If you’ve never tasted Hangar One flavored vodkas, you’re missing out big time. Unlike the mass-produced product put out by the big distillers (Stoli, Absolut, etc.), Hangar One’s flavors are pure, elegant and utterly lacking in that chemical aftertaste. So we got all excited when Restaurant Widow showed off her shipment that included Hangar One Wasabi Vodka … until we noticed that she got one of the last few bottles. Feh! We’ll just have to wait until the next batch gets produced. Unless she cares to have us over for a little sip? We’ll bring the sushi …

Oh, how the booze-fueled days of college inspired creativity. Left with unlikely ingredients was never reason not to have a cocktail — just mix, match and see what happens! Laura Rebecca points out one such collegiate concoction: the Dr. Kevorkian. The combination of vodka and Dr. Pepper is sure to go down smooth. Fewer ingredients than your childhood suicide blend, but after a few of these you’re bound to need some assistance.

We — that’s the royal we — have a serious chili pepper problem. It’s a total addiction; capsaicism, we suppose. Suffice to say we haven’t found anything that chemical heat doesn’t make better.

So the very thought of Paul at eatnz’s Thai-influenced chile-infused cocktail, complemented with tropical flavors of coconut, ginger, cilantro and citrus, sends us into fits of apoplexy and uncontrolled salivation. Just park us on the beach with a steady stream of those, please.

The subject of how much vermouth in a martini is a contentious one indeed. Traditional recipes call for as much as a 1-1 ratio between the main booze and vermouth. At the other end of the spectrum, Winston Churchill was said to merely look at a bottle of vermouth across the room while pouring gin in his glass. So what if you were to forego the vermouth altogether, and add a scant few drops of good, aged, peaty whiskey? Then, my friends, you would have a Smoky Martini. Major props to the boys at Acme Instant Food for devising this devilish concoction.

We love cocktails and we love dessert, so what could be better than a dessert cocktail? SLOSHED! was on a mission to find the lemoniest cocktail imagineable, and this lemon sorbet martini fit the bill, featuring lemonade, limoncello and citron vodka. We’d pucker up for one of these any day, but especially during the dog days of summer.

We just love us the mojitos. We love them so much, you can make them with vodka instead of rum, and cherries instead of mint, and we’ll still love them. Considering Martha (well, probably Martha’s minions) made the recipe, you know it’s destined for rockstar popularity among queer foodies everywhere. So if it’s good enough for Bloghungry, it’s so good enough for us.

Sure, cold beer is the cure for summer heat. But if you’re looking for something more sophisticated, nothing cools like a cucumber cocktail. Liquor Snob steals borrows this refreshing cocktail recipe from the New York Times. With lime and mint, it’s much like a mojito, the “it” drink of a few years back, but the cucumber gives it that extra “aaahhh.” Kind of like spa water. With booze.

The recipe calls for either vodka or gin (specifically Hendricks). If gin’s not your thing, pump up the cucumber power by making your own cucumber vodka infusion. What could be cooler?

You’ve got your own distinctive style. You tailor your clothes. You’ve even had a custom scent composed. So why are you drinking the same vodka as everyone else? Cool Hunting tips us off to Haute, custom flavored vodka tailored to your specific tastes. At $150 a bottle (with a 10-case minimum, totaling 15 grand), it ain’t exactly cheap, but can you put a price on individuality? We didn’t think so.

Put down the Red bull and vodka, and gently step away. There’s a new booze on the market, and it’s chock-full of caffeine, taurine, guarana and mateine, arguably making it the most jacked-up juice ever produced. This alcoholic oddity might never have made our radar were it not for the good folks at Liquor Snob, who somehow manage to get their hands on nearly every booze on the planet and test it, too. How much do we want their job?

The verdict: Pretty darn drinkable, even downright good. And if they say it’s good, it must be, because they’re snobs. Right?

We love Liquor Snob because they do all the dirty work for you, saving your hard-earned dough for the truly worthy stuff. Like $150,000 tequila.