Kara Newman
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Drinks & travel writer. Serial cocktail book author. Spirits reviews, writer-at-large @WineEnthusiast. IG/Threads: newman_kara Bluesky: @karanewman.bsky.social
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Articles by Kara Newman
This Internet-Famous Korean Coffee Drink Is Even Better as a Cocktail
First, there was dalgona candy, a traditional Korean confection with flavors some liken to honeycomb or butterscotch; the word “dalgona” comes from the Korean word for “sweet. Then came dalgona coffee, a popular Korean coffee drink that went viral on social media in 2020. It seemed like everyone was vigorously mixing instant coffee, sugar, and hot water until thick, caramel-colored peaks emerged. The fluffy, toffee-like cloud was then spooned atop milk for a sweet, drinkable treat.
Agave Wine 101: What to Know About Tequila’s Low-Key Cousin
By Kara Newman · October 14, 2026 Kara Newman is a spirits reviewer and author of several cocktail books, including Shake.Stir.Sip., Nightcap, and Cocktails with a Twist. When you buy something through our link, we may earn a small commission from our affiliate partners. Wine Enthusiast maintains complete editorial independence and all wines are blind tasted. Read more about our policy.
2XO Rapper’s Delight The Hip-Hop Blend
Distiller Undisclosed Bottler Prestige Beverage Group ABV 52% Age NAS Price $60 to $99.99 2XO Rapper’s Delight The Hip-Hop Blend is a Kentucky-sourced bourbon blended by Dixon Dedman in partnership with Prestige Beverage Group and hip-hop group The Sugarhill Gang. It combines two proprietary mash bills, with a 35% high-rye bourbon comprising 90% of the blend and an 18% moderate-rye bourbon making up the remaining 10%.
Halloween Bars Are Scary Profitable
By Kara Newman · September 29, 2026 Kara Newman is a spirits reviewer and author of several cocktail books, including Shake.Stir.Sip., Nightcap, and Cocktails with a Twist. Key Points Pop-up franchises like Black Lagoon help bars extend single-night Halloween crowds into a lucrative, month-long revenue stream. Immersive seasonal menus allow high-end cocktail lounges to attract group traffic and capitalize on holiday spending.
Fettercairn 16 Years
Distiller Fettercairn Distillery Bottler Whyte & Mackay ABV 46.4% Age 16 Years Price $60 to $99.99 Fettercairn 16 Year Old is a Highland single malt Scotch whisky produced at Fettercairn Distillery, founded in 1824 in the foothills of the Cairngorm Mountains in Scotland’s Eastern Highlands.
These Distilleries and Tasting Rooms Are the Future of Kentucky Bourbon
By Kara Newman · September 22, 2026 Kara Newman is a spirits reviewer and author of several cocktail books, including Shake.Stir.Sip., Nightcap, and Cocktails with a Twist. Kentucky is where whiskey fans go to immerse themselves in bourbon's legacy, in all its amber glory. It’s also a living incubator for an industry that’s constantly evolving and innovating. Even as bourbon sales have ebbed in recent years, tourism along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail continues to boom.
Caviar, Ultra-Rare Scotch, and $179 Wine Are Changing the Way We Fly Original
U.S. airlines and airport lounges are upgrading premium food and drink offerings, from chef-designed in-flight meals to caviar service and private dining spaces. Dining is increasingly part of the travel experience, with 74% of airport lounge visitors using food and beverage offerings, according to a December 2025 survey.
Caviar, Ultra-Rare Scotch, and $179 Wine Are Changing the Way We Fly
1 hour ago On Jan. 1, 1980, Gary Larson’s The Far Side began its legendary run, which lasted until Jan. 1, 1995. Totaling over 4,000 comic strips, The Far Side began in just one newspaper, The San Francisco Chronicle, and by the end it appeared in nearly 2,000 of them. More than 30 years after its conclusion, …
Caviar, Ultra-Rare Scotch, and $179 Wine Are Changing the Way We Fly
Premium airport dining increasingly emphasizes restaurant-quality meals, like a menu of tapas at Capital One Lounge at DCA.Credit: Courtesy of Capital One For premium travelers, the journey is becoming an experience in its own right — starting well before takeoff. • U.S. airlines and airport lounges are upgrading premium food and drink offerings, from chef-designed in-flight meals to caviar service and private dining spaces.
This Punchy Espresso Cocktail Has Afro-Caribbean Flair
Nelson German understands how flavors work. He’s the chef-owner of alaMar Dominican Kitchen and the Afro-Latin cocktail lounge Sobre Mesa in Oakland, California, and was a contestant on Top Chef Season 18. Yet, when he began writing his new book, Caribbean Cocktails, which centers German’s exploration of the Spanish-speaking African diaspora, he realized the flavors he grew up with—plantains, braised meats, rich spice blends—weren’t just Dominican; they were African, too.
This Maximalist Jewelry Trend Has Roots in Prohibition
By Kara Newman · August 26, 2026 Kara Newman is a spirits reviewer and author of several cocktail books, including Shake.Stir.Sip., Nightcap, and Cocktails with a Twist. After this year’s Met Gala, bold cocktail rings emerged as one of the evening’s standout jewelry trends. Gala co-chair Nicole Kidman flashed a cocktail ring featuring a ruby center stone surrounded by diamonds.
This Bitter, Earthy Cocktail Is Just Right for Sweater Weather
No other author plays with the gothic motifs of Halloween quite like Edward Gorey. His illustrated books are moody and macabre, but also whimsical and darkly funny. The Gashlycrumb Tinies (1963) is his famed alphabet book, in which each letter introduces a child who meets a grim yet oddly hilarious fate.
Think Vodka Tastes Like Nothing? You Haven’t Tried These
By Kara Newman · August 14, 2026 Kara Newman is a spirits reviewer and author of several cocktail books, including Shake.Stir.Sip., Nightcap, and Cocktails with a Twist. "If you’re going to burn your toast, it doesn’t matter if you start with a fancy loaf of bread,” says Eric Olson, director of distillery operations for Industrious Spirits Company (ISCO) in Providence, Rhode Island.
Martini-Maxxing Has Arrived. Here’s Why Everyone Is Doing It Original
Credit: Courtesy of As Is Productions Bars are embracing “Martini-maxxing,” refining every detail, from temperature to garnishes. The Martini’s simple recipe makes precision essential, giving bartenders a way to showcase technique and style. Martini-focused bars are booming as the iconic cocktail becomes a canvas for creativity and customization. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more dramatic version of the Martini than the one served at Bar Chimera, Simon Kim’s new Midtown brasserie.
We’re Still Celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary With These 10 New Whiskey Drops Original
Food & Wine / Barrell Craft Spirits As an independent bottler, Barrell is known for sourcing and blending whiskies — primarily but not exclusively bourbon — into high-end bottlings. This limited-release blend of straight bourbons melds distillate from Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana,, and Maryland, with ages ranging from eight to 15 years. The stars-and-stripes motif on the label is subtle, but what’s in the bottle is brooding and bold, as befits a longer-aged bourbon bottled at cask strength.
Strawberries and Black Tea Join Forces in This Bittersweet Campari Cocktail
“We’re trying to evoke the fresh, green pastures of Rome,” says Kay Baldasare, bar manager of New York City Italian restaurant Ci Siamo. The Roman Hills cocktail, a collaboration between Baldasare and Chef Hillary Sterling, is a fruit-packed refresher designed to accompany rich cheeses, pastas, and wood-fired vegetable dishes.
You Don’t Need to Smoke Cigars to Fall in Love with Cigar Whiskey
When you buy something through our link, we may earn a small commission from our affiliate partners. Wine Enthusiast maintains complete editorial independence and all wines are blind tasted. Read more about our policy. Keep your stogies; they’re not for me. While I’ve never warmed to cigars, I was surprised to find how much I enjoy “cigar whiskeys”—a growing category of silky, mellow whiskeys to savor alongside the slow ritual of smoking a cigar.
Fettercairn Highland Single Malt 12 Years
Distiller Fettercairn Distillery Bottler Fettercairn Distillery ABV 40% Age 12 Years Price $60 to $99.99 Fettercairn Highland Single Malt 12 Years is aged 12 years in American oak ex-bourbon barrels and bottled at 40% ABV. Founded in 1824 by Sir Alexander Ramsay and named for its village, Fettercairn typically sells for about £40 per 70cl bottle in the U.K. and around $54.99 in the U.S.
How Our First 100-Point Spirit Earned Its Perfect Score
It may be hard to believe, but this tequila is the first 100-point spirit I’ve ever published in 15 years of reviewing spirits for Wine Enthusiast. To be fair, it’s not the first 100-pointer I’ve assigned. Early in my tenure, a Japanese whisky earned a perfect score. But when it became clear that the whisky was a limited allocation that had already sold out in the United States, we yanked it from the lineup, and the review never ran.
What the Latest Tariff News Means for Your Whiskey
Finally, there’s some good news for whiskey lovers. A year after the United States imposed 10% tariffs on goods from the United Kingdom, President Trump announced on Truth Social that whiskey tariffs and restrictions between the U.K. and U.S. would be lifted. The news was announced on April 30, after King Charles III and Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom departed after a four-day visit to the U.S., and just days before the Kentucky Derby.
Sweetens Cove 5-Year Bourbon
Distiller Undisclosed Bottler Sweetens Cove Spirits ABV 46.85% Age 5 Years Price $30 to $59.99 Sweetens Cove 5-Year Tennessee Bourbon is the flagship release from the celebrity-backed brand named for a golf course near Chattanooga. Aged five years and bottled at 46.85% ABV, it is produced from sourced Tennessee whiskey that was located in a Kentucky warehouse and returned to Tennessee, with blending by Marianne Eaves. A 750 ml bottle typically retails for around $45.
MOTH Margarita Review | The Daily Pour
Distiller Undisclosed Bottler MOTH Drinks ABV 14.9% Age NAS Price $1 to $29.99 MOTH, which stands for “Mix of Total Happiness,” is a U.K.-based ready-to-drink cocktail brand focused on bar-strength, premixed classics made with real spirits. Its Margarita combines tequila from Enemigo tequila, triple sec, lime and salt. Packaged in 200 ml cans at 14.9% ABV, It typically retails in four-packs priced at about $19.99.
Love Horses? Try These Whiskeys
When you buy something through our link, we may earn a small commission from our affiliate partners. Wine Enthusiast maintains complete editorial independence and all wines are blind tasted. Read more about our policy. While Kentucky is known for bourbon, it’s also famed for raising and racing horses. Each May, at Louisville’s Churchill Downs, the Kentucky Derby pairs the two, as the famous horse race is celebrated with plenty of bourbon-spiked mint juleps.
Fino Sherry Is the Star of This Refreshing Low-Proof Paloma
The Palomino carries a double meaning: it nods to the classic Paloma—“dove” in Spanish—while its lower-alcohol twist makes it the “little dove.” Additionally, it’s lighter because part of the tequila is replaced with fino Sherry, which is made from Palomino grapes.
The Resy Guide to Where (and What) to Drink in New York This Spring
Discover restaurants to love. Close Close The Dolamite cocktail from Kees. Photo by Eric Medsker, courtesy of Kees Guides New York By Kara Newman, a New York City-based writer, editor, and cocktail book author.
The Top 10 US Bars, According to the Experts Original
The top bars in the United States offer a snapshot of what best-in-class bar culture looks like right now. One clear through line: a move away from fussy, speakeasy-style culture. Relaxed bars, many of them proudly channeling the energy of dive bars, are in vogue right now. Denver’s Yacht Club, St. Louis’ Platypus, and Chicago’s Best Intentions all exemplify the shift.
Why This Agave Expert Says to Avoid Smoky Mezcal
John Douglass of Pretty Decent bar in Louisville, Kentucky.Photographer: Andrew Hyslop April 2, 2026 at 9:45 PM UTC Kara Newman, your spirits and cocktail guide here, with a provocative POV on what makes for great (and not-so-great) mezcal.
Your ChatGPT Orders Are Making Bartenders Sad
Meaghan Dorman, proprietor of the New York City cocktail bars Raines Law Room and Dear Irving, understands that people might not know what they want to order when they approach the bar. But she is baffled by where they are turning for inspiration. “All I want for Christmas is for people to stop asking ChatGPT what to order,” she wrote in an Instagram story this past December. “Ask me!” she pleaded.
The Term ‘Sommelier’ Is Losing All Meaning
When did everybody who’s good at something become a sommelier? I’ve always understood a sommelier to be a wine professional with deep knowledge about how wine is made, stored, and served. Wine is a key part of the definition; it would be redundant to talk about a “wine somm,” like saying “chai tea” or “fish aquarium.” But lately it seems like the entire world has been en-sommified. The way I see it, it all started with other drinks experts claiming the honorific. There’s a water sommelier.
Inside the World’s Most Beautiful Bars, Where Design Is as Dazzling as the Drinks Original
Credit: Photo by Alexis Armanet / Styling by Sarah de Beaumont A memorable bar is about more than just great drinks. It’s also about the design, the lighting, the music, the barware, and all the other aesthetics that come together to create a mini ecosystem. A new book, The World's Most Beautiful Bars: Extraordinary Bars by the World's Leading Interior Designers(Cultural Union, released March 2026) pays homage to the design — and the designers — behind these often-elaborate spaces.
Five Essential Dishes and Drinks to Order at Stone & Soil — Resy | Right This Way
Discover restaurants to love. Close Close Photo courtesy of Stone & Soil Dish By Dish New York By Kara Newman, a New York City-based writer, editor, and cocktail book author. Published: March 9, 2026 It’s easy to walk right past Stone & Soil. Located on an otherwise unremarkable stretch of East 28th St. on the edge of Lexington, set back from the street, the venue’s almost rustic exterior might be mistaken for a garden design shop, or possibly a spa.
This Plantain Old Fashioned Flew Straight in From Nairobi
At Nairobi’s Hero Bar—a whimsical space inside the Trademark Hotel, decorated with anime murals and superhero figurines—the Plantain Old Fashioned is a mainstay on the colorful, comic-book-style menu. The drink was originally created for AJABU, a cocktail conference in Cape Town, where it was part of a lineup showcasing ingredients and flavors typical of African cuisine. Strong and stirred, the cocktail is balanced by the subtle sweetness of plantain.
The Making of an All-American Rum
American rums worth seeking out.Source: Vendors March 5, 2026 at 11:00 PM UTC Kara Newman, your Bloomberg spirits and cocktail guide here, with some thoughts about where American rum might be headed, as well as a first look at Hendrick’s new gin...
Beach-ify Your Liquor Cabinet with These Tropical Gins
When you buy something through our link, we may earn a small commission from our affiliate partners. Wine Enthusiast maintains complete editorial independence and all wines are blind tasted. Read more about our policy. Pineapple. Citrus. Coconut. Hibiscus. These are just some of the flavorings used to make tropical gins, a growing category that evokes sun and sand.
Behind the Ultimate Bourbon Cocktail You've Probably Never Heard Of
The Paper Plane — a straightforward box-step of a recipe made with precisely equal proportion of four ingredients — may be the best bourbon cocktail that you’re not drinking. You should be. Though it’s easy to put together and it’s plenty easy-drinking, it offers a complex flavor profile: still bright and fresh, but with enough heft to make it autumn-appropriate.
Behind the Ultimate Bourbon Cocktail You've Probably Never Heard Of
Billy Horschel Plays Down Exchange With Fan At Cognizant Classic Billy Horschel has played down an exchange with a fan during the second round of the Cognizant Classic. The incident occurred on the par-3 15th, which …
Instead of New Orleans, I Took Amtrak's New Mardi Gras Train to Alabama Original
I’m chowing down on a mini King Cake, my breakfast. It’s a braided cinnamon Danish sprinkled with purple, green, and gold edible glitter, with a cream cheese filling and a little plastic baby perched astride.
Stoli, Beluga: Best Vodka for Martinis, Infusing, Sipping Neat
Hello Top Shelfers, it’s Kara Newman, your cocktail and spirits expert.
It Doesn't Get More 'Limited Edition' Than This Cult-Favorite American Whiskey
Over the past couple of years, I’ve learned to pay attention when Rare Character’s bottles hit my desk. With good reason, the independent American whiskey bottler has earned many of my top scores since debuting during the pandemic. I’m far from the only fan. The cult-favorite whiskeys—mostly available as extremely limited editions—sell at double and triple the price in resale markets.
Mezcal and Celery Give This White Negroni an Herbal Makeover
If you’re a fan of White Negronis but sometimes wish they were less bitter, try this herbal riff. Instead of gin or Suze liqueur, this version uses a split base of tequila and mezcal—infused with celery leaf for extra herbaceous freshness—and Galliano, a vanilla-tinged Italian liqueur best known as the star of the disco-era Harvey Wallbanger.
This Trendy Bar Flex Is Driving Up Prices — and Cocktail Lovers Are Buying In Original
Credit: Semen Salivanchuk / Getty Images Bars are reviving classic cocktails using vintage spirits from the 1950s through the 1990s, recreating period-accurate recipes with the same bottlings originally used. The focus is on history, authenticity, and a sense of time and place. The trend aligns with selective premiumization, as many drinkers choose fewer cocktails but higher-quality ones. Vintage drinks offer a splurge-worthy experience without the cost of buying an entire antique bottle.
Google's Top-Trending Cocktails of 2025 Are Full of Surprises
At the end of every year, Google releases a “Year in Search” list, drawing from its data on the most popular internet searches. Usually, the trending drinks don’t surprise me much—this time around, they did. In fact, some of the cocktails on the list were completely new to me. As someone who specializes in knowing what’s going on in the world of spirits and cocktails, I’m not often blindsided by drink trends.
The Best Cocktails for Winter in NYC — Resy | Right This Way
Discover restaurants to love.
No U.S. Whiskey or Wine? Canada’s Doing Just Fine
Typically, when a guest at the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac in Quebec City orders a Manhattan, the bartender offers a choice of rye whiskies: Canadian or American. But the advent of U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods and a subsequent trade war—including a Canadian boycott of American-made goods—has effectively vanished American-made whiskey from Canadian shelves. So when I sat at Frontenac’s Bar 1608 in October, my Manhattan was made with Lot 40: a rich, spicy Canadian rye.
12 Best Spirits of 2025: Gin, Whiskey, Mezcal, Vodka, Amaro, Cocktail Liqueurs
Happy holidays, Top Shelf friends! It’s your spirits and cocktail guide Kara Newman, here to help you make merry and ring in 2026 with a dozen of my favorite spirits releases from the past year.
Guía de regalos de última hora para los amantes del vino y las bebidas espirituosas
Bloomberg — Una inesperada y fantástica botella de licor siempre es bien recibida durante las fiestas, incluso si su destinatario está reduciendo su consumo de alcohol. Desde botellas con poco o nada de alcohol hasta whiskies de edición de coleccionista, rones y el vermut definitivo para los aficionados al martini sucio, las siguientes opciones satisfarán a cualquier bebedor exigente de su lista y serán un agradecimiento seguro para su anfitrión favorito.
A Piano Bar Can Be Anything You Want It to Be — Resy | Right This Way
Photos courtesy of Bemelmens For example, Wednesday night at the Experimental Cocktail Club is the polar opposite of genteel Bemelmans, more sass than class. I’d dragged my friend Diana to the Flatiron bar beneath La Compagnie. One pandan-spiked cocktail in, and we realized we were both mouthing the words to a Cher/Beatles medley. Do you believe in love after all, after all, after all….
Last-Minute Gift Guide for Wine and Spirits Lovers
Photographer: Heami Lee for Bloomberg Pursuits December 17, 2025 at 11:00 AM UTC An unexpected, fantastic bottle of booze is always welcome around the holidays — even if your recipient is cutting back on imbibing.
Last-Minute Gift Guide for Wine and Spirits Lovers
1 hour ago A Queen Anne Revival in Detroit, a Craftsman in Durham and a Cape Cod in Pearl River. Detroit | $684,900 A 1905 Queen Anne Revival house, on 0.1 acres This five-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom house is in Corktown, a bustling neighborhood five minutes from downtown by car. Coffee shops, a combined …
How We Drink: 5 Things That Define Cocktail Bars Right Now — Resy | Right This Way
Discover restaurants to love. The Hit List The Hit List For all your restaurant recommendation needs, look no further than the Resy Hit List, our monthly list of 10 spots that should be on your radar right now.
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