We combed the country for our top picks, looking at the people, places and flavors that started making waves in 2012 and seem to be poised to make more of an impact in 2013. It's a diverse list, highlighting everyone from coffee roasters to bartenders to wine writers, as well as an array of drinking spots and destinations around the country, from Nashville to Detroit to Sacramento.
And then there are flavors, including some that are set to take center stage and some that we think are ready for a renewed spotlight. And in what will be an annual tradition in this issue, we've called out some special categories of recognition, including Bartender of the Year, Wine Person of the Year, Beer Person of the Year, Coffee Person of the Year, Drink Ambassadors of the Year, Cocktail Bar of the Year, Beer Bar of the Year, Wine Bar of the Year and Coffee Shop of the Year. This year's picks are:
Bartender of the Year: Ryan Maybee, Kansas City, MO
Wine Person of the Year: Alice Feiring, New York City
Beer Person of the Year: Scot Blair, San Diego
Coffee Person of the Year: James Freeman, San Francisco
Drink Ambassadors of the Year: Ivy Mix & Lynnette Marrero, New York City
Cocktail Bar of the Year: Pouring Ribbons, New York City
Beer Bar of the Year: Little Bear: Los Angeles
Wine Bar of the Year: SE Wine Collective, Portland, OR
Coffee Shop of the Year: Sightglass, San Francisco
Head to our website for more recipes and stories related to this year's Imbibe 75. We'll also be hosting live chats on our Facebook page with our Bartender of the Year, Ryan Maybee, and Wine Person of the Year, Alice Feiring, so be sure to like our page so you can join the conversations. And over on Twitter, we'll be posting regularly about our people, places and flavors with the #Imbibe75 hashtag.
We're thrilled to share our inaugural Imbibe 75 picks and hope they will inspire you in your own drinking adventures this year!