It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of edible flowers. A large percentage of the cocktails I share everyday on Instagram feature floral garnishes, and I’m moderately obsessed with wandering around in the field behind our house looking for things I can eat, turn into a syrup, or use as a garnish. There’s just something so naturally appealing about flowers. They can transform a tasty but visually lacking drink into a masterpiece, take a cake from boring to extraordinary, or add unique, delicate, vegetal flavors to a weeknight dinner.

Looking for something frozen and pink to drink this Labor Day weekend that’s not frosé? Try this fun and easy-drinking little sipper.

For many people, it doesn’t get more fall-flavored than pumpkin spice, but for me it’s all about chai! One of my favorite chai teas is Mountain Rose Herbs’ Organic Turmeric Chai, which is a beautiful loose tea blend with whole green cardamom pods, cloves, ground turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, fennel, black pepper, and a bit of cayenne for a little kick. It’s caffeine free, which is nice if you avoid caffeine, and also makes it a wonderful bedtime tea (mmmm Golden Milk!). And if you’re like me, it means it’s perfect for sipping day or night - especially in a cozy riff on a Hot Buttered Rum!

I’m really starting to feel the fall vibes lately and I’ve been working a lot with apples in my cocktails and desserts. I made a batch of granny smith apple cider with cardamom and a teeny touch of rose water, a golden chai apple tart (posting about that one tomorrow!), and a granny smith & cardamom syrup, which I made just for this drink.

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.