Have you had Thai- and Vietnamese-style iced coffee? A combination of strong black coffee, sweetened condensed milk, and plenty of ice makes these drinks a refreshing change from your standard brew. From Girl Versus Dough, here's a frozen version topped with toasted coconut. What a treat! 

As any coffee addict knows, in places where a decent cup of coffee is hard to find, you'll always find Nescafé. Though the coffee snob in me feels I should turn up my nose at instant coffee from a packet, I have a soft spot for those brown crystals that make it easy to find a steaming cup of hot coffee no matter where in the world you are.

Rootstock is a wine word that many readers probably have heard mentioned with regard to viticulture and the growing of wine grapes. Today most vines are planted on rootstocks. This means that they are not planted on their own roots; rather the vine is grafted onto the root of a different vine species.

There are few worse feelings when traveling than the sucker punch of a delayed flight — or even worse a straight up cancelled trip — especially when there’s a connection on the other side. The upside here: a chance to check out the airport bars, and if you’re lucky, maybe even a chance to drink in some local flavor.

Crisp and a touch lemony, fizzy with bubbles and chilled to ice-cold: this is the kind of beer that hits the spot after a day spent romping in the garden or lounging on the porch. When the summer's seasonal beers start showing up in stores, that's when I know that summer has really started. Here are five to look out for as we head into the long days of sun and heat — what's your favorite?

Wine of the Week: 
Region: Terrasses du Larzac, Languedoc-Roussillon, France
Price: $20

The Languedoc is absolutely one of the best places to source exciting and great value wines. I bought this 2010 Domaine le Clos du Serres last week at our local wine store. From the tiny appellation of Terrasses du Larzac located right in the heart of the Languedoc, La Blaca 2010 is a delicious red wine, packed with vibrant juicy fruit – an absolute winner to serve at your next dinner gathering.

Here in Seattle, it's All Rhubarb All the Time right now. Or at least in our house. I've been slicing it into muffins, and roasting it to spoon on top of ice cream or yogurt. But until recently, I hadn't thought to do much with it on the beverage side of things and it turns out: there's a whole world of rhubarb cocktails, fizzes and even milkshakes to explore!

Staying well-hydrated is especially important during summer, but if you're traveling you might find yourself having to decide between the lesser of two evils: wasteful, store-bought bottled water or unfamiliar (or even downright nasty!) tap water. Carry your own water bottle with a built-in filter, though, and you can make a healthier choice for yourself and the environment. Here are five bottles worth considering. 

Port is a wine word. Like Sherry it is often misunderstood. While Port is a style of fortified wine, it is not a generic word for the style. Port is the name of the liqueur or fortified wines produced in a specific delimited area of the Douro Valley, Portugal, up river from the city of Oporto. 

What's better on a steamy summer evening (afternoon? morning?) than a chilled glass of sangria, punctuated with booze-soaked fruit? 'Tis the season for sangria — but why stop at the basics? Read on for five recipes to try one at a time...or perhaps all over the course of this weekend!