Say what you want about 2024 in general, but as far as drinking goes, it was a great year! Lots of innovation in the booze space and some stellar new bottles.
Choosing the best things we drank in the past 12 months was difficult (well, not too difficult). Consider this a knowledgeable but informal list — our editors are not going out of their way to pick a single “best” whiskey, vodka, cocktail, etc. We’ll save those honors for March when we relaunch The Spill Awards in a bigger and better format. These are simply a few spirits, wines and cocktails we enjoyed and hope to consume again.
Cheers to an even tastier 2025. And now, in no particular order, our drink picks of the year:
The Botanist Islay Cask Aged Gin
Matured for more than three years in a blend of more than eight American and European oak casks, the wood influence is more prevalent here, and there’s certainly a bit of vanilla sweetness along with a lovely grilled pineapple note. It’s wonderfully balanced between a gin and a brown spirit. Read our review here. – Kirk Miller
Ten to One Five Origin Select
Bottled at 92 proof, Five Origin Select — a blend sourced from five Caribbean countries (Trinidad, Barbados, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Guyana) — this exceptional sipper offers notes of crème brûlée, vanilla, cocoa, baking spices and orange zest with a somewhat dry finish. New notes open up on each sip (I got more apple as I went along), but I wouldn’t discount it in cocktails. Read our review here. – KM
Jacob’s Pardon Small Batch #3
What the hell is “light whiskey”? A maligned mid-century style created to combat vodka’s popularity, these smooth sippers actually feature unusual mashbills (here, it’s 99% corn and 1% malted barley) and very high ABV (here, again, it’s 142.7 proof). This Jacob’s Pardon release was aged over 18 years in uncharred new barrels. The nose brings forth sandalwood and caramel. On the palate, it has a creamy viscosity and flavors of red fruits, butterscotch, milk chocolate and caramel corn. Surprisingly sippable and approachable — and wonderfully unique. Read our review here. – KM
Bubba’s Pancakes & Bacon Whiskey
While not “new” to 2024, I only discovered this flavored whisky during this year’s WhiskyFest at the Michter’s booth. All I can say is, truth in advertising. After sampling probably 30-40 whiskies in one evening, this is the most memorable one I put in my mouth. – KM
Oka Vodka
I found this vodka at a tiny booth at Brooklyn’s Bar Convent. Oka is made from Japanese rice and utilizes a pot still, imbuing the clear spirit with real flavor and mouthfeel. It also comes in at a slightly higher proof (43% ABV) and is filtered using locally-made Japanese bincho tan (artisanal charcoal). – KM
Renais Offers a Winemaker’s Perspective on Gin
The new spirit from Alex and Emma Watson makes for the best Negroni you’ll ever haveRenais Gin
Co-founded by siblings Alex and Emma Watson — yes, that Emma Watson — Renais (short for “renaissance”) uses reclaimed French grapes as its base and a rather interesting set of botanicals, from grand cru grapes and acacia honey to cubeb berries and, oddly, Kimmeridgian stone. It made for the best Negroni I’ve ever tasted. Read our profile here. – KM
Mijenta Maestra Selection Nº 1
We were down at the Mijenta distillery earlier this fall — and we’ll have a longer piece on that journey soon. Besides crafting some of the best additive-free tequilas on the market and somehow changing my mind on Cristalinos, the brand also introduced an annual series of unique agave releases. The inaugural edition is a tequila crafted from 8-year-old single estate agaves de semilla (essentially, agave plants grown from seed, a rarity in the tequila world). The end result is rich, tropical and far more complex than the average blanco. – KM
Port Charlotte 18 Year Old
It’s not quite Octomore, but this single malt from Bruichladdich is still a peat monster. Matured in a combination of refill sherry casks (74%) and refill French oak wine casks (26%), this 54.3% ABV release — the oldest Port Charlottle bottle to date — is a lovely combination of smoky-sweet barbecue and dried fruit. – KM
Ardbeg Spectacular
No one would ever accuse Ardbeg, the Islay distillery known for its peat-heavy releases, of being subtle. But this limited-edition Ardbeg Day release is surprisingly balanced, perhaps due to the time spent aging in both port casks and ex-bourbon barrels. It’s rich, fruity, floral and full of notes of mint, chocolate, candied fruit and, of course, an undertone of sweet smoke. – KM
Barrell Bourbon Cask Finish Series: Mizunara
The latest limited-release expression from this award-winning independent bottler — following the prior two Cask Finish releases (Amburana and A Tale of Two Islands Rum Finish) — is a blend of IN, KY and TN bourbon whiskeys, which was further aged for one and a half years in Mizunara casks and bottled at cask strength (116.42 proof). It has a derived mash bill of corn (76%), rye (20%) and malted barley (4%). This one is almost tropical, with plenty of fruit and notes of corn, spearmint, cherry, sandalwood, coconut and vanilla. Stellar. – KM
Starward Two-Fold 90 Proof
This award-winning Australian whisky debuted new eco-conscious packaging and introduced two new core expressions to the U.S. market, essentially higher-proof variations on bottles you may already know: Starward Two-Fold 90 Proof and Starward 100 Proof (aka “Fortis”). Two-Fold 90 is a standout; it’s a blend of wheat and single malt whisky aged in red wine barrels, offering up a juiciness rarely found in whiskies, plus notes of caramel, butterscotch and red fruit. – KM
Daftmill 2010 Cask Strength
A family-owned and operated distillery located in Fife, this Lowland single malt utilizes barley and water taken from the family farm’s property (it also operates seasonally around the farming schedule). Coming in at 58.7% ABV, this cask-strength 12-year-old release was aged entirely in ex-bourbon barrels and on the ground floor of the property’s dunnage warehouse. The appearance of this whisky is a very light golden hay, and you’ll pick up the bourbon notes on the nose and a fair amount of buttered popcorn. But the liquid itself is rich, creamy, malty and fruity, with a little salinity and a fair amount of vanilla and citrus. – KM
LAGG Kilmory Edition
LAGG distillery only opened on the southern tip of the Isle of Arran, in Scotland’s western shoreline, in 2019. Two expressions were recently launched in the U.S., including the limited-edition Corriecravie (55% ABV) and this bottle, the Kilmory Edition (46% ABV). These are heavily peated expressions, with the Kilmory spending its lifetime in 100% ex-bourbon barrels. Non-chill filtered, this single malt is extremely light in color with a heavy amount of campfire and fruit on the nose. The fruit continues on the palate along with a heavy dose of vanilla, malt, pear and bonfire smoke. Delicious stuff. – KM
Pillow Talk
Earlier this month, one of Los Angeles’s best bars, Thunderbolt, popped up at The New York EDITION. All of the cocktails were fantastic, but their take on an Espresso Martini was the best version of the classic cocktail that I’ve ever had. Made with chamomile-infused Ketel One vodka, blueberry espresso, amaro and lemon cordial, it was bright, fruit-forward and perfectly balanced. – Amanda Gabriele
Cacio e Pepe Vesper
Rome is teeming with incredible cocktail bars, but the one with the best view is unequivocally The Court, which overlooks the Colosseum. And their cocktails are incredible as well. During a visit this fall, I ordered exclusively from the “Martini in Rome” section of the menu, and it did not disappoint. The Cacio e Pepe Vesper (redistilled pecorino Bombay gin and black pepper) was out of this world, and it’s cleverly served from a nasone, mimicking the freshwater drinking fountains found around Rome. – AG
Caprese Martini
The Caprese Martini, my favorite Martini of the year, takes 48 hours to make — 24 hours to fat wash the vodka and another 24 hours to infuse it with tomato and basil. After trying it this summer at Jac’s on Bond, I’ve been back often to sip that savory, perfectly balanced cocktail. – AG
Sella & Mosca Ambat Vermentino di Sardegna DOC
During a trip to Sardinia this fall, I drank a lot of Vermentino, which is such a dreamy white wine. This one is made with grapes grown in Alghero on the island’s west coast, where the calcareous clay soil gives the wine a rich minerality and sea breezes offer a beautiful salinity. Drink it with the freshest raw fish you can find. – AG
2023 Herve Souhaut Domaine Romaneaux-Destezet Syrah
I had this gorgeous wine during dinner at Hemlock Neversink, a modern wellness retreat in the Catskills. The chef there is incredible, and I was eating the most savory, crispy-skinned roast chicken while sipping this French stunner. Made with syrah plucked from 30-year-old vines, it’s big and fruity with balanced tannins and begs to be enjoyed in front of a fire. – AG
Las Jaras Wines 2022 Charbono Amphora
“Yes, it’s spectacular. A dream wine.” That’s what’s written about Las Jaras 2022 Charbono Amphora in the “notes” section of my wine spreadsheet, which I use to keep track of the bottles I try at home. It’s made using old-vine charbono grapes from the Gary Venturi Vineyard in Mendocino County, California, a grape that was quite popular in the area before it was removed to make way for varietals like cabernet sauvignon. It was aged in both amphora and neutral oak barrels, and it has a beautiful deep berry flavor with a perfect minerality. – AG
Sockeye Brewing Cairo Saison
Back in March, I was lucky enough to attend Treefort Fest in Boise, and while I was there, I seized the opportunity to explore Idaho’s thriving craft beer scene. I tried countless local brews — too many excellent ones to list here — but one that really caught my attention was Sockeye’s Cairo Saison, an heirloom grain saison brewed with Egyptian purple barley, amaranth, millet, rye and red wheat, then conditioned on saffron. As you might expect, the saffron gave the beer a lovely golden hue, but it was the unique flavor that really sold me. I was worried the saffron would overpower the rest of the beer, but it managed to stay crisp and clean, with just the right amount of farmhouse funk. – Bonnie Stiernberg
Crystal Clear Espressoless Martini
Down at Tales of the Cocktail, one of the first cocktails we tried was an espresso Martini that was clear like vodka. Except it wasn’t vodka — it was made with Milagro’s new Cristalino Añejo tequila. I have mixed feelings about Cristalinos, but the drink was delicious and it became one of my most shareable experiences — I told pretty much everyone on our team and other attendees to seek it out. – KM
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