Food & Drink

For nine consecutive years, Chick-fil-A held the top spot on USA Today’s Readers’ Choice Awards as the best fast-food restaurant in America. But this year, it got knocked off its perch by the Mexican-American Del Taco chain. That’s quite an accomplishment for a chain with fewer than 600 stores in 18 states concentrated in the

Today is World Jollof Day, a day when people around the world honor the significance of the most internationally-recognized West African dish. There are endless ways to make jollof, but traditionally, it’s a rice dish that’s cooked in a base of a spiced tomato and pepper stew. Due to the African diaspora, versions of the

As global environmental concerns like greenhouse gas emissions, plastic pollution, and soil degradation continue to intensify, innovators are stepping up to address these challenges head-on. Better Earth, a company focused on sustainable foodservice packaging, is working to make a significant impact on the these issues through innovative products and commitment to regenerative practices. I recently

For a while, it seemed that alcoholic seltzers were going to be the legacy of the pandemic. They were everywhere. However, they were merely a precursor to a much bigger shift in drinking, which is changing the industry. I am talking about the nascent nonalcoholic/zero-proof drinks movement that has taken root across America. Fueled by

Topline Consuming meat, particularly red and processed meat, and even poultry like chicken and turkey may increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the future, according to a new study published on Tuesday, adding to growing evidence linking meat and ultra-processed foods to health issues including heart disease, cancer, depression, anxiety and even

Walk into Virtú at Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi, and you can feel an aura of hospitality emanating from the room before you even sit down. Certainly before you take your first sip of a cocktail. Staff quickly assess incoming guests and where they might best fit into the space, whether it’s an adventurous

While the title of CEO comes with its perks, it also comes with massive responsibility and pressure that can challenge even the most experienced executive’s mental health. As a company grows, so do the stakes, spotlight, and expectations. Starbucks is a prime example. Unfortunately, Starbucks has recently struggled domestically and internationally. The days of Howard

The debate about additives in agave spirits has been going on for a while. Additives are legaly used in the tequila industry, but brands do not have to disclose if their product contains them or not. Many brands claim to be additive-free, but consumers didn’t have a way to confirm it. Now, there is an

We spend a lot of time talking about the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. And for good reason. Since it was founded in 2000, the annual judging has grown in stature and prominence to become one of the premiere industry events of the calendar year. The producers and brands that collect “Best In Show” hardware

Two of the world’s largest snack food companies are going to make Big Food even bigger. Privately-held Mars, Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Kellogg’s snack spinoff Kellanova for almost $36 billion, or over a 16X EBIDTA multiple. But while shareholders are surely salivating at such a profitable deal, consumers will be

Sixty human volunteer taste-testers found that yoghurt and ice cream made from mare’s milk to be creamy and visually appealing with a good taste and texture. The ice creams that most people are familiar with are made by adding cow’s milk to cow’s cream, along with a variety of other ingredients. But can a person

Make sure you wash your cucumbers thoroughly. And cook them if possible. An outbreak of Salmonella Africana and Salmonella Braenderup has so far left at least 449 people ill in 31 states and the District of Columbia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And Salmonella ill in many cases is not just

If you are a whisky lover, plan your next vacation to Australia, not Scotland or Japan. That’s because Starward, a whisky-focused distillery out of Melbourne, Australia, has received the Most Awarded International Distillery Award from the San Francisco World Spirit Competition (SFWSC) for the second time in three years. Yes, you read that correctly. Unlike

Although World Rum Day is traditionally observed on the second Saturday of July every year, National Rum Day is celebrated in the United States on August 16. Most of us associate rum with Caribbean countries, but the sugarcane-based spirit is now produced in many places, from Scotland to Africa and Hawai’i. Rum is the base

When you’re living at a Buddhist temple, you don’t have a choice what you eat. The surrounding earth dictates what you grow. And what you grow, you eat. For Chef Junya Yamasaki, the Head Chef at Downtown Los Angeles’ YESS, Japanese cooking is about technique, philosophy and history, not ingredients. When he arrived in LA

Margot Robbie’s star power could easily overshadow any project she’s involved in–and she knows it. Despite soft-launching a gin brand, Papa Salt Coastal Gin, in Australia last year, the Oscar-nominated Barbie star has taken little credit. In fact, when asked if I wanted to talk to her about the brand’s recent UK launch, I was

Chicken Cock Whiskey traces its history to 1856, when James A. Miller built a distillery in Paris, Kentucky. Despite surviving several challenges, including changes in ownership, a distillery fire and prohibition, the brand eventually faded and was lost in the 1950s. Fast forward to 2011 when the Chicken Cock Whiskey brand was acquired by Grain

Amazon’s chief engineer used to have a dog named Rufus who ran up and down the halls fetching tennis balls. That doesn’t seem like a big deal for a multi-billion-dollar business. But recently, Amazon brought Rufus back to the office in a big way as the name of its AI-powered digital shopping assistant, complete with

A bar in the center of Copenhagen is the only one in Europe to have three living pieces of bar history, all in working order, on the counter. Two hand-cranked Coles shakers, a Minneapolis Brass & Iron Mfg Co. Ferris Wheel drink mixer, and a hand-cranked Alaska ice crusher are the prized possessions of Humberto

Sports and spirits may not be the most obvious pairing, but many athletes have proved it to be a match made in heaven. With extensive networks and competitive spirits, naturally suited to the high-stakes and fanbase-driven world of wine and spirits. Of course, they’re not the only celebrities to do so. In recent months we’ve