Gourmet-Alcohol

Getty Images Over the summer of 2022, Night Shift , a large Massachusetts brewery, shocked drinkers and the larger craft beer industry when it abruptly announced that it would cease brewing at its flagship location and begin using a contract partner to fulfill orders. There were several reasons for the change, including the lingering effects of Covid-19 on the marketplace and a can shortage . But chief among the issues was losing access to a supply of carbon dioxide (CO2), a gas critical for beer production. “Last week, we learned that our CO2 supply has been cut for the foreseeable future, possibly more than a year until we get more,” the brewery wrote in an Instagram post . “Breweries depend on CO2 to make beer, so this was pretty awful news to get. Seems like this will be an issue that impacts a lot of local breweries, so we’re probably one of many breweries facing this new threat to our business.” That statement has rung true for a growing number of the country’s more than

Courtesy of Getty Images, Amazon There’s no doubt about it: Drinking games are fun. It’s a fact humans have been wise to since the days of the ancient Greeks , who, according to writer Michael Fontaine in the history-focused magazine History Today , were among the first to combine games with drinking. We’re not surprised, given that the Greeks were experts at having a good time. A go-to pastime was kottabos, which involved throwing shallow wine-filled cups called kylix at a metal disc in the center of a room. Knock the disc down, and you win a prize. If that sounds messy, that’s because it was. “I have had a kottabos stand made, and [practiced] assiduously,” shares wine writer Hugh Johnson in Hugh Johnson on Wine . “From personal experience I can say it is not at all easy,” he continues. “And it makes a terrible mess on the floor.” Things have changed since the days of the ancient Greeks, not least that most of us aren’t keen to purposely spill wine on the floor. Drinking ca

Courtesy of Getty Images Love it, hate it, or don’t know enough about it to form an opinion, natural wine is here to stay. While the category’s popularity has been blowing up over the last several years, some people still have questions and misconceptions about it. So, Jacy Topps sat down with Jenny Lefcourt who founded Jenny & Francois Selections , a natural wine importing company that began importing natural wines in 2000 long before Americans were familiar with the category. Lefcourt’s love for natural wine started while in Paris. She originally went to France to continue her studies in academia. After many visits to Paris wine bars and vineyards throughout France, all paths led to wine instead of academia.