May Roundup
Some things I drank, made, enjoyed, and read last month
Busy month, big roundup! I’m probably going to write a lot more about a lot of these bullets in the future. Let’s get right into it…
What I’m Drinking
The literal only thing I bought during my recent excursion to fully shop Pernod Ricard’s local selection was a bottle of Italicus. I’ve had it, but I’ve never bought it, and I love it. Just mixing it with 2 parts soda over ice is a fantastic afternoon sipper. It’s like if a cup of Earl Grey tea somehow traded its caffeine bitterness for a bit of booze; it’s sweet but not cloying, citrusy but not too bitter, just so well balanced. If you love bergamot, get after this!
Speaking of soda, you’ll notice a bottle of Mineragua above. I really like Mineragua, and I think it’s a fantastic pantry staple. But, I did finally track down Agua de Piedra and I’m here to tell you that it is worth tracking down and spending for.
What I’m Making
End of spring, beginning of summer is peak citrus juice season. I’m not sure why, just go with it. This attachment to our stand mixer makes juicing a ton of fruit so easy, and so much better than any more manual method. You don’t get quite as much yield, but the time savings is absolutely worth the setup effort.
Good Reads From Drinks World
Drinks International just put out their 2025 Cocktail Report, and overall it’s pretty boring. The only new drink in the Top 10 is the Manhattan, and there are only 2 new entrants to the Top 50. I don’t really count the Oaxaca Old Fashioned independently, which really just means that the Fitzgerald is the only newby (at #44). This is basically a Gin Daiquiri, but I’m not sure I’ve ever ordered or made one. Gonna have to change that soon. In general, though, I’d say the macro trend here is punchier drinks and less ice. I can get behind that.
Bon Apetit just put out their drinks issue, and I’m going to be working through that. This summary from the EIC is a good overview of the overall vibe around drinking today, though.
This roundup of High Noon’s meteoric rise as part of the Gallo portfolio is great, and it would be foundational to a future “business of booze” series if Gallo wasn’t extremely private…
This deep dive into still tech from Rum Wonk is truly wonky and truly interesting
Non-Drinks Stuff I Enjoyed
Matt Levine is a daily read for me, but his bit on money laundering bid/ask spreads was true art
I’ve been aware of Pablo Torre for a long time, but I only recently really started following him. I unironically think he’ll be a Senator within a decade, but in the meantime he’s a fantastic sports journalist. His pursuit of the true Jordon Hudson-Bill Belichick story is amazing, but this production from yesterday about Deland McCullough is a must watch. I just wish Hoosier football got a bit more of a mention…
I am not a New Yorker. I am not a Hillstone person. I still loved this from J Lee last week. “Hillstone represents excellence in mediocrity” is a great line - excited for this new kind of criticism to be getting a bigger platform.
