Spirits & Wine Award Winners, Top Scoring Products, Beverage Industry Trends and Best Wine and Spirits Lists

Blended whiskey is often thought of as the lesser counterpart of single malts, when that is just simply not the case. Unlike single malts, blended whiskies have the option of cherry picking the best of the best from multiple sources to create, arguably, the best whiskey ever. In Ireland, they have been blending whiskies for a long time, and blended varieties still make up the majority of the whiskey produced. These are the 6 Best Blended Irish Whiskies of 2017.

With the low alcohol cocktail trend in full swing and the never ending desire of bartenders to create complexity in unique drinks, Amaro is having a moment. Amaro technically refers to a group of Italian bitter liqueurs, literally translating as ‘bitter.’ More commonly, however, it refers to any and all bitter liqueurs, regardless of country of origin. Amaros have an alcohol content ranging from 16% abv to 40% abv and get their flavor from a, usually secret, combination of herbs, botanicals and roots. Like many delicious potables, amaros have a medicinal history, enjoyed for their curative properties before being appreciated for the complexity of flavor they offer.

The mezcal industry is experiencing a huge explosion of quality, investment, and new brands; one of the things that sets Rey Campero apart it is that it is a 100% family owned brand made exclusively by master distiller Romulo Sanchez who has generations of masters behind him. Sanchez proudly states “we are sons of master mezcaleros, so we have the love for the fields and the mezcal.”

Calvados, the world’s most famous apple brandy, is one of the finest pleasures in life. The Roger Groult XO Pays d’Auge Calvados won the hearts of our judges and took the Chairman’s Trophy with 96 Points.