There’s nothing like a chilled glass of bubbly happiness in summer, something not too strong but also refreshing and flavorful. The name spritz comes from the German spritzen (to squirt), which seems an odd moniker for a drink of Italian origins. But in the 19th century after the fall of Napoleon, the Habsburgs of the…

While the Aperol spritz might have been the hot cocktail of recent summers past, this year is all about the Hugo. This lesser-known Italian cocktail features prosecco, elderflower syrup, and soda water. It’s just as bright and bubbly as an Aperol spritz, and arguably even more refreshing, thanks to muddled mint leaves and a lime wheel garnish….

Not drinking? No problem. As more drinkers are skipping the alcohol or limiting their intake, exciting non-alcoholic spirits, wines, and beers, and even entire bars and bottle shops devoted to them, are on the rise. We asked three experts to recommend their favorite American-made bottles to bring home. For the Wine Lover (Courtesy of Sovi…

A New Orleans original, the Vieux Carré (pronounced vyoo kah-RAY) takes a French name, meaning “old square,” and in this context, that’s the oldest part of the city: the French Quarter. While there’s no precise date of its creation, the recipe first takes the light of print in 1937 in Stanley Clisby Arthur’s “Famous New…

The national drink of Brazil, this citrusy, chilled cocktail has grown in popularity in bars across the world, thanks to its fresh flavor and simplicity. Consisting of lime, sugar, and clear alcohol, a caipirinha may sound like the beginnings of a mojito—and the drinks do share origins as medicinal concoctions believed to be good for…

In 1934, Ernest Gantt, aka Donn Beach, opened his first Tiki bar in California. Victor Bergeron, aka Trader Vic—as Tiki joint owners apparently don’t tend to use their real names—soon opened his first as well. The purportedly Polynesian theme caught on. Bergeron, who created his cocktail menu himself, came up with the mai tai in…

Behind every skinny margarita, virgin mai tai, or mocktail of choice, is the desire for a healthier libation. Whether that means fewer calories, less sugar, or less or no alcohol, the demand is real and on the rise. Low-carb beers, hard seltzers, and low- or zero-proof cocktails designed with fresh and flavorful natural ingredients are…

If you like piña coladas—this is even better. Swapping orange juice in for the lime and sprinkling a bit of nutmeg, you end up with a dangerously drinkable Caribbean cocktail called a Painkiller. Don’t bother with the little umbrella; it only gets in the way. I first learned to make them while helping out at…

I first felt the power of lovage in a box of Rapunzel brand Vegetable Bouillon With Herbs. After my first taste, I had to double-check the label to make sure that it was, indeed, meat-free. Then I read the fine print to figure out why. Along with some familiar suspects—garlic, celery, parsley, dill, basil, turmeric,…

The Kentucky Derby is almost upon us—the first Saturday of May—and that means mint julep season is on. While the julep has been the race’s official drink since 1938, the first race was run in 1875, and the drink’s association with it began sometime soon after. And the drink itself goes back centuries earlier. As…