Faison doubled down on the American barbecue theme with a great all-American beverage program, a lengthy list of domestic wine, beer, cider and whiskey featuring boutique bourbons and ryes, and the sole exception being Mexican tequila, which is fair enough since some folks consider it an indispensable barbecue condiment.

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At an off-the-record roundtable discussion prior to dinner, I enjoyed chatting on the side with Everett Chu, CFO and executive director of Want Want China, the snack and beverage entity that is on our list.

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Defensive favorite Ambev (ABV), a Brazilian beverage company, is still on the list.

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Last week, the National Center for Public Research complained at Coca-Cola's annual shareholder meeting in Atlanta that the beverage maker lobbies heavily to keep soda on the list of wholesome things that food stamps can buy.

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The others are fair prices, great food, and an unrivalled list of Portuguese wines and port wines, all lovingly dispensed by co-owner and beverage director Tarcisio Costa.

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