There are so many fun gadgets associated with drinking! Here’s a fun one for the wine geeks — a wine bottle thermometer.

It has markings for the optimal serving temperature for different varieties of wine. So no more wondering how cold that Gewurtztraminer should be.

And, hey, it’s a lot cheaper than buying a special wine fridge!

Wine Bottle Thermometer @ Crate and Barrel

Simple syrup is a vital part of many cocktail recipes — mojitos, mint juleps and more. It’s the easiest, most reliable way to add a little sweetness to balance your drink.

It’s just sugar and water. (Truly simple, no?) Many recipes that call for muddling sugar or adding a sugar cube can just as easily be made with simple syrup.
Here’s what you do:

Pour equal parts sugar and water into a container with a … Read more

Normally, when I pick a scotch, it’s single malt all the way. But Black Bull 12 year blended scotch was a Whiskyfest find that I wouldn’t mind finding wrapped up for me under the tree this year!

Bottled by Duncan Taylor, which has a great stable of whiskies, this scotch is very mellow. The light vanilla and sherry nose gives way to a slightly peaty honeyed scotch that goes down smooth.

So if you have … Read more

Here’s something different for the stylish wine lover in your life. These handblown wine glasses by design hotshot Maxim Velcovsky are crafted to look like a disposable cup.

Enjoy your Cabernet while enjoying the irony of an item lovingly handcrafted to mock something mass-produced. Aside from looking cool, the shape and weight of the glasses make them fun to drink from.

Sommelier Wine Glasses @ A +R Store

Decanters not only let your wine and booze open up, they also look great at your bar.

This Kai Decanter from Crate and Barrel is a simple yet elegant gift find. It’s handblown glass with clean, classic lines and, then, at the stopper there’s a little effervescence in the form of tiny bubbles!

Oh, and for about $40 it won’t make your wallet cry.

Kai Decanter @ Crate and Barrel

Booze that tastes good, looks good, and comes at a reasonable price? Now, there’s a holiday gift! The Kraken Rum is a black spice Caribbean rum with a solid kick and a strong molasses, cinnamon, and vanilla flavor. It’s 94 proof, so it packs quite a punch served straight.

A kraken is a giant squid, so the fun concept is that it’s a strong liquor as dark as squid ink. The packaging is beautiful, making … Read more

Somehow Three Olives has made a flavored vodka that tastes like bubblegum. This isn’t one of those flavored vodkas that sort of reminds you of the flavor in question or maybe smells a little like it. This vodka straight up tastes like gum.

It smells exactly like bubblegum — think Hubba Bubba or Bubblicious. It tastes like sugar-free bubblegum. Not until it gets to about the Adam’s Apple does the candy flavor stop and the … Read more

Everything’s better with a little booze. So here are some Drink of the Week-approved ideas for Thanksgiving recipes that incorporate the bottle.

Bourbon Turkey with herbs de provence
Whiskey-Glazed Carrots
Orange Liqueur Stuffing
Drunken Cranberry Sauce
Rum Raisin Sweet Potato Pie
Frangelico Pumpkin Cheesecake

Drink up, the earth needs you to! Now when you drink, you can say you’re doing it to help the environment.

Finlandia has some specially marked bottles that can be redeemed for a donation to plant one tree in your honor, through non-profit Trees for the Future. So drinking one bottle of vodka means adding one more tree to the planet.

In stores, look for bottles of Finlandia original, lime, mango, wild berries, grapefruit, and … Read more