A cocktail love child born from gothic British pubs and raised by Mediterranean summers.

Christmas is my favorite season and I just couldn’t wait.

Summer is here; the birds are singing, the bees are buzzing, the grass tickles beneath your bare feet and the smell of sun-cream is already transporting you to far-flung places filled with heat and relaxation.

Among my friends, I’m known for my homemade syrups and juices. I use herbs grown in my amazing garden if I may say so myself, or I collect in the forest nearby. For the fruit-based drinks, I always use organic fruit grown by me or collected in the wild. This gives my syrups an amazing freshness and a full flavor that is unmatched by any factory-made drink.

So, I have this stomach ache. And it sucks. I feel as if Democrats and Republicans have just met outside of Congress and they’re fighting over a bill before it is even passed on Capitol Hill. Dad offers a simple concoction: ginger ale and Angostura bitters. Though no ice is involved, the drink is still cold. I imbibe the simple cocktail and revel in the smoothness and richness of the bubbles going down to my unruly stomach.

Let me start by admitting that I am not a big drinker. I always loved a cocktail or two or three when I went out with friends, but I have never cared for a cocktail at home. It usually makes me sleepy and unproductive.

Smoothies are the sh*t and I refuse to believe otherwise. If you don't like cold, fruity, and just strong enough on a hot day in good, socially distant company, then close this page and rethink some life decisions (medical conditions exempt).

June signifies that ‘winter has arrived’ in Australia. The day days are shorter, the weather is horrendous and people opt to stay home (enjoying their creature comforts) rather than head out in the freezing cold. Barbecues, backyard cricket and days lazing on the beach are nothing but a distant memory.

If you've looked at my profile picture before or after you read the title, you may have estimated an article about the "Asian flush".

Sunday Brunch has been a tradition between my friends and me for as long as we’ve been old enough to drink. Nothing starts the week better than spending a Sunday morning with a mimosa in one hand and a dollar bill to tip a Drag performer with the other. Between glasses, we spend time sharing plans for the next weekend while dreading having to go back to work the next day. This is a small luxury we love to take part in, but sadly that came to an unforeseeable break when COVID-19 resulted in a Stay at Home Order. With these new guidelines and restrictions in place, my workplace found it better for everyone to work from home, so I ran to the nearby grocery store after my last shift.

About 5 years ago I had gotten my bartenders license hoping I’d be able to get a job as a bartender. It was a 4 weekend course in Toronto...I’m sorry on the other end of Toronto; but it was worth it, or so I thought. I never got a job because nobody wants an inexperienced bartender and my family loves to take advantage of everything I had learned especially the fact that I could now basically be the cover for any of their gatherings for events because they could tell owners that “yes we have a licensed bartender on the premises.”

To my shock and dismay there aren’t too many people that know of this drink and I will pass it on for those that want to experience a summer like no other.