The NY Times tastes 25 Côtes du Rhône -- a variety once synonymous with affordability -- and finds "a surprising number of plush, polished wines".

A look at how four Old Tom gins work in two classic cocktails - The Tom Collins and the Martinez.

Liquid Muse reports on Cape North vodka, a blend of French wheat and Scandinavian spring water.

Nordic Rock, the purest way of cooling your drink - literally ‘on the rocks’. Stone does not melt, which means no unclean water in your glass. Reusable and very eco-friendly.

Long lost cocktail from the 1965 International Bartenders’ Association cocktail competition.

A prototype Coke fountain dispenses 100 flavors in the same footprint as current systems, using highly concentrated ingredients in cartridge format.

Defying the romantic stereotype, urban vintner Chris Brockway takes the subway to work. At his Broc Cellars in Berkeley, he makes "standout Syrah and Grenache", says the SF Chronicle.

Treehugger bellies up to the bar at Amsterdam's Fietscafe ("bike cafe"), a pedal-powered mobile pub

It may look like just another Napa tasting room, but the original Mondavi Family winery is steeped in winemaking history.

The culinary masterminds at the Los Angeles Times whip up a batch of fresh-tomato Bloody Marys with spicy pickled green beans.

Exploring what it takes to win in the cut-throat world of mixology competitions. Joel Baker of Bourbon & Branch prepares his winning Pear Sonata.

At the Slow Food Nation spirits pavilion, Jen Colliau mixes with her own line of slow-cocktail products. (via Buzzed Blog)

7x7 drops into to Michael Mina's Clock Bar and sips a Hendrick's Rose: Pimm's, gin, cranberry, lemon, and ginger beer.

Alcademics visits Sacramento's Ella restaurant, and discovers a shortcut to terrific homemade tonic.

Erik from Underhill Lounge profiles bartender Josey Packard. They meet up at The Alembic and mix a few drinks from the Savoy Cocktail Book together.

Bardstown hosts the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, featuring tastings, tours, demos, music, and more.

Harvest wild berries, infuse with booze, make a cocktail.

Wine tasting at Slow Food Nation's Taste Pavilions.

The new JCrew men's store in NYC looks amazing! They took over an old tavern and kept the bar. More pics at A Continuous Lean, and jcrew.com's got a cute little vintagey intro for the store as well!

Absinthe Verte made at St. George Spirits is the finest fairy formulation I have ever tasted

Beautiful Teroforma Champagne Flutes mouth blown in Slovenia

Gourmet magazine highlights some of Paris' gorgeous hotel bars

Box Vox gets us the whole story behind our mexican soda favorite, Jarritos!

Turn any event into a party with Ken Goldman's "finger food plates" . A great little plate to wear along with your favorite drink.Exclusive at "worldwidefred "!

Nice iconic wine bottle designs were done by the design director of Zeus Jones, Brad Surcey

A Mountain Of Crushed Ice makes the Vahine Delight! Check out that pineapple!

Lovely Belgium beer, Delirium Tremens!

Ultrapremium Margarita - unique cocktail with best and most expensive ingredient which I can find.

1 litre's bottles are so stylish that you might forget about their carbon footprint.

A Gin & Tonic with a Twist... Cucumber! It's deliciously refreshing!

KitchenMaus says: "It is necessary to drink Coke with fried foods to counteract all the fat entering my system" ...and other comforting food myths.

Keith Waldbauer explores a landmark cocktail tome, Charles H. Baker's "The Gentleman's Companion: Being an Exotic Drinking Book or Around the World with Jigger, Beaker and Flask."

Underhill Lounge tries Patrick Gavin Duffy's variation on the Corpse Reviver #2, with Swedish Punsch in place of the usual Lillet blanc.

Gumbo Pages takes a sip of Forbidden Fruit -- a sadly discontinued liqueur -- and offers a recipe for the Tantalus in anticipation of its re-release in 2009.

Epicurious recipe of the day: A French aperitif of spiced orange wine, also known as Vin d'Orange.

In honor of their sister mag's "100 Best Places to Drink Beer in America" feature, Imbibe Unfiltered offers up Red Hook's Late Harvest Autumn Ale.

Rejiggered makes some impressive Tropical Rum Infusion with pineapples, oranges, mangos, and kiwis

Time Magazine's Joel Stein tasted one wine from each state. Clever, no? But the best part is the side-splitting reviews of the really bad ones. (Check Georgia and Indiana...)

Plymouth Gin, Partida Tequila, a bus and thirty rowdy cocktail types. Recipe for disaster or a really good time? (Pictured: the Polo Lounge Cocktail, from the Polo Lounge, Beverly Hills.)

Underhill Lounge's exploration of the Savoy cocktail book turns up the Diana, a sort of inverse Stinger. But, surprise -- he finds it "kind of nice".

Mixology.eu interviews the masterminds behind Barschule München ahead of their appearance at the Mixology Flair Team Awards.

A dry ice mixing station turns regular cocktails into spiked slushies!

Get ready for NYC's Craft Beer Week!

The Beloved, a drink by TraderTiki, submitted for a pear mixology contest.