The VinePair staff has been training for the unofficial beginning of summer for weeks. We’ve been tasting rosés, obsessing over juicy orange wines, and stocking up on our favorite spiked seltzers, all while yearning for the kickoff of outdoor drinking season: Memorial Day Weekend. Some of us plan to welcome back longtime summer favorites, while others are looking forward to trying something new. Either way, it’s time to dust off your coolers and fire up the grill, because MDW is finally here!
“As a recent orange wine convert, I have never ‘added to cart’ faster than after tasting Tinto Amorio Bheeyo. It’s juicy, kinda weird, and the most beautiful shade of sunset. I’ll be having a chilled glass —or three — while I lounge on the rooftop this weekend.” —Sylvie Baggett, branded content editor
“I will most likely be picnicking in a park enjoying some Spindrift spiked seltzers. Their line is criminally underrated and is my favorite over any other malt-based hard seltzer.” —Sara Pinsonault, designer
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“Summer is here at last! This Memorial Day Weekend, I’ll be spending time with my family on the Jersey shore, and therefore revisiting my favorite beer: Orange Crushin’ It from Cape May Brewery. It’s an IPA that bursts with orange Creamsicle flavors and tastes like what summer at the shore is all about. I can’t wait to crack open one — or four — this weekend.” —Olivia White, editorial assistant
“I recently had the pleasure of trying a few wines from Santa Barbara-based winery Amevive at HAGS, New York’s first queer fine-dining restaurant. A testament to the restaurant’s incredible wine program curated by co-owner and sommelier Camille Lindsley, the list has several hard-to-find bottles from this winery to watch out for. Amevive’s herbaceous and bright Albariño would be the ideal pairing with some fresh seafood by the water, whereas their Périphérie, a chillable red made with blend of Marsanne, Syrah, and Mourvèdre, would be perfect with a burger at a backyard cookout. I will definitely be trying to track down these bottles for the long weekend!” —Hannah Staab, assistant editor
“Rather than hitting Prospect Park with some silly sours and an unsanctioned grill, I’ll be spending Monday in an even more celebratory setting: an open bar in a city I don’t live in. The co-owners of Dame and Lord’s are tying the knot in Austin, and they bought out the allegedly awesome Suerte for their send-off lunch. I plan on washing down some ceviche verde and wagyu brisket tacos with whatever magical sparking they’re pouring, and then I’ll pivot to Spicy Margs — not so many that I’ll dread seeing the hi-res footage in the coming weeks, but definitely enough to knock me out on our flight home.” —Taylore Glynn, senior editor
“I’ll be with friends and family outside at barbecues and boating, so I plan on enjoying some nice rosés through the weekend. This year, I want to explore rosé from a variety of U.S. regions: the Finger Lakes, Oregon, and North Fork to start. And, of course, some picks from our top 30 rosés list!” —Jenny Riddell, senior director, brand partnerships, activations & events
“My ideal Memorial Day Weekend includes a delicious Miami Vice from Long Island Bar. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.” —Nicolette Baker, news writer
“I’ll be soaking up some sun in Key West over the holiday weekend, and no doubt drinking some Rum Runners and sampling some local island beers.” —Bobbie Thorn, account manager, brand partnerships & activations
“I’m heading out to Montauk and have been craving fresh tequila cocktails to enjoy on the beach or in my backyard. I have a bottle of my go-to Tequila Ocho Plata and am leaning towards batching some yummy Palomas or Spicy Margs.” —Lyndsey Corin, director, brand partnerships and sales
