Spring 2026 Vol. 6 No. 1
SPRING IN OUR STEP
It’ s been a harsh winter for most of the U. S., and the onset of spring has never looked so good. We’ re dreaming of flowers, fresh herbs, cookouts … warmth.
But spring weather is notoriously fickle, so there are still some damp chilly days ahead before the nature pops. That’ s why we embrace the late winter / early spring holidays as reasons to celebrate before the warmer weather occasions.
One of our favorites is St. Patrick’ s Day. This holiday falls on March 17, right before the official start of spring, which makes it feel somewhat like a festive send-off to winter.
What’ s more, you don’ t have to be Irish to celebrate. You don’ t have to drink green beer or do shots of Irish whiskey. You don’ t even have to eat corned beef. Green-colored food, drinks and outfits are fun but optional; having a good time is highly encouraged.
A recent event I attended opened up new possibilities for pairing Irish spirits and cocktails. Glendalough Distillery recently hosted a three-course dinner in New York, with each course paired with a cocktail using its Irish whiskey or gin. Several of the dishes incorporated the whiskey as well; see page 17 for more.
Another way to get your Irish on for St. Patrick’ s Day— or any day— is to bake a Guinness Chocolate Cake, to pair( or not) with a pint of stout. The venerable beer brand shares its cake recipe on page 16.
If you’ re interested in bourbon or planning a trip to Louisville, KY, we have some insight from the most recent Kentucky Bourbon Fest on page 8.( The 2026 Kentucky Bourbon Fest takes place Sept. 10−13 in Bardstown, KY.)
For wine fans, this issue offers a quick lesson in wine grape genetics and reviews of Old World wines. And we’ ve got plenty of spring drink recipes to carry you well into the season.
Finally, a special report starting on page 12 details the top beverage trends experts expect to see this year. We’ ve pored over numerous reports, surveys and predictions to come up with the 10 trends likely to stick.
We hope you enjoy our findings— you’ ll be well prepared when you visit your favorite bars, restaurants and liquor stores. Cheers!
EDITOR Melissa Dowling
763-383-4442 mdowling @ epgacceleration. com
MANAGING EDITOR Kyle Swartz 763-383-4447 kswartz @ epgacceleration. com
ASSOCIATE MANAGING ART DIRECTOR Nicole Siewert nsiewert @ epgacceleration. com
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Marnie Old
NATIONAL ACCOUNTS DIRECTOR Debbie Rittenberg
763-383-4455 drittenberg @ epgacceleration. com
SALES ASSOCIATE Sherai Falcon sfalcon @ epgacceleration. com( 763) 383-4423
LIST RENTAL Joanne Juda-Prainito jjuda-prainito @ epgacceleration. com 763-383-4401
REPRINTS Bernadette Wohlman bwohlman @ epgacceleration. com 763-383-4464
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Melissa Dowling Editor
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