Best Alcoholic Beverage Types in the World
Brunello di Montalcino is a red Italian wine produced in the vineyards surrounding the town of Montalcino in the Tuscany wine region. Though it was initially considered to be made from a separate grape variety named Brunello, it was later discovered that the grape used in the production of the wine is in fact Sangiovese.
Regarded as one of the most renowned Italian wines, Brunello di Montalcino was awarded the designation of origin (DOCG), and it is produced with 100% Sangiovese grapes. At first, it comes off as juicy and spicy, with notes of oregano and balsamic, and it may develop strong aromas of cherry and leather.
This full-bodied, red wine is made from Nebbiolo grapes in a small area in Piedmont with a unique soil and climate conditions. It has been produced since the 19th century, and soon after its invention, it became a favorite among the Italian and European nobility.
According to Italian DOCG regulations, Barolo needs to matured for at least 36 months, while those aged for five years carry the prestigious Riserva label. It is a robust, but elegant wine, which is very high in tannins that soften with aging.
THE BEST Barolo Wine Appellations
Vintage Port is a style made from the best grapes of a single year harvest. It is considered the most prestigious and the highest quality port style. Vintage is not produced every year, but only when port houses decide that the wine is of sufficient quality.
Vintages make only about 2% of all port production, and in the best years, all port houses will declare a Vintage. The decision to declare a Vintage can be made after Portugal’s Port Wine Institute had approved it. Vintages are barrel-aged for two to three years and are not filtered before they are bottled.
Rías Baixas is a Spanish appellation located along the Atlantic coast in Galicia. The entire region is divided into five subregions: Salnes Valley, O Rosal, Soutomaior, Ribeira do Ulla, and Condado do Tea. There are several permitted grape varieties, but Albariño prospers and dominates in the entire region.
Other permitted grapes that are sometimes used include Treixadura, Loureiro, Caiño Blanco, Torrontes, and Godello. The styles slightly differ depending on the subregion and the production, but most of the wines hail from the region are pale golden, fresh, and aromatic.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the largest and the most important appellation in the southern part of the Rhône Valley that comprises of five communes. Most Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines are predominantly red blends, with a small percentage of whites.
Officially eighteen grape varieties are allowed, including different colors of the same grape variety. However, the most common are Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, and Cinsault grapes. These rich wines can greatly differ in style, but they are mainly characterized by the spicy and earthy aromas of red berries, black pepper, tar, and leather.
THE BEST Châteauneuf-du-Pape Wine Appellations

Domaine de la Solitude
2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vin de la Solitude Red
James Suckling - 99 points 2024

Vinsanto is a dessert wine hailing from Santorini. It is made with sun-dried Assyrtiko and Aidani grapes. Despite a surprisingly similar name, this Greek wine does not have much in common with the more famous Vin Santo from Tuscany. The grapes are sun-dried for approximately fourteen days and are then fermented and aged.
This wine has to be oak-aged for a minimum of two years, but most producers opt for longer maturation. The result is a sweet and dense wine packed with flavor and rich in aromas. Although both grape varieties are white-skinned, Vinsanto will attain a luscious golden color that tends to turn into darker amber hues as the wine ages.
Naousa is a Greek appellation located in the region of Macedonia. The wines produced under the designation are made exclusively from Xynomavro—an indigenous Greek grape that is often compared to Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo. Naousa wines display the perfect balance of tannins, sugar, and acidity, while the typical aromas and flavors include a complex combination of savory notes that are often reminiscent of dark and red fruit, tomatoes, plums, earth, tobacco, herbs, and spices.
Naousa ages exceptionally well and is rarely enjoyed young. Because of its complexity and finesse, it is often cited as one of the finest Greek wines. An ideal pairing for this tannic wine is game, lamb, tomato-based sauces, rich stews, sausages, mushrooms, and aged cheese.
Georgian amphora wine is produced with an ancient wine-making method in which pressed grapes, including skins, juice (tkbili), stalks, and pips, are poured in traditional terracotta amphorae known as qvevri (kvevri). The amphorae are sealed and are then buried underground, or kept in Marani—underground cellars.
Usually, the wine is left to ferment from five to six months. The method is used throughout the country, though the wines can slightly vary in styles depending on the region. In Kakheti, the wine is produced with whole chacha—pomace—while in Imereti approximately only a third is used.
Dwójniak is a traditional mead product with an alcohol content ranging from 15 to 18 % vol., fermented from mead wort and produced throughout Poland. To be called Dwójniak, mead must be made from one part honey and one part water.
It gets its name from the numeral 2, referring to the proportions of mead and water. It is a clear alcoholic beverage, with a unique aroma and flavor of honey, which may be enhanced using spices such as cloves, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon. It is golden to dark amber in color, depending on the type of honey used in the process.
Póltorak is a mead produced in Poland in accordance with old Polish traditions that date back over a thousand years. Its alcohol content ranges from 15 to 18% vol. and it is fermented from mead wort. In order to be called Póltorak", the mead must be made in proportions of one part honey to 0,5 part water (alternatively, water mixed with fruit juice).
It gets its name from the numeral '1,5' (póltora in Polish), referring to the ratio of honey and water. This alcoholic beverage is golden to dark amber, with a delicate aroma and flavor of honey, which may be enhanced with spices such as ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon or cloves.
Best Alcoholic Beverage Producers in the World
Krug is one of the most prestigious and revered Champagne houses, renowned for its unwavering commitment to excellence and the artistry of champagne-making. Founded in 1843 by Johann Joseph Krug, this family-run house has always adhered to a philosophy of uncompromising quality, emphasizing the individuality of each vintage and terroir.
Krug stands apart with its unique approach—each bottle of champagne is crafted from meticulously selected wines from different years and vineyards, creating unparalleled depth, complexity, and richness. Their most iconic champagne, Krug Grande Cuvée, embodies this philosophy, blending up to 200 wines from over 10 different vintages to achieve perfect harmony and sophistication in every edition.
AWARDS

Wine Spectator - 99
2021

Falstaff - 100

Falstaff - 99
BEST Krug Wines
Louis Roederer is one of the most prestigious and oldest independent Champagne houses, synonymous with luxury, tradition, and innovation. Founded in 1776 in the heart of Champagne, in the city of Reims, this family-run house has been nurturing the art of producing exceptional Champagnes for centuries, captivating connoisseurs worldwide.
The true rise of the house began in 1833, when Louis Roederer took over the family business and introduced a revolutionary approach—unlike other producers who purchased grapes, he decided to own and cultivate his own vineyards. This decision allowed him complete control over quality, terroir, and the unique style of his Champagnes, establishing the Louis Roederer brand’s distinctive signature.
AWARDS

Wine Spectator - 98
2022

Falstaff - 100

Falstaff - 99
BEST Louis Roederer Wines
Inniskillin Winery, located in the heart of Canada’s wine region in Niagara-on-the-Lake, is renowned for producing world-class wines that have won international awards and recognition. Founded in 1975, Inniskillin is a pioneer in Canadian winemaking, especially known for its exceptional ice wines.
Their dedicated approach to viticulture, combined with rich vineyards on the shores of Lake Ontario, allows them to produce wines that reflect the uniqueness of Canada’s nature and terroir. The winery prides itself on using only the highest quality grapes, often handpicked, ensuring the excellence of every vineyard.
AWARDS

IWSC- International wine & spirit competition - Gold
2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2019

Decanter World Wine Awards - Platinum
2021, 2016

Vivino - 4.5
BEST Inniskillin Winery Wines
The Champagne house Bollinger, founded in 1829 in Aÿ, France, stands as a symbol of excellence and tradition in the world of champagne. Bollinger is distinguished by its unique style that blends power, refinement, and complexity, allowing fruity aromas to fully express themselves.
Their wines, such as the iconic Special Cuvée, reflect richness and depth of flavor, thanks to a careful selection of grapes and traditional winemaking methods. For nearly two centuries, Bollinger has remained true to its family values and independence, which has enabled the house to preserve authenticity and consistent quality in its champagnes.
AWARDS

Falstaff - 100

Falstaff - 99

Vivino - 4.6
BEST Bollinger Wines
AWARDS

James Suckling - 99 points
2024

Falstaff - 99

Vivino - 4.6
BEST Champagne Billecart-Salmon Wines
Charles Heidsieck is a prestigious Champagne house founded in 1851 in Reims, France, by Charles-Camille Heidsieck, famously known as “Champagne Charlie.” He was a pioneer in popularizing Champagne in the United States during the 19th century, earning a strong reputation thanks to his entrepreneurial spirit and charisma.
The house is renowned for its historic cellars, known as “crayères” — ancient chalk caves dating back to Roman times — which provide ideal conditions for aging Champagne. These cellars are recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Throughout its history, Charles Heidsieck has earned acclaim from numerous royal and imperial families, a testament to the exceptional quality of its wines.
AWARDS

James Suckling - 95 points
2024

James Suckling - 94 points
2024

James Suckling - 93 points
2024
BEST Champagne Charles Heidsieck Wines
Quails' Gate Winery is one of the most prestigious and respected wineries in Canada, located in the heart of the Okanagan Valley wine region in British Columbia. With a rich family tradition dating back to 1956, the winery prides itself on crafting wines that express the unique character of the region’s soil and climate.
Renowned for premium varietals such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Quails' Gate combines meticulously cared-for vineyards, expert winemaking, and a strong commitment to sustainable practices. The winery continually invests in innovation and quality, ensuring that every step of the process—from harvest to bottling—is designed to produce wines that exceed expectations.
AWARDS

Vivino - 4.5

Vivino - 4.2

Vivino - 4.1
BEST Quails' Gate Winery Wines
Pillitteri Estates Winery represents the pinnacle of dedication, tradition, and innovation in the world of winemaking. Their wines reflect a deep respect for nature and the art of crafting authentic flavors. Specializing in Icewine, Pillitteri stands out as one of the most awarded producers of this prestigious style globally.
With carefully cultivated vineyards and a meticulously controlled production process, each bottle offers exceptional aroma, balance, and elegance. Their portfolio includes both classic and innovative wines, crafted for true enthusiasts and connoisseurs.
For over 175 years, Pol Roger has stood as a symbol of uncompromising quality, refined craftsmanship, and understated sophistication in the world of champagne. Remaining proudly family-owned through five generations, the house is celebrated for its consistent style—fresh, balanced, and remarkably elegant.
Every bottle is produced and aged in Pol Roger’s own deep chalk cellars, where ideal conditions allow the wines to mature slowly and gracefully. Known for their fine bubbles, purity of structure, and vibrant freshness, Pol Roger champagnes are equally at home in grand celebrations or quiet moments of indulgence.
Reid's Distillery is a family-run craft distillery devoted to the art of exceptional gin making, where passion for quality, tradition, and modern creativity come together in every bottle. Their gins are crafted using Canadian wheat and a thoughtful blend of botanicals, with wild-foraged Canadian juniper taking center stage to deliver a truly distinctive flavor profile.
Inspired by a spirit of exploration and a desire to create something uniquely their own, Reid’s combines classic distillation techniques with a bold, contemporary approach. The result is a collection of gins that are elegant, nuanced, and instantly memorable—ranging from timeless dry styles to inventive, aromatic expressions.
Best Alcoholic Beverages in the World
Krug is a champagne of remarkable elegance and depth, perfectly embodying the unique character of one of the freshest and most classically styled vintages in Champagne in recent decades. Created in a year with the fewest hours of sunshine in nearly half a century, this vintage was nicknamed “Classic Beauty” by the House of Krug for its superb balance of tension, finesse, and structure.
The blend is composed of 53% Pinot Noir, 25% Meunier, and 22% Chardonnay, resulting in a complex and harmonious wine with a deep golden hue, exceptional aromatic range, and luxurious texture. On the nose, it reveals rich notes of honey, licorice, menthol, orange zest, and grapefruit, while the palate offers vibrancy and elegance with flavors of quince, candied citrus, yellow kiwi, baked apple, herbal nuances, and floral undertones.
AWARDS

Falstaff - 100

Falstaff - 99

Vivino - 4.7
Louis Roederer Cristal is a supreme champagne that perfectly embodies the prestige and tradition of this legendary house. Created exclusively in exceptional vintages, Cristal captivates with its brilliant golden hue and fine, persistent bubbles that hint at its complexity and elegance.
The vintage was marked by extreme weather conditions, yet through meticulous grape selection and a perfect balance between ripeness and acidity, a champagne was crafted that exudes freshness, precision, and depth of flavor. Its aroma reveals delicate notes of ripe yellow fruits, white flowers, blanched almonds, and subtle brioche, while the palate is elegant and multi-layered, with a silky texture and a long, mineral-driven finish.
AWARDS

Wine Spectator - 98
2022

Falstaff - 99
Inniskillin Vidal Icewine 2022 is an exceptional Canadian dessert wine that reflects Inniskillin’s commitment to creating world-class ice wines. Made from 100% Vidal Blanc grapes from vineyards in the Niagara region, this wine offers a wealth of aromas and flavors that captivate wine lovers.
The wine has a deep golden color with hints of orange, indicating its maturity. The aromas are rich and varied, with prominent notes of roasted pineapple peel, candied papaya, creamy peach, apple pie spice, and fragrant nectar. On the palate, this ice wine is full and rich, with vibrant acidity and bubbles that cut through its dense texture.
AWARDS

IWSC- International wine & spirit competition - Gold
2024
Krug Grande Cuvée 172ème Édition is a magnificent expression of the art of champagne blending, born from the House of Krug’s unwavering desire to create the most exceptional champagne each year, regardless of vintage conditions. This edition is composed of an impressive 146 wines from 11 different years, with the oldest dating back to 1998 and the youngest from 2016, forming a harmonious balance of depth, elegance, and complexity.
The blend features 44% Pinot Noir, 36% Chardonnay, and 20% Meunier, with reserve wines making up 42% of the final composition, adding richness and roundness to every sip. Aged for approximately seven years in the cellars of Krug, this champagne achieves remarkable maturity and aromatic opulence.
AWARDS

Wine Spectator - 99
2021

Vivino - 4.6
Krug Clos du Mesnil is an exceptionally elegant and rare champagne that perfectly captures the purity of a single vineyard, a single vintage, and a single grape variety – Chardonnay. Sourced from a 1.84-hectare walled vineyard located in the heart of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, a village renowned for its exceptional Chardonnay, this champagne reflects the unique character of its terroir with the precision and artistry for which the House of Krug is celebrated.
The vintage was among the coldest of the decade, allowing for slow ripening and the development of remarkable freshness and structure. In the glass, it reveals a radiant golden hue with fine, delicate bubbles, while the nose is layered with notes of citrus, light toast, orange madeleine, and a hint of mint.
AWARDS

Falstaff - 100

Vivino - 4.8
Louis Roederer Cristal Rosé is a prestigious champagne that embodies the perfect blend of tradition, innovation, and exceptional craftsmanship of the Louis Roederer house. Made from carefully selected grape varieties – 56% Pinot Noir and 44% Chardonnay, this champagne represents a perfect harmony of power and delicacy, freshness, and richness of flavor.
What makes Cristal Rosé truly special is its unique vinification process, known as "infusion", which achieves an ideal balance between the fruitiness of Pinot Noir and the minerality of Chardonnay. The maceration is carefully controlled to preserve freshness and structure, and the wine is then aged for 8 years in bottles, allowing it to reach full maturity and elegance.
AWARDS

Falstaff - 100

Vivino - 4.7
Krug Clos d’Ambonnay is an exceptionally rare and magnificent champagne that fully embodies the power, precision, and elegance of a remarkable terroir—an intimate 0.68-hectare walled vineyard located in the village of Ambonnay, the heartland of Pinot Noir.
The vintage offered a perfect balance of richness and freshness, reflected in the expressive character of this extraordinary wine. In the glass, it dazzles with a brilliant golden hue, while the nose reveals seductive aromas of caramelized apple, hazelnut liqueur, bitter orange, and dates, all wrapped in refined harmony and depth.
AWARDS

Falstaff - 100

Falstaff - 99
Le Clos Saint-Hilaire is an exceptional champagne from Billecart-Salmon, crafted exclusively from 100% Pinot Noir grapes harvested from a single hectare vineyard in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. This vineyard, known as Le Clos Saint-Hilaire, is renowned for producing champagnes of remarkable complexity and freshness.
The vintage is particularly notable, having spent 15 years aging on the lees before its disgorgement in May 2018. This extended maturation period contributes to its depth and character. The champagne exhibits a sustained yellow-gold hue with ultra-fine bubbles.
AWARDS

Falstaff - 99

Vivino - 4.7
Reid’s Signature Gin is an elegant dry gin that blends timeless distilling traditions with Canadian character and a modern approach to flavor. Crafted from high-quality Canadian wheat and infused with hand-harvested Canadian juniper and wild sweet fern, it delivers a perfectly balanced profile—crisp, aromatic, and refreshing, with subtle earthy and piney notes.
Its refined composition makes it exceptionally versatile—ideal for a classic gin and tonic, a sophisticated martini, or inventive cocktails. Whether sipped neat, over ice, or mixed, Reid’s Gin offers an experience that brings together tradition, nature, and artisanal skill in every drop.
AWARDS

World Gin Awards - Country Winner
2023
Ampersand Gin is a refined, small-batch gin that perfectly blends the art and science of distilling. Crafted with precision and care, it features a balanced infusion of seven carefully selected botanicals, including juniper, coriander, angelica root, cardamom, lemon peel, sweet almond shells, and licorice.
Distilled from locally grown wheat, it offers a crisp and refreshing profile, with subtle citrus and spice notes that create an exceptionally smooth finish. Its elegance and complexity make it a versatile choice—equally at home in a classic martini or gin and tonic, yet refined enough to be enjoyed on its own.
AWARDS

World Gin Awards - Country Winner
2022, 2021



Barrell Craft Spirits Private Release Whiskey Finished in a Pedro Ximenez Sherry Barrel DSX3 American Whiskey

TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 100 Alcoholic Beverages in the World” list until April 17, 2025, 40,705 ratings were recorded, of which 31,022 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.