In this new series, Meet the Mixologist, I'm interviewing some of my favorite mixologists of Instagram to find out where they find inspiration, how they got their start, and what advice they'd offer to someone just developing an interest in craft cocktails. 

Summer is in full swing, beautifully ripe botanical ingredients are abundant, and the days are long and warm. I love this time of year, when happy hour means lounging in an adirondack chair on the back patio, enjoying the mountain breeze and sipping on something refreshing. My favorite type of cocktail to mix up on these hot and hazy days are tall and refreshingly bittersweet.

One of the most fragrant and beautiful of all the plants surrounding our house is wisteria. We have a trellis outside our sunroom that’s been taken over by wisteria and trumpet vines over the years, and this time of year, the gorgeous purple blossoms hang down from overhead, their clean, sweet scent wafting through the house.

Today I’m celebrating America’s whiskey and the fact that it’s almost (officially) summer with a pitcher of bourbon-spiked chamomile and bee pollen honeybush iced tea. This stuff tastes like a gloriously lazy summer afternoon and pairs perfectly with my honey spice cookies, glazed with lemon icing and topped with tasty bee pollen.