Homemade Ginger and Lime Cordial is so much better than store-bought. Use it in both cocktails and mocktails

Gin: It is a staple spirit in any bar. It’s in dozens of classic cocktails. The standards: Gin and Tonics, Corpse Revivers, Negronis, Martinis- shaken and stirred - though, never shake your martini - it waters down the drink! All gins have a botanical build for their flavor, which is infused into a neutral grain spirit, then distilled. But what if I told you, you could easily make your own, and to your own specifications, likes and needs for whichever cocktail it is you want to make.

Falernum is a must have ingredient for any tiki enthusiast. It hails from Barbados and has been used in cocktails since at least the 1800s. Just by using a tiny bit, Falernum offers depth and just an almost imperceptible spice that really balances out the sometimes cloyingly sweet and overly boozy tiki cocktails. There is no real definitive recipe for Falernum, but each recipe I’ve seen calls for over proof rum, sugar, lime, almond and clove.

Spring is here, and all the wonderful things that come with it - Picnics in the park, warmer weather, pretty flowers, but there is one thing about spring that is not so wonderful - at least not for me, and that’s pollen. For all you seasonal allergy friends, this infused honey will have you back outdoors in no time!

I always want to take healthy ingredients and use them in my cocktails. Allergy season especially has me thinking of this. Once I learned that using local honey helps with seasonal allergies, because it has trace amounts of the pollen in your surroundings, I started incorporating it more into my food and beverages. It definitely helps that it tastes delicious.