There is a moment when a format stops looking like a shortcut and starts trying to develop its own language. In the case of ready-to-drink cocktails, that shift is not only about convenience: in a number of recent launches, the more striking move is the attempt to give the product a clearer identity, one that […]
There is a point at which a phenomenon stops being seen as a concession and starts being treated as a choice. In the world of nonalcoholic cocktails, that shift is not happening everywhere at once, but it is becoming easier to spot in a number of thoughtful bars and in a few product launches: the […]
Some spirits do not disappear because of any flaw in the liquid itself. They fade because tastes change, markets shift and the bar rail gets repopulated by whatever fits the moment. Brandy is a useful case for reading that movement. In early mixology manuals, it appears often and in inventive forms: punches, juleps, sours and, […]
Every year, when the 50 Best Bars list is unveiled, the industry pauses to look at it closely. The real question is not only who reached the top, but what this ranking chooses to highlight at a given moment. The 2026 edition, presented in Milan, offers several clues in that direction. The most immediate fact […]
Among nonalcoholic spirits, zero-proof amaro is one of the most interesting categories to watch right now. Not because it has reached clear maturity, but because it seems to handle flavor and structure more effectively than many other no/low drinks. Nonalcoholic spirits face a real challenge: without ethanol, they lose some texture, warmth, and body. Amaro […]
In contemporary bartending, one question keeps coming back in the more curious bars: are cocktail rules still there to be obeyed, or are they useful mainly because they show when a deliberate deviation makes sense? The answer depends, almost always, on the drink and on the person making it. For years, cocktail culture has shared […]
There is a recognizable thread running through some of the more interesting conversations around today’s cocktail scene: the pleasure of drinking something that does not need much explaining. Not a drink designed to impress with technique, but one that works because it lands quickly, through taste, memory or a very clear sense of purpose. That […]
Every summer seems to bring the same question back into sharper focus, especially in bars that like to keep one eye on the archive: what sits outside the bright circle of the great classics? The Mai Tai, the Piña Colada and the Margarita command so much attention that it is easy to forget how many […]
New Orleans has played a central role in the history of Western bartending. More than just a city, it has become a reference point for drinks that shaped cocktail culture and, in some cases, disappeared for decades before finding their way back onto menus. What matters today is less the romance of age than the […]
When you think of a Mojito, rum, lime, brown sugar and ice usually come to mind first. Yet there’s one ingredient that, more than any other, gives it that unmistakable aroma: mint. Many people assume that any mint plant will do for a proper Mojito, but that’s not quite true. The traditional Cuban recipe actually […]