Campari is the most iconic Italian aperitif. It’s bright red color is unmistakable and its bracing bitterness offers the perfect complexity to cocktails when used right.

While I can’t just hop on a plane anytime soon, I can recreate that feeling at home with this cocktail that I’m calling Breakfast in Paris. It is a Kir riff that is reminiscent of a French baguette smothered with butter and jam- a classic Parisian breakfast that I enjoy frequently when I am in France. The fat washing of the cognac takes this simple Kir to the next level.

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.

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.

There once was a girl who fell madly in love with a Persian prince - so she baked him a cake filled with love magic to make him fall in love with her. The verdict is out on whether it worked or not, but one thing is for sure - this cake is magical. Made of almond flour and lemon. Scented with rose and cardamom and topped with pistachio, I knew this cake would make an excellent cocktail.

Though classic meringues are made with egg whites, they can also be made with aquafaba- aka the liquid left over from cooking dried chickpeas. It’s also the liquid found in cans of chickpeas. It behaves much like egg whites when whipped up with sugar and a bit of acid.

When it comes to Milk Punch, there are two styles: the New Orleans style that’s made with rum, brandy and whole milk or cream, and the clarified version sometimes referred to as English Milk Punch that dates back a few centuries. Ben Franklin even had his own recipe.