Each year, the trade publication Drinks International (DI) surveys a number of the world’s best bars and asks each establishment to disclose its top-selling cocktail from the previous year. This past week, its list of the Top 50 Cocktails was released and Adam and Zach are here to discuss their thoughts.
With the Negroni securing the top spot, the two discuss how this may be indicative of the intense “Italian-ization” of the cocktail industry. With the Campari Group’s sales through the roof, a surging interest in amaro, and fellow Italian cocktail the Aperol Spritz also ranking in the top 10, Italian spirits are certainly proving their dominance. Adam and Zach also discuss the role of tequila in craft cocktails, concluding that the Margarita’s No. 2 ranking demonstrates that the success of tequila here in the United States is also happening around the world. However, given the success of the spirit in terms of sales, Adam and Zach debate why there are only two tequila-based cocktails featured on the list — the Margarita and the Paloma.
On this episode of the “VinePair Podcast,” join hosts Adam Teeter and Zach Geballe as they discuss what this global survey of top bars and bartenders can tell us about what is going on in the world of spirits. Tune in for more.