True story: In college, I invented a drink called "The Specialty Drink." The recipe: Shot of rum, shot of vodka, pineapple juice, cranberry juice, splash of orange juice all poured in a pint glass, then fill up whatever space was left with beer. As you might have guessed, I sent many an unsuspecting friend towards the nearest trash can.

Recently however, more discriminating mixologists than myself have been concocting a number of exciting new cocktails utilizing beer as a proper ingredient. Credit increased awareness in the depth of flavors and varieties of beer both domestically and abroad for helping to advance the trend.

This past Friday, the San Francisco Chronicle ran an interesting article discussing recent developments in beer-infused mixed drinks in the Bay Area and beyond, including a couple recipes for readers at home. Try your hand at a "Strange Brew" or "The Great Pumpkin" and let me know how it turns out.

Or maybe you can create the next great beer-accentuated cocktail yourself. Though if your idea of creating a mixed drink is simply tossing everything behind the bar into a pint glass, maybe you best leave true mixology up to the professionals. (A lesson I learned the hard way.) Strangely though, sometimes the pros are a bit unseemly themselves. "Two of our previous bartenders...created [the Strange Brew] in hopes of blowing out one of the kegs for a beer change," a bar manager is quoted as saying in the article. "It was so popular that night that we put it on the menu."

Eh, whatever works.

No that headline isn't a typo, there really is a drink called a Bloody Caesar. It's Canada's take on a Bloody Mary. I had the dubious pleasure of enjoying several while spending a day in Toronto last week. Look for more dispatches on my Canadian adventures in the near future.

Before I had one of these, I never imagined that our friends to the north had their own mixed drink. Basically a Bloody Caesar is a Bloody Mary that uses Mott's Clamato juice. It seems like a small change but I find them more refreshing. Of course that bracing flavor could also be from the celery-salt around the rim of the glass. After some experimenting at home I find that I like mine with a little garlic pepper and a generous dose of Tabasco.

Bloody Caesar

• 1 ounce vodka
  
• 5 ounces Clamato juice
  
• 3 drops of Tabasco
  
• 2 drops of Worcestershire
  
• Salt and pepper

Rim the edge of the glass with celery salt and garnish with celery and lemon or lime as desired. Did I forget to mention the ice? Perhaps I had one too many Caesars last night.

There are several variations on the Bloody Caesar, including the one that is said to come from Sault Ste. Marie. It's defiining characteristic is the use of a pickle spear as a garnish. Then there's the Russian Caesar. I'm of the opinion that this mutant variety, which consists of borscht, Clamato, vodka and dill was invented by the marketing mavens at Mott's.

Studies have shown that the size of the glass can influence the size of the drink a bartender pours, and many people will swear that certain outfits and/or leaving big tips can get you stronger drinks at a bar, too. The only ones who don't seem to like it when this happens are the bar and nightclub owners, who collectively lose $7 billion each year due to overpouring and undercharging.

A new technology, brought to our attention by the hard-working Engadget crew, called the Beverage Tracker, has been invented by a San Francisco company to alleviate the problem. The device is an RFID-enabled liquor spout that attaches to bottles and keeps track of how much is poured for each drink. The data includes "not only the unique identification number of its microchip, but also the brand and size of liquor bottle to which it is attached, as well as the amount of liquor poured" and it is transmitted directly to the bar/club's computer system. Data collected helps with inventory management, as well as identifying bartenders who chronically overpour/undercharge. The whole system can cost from $10,000-20,000, depending on the size of the bar, but the return on the investment can take as little as 6 weeks.

Currently, the system is being used at the bars at Las Vegas's Treasure Island Hotel and Casino, as well as at about 100 other bars/clubs.

New Year's Eve parties are an occasion to get together with friends and family, reminisce about what has been and wonder what is to come. It's a time to resolve to have more fun, be more successful and get healthier. It's also a time to a have few drinks, which, while not necessarily being unhealthy, may not be the rich way to kick start your resolution to lose those extra few pounds. Making a few cuts in your cocktails is actually a good way to save a few calories.

Earlier this year, a list of the most fattening cocktails was released, so you're off to a good start by avoiding the 650 calories in a Pina Colada and the 780 calories in each Long Island Ice Tea. Try to have a glass of water between each drink to balance out your calorie intake and go for smaller servings, instead of novelty-sized margaritas.

Wine, at about 100 calories a glass, is a good choice compared to most mixed drinks, which have higher calorie counts from the juices and sodas used a mixers, in addition to alcohol. For "lighter" drinks, skip the tonic in favor of club soda as a mixer, a calorie-free alternative, or use diet sodas instead of regular. You can add fruity flavors with a shot or two of one of Torani's Sugar Free Syrup, which come in flavors from vanilla to lemon to Irish Cream. While they work well in warming coffee drinks,  HungryGirl has quite a few creative, calorie-saving cocktail recipes to choose from to get your party started on December 31st.