Happy Hour

Happy hour, the perfect transition from work life to social life, the time to celebrate a day's victories or leave the stress behind.  It is also the perfect opportunity to make something ordinary feel special without much effort.  I love having friends over for happy hour.  I pour a cocktail, put out some gnoshings, grab a seat on the front porch, and have a few laughs.  It really is the perfect way to unwind at the end of the day.  Very often, my happy hour is my dinner.  A well composed cheese platter and a great bottle of wine, who needs dinner after that? My cocktail of choice depends on the weather, the day, and my mood.  However, even then, I have the select few that I choose from and I thought I would share those here.   

Red Wine: 

I am a very seasonal gal, after labor day you won't catch me drinking white wine or wearing white jeans.  Call me a traditionalist if you will, but I want to drink and eat foods that enhance the season.  Fall and winter are red wine season for me, so get out your Olivia Pope glasses girls, wrap up in your coziest cardigan, and open one of these bottles. 

This is my favorite bottle of red, F, by Orin Swift Locations.

 Joel Gott is an old faithful.  Not too expensive but delicious.

Chardonnay, Rosé, and Champagne:

Once spring hits, I immediately transition to lighter meals and crisper wines.  Here are two of my favorite bottles, as well as my favorite bottle of bubbles.

In my humble opinion, Butter is the best chardonnay out there. 

I fell in love with this bottle last summer. 

Four the last seven years I have been drinking J Cuvee.  It is a delicious, and reasonably priced, bottle of bubbles.

Beer: 

Sometimes, there is nothing better than a good ole beevo ("Shag" reference).  Beer is something I enjoy in all seasons, especially with certain foods, and on the beach, there is nothing more refreshing.

My go-to beers are Abita (Strawberry, Pecan, and Grapefruit), Blue Moon, Dos Equis Amber, Shiner Ruby Redbird, Ballast Point Grapefruit, and Saranac (Pumpkin & Caramel Porter).

Gin:

My summer cocktail of choice is a G&T or a Southside.  They are refreshing, not too fruity, and still pack a punch.  

When it comes to Gin, I prefer Hendricks and Plymouth.  I like Fever-Tree and Jack Rudy for my tonic.

Bourbon:

In the fall and winter, if I am having a cocktail, you can bet it will be a bourbon.  Although I love a trendy bourbon cocktail, truthfully, I prefer mine on the rocks.  Here are my four suggested bourbons.

High End- Blantons & Four Roses
Budget Friendly- Makers Mark & Bulleit