This Super Bowl season, I'm rooting for the underdog: canned beer. No, I won't be arriving at a game day party with Bud Light or sixpacks of Miller. Truly tasty microbrews are now available in cans, and there are plenty of reasons to stock up. More

Though dark in color, English porters aren't very high in alcohol. They have a hint of coffee-like bitterness from black, chocolate, or smoked brown malted barley, but not as much big roasted flavor as most stouts. A good porter is creamy and drinkable—if you think you don't like dark beers, you should give porters a chance. More

'Tis the season for warming beers—for velvety barrel-aged stouts and serious brews from Belgium. Over the last few weeks, we've also been sampling winter warmers and other winter seasonals: beers released specifically for Christmas and for sipping over the cold months ahead. More

If you can't make it to Germany this year for Oktoberfest festivities, you can at least drink in solidarity. We tasted twelve beers—a few traditional German märzen beers head-to-head with some American interpretations from craft brewers. More

Importer Eric Seed, whose Haus Alpenz has helped drive recent trends in craft cocktails by importing products such as Batavia arrack and allspice liqueur, was pouring samples of new quinquinas—aperitif wines flavored with a bitter edge of quinine—such as Cocchi Americano and Bonale Gentian Quina, both due to appear later this year. More

There are several tequila producers who are working to refine tequila's category, sourcing the agave to certain fields to see if there's a distinctive enough difference in the tequila made from these different regions. More

It’s tax time, and once you’re done sweating over the paperwork and writing out your check, you could probably use a drink. Ah, but there’s the rub—the IRS just walked away with your wallet, there’s a recession staring us in the face, and, to top it all, the real estate market is peeking into the abyss. Here are some tips to keep on drinking without going broke. More

Yeah, I know, many people find the idea of mixing their Log Cabin with their Grey Goose absolutely revolting, but pure maple syrup mixed with a rich brown spirit, such as bourbon, dark rum or apple brandy, is capable of bringing much more flavor and character to a drink than a spoonful of sugar ever could. More

Distilled from fermented cherries, pits and all, kirsch is part of the larger category of eau de vie—fruit brandies, typically unaged, that are dry in flavor and intensely aromatic. More

I've been thinking about this recently, thanks to a post at the excellent Drink Boston blog titled "The Pink Elephant in the Room," which questions why drink writers rarely (if ever) mention the intoxicating aspect of enjoying beer, wine and spirits. More