Sweet beverage drinkers can be divided into two camps: those like bubble tea and those who don't. Fans relish a sweet slurp mixed with mildly flavored chewy orbs; detractors regard the innocent pearls as nuclear caviar that should never cross human lips. If you're in the second camp, maybe we can still be friends, but I've got nothing for you this week. If, on the other hand, you like your beverages on the chewy side, basil seed is just for you. More

Unless you've invested in a temperature-controlled wine cellar, chances are you've been drinking your reds far too warm. Thanks to a pair of Canadian entrepreneurs, there's a solution: the Ravi Instant Wine Refresher, an object that goes on top of a wine bottle and chills the wine en route to your glass. More

[Photo: Sodastreamusa.com] More Gadgetry Decorating Pen by Cuisipro » All Gadgets reviews » Growing up, I remember my dad drinking a six pack of Coke every day—sometimes more. When it became a health concern, we switched him to seltzer (all the bubbles, no high fructose corn syrup), and it's been the miracle diet that could. The only catch? Now the rest of my family drinks seltzer with him, and they go through more 12-packs a week than I'd care to count. It's a clear expense, and it would seem you could put bubbles in your water for a lot less than the shelf cost. Enter the Sodastream. For those of you who haven't heard of it yet, the Sodastream... More

File this under "Things I Never Wondered About Until I Randomly Came Across This Related Video on YouTube." Learn how a slush machine retains that even icy-bits-in-liquid composition at -3°C with the right percentage of sugar and horizontal and vertical mixers after the jump.... More

[Photograph: Zach Klein] According to the International Journal of Microbiology, biologists in Roanoke, Virginia, analyzed 30 different soda fountains (20 self-serve and 10 staff-dispensed) for microbial contaminants and found that nearly half of them contained coliform bacteria — with 11 percent containing E. coli and 17 percent C. meningosepticum. What's even scarier is that: Most of the identified bacteria showed resistance to one or more of the 11 antibiotics tested. These findings suggest that soda fountain machines may harbor persistent communities of potentially pathogenic microorganisms which may contribute to episodic gastric distress in the general population and could pose a more significant health risk to immunocompromised individuals. Yowza. I think I have even more reason to smuggle in a... More

I love (non-alcoholic) eggnog, but I've never made it from scratch. An informal survey of the Serious Eats crew says that no one else in this office has made it at home either. What fools we are—this video from Howcast shows how easy it is. Watch the video after the jump.... More

[The Oatmeal] In The Oatmeal's latest comic, learn 20 Things Worth Knowing About Beer—how it's made, how it makes you drunk, famous quotes, and something involving a giant goat. Related Serious Beer 15(ish) Things Worth Knowing About Coffee The 5 Phases of Caffeine Intake... More

[Image: MyJones] Because turkey isn't the only protein on people's Thanksgiving tables, this year Jones Soda is offering the vegetarian-friendly Tofurky and Gravy Soda as part of their limited edition gift pack ($11.99). The pack comes with three bottles of the special Tofurky soda along with three bottles of more palatable flavors (black cherry, pomegranate, and vanilla bean), and a Tofurky lunch box. For each case sold, Jones Soda will donate $1 to the Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS). [via BevNET] Related Dungeons and Dragons-Themed Jones Soda Video: How to Make Your Own Soda Video: Talking Soda Pop with John Nese of Galco's in Los Angeles... More

I'll admit that my initial reason for watching this video was because it features a wacky-looking dude with a massive fake mustache, but it has the additional plus of being educational—if you're interested in learning how to make your own soda, at least. Combine yeast, water, sugar, and flavoring for your homebrewed soda. Watch the video after the jump.... More

Illustration by Matt Armendariz Photographer and food blogger Matt Armendariz recently illustrated the most prominent liquids in his life over at his blog, Matt Bites. No. 1 is red wine (86 percent, roughly), and at the bottom is water (0.6 percent; "Risk of personal dehydration: moderate to extreme") with coffee, nuoc cham, and soda chanh muoi in between. It's not just what liquids he ingests that's interesting, though, but the charming illustrations and commentary that go with them. Naturally, his post made me think about what my life in liquids would be. I'd pretty much just switch Matt's percentages for water and wine; I drink little else aside from water (don't have a taste for coffee or alcohol), along with... More