VinePair

JULY 14, 2025

21, 2015, Sasha Petraske — the visionary bar owner who built the foundations of contemporary cocktail culture through seminal bars like Milk & Honey, Little Branch, The Varnish, and Dutch Kills — unexpectedly passed at the far-too-young age of 42. Simonson: “He singlehandedly brought back cocktail bars.

Bartender 105

Bartender Bartending Bar Cocktail Culture 105

VinePair

SEPTEMBER 2, 2024

According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS), Japanese whisky was the fastest-growing luxury spirit from 2015 to 2020, with volume sales increasing 42 percent in that period. As craft cocktails push the boundaries of what bars can do, bartenders have been able to use Midori in unprecedented ways.

Liqueur 105

Liqueur Nightclub Bartender Bartending 105

VinePair

SEPTEMBER 24, 2024

Smooth Ambler phased out its vodka in 2015 as its whiskey business began taking off, and many distilleries followed the same pattern. Once ubiquitous, craft vodka soon gave way to whiskey. Such transparency is valued by consumers who have been primed to expect it from other craft spirits, and distillers that embrace it are rewarded.

Vodka 111

Vodka Whiskey Tequila Bottle Service 111