Food Blog: Americans Are Changing Their Drinking Habits and Embracing Bitter Flavors

Saturday, February 3, 2024

Americans Are Changing Their Drinking Habits and Embracing Bitter Flavors

Photo Credit: Douglas Lyle Thompson

Dear Pros,

It's your friendly, slightly Vitamin D-deficient drinks editor Oset here. Whether you spent the month of January abstaining from alcohol, cutting back on your Martini count, or decided it was boozy business as usual, I hope you sipped something delicious. I personally don't subscribe to labels like Dry or Damp January because I'm really just looking to get through January. But I do like to use the beginning of the year as a time to spend a leisurely afternoon at my favorite beverage emporium, Astor Wines & Spirits, and see what's new on the shelves.

On my most recent visit, I was drawn to a few golden-hued bottles nestled inside the amaro and liqueurs section (my favorite part of the store). It was genepy, an herbaceous, minty Alpine liqueur that can scratch the itch left by the periodic absence of Chartreuse, but is also absolutely delightful served on the rocks. The selection confirmed my hunch that the liqueur is having a bit of a moment with American producers who have already made serious inroads in the digestif category, as well as on restaurant and bar menus around the country.

I noticed genepy featured at Sidecar Cocktail Co. in San Luis Obispo, California, where I spent the holidays thawing out with my family, and at Birds of Paradise in my hometown of Boston. The team behind Brooklyn-based Forthave Spirits tells me that their distributors in Chicago, Louisiana, and even Japan have been asking for details on their allocation of Yellow, a bright, light, white-wine-based riff on genepy that I've been enjoying with a splash of club soda while cooking dinner on a weeknight. Other American producers, like January Spirits (also from New York), Heirloom Liqueurs in Wisconsin, and the endlessly creative folks over at Portland, Oregon-based Straightaway Cocktails are also dipping their toes into the herbal liqueur.

"The library of herbal liqueurs is really opening," Estelle Bossy, beverage director at New York City's Le Rock (where you can people-watch while sipping one of the best 50/50 Martinis in the city alongside a generous basket of shoestring fries) tells me. "I don't see the interest tapering down anytime soon." You can read all about my genepy journey here.

Have you tried (or heard of) genepy (or, as it's sometimes spelled, genepi)? Are you more likely to try a new-to-you liqueur when an American producer gets into the game? I'd love to know!

Cheers,

Oset Babür-Winter

Senior Drinks Editor

IG: @baburoset

oset.babur@foodandwine.com

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