Latest & Greatest

You know the gin thing that’s been happening lately? It’s going on in Glasgow, too. GinFest was held last month at Glasgow’s Barras Art and Design Center, and the city now has its first dedicated gin bar, Gin 71, which offers (you guessed it) 71 brands of gin. This autumn was …

I can’t surf. So instead of riding waves, I decided to ride the cliché of drinking Mai Tais in Hawaii—letting both the lore and the lure of a strong, tropical drink guide my navigation of the island of Kaua’i. The oldest island in the Hawaiian archipelago, it is widely regarded …

This guest piece was written by Geoffrey Kleinman Fernet is a bracingly bitter liqueur, which is a member of the amaro family, a category of spirits that are often consumed after a meal to help aid indigestion or to help settle an upset stomach. Fernet isn’t actually a brand of spirit, …

The mountain-sized rugby masters from RC Toulonnais would not take no for an answer, but I wasn’t about to give in, despite the fact that they were approximately twice my size and, well, professional rugby players. It was well after midnight, I had a wakeup call in a little more …

Boasting the very first vineyards in the Napa Valley, planted by George Yount in the mid-1800s, Yountville became an appellation in 1998. Although relatively small, 2,700 or so acres are under vine, it is the home of some of the top growers and vintners in Napa Valley. Diversity of soils …

Sorry snowy New York, spring has sprung here in California and the shorts and sunnies are on!  Here are some of the best locally distilled spirits that will have you California Dreamin’.   Corbin  What: California Estate Grown Sweet Potato Vodka Where: San Joaquin County Alcohol: 40% abv Price: $38 …

This guest post was written by Lance Cutler They say that necessity is the mother of invention, and that where Enrique Fonseca’s story began: with necessity. Enrique and his father were some of the biggest and best agave growers in the highlands near their hometown, Atotonilco El Alto, in the …

Synopsis The introduction to Mark Sexauer’s cocktail recipe book (what a name!) offers a level-headed disclaimer: alcohol “is a very powerful substance, but does not move the dial on your sex drive” – so really, the theme of romance throughout the recipes is more poetic than chemical. Although, if sexy …

High West Distillery is America’s only ski-in distillery, but don’t fret should you lack the skill, Bourye (boo-rye) is returning to the shelves nationwide once again due to popular demand. This sipping whiskey combines 9-year-old straight whiskey with 10 and 16-yer-old straight rye whiskeys marinated with caramel and vanilla to …

Nestled next to the Stockton Tunnel only a few blocks away from San Francisco’s Union Square there is a historic hotel that has one of the city’s best kept secrets, the Burritt Room + Tavern. This isn’t just your run of the mill old hotel and bar, The Mystic Hotel …

In Los Angeles stood an oversized hollow cedar whiskey barrel slowly surrendering to environmental forces. That is, until, 1993 Group dedicated three years of time and resources to the task of renovating this historic landmark known as Idle Hour, a historic bar with a unique look. Only recently gaining official …

A recent trip took me back to Acqui Terme in Italy’s Piedmont region. After having lived there almost two decades ago, I was thirsting for the region’s signature and rare wine: the sweet sparkling Brachetto. And then, of course the town is also conveniently an ancient Roman settlement famous for …

An entirely new category of spirit has quietly emerged over the last few years on the shelves of finer liquor stores and releases from dozens of distilleries appear every season. It is a category so new that the government doesn’t know what to call it, and unfortunately will not let …