This just goes to show you can’t always predict what will be popular. While our sake section includes some amazing, complex, serious bottles, too, many of you couldn’t resist the magnetic pull of novelty sake. And we can't blame you. They're adorable! The hot buys in our "itty bitty sakes" category included the Oka Brewery Little Sumo Chibi Zumo Junmai Genshu Sake, Yuki Tora Snow Tiger Nigori Sake which both come in unique glass cups and were nearly as popular as the Lucky Dog Sake juice boxes!

Perfect For: When you desperately want to post an Instagram shot of what you're drinking tonight.

This unfiltered, low-intervention cider from the Asturias region of northern Spain wasn’t a popular pick until it was featured on our tap wall this past summer. As an unknown quantity, our customers tended to stick to local cider options they were more familiar with. But all it took was a sample glass of this magical elixir to convert you all to being big Spanish sidra fans, and we’re so glad you love Mayador as much as our Spain geek cider buyer does!!

Perfect For: When you're settling in for an evening of binge watching Love Island UK (not because you enjoy the drama, of course, but because you desperately want to spend your summer in a  Spanish Villa)

What better gin for a Minnesota winter than one that evokes the essence of a snowy Norwegian forest? Drawing inspiration from ancient craft traditions, the berry and herbal flavors of Bareksten's gin are wild, dramatic, and brimming with Scandanavian botanicals.

Perfect For: Celebrating a well-deserved Vikings win this season

This Northern German liqueur is made locally in St. Louis Park through a process of maceration, distillation, and compounding techniques to enhance the botanical flavors of peppermint, thistle, and yarrow flower. In fact, the name "Dampfwerk" means "steam work" in German, and the distillers borrow the natural power of steam with the necessary delicacy of extraction throughout the distilling process.

Perfect For: Topping off any and all chocolate flavored cocktails

Takamine won the gold during our Japanese whisky blind tasting last year, and it continues to shine to this day. It's hard not to fall in love with the complex and mellow character that meets your nose with pleasing aromas of soft florals, sweet vanilla, and orange zest. These smooth flavors are pronounced on the palate and finish with a warm note of spice. It's a unique whisky, especially because of its koji fermenting process. 

Perfect For: Enticing your friends to try something other than standard Scotch

Operating locally out of Rochester, Little Thistle started canning a few months ago. We could not be more excited for this recent addition to the Minnesota beer scene! This surprisingly low ABV beer is made with Citra, Mosaic, and Sultana hopes and offers notes of tangerine, pineapple, and melon.

Perfect For: When you're wishing you could be lounging on a beach in the Florida Keys

As delicious as the label is catchy! This New England IPA is bright, crisp, and refreshing with a juicy assortment of tropical flavors, a splash of citrus, and soft bitterness. At 6.8% ABV and 32 IBU, this beer easily pairs with kicking it back on the porch and watching a summer sunset.

Perfect For: Watching the sunset after a long summer day of yard work

You know that scene in Thor where Chris Hemsworth yells, “This drink! I like it! Another!” That’s how Earth Rider’s incredible Scotch Ale will make you feel. It’s full of roasted caramel, dark fruit, and raisin notes. Complex enough to keep you guessing, but balanced enough to make you want to drink a whole can out of an old-fashioned drinking horn.

Perfect For: When you're LARP-ing as an expert camper in the Boundary Waters