The Top Beers and Spirits of 2018

Can we stop calling things trends? Bourbon whiskey is no longer booming — its popularity is widespread and it’s been that way for years now. Meanwhile, the rise of the premium whiskey category, combined with the spread of the whiskey-hunting bug, led to a wealth of limited and highly collectible, not to mention very good, bottles to covet.

But not all drinks are whiskey, and not everything needs to be rare. Our best drink releases of the year include all of it and then some.

This Is the Best Whiskey of the Year, Says the World’s Top Expert

The 15th edition of Jim Murray’s 2019 Whisky Bible names another Buffalo Trace Distillery bottle World Whisky of the Year.

Buffalo Trace’s New Experimental Bourbon Brand Was 15 Years in the Making

Buffalo Trace’s revamped line is all about fiddling with one thing: barrels.

This Bottle of 50-Year-Old Japanese Whisky Sold for Nearly $300,000

Over the weekend, a bottle of Yamazaki Single Malt Whisky became the most expensive bottle of Japanese whisky ever sold at auction.

Now’s Your Chance to Score Some Ultra Rare Whisky From Japan

Only 150 bottles are available.

Get Your Hands On the Oldest Irish Single Malt Ever Bottled

Six presidents, the internet, and three-and-a-half decades later…

PicoBrew’s New Pro Series Is Made for Real Brewing

A homebrew unit that grows with you, and your beer-making ambitions.

We’re Totally Obsessing Over This Minimal Scandinavian Bar Cart

Simultaneously blending in and conversation fodder.

John F. Kennedy’s Favorite Whiskey Just Got an Upgrade. And It’s Only $25

Old Overholt Bonded Straight Rye, made in accordance with the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, builds off what some drinkers call the best value whiskey in the liquor store.

One of the Country’s Best Bourbon Brands Released a Brand New Batch. You’ll Want It

Booker’s first release of the year has notes of leather and honey. Oh yeah, it’s also 128 proof.

New Belgium’s Latest Beer Is Illegal in One State

Set for (near) national distribution, The Hemporer HPA is brewed with, you guessed it, hemp.

The New Stillhouse Black Bourbon Gets its Flavor from Roasted Small Batch Coffee Beans

We’re guessing it’ll make a perfect camping companion and a top-rate gift. Either way, Black Bourbon, which Stillhouse says has “coffee and caramel” notes “with a distinctly balanced body and remarkably smooth finish” is bound…

Collectors Will Go Nuts Over This One-Off Weller Bourbon

A few years ago Buffalo Trace Distillery solicited help from its customer to create their own perfect bourbon. Then they decided to make it.

The World’s Most Awarded Rye Whiskey Maker Just Released a New Whiskey

WhistlePig only makes rye whiskey and we’re all better off for it.

This New Self-Chilling Can Is Amazing, But It Could (and Should) Be Much Better

This new can chills drinks very, very fast and it’s finally getting a test-run. Is it great? Yes. Is it perfect? Absolutely not.

Knob Creek to Release One of the Most Anticipated Whiskeys of the Year

One of the biggest whiskey makers in the world is releasing an exceptional rye this summer, and it’s already bringing in silverware.

The 4 Most Exciting Whiskey Releases to Come Out Recently

We’ve seen releases and release announcements from some of the biggest names in whiskey in the last few weeks, and every one is borderline grail-worthy.

Booker’s Latest Bourbon Was Made for Summer BBQs

The second release from Beam-Suntory’s award-winning high proof bourbon makers at Booker’s was crafted with the season in mind.

Why Hibiki’s New Blend Is a Bad Omen for Japanese Whisky

Japanese whisky may have gotten too hot.

These American-Made Whiskey Glasses Are Molded from Actual Oak

They call back to how whiskey is made.

3 New Whiskeys to Look for This Summer

Three new bottles from three of the best brands out there.

5 of the Most Popular Japanese Whiskies Under $100

The most affordable of Japanese whisky’s most popular bottles.

These Are the 5 Best American Whiskeys, According to More Than 50 Experts

Only five American whiskeys won gold at the International Spirits Challenge, and almost all of them can be found fairly easily.

Is This the Best Tequila Brand in the World? These Experts Seem to Think So.

Today is National Tequila Day, apparently, and this tequila brand just mopped at an important spirits competition.

The New Jack Daniel’s Whiskey Copies a 120-Year-Old Recipe. But You Can Only Find It at Airports.

The latest bottle of Lynchburg’s finest is readily available in one very frustrating place.

One of the Best Scotch Makers in the World Is Starting a Bourbon Label

From the makers of Glenfiddich and Balvenie, a Texas-only blended bourbon whiskey.

One of America’s Best Breweries Made Hop-Infused Water for IPA Obsessives

Lagunitas’s Hop Water isn’t beer, but it’s meant to taste like it.

These Heavy Duty Whiskey Glasses Are Pretty Much Perfect

Norlan’s whiskey glass is one of the best and most revered among serious whiskey drinkers. Its new glass, the Rauk, is for everybody else.

These Are the Best Spirits in the World, According to More than 400 Judges

This week, the International World Spirits Competition announced its winners for 2018.

This Is One of the Rarest Bottles of Pappy Van Winkle in the World — Here’s Why

It’s the tenth bottle of Pappy ever made, and the first through the ninth have all been accounted for.

These Are the Whiskeys Collectors Will Be Hunting for This Fall

If you find these bottles at their $99 SRP, buy them immediately.

This Year in Gear

Just like that, 2018 has come and gone. Take a look back at the best of what the past 365 days had to offer in This Year in Gear

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