In old-school terms, a “Fancy Cocktail” is gum syrup, bitters, spirits, and curacao, stirred with ice, strained into another glass, and garnished with a twist of lemon… and sometimes a sugared rim.

Drinkhacker reviews a quartet of tequilas, including the $120 Don Julio 1942 that sports an agave-leaf shaped bottle.

Liquid Muse says Jack's Pumpkin Spice Ale is her kind of beer: flavorful and pumpkin-y.

Justin Guthrie demos the Baltimore Bengali, a favorite recipe from now-shuttered DC speakeasy Hummingbird to Mars. He uses sous vide methods to create a curry-infused Bourbon.

The Singleton, a $36 12-year single malt that Drinkhacker feels most Scotch enthusiasts will likely find perfectly pleasant, if a bit entry-level.

Cocktail Buzz helps us hold on to the tail end of summer fruit season ("sometimes it takes a while to perfect recipes") with The Smash Daddy.

Beyond Drinks finds Volute Wine. packaged in a lightweight, eco-friendly aluminum bottle that protects the contents from light.

Rookie Libations turns the seasonal spotlight on pears as a cocktail ingredient with three drink recipes, including the P&G Cocktail.

St. Louis' Schlafly rolls out four beers in homage to the candidates. The small print on each label is funny, no matter your political persuasion.

The Cherry Blossom: Champagne, cherry puree, Cherry Heering liqueur, and rosewater. Part of Heering's "Accessorize 2009" contest, paring couture with cocktails.

If you've got the $2,000 to spare, you may find that Highland Park 40-year-old single malt features a light sherry-nougat flavor. (via Alcademics)

Eben Freeman, of Tailor Restaurant in New York City, shares his recipe for the Bazooka Bubblegum Cocktail with Epicurious.

Yes, it's a beer-filled USB drive. And it's raising some disturbing questions over at Gizmodo.

Martini Groove tracks down a vodka from Hawaii: Pau Maui, made from pineapples.

Papermag looks for insights into Mad Men characters based on their signature drinks.

The Clubland forces Jay from Oh Gosh to reconsider his anti-vodka views.

Underhill Lounge digs into why the Fairbanks Cocktail #2 – “a subtle and tasty update of the standard Martini” -- might (or might not) have been named for the famously teetotaling actor.

#72 on the Tipsy Texan’s David/Dale (DeGroff) Project: the Dirty Martini, using Dirty Sue brine.

The Liquid Muse dubs Cherry Heering “the stylish girl’s perfect fashion accessory” and shares a recipe for the venerable Blood & Sand.

Jamie Boudreau samples DH Krahn gin and puts it to good use in the gorgeous Chatelaine.

Art of Drink looks at Montana Cordial Bitters, a lost cocktail ingredient “prepared with plants, flowers and roots from the mountains of America.”

Martini Groove’s Autumn Cocktail: orange liqueur, rum, cranberry syrup, red grapefruit, and orange bitters. Yum.

At $30 for a half-bottle, Old Forester Repeal may be a little pricey for some Bourbon budgets, but it’s a conversation piece, says Drinkhacker.

The Wall Street Journal's Eric Felten understands: Tiki doesn't have to be tacky. He visits legendary California tiki bars and shares signature recipes.

The Chronicle visits San Francisco's new Pisco Latin Lounge and discovers 15 different bottlings of Peru's native spirit.

Imbibe Unfiltered's Wine of the Week: Paul Dolan's certified organic 2005 Zinfandel, "a vivacious and juicy wine, with flavors of dark berry jam and a distinctive cracked pepper spice."

In support of Breast Cancer Awareness month, Miami's Ortanique on the Mile features a special pink cocktail, the Watermelon-Cucumber Cooler.

Scott Beattie -- former bar chef at the Wine County icon Cyrus -- promotes his new book, "Artisan Cocktails: Drinks Inspired by the Seasons"

The Bitter Truth Celery Bitters wins Spirit of the Year at the 2008 Mixology Bar Awards.

Amazon Al Dente dresses up a classic for a night on the town: Black-Tie Martinis include peppercorn-steeped gin and a salt-and-pepper rim.

Tiare visits the world’s biggest whiskey festival and samples Yamazaki whisky from Japan’s Suntory.

The Intoxicated Zodiac makes things interesting with a Scorpio-inspired Tomato Basil-tini.

Fat City visits bartender Noah Robinson and samples a White Lady, an-almost forgotten gin classic.

Paul Clarke cracks a bleary eye to peek into the world of morning cocktails... beyond mere mimosas and boring Bloody Marys.

The Whiskey Exchange has an exclusive peek at the new Octomore bottle design. Inside will be a super-peaty Scotch "twenty times higher than normal Bruichladdich."

Raising the Bar's brief history of tiki drinks and the bars that served them, illustrated with a recipe for Don the Beachcomber's own Test Pilot.

My Life on the Rocks shares the Claymore Cocktail: Rum, Drambuie, Chartreuse, and lemon bitters.

The Cellarist spotlights the beautiful cork-cage art on Francois Pinon Vouvray Brut Non-Dosé.
(The stuff inside the bottle pairs well with Korean-style fried chicken, in case you wondered.)

Spirits aficionados will flock to San Francisco next week for WhiskeyFest events celebrating everything from rare single-malt Scotches to Kentucky rye.

Mexican vs. American Coke: Kate at Accidental Hedonist debunks the soda-maker's claim that they all taste the same.

BrewSocial, a networking site for beer lovers.

If we can trust our rusty high school German, it seems master distiller Hans Reisetbauer crafts liquors from interesting produce, including carrot and ginger.

The sleek Rido bottle opener by Blomus puts a stylish twist on a classic bar essential.

Ednbrg makes his first batch of grapefruitcello, then designs drinks to make good use of it, including "Papa Ain’t Comin’ Home": Rum, 'cello, lemon juice, bitters, and egg white.