One of the small pleasures of being a stay-at-home mom is that I rarely have to use a travel coffee cup.  Sure, I may have to reheat my coffee three times before I make it to the bottom of the mug, and I have a tendency to set my coffee down randomly only to stumble upon it days later, but at least I avoid that perilous first sip from the tiny hole when you just know you are about to burn your lip.

My husband, of course, is not so fortunate, so when I received a sample KeepCup — “the first barista standard reusable cup” — I passed it on over to him for a trial run.  His overall assessment was that it wasn’t too bad, although the color scheme made him feel like he was drinking from a sippy cup.

In both of our opinions, however, the greatest thing about the KeepCup is the rubber band/bracelet thingy that came with it.  Actually, it came with two of them, in case you and your S.O. don’t like the same kind of coffee, but are too cheap to buy separate cups.

I think the idea of this rubber band is that you take the world’s finest tipped Sharpie, and darken in your coffee preference.  Then, you just hand the cup to the cashier and avoid that annoying moment of social interaction wherein you actually tell the barista what you would like to order.

I do have a few questions about this band, though.

1. What the heck is doppio?  Is it the marijuana brownie of coffee?

2.  What is flat white supposed to mean?  It sounds insulting.

3. Why are there 8 spaces for the number of sugars?  If you need 8 sugars in your coffee, do you really deserve to call yourself a coffee drinker?

4.  What happens if I don’t fill in the word “hot”?  Will the barista let my coffee sit out until it is room temperature before giving it back to me?

I do appreciate the KeepCup’s attempt to cater to a wide variety of tastes, though.  I see great potential in this concept for the future of those, “I’m with the cause” bracelets.  Maybe there could just be one bracelet that lists all possible diseases, and people could just fill in those that they are interested in curing.  Hmm…I feel there is a great idea here somewhere.  Thoughts?

Let the record show that in February 2012, the foodie revolution officially went too far.

Now, I can do a pickle-tini. I can do a grilled pickle.

Pickled watermelon? Pickled ramps? Pickles on the Christmas tree? Yes, yes, and hell yes. But pickles in my coffee? For seriousness? I’ve checked and checked, but it seems this is not some sort of pop-up April Fools’ Day joke. Metrocurean reports from DC:

Peregrine Espresso is pushing the sour envelope with a specialty drink now on offer, dubbed Love Potion Number Brine (above). Joining forces with new DC-based pickle company Gordy’s Pickle Jar, Peregrine created a drink that mixes Gordy’s sweet brine with espresso, milk and a little simple syrup on ice.

If they start serving this with a side of nutella pickle relish, I am retiring.

More from Metrocurean.

Here are the 31 craziest new cocktails we’ve found/sipped/invented recently

1. Avocado Margarita

The two best things Mexico ever gave the world, now combined in one amazing drink.

Recipe: Avocado Margarita

2. The New Moscow Mule

Traditionally a ginger beer cocktail, now made with ginger…and beer.

Recipe: The New Moscow Mule

3. Bourbon Butterscotch Latte

Eat this, Starbucks.

Recipe: Bourbon Butterscotch Latte

4. Italian Sipper

The foodiest drink yet? Tequila, strawberries, balsamic and basil.

Recipe: Italian Sipper

5. A Heated Affair

What’s better than apple cider? Apple cider with tequila.

Recipe: A Heated Affair

6. The Gringo

Beer, grapefruit juice and tequila — no joke.

Recipe: The Gringo

7. Spider Cocktail

Rum. Coke. Ice Cream. What’s not to like?

Recipe: Spider Cocktail

8. Rodriguez Sour

Some heat with your tequila?

Recipe: Rodriguez Sour

 9. Panamanian Soother

The Caribbean in a cup — ginger, rum, agave and orange.

Recipe: Panamanian Soother

10. Shibuya Shake

Japanese shiso leaf spikes up this exotic egg-based cocktail.

Recipe: Shibuya Shake

11. Prohibition Lemonade

Lemonade ain’t just for kids, folks.

Recipe: Prohibition Lemonade

12. The Tranquilo

Tequila, meet grapefruit juice.

Recipe: The Tranquilo

13. Watermelon Mojito Popsicle

Why sip your mojito when you can lick it?

Recipe: Watermelon Mojito Popsicles

PLUS: 20 More Alcoholic Popsicle Recipes

14. Tamarind Mint Margarita

The ultimate tropical drink?

Recipe: Tamarind Mint Margarita

15. Spiced Apple

Apple cider, meet martini.

Recipe: Spiced Caramel Apple

16. Dutch Root Beer Float

The root beer float just needed one more thing…that’s right — booze.

Recipe: Dutch Root Beer Float

17. Spiced Cosmo

The girliest of all cocktails gets a hard-edge makeover

Recipe: Spiced Cosmo

18. Pomegranate Blood Orange Margarita

Breakfast is served.

Recipe: Pomegranate Blood Orange Margarita

19. Cafe Pacifico

Forget Kahlua. When it gets really cold, coffee needs tequila.

Recipe: Cafe Pacifico

20. Coconut Batidas

A white Russian, gone Brazilian.

Recipe: Coconut Batidas

21. Cucumber Chili Margarita

Spicing things up a bit, then cooling them down.

Recipe: Cucumber Chili Margarita

22. Summer Blood and Sand

A classic whiskey cocktail gets a new, lighter look.

Recipe: Summer Blood and Sand

23. Peanut Butter and Jelly Cocktail

Finally, a PB&J for adults.

Recipe: Peanut Butter and Jelly Cocktail\

24. Peach and Blackberry Bubbler

Cheap Champagne + fresh fruit = cocktail perfection.

Recipe: Peach and Blackberry Bubbler

25. Snow Miser’s Cooler

A gin lover’s winter drink.

Recipe: Snow Miser’s Cooler

26. Breaking The Law

A chipotle-spiced cocktail that is up to no good indeed.

Recipe: Breaking the Law

27. Raspberry Sorbet Bellini

And you thought bellinis couldn’t get any more exciting.

Recipe: Raspberry Sorbet Bellini

 28. Sweet Charity

Move over, Champagne — Prosecco makes a bubbly cocktail that pops.

Recipe: Sweet Charity

29. Winter Whisper

Strawberry and tequila aren’t only for summertime drinks.

Recipe: Winter Whisper

30. Savoy Bounce

Who says bourbon can’t make for a lighter drink?

Recipe: Savoy Bounce

31. Snow Cocktail

Turn a snowstorm into a party.

Recipe: Snow Cocktail

MORE: Top 10 New Drink Mixers

I get really mad at the farmers market in winter. I know I’m not supposed to. That’s the whole point of farmers markets — you get whatever is good and in season. But in New York in January, every week seems to bring the same thing: potatoes, apples, sweet potatoes, apple cider. The thrill of stumbling upon zucchini blossoms, ramps or some other new discovery is gone.

So I’m always impressed by a winter market that can pack a surprise. Wandering around London’s Borough Market on a cold day in early January, I saw loads of booths offering hot apple cider and mulled wine (god I love that drinking outdoors and drinking in the AM are both acceptable in Europe). Then I saw one booth offering something different: mulled pear cider.

Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve never seen any cider other than apple. Why is this? The pear cider was rich, warming, and just a little bit thick, like a sweet, steamy soup — the perfect thing to warm your bones on a chilly winter morning. Personally, I think it could have done with a splash of bourbon, but that’s another story.

This is just to say…why do apples get to hog all the cider glory? I’d love to see more pear cider at the markets here. Peach cider? Plum cider? Zucchini blossom cider? Bring it on.

We’re always looking for new ways to use strawberries, and blending them up and mixing them with tequila is most definitely appropriate — even if it’s not summer. This new cocktail recipe, which is sort of like a strawberry margarita, only heated up for winter, comes courtesy of Sable Kitchen and Bar in Chicago.

Winter Whisper
1 oz Siete Leguas Tequila Reposado
1 oz Luxardo Amaro
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz dried strawberry syrup (recipe follows)
2 dashes strawberry-allspice bitters

Preheat Irish coffee glass or mug with hot water. Heat all ingredients over a double boiler, do not heat directly.  Dump out hot water from irish coffee glass, add ingredients, top with 3 oz very hot water.  Garnish with a tiny pinch of freshly ground allspice.

*Dried Strawberry syrup
2 cups freeze-dried strawberries
2 cups sugar

Blend dried strawberries and sugar in high-speed blender until well combined. Add 2 cups hot water, stir to combine. Strain and chill.

Loads more creative cocktail ideas in Endless Cocktails.

Photo credit: Andrea Donadio

My talent is eating and drinking. Not cooking. Not baking. And absolutely not cocktail mixing. If you know me even a little, you know my idea of a good cocktail is vodka that costs more than $15 a bottle and cranberry juice, mixed in various ratios depending on what time it is and where I’m headed.

So I was pretty excited when The Wine School of Philadelphia invited me in for a Pre-Prohibition Cocktail Class last month led by Jason Wilson. I was a little afraid though. What do I know about cocktails?

Nothing.  I knew nothing.

Call me naive, but I had no idea how complex cocktails could really be. At the two-hour class, I learned the components of a punch, that there really is a difference between vermouths and, most importantly, that you should always eat a big meal before a cocktail tasting class. After “tasting” for an hour, I couldn’t feel my face and I worried how I would continue the class. It became clear to me why prohibition happened in the first place: these people straight up drank alcohol with no mixers and probably acted like total assholes. Hasn’t anyone heard of a 50/50?

My notes went from detailed to a sloppily scribbled “GOOD” next to the recipes that were distributed to all of us (thank god). Luckily, Jason is a really good teacher, and as I sat there with my eyes glazed over, he somehow still managed to make me understand what I was drinking.

If you’re anything like me (young and drinking booze out of plastic containers), I encourage you to attend a class or even just buy a book on the wonderful science behind boozy concoctions. You won’t be disappointed.

But remember the number one rule: make sure you have a big meal beforehand, and skip the pre-class drinks.

Here’s one the will make you reeeeeally mad that you live somewhere so freaking cold. Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit in Mexico shared their recipe for a margarita that mixes things up with two typically southeast Asian ingredients — tamarind and mint — to make pretty much the most tropical drink ever.

Sorry about the cold.

Tamarind Mint Margarita

1.5 oz Tamarind Concentrate
4 Fresh Mint Leaves
1.5 oz Tequila
½ oz Controy (Mexican Orange Liqueur)
Dash of Lemon Juice
Dash of Simple Syrup

Mix all ingredients in a shaker filled with ice, shake vigorously and serve in salt-rimmed frosted glass.

Find more creative cocktail ideas in Endless Cocktails.

About this time of year, you probably never want to be served another glass of punch, nog or similarly over-the-top concoction right? Here’s a New Year’s Eve-worthy drink that gets the party started, without needing to get too crazy.

Snow Miser’s Cooler

1½ parts Hendrick’s Gin
½ part St. Germain
¾ part lime juice
¼ part simple syrup
1½ part soda water
1 dash lavender
Cucumber spear

Mix all ingredients excluding soda water and cucumber spear.  Ice, shake well and strain into iced long glass and top with soda. Garnish with cucumber spear and serve in a long glass.

Keep it classy.

More: Winter Cocktails Gone Wild!

Dreaming of snow this Christmas? Let coconut flakes stand in for the real stuff on top of your drink. If you get your guests boozed up enough, they may even think it’s snowing.

You could do this with pretty much any drink; Isaac Elbhar at Bryant Park Hotel Cellar Bar in New York offers it atop the Purple Snowflake Martini:

Who says rum and whiskey are the only liquors that play well with mint?

At B&O American Brasserie in Baltimore, the new “Needle in a Haystack” cocktail gives good old gin the mojito treatment: Hendricks gin, Zirbenz Stone Pine Liqueur, mint, lemon juice, simple syrup, and soda water.