"Cocktails" news and stories

Some chatter over at The Soapbox caught our eye. Should boozy beverages sport nutritional labeling? It's a topic federal regulators have been reviewing and one that's been brewing since 2003.

Current labeling regulations are complex. Wine, beer and liquor producers are not required to list actual ingredients on the label, but must list items like sulfites or FD&C Yellow No. 5 for consumers who are sensitive. Whether or not nutritional information like calories, carbohydrates and serving size should be added to labels is up for discussion, but Tom Hogue, spokesman for the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) told USA Today that it's unclear when federal officials might make a decision.

"I hear echos of the topic, but I don't think it will become a government mandate," says Rob Cooper, president and founder of St-Germain/Cooper Spirits Company. "There are already a lot of regulations surrounding alcohol. You have to go through the TTB formal approval process to ensure consumers are getting a safe product. It's not the Wild West. You can't just do what you want. They're strict about the ingredients."

And besides, adds Cooper, "Alcohol is not a critical component of ones sustenance. It's for recreational use. Who cares if it's good for you?"

He's got a point.

Be honest: How long has that bottle of vermouth been in your cupboard? If it's more than 30 days, that's a big bartending fail. And -- surprise -- so is keeping limes in the fridge. What else are you doing wrong when you're making cocktails at home? YumSugar's Susannah Chen asked legendary bartender Tony Abou-Ganim for the 10 most common at-home bartending mistakes. How many are you guilty of?

Get the whole list at YumSugar.com

Care for a Black Swan Cosmo or a True Grit Martini? Umm....we'll pass. Around this time every year, bars and restaurants create some pretty corny Oscar-inspired cocktails. Rather than trying to invent a drink based -- we shudder to think -- on 127 Hours, we've come up with a list of classics and modern classics that honor Hollywood's golden age. Mix one up this Sunday during the Academy Awards ceremony and you'll have fun no matter who wins.

In January, we posted our first BevShots Quiz -- and the response was overwhelming. Turns out people like alcohol trivia almost as they like to belly up to the bar.

In case you missed it last time, here's the deal: The folks at BevShots have taken your favorite beverages -- cocktails, beer, wine and non-alcoholic drinks -- and put them under the microscope. How do they do it? Research scientist Michael Davis of Florida State University crystallizes the cocktails on a lab slide, then photographs them using a camera attached to a light microscope.

Want to see more? Head over to BevShots.com, where you can browse through their entire collection and even purchase the photos (one of these hanging over the bar sure beats that old "dogs playing poker" standby).

Ready for round two? Take our quiz after the jump.

Next up on our Social Media "Takeovers" Week (i am baker took over our Twitter on Monday), the folks behind Liquor.com -- experts in all things cocktails and spirits -- take over both Slashfood's Facebook and Twitter accounts today.

You can test their knowledge all day long. Quiz them about your favorite rums, vodkas and gins -- or get recommendations for spirits you haven't yet tried. They'll even give you great cocktail recipes if you ask nicely. (We want to know how to make a great blood-orange mojito.)

Thirsty? Head over to Facebook and Twitter now.