of Thrones")
• PORK RINDS (35A: What chicharrones are often made of)
• BE KIND REWIND (54A: Rhyming request for someone returning a VHS tape)

Each theme answer contains an anagram (the letters MIXED) of the word DRINK: PETER DINKLAGE, PORK RINDS, and BE KIND REWIND.

As I've mentioned before, I personally find hidden anagram themes – where the anagrammed letters aren't set apart as a separate word – to be tricky to spot sometimes. This made for a nice, "Aha!" moment today after I finished solving and took a look back at the grid to search for the theme. Thank you, Lindsay, for this enjoyable puzzle.

For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles

• USA TODAY’s Daily Crossword Puzzles
• Sudoku & Crossword Puzzle Answers