Cocktail

There are plenty of places around the country where the notion of a tipple before 5 p.m. would be met with a raised eyebrow—but not in New Orleans. Here, there's a whole genre of wake-me-up cocktails specially crafted to ease folks into the day.

Of all the seasons, summer is the most like a non-stop party. People have finally come out of hiding behind down jackets and Netflix marathons, and are looking to celebrate bare arms and hot sunshine. Whether you're a party of one or throwing a block party, summer is a great excuse to whip up some brunch cocktails and toast to temperatures above 70°F. Here's what we'd recommend. 

You won't often find name-brand booze being served up in well drink special at your local bar, but Applebee's isn't skimping with it's latest low-cost cocktail offering: Absolut Vodka lemonades for just $2. Starting today, customers can order up the slightly-more-premium beverage all day at participating Applebee's locations nationwide, as the restaurant brand hopes to help you "watch winter fade away," according to a statement. The drink is only described as being "made with premium vodka and mixed with refreshing lemonade."

Two weeks frolicking around Franciacorta, Italy’s under-the-radar-but-about-to-explode sparkling wine region, taught me several valuable life lessons. For starters, it’s completely acceptable to drink bubbly at any time of day, and Franciacorta is a wine that practically screams “day drinking.” Free-flowing like water, the wine never made me feel ill the next day, unlike some of its sparkling cousins around the world.

Yesterday, we told you what aquafaba is, and now it's time to learn a fun way to use it. Although usually the first thoughts to use an egg white replacer is in desserts, egg whites are also common in mixed drinks to give them a nice body and foamy top.

In an effort to stabilize the wild berry industry in Maine, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has officially announced they will be purchasing up to 30 million pounds of blueberries, running their tab up to a whopping $13 million. That's a lot of berries! Some might ask, what's the difference between wild and cultivated blueberries? Compared to their plumper counterpart, wild berries are smaller, juicier, and more intensely flavored. With all this talk about blueberries we're craving a sweet handful. Better yet, here are 16 of our favorite blueberry recipes...