Pécharmant – The Best Alternative to Bordeaux Wine
With a rich history spanning centuries, the Pécharmant region is renowned for producing some of the most distinctive wines in France. Nestled in the Dordogne Valley, Pécharmant’s unique terroir gives birth to robust red wines that are as enigmatic as the region itself. But amidst this wine-rich land, one name stands out – Château Beauportail. […]
The Dam Bar Brings Pizza, Cocktails, and Live Music to Park City, Utah
The Dam Bar, a new restaurant and bar from Four Corners, is expected to open in December 2026 at The Mason in Park City, Utah. Located across from Deer Valley East Village and beside Jordanelle Reservoir, it’s planned as a year-round gathering spot for locals, visitors, and second-home owners.
The approximately 4,421-square-foot venue will offer indoor and outdoor seating, a private dining room, a full-service bar, and a stage for live music and events. Its setting is intended to serve both ski-season après crowds and people coming from boating, hiking, and biking around the reservoir.
Executive Chef Emma Leigh Hunsaker will lead the menu, which will include pizzas such as Chicago Classic, Hot Honey Soppressata, and Prosciutto and Arugula, alongside dishes like poutine, chicken Parmesan, lamb lollipops, and rigatoni alla vodka. Drinks will include classic and specialty cocktails, beer, wine, and nonalcoholic options.
The interior, designed by Studio K, will pair a mountain-inspired look with a comfortable neighborhood-bar feel. Reclaimed wood, timber beams, dark cedar, whitewashed brick, booths, communal tables, and an outdoor patio will shape the space.
The Dam Bar will be open to the public and located next to Keetley Club, a private mountain club also being introduced at The Mason. The restaurant’s expected hours are 5–11 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m.–11 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Reservations are expected to be available through OpenTable.
The address is 1364 W. Still Water Drive, with access from U.S. Highway 40, Park City, and Heber Valley. Further information is available at TheDamBar.com.
Minneapolis Distiller’s Whiskey Wins Prestigious International Award
A Minneapolis distillery has earned a major honor at the 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Brother Justus’ flagship American Whiskey received a double gold medal and was named best in class in the craft distiller whiskey category. The competition awards just 15 best-in-class honors to American distilleries across its whiskey categories.
The recognition adds to the distillery’s growing list of accolades. The flagship whiskey won silver medals at the same competition in 2023 and 2024. Its Cold Peated American Whiskey also earned silver in both years and has received other honors, including recognition as one of 2023’s most innovative spirits.
Brother Justus’ annual Founder’s Reserve releases have drawn praise as well. Founder’s Reserve III was well reviewed in 2025, and the latest release, Founder’s Reserve IV, became the fastest-selling expression in the company’s history.
Inside the Rolling Stones’ Unexpected Connection to Jamaican Rum
The Rolling Stones’ connection to Jamaican rum dates back to 1972, when the band recorded Goats Head Soup in Jamaica. Decades later, in 2023, they launched Crossfire Hurricane rum, initially made from blends sourced in Jamaica, Barbados and the Dominican Republic.
This year, the brand was relaunched with London-based Kite Drinks. Its Gold and Reserve expressions now focus exclusively on Jamaican rum, blended by Global Rum Ambassador Ian Burrell. The spirits come from four of Jamaica’s six recognized operating distilleries: Hampden Estate, Long Pond, Worthy Park and Clarendon.
Burrell says Jamaican rum has personal significance for him, rooted in his family heritage. He was also drawn to the country’s distinctive production traditions, which can include long fermentation and the use of dunder, sugar-cane vinegar and “muck”—an acidic, microbe-rich material. These practices help create esters that give Jamaican rum its bold, fruity and often funky character.
Jamaica once had more than 100 rum distilleries. Economic pressures, consolidation and closures reduced that number to six. Production is protected by a Geographical Indication, with rules governing where rum is made, its ingredients and production methods, and how it is aged. Jamaican rums nevertheless span a wide range, from high-ester pot-still spirits to lighter styles.
The remaining distilleries each have their own character:
- Hampden Estate, in the northwest, is known for traditional pot-still rum and long fermentation, producing expressive, high-ester spirits.
- Long Pond makes aromatic, powerful pot-still rums with rich, fruity notes.
- Worthy Park grows its own sugar cane and produces rum on its estate. Its pot-still spirits are known for tropical fruit, banana and spice.
- Clarendon Distillers, also associated with Monymusk, uses both pot and column stills to produce lighter and fuller-bodied styles.
- Appleton Estate is renowned for aged rum, with fruit, spice and oak notes.
- New Yarmouth produces a range of styles and contributes to Jamaican blends and overproof rums, including Wray & Nephew White Overproof.
Crossfire Hurricane Gold combines fresh pot-still rum, softer column-distilled rum and a small amount of aged, high-ester rum. Reserve builds on that blend with older pot-still spirits, adding depth and a longer finish.
For visitors to Jamaica, Burrell recommends skipping the formal tasting room and stopping at local rum shops, roadside shacks and bars. Many are family-run gathering places where residents share stories, play dominoes and catch up.
He suggests pairing rum with salt fish and ackee—or, for a more adventurous meal, mannish water, a goat soup. The latter makes a fitting nod to the Stones’ Goats Head Soup.
The new Crossfire Hurricane blends are available through the brand’s official site.
Napa Summit Explores New Paths to Recovery Amid Persistent Wine Glut
California’s wine industry is making progress in reducing excess supply, but falling consumer demand continues to complicate its recovery. At a wine-industry symposium in Napa, producers and analysts said the sector may need to become smaller—and offer consumers new reasons to buy wine—rather than simply make more.
Jeff O’Neill, founder and CEO of Marin County-based O’Neill Vintners & Distillers, said wineries had expanded in expectation of annual sales growth of 4% to 5%, but that growth never arrived. He estimates wine demand has dropped 18% over the past five years.
“We cannot cost-cut our way back to growth. We have to give consumers a reason to value what we do,” O’Neill said.
The discussion echoed Silicon Valley Bank’s industry outlook, which anticipated a difficult bottom for U.S. wine demand in 2027 and 2028, followed by modest growth.
Supply is shrinking, but surplus remains
Audra Cooper of Turrentine Brokerage said vineyard removals are helping bring supply closer to demand. Her team expects another eight to 12 months of work to clear older excess wine from the market.
California had 439,115 acres of vineyards as of Aug. 1, according to the latest LandIQ tally. Nearly 47,229 acres—about 10%—were removed in the preceding 12 months, up from 38,000 acres in the previous period.
In the North Coast, more than 8,000 acres were removed, nearly 6% of the region’s total. Napa County lost 2,944 acres, Sonoma County 3,523, Lake County 667 and Mendocino County 811.
Cooper estimated California’s 2026 grape crush at about 2.3 million tons. The 2025 crush was 2.62 million tons statewide, down just over 8% from 2024. She cautioned that the El Niño weather cycle could modestly increase the 2027 crop.
Excess bulk wine remains a challenge. Turrentine had about 25 million gallons listed for sale, compared with roughly 20 million a year earlier. Listings had declined from a 2026 peak of around 33 million gallons, but buyers showed little interest in wine from the 2024 vintage or earlier.
“I’d love to say that we’re in a position where we see full market recovery, and that’s just simply not the case at the moment,” Cooper said.
O’Neill estimated California wineries have 30% to 35% more capacity than needed. A smaller crush this year could produce less wine than the market is buying, he said, but wineries still have older inventories to sell.
Industry analyst Jon Moramarco estimated California wineries held nearly 888 million gallons at the end of 2025—equivalent to 22.1 months of shipments, compared with a historical average of 18.5 months. His model suggested inventories could return to that average by the end of 2028 if annual crushes average about 2.3 million tons from 2026 through 2028 and shipments continue to decline.
Signs of growth in specific categories
Beverage alcohol consultant Danny Brager said sales are stabilizing, though below year-earlier levels. Data he presented showed direct-to-consumer wine volume fell 8.8% in the 12 months through September, while revenue dropped 1%. Wines priced at $100 or more per bottle bucked the trend, gaining 1.3% in volume and 9.3% in revenue.
Smaller formats also performed better. U.S. retail wine sales in packages under 750 milliliters rose 7.2% in dollars in the 52 weeks ended Oct. 3, while sales of larger packages fell 4.6%.
Kaleigh Theriault of NIQ said declines were driven mainly by fewer purchasing occasions, rather than a steep drop in the number of buyers. Younger adults still drink, she said, but are more intentional about alcohol. Wineries should balance price and quality, offer relevant experiences and give existing customers reasons to return.
Rethinking wine’s appeal
O’Neill urged wineries to move beyond rigid serving rules and tasting-room jargon that can make wine feel complicated.
“Heritage is important, but it alone is not a business strategy,” he said.
He pointed to sustainability and transparency, including ingredient labeling, as ways to build consumer trust. The roughly 125 growers supplying his company, representing about 15,000 vineyard acres, are certified sustainable. O’Neill said regenerative farming can cost more initially but may improve yields over time, and encouraged growers to try it on a small plot.
Wine also competes with other beverages for consumers’ attention, he said. Recovery will require more than cutting costs or increasing production.
“If we’re going to get ourselves out of this mess, we aren’t going to do it by simply making more wine,” O’Neill said.
Ketel One Vodka Celebrates the Martini in Its New “Made to Cocktail” Campaign
Ketel One has launched a new chapter of its Made to Cocktail campaign, putting the martini at the center of the vodka brand’s story. The campaign began November 12, 2026, with advertisements across television, streaming, digital and social platforms, alongside events and other consumer experiences.
The creative features people sharing their preferred martini styles—from wet or dry to dirty or espresso, shaken or stirred, and garnished with olives. The ads highlight the drink-making ritual, including pouring Ketel One over ice, stirring and adding a garnish, with the message that a great martini starts with the right vodka.
The brand traces its martini focus to its origins. Before introducing Ketel One in 1983, Carolus Nolet Sr. spent nearly a decade developing a vodka intended to deliver the smoothness, flavor and finish suited to a classic martini. The family says its distilling tradition spans 11 generations and more than 335 years.
The campaign also includes new social content featuring actor and entrepreneur Patrick Schwarzenegger, a Ketel One brand partner, during a visit to the Nolet Distillery.
From November through January, participating bars and restaurants in Los Angeles, Miami, New York City and Chicago will host Ketel One Martini Social Hours. Guests can choose from a special martini menu paired with food, with reservations available through OpenTable.
Ketel One is also partnering with TAPE to offer three VIP memberships. The sweepstakes runs from November 12 through November 22, 2026; entrants must be 21 or older and follow the applicable official rules.
Ina Garten’s Simple Upgrade for Better Penne alla Vodka
Penne alla vodka is a simple dish with an unexpectedly rich flavor, and Ina Garten’s version gets its depth from an unusual step: roasting the sauce in the oven.
Rather than preparing vodka sauce quickly on the stovetop, Garten lets it cook slowly for about 90 minutes. The extended roasting concentrates the tomatoes’ sweetness and gives the sauce a fuller flavor. The recipe is inspired by the version served at Hamptons restaurant Nick & Toni’s.
How the sauce comes together
Start by sautéing yellow onions in olive oil until translucent. Add garlic, crushed red pepper, and dried oregano, then pour in the vodka. The vodka helps bring the sauce’s flavors together and temper the tomatoes’ acidity. It also helps the cream blend smoothly into the sauce later.
Once the alcohol’s aroma has faded, add two 28-ounce cans of whole peeled tomatoes, drained and crushed by hand. Season with salt and pepper, cover the pan, and roast the sauce in the oven for about an hour and a half. Save the drained tomato juice to loosen the sauce later, if needed.
When the tomatoes have cooked down, blend the sauce until smooth and return it to the pot. Stir in heavy cream, which softens the flavor and gives the sauce its familiar rosy color. Add al dente penne and let it finish cooking in the sauce so the pasta absorbs its flavor. Finish with freshly grated Parmesan for richness and a savory edge.
The process takes longer than a quick stovetop sauce, but the concentrated flavor makes the extra time worthwhile. The recipe also makes a generous batch, so you can freeze some for another meal.
RUM Group (RUM) Q3 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
RUM Group reported record third-quarter 2026 revenue of $96.6 million, up 290% from a year earlier, and said it achieved its first positive adjusted EBITDA quarter as a public company. The company’s newly combined AI infrastructure business, Quake AI, generated more than 70% of revenue in its first full quarter as part of the group.
CEO Christopher Pavlovski said Quake AI operates about 22,000 GPUs, with utilization at 85%. Management expects tight supply and strong demand to support higher rates as contracts renew. Most of the company’s H100 contracts are due to roll off by the end of the first quarter of 2027. Executives said current market rates for H100s are above $2 per hour, while declining to provide specific pricing guidance.
The company recorded $4.4 million in adjusted EBITDA, compared with losses of $15.1 million in the third quarter of 2025 and $16.6 million in the second quarter of 2026. Quake AI contributed $68.2 million in revenue and $23.5 million in adjusted EBITDA, a margin of about 34%. Rumble Video generated $28.4 million in revenue, up 15% year over year, and reported an adjusted EBITDA loss of $12.1 million.
RUM Group’s net loss reached $91.7 million, including $85.8 million in depreciation and amortization. That amount included $39 million tied to the accounting fair-value increase of Northern Data assets. The company ended the quarter with $142.3 million in liquidity, including $134.4 million in cash and cash equivalents and 94.68 bitcoin valued at $7.9 million.
For the fourth quarter, management forecast revenue of $88 million to $94 million. Third-quarter revenue exceeded the company’s previous guidance range of $87 million to $93 million, but included more than $3 million from an accelerated customer barter arrangement that is not expected to recur. Excluding those items, the company said third-quarter revenue was roughly at the high end of its forecast.
Data center plans and financing
Management said recent difficulties in financing data center and AI infrastructure projects have prompted lenders and investors to scrutinize projects more closely, including their power access, permitting and operating teams. The company is discussing an alternative plan with a customer for its Maysville site, which executives said could be easier to finance while retaining attractive economics.
RUM Group is also working toward delivering a planned 250 megawatts of capacity. Management said some of that capacity may shift beyond 2027, though it still expects a portion to come online that year. The company did not provide project-specific timelines or capital spending guidance.
Executives said customer prepayments could fund a substantial share of the equity needed for future projects, with debt financing providing another potential source. They emphasized a disciplined approach to capital and said the company is prioritizing its existing GPU fleet and the 250-megawatt pipeline over its longer-term goal of reaching one gigawatt of capacity.
Changes to Rumble Video
Rumble began a cost-reduction effort in the third quarter, including workforce reductions and other cuts to recurring expenses. Management described the targeted operating expense reduction as more than 20% on a run-rate basis and said savings should begin to appear through 2027.
The company is also shifting its creator compensation model. Its new Partner Program offers eligible creators up to a 90% revenue share on video ads, including host-read sponsorships. Executives said automation through Rumble Studio and revised creator economics are intended to make the video business more efficient and support growth.
Management said Rumble Video was gross-margin positive in the quarter and expects that to continue, while aiming to improve profitability further. The platform also plans to develop a marketplace where creators could license real-world and video content as data for AI and robotics companies. RUM Group is targeting a launch in late 2027, with further updates potentially coming earlier that year.
Pavlovski said the company views its video platform as strategically important to Quake AI, providing a large library of creator content that could support future AI-related products and revenue opportunities.
The full earnings-call transcript is available online.
Breckenridge Distillery Launches the 2 Mile High Whiskey Club for Rare, Hard-to-Find Whiskey
Breckenridge Distillery has launched the 2 Mile High Whiskey Club, a membership program offering limited releases, special cask finishes and single-barrel selections that may not be available in stores.
For $199 per quarter, members receive two 750-milliliter bottles selected from a rotating collection of the Colorado distillery’s whiskeys. Membership is open to adults 21 and older, with a limited number of spots available each quarter.
The club also includes virtual tastings and cocktail sessions tied to each release, updates from the distillery, preferred access to events, and discounts: 10% off at the Breckenridge Distillery Restaurant and 15% off merchandise and bottles at its two retail stores.
Planned early selections include Breckenridge Holiday Blend, a Merlot Cask Finish Whiskey and a Master Distiller’s pick of Breckenridge Powder Hound Whiskey.
Founder and CEO Bryan Nolt said the club is intended to share special whiskey releases and give members a closer look at the distillery’s work. Future offerings may include private tastings, educational sessions and opportunities for members to help choose a single-barrel release.
More information and membership details are available at the 2 Mile High Whiskey Club website.
The Worst German Beer You Can Buy in the US?
Germany’s long brewing tradition has helped shape American beer culture. Many early U.S. beer brands were founded by German immigrants, but popularity and heritage don’t necessarily guarantee quality. In a ranking of popular German beers sold in the U.S., Beck’s came in last.
The beer received a score of 65 on BeerAdvocate, despite being one of the list’s better-selling options. Reviews often describe its flavor as mediocre or unremarkable. One reviewer summed up the experience bluntly: “Looks good. Smells horrible. Tastes the way it should, but it’s still not for me.”
A reviewer from A Beer Snob’s Cheap Brew Review called Beck’s “a 12-ounce bottle of disappointment.” The reviewer pointed to the brand’s move from Germany to St. Louis, arguing that the change in water and ingredients altered its flavor. Rather than tasting like a premium German pilsner, the beer came across as a generic mass-market lager.
The lawsuit behind Beck’s low ranking
Beck’s parent company, Anheuser-Busch InBev, shifted production from Bremen, Germany, to St. Louis in 2012. But bottles continued to feature phrases such as “German Quality” and “Brewed under the German Purity Law of 1516.” Some customers felt the packaging implied they were buying an imported beer when it was being brewed domestically.
A class-action settlement followed in 2015, with the company expected to pay more than $20 million in consumer refunds. The criticism, as the article frames it, was not that Beck’s had German roots, but that its American-made bottles continued to emphasize German credentials.
Other U.S. beers with German immigrant connections take a different approach. Hamm’s calls itself “America’s Classic” beer, while Pabst Blue Ribbon makes no claim to German origin on its packaging. Shiner Bock, founded by German and Czech immigrants, proudly identifies Shiner, Texas, as home.
Discover the 2026 Luxury Bourbon & World Whiskey Advent Calendar from Cask Cartel
Cask Cartel has announced its 2026 Luxury Bourbon & World Whiskey Advent Calendar, a 25-day tasting collection aimed at bourbon fans and whiskey collectors.
The calendar includes 25 individually packaged 30ml pours, a Glencairn tasting glass and online tasting videos. Featured American spirits include Weller Special Reserve, Eagle Rare 10 Year Old, Buffalo Trace Bourbon, E.H. Taylor Small Batch and Sazerac Straight Rye, as well as selections from Four Roses and 1792.
The collection also brings together whiskies from around the world, including Lagavulin 16 Year Old and Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old from Scotland, Teeling Small Batch from Ireland and Akashi Sherry Cask Whiskey from Japan, alongside bottles from England, India, Denmark and other countries.
For a limited time, purchases include a complimentary full-size bottle of Buffalo Trace Bourbon, while supplies last. The calendar is available through Cask Cartel; the company says in-stock orders ship the same day or the next day, and quantities are limited.
The calendar is an independently curated, third-party product. It is not an official Buffalo Trace Distillery product and is not sponsored or endorsed by the distillery. It is intended for adults of legal drinking age; shipping restrictions and promotional terms apply.