The Zucca Brasi is a whiskey-based cocktail that combines Rye, Zucca amaro and my homemade strawberry shrub. It’s a very unique cocktail that really packs a punch. This recipe utilizes a strawberry shrub that I made using local strawberries from the farmers market, Demerara sugar and strawberry infused malt vinegar.

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 know its officially summer when I start to see fresh picked berries at the farmers market. The star of the season for me are these beautiful, tiny Tristar Strawberries. For their size, they pack the most intense strawberry flavor. I always want to bottle up that bright, sweet flavor so I can enjoy a bit of summer anytime of the year.