It is officially spring. But official spring never feels like the spring that exists in my imagination. The mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful spring with green shoots and sun peaking through rain and warm breezes and new beginnings. Official spring in Chicago is something altogether different. It is one day in a series of false starts. It is …

It wasn’t until a few years ago that I even knew what flavor grenadine was supposed to be. If I’d had to guess I might have gone with a hesitant cherry??? or whatever flavor the Michigan-made Faygo Red Pop I grew up with is supposed to be. It would have taken me numerous wrong guesses before I would …

It’s been an exhausting couple of weeks around here. We’ve had a steep learning curve as new dog owners. Our crooked-tailed mischief-maker has loads of energy and even with hour-long romps in the park by the lake and numerous shorter walks around the neighborhood she still manages to race around our apartment at a frenetic …

 After fielding questions from a number of friends about where to begin with making cocktails, I’m starting a series that will walk you through the basics. Last time, I covered basic equipment. Today, I’ll teach you how to make one of the most essential cocktail ingredients, simple syrup. Scroll down to the bottom of this post …

After fielding questions from a number of friends about where to begin with making cocktails, I’m starting a series that will walk you through the basics. Today, I’m starting with the basic equipment you need to make most drinks. Maybe you haven’t had a cocktail since that bad experience with tequila poppers in college. Maybe …

When you hear the word “shrub,” unless you’re a cocktail geek or a drink historian, you likely think about a plant. And its other name, “drinking vinegar,” isn’t exactly the most enticing phrase either. You might wonder if someone is trying to rebrand spoiled wine or if we’re talking about really high-end balsamic with the …