Drinking Lately

Summer is finally here and in Chicago, we do our best to make the most of this season. And that means doing almost anything and everything outdoors-- including drinking! It's been a while since I've been able to partake in a glass of wine, so it's fun to finally be able to do so again right when the weather gets nice and the weekends get lazy. Now that I can enjoy a cocktail again, it's been great to discover some new or new-to-me beverages and I wanted to share them with you today. Here are a few of my new favorite summer-ready drinks. Cheers!

c/o

Mandrarossa Grillo Costadune - There's nothing better than a crisp glass of white wine on a hot summer night! I have recently discovered Grillo, which is a white grape native to Sicily. Grillo has wonderful balance of bright fruit and herbal flavors and a little acidity. If you love Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc like I do, this is the perfect wine to try if you're looking for something new. It pairs perfectly with grilled veggies or light proteins like chicken and pork, so bring a bottle to your next cookout!

Truly Spiked & Sparkling - If you're looking for a summer beverage that is super light, really refreshing, low calorie (!!) and still falls into the 'cocktail' category, Truly Spiked & Sparkling is it. When my mom was here visiting we spotted these at my local grocery store and picked them up on a whim. These taste like flavored sparkling water with a hit of alcohol. Unlike other bottled alcoholic beverages, these are not super sweet-- we tried the Grapefruit & Pomelo variety and loved the tart and not sugary flavor.

Bantam Rojo Cider - Weeks before I had my baby, the universe gave us a brand new craft beer store just a few blocks away from home. Don't you love when that happens? Alex and I stopped in one night to stock the fridge and I went straight to the hard cider section. I've never seen Bantam Rojo before and intrigued, I picked up a pack. It's a really crisp cider that's slightly sour and it gets it Rojo (red) name from the addition of sour cherry, which is so delicious and tastes like summer! Also, this cider is brewed in Somerville, Massachusetts, the location of my first job out of college... Bantam and I are MTB and I'll be trying the Wunderkind variety on my next trip to Bitter Hops.

c/o

Caves D'Esclans Whispering Angel Cotes de Provence Rose - I've become a huge fan of rose-- especially in the summertime. And Whispering Angel-- despite the goofy name-- is one of the best. It is fresh, fruity, dry, and everything I want from a rose.

High Brew Coffee - Okay, so it's not alcoholic but as a sleep deprived new mom coffee trumps pretty much all other beverages. High Brew is cold brewed iced coffee in a can-- and it is surprisingly delicious! I'm obsessed with the Mexican Vanilla flavor which has only 60 calories. It's the perfect coffee to grab on the go-- or to open up when you can't put your baby down to brew a fresh pot!


Editor's Note: Samples of Mandrarossa Grillo Costadune were provided to me in order to facilitate this post. The opinions expressed herein, as always, are my own.