In this edition of Top Shelf, it’s all about extreme deliciousness, including adventurous rum from the middle of the Atlantic and sessionable mead.

Illustration: Oscar Bolton Green

Welcome back, all ye of discerning taste. It’s the first Thursday in a new month, and boy, do we have a doozy of a Top Shelf Society meeting ahead.

In case you’re new here—and huzzah if you are!—just grab that chair over there and settle in; there’s no cap in this club dedicated to more satisfying, smart drinking. (Although sign up here if you’re reading this online, so you don’t miss out on subscriber-only special offers.)