The Gin Sonic adds club soda to traditional tonic water for a lighter taste that highlights the gin’s flavor. Recipe below.
GIN & TONIC HAS LONG BEEN MY GO-TO SUMMER COCKTAIL. Then our friend Kevin told us about Spain’s take on this most British of cocktails, and I was newly smitten. So imagine my delight to discover Japan’s own lighter version, the Gin Sonic. Continue reading “Japan’s lighter take on the classic Gin & Tonic: Gin Sonic”
Raspberries, orange juice and lime juice bring the fruit, mezcal, the smoke and jalapeño, the heat to this summer cocktail. Recipe below.
ANYONE WHO’S BEEN FOLLOWING US A WHILE KNOWS WE LOVE MEZCAL. We love the smoke, we love the variations—every mezcal is essentially an artisanal product, so every label is its own adventure. We love just sipping it slowly on its own, but that is more of a winter thing. Continue reading “Summery, spicy and fruit forward: Smoky Raspberry Margarita”
Thoughts on dining out again and a classic whiskey sour cocktail recipe.
WE HAD COCKTAILS AND DINNER IN A RESTAURANT LAST WEEKEND. For most of you reading, this probably warrants an “And…?” For us, it was an event, something we hadn’t done since the before times. And it was delightful. Continue reading “Drinking and eating, like normal”
Three-ingredient simple to make and absolutely sippable—the Mezcal Ranch Water. Recipe below.
THE OTHER DAY, OVER TEAMS, MY FRIEND PREMA AND I WERE TALKING about our 4th of July weekend plans. She stood up to show me her flamingo-patterned romper—SUPER CUTE—and said that she was taking the afternoon off to go to the pool. She is so smart. I said one of our daughters was coming to visit and I was looking forward to hanging out with her and sitting on the porch and drinking Ranch Water. “RANCH WATER!” Prema said. “I had it for the first time in Austin over Memorial Day, and I am obsessed! ” Continue reading “This summer’s light, refreshing go-to drink: Mezcal Ranch Water”
Mezcal’s smokiness adds a touch of summer—think campfires and grilling—to six very different, very drinkable cocktails.
WE LIKE TEQUILA, BUT WE LOVE MEZCAL. The smoke infused into it during the fire pit roasting of the key ingredient, agave piñas, elevates mezcal’s flavor for us, whether sipping it over ice or mixing it in a cocktail. In fact, a couple of the recipes here are adapted from ones usually made with tequila. Continue reading “Six refreshing go-to mezcal cocktails for summer”
Gin, maraschino cherry liqueur, lemon juice and the elusive crème de violette liqueur create the classic Aviation cocktail. Recipe below.
THIS CLASSIC GIN COCKTAIL FIRST APPEARED in the early 20th century. Its lively, lemony, floral flavor made it an enduring hit. Then in 1960, its key ingredient went missing and grounded the flight-named drink. Continue reading “Once grounded, the Aviation cocktail takes flight again”
Fresh mint, gin, lime juice and simple syrup create the eminently drinkable summer classic, the Southside. Recipe below.
THIS COCKTAIL HAD US AT ITS NAME. THE SOUTHSIDE. Since moving into our new old house more than five years ago, we have embraced living on Chicago’s south side. Well, this is a city of neighborhoods. Technically, we live in Pilsen (and the Heart of Chicago), west of the Near West Side. But we have never lived south of downtown before, so we think of ourselves as south siders now. Continue reading “Keeping it simple, sippable and seasonal: Southside Cocktail”
Vodka, St~Germain, champagne, lime juice, simple syrup and a sprig of fresh thyme create a bright, herby, seasonal drink. Recipe below.
WE DON’T ALWAYS DRINK ON THE JOB at my office, but when we do, we do it right. As we continue to work from home, the ad agency where I work is making sure to keep us connected, keep the lively agency culture strong. Most recently, they did it with a cocktail class. Continue reading “One springy, summery cocktail, coming up: Elderflower Fizz”
A French not-so-simple syrup, made with vanilla bean, star anise, cinnamon stick, fresh ginger and raisins, adds a lovely complexity to this Haitian rum sour. Recipes for the syrup and the cocktail below.
BINGEWATCHING HAS BECOME THE NATIONAL PASTIME, as we all hunker down, just trying to get through everything. This cocktail is a direct result of our bingeing. No, not that kind. We’ve been bingeing on Somebody Feed Phil. Continue reading “Haiti by way of Montreal: Rum Sour”
Mezcal supplies the smoke and Ancho Reyes liqueur the fire in this summery, spicy, cucumber-y cocktail. Recipe below.
ON THE FIRST NIGHT WE WERE IN MEXICO CITY, we set out from our room for a drink and a light dinner. It was nighttime, and the first time we’d visited the CDMX. The weather was perfect—a little cool, with a light breeze, and we were feeling that steady, quiet pleasure that we only get when we are exploring a place new to us. Continue reading “Smoke, heat and indelible memories: Absent Friends Mezcal Cocktail”