FROM THE BARLIST JOURNAL
Spirits
The name Havana Club does not refer to the same rum everywhere. Across much of the world, it belongs to a Cuban produced brand managed through Havana Club International, the joint venture created by Corporación Cuba Ron and Pernod Ricard. In the United States, the name appears on a different rum made in Puerto Rico […]
June 22, 2026
Trends and Innovations
World Gin Day is held on the second Saturday of June. In 2026, it fell on 13 June. The date is modern, but the history gathered around it reaches back through Low Countries distilling, English taxation, 18th-century social crisis, industrial production, cocktail culture, and the international revival of botanical spirits. The event began in Birmingham […]
June 13, 2026
Spirits
On Islay, peat is often the first thing noticed. At Bowmore, it is rarely the only thing that matters. When Bowmore 21 Year Old Sherry Oak Cask was named World’s Best Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards 2026, alongside Best Scotch Islay Single Malt, the result did not come from intensity alone. It came […]
May 25, 2026
History
Aguardiente Amarillo is not a modern invention or a reinterpretation of an existing spirit category. Its identity is rooted in the late nineteenth century, when Colombia’s regional distillation systems began formalizing production around sugarcane alcohol and anise-based formulations. The reference to 1885 corresponds to a period when aguardiente production shifted from informal, localized distillation to […]
May 23, 2026
Trends and Innovations
The first months of 2026 did not arrive with a single defining bottle or a headline-grabbing category disruption. Instead, they unfolded through a series of measured decisions across distilleries, brands, and markets. New spirit releases appeared steadily, but what connected them was not novelty. It was intent. Across whisky, agave spirits, and emerging categories, producers […]
April 17, 2026
Spirits
In the early decades of the nineteenth century, the cost of a glass of spirits in London, Paris, or Warsaw was rarely determined by the distiller. It was determined by the state. A measure of whisky, Cognac, or vodka carried within it a structure of duties, controls, and transport costs that defined not only its […]
April 7, 2026
Community and Lifestyle
Every year on March 27, whisky is observed through a lens that is both personal and global. International Whisky Day is marked annually on this date to honour the life and legacy of Michael Jackson, born in 1942. His work from the 1980s through the early 2000s established a structured way of understanding whisky across regions, […]
March 27, 2026
Region
Low-alcohol beverages have become a major topic of discussion globally, both among consumers seeking moderation and among regulators defining safe limits. While low alcohol may appear straightforward, the term carries different legal meanings in different countries. Understanding these distinctions requires examining production thresholds, labeling rules, and the historical evolution of definitions of low alcohol across […]
March 25, 2026
Community and Lifestyle
Vermouth was never meant to disappear. For much of its history, it occupied a quiet but essential role, bridging wine and spirits through a careful balance of botanicals, fortification, and controlled bitterness. On World Vermouth Day 2026, that role is once again visible. What was once pushed to the margins of cocktail recipes has returned […]
March 21, 2026
