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

Amari are bitter liqueurs, traditionally from Italy, that combine plant botanicals into a sweet-bitter elixir. Originally developed to aid the digestion, they are now a prominent part of beverage programs across the world, beloved for their layers of complex flavor. Each product is unique, often boasting undisclosed ingredients in order to keep proprietary recipes secret. These are the top scoring amari from 2018’s Ultimate Spirit Challenge.

Not all flavored vodkas are created equal, and while the thought of flavored vodka may conjure up unpleasant memories for some imbibers, there are some truly delicious spirits from this category. Scoring 90 Points or above in the 2018 Ultimate Spirits Challenge, these 7 top scorers range in flavors from savory black pepper and cucumber to sweet chocolate and raspberry.

Of the 15 wines scoring 90 and above in 2018’s Ultimate Wine Challenge, 13 of them also received a Great Value award for their high score to low price ratio. Portuguese wine is coming into its own in international markets based on overall high quality, and the value is an added bonus.

Grappa sometimes gets a bad rap as the moonshine of Italy, but there is a world of immense quality beyond the rustic homemade examples many people encounter. Grappa is a brandy, made from many varieties of grapes and grape by-product, and finished in just as many diverse styles.