This round-up from Franklin Liquors / The Wonderful World of Wine (authored by Mark C. Lenzi) aggregates key headlines, news, and trends across the beverage alcohol industry:
🥃 Spirits & Distilling
- Home Distilling Legal Challenge: A court case challenging the federal prohibition on home distilling could reach the Supreme Court, raising questions about Congress's Commerce Clause powers.
- Whiskey Releases & Pricing:
- Van Winkle Collection: Buffalo Trace and Old Rip Van Winkle announced their annual collection, with average prices increasing by roughly 17%.
- Booker’s & Little Book: Beam Suntory released new 2026 whiskeys, including Booker’s second-ever rye release.
- Parker's Heritage: A look at Heaven Hill's flagship limited-edition line after two decades.
- English Whisky GI: English whisky has officially secured a Geographical Indication (GI) after years of development.
- Free Agave Education: Patrón/Bacardi launched "Agave Masters," a free WSET-partnered education program for bar professionals.
🍷 Wine Industry & Culture
- Cork as a Quality Marker: Data from APCOR (Portuguese Cork Association) highlights natural cork as a primary consumer signal of wine quality across price points.
- Sustainability vs. Organic: Analysis on why "organic" certification isn't always the most eco-friendly route compared to sustainable practices implemented at scale.
- Virginia Wine Film: We the Wine People, a documentary on Virginia’s wine region, debuted on Apple TV.
- Fall Wine Tourism: Highlighting 9 top U.S. wine regions to visit during autumn harvest.
- Wine Deep Dives: Articles covering common additives/processing aids in wine, navigating restaurant wine lists, the revival of Portuguese field blends, and the ongoing debate surrounding natural wines.
🍺 Beer & Alternatives
- Protein Beer: A review of Optimum Nutrition’s ChampionSips—a non-alcoholic, 90-calorie pilsner containing 10g of protein.
- Oktoberfest Rankings: Food & Wine tasted and ranked 10 Oktoberfest seasonal beers, with a non-German entry claiming the top spot.
📊 Consumer & Bartending Trends
- Shift in U.S. Drinking Habits: Tracking data points to America's shifting relationship with alcohol, showing notable declines in overall consumption.
- Bartending & Cocktails: Features addressing common bar terminology ("dry" vs. "neat") and debunking 11 common myths regarding Margaritas and tequila.
Find out what's happening in Wrenthamfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
By subscribing, you agree to Patch's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
