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.

Gizmodo scoffs at the Chugulug Drinks Factory, a series of interchangeable tubes connecting a variety of specialized compartments such as the Ice Chamber and Vortex Funnel.

Rejiggered's November Chill: gin, apple cider syrup, pomegranate syrup, and Tuaca.

Underhill Lounge experiments with a blender ball -- a gizmo more often found in muscle gyms than mixology -- to help froth his drinks.

The Kitchn test drives TRU2 Organic gin and mixes up a surprisingly good amber-colored Gibson.

Perfect for holiday gift-giving or post-feast sipping, Chow.com's homemade citrus and herbal digestive liqueurs are simple to make and delicious.

The Bon Vivant's Companion shares their Thanksgiving cocktail, the Autumn Harvest.

The NOTCOT Holiday Coupon Book! Filled with exclusive deals and discounts from our friends! Happy Holidays! (And this is just day one of the gift guide)

Cheers tells us Yuengling's Lord Chesterfield Ale is now available on draft. The Euro-style beer offers a dry, sharp finish, according to the brewer.

Macallan Masters of Photography brings together the worlds of whiskey-making and fine-art images. Rare bottlings are paired with one-off photographs by modern masters like Rankin.

Thai Lemongrass and Ginger Iced Tea

Continuing with the “wine-tails” theme, Jamie Boudreau offers the Gaelic Kir: Cabernet, Scotch, cassis, syrup, and two kinds of bitters.

BeyondDrinks shows us the first in a series of new Camus Cognac's limited editions. Camus Cuvee 3.128 comes in a Baccarat decanter designed by renowned French artist Serge Mansau.

Vinturi Wine Aerator - i love how it looks like it has a mini glass within...

The richly satisfying Millionaire Cocktail

Hald Engel and his team have designed a classic looking visual identity and labels for Danish micro-brewery Indslev Bryggeri.

HBO Sopranos' legacy continues in the form of old fashioned Italian soda...

Very nice and funny website from Malibu rum. The bartender shows you how to mix your chosen cocktail

At the Art of Drink, Darcy O'Neil answers the Ominivore's 100 with the Imbiber's 100. How many have you tried?

If the thought of a pumpkin-pie martini offends your cocktail sensibilities, here are some festive holiday drinks that don't involve whipped cream, cookie crumbs, or canned squash.

NY Times discovers a small group of vintners ditching the countryside and opening wineries in old factories and industrial showrooms in cities across the country.

Strange Brews: Unusual beers that Men's Fitness says "you gotta try", in categories like Most Un-Beer-Like. Most Potent, and Just Plain Unique.

Vom Fass Gold Cuvee: Pinot blanc wine with real gold flakes. Large orders can be personalized with specially designed labels.

How to open wine without a wine key ~ And that's only 1 of 500 things you should know in the new book Show Me How ~ see scans of some of my favorite pages!

Looking at how wineries are packaging their eco-credentials, SF Gate notes Fetzer removed the punt (bottom indent) on its bottle, left, and reduced the thickness of the glass to make it lighter.

BeyondDrinks reports that UK department store Harvey Nicks offers tableside Martini service. Cocktail butlers serve each bespoke beverage in a Boston shaker to top up as you please.

Mexico Cooks! teaches readers about Dia de los Muertos and the offerings placed on altars to the dead. These nearly life-size liquor bottles are decorated "down to the last detail of the labels."

RumDood reviews Old Mill Gold Rum, "developed for the Pacific Northwest", and samples an Old Mill Daiquiri.

Washington Post laments that "despite importers' enthusiasm, oolongs, a range of semi-oxidized teas that fall somewhere between green and black teas, remain defiantly below the radar."

Cheers reports on Tullamore Dew 10-year-old, a 900-case limited release. Medium amber gold in color, it displays a fresh, malty and slightly woody nose with intriguing citrus notes.

Cocktail Culture features two gingerbread liqueur recipes from the Munat Brothers, and asks readers to decide which is "victorious in this sibling match-up".

"Citrus liqueurs are indispensable in both classic and modern cocktail making," says Duggan McDonnell in a Table Matters story that tastes many of the most-popular offerings.

In a recap of different Mumm expressions, the Intoxicologist notes that bubby rosé is different from still wine: "It's made by the age-old Champagne tradition of mixing red wine ... with white wines."

Yes that's a foie gras garnish you see, part of Cameron Bogue's "Belvedere Wedzony" recipe

Quantum of Solace ~ at Harrods! They have a Bollinger Champagne Bar featuring the limited edition bullet shaped champagne cooler

Stirrings special holiday offer: Buy two Cocktail Connoisseur gift sets (with eight 4-oz mixers), and get a Small But Mighty free, through November 26.

Keep track of drinks with a set of kitschy dry-erase coasters. When the party's over, stick them on the fridge via embedded magnets.

Gary Regan highlights the Canary Flip, a yellow Chartreuse and Cognac cocktail created by Nicholas Edwards of Lark in Brisbane, Australia.