NOTCOT Holiday Coupon updates! Added a special discount from Alex & Chloe, plus coupons from Bittersweets, Chocosho, Sorapot, Branch, Elsewares, Oxo!!! Happy Shopping!

All about ginseng, plus two ginseng drink recipes

Pink Lady recalls a time "when vodka had no friends" and recounts the invention of the Moscow Mule in this week's Dig.

Shecky's interviews cocktail historian David Wondrich about his first cocktail memory, favorite NYC bars, and more.

Drinkhacker samples Zacapa Rum 23, a "gorgeous, lush" offering from Guatemala.

Digital City has the lowdown on Beaujolais Nouveau events -- traditionally held just after the stroke of midnight this Thursday -- in Dallas, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles.

What's the next big spirit? Cheers puts its money on cachaça, pisco, and specialty gin, plus a continued resurgence of rye, liqueurs, and absinthe.

Seattle Times profiles the DRY Soda Company, which offers low-sugar sparkling drinks with flavors like rhubarb, lavender, lemongrass, and kumquat. Two new flavors are coming soon.

Bevlog wonders about the loosening taboo on "Bitch" branding. Before 2001, they didn't find a single Bitch wine, but since then there've been more than more than 60.

Alcademics takes a field trip to the Hangar One Vodka / St. George Spirits distillery.

Recently acquired by Beam, the venerable Cruzan rum brand gets a makeover in line with ideals of "craftsmanship, premium quality, and rich family tradition", says Intoxicologist.

Camper English helps Epicurious readers answer the question: "Now that absinthe is legal in America, what are you going to make with it?"

The Kiwi in the Eggholder doesn't want to let a bottle of Lucid absinthe gather dust, and so tries out the Attention cocktail.

At $199, the Penguin Sparkling Water Maker is no impulse buy, but the ability to make your own seltzer with this gorgeous gizmo may be too much to resist.

To find the perfect Thanksgiving wine, consider what you’re serving *with* the big bird rather than finding perfect bottle for turkey.

At a Mountain of Crushed Ice, Tiare reviews Tequila XP Reposado and comes up with three new drinks: the Mexican Sun, El Oasis, and the Jalisco Sunset.

RainMan -- a decanter by Swedish designer Matilda Sundén Ringnér -- plays with the traditional way of transporting beverages from container to glass.

Eye of the Goof recollects meeting Rasta Jim while he enjoys a Jim's Special, a modern classic from the Tiki-Ti in Los Angeles.

Sebastian Bergne has a new exhibit called 'Cru' at the Aram Gallery featuring his amazing 'Corked' series of decanting and serving vessels. The exhibit will run in London from 11/28/08 to 01/10/09.

Men's Fitness picks "America's five best bars for beer lovers", with locations in Vegas, Chicago, Portland, Brooklyn, and Washington DC.

Wayne Curtis discusses Fernet Branca in The Atlantic.

NY Times investigates edible cocktails, pondering the point at which drink becomes food.

BevLog spotlights Pretense: "Most wines play up their fine pedigree. A few cut in the other direction and proclaim their normality. "

Drinkhacker reviews the 90-proof Russell's Reserve bourbon, and finds "it lacks the sweetness that makes good bourbon so appealing, but the rye-like characteristics are too muted."

Cheers tells us beer does dessert, too. "Indulge in a glass flavored with ripe berries, peaches or black currants, or a smooth, lightly sweet brown ale."

Two at the Most reviews Leblon Cachaca and makes a traditional Brazilian Caipirinha in preparation for Thursday Drink Night at the Mixoloseum.

Oh, Gosh! samples an early Christmas treat for all cocktailians: The Bitter Truth Repeal Bitters.

The Intoxicologist suggests this Bacardi cocktail -- the Jingle Bell Hopper -- for the holidays: lemon rum, sour mix, and Midori.

Darcy O'Neil visits the Finlandia Cup where 11 bartenders (7 US and 4 Canadian) faced off for the opportunity to compete at the world finals in Finland.

NOTCOT Holiday Giveaway #2 ~ Joey Roth's gorgeous Sorapot ~ equal parts work of art, tea pot, awesome packaging!

Steve Taron, Whole Foods wine specialist, thinks these Top Ten Holiday Wines deserve a little personal attention.

Beaujolais Nouveau Day, held on the third Thursday in November, marks the debut of the first wine made from the harvest of Gamay grapes produced in the Beaujolais region of France.

Classic Spanish Sangria: Not too sweet, and just the right amount of tartness, and perfect for a party because you can make it a day before.

Beautiful campaign for Spumatni Martini's high-end Sigillo Blu line, produced by photographer Emilio Tini for Armando Testa Agency.

Tony Tahan makes Kourabiedes, melt in your mouth Greek cookies that use a healthy glug of amaretto for flavor.

If you find it daunting to find the perfect glass of vino to go with Vietnamese, check out White on Rice Couple's favorite Asian-inspired wine pairings.

T Magazine Case Study by Toby Cecchini: Shrubs, old-fashioned syrups made from fresh fruit soaked in vinegar, can replace citrus in cocktails.

Men's Journal calls the Midnight Manhattan "This Winter’s Best Ski Cocktail:"

Liza Zimmerman profiles San Francisco's cocktail scene: "Inventive bartenders and locally-produced spirits — such as Charbay Vodka and Gin No. 209 — help fuel the trend."

Jim Salant reviews two peaty Scotches -- Compass Box "Eleuthera" and Jon, Mark and Robbo’s "Smokey Peaty One" -- at Caviar and Codfish.

Drinkhacker reviews Stevens Point St. Benedict’s Winter Ale, a "crisp and lightly sweet" holiday brew.

ReCork America project -- an effort sponsored by the world's largest wine cork producer, Amorim -- collects used corks at 25 Whole Foods stores in Northern California and Reno, says the Cellarist.

Dubai Duty Free received 250 numbered bottles of Johnnie Walker Blue Label King George V, just one of three limited releases from The Intoxicologist.

Imbibe sips Askinosie 75% Soconusco Sipping Chocolate and declares: "Whoa, this is potent stuff!" Much less sweet than a lot of drinking chocolates, it's made with just 1/4 cup of milk.