The Journal | Barrel and Banter

Three rocks glasses on dark marble, one deep ruby red, one pale pink and one golden, each with a large ice cube and an orange peel

CocktailsFour classics

The Negroni Family: Three Twists

Equal parts, endless cousins. The classic, a soft pale one and a golden White Negroni, with recipes for each.

28 October 2026 · 4 min read

Three snifters of brandy in different shades of gold in front of three dark bottles on a polished wooden bar in warm lamplight

SpiritsThree styles

Cognac, Brandy, Armagnac: Three Bottles, Three Evenings

What separates Cognac from Armagnac and Spanish brandy, and one way to enjoy each on its own evening.

27 October 2026 · 4 min read

An espresso martini with a thick pale foam and three coffee beans on a black marble bar with orange veins

CocktailsRecipe

The Espresso Martini, Done Properly

Three ingredients and one trick: how to get the thick, pale foam and a drink that is not too sweet.

27 October 2026 · 3 min read

A pint of amber beer and a glass of whisky on a wooden rail beside a glowing barbecue grill at night

PairingsTwo glasses

Grill Night: The Beer to Hold and the Whisky to Save

What to drink while you cook, what to pour when the fire is low, and three small rules for a good evening.

27 October 2026 · 3 min read

A cooler bag with an ice-cold bottle of beer beside bread, soft cheese and strawberries on a picnic blanket at sunset

PairingsPacking list

The Picnic Cooler: What to Chill, What to Pack

Cold drinks that suit bread, cheese and strawberries, and how to keep them cold until you sit down.

27 October 2026 · 3 min read

A steaming glass mug of mulled wine with an orange slice, cinnamon stick and star anise on a dark wooden table

WinesRecipe

Mulled Wine, Made Gently

The secret is heat, and how little of it you use. Plus a zero-proof version everyone can share.

27 October 2026 · 3 min read

Three sparkling wine glasses in different golds on a dark bar

WinesThree styles

Champagne, Prosecco or Cava? What Is Actually Different

Three famous sparkling wines, made in three places and in different ways, and what to pour with each.

26 October 2026 · 4 min read

Four classic whiskey cocktails on a dark wooden bar

CocktailsFour classics

Four Whiskey Cocktails Beyond the Old Fashioned

Whiskey Sour, Manhattan, Mint Julep and Penicillin: four classics worth learning.

26 October 2026 · 4 min read

A wooden cheese board with five cheeses beside four glasses of wine

PairingsFive matches

Cheese and Wine: Five Matches That Always Work

Goat cheese and Sauvignon Blanc, blue and Port, and three more pairings that work almost every time.

25 October 2026 · 4 min read

Three whiskey glasses in pale gold, amber and copper on a dark bar

SpiritsStyle guide

Scotch, Bourbon or Irish? A Plain-Words Guide

Three famous whiskey styles and what really separates them, with tips for tasting and cocktails.

25 October 2026 · 4 min read

An Italian terrace table with Aperol spritz, olives and breadsticks

PairingsThe ritual

Aperitivo Hour: An Italian Ritual You Can Borrow

A light bittersweet drink, something salty and no rush: how to bring aperitivo home.

25 October 2026 · 4 min read

Three small sherry glasses with almonds, olives and cured ham

WinesStyle guide

Sherry Is Not Just for Grandmothers

From bone-dry fino to dessert-sweet Pedro Ximénez, sherry is one of the most food-friendly wines there is.

24 October 2026 · 4 min read

A compact home bar with seven bottles, a shaker and fresh citrus

CocktailsShopping list

The Home Bar in Seven Bottles

Seven well-chosen bottles and four classic drinks you can make tonight.

24 October 2026 · 4 min read

Five different beer glasses in a row on a dark wooden bar

PairingsFive styles

Beer Is Not Just Beer: Five Styles, Five Moods

Pilsner, wheat, pale ale, stout and sour: five beers that look and taste nothing alike, and what each one loves to eat.

23 October 2026 · 4 min read

A white, a rose and a red wine glass with different amounts of condensation beside a vintage thermometer

WinesThe clock

The Wine Temperature Clock

Most wine is served at the wrong temperature. Here is a clock from sparkling to full red, and a routine you can actually follow.

22 October 2026 · 4 min read

A gin glass surrounded by small piles of juniper, coriander, lemon peel, cardamom and peppercorns on dark slate

SpiritsSmell test

Gin Is Just Juniper? The Botanical Smell Test

A five-minute smell test with spices from your kitchen that will change how you taste your next gin.

22 October 2026 · 4 min read

Four classic cocktails and their alcohol free twins: an Old Fashioned, espresso martini, mojito and negroni on slate coasters at a dark marble bar

CocktailsTwins

Zero-Proof Twins: Four Classics, No Alcohol

A good alcohol-free drink is not a worse cocktail. It is a twin. Four classics and their look-alikes.

22 October 2026 · 4 min read

The bitterness meter: five glasses of bitter liqueur from gentle pale gold to fierce near black, with grapefruit and orange peel, a five step guide from mild to strong

LiqueursThe meter

The Bitterness Meter: Five Steps From Gentle to Fierce

Bitter liqueurs are not all the same. A five-step meter shows where to start and how to climb.

22 October 2026 · 4 min read

Pizza, sushi, a burger, fried chicken and curry on a dark table with wine glasses and a highball

PairingsDelivery menu

Order, Then Pour: The Delivery-Night Guide

Pizza, burger, sushi, curry and fried chicken: what to pour with the food you actually order on a Tuesday night.

22 October 2026 · 4 min read

Five small desserts in a row on dark slate with a glass of whisky and a blank scorecard

SpiritsScorecard

The Dessert Judge: One Whisky, Five Puddings, Honest Scores

We sat one sherry-style whisky down with five desserts and marked each match out of five. One of them surprised us.

21 October 2026 · 4 min read

Three glasses of rum from clear to dark beside sugarcane stalks and brown sugar

SpiritsFamily tree

Rum, Explained in Three Families

Every rum begins as the same plant. Follow the branches from sugarcane to white, dark and grassy rum.

21 October 2026 · 4 min read

A frosted glass of vodka surrounded by potatoes, wheat and grapes

SpiritsMyth vs fact

Five Vodka Myths, Tested

Potatoes only? Tasteless? Best frozen? We checked five common vodka beliefs against how it is really made and served.

21 October 2026 · 3 min read

Five champagne flutes in a row with an increasing stack of sugar cubes in front of each

WinesThe ladder

The Sparkling Sweetness Ladder

Brut, Extra Dry, Sec, Demi-Sec. One word on the label tells you how sweet it is. Learn the ladder in a minute.

21 October 2026 · 4 min read

Four small tequila glasses in a row, from clear to deep amber

SpiritsTimeline

Tequila Is Not a Shot: Four Colors of Time

Clear, straw, gold, mahogany. The color in the glass is a clock. Here is how to read it and what to pour for each.

18 October 2026 · 4 min read

Five different gin cocktails lined up on a dark marble bar

CocktailsPick your mood

One Bottle of Gin, Five Moods

Do not ask which cocktail to make. Ask how you feel. Five moods, five drinks, one bottle.

14 October 2026 · 4 min read

A candlelit table for one with three wine glasses and a blank menu card

WinesThe menu

A Dinner Where Every Dish Picks Its Own Glass

A five-course menu for one, with the glass chosen for each course and one reason why. Three old rules get broken along the way.

10 October 2026 · 5 min read

An old wooden cabinet filled with small liqueur bottles

LiqueursRescue list

The Cabinet of Forgotten Bottles

That dusty bottle at the back of the shelf is not a mistake. Five liqueurs, what they really are, and how to rescue each one.

6 October 2026 · 4 min read

Are you of legal drinking age?

Drinks, written differently.

The Negroni Family: Three Twists

Cognac, Brandy, Armagnac: Three Bottles, Three Evenings

The Espresso Martini, Done Properly

Grill Night: The Beer to Hold and the Whisky to Save

The Picnic Cooler: What to Chill, What to Pack

Mulled Wine, Made Gently

Champagne, Prosecco or Cava? What Is Actually Different

Four Whiskey Cocktails Beyond the Old Fashioned

Cheese and Wine: Five Matches That Always Work

Scotch, Bourbon or Irish? A Plain-Words Guide

Aperitivo Hour: An Italian Ritual You Can Borrow

Sherry Is Not Just for Grandmothers

The Home Bar in Seven Bottles

Beer Is Not Just Beer: Five Styles, Five Moods

The Wine Temperature Clock

Gin Is Just Juniper? The Botanical Smell Test

Zero-Proof Twins: Four Classics, No Alcohol

The Bitterness Meter: Five Steps From Gentle to Fierce

Order, Then Pour: The Delivery-Night Guide

The Dessert Judge: One Whisky, Five Puddings, Honest Scores

Rum, Explained in Three Families

Five Vodka Myths, Tested

The Sparkling Sweetness Ladder

Tequila Is Not a Shot: Four Colors of Time

One Bottle of Gin, Five Moods

A Dinner Where Every Dish Picks Its Own Glass

The Cabinet of Forgotten Bottles

Country Specials