The Mixologist Has Nine Lives
At once modern and antiquated, humorous and self-serious, the term’s contradictions form the very DNA of bartending.
- story: Danny Chau
- illustration: Mallory Heyer
Can a Wine Actually Be “Crunchy”?
A staple of the modern sommelier lexicon, the term captures the difficulty of articulating the convergence of taste and texture.
- story: Danny Chau
- photo: Mallory Heyer
To Catch a “Unicorn” Wine
The term emerged in the mid-2010s as sommelier shorthand for a faddish rarity. Is it a dying breed?
- story: Danny Chau
- illustration: Mallory Heyer
Is It Time to Retire “Rustic”?
Equal parts virtuous compliment and backhanded dig, the ambiguous wine term may have to die for its true tenets to survive.
- story: Danny Chau
- photo: Mallory Heyer
So Everything Is “Crushable” Now?
How a vaguely violent word co-opted from bro culture became a catchall for carefree drinking.
- story: Danny Chau
- illustration: Mallory Heyer
Your Finest “Funky” Wine, Please
How do we navigate the line between love and revulsion in natural wine?
- story: Danny Chau
- photo: Mallory Heyer
Let’s Talk About “Smooth”
It may be the most ubiquitous descriptor in drinks. Is it also the most reviled?
- story: Danny Chau
- photo: Mallory Heyer