425 Items Tagged

Alcohol

A fresco from a mansion, or haveli, depicting the sharing of a drink. In Rajput culture, the munawwar piyala meaning "cup of request" is liquor offered to guests during gatherings, especially marriages.

The Resurrection of Rajasthan’s Royal Liquors

After fading away post-Independence, Heritage Liquors are back and, this time, everyone can sip them.

N.C. Stevens April 19, 2024

Tiquira

This violet-hued liquor is Brazil's oldest spirit.

Pont

A town in East France still makes a beloved green-anise liquor born after the ban of absinthe.

When fermented tuba gets distilled, just one fifth of the volume becomes vino de cocos.

Is This Mexico's Oldest Spirit?

In the state of Colima, one man is reviving vino de cocos, a distillate that disappeared in the 1700s.

N.C. Stevens January 16, 2024

Social campaigners of the 1920s tried to make mocktails glamorous, but today Prohibition is primarily remembered as the era of speakeasies and bootleggers.

7 Wild Stories From the Prohibition Era

The 18th Amendment had some unexpected side effects, from alcohol prescriptions to the rise of NASCAR.

April White January 12, 2024

A rare counter-example to the flood of Temperance maps.

This Prohibition-Era Map Is a Love Letter to Alcohol

See dozens of 1920s cocktails from a time when alcohol was illegal in the U.S.

Frank Jacobs December 22, 2023

Gastro Obscura’s Guide to the Northern Kentucky Bourbon Tour

10 worthy stops along The B-Line® to sip and savor spirited whiskey.

Sponsored By Meet Northern Kentucky

Fröccs

A seasonal Hungarian spritzer has a language all its own.

Iron Horse grows pinot noir and chardonnay grapes.

At the White House, Toasts Call For Russian River Valley Wine

It's sparkling and comes from Sonoma.

Noah Lederman June 15, 2023

Until the 1990s, when billboards were banned in Spain, these bulls were painted with the name of Veterano Osborne brandy. The company removed the words and successfully fought to have the enormous bulls considered art.

How These Bull-Shaped Billboards Became Spanish Icons

Once an advertisement for brandy, the Osborne bull is now a symbol of the country.

Ignacio Amigo May 10, 2023

The trendy bar Silver Lyan sits in what was once the historic Riggs Bank.

Washington, D.C.

Silver Lyan

Sip creative cocktails in the former vault of the Riggs Bank.

Gold, Ghosts, and Gin: The Curious Spirits and Elaborate History of Virginia City

This one-time boomtown still oozes with the spirit of the Wild West.

Sponsored By Travel Nevada

All illustrations: John Mata for Atlas Obscura

Puzzle Monday: That's the Spirit! Crossword

AO Puzzles April 3, 2023

Street art advertising locally brewed chicha.

Bogotá, Colombia

The Chicherias of Bogota's La Candelaria Barrio

This narrow street is packed with street vendors and bars selling chicha.

People spent significant time and effort making non-alcoholic drinks glamorous.

The Prohibition-Era Effort To Make Mocktails Fun

Socialites and social campaigners joined forces to create tempting temperance drinks.

Kirstin Fawcett January 24, 2023

Forget "naughty or nice?" The more important question this gift-giving season is "sweet or savory?"

Delicious Gifts for the Food-Obsessed

A gift guide from the Atlas Obscura team.

Atlas Obscura November 30, 2022

A farmer in Ethiopia cradles a handful of maslin, mixed grains including different varieties of wheat and barley that are grown together.

This Nearly Lost Ancient Grain Tradition Could Be the Future of Farming

A past global staple you've never heard of, maslins are poised for a comeback.

Gemma Tarlach October 13, 2022

The Sweeney bowl is five feet tall and 225 pounds.

4 of History's Most Epic Punch Bowls

If your party doesn't feature enough alcohol to float a rowboat, you're doing it wrong.

Sam O'Brien October 3, 2022