Binny's Blog

It is officially peach season in the Midwest; time to learn how to make a real Bellini. It’s a simple drink but a sublime one when made from scratch.

It’s high time that we acknowledge Hemingway as the Papa of today’s trend toward low-cal, low-carb, (but certainly not low alcohol) drinks. Hemingway liked a stiff drink, so pace yourself as you enjoy this pink cocktail, lest you start seeing pink elephants or counting six blurry toes on your five-toed cat.

Sailors take warning, this old Navy tipple is dangerously drinkable, truly a sailor’s delight! One too many and you may find yourself lost in a turbid Bermuda Triangle of your own making but judiciously taken, it’s 100 percent smooth sailing.

The Pimm’s Cup is a quintessentially British summer cocktail. The key ingredient is, of course, Pimm’s No. 1 Cup; the original premixed gin sling, which should impress anyone who enjoys ready to drink cocktails. Fortified with gin and loaded with fruit, this fizzy cocktail is a patio favorite.

The Highball is a timeless whiskey cocktail celebrated for its crisp, refreshing simplicity. The traditional Highball highlights the essence of whiskey while delivering a light, bubbly finish. A drink that remains one of the most versatile and approachable whiskey cocktails for both beginners and seasoned enthusiasts.

This boozy but ice-cold and indescribably refreshing cocktail was the signature drink at Trinidad’s luxurious Queen’s Park Hotel from the 1920s until its eventual demise a few decades later. Thankfully, the cocktail lives on as the epitome of the Caribbean cocktail aesthetic.

It is the beginning of summer and the long-awaited return of strawberry season in the Midwest, which is reason enough to celebrate. If you feel the need for another excuse to make this perfectly rustic summer dessert, June 14 is National Strawberry Shortcake Day. But who needs excuses when it comes to strawberry shortcake? It is THE dessert you should be serving to put an exclamation point on every June cookout and picnic you host.

The classic Gin Rickey is the perfect summer refresher. Just a handful of ingredients and the lack of any sugar make the Rickey so pure, so clean and so very quenching that a second is hard to resist. 

It is difficult to imagine a cocktail that is easier to make or more quenching on a warm day than a Vodka and Soda. This tempting trio of tipples is perfect for Memorial Day and all the days of the long, hot summer to come.

This riff on the classic Collins features the newly released Glenmorangie X. If Scotch doesn’t spring to mind when considering refreshing warm weather cocktails, the Glen Collins will turn your head around.