wine + mystery + japanese OTTness = the best manga i've ever read

Slashfood chalks up a brilliant product to make wine charms obsolete.

La Clandestine, a white Swiss absinthe, now available stateside with an $85 pricetag.

Dr. Bamboo obsessively documents the minute differences between tiki drink ice-cone shapes. He rewards fellow geeks with a recipe for Luau Grog.

Stephen Beaumont reminds us that "a drop of bitters adds a big dose of character" to drinks like the Manhattan.

Northern California vintners take on what John Bonné calls "the persistent mediocrity of most Chardonnays" to make the white grape sing again.

Would you pay $14 for a cocktail called The Trust Fund? It's Plymouth gin, St-Germain elderflower liqueur, Champagne, orange marmalade, mint, and cantaloupe 'caviar'.

SFGate takes a trip to Nectar, a wine bar where the Bubbles Flight offers a taste of three different sparkling wines.

Camper English checks out San Francisco's new La Mar Cebicheria and finds a pisco-centric bar menu with flashes of passion fruit and chicha morada (a purple corn juice).

Two new seasonal liqueurs -- Pumpkin Spice and Gingerbread -- make their US debut.

Customize your own coasters with the ingenious Pixel Pack.

Pincer vodka includes extracts of wild elderflower and milk thistle, herbs thought to protect your system from the ill effects of overindulgence.

Gumbo Pages samples a Jasper's Jamaican Cocktail served by Jeanne Vidrine, Tiki Queen of New Orleans, during Tales of the Cocktail.

Can't tell a lambic from a lager? The Beer Wheel tells you what's what, listing everything from brewers and brands to flavors and fermentation.

The ladies of LUPEC help you stock your bar with the basics, one drink at a time.

True or False? East Coast bartenders are heavily influenced by the classics, while West Coast counterparts focus on fresh ingredients. Serious Eats' Paul Clarke examines the evidence.

How do wet hops affect to a beer's taste? Mike Pomranz explores Sierra Nevada's Harvest Ale to illustrate.

Slashfood calls '101 Champagne Cocktails' by Liquid Architecture founder Kim Haasarud, "a great gift for the cocktail lover on your list."

New in Germany from Carlsberg are these pretty organic sodas called Beo.

Say it loud, say it French: TI PONSCH! Swizzle one up at TraderTiki.com

LA Times' beer of the month, North Coast Pranqster -- a Belgian-style golden ale that offers the lightest possible body for its substantial alcohol content.

Amazon Al Dente welcomes fall with hot apple cider laced with a hearty glug of cinnamon schnapps.

Glamour gal Dita von Teese goes multimedia in her own "Cointreau-versial" microsite.

Slashfood admits a weakness for celebrity wines... some of which are apparently good enough to avoid being the punch line of a bad joke.

Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba by NPR corresponded Tom Gjelten -- a book that's "as smooth and refreshing as a well-made daiquiri." says the NY Times.

Rookie visits Istanbul and makes an on-the-spot cocktail with hibiscus tisane, candied orange peel, and raki, Turkey's anise-flavored spirit.

Martini Groove can't wait to spend an evening with Brockman's Gin.

Beyond Drinks warns that corporate takeovers of British pubs has led to a decline in the venerable art of the pub sign, and offers solutions.

RumDood rounds out his tour of Old New Orleans rums with the 10 Year Old variety, including a recipe for Planter's Punch.

Slashfood's skeptical Mike Pomranz finds a certified organic ale that's worthy of adulation: Wildfire Extra Pale Ale by Four+ Brewing

Economy got you down? The Times says "$10 to $20 [bottles] offer the greatest amount of pleasure and excitement for the least amount of money."

Enjoying the distorted forms of Michael Anastassiades Three Champagne Glasses and One Water Glass.

The British are coming! Boston's getting a stateside sip of Hayman's Old Tom Gin, imported for the first time since Prohibition by the rare-spirits fanatics at Haus Alpenz. (via Drink Boston)

Serious Eats pays a visit to Galco’s Soda Pop Stop, home to 450 flavors of sparkling beverages like Sweet Blossom Rose and Mr. Q Cumber. Think of the fancy highballs you could make!

As Rolling Stone Magazine says, "Forget Red Bull as the energy drink of choice. Why not try a Whynatte?" Drop Jager shot into latte and pound like a flank steak

Substance Winery from Washington adopts an interesting method of categorizing and branding their wines - in the form of a periodic table of wine.

Jensen's Old Tom gin, based on a 1840s recipe that uses absolutely no sugar like the first Old Toms likely did.

It's a little early for Halloween, but Tipsy Texan samples the Banshee, a close relative of the Grasshopper and Pink Squirrel.

Mixology.eu has the scoop on Absolut Masquerade, the follow-on to last year's best-selling Absolut Disco. The sequined dress zips off to reveal a mysterious label.

Shoes & Cocktails whips up a pitcher of fall sangria to celebrate the autumn equinox.

I love how the dripping seal reinforces Sloe Gin's snail logo. Packaging by Blackburns.

Drinkhacker reviews Four Roses 2008 Mariage Collection, a blend of two bourbons: a rich 13-year-old and a spicy 10-year-old.

The NY Times takes a look at swanky new cocktail (and mocktail) menus from big hotel chains, an effort to catch up with their boutique competitors.

Beautiful packaging design for Integrity Spirits' Lovejoy Vodka by ID Branding.