Bring on the heat! We’re getting ready for the summer with not only summer cocktails, but also cocktail-inspired playlists. Grab a drink and press play. It’s time for an awesome summer.
Gin and Tonic
Ingredients:
2 ounces Gray Whale or Gunpowder Gin
4 ounces tonic water
Lime for garnish
Instructions:
Stir ingredients together and pour over ice. Add lime for garnish.
This simple cocktail has a complex flavor and is extremely easy to drink (and make!).
Cheers to the dads in our lives! Whether you’re celebrating your own dad, a dad you love, or yourself, we’ve got the best whiskey and beer for Father’s Day. Check them out below and be sure to share what you choose with us on Facebook or Instagram.
Beer
Sycamore Double Candy IPA
All the hoppy magic of Mountain Candy, doubled! Sycamore Brewing Double Candy IPA is your key to a sweet summer.
Back Forty Freckle Belly
A full-bodied IPA with fresh hops. You’ll get a powerful blend of citrus, pine, and fruit. It's a great grilling beer, making it perfect for Father's Day weekend. Belly up, hop heads!
Sapporo Pure
Light and refreshing, Sapporo is the oldest brand of beer in Japan.
Pontoon Wake Zone IPA
Surf's up!Pontoon Wake Zone IPA is making waves this summer. It’s a refreshing, unfiltered IPA.
Wiseacre Tiny Bomb Pilsner
Tiny Bomb. Big flavor. It’s a delicate and complex beer made with pilsner malt from Germany as well as local honey.
Emergency Drinking Beer
It’s a one-of-kind session that’ll remind you of a crisp pilsner combined with a traditional gose. Citrus zest, Portuguese sea salt, and lemongrass make this beer a great Father’s Day brew.
Yazoo Gerst
Mostly German malts and a hint of flaked maize make this original Gerst recipe a classic.
Wild Heaven Capri Sunset Tropical Hard Seltzer
For the gluten-free dad or the dad who prefers seltzers over beer! Tiny plastic straw not included, but it doesn’t skimp out on the nostalgia!
Whiskey
Smooth Ambler Whiskey
A blend of straight bourbon whiskies. Wheated bourbon from West Virginia plus two different rye bourbons from Tennessee and Indiana give this non-chill filtered and full-bodied whiskey the taste of a four-grain bourbon.
Reservoir Whiskey
Choose from bourbon, rye, and wheat whiskey. Reservoir is a small batch distillery with award-winning spirits that are never sourced.
Basil Hayden’s
A light-bodied bourbon whiskey with some spice and a gentle bite.
Blade and Bow
This Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey pays homage to Stitzel-Weller’s renowned history. Collect a new key with each bottle and become part of the Five Keys Club.
Michter’s Rye
Kentucky Straight Rye. Every bottle comes from a single barrel. It’s ideal neat or in cocktails.
Red Breast 12 year
Everything you need from Pot Still whiskey, including the flavor complexity. It’s matured in a combination of bourbon and sherry casks.
Travel the world without having to actually travel the world. We've put together some of our favorite wines from around the world in honor of World Wine Day on May 25. The best part? You don’t even have to pack your bags or dig out your passport! Join us on our Wine Around the World journey below!
First stop on our trip around the world: France.
We’re saying oui to this Bourgogne for so many reasons.
Olivier Leflaive Bourgogne Les Sétilles comes from a blend of about 60 different areas around France. These areas include the village of Puligny-Montrachet, Meursault, Côte Chalonnaise, and Hautes Côte de Beaune. That means you're getting a great blend of some of France's best areas for wine.
Aromas: white flowers, peach, grilled almond, and lemon peel.
Palate: full and warm.
Finish: lively.
Next stop: New Zealand.
You may not have pictured New Zealand on this list, but you’d be surprised by their wine’s flavors.
Stoneleigh Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc is renowned for its ripe tropical fruit flavors. This wine is true to form, another Stoneleigh classic.
Serve slightly chilled on its own or with delicate white meat or seafood dishes.
Say prost! We’re headed to Germany next.
Bet you didn't expect to go to Germany on our world wine tour!
Weinkeller Erbach Riesling comes from a southwest-facing vineyard in Germany with deep loose-clay and meadow soils. This area's name is derived from the good honey-producing plants that grew on the hill before it was cultivated.
Aromas: round and refreshing with light touches of lemon and lime on the nose.
Flavors: slightly sweet mouthfeel, with juicy and fruity flavors.
Pairings: fresh garden salad, chicken, spiced Asian food.
Pack your bags! We're headed to Italy next on our tour of wines around the world.
Wine so good we couldn’t just pick one!
First stop: Pecchenino San Luigi Dogliani Dolcetto from Dogliani, Piedmont, Italy.
Color: ruby red with violet highlights.
Aromas: fruit-forward with notes of currants, raspberries, blackberries, and prunes.
Flavor: well-balanced with sweet tannins and good acidity.
Pairings: appetizers, pastas, white meats, red meats and roasts.
Next stop: Valle Tritana Montepulciano from Abruzzo, Italy.
Color: ruby red with violet hints.
Aromas: intense with notes of dark fruit such as currants and blackberries with subtle hints of chocolate and mint.
Flavor: excellent structure with sweet tannins.
Pairings: Italian cuisine, meat sauces, red meats, and mature cheeses.
Next up: Spain.
El Coto Crianza is a Tempranillo from Rioja and is round, fruity, and balanced.
Its entire wine making process is carried out with a rigorous control of the fermentation and maceration temperature. As a result, you get the perfect amount of structure and balance.
Almost time to head home, but first: Sonoma
We couldn't let our world wine tour go by without making a stop close to home, so to finish up our travels, we're heading to wine country.
The Calling Wine Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon come from some of the best vineyards Sonoma has to offer.
Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon:
Dark plum red in the glass, and bursting with blue and black fruits, dark chocolate, and pepper. Rich, robust, and age-worthy.
Dutton Ranch Vineyards Chardonnay (Russian River Valley):
Refreshing and floral.
Aromas: lemon, peach, limestone, and honey.
Flavors: crushed white rose petals, Bartlett pear, honeysuckle, and Meyer lemon zest.
A well-balanced, medium-to-full-bodied Chardonnay.
It’s marg season! Need some good margarita recipes for Cinco de Mayo and beyond? We’ve got you covered!
Tropical Tango Margarita
Ingredients:
2 oz Deleon Tequila
¾ oz Lime juice
¾ oz Tropical tea syrup. Bring simple syrup to a boil and then steep any tropical tea you have around the house. You can also use any tea you want if you are not a big tropical fan.
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients into a shaker.
Shake well and strain into desired glass.
Top with ice and garnish with lime wheels or whatever fruit you have in the house if you feel like being creative.
Piña Party Margarita
Ingredients:
2 oz Don Julio Blanco or Repasado
½ oz lime
Squeeze of agave
Strawberry
Few pieces of pineapple
Fresh mint for garnish
Instructions:
Muddle the strawberry and pineapple in the bottom of your shaker.
Add the rest of the ingredients into the shaker, shake very well, and strain into desired glass.
Garnish with fresh mint and a strawberry slice.
You can also add jalapeños or different fruit if you don’t have pineapple or strawberries.
Cinco De Drinko Margarita
Ingredients:
3.2 oz Patrón silver or Roca Patrón
¾ oz Lemon juice
Squeeze of agave
San Pellegrino flavored sparkling water (blood orange or black raspberry are recommended, but any flavor will work!)
Apple slices
Lemon, mint, and/or rosemary for garnish
Instructions:
Muddle a few apple slices in the bottom of your shaker.
Combine all ingredients into the shaker, shake well, and strain into your desired glass.
Top with 3-4 oz San Pellegrino flavored sparkling water.
Top with ice and garnish with fresh apple slices, lemon, mint, or rosemary.
