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…

Any old rum might be fine for a fruity summer cocktail, but some rums are like fine whiskey: You really want to think twice about mixing them. Such sipping rums are aged and often blended from rums aged for different lengths of time or in different conditions, taking on great character. Use a snifter, let…

Pop culture has done a disservice to tequila, from the idea that one lines up shots with lime wedges and salt to the myth of worms in the bottle (that was mezcal, not tequila, and a marketing gag at best). But tequila-making is an art, and its production has strict guidelines both in ingredients and…

Just as spring slips and summer arrives in Japan, before the mosquitoes swarm and the thick humidity hits in earnest, ume leads the charge into the new season. Ume, Japanese plums, are just as much a part of Japanese art and life as sakura, cherry blossoms. The trees bloom earlier, at the end of winter…

Love it or hate it, tequila conjures up strong feelings in many drinkers. “Forgive us for the old memories of bad quality tequila!” jokes Antonio Rodriguez, director of production at Patrón Tequila. “We cannot hide that we come from a history when usually tequilas were not as premium as they are right now.” Deano Moncrieffe,…