We sure love our booze around here, and we have a couple of fabulous columnists bringing you the best in cocktails and wine every single week. Mary is a thorough wine expert who tastes dozens of bottles every week, and Nora studies the art of the cocktail assiduously -- just so we can all share a good drink from time to time.

Here are some favorite wine and cocktail posts from 2008, just in time for New Year's. They include Mary's wildly popular series on cheap wine, Nora's posts on retro drinks with egg whites, and a whole roundup of refreshing summer cocktails.

Posts pictured above in bold below.

Cheap(er) Wines

• Affordable Wines for Gift Giving: Red and Sweet Wines
• Affordable Wines for Gift-Giving: White and Sparkling
• Ten Tips for Buying Everyday Wines
• Cheap Wine: Best Pinot Noir Under $20
• How To Choose Good Cheap Wine from the Big Brands: Cabernet Sauvignon
• How To Choose Good Cheap Wine from the Big Brands: Pinot Grigio
• Top Wine Picks from Trader Joe's Wine Store in New York City
• Cheap Wines for Tough Times

Other Wine Topics

• All About Fair Trade Wine
• Wine Bottle Closures: Cork vs. Screw Cap
• July 4th Celebrations: The Importance of American Wines
• Wines for Hot and Spicy Foods
• Why Sherry Is So Extraordinary
• Food and Wine Pairing: A Grilled Summer Menu of Herbed Pork, Tender Ravioli, and Garden Greens

Cocktail Recipes and Liquor

• Repeal Day Tipple: Absinthe
• Spotlight on Rum: Some Fresh(-Pressed) Options
• Cozy Whiskies for Chilly Fall Days: Smoky Single Malts
• All in the (Cocktail) Family: Sours
• Cocktail Basics: All About Bitters
• End-of-Summer Cocktail: Whiskey Peach Smash
• Escape to Bermuda with Dark and Stormy Cocktails
• Slow Spirits: Mixing Drinks the "Slow Food" Way
• Culinary Cocktails: The Spicy/Cool Flavors of India
• Top 5 Intriguing Cocktail Names
• How to Create Your Own Cocktail Recipes
• Raw Egg Whites in Cocktails (and Ramos Gin Fizzes) Are Back!
• Creme de Violette and Blue Moon Cocktails
• Also see the full roundup of a whole series last summer on cool and refreshing summer cocktails: Summer Cocktails! The Full Roundup

Cocktail Accessories and Accompaniments

• Cocktail Basics: DIY Grenadine Syrup
• How to Make the Best Ice Cubes for Summer Cocktails
• Recipe Review: Melissa Clark’s DIY Maraschino Cherries
• Straight Up: DIY Simple Syrup
• Favorite Cocktail Books
• DIY Cocktail Onions
• How to Rim a Cocktail Glass for Margaritas - and More