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- news
We Asked 13 Bartenders: Which Cocktail Do You Wish People Would Order More? (2026)
Within the vast world of cocktails, there are a few all-time favorites that land in the “greatest hits” category. Popular potent potables like the Margarita, Old Fashioned, and Espresso Martini are such ubiquitous orders, they occasionally spill into pop-culture consciousness. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as they can be delicious when properly made. Any bartender worth their salt will make the best versions of these greatest hits every time, no matter how many times guests order them. The article We Asked 13 Bartenders: Which Cocktail Do You Wish People Would Order More? (2026) appeared first on VinePair .
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This Massive Chart Shows Which Companies Own America’s Top Spirits Brands
While the craft spirits sector is indisputably large, it’s undeniable that the U.S. spirits industry is dominated by a handful of conglomerates. And as independent brands grow larger and more popular with consumers, it’s not uncommon for large companies to swoop in with an acquisition. To keep track of which companies own what, Matt Rice — founder of beverage alcohol industry strategy and analytics firm Thirsty Insights — compiled a chart identifying the best-selling spirits brands on the American market (those selling over 500,000 9L cases per year) and their parent companies. The article This Massive Chart Shows Which Companies Own America’s Top Spirits Brands appeared first on VinePair .
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The Cocktail College Podcast: The Corpse Reviver No. 1
Bartenders, you know fruit forms the heart of so many great cocktails — but keeping it fresh and consistent year-round? That’s a challenge — but not when you have Les vergers Boiron on hand. For decades, they’ve been the gold standard in the culinary and pastry worlds — in fact, back when I was a chef we used them all the time in sorbets, sauces, and mousses. And you have to check out Boiron’s line of fruit purees crafted specifically for beverages: Ambient purees. We’re talking real fruit, no added sugar, no artificial colors — and they’re totally shelf-stable. The article The Cocktail College Podcast: The Corpse Reviver No. 1 appeared first on VinePair .
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The 20 Best Cognacs to Drink in 2025
For the second year in a row, Cognac is experiencing a significant downturn in sales, perhaps as much as some 13 percent overall. Insiders chalk this up to China — Cognac’s biggest market by value — levying duties of up to 34.9 percent on European brandy, something widely viewed as retaliatory for the EU’s decision to impose huge import tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles. Similar tariff problems abound in the U.S. — Cognac’s biggest market by volume — and consumers seem to be switching to lower-priced bottles. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. The article The 20 Best Cognacs to Drink in 2025 appeared first on VinePair .
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This New Bar Flips Hong Kong French Toast Into a Cocktail
Darling is a new Chinese-inspired cocktail bar from Brian Callahan and Zimu Chen that recently opened in Cambridge, Mass.’s Central Square. The bar takes inspiration from a number of sources, including the space’s previous tenant, Mary Chung’s, a beloved Chinese restaurant that served Sichuan dishes for 40 years. When researching design for the space, Callahan also looked to the cha chaan tengs of Hong Kong — cafes known for their eclectic menus that combine Eastern and Western comfort foods. The article This New Bar Flips Hong Kong French Toast Into a Cocktail appeared first on VinePair .
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Tequila Isn’t the Only Spirit to Use Additives. Why Aren’t We Talking About the Others?
Spirits additives have been in the news a lot lately, almost solely in relation to tequila. A clash between the independently run Additive Free Alliance and the Consejo Regulador del Tequila (CRT), tequila’s regulatory body, has chilled the growing movement for transparency in the category, and currently, per the CRT, no brands may legally discuss use or non-use of additives — which are legal — on their packaging or in their marketing. The stalemate seems likely to continue without a satisfying resolution unless and until the regulator and the industry can reach a compromise. The article Tequila Isn’t the Only Spirit to Use Additives. Why Aren’t We Talking About the Others? appeared first on VinePair .
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10 of the Best Cocktails to Make With Maraschino Liqueur
Maraschino cherries might be known for their saccharine glaze that fits right in atop a Shirley Temple, but Maraschino liqueur is a different story. While the syrupy cherries are typically sweet varieties such as Royal Ann, Rainier, or Gold, Maraschino liqueur is made from Marasca cherries, which are far more sour than their aforementioned counterparts. Moreover, the liqueur is produced not just with the fruit of the cherry itself, but its leaves, stems, and pits, which imbue the liqueur with complex bitter and botanical notes. The article 10 of the Best Cocktails to Make With Maraschino Liqueur appeared first on VinePair .
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The Cocktail College Podcast: The East India Cocktail
First documented in the late 1800’s, the East India Cocktail combines Cognac, curaçao, fruit syrup, bitters, and Maraschino liqueur. The drink has been tweaked, misattributed, and misunderstood for over a century, with the fruit syrup presenting one of biggest lingering question marks. What should said fruit be? How are we making the syrup? And what is such a bespoke ingredient doing in a 19th-century cocktail in the first place? Here to answer all of those questions is Chicago-based Abe Vucekovich, beverage director at Meadowlark Hospitality. The article The Cocktail College Podcast: The East India Cocktail appeared first on VinePair .
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Prestige Alcohol Brands Are Difficult to Build — and All Too Easy to Ruin
It was the evening after my wedding in New Orleans — ages ago — and the core crew of our leftover revelers had descended upon a relaxing Marigny haunt to unwind in style before the impending crash back to our respective realities. “Johnnie Black on the rocks,” I said to the barkeep. “Scratch that,” my brother quickly interrupted. “He’ll take the Macallan 25, neat.” The barman stretched for the gloriously toffee-hued bottle lording over the back bar as my brother turned his sly signature grin my direction. “Relax! It’s on me. You only get married once, right? The article Prestige Alcohol Brands Are Difficult to Build — and All Too Easy to Ruin appeared first on VinePair .
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Every Major Spirit Category and Its Base Ingredient [Infographic]
Although cask aging, different types of stills, blending, and numerous other factors dictate the profile and quality of a finished spirit, the creation of any alcoholic beverage begins with fermentation. Some form of sugar in the base liquid is exposed to yeast, which converts those sugars into ethanol. Sugars are simple carbohydrates that can be found in everything from fruits and potatoes to various plants and cereal grains. And the type of base ingredients distillers use varies from spirit to spirit. The article Every Major Spirit Category and Its Base Ingredient [Infographic] appeared first on VinePair .
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The 10 Most Expensive Cognacs in the World (2025)
Cognac is often considered to be the most prized brandy in the world. Produced primarily in small quantities, the Cognac region has centuries of history behind it, and bottles of the stuff regularly fetch thousand-dollar sums at auction. But some expressions reach an entirely new level of luxury (and price), as demonstrated by a new report from Wine-Searcher that reveals the 10 most expensive bottles of Cognac in the world. The article The 10 Most Expensive Cognacs in the World (2025) appeared first on VinePair .
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We Asked 14 Bartenders: Which Cocktail Do You Wish People Would Order More? (2025)
2025 is here and with it comes a slew of predictions regarding what the drink of the year will be. The Negroni, the Aperol Spritz, and the Martini have dominated in recent years, but with trends changing at the drop of a dime, it’s impossible to predict which cocktail will fall into hands most often for the next 12 months. Despite the difficulty in forecasting the drink of 2025, bartenders can certainly hope to make some drinks more often. Maybe they’re tired of shaking up espresso-soaked Martinis and want to see guests sip on more savory drinks. The article We Asked 14 Bartenders: Which Cocktail Do You Wish People Would Order More? (2025) appeared first on VinePair .
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The Cocktail College Podcast: Eggnog
We like to keep things fairly evergreen here at “Cocktail College.” However, it would feel a bit out of place to run an episode on eggnog at the height of summer when sweat is dripping down our backs and we’re all craving a refreshing seasonal sipper. So here we are, less than a week out from Dec. 25, with the ultimate guide to this all-American staple. For this festive episode of “Cocktail College,” Tim McKirdy is joined by returning guest Aaron Goldfarb, author and VinePair writer at large. The article The Cocktail College Podcast: Eggnog appeared first on VinePair .
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The 50 Best Spirits of 2024
Check out the best spirits from previous years here! Since 2020, VinePair has released our annual ranking of the 50 best spirits of the year. Every iteration of this list has represented the product of a dozen or so major spirits categories tasted throughout the year, not to mention the subcategories and styles that exist within them: blanco, reposado, and añejo tequila; aged and unaged rums produced from molasses, Demerara, and cane juice; whiskeys spanning every major region of the world. All things told, each ranking takes into consideration more than a thousand bottles submitted and tasted. The article The 50 Best Spirits of 2024 appeared first on VinePair .
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We Asked 15 Bartenders: Which Cognac Offers the Best Bang for Your Buck? (2024)
It’s no secret that Cognac carries a strong association with luxury. The category’s most famous high-end expression, Remy Martin’s Louis XIII, can set you back thousands of dollars. Empty bottles of the label, which are made from Baccarat crystal, routinely show up on eBay for triple digits. The notoriety of Louis XIII and other pricey Cognacs can make jumping into the category a bit intimidating. Fortunately, not all excellent examples require a mortgage payment to acquire. In fact, there is a wealth of expressions on the market whose quality punches well above its price tag. The article We Asked 15 Bartenders: Which Cognac Offers the Best Bang for Your Buck? (2024) appeared first on VinePair .
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Rémy Martin Turns 300: Celebrating Three Centuries of Excellence
There aren’t too many brands that can hit the 300 mark and still be at the top of their game. But then again, there aren’t too many brands like renowned Cognac house, Rémy Martin. This holiday season, let’s raise a toast to one of the four original Cognac houses that is celebrating an exceptional 300 years old. In 1724, an entrepreneurial winemaker in southwestern France with a catchy name — Rémy Martin — began his journey with distilling the now famous spirit. The Cognac region, like Champagne, has become eponymous for its most famous export. The article Rémy Martin Turns 300: Celebrating Three Centuries of Excellence appeared first on VinePair .
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The Trade Up: How Rémy V Upgrades Any Cocktail
Founded in 1724 by a visionary winegrower in the Cognac region of France, Rémy Martin has spent three centuries perfecting the art of distillation. With an update to Rémy V, the Cognac house aims to bring their timeless traditions to your table. They describe the reinvention of Rémy V as going “back to basics,” but the resulting spirit is anything but. The House of Rémy Martin has long been synonymous with exceptional craftsmanship and taste. They specialize in producing high-quality spirits made exclusively from grapes grown in the Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne regions of Cognac. The article The Trade Up: How Rémy V Upgrades Any Cocktail appeared first on VinePair .
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The 20 Best Cognacs to Drink in 2024
Following a massive sales spike during the pandemic, Cognac has experienced a fairly significant downturn in the past few years, amid an overall decline in spirits sales as well as fierce competition from other categories. When comparing Cognac with other styles of spirits, though, the world’s most prestigious brandy has a lot to offer — often at very competitive prices. Consider that this is a spirit made from a raw material (grapes) that exhibits much more character and personality than, say, barley or corn. That character is then bolstered by oak aging, whether the minimum two years for V.S. The article The 20 Best Cognacs to Drink in 2024 appeared first on VinePair .
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The Conference
The article The Conference appeared first on VinePair .
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The 15 Best Brandy Cocktails
Let’s face it: Brandy isn’t exactly hot right now. The category is considered to be a bit old school, and with its equally niche subcategories, it can be downright confusing to consumers. But when it comes down to it, brandy is just distilled wine made from grapes, apples, pears, and the like. Brandy is largely classified by its base and origin: Cognac and Armagnac are aged expressions of distilled grapes from specific regions in France, while Calvados, from Normandy, is made with apples. The article The 15 Best Brandy Cocktails appeared first on VinePair .
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The Cocktail College Podcast: The Between the Sheets
A quasi-Sidecar riff, the Between the Sheets is a 1930s creation that often flies under the radar. While the drink’s split base of Cognac, rum, and orange curaçao might be equal in quantity, there’s no question regarding the guiding North Star of this drink. Joining us today to discuss the classic is Ricky Ramirez, owner of The Mothership in Milwaukee and a certified rum savant. So enamored with rum is Ricky that he whipped up three versions of this cocktail, each with a different brand and style of rum so that each has a grand impact on the finished drink. The article The Cocktail College Podcast: The Between the Sheets appeared first on VinePair .
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Hennessy and LeBron James Launch Limited-Edition Cognac
Basketball icon LeBron James has teamed up with Hennessy to launch Hennessy Limited Edition by LeBron James. Unveiled on Thursday, the limited-edition V.S. Cognac will be available in select markets globally and online at Hennessy.com starting September 30 for a suggested retail price of $53.99. “As an admirer of Hennessy and its iconic brand, I’ve always appreciated its commitment to basketball and how it celebrates the sport’s influence on and off the court,” James said in a press release. The article Hennessy and LeBron James Launch Limited-Edition Cognac appeared first on VinePair .
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Guinness World Records Crowns 328-Year-Old Bottle as World’s Oldest Cognac
The appeal of vintage spirits, or “dusties” is two-fold. They function as a time capsule, offering a tangible view into another era of distilled spirits, but there’s also the exclusivity element. Once a dusty’s gone, there’s a slim chance that you’ll find another one just like it. And on August 11, the Guinness World Records association officially recognized what is possibly the mother of all vintage spirits: a bottle of 1696 Jules Robin Cognac owned by Cognac collector Lars Janssen in the Netherlands. The article Guinness World Records Crowns 328-Year-Old Bottle as World’s Oldest Cognac appeared first on VinePair .
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The Fish House Punch
The article The Fish House Punch appeared first on VinePair .