The May/June issue of Imbibe is arriving in mailboxes and heading to newsstands, and this issue features a cover story we're incredibly excited about: The 25 Most Influential Cocktails of the Past Century. Tackling lists of any kind is always risky since they tend to be unavoidably subjective, but one of the great things about these types of stories is that they generate conversation, and that's what we're hoping to inspire with this feature. Imbibe contributing editor Paul Clarke did a fantastic job of researching and writing this story, especially considering the daunting task of narrowing the list to just 25 cocktails. In settling on those 25 cocktails, we looked for recipes that have stood the test of time, inspired imitations, established trends and/or carved out their own place in popular culture—recipes that aren't necessarily the best-tasting, but have certainly helped define the way we enjoy cocktails today (and many are delicious). The 100-year cutoff narrowed things even more (though we did stretch that with a couple of entries), and we wanted to be sure the list reflected drinks from the full span of the last century. And, of course, many iconic cocktails, like the Manhattan and Old Fashioned, pre-date our century cutoff, hence their absence. Which cocktails have most influenced the way you enjoy cocktails? It's a fun question to ponder, and we'd love to hear your thoughts on our Facebook page.
In addition to the Imbibe 25 cover story, May/June also marks our 4-year anniversary. We've had so much fun creating Imbibe, and we get more excited about producing the magazine with each issue. It's hard to believe it's already been four years—in some ways the time has flown by—but it's been a fantastic ride, and we feel so grateful for all of the amazing readers, writers and advertisers who have supported us since we launched. Our goal is to keep getting better with every issue, and your support and enthusiasm helps us do that, so this issue is just as much a celebration of you. Now we just need to decide which of our 25 most influential cocktails we should toast in celebration...
Thanks as always for reading, and cheers to good imbibing!