Absinthe Suissesse: a lovely, lightly fruity, sweet and anise-flavored milkshake for grown-ups.

Pairing sake with Mexican food!? Beau Timken -- owner of True Sake, the country's first sake-only store -- likes to thinking outside the bento box.

The stunning site for Bols' new genever (old-school Dutch juniper gin) features gorgeous recipe cards from the Jerry Thomas era, including the Holland House, the Collins, and the Improved Gin Cock-tail.

Perfect for iced-tea weather, Tea Forté's tea-over-ice pots are made of heat-resistant glass. They're especially pretty with the tall pyramid bags designed for the pot.

Drink Daddy unfolds like an umbrella; spears into grass, snow, sand, or other outdoor surfaces; and holds up to five drinks (stemware, cups, bottles, shakers...)

Ancient stained glass product placement? Found in Notre Dame de Reims (where the kings of France were crowned) ~ yellow labeled Champagne bottles hidden in the panels...

Crème Brûlée Stout? Slashfood stumbles on Southern Tier Brewing Company's dessert in beer form -- an odd, but strangely satisfying hybrid.

Touring Alsace's famed Route de Vin with Lucy's Kitchen Notebook. (Don't miss reading about how they kept their snacks cool.)

Veuve Clicquot Sneak Peek at the Ice Cube, the push button instant cooling champagne bucket and specially designed flutes (2009 upcoming design collaboration with Porsche Design)

A book due out in October chronicles the life of the young widow Cliquot who rose to celebrity and fortune on the bubbles of her eponymous Champagne.

Part III of RumDood's tour of Old New Orleans Rum varieties. This time, it's Cajun Spiced Rum, which strikes "a great balance between dry and sweet".

Working class heroes: Sauvignon blanc remains true to its proletarian roots. Tasting notes from $10-$12 offerings.

The Telegraph's "complete guide to British pubs" profiles more than 250 notable public houses all around the UK -- plus one in Paris, just to be safe.

Chicago Tribune reporters follow the 45th parallel around the globe, taking note of vineyards both legendary and emerging.

Bloody Mary from Chicago's popular Ina's (the Breakfast Queen) -- a great jump start to Saturday brunch.

Italian wines -- like bubbly Prosecco -- pair perfectly with antipasto. The LA Times suggests offering six vino choices for a mix-and-match party.

To become a certified coffee grader, applicants must pass 22 sensory tests rating coffees by taste and smell. Only 395 people worldwide have succeeded.

The Kitchn looks at alternatives to traditional natural cork wine closures, from screwcaps to glass stoppers to synthetics.

Chow rounds up Craptails: The 10 Worst Drink Concepts. "Winners" include a durian smoothie (garnished with dirty socks) and a Salmon Colada. Gah!

Alcademics hosts the Organic Cucumber Vodka Showdown: Square One Cucumber, Crop Harvest Earth Cucumber, and Rain Cucumber-Lime.
Whose cuke-sine reigns supreme?

Esquire's David Wondrich proclaims the Gin Rickey the official drink of (late) summer, dishing out some history and gin-brand suggestions.

Riding a wave of nostalgia, Schlitz is back with a vengeance.

O'Fallon Smoke: A great selection from a Missouri brewery and a shining example of the smoked porter style.

Amazon Al Dente proposes a Happy Hour two-fer: Margaritas made with... beer.

I like big ice and I cannot lie: NYT shows you where to get the goods to make ginormous glace.

The Vic, a riff on the Mai Tai, featuring Veev -- a wheat spirit flavored with Açai berries, prickly pear and acerola cherry.

The Kitchn turns us on to the Palsby carafe. Sturdy, dishwasher safe, and affordable -- but also chic in its simple elegance.

Tyrell's are known in the UK for their posh crisps -- "potato chips" stateside -- but a new vodka makes use of the the spuds that are too small for frying. (via Dowd's Spirits Notebook)

A skeptical Washington Post correspondent wonders: Are there really such things as "slow" spirits? A trip to the Slow Food Nation taste pavilion shows him the light.

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.