St. Arnold's Brewery: Exotic Texas Beer
by Randy Lankford
It's not hard to get a Texan to drink a beer. It's about like convincing a rock to sink to the bottom of a pond. It is, however, tougher to get a Texan to drink an unknown, possibly exotic beer. Like most people, Texans are creatures of habit and one of their most ingrained habits is their beer choice. There are only five craft beer breweries in Texas. The oldest, the St. Arnold Brewery in Houston, was founded by Brock Wagner in 1994.

Taste of Texas: Tito's Handmade Vodka
by Randy Lankford
The story of Tito's Handmade Vodka, Texas' only legally distilled spirit, is both inspirational and terrifying. And for pretty much the same reasons. It's inspirational from the perseverance-pays-off perspective, and terrifying from the $80,000 in debt with two mortgages and 12 maxed out credit cards point of view.

Hot Toddy Season
by Trish Bales
Gripped by winter's chill? Trish Bales provides the means to counter that chill with a multitude of time-honored toddies. Mix up one of these simple concoctions, warm your hands on the mug, and create some inner warmth that should see you through to spring.

The Joy of Egg Nog
by Patricia Mitchell
Upholding tradition is vital to most of us when celebrating the holidays. That's why we eat the same food, sing the same songs and lovingly bring out the same decorations year after year.

Eggnog is a tradition that goes back at least to the 1700s and, judging from the number of requests Texas Cooking gets for eggnog recipes, is as popular as ever.

Mint Juleps - The Southern Drink of Choice
by Trish Bales
As we all know, it's hot in Texas in the summertime -- very hot. It can be hard to get motivated to do anything outside other than walking (very quickly) from the house to the car. This heat is something we southerners are accustomed to, however, and many years ago, a refreshing drink, supposedly of Arabian origin, was adopted as "the quintessential southern drink" in the United States -- the Mint Julep.

Piña Coladas for Everyone
by Trish Bales
The Piña Colada is Trish Bales' favorite summertime cocktail. She writes "Just one sip and your surroundings are transformed to a tropical beach somewhere in the Caribbean. Just one sniff of the coconut milk and youre reminded of the days when you didnt care what the sun did to your skin as long as you were covered in coconut oil."

Holiday Cocktails, Texas-style
by Trish Bales
During the holidays, we entertain like mad, typically serving wine and champagne at parties and beer for those all-important holiday bowl football games. However, there are lots of other interesting drinks Texans are familiar with but maybe have forgotten about. They sure can spice up your holiday gathering and, with names like Massacre and Mexican Itch, they make for some very interesting conversation.

The Mexican Martini
by Trish Bales
Develop your own Signature House Drink. The Mexican Martini, is popular in chic restaurants in Austin. Writer Trish Bales describes how she brought this tequila-based martini with her on a visit to Maine.

Perfect Iced Tea
by Patricia Mitchell
What could possibly be wrong with the beautiful glass of iced tea pictured here? You'll find out when you read Patricia Mitchell's step-by-step instructions for making perfect iced tea.

Tasting Away In Margaritaville
By Pamela Slover Percival
Although stories conflict about who originally invented the tangy Margarita, there is no disagreement about the cocktail's popularity. Most experts on the subject agree that the Margarita is the most popular cocktail in America today.

For best Margaritas, taste test your ingredients

Spirited Irish Drinks
by Lucas Everidge
When it comes to spirits, the Irish know what they're doing. Oh sure, you've got your White Russians, your French 75's, your Flying Dutchmen, but Irish drinks are somehow validated merely by their association with the word "Irish."

Martinis Continue to Shake Society
by Steve Labinski
It is the drink of businessmen. Traditionally, we hear about advertising executives closing significant deals over a three martini lunch. Socialites historically consume martinis at cocktail parties, or throughout an idle afternoon. Playwright Noel Coward was never found without a tuxedo and a full martini in his hand. Consequently, the characters in his plays spend a significant amount of time making and drinking martinis. Today, it is considered by some to be America's most popular hard-liquor drink.

Dry as a kiss from Grandma.

Great Drink Recipes for Your Bar:

• Frozen Margaritas
• Texas Tea
• Hot Buttered Rum
• Egg Nog
• Salty Chihuahua
• Red Sangria
• Orange Sangria
• Mexican Coffee

Steve's Bloody Marys
by Lucas Everidge
A great, flavorful drink to serve is the legendary Bloody Mary. Served with cool tomato juice and vodka, it makes a spicy, flavorful treat. This informative article discusses ways of making Bloody Mary's, and how to make your own Bloody Mary mix from scratch.

Original Book Review:
Cowboy Cocktails: Boot Scootin' Beverages and Tasty Vittles From The Wild West
"The cowboy's legendary taste for liquor makes great cocktails," writes Texas chef and restaurantuer Grady Spears. His book, Cowboy Cocktails, is a perfect guide to great western bar drinks and the foods that compliement them.