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For more than a decade, a swell of producers have offered inventive alternatives to traditional London Dry gin, expanding the category with approachable expressions that place less emphasis on piney juniper. Similarly, they’ve looked beyond the classic supporting cast of savory herbs and bitter roots to instead focus on vibrant fruits and expressive flowers, all with the added upshot of delivering a sense of place. That’s not to say London Dry doesn’t deserve our attention or isn’t worthy of its status as the standard bearer for the category. Without it, there would be no classically made Dry Martinis or Negronis…

With more bartenders pushing the creative envelope behind the stick, cocktails are arguably better today than they’ve ever been before. And when something works, we typically see that trend catch on, infiltrating the bar world until it’s cropped up on menus nationwide. But sometimes, trendy ingredients or techniques take off to the point where they quickly become overdone. That said, what one may argue is overdone, another might embrace with open arms, so determining what is truly “overrated” is an impossible feat. With that in mind, we were curious to learn more about which cocktail ingredients and techniques the pros…

After discussing rosé’s possible origins in Massalia last week, our attention shifts to Tavel, a commune located slightly north of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Legend has it that King Philip IV was given a glass of wine there, and he downed it before he even dismounted his horse, proclaiming that Tavel “has the only good wine in the world.” The commune would go on to be one of the first appellations awarded in France. Not only that, but it’s among the few rosé-only appellations in the whole country. But the funny thing is, the rosés of Tavel aren’t really pink; due to long…

On Tuesday, the Brewers Association (BA) unveiled its yearly production review of the craft brewing industry and identified the top 50 craft producers of 2024. Last year was another tough year for the brewing industry at large, with 2024 marking the first year since 2005 that the overall number of craft breweries in the U.S. declined. In 2023, there were a total of 9,683 operational craft breweries in the country. Last year, that number dropped to 9,612, which includes 1,934 microbreweries, 3,389 brewpubs, 3,695 taproom breweries, and 266 regional craft breweries. 2024 also marked the fourth consecutive year the craft…

A sliding door moment is a seemingly minor event that changes the trajectory of everything. The phrase comes from a mostly forgotten 1998 Gwyneth Paltrow rom-com, “Sliding Doors,” which cleverly depicts the two wildly different paths her life takes depending on whether she catches a train on the London Underground. Though the film was mildly received, the term has transcended its origin and become as much a part of the common vernacular as “saying the quiet part loud” or Groundhog Day. How would the world have been different if Archduke Ferdinand’s driver had taken a different route, if the assassin’s…

After weeks of fierce competition, we finally crowned the winner of VinePair’s 2025 Martini Madness on April 7. (If you aren’t clued in to who won, check out the full bracket here!) Similar to the NCAA’s March Madness, this year’s bracket was full of surprising upsets and nail-bitingly close finishes. Before we narrowed it down to one, we started with 32 of New York City’s most lauded and creative Martinis. And while there were some truly unique drinks in the bunch — ranging from garlic bread-infused specs to rum-spiked variations — we noticed some consistent trends emerge across the playing…

Carménère may be an acquired taste for some, but the often overlooked grape is worth getting to know. Originally a blending variety from Bordeaux, where it is almost non-existent today, the late-ripening Carménère has emerged as the signature red variety of Chile, where it can take advantage of the long growing season with very warm days and very cool nights. Carménère can have what I call a “stemmy” quality, not unlike Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley. The quality of the grapes, the winemaking, and aging dictate the extent to which this quality defines the wine: Young, big-production Carménère tends…

The global wine industry faced another year of lower consumption in 2024, with inflation weighing on shopping budgets and traditional major consumers such as France continuing a trend of drinking less wine. Global wine consumption fell 3.3% to 214 million hl last year, a third consecutive decline to the lowest since 1961, according to estimates by the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV). ‘The effects of lingering inflationary pressures and market uncertainty have affected price and consumer attitudes,’ OIV director general John Barker said in an online press briefing. ‘We also continue to observe the effects of a long-term…

A 16th-century tomato (“poma aurea” or golden apple) the so-called poison apple that would eventually become the soul of Italian pizza​ A Fruit Worth Fearing? In the 1500s, a strange new fruit from the Americas landed on European shores. It was bright, juicy, and utterly scandalous. Aristocrats whispered that this “poison apple” was killing well-heeled diners across Europe (Spoiler: it wasn’t the tomato’s fault – pewter plates leaching lead into acidic tomato juice were the real culprits). To make matters weirder, the tomato’s family tree included some witchy relatives. Europe was in full witch-hunt mode, and botanists noticed this New…

Easter dinner (Photo by cottonbro studio) Easter dinner is a time for togetherness and tradition, often centred around comforting dishes like roast turkey, baked ham, or perhaps even baked salmon. No matter what ends up on your plate, choosing the right wine can elevate the meal from simply delicious to truly memorable. Below are some wine pairings, including suggestions from our local BC wineries, that will complement your Easter table. For Roast Turkey or Ham Lovers If you’re serving roast turkey or baked ham with creamy mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables, opt for wines that enhance the savouriness without overpowering…