2020 Best of Year Winners

Seasoning Cocktails With Saline

Why season a cocktail?

Most of us are no stranger to using salt (NaCl /sodium chloride). Salt is a natural flavor enhancer and can even improve flavor if used correctly. In low doses, salt can reduce bitterness and amp up sweet, sour, and umami flavors. Salt is not only great for sweet recipes in low doses, but a high dose of salt will suppress sweetness and put more focus on umami, making it great for savory recipes. If you salt your food, why not try adding it to your cocktails? The principles of cooking with salt also easily applies to cocktails. 

Don’t get carried away with salting cocktails (this isn’t salted rim territory). High levels of salinity can go too far into the bitterness realm to create a balanced drink. A touch of salt in the form of saline solution, however, can add a beautiful enhancement to your favorite cocktails. We all have different preferences and thresholds of flavor profiles, which means there may be a need to experiment with the dosage level of saline solution to find out where your “sweet spot” lies. Also, if you are restricting salt levels due to doctor’s orders, then this method of seasoning cocktails is probably not for you.

2025 Holiday Cocktails

2025 has been a sour, shambolically shaken, bitter-forward concoction and we can safely say that most of you/us are looking forward to a better, brighter, more balanced 2026. So with hope in our eyes, bar kits in hand, and 2025 thankfully almost fully in the rear view mirror, we offer you six diverse, cathartic, and celebratory cocktails to wipe the hard drive of this year, finish strong in spirit, and proclaim cheers to a Happy New Year and beyond.

Click here to see the cocktail compendium flipbook.

Six Cocktails to Rule the World of Whiskies

Whiskies produced outside of North America, namely Scotch, Irish, and other 'World' Whiskies, represent some of the oldest and most captivating spirits made on earth. From the serene single malts of the Highlands of Scotland, to the lively, creamy and clean whiskey of Ireland, to tropical flavor bomb drams from far away places, there is a style for everyone to sip and savor. However, most folks don't think of them as cocktail options. 

We'd like to suggest that you do and have created three pairs of cocktails to convince you, a pair for each of the categories above—one a refreshing, new school version, and the other a classic, spirit-forward, old school version, all made with some of the top-rated winners of our 2025 World Spirits Championships® World Whiskies Competition.

Six cocktails to rule the world of whisk(e)y, and in deliciousness bind them.

Click here to get the recipes from our cocktail compendium flipbook

Aging Cocktails Can be a Barrel of Fun

Barrel-aged cocktails have proliferated in the American cocktail scene in places with a good bar program ranging from speakeasys to high end hotels. The time in the barrel imparts soft warm baking spices of nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice, and even vanilla and toast. Barrel aging adds complexity and helps flavors meld together. It does take time, however, and that is a factor in the pricing of barrel-aged cocktails. The minimum amount of time it takes to barrel age a cocktail is three weeks, and time is money.  Some of the cocktail will be lost to evaporation, aka the angel’s share. You don’t need to go out to enjoy barrel-aged cocktails. They can be made at home if you follow the steps and tips below.

2025 Sous Vide Agave Cocktails

Sous Vide Infusions Create More Time for Fun...and You Can Make Your Own Pechuga (Say What?)

 
Growing up with summer vacations has created an almost instinctual need to spend more time during the summer with friends and family at backyard barbecues and outdoor get-togethers. If you’re over 21, these gatherings we plan and look forward to will involve an adult beverage or two. Often wine and beer end up at the forefront because you can stick them in ice and not worry about getting stuck behind the bar at your own party. That’s fine, however I recommend borrowing from the modern chef’s playbook and using sous vide to create infused cocktails and spirits that will add a memorable and unique beverage experience to your festivities. 

Having a sous vide or immersion circulator is the main requirement. Using a sous vide allows for infusions to happen much quicker. What may have taken weeks now takes hours. The ability to control the temperature keeps the flavors fresher. If you measure your ingredients and use the same temperature the outcome will be consistent. Sous vide helps to take the guess work out of infusions. Anything that you put into the sous vide needs to be in a sealed jar or plastic bag. Vacuum bags are the best type of bag because all the air can be removed which allows the mixture to be submerged under water and prevents oxidation. If all the ingredients are not submerged, consistency will be lost, and flavors may not come out the way they were intended. Putting a weight on top of the bag in the sous vide will help keep it submerged. A note of caution: Do not use a temperature above 150ºF when using a sous vide to infuse alcohol. Alcohol evaporates at 173ºF and can cause the container to explode. Safety first! Heat the water before starting any prep work and it should be at temperature by the time everything is ready. Like an oven, the sous vide water needs to be at temperature when the infusion is added. Think of it as cocktail cooking. After the preparation is done, the cocktail or infused spirit is ready to be served while you spend time with your family and friends.

The warm weather and the smoky smells from the grill often lend themselves to agave spirits, like Tequila and Mezcal, that pair well with an array of fresh fruit and juices. Some people are purists and prefer their Mezcal and Tequila with no mixers or additions. That has its place. Sometimes, however, a little mixer or accent is a great way to enjoy an old favorite. After all variety is the spice of life. Adding extra flavor to Mezcal, Tequila or a mixer for a pre-batched cocktail can be a fun way celebrate time with family and or friends.

Below are some fun recipes for infusing agave spirits and mixers and a cocktail with Mezcal in it. Keep in mind that those with juices are best consumed within a week and spirit infusions are at their best within two weeks. In other words, don’t make these too far ahead. Additions can be adjusted and played with to suit the flavor profile you desire. The recipes are rated for difficulty level based on ingredients and prep time. These recipes create subtle additions of flavors that preserve the essence of the Mezcal used. By infusing for longer, or slightly hotter, the flavors can be made stronger. These aren’t your basic flavored vodka level infusions. It’s time to have some creative fun and make your own specialty spirits and pre-batched cocktails so you don’t get stuck behind the bar the next time you have people over. The work will have been done and your guests will be impressed.

Recipe 1: Charred Corn, Black Pepper and Vanilla Infused Mezcal

Difficulty Level: Easy
Yield: 375ml
Ingredients:     
•    1 small ear of corn shucked and charred (ideally over an open flame)
•    ½ vanilla bean
•    1 tsp cracked black peppercorns (Tellicherry or Mexican Black preferred)
•    375 ml Joven or Reposado Mezcal*
•    Vacuum bag or mason jar
Sous Vide Settings: 
•    Temperature 135ºF
Directions:
•    Add all ingredients to the bag or mason jar and seal.
•    Place in sous vide at temperature for 3 hours submerged. (May benefit from a weight being place on it.)
•    Let rest 1-2 days to help round out the flavors
•    Strain through fine mesh sieve, then a paper coffee filter to remove oil and grit
•    After straining place in a clean glass container.

Flavor Profile: earthy, toasty, gently spice, dry finish.
*Joven will make the corn more pronounced where Reposado will have enhanced oak aromas and flavors from the vanilla.

How to Enjoy: Designed to be drunk neat with a light chill or served with a large rock.
 

Recipe 2: Playful Paloma Twist Cocktail

Difficulty Level: Moderate, requires some specialty ingredients*
Yield: 375ml
Ingredients: 
•    100ml grapefruit juice (preferably fresh)
•    Zest of half of one grapefruit (wide strips, no pith)
•    30ml honey syrup (1:1 honey to water)
•    2 slices of fresh jalapeño
•    Pinch of salt
•    150ml Tequila (Joven)
•    75ml Mezcal (Joven)
•    .5g citric acid + .25g malic acid* (approximately a scant 1/8 tsp citric acid and pinch of malic acid if measuring by volume)
•    Vacuum bag or mason jar

Sous Vide Setting:
•    135ºF
Directions:
•    Add grapefruit juice, grapefruit zest, honey syrup, jalapeno and salt to vacuum bag or mason jar and seal. 
•    Place submerged in sous vide that is already at temperature for 1 hour
•    Strain and chill.
•    Once chilled mix with Tequila, Mezcal, citric and malic acid, and optional dash of grapefruit or orange bitters.
•    Stir well.
•    Refrigerate overnight.

 Note: this cocktail is a partial infusion!

Flavor Profile: Smoky, tart, spicy, refreshing

How to Enjoy: Over ice with soda water or straight up, shaken over ice and poured into a chilled coup or Nick and Nora. Garnish with jalapeno and/or grapefruit. Add a Tajin rim or salt on top if inclined. Sparkling wine can be added to make it a spritz.

Recipe 3: Duck Pechuga-Style Mezcal

Difficult Level: Moderate, high amount of prep work
Yield: 2 cups
Ingredients: 
•     2 cup (240ml) Joven Mezcal
•    50g cooked duck breast (skin on, lightly seared or roasted)
•    4 slices apple (red, like Fuji or Honeycrisp)
•    2 dried figs (halved)
•    1 tsp toasted pecans (chopped slightly)
•    1 tsp jasmine or white rice
•    1/2 cinnamon stick
•    2 small piece star anise (about 1/8 whole star)
•    2 Small strips orange zest (wide, no pith)
•    Optional: 2 pinches of Aleppo or other chili powder 
•    Vacuum bag or mason jar
Sous Vide Setting:
•    135ºF
Directions: 
•    Add everything to a vacuum bag or mason jar and seal.

•    Sous vide at 135ºF for 3 hours.

2025 Summer Agave + Cocktails

Click here to get the recipes from our flipbook compendium

2025 Summer Rum Cocktails

For your revelries this summer and beyond, we highly recommend that you elevate your cocktail game to maximum rumbullion with this treasure trove of bespoke cocktails we created for you with some of the top-rated winners of our 2025 World Spirits Championships® Rum Competition.

Click here to get the recipes from our flipbook

2025 Top Rum and Cigar Pairings

Carlos Cuarta is a nationally known, Chicago-based bartender that has been a valued spirits panelist at Beverage Testing Institute (BevTest) since 2013. Over the years on our blind tasting panels, he has made many general recommendations about a given spirit’s suitability for cigar pairings, but we’ve not had the opportunity to ‘talk tobacco’, so to speak, more specifically. To celebrate the release of our 2025 World Spirits Championships Rum Competition results and the inaugural blast of our trade newsletter, The Drop, I invited Carlos to create specific cigar pairings for some of the top rums from this year’s competition and then talk about these and his approach to creating successful cigar pairings in the video interview below.

In short, Carlos, who is one of our most detailed and prolific identifiers and describers of aromas and flavors on our tasting panels, uses his abilities and vast multi-cultural sense memory to identify common, complementary, or contrasting aroma and flavor bridges between spirits and cigars and then happily corroborates his theories with a careful smoke and sip.

What follows is a choice assortment of great rums paired with great cigars complete with Carlos’ tasting notes for his cigar picks, our BevTest tastings notes, awards, and review links for the top rums, and links to where you can purchase the cigars from one of Carlos' favorite online retailers.

Salud!

Chill Out with Refreshing Summer Wines

Summer is the perfect time to enjoy wines that are refreshing, crisp, and light. Consider this range of white, rosé, and sparkling wines that are ideal for chilling out on warm, sunny days.

White Wines

White wines are having a moment! Data from a 2024 NIQ report show that white and rosé wines are the only two wine categories seeing marketplace growth, with whites and rosés coming in at 56.5% of all table wines sold, versus 54.9% in 2023.

Part of the reason for the growth is that white wines pair so well with the foods that Americans are enjoying, especially in the summertime. From grilled meats and vegetables to salads and savory Asian dishes including spicy fare, whites, rosés and bubbles are great accompaniments.

Sauvignon Blanc has become a darling of the white wine category, for its crisp acidity, juicy orchard fruit and food friendliness, but it’s far from the only option.

Consider Albariño for its zesty, fresh notes of peach, lemon and subtle salty appeal, and don’t forget Portuguese Vinho Verde, made with their version of Albarino, known as Alvarinho.

Chablis also is a wonderful white for summer, with crisp green apple and citrus flavors and low-oak influence. Or reach for a dry Riesling for its crunchy acidity. Pinot Grigio offers light, clean crisp notes of pear and apple/

Check out some of the high-scoring white wine choices from our recent BevTest tastings here:

Crowded House 2023 Sauvignon Blanc, from Marlborough, New Zealand (95 points; $13)  A spot-on example of a vibrant savory NZ Sauvignon Blanc with ample fruit, acidity, and versatility that refreshes the palate and begs for another sip, and another

Wölffer Estate Vineyard 2022 Antonov Sauvignon Blanc, from Long Island, New York (94 points, $32) Orchard fruits, melon, and a bit of tropical fruit balanced with a hit of the classic green herbs note, this is exactly what you want from cooler climate Sauvignon Blanc.

Baskoli Txakoli Blanco 2023 Hondarrabi Zuri, Getariako Txakolina from Spain (94 points, $25)  Has the potential to be the next delicious and trending white wine to take the world by storm f--or a summer or three; refreshing on a hot day.

Weis Vineyards 2022 Dry Riesling from Finger Lakes, New York (93 points, $20; 12% ABV)  Very linear and focused with good mineral backbone and tart fruit with a touch of honeysuckle roundness; drinks very Austrian in style.

Kirkland Signature 2022 Chablis Premier Cru, from France (93 points, $18) An elegantly styled, well-balanced Chablis with nice mellow fruit, bright acidity, and delicate smoky minerality; will be superb with grilled seafood.

Mistura Unica 2024 Vinho Verde, from Portugal (92 points, $8)  A wonderfully tangy and quenching Vinho Verde that will be brilliant as an aperitif with oysters and shellfish, like a garden party in a glass.

Cielo 2024 Pinot Grigio from Delle Venezie DOC, Italy (93 points, $9)  A round and lush Pinot Grigio with great flavor and texture; a superb sipper that can also work with richer white meat dishes.

Rosé Wines

Ten years ago, American wine drinkers were going gaga over rosé, as the U.S. embraced rosé wines with a gusto not seen since pinot grigio debuted in America in 1979. Today, rosé has found its place in the U.S. as an everyday favorite, and it still surges in popularity in the summer time.

Rosés can come from anywhere and can be made from a wide variety of red grapes from Cabernet Sauvignon to Tempranillo and everything in between. Hues can range from very faint pink to salmon to deep pink and light ruby. Color cues can often tell you if the wine is going to be lighter or heavier bodied. Take a look at some of the recommendations here and get ready for rosé all day!

Chateau Sainte Marguerite 2024 Fantastique Rosé, from Côte de Provence, France (95 points, $45)  Deftly balanced, bright and passionately flavorful - the perfect accompaniment to great conversation and an array of fresh foods—this is a glass full of perfectly balanced hand-picked berries and dried flowers.

Taylors Estate 2024 Rosé of Pinot Noir, from McLaren Vale, Australia (94 points, $18)  Crunchy red fruit, lime zest and dried flowers neatly packaged in this poolside rosé that is complex enough for a buttoned-up dinner table.

Lucas Vineyards 2023 Dry Rosé of Cabernet Franc, from Finger Lakes, New York (93 points, $18)  Charming and crushable, loaded with red berries and a pleasant, light herbal character as a counter balance.

King Estate 2023 Rosé of Pinot Noir, from Willamette Valley, Oregon (92 points, $20) A complex rosé that keeps you going back to the glass looking for more aromas and flavors yet not so complicated that it can't just simply be enjoyed.