imbibe [the little kiss]

This is a cocktail I should have shared for New Years, which is when we drank it, or for Valentine's Day, for which it is absurdly appropriate. Instead I'm sharing it on March 20th...because it's delicious and I can't hold onto it for another year.

In my book, the problem with cocktails that involve wine or champagne is that you don't always want to open a full bottle. Most weekends I'd be good to go, but on a Tuesday? Less enticing. You can either invest in a great wine or champagne stopper (we were given one like this from a guest we hosted this fall, who works for a liquor company) or you can save this for the weekend. Sunday morning mimosas, anyone?

Shrubs are a good thing to know how to make, since you can easily sub out different fruits and veggies to have endless flavors. It's like a flavored simple syrup- once you know the basics, you can get pretty creative. It's just as easy as simple syrup, too: combine 10 oz water, 4 oz white vinegar, 12 oz sugar, and 12 strawberries in a saucepan over medium heat until the berries are soft and the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat, mash up the fruit, strain, and refrigerate. Easily the most laborious part is the straining.

The juice is good to go for awhile, thanks to the vinegar- if it's sealed well, many months (see a way more legit recipe here, if you're making a big batch). And don't throw out those sugary, tart berries! They are AMAZING with pretzels and greek yogurt as a late night snack.

Happy New Years/Valentine's Day/March 20th.