Imbibe’s Tasting Notes Newsletter, 10.01.20

I swapped my morning iced coffee for pour-over a couple of weeks ago, and summer’s 6 p.m. pilsners and Daiquiris are increasingly being replaced by rye Manhattans and the first of the season’s fresh-hop IPAs.

This autumn is shaping up to be a challenging yet fascinating time for all of us. As election season kicks into overdrive and we continue to wrangle with political division and mounting COVID cases, having the pleasant distraction of a perfect cup of coffee or a meditative cocktail can help salvage the day. The world is unpredictable; we’re all feeling anxious and exhausted. But a steaming mug in the morning, a beer in the backyard, a beautifully balanced cocktail as dusk arrives earlier and earlier—these moments can help sand the rough edges off of tough days.

We’re here to help you with that. Head over to imbibemagazine.com for everything from seasonal cocktail recipes (like the Rum with a Vieux) to insights into the people and places behind your favorite drinks. Keep up with us on social media, too, at Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest, for more recipes and drink ideas. And if you’re not already a subscriber to the print and/or digital issues of our magazine, now’s the perfect time to change that—click here to subscribe.

And have you checked out our new-ish podcast? This week, we’re bringing you a deep-dive rum chat with Smuggler’s Cove co-owner Martin Cate (along with a recipe), as well as an update from our 2018 “Beer People of the Year,” Beny Ashburn and Teo Hunter, and more rum insight from Mount Gay Rum’s master blender, Trudiann Branker. Give it a listen right here or on your favorite podcast app, and be sure to subscribe to future episodes.

Finally, you may have noticed that we recently celebrated Negroni Week, and while the week itself has come and gone, we’re still fundraising for hospitality workers who’ve been hard hit by the COVID-19 crisis. But the donation deadline is September 30—that’s today! If you haven’t had a chance to donate yet, please do so by clicking here.

Welcome to autumn—let’s make the most of these days, as challenging as they sometimes are.