Booze News: Dressing Up Cointreau; Try Good Cider

Serious bartenders — the types who work at craft cocktail dens — don’t seem to just chat with their customers anymore. But Josh Sontag, who tends bar at Summit in the East Village, isn’t above making small talk with patrons.
[NY Times]

Ever had a Kick in the Crotch, an Alien Urine Sample, George’s Puke, a German Burrito? The recipes for such concoctions can be found in the latest iPhone cocktail apps. Top Shelf Drinks, Drinks and Cocktails, and Mixologist can now be downloaded.
[MacWorld]

Remy Cointreau is selling 3,000 bottles of Cointreau liqueur in a bottle dressed by designer Catherine Malandrino this week. The 750-milliliter bottles are meant to target wealthy women and cost $200, compared to the standard $44 bottle.
[Bloomberg]

Not all ciders are cloying, some are dry and bubbly with crisp apple flavor. Bon Appetit rounds up the best from France, Spain’s Basque Country, and America, including Flag Hill Farm Sparkling Hard Cyder from Vermont and Spain’s Isastegi 2008 Sagardo Naturala.
[Bon Appetit]

Following in the footsteps of The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today, Food & Wine has launched a wine club, which includes monthly, bi- or tri-monthly deliveries of wine, each paired with a recipe, and a 10 percent discount on cases.
[Food & Wine Wine Club]