20 Years of Liquid Culture
In the spring of 2006, the global cocktail renaissance was in its infancy, the third wave coffee movement was still defining its identity, craft brewing was starting to gain serious traction, and the wine world was shifting gears for the challenges and opportunities ahead in the 21st century. Imbibe introduced its inaugural issue in May of that year, and while we’ve covered all of these aspects of the drinks world in the two decades since, we’ve also helped shape that world in our own way. Here’s a look back at some of the defining moments of the past 20 years.
2006
Imbibe debuts in May with coverage of where to drink in Oaxaca, coffee’s third wave, mixing with cocktail bitters, and a profile of Ted Haigh, aka Dr. Cocktail, who soon became Imbibe’s first regular columnist; Death & Co makes its debut in NYC on New Year’s Eve.
2007
The U.S. allows the legal sale of absinthe for the first time in almost a century; the cocktail world welcomes PDT in NYC, Teardrop Lounge in Portland, Oregon, and The Violet Hour in Chicago; David Wondrich publishes Imbibe! (no relation to the magazine) and Jeff “Beachbum” Berry publishes Sippin’ Safari. With St-Germain’s debut, elderflower is suddenly everywhere.
2008
Redhook and Widmer Brothers form the Craft Brewers Alliance; Anheuser-Busch is acquired by InBev; Alice Feiring publishes The Battle for Wine and Love; Clover Club in Brooklyn, Drink in Boston, and The Publican in Chicago all make their debuts.
2009
Whole Foods introduces local craft beers at in-store bars; McDonald’s takes on Starbucks with a $100 million McCafé campaign; Smith Teamaker opens in Portland, Oregon. Other notable openings include Smuggler’s Cove in San Francisco, The Varnish in Los Angeles, Cure in New Orleans, Anvil in Houston, and The Patterson House in Nashville.
2010
The Discovery Channel launches reality show Brew Masters; Panther Coffee opens in Miami, while Bar Agricole opens in San Francisco, and Evil Twin Brewing (various locations) begins operations.
New York bartenders Lynnette Marrero (left) and Ivy Mix (right) launch Speed Rack. | Photo by Carolyn Fong
2011
New York bartenders Ivy Mix and Lynnette Marrero launch Speed Rack; AB InBev purchases Goose Island Brewing; Amor y Amargo opens in NYC, as does The Aviary in Chicago and Canon in Seattle. Imbibe publishes its first book, The American Cocktail.
2012
New Belgium Brewing becomes 100-percent employee-owned; Starbucks purchases Teavana for $620 million; PDT wins a first-ever James Beard Award for Outstanding Bar Program; Pouring Ribbons debuts in NYC, as does Rumba in Seattle and Broken Shaker in Miami.
2013
U.S. sales of whiskey outpace vodka; Imbibe launches Negroni Week; Jon Bonné publishes The New California Wine; The Dead Rabbit opens in NYC, along with Polite Provisions in San Diego, Tørst in Brooklyn, Kimball House in Atlanta, and Cane & Table in New Orleans.
2014
James Hoffmann publishes The World Atlas of Coffee; Garrett Oliver becomes the first brewer to win a James Beard Award for Outstanding Beer, Wine, or Spirits Professional; ABV opens in San Francisco, while Latitude 29 in New Orleans and Julep in Houston also begin operations.
Whitechapel in San Francisco opened in 2015. | Photo by Kelly Puleio
2015
Constellation Brands purchases Ballast Point Brewing for $1 billion (it resumes private ownership in 2020); Sierra Nevada opens a brewery in Asheville; bar openings include Dante, Bar Goto, and Leyenda in NYC; Sweet Liberty in Miami; and Whitechapel in San Francisco.
2016
Imbibe celebrates its 10th anniversary; New Belgium Brewing expands operations to Asheville; Truly and White Claw enter the hard seltzer arena; Swift Cup and Sudden take specialty coffee into instant territory; Rouge Tomate 2.0 opens in NYC, and The Living Room at The Dewberry opens in Charleston.
2017
Wildfires sweep through California wine country; many craft-spirits categories experience double-digit growth; Navy Strength opens in Seattle, and Mikkeller opens in NYC.
2018
The number of U.S. craft breweries surpasses 7,000; canned wine and hard kombucha make significant showings; Kumiko debuts in Chicago, along with Katana Kitten in NYC, Raised by Wolves in San Diego, and Palomar in Portland, Oregon.
2019
E. & J. Gallo purchases 30 wine and spirits brands from Constellation; Jewel of the South opens in New Orleans, as does The Cabinet and Bar Pisellino in NYC and Scotch Lodge in Portland, Oregon.
A classic Negroni at Raines Law Room in NYC. | Photo by Eric Medsker
2020
The Doctor’s Office opens in Seattle, and Gage & Tollner opens in Brooklyn, only to immediately close upon onset of the Covid-19 pandemic; bars nationwide pivot to selling cocktails to-go; canned cocktails such as those from Tip Top, Livewire, and Social Hour gain prominence; The Roots Fund is launched to support BIPOC in the wine industry. Imbibe launches its podcast, Radio Imbibe.
2021
Brewers including Sam Adams, Lagunitas, and Brooklyn Brewing introduce alcohol-free beers; David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum release The Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails; bars emerge from the pandemic with the opening of Double Chicken Please and Sunken Harbor Club in NYC and Yacht Club in Denver.
2022
Drink Masters premieres on Netflix; agave spirits become the fastest-growing sales category in the U.S.; Queer Wine Fest is launched in Oregon by winemaker Remy Drabkin; Milady’s in NYC, Mirate in LA, and Pacific Standard in Portland, Oregon, make their debuts.
2023
Global wine production drops to its lowest level since 1961, due in large part to the impacts of climate change; the National Coffee Association reports that U.S. consumers spend $301 million daily on coffee; bar openings include Superbueno in NYC, Nine Bar in Chicago, Coral Wig in Baltimore, and Pretty Decent in Louisville. Eastern Standard reopens in a new location in Boston.
In 2023, consumers were reported to spend $301 million daily on coffee. | Photo by Lara Ferroni
2024
American single malt whiskey is officially designated as a distinct style; the Ajabu Cocktail Festival begins showcasing Africa’s drinks culture; the Great American Beer Festival includes formal cider categories for the first time; Sip & Guzzle opens in NYC, while Public Parking in Madison, Wisconsin, and Stoa in San Francisco debut.
2025
For the first time, white wine consumption surpasses red wine in the U.S.; tariffs lead to ongoing market turmoil, with Canadian stores pulling American spirits from shelves. Bar openings include Schmuck in NYC, Gus’ Sip & Dip in Chicago, Loma in Providence, and Mezcaleria Alma in Denver.
2026
Imbibe turns 20 and expands the annual Imbibe 75 coverage into a global event celebrating people and places worldwide that have supported our mission for the past two decades.
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