Reading summary: Sunday, Dec 5, is the 77th anniversary of the end of Prohibition in the USA, learn more about the failed, noble experiment by reading Last Call. This is also the beginning of the holiday season, so why not starting putting Chartreuse in your hot chocolate? Speaking of culture, The Economist compares pub culture in London, New York and DC, and theorizes why London wins. Lastly, read about how hard your bartenders work and an interview with Jackson Cannon, one of our favorite mixologists in Boston.

Reading summary: Raise a glass of Pumpkin Nog, and other mixed drinks, with your Thanksgiving dinner; Punch is back and rum lovers will enjoy a reintroduction to Planters Punch, in eight different versions; Back in the days of real soda fountains you could order a Coca-Cola "shooting from the south" or a "Western", now you can make your own?; If your cocktail-alternative is a beer, here's a review of Couden Carolus Tripel, a Belgian Triple; One of ladies from LUPEC returns from Mexico a shares the recipe for La Paloma, a refreshing tequila highball from Tequilla; Lastly, if you live near Houston, TX, read about the Anvil Bar and Refuge and plan a visit.

Many early cocktails and drinks were made with brandy, and California brandy deserves some respect. Tis the season for eggnog, learn about regional variations. The Pisco Sour is still a new drink to many non-Peruvians, learn more from LUPEC.  What is acid phosphate and why use it in drinks?  Lastly, David Wondrich's latest book, Punch: The Delights (and Dangers) of the Flowering Bowl, was published this week.

The new cocktail menu at the "Japanese pub" Chizakaya, Chicago; Utah Mixologist gives a nice rundown on Peychaud Bitters; Alcademics article about making clear ice; a bourbon tasting at Seven Grand in LA this weekend; Recipes from the Oct 4 event at the Museum of the American Cocktail; piece on Bénédictine liqueur; Summit Sips on the new Buttercube bitters.