Distillers have continued to amaze with the variety of new gins that have been coming out recently. Adding infusions, trying new ingredients... purists will argue they are no longer technically "gin" - just as vodka purists argued the same when flavored vodkas first hit - but I disagree. Keep the new developments coming.

One of the latest is Bulldog, a bold, new London dry gin that has exotic botanicals no other gin has: natural poppy, Dragon Eye, and lotus leaves. (And the rumor is Dragon Eye boosts vitality and sexual stamina. Which, after a few too many gin cocktails, is a necessity.) Add a hint of citrus and you've got a gin with a unique and provocative taste. Perfect for sipping or mixing.

This dog is housed in a sleek, smoke tinted bottle, complete with it's own spiked collar ...More

Many of us will be toasting and giving thanks this year with a glass of wine in hand. Some will be traveling to see friends and family and plan on bringing a bottle as a gift. But most of us are not wine experts. To find out what wines go best with turkey, cranberry sauce, and a truckload of side dishes, I spoke with Adrian Murcia, assistant sommelier at Chanterelle Restaurant in Tribeca in NYC. Here are a few of his tips for picking the perfect wine:

Go Red:
Murcia's preference is a wine with a good fruit component, so he leans towards reds. But he says to look for wines that throttle back on the alcohol content. "These really big rich luscious reds - California cabs, Australian shiraz - they are lovely wines," he says, "but the purple, blockbuster red wines that are in fashion may not be the best for Thanksgiving."

The lower alcohol content wines tend to go better with food, in his opinion, and won't get the party out of control during dinner. Out of control is for after dinner.

Look to the Old World:
Where do you find good, flavorful reds with low alcohol content, but with good acidity and tannen to balance out the fruitiness? "Cooler climates, where the sun doesn't bake the grapes," advises Murcia.

Some Good Choices:
- Pinot noir from France (burgundy grapes)
- Chianti Classico from Italy (San Giovese grapes)
- Rioja from Spain (tempranillo grapes) ...More

Once the turkey is finished, and dessert is on its way out, it's the time to mix up a great after dinner drink. This one, using Tuaca Liquore Italiano, is one of the easiest you'll ever make, and has a flavor that was made for this time of year.

Tuaca is a liqueur made from brandy, with sugar and the flavors of vanilla and citrus added in. Its smoothness masks its 70 proof punch. Add it to some warmed apple cider and you've got a great drink to have after dinner, or serve her by the fire.
www.tuaca.com

Tuaca Hot Apple Pie
1 1⁄2 oz Tuaca Liqueur
5-6 oz Apple cider, warmed
Whipped Cream

Pour Tuaca and warm apple cider into a coffee mug. Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Use a cinnamon stick as a stirrer.

The Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock. That's as good an excuse as any to break out the Plymouth gin to celebrate this Thanksgiving. (Yes, I know it's an English gin, but go with me here.)

Here are some turkey day-inspired recipes for you and the other pilgrims to enjoy. For more recipes go to www.plymouthgin.com


The Plymouth Mayflower
1 1⁄2 parts Plymouth™ Gin
1⁄2 part Apricot Brandy
1⁄2 part St Germain Elderflower Liquor
1⁄2 part Fresh Lemon Juice
1⁄2 part Apple Cider

Shake all ingredients and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist


Plymouth Pumpkin 75
1 part Plymouth™ Gin
3⁄4 part Pureed Pumpkin (puree pumpkins with cinnamon and brown sugar)
1⁄2 part Fresh Lemon Juice
1⁄2 part Simple Syrup
Champagne

Shake all ingredients (except champagne) with ice and strain into a champagne glass. Top with chilled champagne. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Scores Gentlemen's clubs are known for a lot of things. Go ahead, I'll give you a minute while you picture a few of them. The first thing you thought of was their drinks, right? Me too.

Their drinks are so exceptional, they have special rooms set aside where you can enjoy them in private.

You won't have to sneak out of the house and dip into the home equity line to experience some of their signature drinks this Thanksgiving. You can bring a little Scores home with the recipes below. Good luck getting your girl to serve them to you while wearing a G-String.

www.scoresny.com

Scores Pilgrim Punch
1 1/2 oz Pearl plum vodka
1 oz Peach schnapps
1/2 oz Cranberry juice
Splash of Triple sec
Splash of Sour mix
Garnish with a Lime

Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake. Strain into a shot glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.


Scores Pocahontas
3 oz Pearl plum vodka
1 1/2 oz Cherry juice
1 oz Orange juice
1/2 oz Lime juice
2 Cherries for garnish

Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake. Strain into a martini glass. Ironically place 2 cherries in the glass to garnish.

Not too much cause to yell Olé! on Thanksgiving, but here's a Mexican-styled drink recipe you can use to take the edge off this Thursday evening. It's got a strong mix of spicy and sweet, perfect for after dinner, thanks to the addition of a chocolate molé.

A "molé" is a Mexican sauce or "concoction", usually containing chile peppers and spices. (The one you probably know best is guacamole. Or "avocado concoction". Making sense now?) Some molés call for the addition of chocolate. This recipe, created by Tad Carducci of Tippling Bros is made muy especial with grand cru chocolate. It takes some effort to make, but the result is worth it.

ChocAmolé
1 1/2 oz Partida Reposado tequila
1 oz Chocolate molé mixture (Recipe below)
1/2 oz agave nectar ...More

Your cousin's holiday party is winding down and you've been chatting up his wife's best friend. (One of the few side benefits of attending a bunch of these shindigs around this time of year is it increases the number of new women you meet.) You suggest coffee back at your place. Maybe some dessert. She agrees.

If you don't have a working coffee pot (and why not?), don't reach for the instant coffee. It never tastes right. And you don't want to serve her crappy coffee her first time over. RK Express Coffee is a great alternative, it can be made quickly, (so there's no awkward down time), and tastes much better than powdered instant.

They make it by slow-roasting top quality gourmet beans, blending them with water, and filtering the coffee into a concentrate without using any chemicals, unlike powdered instants. All you do is add a little hot water to bring it back to life.

Another advantage to having a coffee concentrate like RK Express around is that it can be used in recipes or for smoothies. Or, better yet, in cocktails. So when you get back to your place, make her an Irish Java Jolt (recipe after the jump), instead of just a plain coffee. And if you've been invited to a party and want to show off some culinary skills, (without having to actually have any), make this Cappuccino Coffee Cake. If you can boil water, you can make this cake. And, as I've said, women love it when you bake for them. ...More

Healthy, antioxidant-rich drinks are still on the rise and showing no signs of slowing down. And after studies showed that adding alcohol increases health benefits (here's a post I did on it), fitness conscious - but happy hour loving - people are using them to mixing up healthier cocktails. (Sounds like an oxymoron, but they are.)

A new entry into the healthy drink category is PURPLE, made from seven of the most potent antioxidant-rich juices available, including açai, black cherry, pomegranate, black currant, purple plum, cranberry and blueberry. (I can feel the free radicals dying already.)

Not only would it work as a great smoothie ingredient, The Palm restaurant on the West Side of Manhattan has been using PURPLE as a mixer in martinis, and here's the recipe. Skip the smoothie after your next workout and have one of these instead.

PURPLE Martini
4 oz PURPLE
2 oz Vodka
1/2 oz Triple Sec

Fill a shaker with 1/2 cup of ice. Combine vodka, triple sec and PURPLE. Shake and strain into a LARGE chilled martini glass. Garnish with a wedge of fruit if desired.

$3.99 for 10 oz bottle
www.drinkpurple.com

Forget about simmering sauces down to get a decent reduction. Club Sauce offers recipe-ready reduced sauces bottled and ready to add to any dish.

Their Splash! Pomegranate Port Reduction Sauce is a blend all-natural pomegranate molasses and port wine cooked down until it's the perfect flavor and consistency. All you need to do is pop open the bottle and pour.

Here is a recipe from Club Sauce for a great pork loin that requires a little bit of time and care, but is well worth the effort.

For more recipes, go to www.clubsauce.com

Pan Seared Pork Loin with Pomegranate Port Reduction Sauce

2-3lb pork loin
1 tbs garlic, chopped
1 tbs herbs de Provence (typically rosemary, marjoram, basil, bay leaf, thyme, and lavender)
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup dry red wine ...More