Just like her drinks, it was time mixologist Bridget Albert of Shorewood, Ill., refreshed her cocktail book.
The author, along with Mary Barranco, first published Market-Fresh Mixology: Cocktails for Every Season (Surrey, $15.95) in 2008. At the time it stood out for using drink ingredients from the garden. But with more recipes in their collection, the authors needed to do an update. The revision also gave them a chance to spread the wealth by donating proceeds to Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry campaign.
Featuring drinks, toasts, tips and tricks for every season, the new edition has a few new recipes per section, most adding more vegetables and fruits to the mix.
Under summer recipes, for example, are two new fruity concoctions, the cantaloupe cobbler and apricot lemonade freeze.
The cobbler's pineapple, cantaloupe and bourbon create a refreshing mix. Though it's easy to detect a slight hint of bourbon, the first taste of cantaloupe and then a sweet burst of pineapple and cherry dominate.
Cocktail lovers looking for a bit more punch would appreciate the apricot lemonade freeze -- fresh lemon juice takes the lead, with an overall intense sweet-and-sour taste.
Though the additions are pretty tasty, Albert says her favorites -- and the biggest crowd-pleasers -- are the fresh tomato bloody Mary and the blueberry lavender mojito.
They're her go-to drinks when serving friends at home.
"I think that cocktails are always about the experience," Albert said.
"They're about bringing people together and making memories. Any cocktail should be about that."
Food on 08/27/2014