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.

2017’s Chairman’s Trophy winner of World Dry Riesling comes from one of the most noteworthy producers in New York, Wagner Vineyards. Their 95 Point 2015 Dry Riesling from the Finger Lakes exemplifies the quality that this region is capable of, and why the Finger Lakes have become one of the hottest new wine regions in the world. 

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.