Filed under: Vodka , Newspapers , Spirits After lamenting the sweetness of the energy drink + vodka combination over drinks at a Los Angeles bar in 2004, David Mandell wondered whether he could caffeinate vodka itself. It turns out that you can caffeinate it, as Mandell has just introduced p.i.n.k. , a plain vodka infused with caffeine and guarana. The trick in developing it was not just to mask the flavor of the guarana and eliminate its color, but to remove all flavor from the vodka. The end product is intended to produce the same energizing affect as a drink like Vodka Red Bull without any of the extra sugars. One drink of p.i.n.k. contains the same amount of caffeine as a 3/4 full cup of coffee, or about 80 mg. By way of comparison, one can of Red Bull contains that much caffeine as well, so it is easy to see how much more concentrated p.i.n.k. is.

Filed under: Beer , Raves & Reviews , America Since I am not a beer connoisseur, I tend to fall victim to marketing. Shopping the other day, I picked up the Lazy Days Pale Ale because it seemed so appropriate for the very warm weather we're having now. Spring is turning gradually into summer, and its name, the words "refreshing pale ale," and the image of relaxing on a beach seemed perfect.

Filed under: Wine , Raves & Reviews , America I think I've found a red wine I can handle. Red wine is tough for me for a number of reasons. For one thing, anything I drink, I like to drink it ice cold. I can't imagine the looks I'd get if I sat down in a restaurant and asked the sommelier to please chill the Merlot in a the sub-zero for a half hour. Secondly, red wine is usually just too "strong," tannic, heavy, alcoholic, bitter, and/or smelling of wood.

Filed under: Rum , Food Oddities , Newspapers In the past week, several news sources have run stories about a group of Hungarian builders that drank dry a barrel of rum, only to find a human body in it. Yesterday, MSNBC ran this correction , stating that the story they originally ran, based on a Reuters story, was untrue. Apparently, once the story began to circulate, people recognized it for the urban legend it was. Snopes has several variations on the theme of people (and animals) being pickled in barrels of booze. The current story claimed that the man's body had been stashed in the Jamaican barrel by his wife in an attempt to avoid the cost and paperwork of actually shipping her husband's body home properly. Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

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Filed under: Whisky , Recipes , How To , Southern States , America , Spirits We've seen mint juleps here on Slashfood before. There's a mint julep flavored soda  and the 132nd Kentucky Derby will serving ooh-la-la $1,000 mint juleps on Derby Day . If you'll be betting on watching the races from home, you can mix up a proper mint julep at your own home bar. But first, a little bit of historical trivia, or trivial history.

Filed under: Wine , West Coast , Farming , Fruit , America Yesterday, the Chronicle food section focused on organic foods . Today, their wine section does the same, looking at organic wines and why they are so difficult to find . Many vineyards grow certified organic grapes, but the wines themselves are not organic. The reason? The USDA prohibits added sulfites in organic wines.

Filed under: Wine , Champagne , Cocktails , Stores & Shopping , America , Spirits I don't know what it is with me, but if something, even as useless as a garlic peeler, is pink, I want it. This set of pink stemware isn't quite useless, but it certainly isn't necessary for my bar that is already equipped with Champagne flutes, a whole family of wine glasses, shot glasses, martini glasses, and margarita glasses.

Filed under: Trends , How To , Spirits Some of us may have sworn tequila off the last time we spent four hours in the bathroom as punishment the morning after a long night somewhere in Tijuana. However, tequila is fast-becoming known as a "fine" liquor, with some rare and "boutique" imported tequilas going for as much as $1,700 a bottle. Cuervo 's 1800 Collecion is $1,000 a bottle.