THE POUR

The remainders of summer have disappeared and we’re fully immersed in fall, including the ever-expanding universe of pumpkin spice drinks.

Will they continue to appear earlier and earlier every year? Will people get sick of them and all their pumpkin-y glory? Are we asking too many questions instead of simply reveling in more pumpkin spice drinks?

Donuts and lattes are having plenty of pumpkin spice drink fun, so why not share the love at your home bar and next party? Try these five cocktails—Fall cocktails never had it so good.

Seeing ghosts in your future? Hopefully — because fall is rounding the bend into everyone’s favorite offbeat holiday: Halloween.

Usually, the teenagers get all the attention with their haunted house-themed school dances and children dress up to go door-to-door gathering candy. Well, we think it's time the adults have some fun, too!

Whether you're passing out candy or hosting a costume party, here are some recipes for liquor-infused candy.

When the leaves begin to change hues from a bright green to a vast array of reds, yellows, and oranges, it can only mean one thing: it's apple-picking season in Minnesota. Our great state may be famous for the superb Honeycrisp, but there’s more to explore in the land of apple orchards and cool fall breezes. With apples comes cider. But not just any cider — hard apple cider. Here are several delicious ciders to try this fall.

Number 12 Cider House Sparkling Dry Cider

Let’s start off strong with this shimmering, dry cider by Buffalo, Minnesota’s Number 12 Cider House. The first of three ciders produced, this is English-style, tart, and sparkles like Champagne. Rumor has it Number 12 may open a tasting room in a hip neighborhood of Minneapolis soon, too. Grab this cider and become a true fan before the bandwagoners pile on.

You’ve probably tried tea, essential oils, medication, sleep, and chicken soup—but have you tried alcohol remedies for colds?

It may sound like the liquor lobby’s covert marketing pitch, but if you take a second to consider it, you might find more than you expect from the power of alcohol for not just cooking, mixing, and drinking, but also remedying a cold. As we transition into chilly weather and the coughs and sniffles that often accompany it, be prepared with knowledge—and alcohol—to combat sickness.

One obvious note before you seek sweet healing through spirits: consuming more than a small to moderate amount of alcohol while you’re sick will make things worse, so be smart about what you consume in your illness.

When it comes to wine packaging, the bottle is just the beginning. 

We are often asked about the different types and styles of packaging that are happening in the wine industry. There are so many different innovations happening with packaging that winemakers are constantly trying different options to see what sticks. (Hint: the canned wine fad is no longer just a fad.)

It could just be that winemakers think people are tired of looking at the old, classic, bottle of wine and would like to try something new, but it goes deeper than that. A lot of the changes that are happening with the packaging of wine has less to do with “looks” and more to do with functionality.

As much as us Minnesotans like the warmth and sunshine of summer, there's nothing quite like the crisp and comfortable weather that comes with fall. Minnesota falls are for picking apples, carving pumpkins, viewing colorful foliage, sitting by the bonfire, and sipping on craft brews — all of which are plentiful in this northern state. But nothing may be more popular now than craft breweries.

Did you know that more Minnesota breweries opened in 2017 than ever before? It's true! A whopping 30 craft breweries opened in the state last year, as opposed to the 17 that opened in 2016 and 19 that opened in both 2015 and 2014. While most of them are located in the Twin Cities, many new breweries are sprouting up across the state. 

It can be a little overwhelming picking one of 130 breweries statewide, but we've put together a short list of 34 hot spots outside the metro to check out. So, grab a drinking buddy, or two, and hit the road! What are you waiting for?

How many guesses does it take to name the two grape types from the Burgundy wine region? Whether you’re a white wine fan, a red wine drinker — or hell, a beer drinker, cocktail enthusiast, coffee snob, or non-drinker — it won’t take long before you guess the correct answers: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

OK, now that we have those in mind, and we understand Burgundy isn’t just a color, let’s explore what the Burgundy region is, why Burgundy wines are so respected, and learn a little about how Burgundian wines taste.

“Can you grab us some wine glasses?” your friend asks as she opens a bottle in the other room. Then, you open the cabinet and realize you had no idea how many types of wine glasses there are.

There are actually six main types of wine glasses to suit different kinds of wine and some of those have three or four subtypes!

No, it’s not overkill or just for looks. Depending on what you’re drinking, you want different shapes of wine glasses to highlight the features of each different type of wine. Let’s take a look at the main types of wine glasses and why they matter for your drinking experience.

Wine pairing—lots of people think they get it, but more likely than not, they’re just parroting something they overheard from a sommelier at a tasting. Get into sweet wines, though, and it gets even more obvious they’re making it up as they go.

There’s no need to be scared off by sweet wine. It doesn’t mean you’re a novice to seek out and enjoy wines that go down easy. The trick is in learning how to pair them with food that plays to their sweet strengths.

You know some sweet wines are best with dessert, but which ones shine with spicy, salty, or sour foods? Let’s dive into some red wines, some white wines, and relish how sweet it is to drink sweet vino.

If you look closely, you’ll find liqueur in the liquor section of your favorite specialty shop or grocery store. Wait — they’re not the same thing? That’s right, it’s liquor vs. liqueur, two overlapping but distinct terms.

Let’s walk through the basics.