Born to Rum: Jamaica

Follow the sounds of the crashing waves and steel drums, and your nose to the fantastic aromas that come from this colossal of the Caribbean. Devoted rum lovers know this part of the world well. And dotted all across Jamaica are many long-standing hallowed houses that have kept the funky gold stuff flowing for centuries….

Accolades Are Pouring in for S&S Alum! 

North America’s 50 Best Bars 2023 Awards Ceremony recently took place and we’re thrilled to share that—just like your high school reunion—you might notice several familiar faces among the honorees!  We view every S&S box as a chance to showcase the best talent out there, so color us ecstatic (but not surprised) to see so many…

New Frontiers 2: American Single Malt

The ground will shift throughout the wide world of whiskey as the US Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau is about to bestow its official stamp of recognition onto a new category of domestic whiskey: American single malt. This decision will establish a set of parameters for what makes this category distinct—100% malted barley…

One Singular Sensation

American Single Malt Whiskey Forges a Path Forward Quietly over the past few decades, a brand-new domestic spirits category has slowly come into its own. While rye was rolling through a great resurgence and bourbon was maintaining its status as a behemoth, American single malt whiskey (ASMW) officially stepped onto the podium; what began in…

Vodka Brunch 2

You can limit brunch to its dictionary definition—a late-morning meal that combines a late breakfast and an early lunch—but that’s missing a big part of what makes it so special as an occasional midday mixer. Brunch today is perhaps one of hustling-and-bustling America’s last slices of the siesta life, less about bacon and breads than…

Shift Drinks: Reposado Remix

At the end of each year, amid a sea of annual recap editorials and ins-and-outs predictions, bar/restaurant industry insiders and members of the media come together to forecast the trends they envision taking hold in the year ahead. According to those lists, briny, sea-centric elements in cocktails (think clam juice, preserved fish, and kelp) are…

Meet One of the Minds Behind Daijoubu Pop Up

We sat down with Sharon Yeung, co-founder of Daijoubu Pop Up, to chat about touring, “Super Asian Cocktails,” and pairings for the Daijoubu 2 Box! S&S: We’re thrilled to learn (and taste!) even more from Daijoubu this February. But first, tell us about your “day job.” Where can people find you when you’re not on…

Ichi-Go-Ichi-E Bonus Pairing

This pairing bite—as seen on our favorite Netflix cocktail competition!—is an ode to Christian “Suzu” Suzuki-Orellana’s hometown of Asakusa, Tokyo, known for the Sensoji Temple and all the Kaminari Okoshi. To achieve the same look that he did on the show, use a circular cookie cutter to cut out small circles before the cracker hardens….

Daijoubu 2

Where will Daijoubu’s Caer Maiko and Sharon Yeung, the traveling superstars of “super Asian cocktails,” bring their funky style of festivities next? Hmmm, we may have an idea . . . and it will be just the combination to spirit you away from the everyday ho-hum: Japanese whisky and Daijoubu Pop Up at home will…

Ginspirations

New Year, new you, new . . . gin? It very well could be, considering the explosion of new and local options available to fans of the spirit.  This wasn’t always the case. For seemingly forever, those seeking diversity in the category would’ve had to choose between the London dry, slightly sweeter Plymouth, and even…

Spiced Rum Celebration

The holiday season has a way of sneaking up, doesn’t it? One minute we’re dusting off the grill and asking Is It Summer Yet? and the next—wham!—the jubilant jingling of the bells enters the chat to signal the start of something special . . . and hectic. It could be shopping marathons that leave your…

Ryes and Fall

Lovers of our last rye box might’ve picked up a tidbit or two about the spirit’s mid-Atlantic Appalachian origins in states like Pennsylvania and Maryland. Inch up a little farther on the map into Canada, though, and you’ll land in a place where rye whisky is just as cherished and rich in tradition. Canada arrived…