Jane Austen drank Quince Ratafia. It's easy to make and delicious in cocktails or straight.

Miami New Times shares the recipe for Club 50's Wheat & Mint ~ a gin and beer cocktail.

The Pegu Blog issues a call to arms to save the OXO Mini Measure from extinction!

The Kitchn test drives a close cousin to the Sidecar, the Applecar.

Macallan + W Los Angeles + NOTCOT ~ a fun little get together, first time playing host... and we even got to sip Macallan 57! More interestingly, see the social media component with their favorite, twitter.

The "Oaxacan Daisy," served at The Dizzy Fizz Blogger Brunch at Clover Club, was a romantic mix of raspberry syrup and amaro with smoky Sombra Mezcal.

Home-cured olives in just three weeks.

It’s easy to lose track of all the new gins appearing at the moment, but Geranium is one of a handful that really stand out above the noise. Jay Hepburn reviews the new London dry gin.

With craft distilleries popping up left and right, is vodka the true American spirit? Valet explores ... love the interactive map.

My current obsession ~ Mexican Hot Chocolate! Found this outstanding recipe on Food Woolf that includes rum & maraschino liqueur.

The Green Tea Gimlet: a tea twist to the cocktail classic for this month's Mixology Monday

Belgianfest in Seattle, held in the old Rainier Beer brewery in historic Georgetown neighborhood

Kusmi Chocolate and Mint tea marries Mojito over at A Mountain of Crushed Ice for this months Mixology Monday.

Everything you ever wanted to know about Applejack. Plus reviews of applejack distillers and recipes for applejack cocktails.

The Mindas Touch cocktail and other winter wonders to get you through the season...

Lost Angeles reviews Templeton Rye! A whiskey only in Iowa/Illinois!

PS 7's Gina Chersevani created some beautiful and tasty cocktails with less than 110 calories. Washington Post's GOG Blog has the details.

The Cosimo: Cosimo de Medici's Jasmine Chocolate with Armagnac and cream is romance in a glass...

For this MxMo Pavel Y. aka scomorokh from Science of Drink blog wrote about tea like a kiss and admirable English Cobbler Cocktail.

"Christmas wishes printed onto the glass of the bottle, the design being suggestive of measuring jug graphics. The concept therefore, the more you drunk the merrier the message."

Two iconic brands of cocktail staples are going through a shakeup. Manhattans and Martinis may never be the same again.

The Food Channel tells you how to make a pitcher of pretty margaritas from scratch for your party. No more mixes.

Happy thoughts for a rainy day: Colleen Mullaney, author of It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere, shares her favorite recipes for Island cocktails (pictured: The Voodoo) with Coastal Living.

My first cosmo made with SNOW ~ and it was snowing on the outdoor furniture made of ice by the fire on the patio... Amazing Absolut party at Sundance for the launch of their Spike Jonze film.

Gus McShane of Copa D’Oro in Santa Monica made two fresh passion fruit cocktails for KCRW's "Good Food."

Instructables and ThinkGeek held a Cocktails vs. Mocktails contest. So fun! Here's the cocktail winner, the Color-Changing Cocktail. It " smokes elegantly, changes from a calm blue to fuschia"

The Palm cocktail by The Hedley Club at the DeAnza Hotel, which made the Mercury News' list of the best hotel bars in the Silicon Valley.

Totally jealous because I didn't make it to the Science of Cocktails event at the Exploratorium to see them playing with liquid nitrogen, among other things. Some good coverage at SF Gate.

Savvy Housekeeping mixes up bourbon, pear syrup, maraschino liqueur and ginger ale for the super-tasty Pearaschino cocktail!

Set of 5 Bar Cards inspired by college roommates drinking Manhattans. In a sea of twentysomethings holding beers, they looked so damn cool. 5 classic recipes: Martini, Manhattan, Tom Collins, Old fashioned, and Gin & Tonic.

Gary Regan in the SF Chronicle on how to be a superstar bartender, including photo-illustrated tips on things like chilling glasses. As you might imagine, commenters have a lot to say about it!

YumSugar mixes up an Isle of Pines cocktail, made with pomegranate. Looks dark and mysterious!

As the Angostura shortage worsens, some survival tips in the Washington Post. For instance: How about switching to Rum Manhattans?

Hershey's hot cocoa eleven ways, but Chambord infused was our favorite. What would be yours?

A strong and sweet Tom and Jerry cocktail to warm us on a chilly winter's night!

Do you collect bar tools?

No lemons for a twist... and no olives around. Avoid a martini crisis with this backup plan. Cornichons.

Ice Balls! Continuing the obsession, here's a look at Muji's Silicon Ice Ball Maker in action.

Matthew Biancaniello from the Roosevelt Hotel is collaborating with Bar Keeper in Silver Lake to turn blue-green emu eggs into cocktail cups! LA Times has great photos along with the story.

Shake winter with a Jack Rose cocktail.

Macallan Flights of the Decades ~ incredible event at Soho House NYC, tasting and twittering our way from New Make Spirit back through 52 year old Macallan.

Macallan Ice Ball "Machine" ~ runs on gravity and the frictional heating capacity of copper at room temperature with the icea... within moments perfect spheres!

A tasty combination of Scotch, grapefruit and Sortelage borne out of Thursday Drink Night.

Vampire Weekend's Horchata-inspired cocktails.

LA Times says Pisco is becoming more popular in the US ... to which I say yay!! (Pisco Sours are awesome .. and that's just the start)

Catdaddy Moonshine Zombie Punch - and its strong.