Cocktail College Podcast

1 day ago | vinepair.com | Joshua M. Bernstein

On a recent weeknight, I asked my wife to smell my beer. She sized me up with a skeptical side-eye, stepping back. “I swear, this isn’t a pull-my-finger prank,” I said, cracking open a tall, trophy-gold can of Hazicus Maximus, a new double IPA from Lagunitas Brewing in Petaluma, Calif. “Just one sniff.” She warily accepted the can and inhaled deeply, her eyes widening with each whiff of dank grapefruit — like smoking high-grade cannabis in a Florida citrus grove.

2 days ago | vinepair.com | Evan Rail

Recently, Catoctin Creek Distillery was about to close two new distribution deals that would bring its award-winning rye whiskeys to customers in Quebec and France. With craft spirits and other small businesses facing big headwinds, new exports could have provided the award-winning Virginia producer with a welcome lift. But both deals suddenly fell apart, explains Scott Harris, who co-founded the distillery with his wife Becky Harris in 2009.

4 days ago | vinepair.com | Olivia White

There’s no denying the popularity of the Bloody Mary. Now ubiquitous on brunch menus nationwide, the spicy vodka and tomato juice cocktail rose to prominence in the 1920s and ‘30s and inspired numerous renditions, including Canada’s Clamato-based Caesar, and the Bloody Maria, which swaps out vodka for tequila. But in the 1950s, drinkers in Detroit were enjoying a different take on the savory brunch beverage made with a rather unconventional ingredient: beef broth.

6 days ago | vinepair.com | Pete O'Connell

In the age of molecular mixology, carbonated cocktails have become fairly common in bars and restaurants with robust beverage programs. We’re not talking about French 75s and Vodka Sodas, but drinks that bartenders force-carbonate in kegs and dispense via a draft system. While there’s no denying their appeal, this method of carbonating cocktails only gets them so fizzy.

6 days ago | vinepair.com | Hannah Staab

As the cost of high-end wine continues to climb, people are looking for strategies to score great bottles at lower prices. While many find success scouring auction sites or buying from underrated regions, there’s a new way savvy wine lovers are evading the whopping price tag on their favorite brands, and it bears an intriguing name. Shoppers might find these bottles listed under the title “NDA wines” on a retail site, which is short for nondisclosure agreement.