SIP ON, MY BROTHER

Few distilleries have set the industry abuzz in the last decade more than Garrison Brothers. The Texan distillery launched in 2010 and has become something of a legend, the sort of brand whose drops sell out minutes after they’re released. Their 2024 Guadalupe Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey is one of the most hotly anticipated releases of the year, bottled at 107 proof and made with a sweet mash of number one food grade corn, soft red winter wheat, and barley, all sourced from Texas and finished in port wine barrels. Each bottle is numbered and hand-dipped in wax to finish. Last year’s Guadalupe picked up a ton of hardware at national competitions, including Best in Show at TAG Global Spirits Awards. With an expected nationwide release at the end of February, expect this one to go fast. Don’t miss it. $149.99, garrisonbros.com

SMOKES BY THE SHORE

Cuban cigars in a wooden box, blur glass of cognac brandy, closeup view with details, copy space

In the peak of winter, it can be hard to remember the feeling of enjoying a cigar outside. For those looking ahead to that season, look no further than the upcoming second-annual Atlantic City Cigar Social, slated for Saturday, May 18 at the Oscar McClinton Waterfront Park. A celebration of cigar culture, the event will feature 20 cigar brands, curated liquor tastings, live entertainment, and food from local restaurant Il Porcellino. Self-described as a “gathering of like-minded individuals,” this is a space for aficionados from across the state and beyond to get together, discover new cigars, and enjoy the seaside view. Tickets are on sale now, with only 450 available. For those looking to get something on their calendar for warmer days ahead, look no further. $229 per person, accigarsocial.com

PUT DOWN ROOTS

Every cigar has an origin story, and the story of the CAO Amazon Basin is one for the books. First launched in 2014, this limited-edition cigar incorporates a rare strain of tobacco called Brazilian Bragança, named after the remote region of the Brazilian rainforest where it grows. The tobacco can only be harvested once every three years and, after six months of fermentation, are brought out of the Amazon by canoe. The original launch of Amazon Basin was something of a coming-out party for Amazonian tobacco on the global stage. This cigar returns to the market for the first time since 2022, boasting a blend of Bragança, Colombian, and Dominican tobaccos. Those who can get their hands on one this year’s release tops out at 6,000 boxes will be able to taste a cigar whose journey from seed to smoke has been anything but ordinary. $14.29 per cigar, caocigars.com

BED OF ROSES

Wine and spirit store Happy Cork launched in 2019 and has since become one of Brooklyn’s premier local shops. Today the boutique is something of a travel destination for customers looking to explore its curated collections of minority- and Black owned brands. To ring in the New Year, the store is debuting a dedicated tasting room, an intimate and cozy space within the larger store. Designed by founder Sunshine Foss herself, this gorgeously floral and vibrant space, packed with vintage furniture, is designed to be the perfect venue for tastings, dinners, and events of all kinds. Happy Cork has been community focused since its launch, and the company sees this new tasting room as an opportunity to invite wine and spirit enthusiasts from the five boroughs and beyond to come in, have a drink, and relax. 51 Buffalo Avenue, Brooklyn; happy-cork.com

A Legendary Union

There are few bigger names in the cigar world than Arturo Fuente and Padrón, which is why the industry went bananas back in 2020 when the two companies announced they would be working together on a humidor project called Legends. The release, coordinated by Carlos Fuente Jr. and Jorge Padrón, is a tribute to their fathers, Carlos Fuente Sr. and José Orlando Padrón, nowdeparted titans of the cigar business. Now, after four years of delays and setbacks, this humidor is finally slated for release sometime this year. Each humidor is packed with 40 Churchill-size cigars, 20 made by Fuente in the Dominican Republic and 20 made by Padrón in Nicaragua. The humidor itself is a work of art, featuring collages of pictures of both men and their signatures on the cigar bands. Initially slated for a 2023 release, this promises to be the year that fans of either brand (or both!) can finally get their hands on a piece of history, a passion project that, true to its name, is the stuff of legends. No release date yet. arturofuente.com, padron.com