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

The world of craft cider continues to flourish all around the world, especially in the Hudson Valley of New York known as the apple belt. Angry Orchard is one of the best known producers of cider, offering a range of products that covers everything from experimental to basic. Once again in 2018 their ciders garnered top marks with the Chairman’s Trophy winner, Iceman Hard Cider, scoring 96 Points, and its close runner up, The Muse Hard Cider with 95 Points. Both ciders also received Tried & True awards for their consistency in quality.

The Papa Doble is perhaps better known as the Hemingway Daiquiri, which the writer famously enjoyed in Havana. Made with rum, fresh lime juice, fresh grapefruit juice, and maraschino liqueur, it’s a fruitier version of a simple daiquiri. We tested every rum with the same recipe to see which one shined the brightest in this classic cocktail. These 7 stood out.

Trends are cyclical, and there’s no exception to that in the world of beverages. Mead, a honey wine often infused with spices, has been around for 7000 years. It has had moments of popularity throughout human history, notably in the ancient Vedic and Greek societies, Celtic and German cultures, and now amongst experimental producers and imbibers of today.

Absinthe, the pungent green spirit flavored with anise and wormwood, is an acquired taste. Often served with water to cut the intensity, the best versions offer plenty of intense botanicals that prevail even when mixed, like 2018’s Chairman’s Trophy winner La Muse Verte, with 96 Points.