Gin might be the hottest new spirit in Italy, but it’s also the hottest old spirit. Like really old. As un-Italian as it sounds to modern ears, gin boasts one of the longest connections to Italian territory of any high-proof option behind the bar. An early form of gin was developed by monks in southern…
Continue Reading
Ice might not be something you’d think could ever be fancy. It’s just frozen water, after all. But, a number of social media influencers have been going all out to zhuzh up their ice and make their cocktails extra bougie. TikTok users are making everything from crystal-clear orbs and colorful flowers suspended in perfect cubes,…
Continue Reading
While there’s no single definition of what makes a whiskey “sustainable,” that hasn’t stopped producers from trying to make a dram that’s better for the environment. Of note, barrel-aged spirits—and whiskey in particular—face headwinds. Many have tremendous carbon footprints as they’re made with grains grown far from the distillery. While others start with distillate sourced…
Continue Reading
Spring has (finally!) sprung: Flowers are blooming, deep cleaning has commenced and Easter Sunday is barreling toward us, post-haste. With all the busy work this season brings, putting together Easter baskets for everyone on your list is probably the last thing on your mind. But not to worry, we pulled together pre-made Easter baskets, filled…
Continue Reading
Argentina’s grape harvest might be at a record-setting low this year. The country’s National Institute of Viticulture estimates a 21% decrease in production from last year, while some local producers have lost more than 50% of their grapes. Over the last 12 years, the average grape harvest has been around 5.1 billion pounds. But as of…
Continue Reading
From the endless span of snowy slopes to the amazing apres-ski scene, the town of Whistler, British Columbia, has a lot to love. Its most famous attraction is Whistler Blackcomb, the largest ski resort in North America. Anchored by two massive mountains, Whistler and Blackcomb, the operation boasts 8,000 acres of terrain, over 200 marked…
Continue Reading
Marlborough, the region that put New Zealand wine on the map and Sauvignon Blanc into the glasses of millions of wine drinkers, marks its 50th birthday this year. After emerging from one of the world’s strictest lockdowns, the appellation is using the milestone to refocus its image on quality over quantity. One way it’s doing…
Continue Reading
Some cocktails are destined to be classics. Some are destined to be dependable go-to drinks. And others are meant to flaunt neon colors and turn heads—like the Blue Lagoon cocktail. Think about it: If you saw a bartender mixing up this concoction, you’d do a double take. It has certainly taken TikTok’s cocktail culture by…
Continue Reading
On March 28th, in a room packed with New York state winemakers and industry professionals at the Business, Enology and Viticulture (B.E.V) in Syracuse, master grape breeder Bruce Reisch stepped up to the podium. He announced the name of a grape variety he’d spent all 42 years of his career developing. The grape, formerly known…
Continue Reading
Dashes of bitters, such as the well-known Angostura or Peychaud’s, have long completed the Manhattan, Old Fashioned, Sazerac and other classic cocktails. During the craft cocktail renaissance of the early aughts, the types of bitters available to bartenders began to multiply. But what are these drops of flavor and why do bartenders use them? Here,…
Continue Reading