Okay so we know overly warm wine in the summertime is a bad thing and that old shove it in the freezer trick is not an exact science. Hence the proliferation of wine thermometer gadgets. The latest to be making the rounds of the blogosphere is Carl Mertens wine thermometer. A nifty little cuff that slips on the outside of the bottle and shows the temperature of the wine by using a liquid crystal display and a heat sensitive band. We've seen a similar product before but this one has the added bonus of showing whether the temperature of a bottle is within the ideal range for the type of wine listed on the band.

Three's only one problem with this, you are measuring the temperature of the bottle not the temperature of the wine. This might be a problem if you just shoved it in ice to cool it off and the glass is cool but the juice inside is still not at optimum temperature. This gadget sells for $39.99 but for $10 more you could get the kind that lets you test the wine in the glass which seems like a far more reliable indicator. Although frankly a difference of a degree or two has never been as big a factor in my enjoyment of a bottle as the wine itself.

[via Book of Joe]

The bar briefcase by Carl Mertens can make you the McGyver of the bar. The James Bond-like aluminum case can work as a briefcase and has compartments for files, business cards, pens and a cell phone but in a flash it can also function as a portable bar. It comes with a 14-piece bar set that includes a strainer, ice tongs, jigger, cocktail shakers, a knife, cutting board and even a pestle. The briefcase also has two combination locks. It sells for $650.