Rob Bailey, the MIT grad who did biz dev for Yahoo before becoming a boutique boozemaker in August, has a new drink. Blue Lotus (not to be confused with the psychoactive flower extract or with White Lotus, Bailey's previous product) mixes Lotus Vodka (potato or grain? We're not sure) with taurine, vitamin B12, and a healthy dose of caffeine. The company claims White Lotus prevents vodka hangovers, while Blue Lotus is a self-contained energy drink. Clearly this requires some heavy real-world testing.

If you're not drunk yet, you'll have plenty of opportunity to fix that this weekend. Start early, we say! Find your occasion on these top events from the Valleywag calendar:

A tip for those of you trying to mingle with successful entrepreneurs and VCs: Attend more than just the standard tech meet-and-greets. The people who are really in a position to help you with your startup never go to them anyway. So where to go instead? Check out events like last night's Lotus Vodka release party at SoMa's Euro-inspired restaurant Supperclub. You'll find founders and the moneymen behind them willing to chat and unable to prejudge you based on your nametag. Refreshing. Bonus: The nontech people who attend these things make for a far better-looking crowd. Far better-looking. The full report, and a gallery of photos, follows.