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Creating an annual summary of the year’s foremost spirits is no easy task. This proved to be yet another year of remarkable quality in all spirits categories. We could have, with ease, selected twenty more choice spirits from the Classic and Superb items that were evaluated in 2006.
To maintain a sense of tidiness and focus, we chiseled the original roster down to a trim and more manageable total of fifty. Personal feelings and category affinities were set aside to present you with a stellar collection that offers both breadth and depth.

Public interest in spirits continues to soar. According to David Ozgo, the chief economist of Washington, D.C.-based Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS), revenue growth for the distilled spirits category as a whole in 2005 advanced by a whopping 7.5 percent to $16.3 billion. The largest gains were in the premium and super-premium sectors. Ozgo predicted growth by another 7 percent ($17.4 billion) in 2006.

American consumers, especially in the young (22–35) and middle aged (35–55) demographics, are driving the spirits upsurge. Similar to the unprecedented gains made in America by wine in the 1980's, and then by beer in the 1990's through broad consumer interest in craft brewing, spirits are unquestionably the headlining libations of this decade and the next.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Spirits Boom of the early Third Millennium.

What the ratings mean:
SUPERB: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - A distilled spirit whose attributes are of exemplary quality and character within the established standards of its category. An outstanding product worthy of a search.
CLASSIC: HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION - That rare, highly distinguished, distinctive, and classical distilled spirit which represents a benchmark within its category. This product presents a standard against which its peers can be judged. A product of extraordinary quality, scope, and character which transcends price.