Kirsten Amann

By Kirsten Amann Happy Independence Day, y’all! I love to raise a glass on our nation’s birthday, but in New England, aren’t we also raising a glass to summer itself on the 4th of July? We have precious few months when fresh fruit is abundantly in season, along with sunshine... Read More

    RYAN McGRALE – A BARTENDER’S LEGACY THE BOSTON MIXOLOGY COMMUNITY lost one of its brightest stars last fall with the sudden and untimely passing of bartender Ryan McGrale on November 14, 2O15. Ryan cut his teeth at No.9 Park when Boston’s cocktail culture was in its relative infancy,... Read More

TIS’ THE SEASON for holiday shopping! Every year it seems to get busier and busier – meaning time is of the essence as customers dash through your aisles pre-holiday fête. Behold our carefully curated list of items to stock this season, sure to spark a twinkle in the eye as... Read More

When brothers Ed and Rob Gillooly received the license for their newly minted Baystate Wine & Spirits on St. Patrick’s Day in 2OO5 they figured it must be a good sign. As a small company looking to break into the predominantly big business of wholesale wine and liquor distribution, the... Read More

Wachusett BrewING is celebrating its 2Oth anniversary in November. A lot has changed since founders Ned LaFortune, Peter Quinn and Kevin Butler left their fledgling careers in engineering and biology to embark on an ambitious dream: to open the first craft brewery in Central Massachusetts. “We really had no right... Read More

Since our founding fathers gathered around a punch bowl to sketch plans for the Revolution, this city has shown a fondness for beverage alcohol.  This fall, Bostonians can raise a glass to our unique and special beverage scene at Thirst Boston, a two-day celebration of all the things Bostonians drink... Read More

MORGAN FIRST and TYLER BALLIET of SECOND GLASS are REINVENTING WINE  EDUCATION ONE RIOT at a TIME FOR THE NOVICE DRINKER, learning about wine can be nothing if not intimidating.  And for many young people, it has an air of the unattainable.  It’s not that there aren’t countless approachable wines... Read More

ONE MIGHT IMAGINE that walking into the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission headquarters to meet with Chairman Kim Gainsboro would feel a bit like walking into the principal’s office.  This is, after all, where the letter of the law as it applies to “the sale, purchase, transportation, manufacture, consumption and possession... Read More

IT MAY HAVE TAKEN AMERICA a while to catch up with the wine-drinking habits of Europe, but with record-breaking growth in 2O12 and a $34.6 billion dollar industry on our hands, it’s safe to say the US has arrived.  We may be sipping and swirling wine but, as our own... Read More

You can hardly blame a wine novice for feeling shy on their maiden visit to a wine shop, where difficult to pronounce labels and a confusing range of price tags abound.  Even the seasoned consumers are sure to have their moments, wistfully murmuring “if only picking out Grand Cru Bordeaux... Read More