I have big plans for boozy popsicles this summer. Big. Plans. As far as I'm concerned, there is a whole wide world of cocktails out there just waiting to be made into popsicles. The only question is how? More

Punch is the ideal party drink. Big batches save hosts from playing bartender all night and it's the perfect excuse to show off that heirloom punch bowl. However, the profusion of punch recipes can seem daunting if it's your first time dusting off Grandma's punch bowl. So we checked in with punch expert David Wondrich, author of Punch: The Delights (and Dangers) of the Flowing Bowl (see our review here), and Esquire Mag's drinks columnist to get all the elemental info needed for anyone looking to stir up a batch. More

"This is the violet hour, the hour of hush and wonder, when the affections glow and valor is reborn, when the shadows deepen along the edge of the forest and we believe that, if we watch carefully, at any moment we may see the unicorn."
from The Hour by Bernard DeVoto

The violet hour, that time of day roughly starting at 5pm when cocktail hour begins and we start the transition from day into evening, from work to home, from labor to (hopefully) relaxation. Unicorns spotting or not (I'll have what he's having!) it can be a magical time, especially if there is some deliberateness, some sense of ritual in your actions. The violet hour doesn't have to involve alcohol, of course, although it is nice to make an effort and concoct something special to drink. More

Who: Middle West Spirits micro-distillery
What: High-quality artisanal spirits made from local Ohio ingredients
Where: Columbus, Ohio

If you wanted to make a hand-crafted liquor with a "sense of place," then vodka, the most neutral and flavorless spirit, would be an odd place to start. Brady Konya and Ryan Lang, founders of Middle West Spirits, laugh as they acknowledge this irony. "Artisan vodka" almost seems like a contradiction in terms but somehow, they have created a vodka that does indeed have a sense of location in its environment, and their OYO Vodka is not actually a flavorless, neutral spirit at all — it's something very different.

Come walk through the Middle West Spirits micro-distillery in Columbus, Ohio, and see what it takes to distill a great bottle of vodka — and more. More

What do you drink at a bad bar? It sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, I know, but we've all been there: stuck in a tired airport lounge, or at a restaurant hundreds of miles away from an artisanal cocktail menu, eyeing a bartender who doesn't look old enough to drink. What do you order when you just don't trust the bar (or the bartender)? What's your safety drink? I asked 25 food writer friends what they go to when they want a drink but don't trust the bar. More

After many years waiting tables and working in restaurants my only brush with bitters was as the staff cure all for hangovers. After a late night we'd all belly up to bar for our daily drink of bitters and soda. It cured everything from a headache to indigestion. Then it was only Angostura but now with the cocktail craze comes the bitters boom, and yes a book dedicated solely to this aromatic flavoring agent. More

Cocktail Week is typically devoted to drinks, but your favorite booze doesn't have to stay in a glass. Liquor-soaked foods add just the right amount of punch. Why use regular raisins when you can use cognac-soaked raisins? Why grill regular shrimp when you can make whiskey-soaked maple shrimp? Inspired? So are we. More

Tiki culture has, up until quite recently, completely bemused me. The underground clubs and parties decked out in coconut shells and grass skirts seemed to promote an overwrought nostalgia, an incredibly kitschy style of decor, and cocktails that were anything but restrained. Well, my mind has been completely changed.

If you, like me, are somewhat clueless about the enduring appeal of tropical drinks and tiki masks, get the inside scoop on the world of tiki from Matt "Kuku Ahu" Thatcher, founder of a local tiki society and a wicked good mixologist. I have just three words for you: "Tahitian Treat reduction." More

We aren't big drinkers in my household, but it's nice to have a little something around for guests. Which means our liquor cabinet needs aren't much: No glass and mirrored giant in the corner of the living room. That's why I'm taken with these nifty DIY ideas. I'd love to create a small liquor cabinet (that doesn't necessarily look like one) with nothing but elbow grease and little to none of the green stuff. More

I recently took a two-part cocktail class where we learned all about bitters, shrubs, and syrups. At the beginning of the class, we were asked to introduce ourselves and mention our liquor of choice. My answer: anything brown. Once the class got going, my vodka-loving tablemate mentioned she's never understood the difference between whiskey and bourbon. Turns out: it's really quite simple. More