No. 90 March/April 2021

Plenty of packages have shown up at my door over the course of this past year. Among the Amazon envelopes, product samples, and boxes of condiments, heirloom beans, and assorted goodies that have helped keep quarantine cooking interesting, was a package that arrived with unexpected cargo. Inside the box was a platoon of tiny plastic honey bears, their caps bearing stickers identifying each one’s contents: Tupelo, Meadowfoam, Sourwood, Orange Blossom. Those miniature bears and their honey payloads got me thinking more about the flavors that make life a little more interesting; we’ve got several stories exploring this theme in the pages ahead.

Honey, of course, is everywhere, and can be found increasingly in your glass—Josh Bernstein tours a few of the brewers, distillers, and other makers who are using honey in their beverages while also working to ensure the survival of honeybees and other essential pollinators. Chocolate is another flavor that enriches so many lives; in Mexico, chocolate’s not only a culinary cornerstone, it’s the foundation of a drink that speaks to the country’s culture—Simran Sethi brings us this story. And if you’re a wine drinker, the word “Zinfandel” can conjure up a number of sometimes disparate flavor associations and attitudes; Chasity Cooper explores the twists and turns of this wine grape’s fortunes.

You know what else makes life a bit sweeter? Scotch. There’s no one flavor of Scotch whisky—instead, the spirit roams freely from dainty brushes of fruit and flowers to bombastic pyrotechnics of smoke and sea, its flavors covering all the territory in between. We’re taking a deep dive into Scotch whisky—and if you’d like to read that coverage with a whisky cocktail in hand, start by checking out our anatomy of the classic Rob Roy.

We’re also bringing you cocktails made with génépy, a visit to the first tribally owned distillery on Native American land, an introduction to New Belgium Brewing’s diversity and inclusion specialist Patrice Palmer, and a guide to picking out your next Bloody Mary mixer. And if you’re wondering how our friends in the bar world are coping with the ongoing COVID crisis, check out our continuing series of Quench essays, including this issue’s contribution from San Diego bar owner Erick Castro.

These continue to be difficult times, but do you see that light at the end of the tunnel? It’s hard to see it sometimes, but it’s there. Familiar flavors and new experiences can help us get through these challenging days—here’s hoping you find a new favorite, or rediscover an old one.

—Paul Clarke