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Cocktail

Why the Americano Is the Perfect Cocktail (For Right Now)

For a pre-dinner drink that won’t knock you down, think red.

Six Recipes to Kick Off Summer

This weekend is all about getting into a relaxed, summer frame of mind. Start with a sophisticated take on a frozen cocktail and move on to poolside short-rib kebabs and a spicy rice noodle chicken salad.

Everything You Didn't Know You Could Grill This Summer

Why should skirt steak get all the fun?

Why Frozen Fruit Makes Better Cocktails

Your blender cocktail doesn't have to include fresh to be, well, fresh.

Four Recipes for Summery Comfort Food

Just because the days are starting to warm up, that's no reason to set comfort food aside.

19 Ways to Cook With Strawberries

Not sure what to make with that pallet of berries you brought home? We have 19 ideas.

The Low-Alcohol Summer Slush That Will Rule Your Summer

Don't let the pink color of this slushie fool you. It's definitely not the kind you grew up with.

The Sicilian Slush

If you love the citrusy bite of Campari, it’s time to meet your new summer drink.

The Five Best Cocktail Books for Spring

Most cookbooks just feature a chapter on making cocktails. We philosophize on the five best cocktail books for spring and summer entertaining.

Pineapple-Hibiscus Cocktail

We love the citrusy sour flavor of hibiscus, not to mention its amazing color.

Aviation

Maraschino liqueur sounds obscure but it's often hiding in plain sight. Seek it for this simple, classic cocktail.

Beer Americano

Replacing soda water with a beer float makes for a frothy, refreshing twist on the Americano, a classic Italian cocktail.

Emerald Isle

Created to incorporate the seasonally grown herbs from our rooftop garden, this unique cocktail is one of my summertime favorites. The pot still Irish gin has a soft and floral profile, so if you’re unable to procure it, I would go with one of the recently released lower-alcohol gins of your choice, steering clear of juniper-heavy renditions. The ingredients complement each other so well, you can’t help but taste something distinctive and different in every sip. It’s a must-try.

Modern Bronx

Of all the cocktails associated with or attributed to the Hotel, not one—not even the venerable Rob Roy—was as popular as the Bronx. Sometimes referred to as the Cosmopolitan of its day, it was one of the most requested cocktails prior to Prohibition.

Punch House Spritz

Everyone should have an house spritz—a seasonal standard whose proportions are known by heart and ingredients are stocked easily. This is ours. A simple riff on the classic spritz formula originally built to highlight Lini’s fruity, irresistible lambrusco rosato, this has become a spring-summer staple for both of us. Gentian-tinged Cocchi Americao plays the bitter role, while sour grapefruit acts as a foil to its sweetness, simultaneously pumping up the volume on the lambrusco. Built in a pitcher or portioned out in a wine glass, it’s a drink that embodies the spritz philosophy of being both beautiful and simple.

Tarocco Spritz

Inspired by a cocktail from New York City bartender Natasha David, the crimson-colored Tarocco Spritz is a nod to the flavor and color of the Sicilian Tarocco orange, often referred to as the “half-blood orange.” A mixed-heritage cocktail, this drink has a bumped-up base of gin to match the vibrant bitter aperitivo liqueur Cappelletti. The drink’s acidity comes courtesy of blood orange, lemon juice, and prosecco, bound together by the unlikely addition of vanilla, which complements Cappelletti’s notes of spice and oxidation.

Gin Basil Smash

A perfect accent for an outdoor supper during tomato season. In winter, it revives the palate as an aperitif. This drink demonstrates so ably how fresh ingredients can be incorporated into everyday drinking cocktails.

Claret Cup

The precursor to the Pimm’s Cup, the old Claret Cup employs a wine base to make a drink that is light and redolent of additions such as borage, cucumber, or strawberries. There are multiple recipes, but we like a simple one that modifies wine with just a bit of sherry (or even vermouth, in a pinch). Claret was what the English used to call wines from Bordeaux. Really, any red jammy wine will do—Cabernets or even Syrah, although a decent Côtes du Rhône or a Beaujolais is what we use most often. Don’t overthink it—use whatever fruit you’ve got in the fridge and see what you prefer. In fall, it’s lovely to grate a little nutmeg and cinnamon on top.

Three Dots and a Dash

Created during World War II by Donn Beach, the name is Morse code for “Victory.”

The Mezcal Sunset Is No Sunrise Cocktail

A new version of the classic cocktail, made with mezcal and DIY grenadine.
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