My favorite way to add some spicy aromatics to the cocktail is also a great crowd-pleaser: finishing the drink with toasted citrus oils. The really interesting stuff for us in citrus fruits is the lovely oils contained in the skin of lemons, oranges, grapefruits etc. Applying those oils to the surface of a drink is a sure-fire way to get your palate awakened and interested in what’s going on. These oils flame beautifully as well — though not all drinks suit toasted oils — and add a dusky bass note of aroma to the finish. Whiskey-based cocktails like the Manhattan and the Old Fashioned take flamed fruit oil well, as does tequila, but gin and vodka drinks not so much. There really are no hard and fast rules, and there’s only one way to find out if it works for any particular drink.

Simon's fire-breathing cocktail in action.

This simple method of flaming citrus will make you the master of the bar at your next house party. Cut a good-sized cheek of skin from whichever citrus fruit you choose, pare off the pith on the backside of it — it will impart a nasty bitterness to the drink if you leave it on — and warm the skin with the flame from a match or lighter. This is simply to open the pores of the skin, a few seconds should do it. Then, holding the cheek between your thumb and forefingers, snap it over the surface of your cocktail so that the oils are expelled onto it through the flame. It should burst into a dazzling display of flame and flavour, coating the drink with a delicious slick of aromatics. Drop the peel into the glass and inhale deeply before savoring your masterpiece.

by Simon Ogden

I came up with this little beauty while fishing some leaves out of my pool on an unusually cold day — what to do when it’s too chilly to swim? Make a drink.

The Early Fall Cocktail is based on the premise of a cold winter coming. Days before the Labor Day holiday, it’s freezing cold here in the Northeast and I wanted to concoct something truly American for the upcoming holiday.

The anchor of this cocktail is the Tuthilltown Manhattan Rye Whiskey, redolent with the flavors of late summer, and it’s easy to produce in large batches. Peaches are fresh now and grill beautifully.

The Early Fall Cocktail

• 3 shots Tuthilltown Manhattan Rye Whiskey
• Splash Vya Sweet Vermouth
• 2 medicine droppers of Bittercube Lemon Tree Bitters
• Crushed ice
• Grilled peaches (about 2 of them, grilled until caramelized, then puréed)

1. Heat a charcoal grill. Grill slices of peaches until uniformly brown and caramelized.
2. Add ice, rye and vermouth to a cocktail shaker with ice.
3. Chill, don’t shake. Add bitters.
4. “Purée” the peaches with a cocktail muddler. Add 2 tablespoons of the grilled peach mash to a sterling silver julep cup and add some crushed ice.
5. Pour rye and vermouth mixture into the sterling silver julep cup.
6. Mix carefully with a wooden mixer — never use metal on silver (you know by now that’s my pet peeve).
7. Serve with grilled corn and barbecued ribs that have been marinated with peaches and rye whiskey.

Get more of Warren’s musings, reviews and experience hunting at Wild Table. Or check out his newest social media inspiration: Exploring the State of Now.

Everyone and their mother preach the axiom, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” I’ve never tested the validity of this panacea because when it comes to food, I prefer a good variety. I love apples, but I’m not obsessed enough to eat one everyday or even on a regular basis for that matter.

But receiving great health benefits, while enjoying delicious food, is an opportunity too good to pass up. Knowing this, my mother has long praised the flavor and healing qualities of umeboshi, a Japanese pickled ume fruit.

Ume is the Japanese equivalent of a plum or apricot. It tastes extremely sour and salty and is traditionally served with rice for breakfast and lunch. This pickle boasts a myriad of health benefits including alleviating hangovers (move over Alka-Seltzer), helping digestion, preventing nausea, delaying aging and fighting bacteria. It’s also famous for combating battle fatigue and was given as part of a samurai’s field ration back in the day. Though I never partook in any warlord battles, I was always fed umeboshi when feeling under the weather. And I swear, I got better.

You can savor the umeboshi in countless ways, but my personal favorite is my mother’s recipe of stir-fried umeboshi udon. Here you taste the distinct tang of umeboshi, but in a milder form than eating them straight up. Their acidity can be overwhelming, but lessens when they’re spread out over the thick wheat-flour noodles. This is my go-to dish when hungry or sick. Cures both ailments admirably. You could even finish the meal with an apple as dessert to double up on the healing efforts, although I prefer a double scoop of green tea gelato. But then again, I’m no doctor.

A double shot of comfort food + cold elixir.

Stir-Fried Umeboshi Udon

All ingredients can be purchased at your local Asian market, an Asian section of your grocery store or online.

• 1 8-ounce package udon noodles
• 1 to 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 4 umeboshi (standard size), chopped
• ½ teaspoon Huy Fong chili garlic sauce (optional)
• ½ teaspoon soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon sesame oil
• Chopped scallions and sesame seeds to garnish
• S&P

1. Place udon noodles in boiling water and let them cook for 4 to 6 minutes. When finished, drain in strainer and set aside.
2. Grease pan with vegetable oil over medium-high heat.
3. Add chopped umeboshi and chili garlic sauce to the pan (if you’re giving noodles a spicy kick) and stir for 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Combine cooked udon noodles with the umeboshi and chili garlic sauce. Finish by adding soy sauce and sesame oil, then stir for another 2 minutes.
5. Garnish with chopped scallions and sesame seeds.

My favorite events are smaller and held at home, where I have time to talk with everyone and have a sit-down feast. It reminds me of all my favorite memories growing up in a large family. I find as life becomes busier, I keep trying to recreate those happy moments. But creating the perfect ambiance is key.

Here’s what I do before a night under the stars:

Turn my outdoor trellis into a dining room. With a small investment of time, you can create a space that you’ll continue to enjoy. Years ago, I planted vines of clematis that have since created a fragrant canopy that keeps out fine rain. I like a feeling of shelter and shade when I eat and for events in places without a trellis, I’ve rigged an easy roof from canvas squares with grommets. Posts of bamboo anchored with clothes line will keep tables shaded.

Make sure there is plenty of candlelight. I hang candle chandeliers, including one that holds 10-hour votive candles, then I toss around pillar candles nested in tall glass vases, jars or clay pots. Fill each with a couple of inches of sand to nest candles securely or if you find a great deal on floating candles, simply fill the container half-way with water instead.

Stock your pantry with a variety of flea-market pitchers in all shapes and sizes to give your backyard parties a kitschy, whimsical vibe. Photo © Ross Whitaker

Decorate with simple vintage-looking strand lights that are easy to hang. They bring out the bistro in any space. I’ve also used rope lighting to create art installations on outdoor walls. With a handful of nails and outdoor extension cords, I turned 50-feet of rope light into a spiral of light that makes a tremendous impact with a gentle glow.

Cover my long wood table with raw yardage of fabric to suit my mood. This Labor Day, I’ll use a red paisley pattern printed on natural cotton canvas. I take pinking shears (it’s zigzag teeth eliminate fraying and the need to sew a hem) to cut the fabric to fit, allowing for a 10-inch drop all around — I find 54-inch widths of fabric the best to use. Wood clothes pins clip each corner together so it doesn’t billow in the wind. I’ll use red-and-white striped dish towels as napkins. They are generous, thirsty, affordable, launder well and look smart. Use one simple color to anchor the mood of the event and you’ll instantly have a coordinated look.

Break out a vintage white set of plates and glassware. I bought a go-to set at Fishs Eddy, the emporium of old restaurant-ware. These simply patterned plates go with everything. They aren’t precious so a trip to the deck and beyond is never a worry. I’ve also become hooked on affordable, virtually spill-proof stemless goblets. I use these for cocktails, water and wine, of course, but I’ve also served cold soups and desserts in them. I buy them by the case at restaurant suppliers, they are easy to stack together in the cupboard, so there’s no reason to run short. Mason jars are a great stand in for stemless glasses. To dress them up for a wedding party, detail each glass or mason jar with a vinyl monogram decal that is removable, Wonderful Graffiti is a great source.

Use random flatware and decorative pieces for a breezy summer feeling. I collect flatware from summer flea markets and garage sales so I often set the table with an odd mix. It has a whimsical, family-style appeal that is always welcoming.

I find that using things I already have in my home makes me feel less stressed about entertaining and encourages me to entertain more often. Investing in affordable restaurant ware and flea market finds makes it affordable to have dinner service for 12 or more. Collect vases or old large mason jars that can double for flowers or floating candles, and even as containers to hold flatware if serving buffet style.

Create a flower centerpiece from the local farmer’s market. When entertaining at home, I let the food become the main attraction. If I’m feeling really festive or had the good luck to pass a stand with cosmos or zinnias for sale, I’ll place a mass on one table near the entrance to our home, and save the room on the dining table for food, wine and candlelight.

Use a signature seasonal drink recipe. Late summer is the last of local berry season — my favorite recipe for this time of year is sparkling raspberry lemonade. Muddle a quart of berries and work through a fine sieve to juice the berries. Mix the fruit with the juice of 2 lemons and 2 tablespoons of agave nectar. When ready to serve fill glass with ice, 1 part berry mix, 1 shot vodka and two parts seltzer. Garnish with mint. Serve with a paper straw.

Prepare a unique meal that appeals to everyone. My favorite summer meals happen on the grill. I usually prefer some version of surf and turf.

My version of Grilled Surf and Turf:

Clams — Start with little neck clams on grill. Simply wash and toss on a hot grill, give about five minutes to open and serve with wedges of lemon.

Hanger Steak — Grilled hanger steak served with smashed potatoes, a tomato salad, a watermelon salad followed by grilled fruit and ice cream for dessert is an ultra-easy crowd pleasing meal:

Garlic, soy sauce, olive oil and white wine makes an easy, savory marinade mix. Marinate hanger steak in a large Ziploc bag until ready to cook. Make sure the grill is hot and cook about 4 minutes on each side to have a medium steak. Serve with grilled onions on a large platter.

Tomato Salad — I’ll make tomato salads with a mix of heirloom-style tomatoes: Toss generous slices of yellow, orange, red and green tomatoes together, sprinkle with salt and serve with basil leaves, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Watermelon Salad — Cut a ripe melon in to small bite-sized chunks, season with a pinch of salt and pepper, crumble a cup or more of feta cheese and toss together with mint leaves and a splash of lemon juice.

Smashed Potatoes — Toss a bag of fingerling potatoes in rapid boiling water until tender. Drain and smash with large fork in bowl, toss with leaves of fresh thyme, salt and pepper and the juice of half lemon to taste.

Ice Cream Sundaes with Grilled Almost-Ripe Peaches — Cut in half for cooking, or pineapple cut into thick slices are delicious. Provide nuts, granola, fruit syrup — or muddled raspberries from the lemonade recipe — caramel or chocolate sauce in bowls and mini pitchers so guests can serve themselves. Use the stemless goblets to serve a scoop of ice cream.

Sparkling Raspberry Lemonade

• 1 quart raspberries
• 2 lemons, juiced
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar
• Vodka
• Seltzer
• Mint, for garnish

1. Muddle a quart of berries and work through a fine sieve to juice them.
2. Mix the fruit with the lemon juice and agave nectar.
3. Fill a glass with ice, and add 1 part berry mix, 1 part vodka and two parts seltzer.
4. Garnish with mint, serve with a paper straw.

Maria McBride is a photo stylist, event producer, author and style editor.

Champagne cocktails are an unexpected twist to a summer party. They work because champagne — and any sparkling wine — always feels like a luxury.

Technically they’re any drink with a sparkling wine included, even if it’s just to top it off. This means a simple, streamlined champagne cocktail menu is easier than you think and the payoff in the vibe it creates is worth its weight in bubbly.

To create your own drink list, let’s start with a guide for how to choose your bubbles. You’ll want:

• A classic “grande marque” champagne if the focus of the drink is the champagne itself: Deutz NV, Mumm Cordon Rouge, Henriot Brut Souverain all work nicely.
• A yeasty cava if you want to replicate the flavor of grande marque champagne but are watching your coin: My favorite among the large producers is 100%, absolutely, positively Segura Viudas, which should be easy enough to find if you’re in a non-specialty store. If you’re in the New York area, look out for Dibon. Also, I’d stay away from Cristalino because, although keeps the wallet padded, it’s not yeasty enough.
• A Roederer Estate Brut NV if you want another really top option to imitate champagne: It’s from Anderson Valley, California, which is usually about $10 to $15 less than champagne. This is the Roederer of the Cristal fame making sparkling wine in California, and they get it done right. As for other California sparklers, I’m less motivated to recommend them for cocktails as their acidity tends to be a bit lower. When you start messing with acid, you mess with the balance — and success — of your cocktail.
• A prosecco if your desired drink is more fruit-driven. See below on balancing sweetness and prosecco.

Next, I’d recommend greeting guests with an “you’re about to experience an incredible party,” champagne cocktail. And that starts with a Tulio Oro. It’s a quintessential summer drink, right down to the mind candy of limoncello that send guests into your party with thoughts of traveling to Italy’s Amalfi or Sicilian coasts. It’s based on Italy’s prosecco (another reason to think of delightful summer travels) rather than champagne, but it rocks all the same.

I read Gary Regan’s The Joy of Mixology a few years back and started it on a sultry summer day. I discovered this number in that book and not a summer has passed since that I haven’t enjoyed a few. (Note to self: Need limoncello for the weekend!)

Another lovely aperitif-style, bubbly cocktail can be made with St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur. It can’t be easier to make it – 1 part Saint Germain to 1 part champagne. Actually, because elderflowers are so aromatic, I’d go with prosecco or sekt (often made with riesling and other aromatic varieties) and go for an effusively flower and summery nose.

Finally, if you want your summer evening cemented in people’s mind, start by serving the perfect champagne cocktail flight.

First “rule”: Stay away from what most folks know. No bellinis, no mimosas and no kir royales — even if your get-together is based on brunch. The St. Germain option I mention above works just right for an early-in-the-day libation.

Champagnes pair perfectly with grilled and spicy foods, making them ideal for mixing into cocktails.

To show the diversity of champagne in cocktails, it would be good fun to make a punch with champagne. Batch it before guests arrive and add the bubbles when they walk in the door. The more time for the non-champagne ingredients to marinate the better, unless you’re using fruit juices. If they are part of your brew, add them at the last minute with the sparkling wine.

Finally, it would be thoroughly appropriate to include a classic or two, like a French 75 or a Champagne Cocktail. For these two, definitely consider spending the dough for champagne or go for the Roederer Estate NV.

In terms of pairing champagne cocktails with your summer BBQ fare, frankly, I haven’t done it and I wouldn’t worry about it — champagne is versatile and perfect with grilled food. That said, if you’ve got time to play, I think it would be brilliant to experiment with a sparkling shiraz or malbec. Those wines are perfect with BBQ, so the cocktails surely would be, too! Cheers!

The Tulio Oro

Straight from Gary Regan’s notes …

• 1 lemon twist
• ¾ ounce limoncello*
• ½ ounce Punt e Mes
• 6 ounces prosecco (Note, prosecco varies widely in residual sugar. Go for a brut or extra brut style to balance the sweetness of the limoncello.)

1. Combine the lemon twist, limoncello and Punt e Mes in a shaker half-filled with ice. Shake and strain into a champagne flute. Add the prosecco.

*Warning: Top-shelf quality most important! Do not — repeat, do not — buy anything in a miniature bottle in your local liquor store! If you’re hardcore enough, order some Ventura Limoncello from California or make it yourself. (If you’re hardcore, but less willing to do the ground work, take a flask into your next dinner at Babbo and take home your — and your companions’ — ceremoniously served glass of lemony deliciousness.)

Christy A. Canterbury is wine acquisitions director at Italian Wine Merchants in New York. You can following her global champagne-trotting via Twitter @canterburywine.

A few weeks ago, I visited San Francisco to attend the Ministry of Rum competition to determine the finest sugar cane spirits in the world. These were not the usual speed rack rums.

It was a grueling two days of work, 25 tastes of rum per day, very little time to rest my palate. We plowed through the world of sugar cane rums, one at a time, sampling them blind, only in a small tasting glass. We had no idea which rum was which. The flavors ran the gamut from harsh and burning to sweet and cloying. No conversation was allowed between the judges and our responses were strictly private. Cell phones were frowned upon in case we had “friends in the industry” who might stand to make money on our votes. Still, sipping rum for 48 hours isn’t a bad way to spend the day.

More than four dozen tastes later, I’m still in rum-phoria, dabbling with the spirit on the grill, instead of the glass. Meet my latest endeavor, Rum-Grilled Chicken, spicy-sweet and channeled straight from the islands.

Six of the 50 rums we sampled over two days. These are not your usual suspects.

Rum-Grilled Chicken

• 2 whole fryers cut into eights — best possible quality on the chicken is necessary!
• 1/2 bottle of Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum
• 1 red onion chopped fine
• 1/2 cup Heinz Ketchup
• 1 whole bulb of garlic, smashed
• 4 tablespoons of Thai Fish Sauce
• Freshly cracked pepper
• 2 tablespoons sugar in the raw or dark cane sugar
• Fresh sage
• Fresh mint
• Fresh thyme
• Fresh rosemary (no wood!)
• Lime chunks to garnish

1. Wash chicken well and dry with paper towels.
2. Mix all the ingredients — except the limes — together in a large bowl.
3. Add chicken and let rest in the marinade under refrigeration overnight
4. Prepare a charcoal grill. Cook chicken “off the heat” for at least one hour, open vent just a bit. It will smoke like crazy at first, but will calm down in a short while. Chicken will be crusty and flavorful when cooked. Always let it sit for about 10 minutes before slicing to let the meat relax a bit.
5. Squeeze fresh lime chunks over the top when the chicken comes off the grill.

Ed Hamilton is the founder of the Ministry of Rum, an organization based on the premise that there are many different types of rums with specific provenance. The original recipes for rum dates back more than 400 years — a most noble spirit indeed. Thanks Ed for the opportunity to participate and the rum inspiration that’s followed.

Get more of Warren’s musings, reviews and experience hunting at Wild Table. Or check out his newest social media inspiration: Exploring the State of Now.

The bent nose … yes, it sounds harsh … and by all accounts it exemplifies the very best and the worst in people.

No, I haven’t been hit in the nose recently, but this little cocktail carries the potential to bring the drinker to his knees, nose first, hence the name.

It combines a lovely hit of cucumber and a slug of Anchor Junipero Gin (from the fair city of San Francisco).

It also contains a sucker punch of basil and a haymaker of Bittercube Lemon Tree Bitters.

Top this drink off with a roundhouse of Q Tonic water.

Complete the drink with exactly one cube of ice from Gläce.

The Bent Nose Cocktail

This drink is wonderful on a hot night or after a dust up.

• 3 shots Anchor Junipero Gin
• 2 fresh basil leaves rolled like a cigar and sliced
• 1 cucumber (European variety sans seeds)
• Bittercube Lemon Tree Bitters
• 1 small bottle Q Tonic Water
• Lemon peel to garnish

1. Pack a short rocks glass with ice and set aside to chill.
2. Muddle cucumber with basil leaves, which you have rolled and sliced to release the oils, in a cocktail shaker. Add ice, pour 3 ounces of Junipero over the ice and muddled cucumber/basil mixture.
3. Add exactly four drops of Bittercube Lemon Tree Bitters and shake.
4. Grab that rocks glass, toss out the ice. Add two cubes of Gläce (perfect ice), top with Q Tonic water and serve … raw.
5. Garnish with a lemon peel.

Get more of Warren’s musings, reviews and experience hunting at Wild Table. Or check out his newest social media inspiration: Exploring the State of Now.

Aranciata is an orange soda from Pellegrino. It’s made from spicy tasting Sicilian oranges. Not too much in the way of sugar, either.

Mixed with white rum agricole, you’ll float away to the islands in short order, that’s why I call this little cocktail “The Rudder.”

Why The Rudder? Because without a rudder, the ship will not steer — and that is a major problem when you’re out at sea.

The Rudder

• Plum wine ice (made from plum wine and water in a 50/50 proportion)
• 3 shots La Favorite Rhum Agricole from Martinique
• 1 bottle Aranciata
• Crushed fresh basil

1. Crush the plum wine ice.
2. Pour rhum over the ice, top with the Aranciata and crumple a fresh basil leaf on top.

Yum.

Get more of Warren’s musings, reviews and experience hunting at Wild Table. Or check out his newest social media inspiration: Exploring the State of Now.

Every now and again at Master of Malt, we like to make a brief voyage into the wonderful (if dangerous) world of mixology. Whilst our mainstay is definitely single malt whisky, the world of the cocktail is definitely one that’s relevant, and using high-quality single malts instead of the usual “mixing whiskies” really does make a difference. This cocktail is absolutely perfect with the full-bodied, rich flavour of Glenfarclas 15yo.

This absolute cracker of a cocktail is made with fresh orange juice, but (and this is really important) you’ll need to find juicing oranges, not eating oranges — the flavours are different, and we need the sharpness from the oranges to come through as a key flavour in the drink. If you can’t get hold of these, a very close second is shop-bought freshly squeezed orange juice.

Bitter Blood and Sand

• 1 part (30ml) Glenfarclas 15yo
• 1 part (30ml) Punt e Mes (or Carpana Antica)
• 1/3 part (10ml) Cherry Heering
• 2 parts (60ml) freshly squeezed orange juice (from juicing oranges)
• 2 shakes Bitter Truth Lemon Bitters (optional)
• Orange peel to garnish

1. Take a martini glass, pack it with ice, and top up with water.
2. Mix all the ingredients in a shaker, then fill the shaker with ice.
3. Shake until the shaker frosts up on the outside.
4. Strain into the chilled martini glass.
5. Garnish with a twist of orange peel (squeeze the peel into the glass to get some of the oil from the skin to float on top of the cocktail)
6. Take a sip, and WHAT THE HECK? I know full well exactly what I put in that — it was whisky, vermouth, cherry liqueur and orange juice, so how exactly does it taste of dark chocolate?
7. Try to figure out who’s been angering the flavour perception genie…

The Piaggio cocktail, named after a particular brand of Italian motorbike, reminds me of the frantic traffic circles in Rome. Seemingly hundreds of these little motor scooters dart here and there, racing at extremely high speeds through the streets … and sidewalks.

There is no shame in cutting off tourists who have a green light, or running over their feet. In fact, in some circles, leaving tire tracks on the foot of a traveler is a rite of passage.

Like the drink it inspired, the Piaggio is particularly well suited to encouraging turistas to hustle across the broad avenues, even with traffic lights in their favor.

Piaggio “Hoppin’ Foot” Cocktail

This is a “watch out for your feet when you’re crossing the street” kind of cocktail.

• 1 ounce Branca Menta
• 3 ounces Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum
• 2 shakes Fee Brothers Mint Bitters
• Crushed coconut water ice
• 1 to 2 ounces freshly squeezed lime juice
• Fresh spearmint and lime chunks to garnish

1. Prepare a tray of ice by using coconut water (not milk!)
2. Crush the coconut ice then add to tall cocktail glasses to chill.
3. Add regular ice to a cocktail shaker, along with liquors, bitters and lime juice.
4. Shake and then strain into the tall glasses filled with crushed coconut water ice.
5. Garnish with lime chunks, fresh spearmint and an Italian-designed, steel-toed oxford or stiletto (anything from Berluti and Manolo will do).

The Piaggio cocktail is as sleek and fashionable as its namesake. The spiced rum and mint bitters put enough spring in your step to help you safely sprint across an Italian street.

Get more of Warren’s musings, reviews and experience hunting at Wild Table. Or check out his newest social media inspiration: Exploring the State of Now.

Summer air allows me to let loose any stringent moralities that fall, winter or spring held fast. I find myself indulging in alcohol and smoking more frequently than I’d like. The crushing guilt of the morning after, when I am forced to confront my gray skin, sunken eyes and overall unhealthy feeling, sparked this menu. It’s my personal “detox” plan that lets you erase evidence of past bacchanals and begin a healthier diet.

Without boring you with the scientific details (read them here), one of the side effects of a party-filled summer is lower pH levels — the body’s measure of acidity or alkalinity — or “acidosis.” Unfortunately, some of the tastiest foods (think sweets, dairy, meat) tend to make you more acidic, which not only make you sluggish but over a lifetime can lead to disease … sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

The concept behind my plan is to adjust the intake ratio of alkaline-forming foods versus that of acid-forming foods to a 3:1 ratio, respectively. I usually stick to the foods listed below for a week or so and begin to see my energy return. What makes this “diet” more smart eating, rather than a strict detox, is that I’m really just focusing on eating clean, unprocessed foods — like vegetables, fruits and healthy fats, while hydrating my body with water and herbal teas.

Your local farmer's market should be a source of inspiration when crafting new creations. See what you can hunt down — like red and white raspberries — to keep recipes interesting and you're more likely to stay on track.

You can make your own menu based on acid-forming versus alkalizing foods, noting of course that I’m no doctor, but this is what works for me. When the detox is finished, I focus on re-incorporating nutrient-rich acid-forming foods back into my diet i.e. lentils, chickpeas, fruits, vegetables and nuts, and, of course, the occasional cupcake.

Breakfast:

Yogurt Parfait

The berries — I love strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and goji berries and even açaí — are great sources of vitamins and antioxidants. Granola contains whole grains that are high in fiber and nutrients which helps to regulate your digestive system.

• ½ cup yogurt
• 1 to 2 cups berries
• ½ cup whole grain, low sugar granola
• ½ cup walnuts (chopped)
• 1 teaspoon honey

1. Layer granola, yogurt, berries, nuts and honey in a bowl.

Maté Tea

Pair your morning meal with maté tea, which contains caffeine, making it a perfect sub in for coffee.

• 8 to 16 ounces water
• 1 bag maté tea
• 1 slice lemon

1. Put a tea bag in boiling water for about 5 minutes and then drink hot with a little bit of honey if you require some sweetness. Or drink cold with a slice of lemon to cold water and drink. Lemon contains loads of vitamin C, which studies show helps burn fat and aids in digestion.

Mid-morning Snack:

Mushrooms w/ Fruit and Goat’s Cheese

Finish your meal with an 8-ounce cup of hot ginger tea, a great digestive aid and source of antioxidants.

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• Garlic clove, chopped
• 1/4 cup mushrooms, chopped
• 1/8 cup goat cheese, preferably organic
• 1/4 cup fresh raspberries
• 1/4 cup fresh peaches, diced
• 2 cups salad greens, including watercress

1. Heat olive oil in a hot pan and add your clove of garlic, a great source of antioxidants.
2. Add mushrooms and sauté for about 5 minutes, until they reach the desired consistency.
3. Remove from pan and mix with goat cheese.
4. Add raspberries and peaches to pan, move around until they are warm and combined.
5. Top salad greens with goat cheese mixture and fruit mixture. The watercress and dark greens of the salad mixture energize cleaning enzymes in the liver and boost chlorophyll in digestive tract which aids in digestion.

Lunch:

Beet & Cabbage Salad

Follow this meal with 16 ounces of water garnished with lemon slices.

• 1 cup beets, sliced
• ½ cup cabbage, sliced
• ½ cup red onions, sliced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• S&P

1. Toss beets, cabbage and onions in a mixture of olive oil and vinegar. The beets increase the production of antioxidant enzymes in liver which help liver and gall bladder eliminate toxic substances from body. Cabbage also aids the liver in detox. The vinegar and onions in the salad help increase the amount of acid producing foods on today’s menu to keep the 3:1 ratio. Sprinkle with S&P to taste.

Afternoon Snack:

Guacamole with Vegetable Chips

Follow with a 16-ounce glass of water garnished with lemon slices.

• 1 avocado, peeled and chopped
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 1 tomato, de-seeded and chopped
• Cilantro, chopped
• S&P
• 1 cucumber, sliced
• 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into sticks

1. Mix avocado, lime juice and onion in a bowl. Add cilantro and tomato to the top and blend well until your desired consistency.
2. Use cuke and carrot “chips” to scoop guacamole.

Dinner:

Artichoke Shrimp

Finish your meal with an 8-ounce cup of hot oolong tea, a great source of antioxidants, garnished with a lemon slice.

• 1 artichoke
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/8 pound shrimp, peeled and de-veined
• Tomatoes
• ½ can shoepeg corn
• S&P
• Fresh parsley, roughly chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil* (option to infuse this with chili prior to using)

1. Snip spiky ends off of artichoke and submerge in 16 ounces boiling, salted water. Add garlic and bay leaf.
2. Boil for 25 to 40 minutes, until leaves have opened up and are easy to remove. Chop artichoke and set aside.
3. Heat olive oil in pan. Add shrimp and tomatoes and sauté for about 3 minutes.
4. Add corn and artichokes and sauté for 2 minutes until warm.
5. Season with S&P and top with fresh parsley and olive oil.

I love Vietnamese food. If there is good Viet food to be enjoyed, I’ll travel long distances for it. Summer rolls, a spicy combination of rice noodles, steamed shrimp and lettuce wrapped in rice paper is a fine way to start a meal on a hot, steamy day. One of my favorite drinks to pair with them is a freshly squeezed glass of sweet-salt-tart Vietnamese lemonade, a perfect balance to their heat.

The other day, I tried Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur. It has a backbone of spicy young ginger, laced with 80-proof French cognac. The taste is sweet at first, but has a finish that’s deep, dark and full of heat from the cognac.

The complex flavor profile inspired an exotic and transporting new drink to sip with my summer-roll cravings: the Vietnamese Ginger-Lemonade Fizz. It starts with the classic Viet lemonade, combined with a citrus-based gin, such as Tanqueray Rangpur, a splash of Canton and a ginger beer floater. The Viet-style lemonade and ginger are all you will taste, making each rock-filled highball a touch on the dangerous side.

Vietnamese Ginger-Lemonade Fizz

Try not to imbibe more than four of these potent cocktails. If it’s hot and sticky weather out, this drink can really work its magic.

• 4 ounces Vietnamese Lemonade, or to taste
• 3 ounces Tanqueray Rangpur
• 1 ounce Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur
• Sea salt for the rim of the glass
• 1 small bottle Fentimans Botanically Brewed Ginger Beer
• Lemon slice and superfine sugar, to garnish

1. Prepare a batch of Vietnamese-style lemonade with freshly squeezed lemons, superfine sugar, a dash of sea salt and cool spring water. Adjust sugar to taste, keep chilled until needed.
2. Add fresh ice, freshly made lemonade, gin and ginger liqueur to a cocktail shaker and shake well.
3. Prepare a tall glass by wetting the rim with a bit of lemonade, rolling it in fine sea salt and filling with freshly cracked ice. Strain the shaker into the glass and top with a small bottle of ginger beer.
4. Garnish with a slice of lemon rolled in superfine sugar.

I like to spend hours at my desk stalking food and cocktail sites, er, working. Now that the weather is unholy hot, I’ve become obsessed with grilling, broiling and baking fruit, and then soaking it with booze. Naturally, there are a zillion recipes out there, and I’ve given several a try.

My favorite recipe find this week pairs one of my favorite summer spirits, Pimm’s, with fresh strawberries. The subtle herbal flavor of the liqueur is further brought out by adding seeds from a vanilla bean. Top the load of caramelized berries and booze with vanilla ice cream and crumbled shortbread cookies and you’ve got a mad mess that’s refreshing, sweet and simple to make — and trust me, no one complains about a shooter in their dessert bowl.

Take your aggressions out by beating down shortbread cookies with a rolling pin. If you've got a lot of pent-up emotions, take the pin to a bag of ice then pour yourself a highball of Pimm's and ginger ale over crushed ice while you're at it.

I’ve also been swapping out fruits and spirits — here are a few combos that work really well:

• peaches + rum
• raspberries + pisco
• blueberries + brandy
• mangos + rye whiskey

Grilled Strawberries with Pimm’s and Vanilla Ice Cream

adapted from www.jamieoliver.com

• 1 pint strawberries, washed and stems removed
• Ginger syrup or any flavored simple syrup from the sideboard
• 1 vanilla pod, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out
• A couple of splashes of Pimm’s
• 8 butter shortbread cookies
• Vanilla ice cream, to serve
• A few sprigs of fresh mint, for garnish.

1. Place strawberries in a bowl and add syrup, vanilla seeds and Pimm’s. Toss.
2. Grill or broil coated berries for 3 to 5 minutes, until caramelized, being careful not to burn.
3. Smash shortbread cookies with a rolling pin.
4. Serve berries in a small bowl, topped with ice cream, cookie crumbs and fresh mint.

Akin to the gingersnap cookies of children’s storybook lore, the new USDA Certified Snap liquor is anything but child-like. Weighing in at a hefty 80 proof, Snap is more Big Bad Wolf than the Three Little Pigs. It’s not like those sickly sweet liquors — in fact, it defies the concept — nor is it an artificially flavored vodka product. The spirit is akin to rye whiskey in flavor with the kick of real ginger and the after-burn of spices.

Snap will be handy to have around on a sailing trip when seasickness may be a problem. Ginger is a natural remedy for many unpleasant stomach ailments, which always occur when 50-foot ice-cold ocean waves crash down over the deck of your insignificantly tiny yacht, hundreds of miles away from terra firma. When mixed into a cocktail, the liquor is quite delicious and will “snap” you out of any dreams of rounding the Horn without proper fortification firmly in hand.

Amish-style ginger snap cookies and the super-premium Italian Luxardo cherries are the basis of my new cocktail utilizing both Tuthilltown corn whiskey (moonshine-like at 80 proof) and Snap. It’s not a sweetened drink, but one with the elements of fear built in to it. Have one or two or maybe three, but never more, otherwise, call me in the morning.

The Cracker Jack Snap Cocktail

Enjoy this cocktail with a pail of icy cold seawater at the ready to dunk your head.

• 2 ginger snap cookies, crushed
• Luxardo Cherries
• 4 ounces (a real kick) Tuthilltown
• 2 ounces Snap (USDA Certified Organic Ginger Snap liquor)
• A few scant shakes of Fee Brothers Grapefruit Bitters
• Splash of ginger beer, then another.

1. Muddle cherries and a few ginger snap cookies to a paste.
2. Add whiskey and Snap.
3. Shake in a few splashes of Fee Brothers Grapefruit Bitters.
4. Hit it with the ginger beer.
5. Shake and strain into a tall glass with plenty of rock ice.

The Cracker Jack Snap Cocktail is perfect for the stormiest of seas, thanks to a pop of ginger liquor.

Photo: ajenkss

Get more of Warren’s musings, reviews and experience hunting at Wild Table. Or check out his newest social media inspiration: Exploring the State of Now.

When I was a kid, my family had business in Brazil. This facilitated travel to, at that time, a vast and mostly undiscovered country. Barbecued meats, abundant salad bars, cool lager beers (Brahma Chopp Brazilian pilsner beer stands out as a memory) and rakish, nearly hallucinogenic tropical cocktails were never denied to me.

I’m not sure in retrospect if this was such a good idea for my parents to allow me to enjoy such powerful drinks at 13, but I must say that these memories will be with me forever, whatever part of the trip that I remember of course.

With Brazil’s defeat in the world cup just behind us, I envisioned a cocktail that includes cool, refreshing pilsner beer and cachaça, the deceptively powerful and enticing Brazilian sugarcane rum.

It may help you forget that Brazil isn’t playing for the championship.

The Brazilian Goalkeeper

This drink is dangerous. Your team will score over and over.

• 4 ounces cachaça
• 1 bottle Brahma Chopp or a domestic pilsner-style beer
• 5 limes, cut into chunks with skin on
• 1 tablespoon superfine sugar
• Mint leaves

1. Prepare a pint glass with superfine sugar and lime juice; muddle mint into the mixture to release the oils. Add cachaça, continue to muddle adding a bit of ice as necessary.
2. Fill glass with pilsner and garnish with a sprig of mint.

One big sip of Julio César on the rocks. Garnish with six-pack abs.

“There is a communion of more than our bodies when bread is broken and wine drunk.” — MFK Fisher

To drink and enjoy food and wine as the French (and many other cultures do, I’m thinking Italian here), you must first absolve yourself from the confines of drinking only during certain hours, in particular situations or with the intention to feel intoxicated. It’s necessary to examine and actively change the way your mind processes and feels the effects of alcohol, for the French share wine with meals from a young age. This isn’t to say that you won’t or shouldn’t become a little intoxicated — for everything a time and place. However, to enjoy a glass of wine or a single aperitif at an off time of day should never ruin or interrupt your plans and schedule, but simply supplement your experience. Sharing a drink is a form of social engagement. And it’s always a shame to indulge in a portion of pate or a helping of creamy poussin without the joy of a crisp cremant or a round but minerally chardonnay to balance the flavor. There is always that afternoon espresso that you may take with a more leisurely approach by adding a small sip of eau de vie. Life in France is not a tour d’booze. Merely, the French seem to be open to taking pleasure in wine, spirits and espresso if the mood strikes, rather than if the time is right. To taste and savor a product for what it is and what it can achieve paired with food rather than it’s effects is a beautiful and worthwhile way to live.

Drink to health, knowledge and pleasure, like the French, and you will live well.

I’ve considered this concept in conjunction with writing. Writers possess an innate connection to the food and wine community. They have the ability to utilize café and bar culture to supplement their work as well as a distinctive prowess to illustrate the tastes, smells and feelings that a particular the dish or drink invokes. For instance, Hemingway, as a young writer living in Paris wrote in A Moveable Feast, “As I ate the oysters with their strong taste of the sea and their metallic taste that the cold white wine washed away, leaving only the sea taste and the succulent texture, and as I drank the cold liquid from each shell and washed it down with the crisp taste of the wine, I lost the empty feeling and began to be happy and make plans.”

No matter where you are in the world, the philosophy that has made the French an authority on the good life is their commitment to hearty living, not to mention a deep and historical knowledge of natural farming and drinking locally. For life in the Pacific Northwest, this approach is difficult. Local wine isn’t always affordable, nor necessarily informed by generations of tradition or established vines. A fun way to approach this is to drink local when possible, and delve into reasonably priced imported options with intent. For example, do some research, choose an interesting French bottle that fits your budget and design a meal around the wine’s sense of place and how it’s consumed by its region’s locals. Pick up a bottle of dry Alsatian gewurztraminer and eat it with the classically pungent munster cheese or prepare a cassoulet alongside a meaty gigondas.

Take cues from the Jura region whose people drink their light-bodied and soft, elegant reds first, opting for the more robust, mouth-filling whites second. Conjure visions of Beaujolais, sometimes a serious wine from one of the regions 9 Cru vineyard sites, other times a simply light and floral gamay served with a slight chill. Perhaps not entirely French, but I’ve been enjoying cooler, lighter reds with a leisurely lunch and postponing a more in-depth relationship with a bottle of white later in the evening.

Another way the French utilize every day wine such as vin du pay or vin de table is through mixing with cassis and other fruit or herbal liquors and spirits.

No matter where you’re drinking, respect wine and spirits for their artisanal qualities. Experiment and appreciate their history and significance.

My favorite resources for drinking and living like you mean it, not just like the French:

• MFK Fisher, American writer of the 1940s, one of the earliest food writers to explore and detail food culture in France
• The Art of Eating by Edward Behr, a quarterly journal centered around food and wine through an informed, intellectual lens
• Ernest Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast, which brilliantly details his life in Paris
• David Lebovitz’s blog, mostly centered around sweets, but also life in Paris
• The NYT food and wine blog, where Eric Asimov writes great articles about both obscure wines and the pursuit of enjoying wine in general

What to do with some time to kill on a steamy summer day? Concoct a new cocktail. Meet my latest, the Naughty Sailor, inspired by Eric Kroll, a photographer who captures the dark side of human relationships. The name? Well, he is naughty. ‘Nuff said.

Eric Kroll’s Naughty Sailor

• 3 ounces Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum
• 1 ounce Root (USDA Certified Organic root tea)
• Fresh grapefruit juice
• Fresh orange juice
• Fresh pineapple juice
• 3 good splashes of Fee Brothers Mint Bitters
• 1 splash Q tonic water

1. Combine juices and mint bitters, add to cocktail shaker with liquors.
2. Add cracked ice. Shake well to blend.
3. Serve in a tall glass filled with fresh ice. Top with splash of tonic to finish.

A scoop of root beer sherbet sure would make this cooling!

Get more of Warren’s musings, reviews and experience hunting at Wild Table. Or check out his newest social media inspiration: Exploring the State of Now.

As witness and party to the pre-event woes of hors d’oeuvre indecision, I always keep an eye open in my travels for an easy go-to recipe. My early spring travels through Italy inspired some great, if not wine-saturated, pasta recipes to which I added my American twist. My favorite has always been stuffed pasta: ravioli, tortellini, cannelloni, manicotti … there’s no shortage of noodle options. These old-world travels also lit up a few light bulbs: If Italians can serve different shapes and sauces in the same buffet, why can’t I?

Adding a touch of truffle oil makes everything aromatic — just dab it behind the ears of any pasta and you've got that sexy fungus scent.

Here are three recipes I formulated, all bite-size so guests can fork one or two onto a small plate. They’re doused with different sauces and filled with a unique blend of nuts, veggies, seafood and meat that jive nonetheless. For the tortellini and ravioli, I use dumpling wrappers instead of making my own pasta, which helps lessen preparation and assembly time and makes them more uniform in size.

Spinach & Pine Nut Tortellini

• 1 cup pine nuts
• 1 package dumpling or wonton wrappers
• Olive oil

For the Filling:

• 1 pound fresh spinach
• 14 ounces fresh ricotta cheese
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

For the Sauce:

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 12 fresh sage leaves or 8 dried ones
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
• Dash of white truffle oil

1. Toast pine nuts in a dry pan — this should take about 5 minutes on low (watch closely and turn often as these babies burn in a nanosecond). Set 1/3 aside for garnish. Buzz the remaining 2/3 in a food processor, set aside.
2. Wilt fresh spinach in a pan with the a bit of water and the salt, about 3 minutes. Dry the spinach and mix it with all other filling ingredients.
3. Brush both sides of the dumpling wrappers with a little bit of olive oil.
4. Add about a teaspoon full of the filling mixture to each dumpling wrapper. Fold over in a triangle and push the middle in and side corners together in the front to make the navel shape of the classic tortellini. Be sure to seal the corners of the dumpling wrapper so that they don’t open while cooking. You can use the tines of the fork to seal any folds by lightly but firmly pressing down.
5. Put the tortellini in a pot of boiling water and remove after about 2 minutes.
6. Melt butter and add sage, cheese, and a dash of white truffle oil. Toss the tortellini in the sauce and sprinkle pine nuts over the top.

Crab Cannelloni with Asparagus and Almonds

• 1 box cannelloni

For the Filling:

• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg yolk
• ½ cup chopped basil leaves
• ½ cup finely chopped almonds
• 1 pound lump crab meat (or lobster meat)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper

For the Sauce:

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups whole milk, warmed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
• Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• ¼ cup finely chopped almonds
• ¼ pound fresh asparagus peeled and trimmed

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook pasta in boiling water for about 8 to 10 minutes
3. Mix ricotta, Parmesan, egg yolk, basil leaves, almonds, crab meat, salt and white pepper in a large bowl.
4. Fill cannelloni with mixture and place in buttered baking dish and let sit while sauce is being prepared.
5. Add butter to pan over medium heat and when it melts, whisk in the flour.
6. Add warm milk slowly and stir over medium heat for about 8 to 10 minutes until sauce thickens. Add spices and almonds.
7. Pour sauce over the cannelloni and sprinkle Parmesan over the top. Bake 15 to 20 minutes.
8. Steam asparagus until warm and crunchy. Cut into ribbons and use as plate garnish.
9. Note: Try to serve immediately; these won’t reheat well.

Baco-Porcini Ravioli with Goat Cheese and Walnuts

For the Filling:

• 2 to 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 pound porcini mushrooms, sliced lengthwise
• 1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup fresh goat cheese, at room temperature
• ½ cup bacon, chopped
• ½ cup walnuts, finely chopped
• 1 package dumpling or wonton wrappers

For the Sauce:

• ¼ cup pear juice
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
• Touch of flour for thickening
• ¼ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• 1 pear, thinly sliced

1. Heat butter in a saucepan, and sauté the mushrooms until golden. Add chopped Vidalia onion, bacon and sugar. Let cook until caramelized. Season the mixture with S&P.
2. Add to food processor and blend until the mixture becomes paste-like.
3. Add goat cheese, walnuts and bacon-onion-mushroom mixture to mixing bowl and combine thoroughly.
4. Brush both sides of the dumpling wrappers with a little bit of olive oil.
5. Add about a tablespoon full of the filling mixture to each dumpling wrapper. Fold over in a triangle and seal the edges. Be sure to seal the corners of the dumpling wrapper so that they do not open up while cooking. You can use the tines of the fork to seal any folds by lightly but firmly pressing down.
6. Boil the ravioli until cooked, about 2 minutes.
7. Add pear juice (this can be the juice from a can of pears) to a frying pan over medium-high heat, and stir until it thickens. Add butter, salt and white pepper and a bit of flour to thicken. Pour over ravioli. Place chopped walnuts, dried cranberries, and thinly sliced pear over the top.

When is rhum not rum?

Would the short answer be that all rhum is rum, yet all rum is not rhum? What is this, a conundrum? A rhum-fueled tale of pirates and mutineers, of kings and scurvy knaves?

The word “rhum” comes from a particular part of the Southern Caribbean, a place with a unique terroir. Martinique is its name. It’s a French Protectorate; French is the language that is spoken. The French have been here for a while and really aren’t planning on leaving any time soon. The distillery business is a natural event wherever commerce, sugar cane and white oak casks (from France, naturally) converge in year-round warm weather with plenty of laborers available.

J. Bally just gets sexier with age.

French-speaking islands like Martinique aren’t the only ones capitalizing on this natural event. Go down island from Virgin Gorda to the sun-lapped shores where sugar cane grows almost all the way to the ocean. Verdant fields that say rhum.

Sugar cane rhum is a rare treat. Kings and presidents have coveted the stuff for centuries, but what is it and why is it so rare?

This is really good stuff (read expensive), transformed from harsh rum to elegant rhum through the application of used wine barrels.

Used oak staves are reassembled in the workshops of the distilleries. This oak comes at quite a cost. Some may have held Chateau Laffite Rothschild. Others may have transformed good scotch whiskey from harsh firewater to a thickly seasoned, nutmeg- and cinnamon-tinged slurp. Some have even used bourbon whiskey barrels to enhance rum from other islands.

Rum-running islands are full of dreamers with rhum on their minds, coursing through their blood.

Rhum like J. Bally has a history dating back to French Colonialism or beyond. Historically, the French would send the rhum back to Europe where it was enjoyed alongside cognac. In fact, rhum, to this day, remains part of the ritual of Navy, Country and Duty.

The British Navy still lends its name to several splendid rums, Pusser’s and Lamb’s. A dark rum is fabulous with ginger beer on a dark, stormy night, hence the name “Dark n’ Stormy.”

Make my house a pit stop on your next rhum run.

These small-producer rums bear no resemblance to the mass-produced industrial rums. We know who they are and how many millions of bottles they produce a year. Rhum on the other hand is made in minuscule portions. Houses, such as J. Bally, may only make a few hundred cases of their product, which makes it rather expensive.

Go to your favorite cocktail bar. Not the Average Joe kind of place, but somewhere they won’t look twice if you order a rhum agricole (a young white rhum) in a short glass with some coconut water on the side … or a snifter of really old Rhum Très Vieux. And if the barkeep tells you that the snifter is 50 bucks, don’t be surprised. Older bottles can cost hundreds if not thousands. This is not Cruzan or Bacardi. It’s like comparing Yellowtail and Petrus. No match.

“Beware the Puncheon.” This is an expression oft heard a bit further down island. Puncheon is not rhum. It is fire. It is a mule stuck in a small wooden floored room. This animal is angry and he wants to get out — now! If you can’t imagine a mule, imagine a really pissed-off snake. That is a bit like drinking this potion.

It has a kick and a flavor akin in many ways to the Austrian Stroh Rum. High-proof, unaged and distilled from molasses, Puncheon is one step removed from pure Hell. I would forget that I told you about it. Just forget it. You can’t get it anyway. If you are able to secure some, the liquid only comes in 330ml bottles. No more. Any more and you’ll go blind. Got it?

If you are in the Grenadines, don’t ask anyone about it, it’s just not safe. Okay?

Puncheon Rum Punch aka Sinkhole Cocktail

A strong drink meant to contemplate staying warm on a rainy night out at sea.

• 1 small bottle puncheon rum (about the size of a very small bottle of Listerine)
• 1 bottle ginger ale (you don’t have to drink it, but handy to have in the event of sea sickness)
• Equal amounts assorted fruit juices to taste: grapefruit, orange, lime

1. Mix and serve… but be careful, this rum is never distilled to less than 75% alcohol.

There is a phrase about the puncheon that goes something like this: “Bow down to the Puncheon and sleep in a drain.”

Get more of Warren’s musings, reviews and experience hunting at Wild Table. Or check out his newest social media inspiration: Exploring the State of Now.