The 2025 Rolling Stone Spirit Awards

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O
ur staff of shopping writers and editors tastes hundreds of new alcoholic beverages every year. It is as fun as it sounds, but we are still working (most of the time). We talk to the people behind the beverages, who tell us how their product was distilled, brewed, and/or fermented. We look for spirits and other alcoholic beverages that are versatile in different settings and serving formats, approachable for beginners and seasoned connoisseurs alike, uniquely created, and complex on the nose and palate. The beverages below are the finalists, from twists on old categories to timeless classics that never leave our bars, but they all have one thing in common: They’re f-cking delicious. Enjoy.

The 2025 Rolling Stone Spirit Awards

From smoky mezcals to refreshing canned cocktails to collectible whisky, here is all the liquor, beer, and wine worth drinking right now.


Tequila

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Overall

Lalo Tequila High Proof

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Spare a thought for the humble blanco tequila. Lalo has a singular focus on blanco tequila, which has allowed it to strip the agave spirit to its purest form. Lalo’s tequila is made from three simple ingredients: well water, Champagne yeast, and Highland agave. The result? A delicious blanco tequila that’s worth sipping. For 2025, Lalo released a special edition high-proof tequila, bottled at 50% ABV with a pure, bold taste and no water added after distillation. —Jonathan Zavaleta

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Reposado

Aguasol Reposado Tequila

Aguasol delivers exactly what we want out of a Reposado Tequila. You get bright, fresh agave and citrus, as well as richer flavors like cooked agave, a little bit of oak, and some pepper. All in, Aguasol Reposado is as elegant, refreshing, and cool as its unique bottle. — Oscar Hartzog

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Cristalino

Codigo Cristalino

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Cristalino tequila is having a moment, with almost all the big-name actor brands shilling an aged, colorless agave blend, but the best of the bunch comes from a musician-founded brand: Codigo 1530. Co-founded by country star George Strait, Codigo’s cristalino blends reposado tequila aged in French cabernet barrels with extra anejo tequila finished in French cognac casks, rather than traditional bourbon barrels like most competitors. The result is a super sippable tequila that’s smooth and creamy while still delivering a complex mouthfeel. Think notes of vanilla, roasted hazelnuts, cocoa, and a dash of cinnamon for a warm hit of spice. Cristalino may not be the most popular tequila category, but if you want something with lots of flavor (and very little bite), Codigo’s bottle deserves a spot on your bar cart. —Tim Chan

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Añejo

Mijenta Añejo

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Mijenta Tequila Añejo —our favorite Añejo two years in a row — is for those who want their sweet side to shine through. With notes of vanilla and caramel, it’s the ideal sipper after a long day. But we’d argue it’s better when shared on a special occasion. This tequila is aged for approximately 18 months in American white oak, French oak, acacia, and cherry casks and is twice distilled. Mijenta is also among a small (but growing) contingent of female-owned and led tequila brands. We’ll drink to that. —Jonathan Zavaleta

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Extra Añejo

Tears of Llorona

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There are plenty of expensive tequilas out there, and most of them are not worth your money. Tears of Llorona is different — and certainly worth its hefty price tag. The special liquid starts with Blue Weber Agave plants, grown for at least eight years on volcanic slopes, which are all inspected and approved by Master Distiller Germán González Gorrochotegui. The plants are then slow-roasted for 20 hours, and the liquid is aged for at least five years in Scotch, Sherry, and Brandy oak barrels. The final product is perhaps the most complex, rich tequila we’ve ever tried. Expect earthiness, oak, and a cornucopia of spices and fruit before a luxurious, long finish. — Oscar Hartzog

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Blanco

Laelia Blanco

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Laelia is a relatively new brand from fourth-generation Mexican agave growers, and draws inspiration from the Mexican orchid of its namesake. Laelia’s Blanco is made in the lowlands of Jalisco, using fully mature 100% Blue Weber agave aged for up to 14 days in American White Oak barrels. With an emphasis on sustainable production, Laelia’s peppery, herbal blanco is worth the investment. —Jonathan Zavaleta


Mezcal

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Overall

Manojo Mezcal

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Officially launched in 2024 by Michelin-starred chef Enrique Olvera, Manojo Mezcal is one of the smoothest spirits you’ll ever sip. It delivers just the right amount of kick without feeling overwhelming. During our tastings, even those who usually avoid mezcal found themselves coming back for seconds — and thirds. With its incredible flavor and bold packaging, Manojo Mezcal is a standout choice. —Alexis Mikulski

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Reposado

Gracias a Dios Espadín Reposado

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Made alongside fourth-generation master mezcalero Oscar Hernández Santiago, Gracias a Dios is priced affordably enough for easy mixing, but it can shine on its own, too. The piñas are cooked for approximately four days in a dirt oven before being ground in a stone grinder. Alongside its Espadin and Reposado mezcals, Gracias a Dios also produces wild agave mezcals, ranging from tobalas to cuishes, and has even expanded into agave-based gin. But their reposado is a great place to start. —Jonathan Zavaleta

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Ensamble

Bozal Ensamble

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Bozal Ensamble is made from a blend of Barril, Espadin, and Mexicano agave and distilled in copper pots. The result is a versatile, slightly smoky Ensamble with citrus and floral notes. It’s smooth enough for sipping, but adds enough bite if you want to use it in a cocktail. The bottle design is a standout, too. —Jonathan Zavaleta

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Joven

Mezcal Union Uno

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Affordable and easy to mix with, Mezcal Union Uno is a joven or blanco mezcal with a light, easy-to-drink flavor. If you find mezcal to be overly smoky, Mezcal Union Uno is a great place to start for tequila drinkers, with a slightly sweet and mild flavor. Union is made with master mezcalero Pedro Hernandez from a group of agave-growing family farms. —Jonathan Zavaleta


Whiskey

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Overall

Redemption 18-Year-Old Bourbon

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Redemption’s new 18 Year Bourbon is an instant classic that enthusiasts will be talking about for years, if not decades. It’s a big age statement for a bourbon, but Redemption pulls it off. On the nose, you’ll find a hearty combination of sugary ripe fruit and wood. The palate delivers cherry, brown sugar, chocolate, and a bit of citrus, among other pops of deliciousness, before leaving behind a long, slightly spicy-and-sweet finish. —Oscar Hartzog

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Bourbon

Bardstown Hokkaido Mizunara Oak Barrel Finish

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Our favorite bourbon of the year is the Bardstown Bourbon Company Distillery Reserve Hokkaido Mizunara Oak Barrel Finish. Much like the name, the liquid is a mouthful that just gets better and better. It’s a blend of American whiskeys aged between nine and 18 years, all finished in some of the world’s rarest barrels, Japanese Mizunara oak. It’s sweet and complex with just a hint of spice, leaving behind a velvety, lasting finish. — Oscar Hartzog

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Barrel Proof

Jefferson’s Reserve Cask Strength

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Jefferson’s might be best known for experimentation, but its new Reserve Cask Strength proves that it can still nail the classics. The eight-year-old liquid is big, as expected from a 65-percenter, but still surprisingly approachable and balanced with a palette of cherry, cola, and rye-like spice that hang out long after swallowing. — Oscar Hartzog

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best American Whiskey

Star Hill Farm 2025 American Wheat Whiskey

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You may not recognize the name on the bottle, but you certainly recognize the distillery. Star Hill Farm is the first wheat whiskey from Maker’s Mark. Founded in 1953, Maker’s is one of the most iconic whiskey brands in America, but they’ve never deviated from bourbon until now. The whiskey is made from a blend of two mashbills, one with 70% soft red winter wheat and 30% malted barley, and the other 100% malted soft red winter wheat. The result? Bold, yet inviting. —Jonathan Zavaleta

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Scotch

Ballindalloch 9 Year Old 2015 Single Sherry Cask

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We traveled to the Highlands of Scotland to experience Ballindalloch Scotch in its purest form, and it did not disappoint. Since beginning production in 2014, the brand has recently made its way into the U.S. market, and if you’re a Scotch enthusiast, we suggest running, not walking, to the nearest store to try it out for yourself.. Every barrel reflects meticulous craft and care, a commitment that even King Charles reportedly appreciates. The result is a Scotch that is smooth, complex, and unforgettable — each sip takes your senses on a journey. —Alexis Mikulski

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Best Blended Scotch

Dewar’s Double Double 21 Year Old

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Dewar’s Double Double 21 Year Old is one of three whiskies featured on this list that use Mizunara Oak. Just like the other Mizunara entries, Dewar’s uses it here to great effect as a finisher. The finish builds on the Double Double four-stage aging process, combining for a seriously special sipper from the old Scotch brand. —Oscar Hartzog

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Best Tennessee Whiskey

Sugarlands Roaming Man Special Edition Richard Petty Rye

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This special edition Roaming Man rye from Sugarlands, released to celebrate NASCAR legend Richard Petty, has a very long name. But it’s one we won’t forget, because this stuff is as tasty as Petty was fast. Roaming Man was already an award-winning Tennessee whiskey, and the special bottle makes it all the more worthy of a spot on our bar. —Oscar Hartzog

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Irish Whisky

Redbreast 15 Year Cask Strength

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Redbreast 15 has been one of the best Irish whiskies for two decades now. To celebrate the beloved expression’s 20th birthday, Red Breast released this cask strength offering. A marriage of 15 casks, the 15 Year Cask Strength turns up the power and spice while maintaining all the warm loveliness that made the original a hit. It’s vibrant yet approachable, and certain to impress — whether you’re an Irish whisky fan or not. — Oscar Hartzog

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Japanese Whisky

Yamazaki 25 Years Old Mizunara

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Any whisky aged exclusively in Mizunara oak is exciting. And anything from Yamazaki is exciting. And (almost) anything aged 25 years is also exciting. Put it all together and you have one of the most sought-after releases of the year: the Yamazaki 25 Years Old Mizunara. The oldest 100% Mizunara-cask-aged Yamazaki expression, House of Suntory’s new release is in a category of its own, even when compared to the Yamazaki 18 Year Old Mizunara. If you can find a bottle — and you can afford it — buy it. — Oscar Hartzog


Vodka

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Overall

The Reid

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The Reid is a rare high-end vodka that’s actually worth its price tag. Hailing from New Zealand’s Cardrona Distillery, The Reid boasts a rich, creamy complexity that’s capable of impressing even the most vodka-averse liquor snobs. It’s incredibly smooth and inviting on the nose, and the palate boasts pear, grains, and some florality, plus a little spice, that combine for one of the most well-rounded sipping vodkas we’ve ever tried. — Oscar Hartzog

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best for Cocktails

Reyka Vodka

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Vodka used in cocktails needs to be crisp and smooth with some very subtle, natural flavors like citrus and pepper. Reyka is up to the job, whether it’s a vodka soda, bloody mary, or Moscow mule. The Icelandic vodka’s purity and unique crispness are largely thanks to glacial spring water that’s filtered through a lava field. Plus, like any good vodka for cocktails, it’s very affordable and widely available. —Oscar Hartzog

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best for Sipping

Harridan

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Harridan is another one of the best vodkas we’ve ever had. The female-founded, New York-based spirit starts as corn grown on NY’s Myer Farm, which is then triple-distilled and bottled at 88 proof. The result is a uniquely characterful vodka marked by a buttery mouthfeel and notes of pepper, toffee, and banana. Drink it neat, in a dry martini, or any other way that puts the spirit front and center. —Oscar Hartzog

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Premium

Grey Goose Altius

Grey Goose has always been a go-to for big bashes and intimate dinner parties alike, but with its ultra premium “Altius” expression, the venerable vodka brand is taking things to new heights – literally. The limited-edition release is inspired by the rush and chill of the French Alps and blended with spring water from its glacial peaks. It’s then filtered at sub-freezing temperatures to deliver a crisp and refreshing sip with “alpine minerality.” The vibe: think clinking martini glasses with caviar at dinner, or sipping ice-cold shots of Altius at a club in Aspen or Saint-Tropez. Each bottle is hand-filled and individually numbered, adding to its exclusive appeal. —Tim Chan


Rum

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Overall

Eminente Ron de Cuba Reserva

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The beautiful, alligator-skin-inspired bottle goes a long way here, but as always, it’s what’s inside that counts. Eminente Ron de Cuba Reserva is aged for seven years from 100% Cuban sugar cane in white oak ex-whisky barrels. It’s complex enough for sipping on its own, either neat or on the rocks, and versatile enough for cocktails. —Jonathan Zavaleta

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best White Rum

Copalli Cacao Rum

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We typically steer clear of flavored rums, but Copalli did something very impressive with this Cacao white rum. The clear spirit is rested on cacao nibs, lending the final product a complex flavor that’s only mildly sweet (like so many great rums). —Oscar Hartzog

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Dark Rum

Ron Abuelo XII Años Two Oaks

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Ron Abuelo hit it out of the park with their new 12-year-old Two Oaks launch. The Panamanian rum leans into everything we crave from an old rum (or really any rich sipper, for that matter). It’s got smoke, oak, vanilla, and coffee on the nose and sherry, bourbon, and molasses on the palate. —Oscar Hartzog

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Gold Rum

Phraya Deep Matured Gold Rum

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Hailing from Thailand, Phraya delivers a unique sip for any rum enthusiast. This Deep Matured Gold Rum is aged in American oak in the intense heat and humidity of Thailand, yielding a warm palate of honey, vanilla, and tropical fruit. We’re just one of the award-winning rum’s many fans. —Oscar Hartzog

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Aged Rum

Diplomático Rum 2013 Single Vintage

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Where were you in 2013? The release of Diplomatico’s Single Vintage 2013 lets you take a sip back in time. The single vintage is unique in that it’s aged for a decade after being blended from three different distillates, and marks Diplomatico’s long-awaited return to Single Vintage rum. Diplomatico’s process is as unique as its origin, putting Venezuela on the shelf with Jamaica and Cuba. —Jonathan Zavaleta

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Spiced Rum

Duppy Share Spiced Rum

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Duppy Share’s Spiced Rum is the ideal way to bring tropical cocktails to life. The golden rum is naturally spiced with ginger, vanilla, grapefruit, pineapple, clove, and more. It’s a fruity and flavorful take on spiced rum, without being sickly sweet. — Jonathan Zavaleta


Sake & Soju

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Sake

Heavensake

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Premium sake brand, Heavensake, is rethinking what the traditional Japanese rice wine can taste like – and look like – with the debut of its rare PRESTIGE collection. The first release, dubbed the “PRESTIGE 1,” was a collaboration between French champagne cellar master Regis Camus and Noguchi Naohiko, better known as the “God of Sake.” Together, they created an expression that merges traditional Japanese ingredients with new world champagne-blending techniques. The result: an incredibly silky and uncompromising palette of fruits, florals, and umami that’s at once delicate and complex. The sake is housed in a hand-thrown porcelain vessel created with a ceramics maker in Saga Prefecture, Japan. A marriage of notes and nations, only 500 bottles of this PRESTIGE expression were produced, making it a pickup for sake fans and cultural connoisseurs alike. —Tim Chan

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Soju

Good Day Soju

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Earlier this year, Good Day Soju launched four new fruit-based flavors — coconut, hibiscus, watermelon, and guava — that made our palette’s sing (metaphorically, of course — well maybe not… after a few). They strike just the right balance of sweetness, are incredibly easy to sip, and at only $4.99 a bottle, they feel like a total steal. —Alexis Mikulski


Gin

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Overall

Silent Pool

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Our favorite gin of the year is Silent Pool, a fresh take on London Dry Gin out of Surrey, England. The gin boasts a balanced palate of ample juniper, pine, lemon, and other botanicals like chamomile, but the star of the show is a silky mouthfeel courtesy of locally-sourced honey. It’s bold yet approachable, and it works just as well in a stiff martini as it does in a G&T. — Oscar Hartzog

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Best London Dry

Tanqueray

It can be hard to debate the best classic London Dry gin, as plenty of brands deliver a crisp, juniper-forward flavor. But Tanqueray edges out the competition, year after year, and we’ll trust it for years to come. The popular gin’s subtle layers of additional botanicals, like licorice and coriander, add intrigue without overpowering the star (Juniper). —Oscar Hartzog

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Contemporary

Empress Cucumber Gin

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Empress Gin’s Cucumber Lemon expression might just be their best one yet. It strikes the perfect balance of citrusy fruits and floral undertones, and you can enjoy it neat, on the rocks, or in a refreshing spritz. It’s become a mainstay in our liquor cabinets, no matter the season. —Alexis Mikulski

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Craft Gin

Dyfi Pollination Gin

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Dyfi (pronounced “Dovey”) Pollination gin has been around for a couple of years, but it’s still one of the gin world’s most interesting offerings. It’s made using Welsh botanicals that yield a light, wildflower nose and a palate of licorice, pine, and aromatics. You’ll also notice some citrus in a supporting role, making an exceptionally good match for a premium tonic. —Oscar Hartzog


Wine

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best White

iBest White Blend

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Launched in 2023, the women- and black-owned IBest Wines is on a mission to make all of your sips more memorable. Sourcing its grapes from the Stellenbosch region of South Africa, where it has intimate and sustainable relationships with local growers, IBest only sells two hero offerings: the white blend and the red blend. Fans of the former will delight at the mix of chardonnay, chenin blanc, and sauvignon blanc Ingrid Best’s company has mastered. You’ll get whiffs of ripe peaches, apricot, basil, and other peak-of-harvest ingredients here; your palette, meanwhile, will luxuriate in a wine that’s crisp but never too dry, with ample layers that don’t require the expertise of an armchair sommelier to peel back. The brand suggests pairing with cheese for best results, which means you’ll soon find yourself spending fall nights on the couch: IBest’s White Blend in one hand and a hearty bowl of Annie’s in the other. That under-$35 price tag is meant to be accessible, after all, because, in 2025, we’re so over grape-powered snootiness. —Stacia Datskovska

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Rosé

This Life Rose

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Launched just a few months ago, This Life is a collaboration between Norah Jones and French winery Maison Wessman. Like the Jones’ Grammy-winning music, the label’s Rosé is at once approachable and relaxing yet complex. You’ll notice rich red fruits, a blend of citrus notes, and light florality — great for pairing with chicken, fish, and pasta. — Oscar Hartzog

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Red

Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel

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The Grateful Dead may be better associated with a different psychoactive substance, but Gnarly Head has been celebrating the Dead with Zins, Cabs, and more. This year, Gnarly Head released an anniversary edition to celebrate the band’s 60th anniversary. Naturally, the wines hail from vineyards in Northern California. —Jonathan Zavaleta

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Sparkling

Dancing Bounce Sparkling Rosé 2024

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Does wine make you feel like dancing? We don’t blame you. Dancing, the mother-daughter wine-making duo from Sonoma, recently released Bounce, a brut sparkling rosé. With notes of wild strawberries and summer fruits, it’s the kind of wine that calls to mind a winding drive through Big Sur. —Jonathan Zavaleta


RTD & Canned Cocktails

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Overall

HIgh Noon

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High Noon may be one of the most widely available hard seltzers, but sometimes, things are popular for a reason. Made with real vodka and juice — with plenty of flavors to choose from — High Noon remains a crowd-pleasing favorite. High Noon’s latest innovation is vodka iced tea, marking the brand’s first non-carbonated release. —Jonathan Zavaleta

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Tequila-Based

Talkhouse Tequila Soda

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Inspired by a classic Hamptons bar, Talkhouse Encore is an East Coast take on the hard seltzer. The brand makes vodka and tequila sodas, and the latter is available in blood orange, grapefruit, and pineapple, all made with real fruit juice and natural flavors. It’s as refreshing as it sounds, even miles away from the beach and months out from summer. —Jonathan Zavaleta

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Rum-Based

Cutwater Tiki Rum Mai Tai

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Cutwater isn’t new to the scene — odds are you’ve already had one of their canned cocktails before — but their rum-based drinks remain some of the best out there. They capture the feeling of a beachside cocktail and shrink it into a portable little can. Close your eyes, and you’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference between sipping a mai tai in Hawaii or at a friend’s basement party. — Alexis Mikulski

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Vodka-Based

Sprinter

Last year, when Kylie Jenner unveiled her latest alcohol enterprise, Sprinter, you might’ve thought something along the lines of: Another vodka soda? Also, is this somehow related to the lip kits? But Sprinter’s canned assortment stands out from the crowd in a few key ways, not least of which is its use of real fruit juice that packs a flavorful punch, sugar-free nature (it feels as distilled and clear as a shot of Grey Goose, without the instant recoil), and range of flavors that honors all preferences, whether you skew fruity or prefer the refreshing taste of lime. Powered by sparkling water, Sprinter also delivers mild fizz that makes it even more thrilling to imbibe… though the brand’s color-happy, It-girl-coded packaging works with that goal in mind, too. —Stacia Datskovska

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Whiskey-Based

Fishers Island Lemonade Whiskey

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Canned cocktails can be tricky — especially whiskey-based ones — but Fishers Island Lemonade hits the mark. It tastes genuinely of whiskey mixed with lemonade, with none of the artificial flavors you’d worry about. One can in, and you’ll start feeling the buzz. Portable, reliable, and perfect for picnics or parties, this is the four-pack you’ll reach for again and again. —Alexis Mikulski

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Gin-Based

Gin & Juice

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Created by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, Gin & Juice sets a new standard for celebrity canned cocktails. At 5.9% ABV and featuring a range of flavors (our favorite is passionfruit), they’re easy to sip, affordably priced at around $10.99 for a four-pack, and incredibly balanced — there’s honestly nothing not to love. —Alexis Mikulski

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Canned Wine

Une Femme Wine Sparkling Rosé

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Forget the overly sweet, synthetic-tasting sips of canned wine — Une Femme, a woman-owned brand, delivers sparkling bubbles and bold reds in sleek, portable cans that actually taste like the real deal. These little vessels of vino make you want to leave the corkscrew at home and simply crack one open. —Alexis Mikulski

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Hard Cider

Strongbow Hard Cider

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Strongbow isn’t new to the game — it’s a longtime favorite in the cider world. But lately, this iconic brand has been stepping up with impressive flavor options (like their strawberry release in the UK) that keep things fresh. Light and consistently delicious, Strongbow proves why it’s still a staple worth stocking. — Alexis Mikulski


Beer

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Best IPA

Topa Topa Chief Peak

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If you’re going to crack open a beer at the summit, make it this one (but remember, pack it in, pack it out). Topa Topa’s Chief Peak IPA has tropical tasting notes with citrus. Balanced and not bitter, Chief Peak is Ventura’s answer to an IPA. —Jonathan Zavaleta

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Pale Ale

Dale’s Pale Ale

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Oskar Blues Brewery, maker of Dale’s Pale Ale, may now be owned by Monster, but it still embodies the spirit of the craft brewery it was founded as. Founded in 1997 in Colorado, Oskar now has taprooms in Brevard, NC, and Longmont, CO. As for Dale’s, it has a strong, boldly bitter taste, yet remains no less refreshing. — Jonathan Zavaleta

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Stout

Guinness

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Nothing is as bonding a college experience as splitting the colloquial “G” when huddled with your buddies in a seedy Irish pub at a European study-abroad location, but Guinness Draught Stout is something you can (and should) drink well beyond your 20s. It goes above and beyond every last cliche: being creamy, heady, and rich, with subtle notes of coffee and chocolate (dark, never too saccharine) that you might not even notice over all the fun you’re having while savoring the iconic beverage. The closest alcoholic equivalent of a drink every Eastern European has grown up on, kvass, swaps the latter’s rye bread composition for roasted barley: the culprit behind a Guinness-on-tap’s moody color and invigorating bitterness. (Yes, for best results, you should be drinking it on tap, though we recommend keeping a few cases on hand at all times.) Beacons of Dublin’s literary scene, à la James Joyce and Oscar Wilde, have waxed poetic about this beer enough times. Now it’s your turn. —Stacia Datskovska

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best Pilsner

Sierra Nevada Pils

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Sierra Nevada’s latest release was inspired by the kind of pilsner you’d find at a European pub. For starters, Sierra Nevada shrank the can — the 8.4 ounce size makes for a beer that stays as cold as it should. With a nice hit of sweetness from the citrus and a smooth malt flavor, Premium Pils is a refreshing experiment from one of the most influential craft breweries in the country. —Jonathan Zavaleta


Non-Alcoholic

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Best NA Beer

Athletic

The closest you’ll get to the real deal, Athletic’s non-alcoholic beers are low in calories but full of flavor. From their Oktoberfest selections to fruit-forward profiles, they deliver the best of the brewery experience, without the high ABV. —Alexis Mikulski

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best NA Wine

NON

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Sometimes you crave the ritual of pouring a glass of wine after a long day, but not the alcohol that comes with it. That’s where NON wines come in. Priced and crafted like the real thing, their salted raspberry and chamomile selection (our personal favorite) is made without gluten and, yes, according to the brand, it’s even “crafted with real fruit.” —Alexis Mikulski

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best NA Spirit

Almave Non-Alcoholic Tequila

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Non-alcoholic tequila has always been a tough sell (and taste) — until now. Almave is changing the category entirely. Co-founded by Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton and distiller Iván Saldaña, Almave tastes just like tequila without the alcohol — no watered-down substitutes here — just a tasty, smooth experience without the hangover. — Alexis Mikulski

Best Alcohol, Liquors & Beverages of 2025: Rolling Stone Awards

Best NA Canned Cocktail

De Soi

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De Soi’s non-alcoholic canned cocktails are a win on taste alone, but their packaging is also the best in the biz. And that’s not all. Thanks to their added “mushroom adaptogens,” they deliver that same happy feeling without a drop of alcohol. Bring them to a party when you want to skip drinking (no one will notice), or crack one open after a long day for some much-deserved R&R. — Alexis Mikulski

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