Alcademics tells us that barrels for Chinaco are used for bourbon, then for Scotch whisky before they're shipped to Mexico for use in tequila.

Swedish Neumeister has redesigned Snälleröds glögg. The new label design reminds me of a single cask label (whiskey) with a Christmas twist.

NOTCOT Holiday Giveaway 9: Design Public is giving away : 1 pair of Cake Octopi Cups, Harry Allen Rabbit’s Foot Keychain, and Harry Allen Bulb Candles!

Pssst ~ did you see we launched the NOTContests page? Up in the navbar? It's a new space to keep track of anything you can WIN! =)

Magic Hat's Feast of Fools, proof that "winter beers don't have to be one-dimensional", according to Slashfood's Mike Pomranz.

The Amendment 21 cocktail from Intoxicologist features vodka, Madeira, Scotch, and honey.

Mulled Wine, with cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and raisins.

Cabo Wabo founder Sammy Hagar discusses the finer points of tequila -- including a clarification on the salt & lime ritual -- with the folks at Drinksville.

A review of nine different expressions of Ben Raich scotch -- a Speyside house that produces 18 regular bottlings, plus dozens of special, limited releases -- from Drinkhacker.

10 holiday drinks from Food & Wine, including Apple Hot Toddies, Champagne Mojitos, Blood Orange Margaritas, and Rosemary Gin Fizzes.

A Century of Tawny Ports from House of Sandeman features 10-, 20-, 30-, and 40-year-old bottles in a wood presentation case for $349.

Made for use with 5-liter mini-kegs, the BeerTender ($249) is a great way to serve up a tall frosty glass of your favorite draft beer.

Decent brew on the cheap? Table Matters is here to help, with a roundup of 8 beers you might not have thought about since leaving the dorms.

NY Times spotlights Calvados -- France's famed twice-distilled, aged apple brandy -- with a recipe for the Normandy cocktail.

Stumptown Coffee Roasters holds a series of “Meet the Producers” events in Portland and Seattle, says Civil Eats.

Bostonist rehashes the Harvard-Yale football rivalry with classic cocktails named after each school.

Off the Presses follows tiki guru Jeff "Beachbum" Berry to the Big Apple to "turn the tide in favor of rum, pineapple juice, and tiny umbrellas".

The latest seasonal cocktail from Jamie Boudreau, the Starry Night blends Chardonnay, pear eau de vie, and maraschino liqueur, topped with a festive star anise garnish.

Drinkhacker reviews Crown Royal Cask No. 16 and XR Whiskys, rarer and more expensive blends than the brand's usual offerings.

Washington Post encourages us to think of cider as a complex beverage -- or cocktail ingredient -- rather than a simple beer substitute.

Carlsberg 900 Limited edition. Only 200 were produced.

So adorable we forgive them for jumping ahead to Christmas before Thanksgiving happens: Ornament-shaped Coke minis on Serious Eats.

For a perfect Thanksgiving aperitif, Amazon al Dente recommends the Autumn Apple Cocktail from Scott Beattie's book Artisanal Cocktails.

Hitachino's White Ale surprises you with a sweet ending thanks to a little orange peel and nutmeg. And who can resist their too cute owl logo?

Off the Presses takes a look at the intermission phenomenon known as Theatre Cocktails.

Slashfood talks green beer -- by which they mean eco-conscious and/or organic, not St. Paddy's Day.

AMC's Kevin Maher serves SciFi-inspired cocktails -- like the Soylent Green -- to mixologist St. John Frizell. His reaction? "I'd rather drink people."

Stash Tea's lovely new Fall Harvest gift basket makes an inspired hostess gift.

Kevin at Seriously Good evokes an early holiday memory: The sound of metal beaters against the metal bowl as his father mixed the eggs, whiskey, and sugar for traditional eggnog.

Kate of Accidental Hedonist samples Fentimans, a premixed shandy (beer + lemonade). She finds "a decent foundation of true beer taste on the finish".

St-Germain isn't the only elderflower liqueur; there's a German option -- Pur Likor Blossom -- as Bevlog discovers.

The New Yorker's food issue includes an in-depth article on "the rise of extreme beer."

Talk of Tomatoes dubs her creation the Velvet Pear: "Velvet because that is the mouth feel of this drink. Pear because it feels like you are drinking a pear… probably because you actually are."

Tiare of A Mountain of Crushed Ice catches up on the last three Thursday Drink Night events with the Basil Pineapple Caipirinha and six other cocktails.

(rī)1 ~ Beam Global's first Ultra-premium rye whiskey ~ the packaging of this bottle is gorgeous and appeals to the math geek in me... even cooler, you have to see the acrylic gift box set!!!

Glenfiddich barrel art by Johnson Banks

At Morsels & Musings, Anna makes Karkanji, a hibiscus and ginger drink from Chad.

Byrneunit takes a stroll down the aisles of a liquor store and discovers Sniper Vodka in a rifle shaped bottle, complete with leather strap.

Do you know your bartender's genealogy? St. John Frizell traces the training of PDT's Jim Meehan to Pegu's Audrey Saunders back to Dale DeGroff.

Pandor Absinthe ~ beautiful labels on these new bottles!

Hangin' at the Hangar One distillery open house, where $30 admission gets you samples of just about everything they make, plus gourmet treats.

Bostonist shows off snapshots from the LUPEC "USO Show" benefit: retro clothes, old-time cocktails, and fabulous burlesque.

Jorg Rupf of St. George Spirits is a master of Eau de Vie.

You won't find any menus at Drink in South Boston; your bartender will simply inquire after your drink preferences and mood. If an herb garnish is required, it will be snipped from the planter.

Jane Tunks reports on Oakland's Camino, where a Slow Food ethos extends to the bar. Drinks are described, not named, and made with spirits that can be traced to their source. (And never vodka.)

The Aristocrat Swizzle -- a gin-based, tall sour with a Chartreuse float -- was every bit as perfect as the setting in which we encountered it.