Love me some Aperol spritz, but every once in a while you need an alternative and the Hugo fits the bill on hot summer days. Invented in 2005 in Northern Italy, it’s light and floral with lots of effervescence from the Prosecco bubbles. And, super simple to make! 1 ounce Elderflower syrup or liqueur like St. Germain … Continue reading
Had no idea Angostura made rum in addition to their omnipresent bitters. Made in Trinidad, the 5-year-old Rum is a blend of light gold rums, aged for a minimum of 5 years in used bourbon oak barrels. It was great in this Queen’s Park Swizzle cocktail, which was created over 100 years ago at the … Continue reading
Reality: they named it the Open because you should be opening wine. Duh. The official wine of the US Open is Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc. New Zealand varieties are always super zesty, zingy, and punchy with grapefruit. Kind of like some people’s backhand I guess. They serve it all over the stadium but you can find it … Continue reading
Fino sherry is super refreshing for summer – light, dry almond skin and served cold (often with a plate of great jamon) – but you can also put it into a cocktail. Make a bare-bones version with just fino sherry and soda water, or you can follow the official recipe: 2 oz Tio Pepe Fino … Continue reading
If you walk through a piazza at apertivo hour in Italy, it’s a sea of orange with this cocktail in seemingly every table. The trend has caught fire stateside too and has even sparked a fierce debate over if it’s good or if it sucks. Grapefriend has been drinking them for years since the slight … Continue reading
Today is Mardi Gras, so make what’s known as the official cocktail of New Orleans! In the 1800s, apothecary owner Antoine Amedie Peychaud used to make his friends brandy toddies with his family’s bitters. (To measure the ingredients, he used a double-ended egg cup called a “coquetier,” which is where the word “cocktail” comes from!) … Continue reading
I worked at MTV for many years and totally miss being involved in the production of the show. But now I get to sit back with a glass and watch it all go down without working! Wooooot. Here are this year’s nominees for Video of the Year along with what you should drink for each … Continue reading
Who cares if the race itself only lasts two minutes? The hours before (and after) are even more fun because they’re julep-filled. Mint juleps are delicious and so pretty, traditionally served out of these awesome silver cups (I use them for flowers afterwards). They’re really easy to make too: Muddle 1/2 an ounce of simple … Continue reading
Yum to the rum. Just got back from Negril, and when you’re in Jamaica that’s what you drink. My favorite rum cocktail was the Dirty Banana – super refreshing and you’ll never feel guilty if you have it very early in the morning because it’s basically a nutritious shake! So here’s the recipe for 2 cocktails: … Continue reading
In Greek and Roman times, aromatized wines were created for health purposes. Leapfrog to the 19th century, when Luigi Rossi learned about herbs from village families and had his own liquor shop in Turin where he supplied botanicals to bigger distilleries. Alessandro Martini was his partner, who traveled the world to ensure global distribution. And so, … Continue reading
