Winter Beer Festival 2009 at Hale's Palladium in Seattle. Beer, coffee, and chocolate flavors, all under one roof!

A Mountain of Crushed Ice completely transformed by a vanilla geek who gets hold of a bottle of Navan, results in sweet vanilla cocktails..

Don't let your holiday punch get warm and watery.The Kitchn will help you make the best punch bowl ice.

Matthew Robold from RumDood.com writes about his tour of the Brugal Rum distillery for Refined Vices.

The Paradis Horus -for this exquisite elixir, Hennessy has chosen the most magnificent cognac decanter ever envisioned. A luminous decanter sheathed in gold, by Italian designer Ferruccio Laviani.

A round-up of some cool cork screws, like this one based off an old Victorian model from England.

There's only one bartender in the world that I'd have mix me this drink. He's so in tune with his surroundings, he knows your drink before you do...

After 50 weeks of new cocktail recipes, bourbon makes it's first appearance at the Old Town Alchemy Co.

Be of good cheer this holiday season with the classic Aviation Cocktail!

The rise of the robotic drinkmakers involve games to win drinks!

cocktailnerd produces a cocktailian christmas list sure to thrill your dearest mixologist and not break the bank (except for the Kold Draft machine...you listening Santa?!)

Ever tried beer and ice cream? Try Doc's Enigma, a beer float inspired by the character "Doc" from John Steinbeck's Cannery Row.

Hot stuff! Chili pepper infusions and cocktails from the Washington Post, including habanero-infused applejack.

A Wasabi Prime original - a persimmon rosemary twist on a classic Bellini. Lightly sweet homage to fall's harvest.

Chopping, flaring,flipping....no one does it better than the Prestwich Crew!!

A lovely Manhattan against Bellevue's Barrio's famous wall of lanterns - photo by South Sound Garden

The Pegu Blog takes Chivas Regal's challenge to compare its 18 year-old with Johnny Walker Blue Label

SLOSHED! makes the Cameron's Kick—an ambrosial winter concoction of Irish and Scotch whisk(e)y, orgeat and lemon.

Sometimes, taking something out of context is a good thing. Like orgeat mixed with Scotch whisky and served hot.

Egg Nogg need not be bought at a store. It's much more fun to make at home.

The "Golden Truffle", an anti-recession cocktail. Recipe includes: Cognac, white truffles and gold leaf. An elixir of fire, earth and metal.

Tiare at A Mountain of Crushed Ice is mixing herself through Grog Log`s Tiki Cocktails starting with the Ancient Mariner and is also making a twist of it.

Learn to carve slabs of ice into big, beautiful cubes.

Design*Sponge goes behind the bar: wassail punch

Sapporo has just released their Space Barley. A beer whose brew was made with barleycorn that grew on a five month space mission. Only 250 people will get to purchase the $115. six-packs and the proceeds benefit charity.

The Balmy Night, which combines the rich flavors of sherry and Jamaican rum with those of orange and spice, was one of the cocktails made during Mixoloseum's Pimento Dram drink night.

The Five o' Clock Shadow is a tall, cool cocktail of subtle spicy aromas: Lillet Blanc, Cognac, cinnamon, bitters, orange, and tonic.

Liquore alle mandorle -- an almond-based, citrusy Italian liqueur you can make yourself.

A biochemist turned whiskey man opens a ski-in distillery in Park City thanks to a long-forgotten law allowing distilleries in Utah!

The Kitchn ladles up two bright and festive holiday punches.

An early look at Smuggler's Cove -- Martin Cate's long-awaited San Francisco rum bar.

Jeff Berry's New Book and a recipe for the Nutmeg Needle!

A tale of two cocktails both named the Brown Derby. Above, the one made with aged rum, lime, and maple syrup.

The Holiday Cocktail Gift Guide — What to buy the cocktail nerd in your life this holiday!

Rosemary Peach Spritzer-an herbal fruit syrup combined with rose wine and a splash of club soda. Slice peaches and a rosemary sprig top this lively fruit and herbal libation.

Cranberry-lime sparkler with ginger beer--a holiday cocktail for drinkers and teetotalers alike.

reusable foil flasks for your beverage that are portable, freezable, pocketable, and feature airtight plastic lids

A look at Agave Sec, a new liqueur that attempts to fuse triple sec & agave syrup to produce the perfect Margarita

A nectarine-red wine sangria layered with basil and caster sugar. A tantalizing dessert or serve the nectarines over ice cream and drink the sangria.

Glenfiddich 50 Year Old Single Malt is up for auction 12.7.2009 starting at $10,000

Punch is definitely in, but there are some things you need to know if you want to make it yourself. Erick Castro of Rickhouse Bar in SF shows you the right way to make it.

Tactical Nuclear Penguin by Brewdog is 32% alcohol beating out Utopias as strongest beer in the world [see #3678]. Utopias will have to settle for being strongest US beer...

Hot Buttered Rum is the perfect way to stay warm during the cold winter months.

Meet Utopias — the highest alcohol content beer on the market at 27% alcohol. Probably the priciest at $150 a bottle. It's made by Boston Beer Co. (maker of Samuel Adams)