There are a few topics that we feel deserve special mention and regular column space here at The Kitchn. Those currently include beer, wine, cocktails, and cheese — all fascinating subjects with rich histories and intelligence. Every week our lovely columnists in these areas bring you beer reviews, cocktail history, wine lore, and passionate writing about cheese. Here's a look back at a few of our favorite posts in 2009 from our beer, wine, cheese, and cocktail columns.

Images above are in bold below and in order above from left to right and top to bottom.

What were your own favorite cheese, wine, beer, or cocktail discoveries this year?

From Emma Christensen, our Beer Sessions columnist:

Beer Reviews
• Sam Adams Imperial White
• Golden Monkey from Victory Brewing
• Oktoberfest from Great Lakes Brewing Company
• Samurai Rice Ale from Great Divide
• Left Hand Milk Stout

Beer Intelligence
• The Real Truth About Skunked Beer
• Brewing Beer at Home: Bottling the Homebrew
• Barrel-Aged Beers: Loving or Hating?
• Porter vs. Stout: What's the Difference?
• Top 5 Beers We Hate to Love

From Mary Gorman, our wine columnist:

Wine Guides
• Holiday Party Wines: $10 and Less from Trader Joe's
• The Wines from Bierzo: Red Jewels in Green Spain
• The Real Face of Zinfandel Wine: Dark and Dry
• Great Value Sauvignon Blanc Wines From Around the World
• Light Alcohol Wine: German Riesling Kabinett

Wine Intelligence
• Sulfites in Wine: The Myths, the Facts, and the Truth
• Quick Tips: How To Preserve Wine
• Wine Aeration Devices: Useful or Just Another Gadget?
• Wine Retailing: Do Supermarkets Offer the Best Choice?
• Great Wineglasses: Tips On Caring for Your Glassware

From Nora Maynard, our Straight Up cocktails columnist:

Cocktail Recipes
• 7 Super-Simple Citrus Cocktails
• Lillet Sin Cocktail
• Hot Rum Cow
• Cocktails for Brunch
• Hot Apple-Ginger Toddy

Cocktail Intelligence
• Summer Entertaining: How to Build a Basic Bar
• Cocktail Basics: Citrus Garnishes 6 Ways
• Whiskey vs. Whisky: What's the Difference?
• All About Vermouth
• All About Gimlets

From Nora Singley, our Cheesemonger columnist:

Cheese Reviews
• Consider Bardwell Manchester
• Serve This Cheese for Halloween: Morbier
• Hola, Robiola: Your Newest Favorite Cheese
• Cheese Review: Tomme Crayeuse
• Truffles Aplenty: Sottocenere

Cheese Intelligence
• How to Store Cheese: What To Do When You Get It Home
• Five Tips for Flawless, Fabulous Cheese Plate Construction
• Have Cheese, Will Fly: What Cheeses Travel Well
• Cheese Tip: Don't Eat Cold Cheese!
• Lactose and Cheese: Are You Really Lactose Intolerant?

(Images: See linked posts for full image credits.)