The highlight of this week's news is the onslaught of summer releases. This is a prime time for liquor companies to unveil their latest products and this year is shaping up nicely as the list below indicates. Each of these are already out or should be out within weeks. I suspect that we can look forward to even more new sips and will share reviews of some of those soon.

New Sips:

Highland Park Thor Scotch

• Mariposa Agave Nectar Liqueur (Facebook page) - Agave nectar is now a favorite sweetener for drinks and this summer we will see this new liqueur. It is made of agave nectar, tequila, and vodka with "hints of rose oil and gardenia."
• Highland Park Thor - This is the first of four limited edition bottlings in the distillery's new Valhalla Collection (inspired by Nordic gods). This single malt Scotch is undoubtedly 'manly' and intense, with notes of spice, vanilla, cinnamon, mango, and peach. I have yet to try a Highland Park release that disappoints and this sounds like another winner.
• Caliche Rum - A new Puerto Rican rum has launched recently and it seems to be a good one at a decent price (about $25/750 ml). Check out this review on Cocktail Enthusiast and when you find it, try it out in your favorite rum cocktail.
• Crown Royal XR - Crown Royal fans will want to check out the second bottling in the brand's Extra Rare Whiskey Series.  Tasting notes from this blend include: "dried fruits and honey, which is balanced with spicy notes of Canadian rye." It is to be release in June at a price of around $130.
• Spike Vodka - Released earlier this year in a (as of yet) very limited market, this Texas vodka is distilled from cactus. Read More...

I always love a versatile cocktail. You know, the kind that you can tweak a bit here and there and have a drink with the same basic profile though a different accent. The Surprised Cocktail is one of those.

One thing about this drink is that it may not be an everyday sipper. It's good, it's just not that good. What it is is a really interesting mix of full-flavored Jamaican (or comparable) rum, kummel, orange juice, and pimento dram. The result is a spicy citrus cocktail with notes of caraway and allspice. Now, if we want to have the drink with a little more spice and less rum we have what I have learned is called a Mexicano - the meaning behind either name is beyond me. Both are interesting and drinks with a nice depth and intriguing profile, certainly worth a try, especially if you are looking to explore either of the liqueurs.

Surprised Cocktail and Mexicano cocktail recipe...

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Try this...

Mount Gay Rum Eclipse Nautical "G" Limited Edition Bottle

Camus Extra Elegance Cognac - This is the latest release from Camus and it sounds spectacular. It is made from a blend of "eaux-de-vie mainly from Borderies, Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne, all selected for their great aging potential and differing profiles."  The taste profile includes "creamy pastry notes and hints of dried violets, tobacco, leather and walnut, and a remarkably velvety finish of exceptional length." It also has a price tag that reflects its high-end pedigree and will set you back $395/ 750ml, though great Cognac is worth every cent.

Mount Gay Rum Eclipse Nautical "G" Limited Edition Bottle - This is one of the funkiest bottle designs I have seen in some time so I just had to share: the same great Mount Gay Eclipse Rum in a brilliant, not-to-be-missed bottle.

Another $100 Cocktail - The Beverly Hills Hotel is celebrating its 100th year of business and the off-lobby bar has a special cocktail menu working to show off its star-studded history. In this land of opulence you can get a 100-Year Sidecar that will set you back a c-note. The gold flake-rimmed coup contains Hennessy XO, Cointreau, and lemon juice - essentially an everyday Sidecar with bling and a super premium Cognac. Drinks like this always astound me because, as Kathy McDonald says in the LA Weekly post, "...(Cocktail math is often fuzzy. A bottle of XO retails for $200 and is $36 neat by-the-glass at Spago -- but $100?)..." Then again, when in Beverly Hills...

Read this...

Cocktails for the History Books, Not the Bar - It seems that one of the most talked about seminars at the Manhattan Cocktail Classic was "Do Not Resuscitate." In this panel discussion the who's who of cocktail history spoke up against a handful of classic cocktails that may be best left to the pages of pre-Prohibition bartending books. I'm sure this was a lively discussion. Read More...

Editor's Note: The following is a contribution from Valerie Peterson. Read more about her beneath the post.

In dozens of bars, restaurants and other venues New York City-wide, the Manhattan Cocktail Classic is providing an enhanced taste of the spirits world. Liquor companies, mixologists, restaurateurs, cocktail publications, and supporting businesses have been gathering with interested amateurs to discuss and learn about tastes, trends, techniques, and technologies that go into making those tippling sips most satisfying. Since last Friday, no ice cube has been left unturned in the quest for cocktail knowledge within the wealth of seminars, panels, and demonstrations.

David Delaney Jr.
Photo Courtesy: © Valerie Peterson

Events have ranged from the technical (like "Science of Taste and Aroma" and "Bourbon Blending 101") to the virtuous (Here's to Your Health: How to Create Seasonal, Sustainable, and Unique Cocktails" and "Farm to Glass: A New Era in Drinking Responsibility") to the purely decadent, boozy and fun (like the "Gentleman's Cocktail Crawl" and "A Suburban Tiki Safari"). Tipping to New York's long theater tradition, there are even Bowmore Scotch-whisky-infused presentations of Sleep No More, the acclaimed interactive adaptation of Shakespeare's Scottish play.

Dozens of experts have been lending their wisdom and wit to the proceedings. Cocktail historian David Wondrich was among those who spoke about (terrible) classic cocktails; the venerated Dale DeGroff regaled attendees with stories and lore for the benefit of Museum of the American Cocktail. Top bartenders from all over the country--like Angostura Global Cocktail Challenge North American representatives David Delaney Jr. (Still & Stir, Worcester, MA) and Ryan Maybee (Manifesto, Kansas City, MO - Facebook link)--have been shaking and stirring for the crowds. Read More...