Drink Recipes

Introduction My brother-in-law, Mark, had claimed for years that he hated punch. “It’s just sugary Kool-Aid for adults who can’t commit to a real drink,” … Read more

My friend Jen asked why I couldn’t just use ginger beer instead of spending twenty minutes muddling fresh ginger for mocktails. I started to explain … Read more

This was supposed to be a hot mulled cider situation. You know the one—cinnamon sticks bobbing around in a pot on the stove, filling the … Read more

My neighbor Jen wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I’d stopped by to borrow a corkscrew—mine had broken mid-twist on a Tuesday afternoon—and the smell of … Read more

My neighbor, an older Filipino woman named Lola Elena, watched me struggle with a batch of overly sweet, neon-colored punch at my daughter’s birthday party. … Read more

I was elbow-deep in a bin of discount Halloween decorations at the grocery store last October, muttering to myself about why anyone would buy a … Read more

My neighbor Jen wasn’t throwing a Halloween party. She was just having a regular Tuesday, and I’d stopped by to return her slow cooker—the one … Read more

I used to think themed party drinks were a waste of good ingredients. Honestly, for years I rolled my eyes at anything that involved dry … Read more

I wasn’t expecting coffee-making advice from my son’s third-grade teacher, but there I was, volunteering at the school book fair, surrounded by cardboard displays and … Read more

I did not trust a cocktail rim made from cinnamon sugar. It seemed like a gimmick—something that would taste gritty, get soggy, and leave a … Read more