Six Good American Gins

Has managed to escape Chardonnay-type backlash

(NEWSER) - Sauvignon Blanc is officially the new safe drink—it's cheap, consistent, and, all of a sudden, it's everywhere, writes Lettie Teague for the Wall Street Journal . "It's the only wine I drink by the glass," a friend tells Teague. "I feel like I always know what I'm going to get." That consistency has made it the second most popular drink in America, after Chardonnay. Even lawyers like it, Teague jokes. More»

Expect your cocktails to be herbal, matched with food, and cold

(NEWSER) - Absinthe and other speakeasy libations are so last decade. Now that craft cocktails are mainstream, what will the next 10 years bring to the hottest watering holes? Derek Brown of the Atlantic looks into his crystal ball:

• Food pairings: They're not just for sommeliers anymore. "Expect to see cocktails accompanying your food in 2010."

Sales of beer, wine surge at convenience shops, drug stores

(NEWSER) - Recession-strapped Americans are hitting the bar less and less, but they’re not giving up drinking: sales of beer and wine at grocery and convenience stores have ballooned, prompting many shops to start offering alcohol. Between September 2008 and last month, the number of stores selling beer shot up by 2,600—even though the overall number of grocery, convenience, and drug stores fell by 3,000. More»

Experimental pub cautions patrons to 'breathe responsibly'

(NEWSER) - Two British entrepreneurs have opened a truly innovative bar—where alcohol is inhaled rather than drunk, ABC News reports. London’s Alcoholic Architecture fills a room with gin and tonic vapor, which patrons covered in protective suits breathe in for around $7 an hour. "We're reinventing the gin and tonic," creator Sam Bompas said. More»

Esquire finds brown-bagging it has its rewards

(NEWSER) - With Super Bowl looming, cheap booze is probably on your radar. It's not too late to check out these bargains recommended by Esquire:

• Paul Masson Grande Amber VSOP brandy: This $13 bottle “goes down far more smoothly than anything from France in this price range could even aspire to.”
• Brugal Añejo rum: A $14 bottle that's perfect “if you want something cheap, brown, and sugarcaney to go with your cigar.”