“Take your medicine, Eric.” My mother’s command from years ago rings in my ears as Jill Smith, co-owner of Colorado’s Salida Pharmacy and Fountain, explains why flavored sodas were invented in the 19th century—and why most soda fountains were found in pharmacies. An egg cream, an iconic New York drink, from Brooklyn Farmacy and Soda…

There’s nothing like a chilled glass of bubbly happiness in summer, something not too strong but also refreshing and flavorful. The name spritz comes from the German spritzen (to squirt), which seems an odd moniker for a drink of Italian origins. But in the 19th century after the fall of Napoleon, the Habsburgs of the…

The season is upon us once again (and long overdue if you’re a northerner!), so it’s time to break out the summer sippers. While there’s no law against drinking a heavy beer or perhaps a stout in the summer months, we’re generally looking for those thirst-quenching, lighter-bodied brews. That might mean a crisp and clean…

Not drinking? No problem. As more drinkers are skipping the alcohol or limiting their intake, exciting non-alcoholic spirits, wines, and beers, and even entire bars and bottle shops devoted to them, are on the rise. We asked three experts to recommend their favorite American-made bottles to bring home. For the Wine Lover (Courtesy of Sovi…

For many, coffee is a morning ritual, and the daily brewing routine gets us started as much as the drink itself does. Studies continue to tout the health benefits of a cup of Joe, which is welcome reassurance, but some aspects of coffee, especially caffeine, don’t always work for people. For some, a cup or…

A New Orleans original, the Vieux Carré (pronounced vyoo kah-RAY) takes a French name, meaning “old square,” and in this context, that’s the oldest part of the city: the French Quarter. While there’s no precise date of its creation, the recipe first takes the light of print in 1937 in Stanley Clisby Arthur’s “Famous New…

Festive celebrations call for sparkling wine. From inimitable Champagne to budget-friendly alternatives, here are favorite picks from top sommeliers for all your holiday toasting needs. Domaine du Moulin Methode Ancestrale Brut (Courtesy of Domaine du Moulin) Domaine du Moulin Methode Ancestrale Brut, Gaillac, France Pétillant naturel wines (roughly translates to natural sparkling) have the best…

In late spring on the Greek island of Samos, the gnarly vines claw their way out of the sun-scorched, stony soil on Mount Ambelos. Their branches, twisted, low-lying, and braced against sea-salt winds, hold up precious clusters of small, gold-green muscat grapes that have made this tiny isle in the North Aegean—just 27 miles long…

The national drink of Brazil, this citrusy, chilled cocktail has grown in popularity in bars across the world, thanks to its fresh flavor and simplicity. Consisting of lime, sugar, and clear alcohol, a caipirinha may sound like the beginnings of a mojito—and the drinks do share origins as medicinal concoctions believed to be good for…

Winemakers love to say their products are made of grapes and nothing else. It’s largely accurate, but if you really get into the weeds, it’s hardly all that’s at play. As a “basically natural” product, wine is one of the most complicated of beverages. It’s 180 degrees from the formulation that leads us to Coke,…