No. 123 September/October 2026

Bars and restaurants aren’t typically built for longevity. It’s understandable, in a way—tastes change quickly, as do personnel, and in the notoriously cash-strapped hospitality industry, making major pivots to keep up with changing times and rising prices can come at too high of a cost.

In the 20 years since Imbibe’s debut, we’ve seen many bars open to great acclaim, only to close sooner or later owing to some combination of circumstances. And while we celebrate new bars opening, we also hold a special place in our hearts for the old standards that found a way to successfully navigate the decades. For this issue, we’re recognizing bars across the country that have a similar (or older) vintage as Imbibe , and that are still welcoming guests today.

Age is also a factor in the wine world, of course. But typically when we’re talking about maturation in wine, the conversation sticks to the red end of the spectrum. What about aged white wines? Betsy Andrews headed to Spain for this issue to explore what happens to brilliant Albariños as they mature for months or years.

Rapidly changing dynamics in the drinks world can create both opportunities and challenges. Store shelves are increasingly populated by cans of functional beverages, tapping the purported powers of mushrooms, kava, THC, and other ingredients in the pursuit of better health, better sleep, or simply a better day. But do these things even work? Kate Bernot tackles that question. And hop farms blossomed during craft beer’s big boom. Now that the beer industry is starting to contract, these farms are looking for different ways to pay the bills, and Josh Bernstein shares that with us.

Also in this issue, Drew Faulkner brings us the story of Binh Dao, who fled Vietnam as a child but now makes the country’s signature spirit as a distiller in California, Rich Manning fills us in on the earthy beauty of gentian liqueurs, and Seattle’s Zig Zag Café owner Ben Dougherty shares his insight into the importance of bar regulars. And have you ever wondered how we all came to be drinking cocktails from coupes and Nick & Nora glasses? Wayne Curtis dives down the glassware rabbit hole in Mixopedia.

Cheers,