No. 112: November/December 2024

Welcome to November. Right now, each day is getting incrementally shorter. The darkness is advancing at a slow, steady creep until finally, as the holiday season kicks into high gear, it’ll seem to swallow a good expanse of the day.

Isn’t it beautiful? I’ve always loved the onset of winter. This is in part because I’m a certified fanatic of the whole holiday season. But it’s also because the shorter days translate into longer nights—and for me as a lifelong night owl, this means there’s simply more opportunities to revel in the magic the long, dark evenings can bring.

Holiday parties, for example. We could all use a little extra bump to keep the festive spirit going until New Year’s, and today’s mania for the Espresso Martini has resulted in a wealth of coffee-nudged cocktails designed to keep the party in motion. We’ve got plenty of recipe choices for you in our annual holiday cocktails feature. Are cocktails filled with deep, rich flavors more your vibe as we head toward winter? No problem—head to Elements to find ways to work the sweet character of Pedro Ximénez sherry into your happy hour plans.

From Africa to the Caribbean and stretching into the U.S., sorrel and similar hibiscus-and-spice drinks are a staple of the holiday season. But this culture of red drink has a much deeper history than may be apparent; Ramin Ganeshram tells us the full story.

Warmer times of year, “beer” frequently appears in the company of words like “ice” and “cold.” But as Josh Bernstein shares with us for this issue, winter can be a time for brewers and beer drinkers to start playing with fire in their pursuit of season-appropriate refreshment. Portugal’s iconic fortified wine is a great choice year-round, of course—but come on, can you really get into the right holiday mindset without a glass of Port now and then? Check out Betsy Andrews’ feature on Port’s contemporary evolution, as producers contend with changes in the wine world and a warming climate.

Our understanding of tea has long been defined by a few large, industrialized regions that provide much of the world’s supply. But as Max Falkowitz reveals, there’s some great tea to be discovered in less-familiar regions from Bhutan to post-Soviet Georgia, if you know where to look.

And Boston’s long been one of the shining stars of the current cocktail revival. When the pandemic shook that city’s bar culture, veteran bartender Jackson Cannon stepped up to help it rebuild; Robert Simonson brings us his profile. We’ve also got tools for all your holiday ice needs, Wayne Curtis’ search for the essential Thanksgiving cocktail, Jeffrey Morgenthaler’s quest to make the ideal eggnog, and a taste test of alcohol-free sparkling wines that are perfect serving options all season long.

Happy holidays,