What were some of my favorite Wine, Spirit, Sake & Drink-related related items of the past year?
As 2026 approaches, it's time once again to reflect upon the past year, to remember and savor pleasant memories. Previously, I posted three of my food-related Favorites lists as well as my
Top Twelve Wines of 2025. It's time now for my final list, my
Favorite Wine, Spirit, Sake and Drink-Related Items of 2025.
This is certainly not a complete list but it is more a sampling of compelling and memorable matters I have experienced and posted about over the past year. This is also a purely subjective list, based on my own preferences, and makes no claims about being the "best" of anything. But all of the items here have earned my strong recommendations and I hope you will enjoy them as well. For more wine related items, you can just search my blog posts for the past year.
Favorite Restaurant Wine Lists: I want to highlight several restaurants which offer some intriguing and excellent wine lists.
Krasi: With the largest
Greek wine list in the country, you'll find almost any type of Greek wine you could desire. There are so many excellent options that you might have difficulty selecting a bottle, but their wine director,
Jeremiah Cates, and staff can help guide you through the intriguing list. Expand your palate and explore the wonders of Greek wine.
Kosmos: Although their wine list is not as large as Krasi, Kosmos also has an excellent and interesting Greek wine list, which well complements their excellent Greek cuisine.
Nightshade Noodle Bar: Their eclectic, well-curated wine list has primarily more natural wines from small producers. There's plenty of interesting options available, and the wines pair very well with their delicious cuisine. The list changes fairly regularly, and there's always something new to tantalize your palate.
A Tavola: They have a small and well-curated all-Italian wine list, with plenty of tasty wines at all price points. Their regular wine dinners also highlight plenty of excellent Italian wines, from all across the country.
Favorite Wine Dinner: This year, my favorite wine dinner was at
A Tavola in Winchester. That's not a surprise as some of their prior wine dinners have also been Favorites. Their
Wines for 2025 Dinner was compelling, with excellent wines, presented by
Ciro Pirone, two of which made my list of
Top Twelve Wines of 2025, and they paired very well with the delicious foods prepared by
Chef Joe Carli and Sous Chef David Paige, from
Braised Texas Boar Cacciatore to
Barbera Braised Short Rib & Roman Gnocchi.
A Tavola holds a number of wine dinners each year and you definitely should check them out.
Favorite Large-Scale Wine Event: In 2023, the
Boston Wine Expo returned, under new ownership and at a new venue, the
Boston Park Plaza Hotel. It was a smaller more intimate event, and included a Spirits Tasting room and numerous Wine Classes. I've attended the last three Expos, and have found some excellent wines here.
I would like to see more diversity in the wines, more wines from different countries, and hopefully there will be more in March 2026. Stay tuned as closer to the 2026 Expo date, I will post an article with my recommendations for booths to visit. I've already posted
Basic Info about the Expo and
Advice For Attending, which I recommend for anyone planning on attending.
Historical Drink Articles: During the pandemic, it's was tough for many food and drink writers as restaurants were closed and large scale wine events weren't held. For myself, I devoted many hours to researching and writing numerous historical food and drink articles, combing through thousands of newspapers and books. I've especially delved into the origins of numerous foods and drinks, trying to seek out their true origins, and not just accepting the unsubstantiated claims of others. Since then, I've continued to write these types of articles, and this year, my own historical (and quite lengthy) drink article was this one:
Favorite Tequilas: This year, my unquestioned favorites were the
Blanco and
Reposado from
Alto Canto. I got to meet
Daday Suarez, the founder, who was passionate, driven, and philosophical. The distillery is located in the mountains of Sierra del Tigre, at an altitude of about 9,000 feet, making it the highest tequila distillery in Jalisco. Their tequila is made from certified organic 100% Blue Weber agave, and it is produced in a more traditional method, including the use of a volcanic stone Tahona to mill the piñas. The
Blanco ($80), with a 40% ABV, isn't aged in oak at all. On the nose, there was a pleasant and prominent agave smell, along with more subtle citrus notes. On the palate, the tequila was soft and smooth, without any bite or burn. There was a prominent agave taste, with complex notes of citrus, mild herbal notes, minerality and a little sweetness. It possessed a long, satisfying finish, and I could easily drink this on its own, or maybe atop some ice. The
Reposado ($105), with a 40% ABV, was aged in new American white oak, in an adobe wine cellar, for about five months. I had some initial worries that the new oak might overpower this tequila, that its influence would be too bold, but as soon as I tasted the Reposado, all of those worries vanished. The Reposado had a nice, bright yellow color, and an intriguing nose of agave, citrus, and honey. On the palate, the tequila was silky smooth with a sense of elegance. The complex melange of flavors tantalized my palate, with notes of agave, citrus peel, dried fruit, honey, salted nuts, and more. Each sips seemed to bring something new to my mouth. The finish was quite lengthy and pleasing. The oak influence was more subtle, enhancing the tequila rather than detracting or masking its taste. This was an impressive spirit which I would enjoy primarily on its own, slowing sipping and enjoying each taste.
Favorite Tequila Cocktail: At
Casa Romero, I enjoyed the
Bright Echo cocktail, which was composed of
Alto Canto Blanco, jalapeños, fresh cilantro, lime juice & agave. It had a pleasant taste, with definite agave notes, lime elements and a spicy kick, especially on the finish. This is the type of cocktail I would order and enjoy at a restaurant or cocktail bar.
Favorite Mezcal Cocktail: I made a first visit to
Bar-25 in
Newburyport, and hope to return there again soon. They have plenty of offerings of Wine, Beer, Spirits, Cocktails and Mocktails. The Cocktail list (13 options for $13-$16) was inventive and intriguing. I opted for the
BLT, made from sun-dried tomato infused Mezcal, bacon washed Ancho Reyes Poblano, Triple Sec, Lime, and Organic Agave. This was a superb cocktail, subtle and complex, well-balanced and absolutely delicious. It thoroughly impressed me and gives me great vibes about their cocktail program.
Favorite Tiki Cocktail: At
Wusong Road, their
Mai Tai ($15), is made with Appleton Estate Rum, Hamilton Rum, Clement Agricole Rhum, Orgeat, Lime, and Orange Curacao. It was delicious and complex, fruity and lightly sweet, with a noticeable amount of alcohol, although it wasn't overpowering. Certainly a much higher quality than the Mai Tai you get at many other Asian spots.
Favorite Junmai Sake: The
Mana 1751 "True Vision" Yamahai Tokubetsu Junmai Muroka Genshu ($45.99)
may be a mouthful to say, but the Sake itself is very naturally produced. As a Junmai, it's a pure rice Sake, made from only four ingredients: rice, water, yeast and koji-kin. And as a Tokubetsu, it's specially brewed in some manner, and one of those reasons is that the rice has been polished down to 60%, which is usually the Ginjo grade. The rice variety is Gohyakumangoku, grown in the brewery's region. The Sake was also produced by the Yamahai method, an older method of production (but riskier process) which does not add commercial lactic acid. In addition, Yamahai Sake is known for producing a more umami-rich Sake. The Sake also uses local yeast. In addition, this Sake is a Muroka, meaning it was unfiltered, not undergoing the usual charcoal filtration process of many other Sakes. It is also a Genshu, meaning it was not diluted by water, although most Sake is diluted as such. Despite not being diluted with water, the Sake still only has a 16.5% ABV, and not closer to 20% as many other Genshu Sakes. Plus, this Sake is Gluten Free and Vegan. This is certainly a unique Sake, providing a a more natural taste. On the nose, this Sake has intriguing notes of steamed rice and savoriness. And on the palate, it's complex and rich, with prominent umami and a compelling melange of flavors, including touches of mushroom and melon, pepper and banana, as well as a touch of smokiness. With each sip, you seem to find hints of other different flavors, and it's a great Sake to slowly sip, enjoying the evolving tastes. It possesses a lengthy finish and will delight with its fine balance. Pure deliciousness which certainly impressed me. This would be an excellent food Sake, especially due to its prominent umami.
Favorite Honjozo Sake: The
Akashi-Tai Daiginjo Genshu Sake is an iconic Sake, but it hasn't been available for retail in the U.S. since 2019. So, now it's available in the U.S., but only at
Karma Asian Fusion, available by the glass for $17, or in a 300ml bottle for $55. It's a Honjozo Sake, meaning it's brewed from only 5 ingredients: rice, water, yeast, koji-kin mold, and brewer's alcohol. The brewer's alcohol is used to bring out certain flavors and aromas, and does not make the Sake more alcoholic. It's also made from Yamadanishiki rice, the King of Sake Rice, which has been milled down to only 38%. This Sake is a Daiginjo, the highest quality grade, which requires the rice to be polished down to at least 50%, so this Sake has been polished even more. It's also a Genshu, meaning it hasn't been diluted down by water, but has a 17% ABV, which is actually lower than many other Genshu, which can be around 20% ABV. I found this Sake to have an appealing fruity aroma (especially stone fruit), with a touch of floral notes. On the palate, it was absolutely delicious, complex and fruity, with subtle hints of floral elements. It was dry, with a medium-body, and a lengthy finish. It has a taste profile which should appeal to many people, even those new to Sake, or even those who claim they dislike Sake. This Sake could easily be enjoyed on its own, sipping with good friends, but it also would pair well with a variety of foods.
Favorite Sake Rant: I previously ranted
How Do You Mainstream Sake?, advice primarily for Restaurants. Sake remains a niche beverage that hasn't yet made a major breakthrough with American consumers. We may now consume more Sake than ever in our history, but it's still such a tiny amount when compared to beer, wine and whiskey. For a number of years, I've believed that the greatest impact, the best way to make Sake more mainstream, is by getting more non-Asian restaurants to place Sake on their menus. Currently, Sake is nearly always found only at Asian restaurants, so the average consumer equates it only with Asian cuisine, from sushi to katsu. That misconception prevents Sake from becoming more mainstream, relegating it only to a certain type of cuisine, ensuring it remains more of a niche beverage. We need non-Asian restaurants to have the courage to place Sake on their drink menus, to show consumers that Sake pairs well with a diverse selection of cuisines and foods. I want to see Sake served with burgers, pizza, pasta dishes, fried clams, lobster rolls, and much more.
Favorite Sake Educational Resource: For some of the latest and most fascinating current information about Sake, you need to read the
Sake Industry News by
John Gauntner. Each twice-monthly issue contains numerous intriguing news articles, sure to interest all Sake lovers, and with information you would be hard pressed to find elsewhere. I've learned plenty from this newsletter and eagerly look forward to each new issue. There's not enough Sake news available out there, and Gauntner is filling a much-needed niche. If you're interested in Sake, you definitely should subscribe.
What were some of your favorite Wine, Spirit, Sake & Drink-related items this year?
