The Purveyor shows how a real Old Fashioned is made: No fruit salad, no soda water.

Budweiser American Ale enters the craft-brew category. "What microbrew ale would taste like if they had the billion dollar R&D department of Anheuser-Busch," says Uncrate.

TalkDrinks samples the Costalegre, featuring blanco tequila, ginger, blood orange, an orange-zest rim and a flamed absinthe float.

DrinkHacker reviews 10 Cane, the new darling of bar menus. Its versatility and smoky-oak character set it apart from from other white rums.

Underhill Lounge takes a field trip to San Francisco's City Beer, "a sort of cross between a beer store and a bar" in a South of Market loft.

Palin Syrah, a certified organic wine from Chile, "was our best selling wine before (the VP announcement),” said Chris Tavelli, owner of Yield Wine Bar. (via Serious Eats)

A late entry to Mixology Monday, the Improved Tom features Hayman's Old Tom gin, a slightly sweet style that's making a comeback in cocktail circles.

A Mountain of Crushed Ice features the Aperol Rossa with rum, pink grapefruit juice, and a vanilla bean garnish.

European brand Forgotton Flavours will be sampling their Swedish Punch and Falernum at the Bar Convent Berlin show next week.

Craig Hermann of Tiki Drinks & Indigo Firmaments shares his award-winning recipe: "Gannt's Caipirissima."

Where did summer go? Celebrate with one last pitcher of sangria.

Erin and J hang on to the last bits of summer by making and bottling their own vin d'orange, a traditional French aperitif.

Two at the Most reviews Bluecoat American Dry Gin and makes a Corpse Reviver No. 2a.

Shoes & Cocktails heads to DC's Central and samples a Blackberry Bourbon Cobbler, Ginger Daiquiri, La Fee Verte, and the winner of the night, the Black Pepper Gin Rickey.

Jon Santer, one of the many top mixologists lured from their bar shifts to take jobs as 'brand ambassadors' and spirits consultants. Is this trend bad for drinkers?

The folks at The Kitchn want to know: What Fall Beers Do You Love?

Viewing environmental awareness through the lens of a martini glass with The Arboretum cocktail!

How to open a bottle of wine without a corkscrew? Wired shows you one way. (Hmm, maybe that corkscrew's not such a bad investment....)

Chuck Taggart finds a cool old cocktail menu on eBay: "Meet Mr. Gin" from the New Carlton Hotel in Montreal. It offers 70 gin drinks from the Abbey to the White Lady, plus a history lesson.

Old Gold, a new tiki drink from Trader Tiki featuring El Dorado 12-year rum, and drops and dashes of just about everything else.

The Dunlop, a combination of sherry, rum, and bitters from Underhill Lounge's complete Savoy Cocktail Book adventures.

Celebrate the Equinox on the 22nd with a cocktail that mixes a little summer and a little fall: The Whiskey Peach Smash.

Drinkhacker reviews Xellent Vodka, a Swiss product distilled from rye. Unlike the usual flavorless vodkas, this has a strong lemon scent and flavor.

Cocktail Culture spotlights a new site called The Purveyor, highlighting the recipe database with gems like this One-Minute Mai Tai.

A Mountain of Crushed Ice makes homemade hibiscus grenadine for her Amore cocktail.

Interesting drink from the Philippines, circa 1899, with a touch of tiki.

Slashfood rounds up their favorite beer blogs, from chummy Brewvana to the geeky Zythophile and all points in between.

Light on the sugar and infused with distinctive flavors, dry sodas can the place of wine and other classic aperitifs.

Yes, they really are selling New York City tap water. For $1.50 a bottle. (And no, it's not a joke.)

Ron Zacapa, a rich tipple hailing from Guatemala's mountainous region that's aged at 8,000 feet above sea level.

Everyone's favorite illustrator/drink-blogger, Dr. Bamboo whips up a refreshing Mississippi Punch for Mixology Monday.

David Gadd shares his six favorite Belgian (and Belgian-inspired American) beers.

Design*Sponge profiles Fresher than Fresh, a gourmet snow-cone stand housed in an adorably retro Shasta trailer.

Don Lee -- of New York City's underground bar PDT -- takes home the gold at the Averna Cocktail Competition... despite fracturing his wrist a day before flying to Italy to compete!

The Chronicle wanders over to the Westin St. Francis's new Clock Bar, home of drinks -- like this Sidecar -- from bar-star Marco Dionysos.

Bon Appetit rounds up the country's 10 best wine bars, where first-rate food and a welcome vibe make tasting more fun.

Style.com offers a quirky list of the World's Best Beers, with categories like "Best Beer Country" and "Best Beer in a Can".

7x7's Jordan Mackay notices a San Francisco trend: "Every decent bar in town features at least one ginger cocktail".

Ocho vintage tequila uses agave plants sourced from single estates. (via Luxist)

Cocktail bloggers, readers, and authors visit the Mixoloseum Chat Room to mix new drinks, discuss crazy concoctions, and stay up way too late.

The Mary Pickford, an early example of the power of celebrity in the spirits industry. Jason Wilson explores how we got from here to Mansinthe, Trump Vodka, and Crunk Juice.

Camper English ponders the bottle-height race and its impact on home bar storage.

ABnormal vodka features a unique neckless bottle, an innovation that earned the grand prize for packaging at Cannes Lions Design.

The Kitchn's go-to recipe for spiced cider, a sure sign of autumn. Cinnamon, anise, cloves, and a glug of dark rum sound divine.