Café De Olla

One of my favorite breakfast drinks is Mexican spiced coffee. This drink is traditionally made in a large clay pot where you simmer warm spices like true cinnamon, cloves, and star anise with coffee. It's name translates to ''pot coffee'' because the clay pot adds an earthy flavor to the drink and only gets better with each batch made. Traditionally, a raw cane sugar cone, piloncillo, is melted down, adding sweetness and caramel notes, similar to brown sugar. Once the water is sweetened and aromatic, my grandma would add a sinful amount of instant coffee and pour us a mug along with pan dulce (Sweet Mexican Bread). I grew up drinking the instant stuff for convenience but you can try both options in the recipe below. This beverage is also known as Café Mexicano and every family has their own version. I'm pretty loyal to the combination of true cinnamon, cloves and star anise. The trio makes the coffee floral, warm and sweet, after every sip you'll taste the best out of the malty coffee.

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Piña Colada

One sip of this cocktail will take you right to the beach. This creamy, frozen drink is ridiculously easy to drink. There's a reason you'll find these in paradise destinations. So make yourself a pitcher of this Caribbean favorite, kick back in a beach chair, and enjoy! For a layer of aromatic bliss, shave some nutmeg on top before taking a sip. Nothing compares to freshly grated Nutmeg - the warmth compliments the rum and coconut. Experiment further and add Jamaican Allspice or our Kashmiri Garam Masala to give a little extra something-something to your staycation.

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Mango Rooibos Iced Tea

Rooibos is an herbal tea from South Africa. It has delicate hints of caramel and woody flavors. Once steeped, it turns a gorgeous rusty-red color. We added aromatic Jamaican Allspice as the secret ingredient in this brew, having notes of nutmeg, cloves and black pepper. For a touch of warmth we added Cassia Chip Cinnamon and sweet mango puree to brighten your glass. Delicious, thirst quenching, and good for you; sipping this tea is a great way to keep cool on a hot summer day!

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Moroccan Watermelon Cooler

Temperatures are skyrocketing this summer. The Northwestern heatwave has us all trying to beat the heat in every way possible. This refreshing, thirst-quenching summer beverage has instantly become our new favorite. Our Moroccan Mint is a combination of peppermint and Gunpowder green tea — and tastes incredible as the base in this cooler. Hydrating watermelon, fresh cucumber, and tart lemon complement the tea perfectly. Add a splash (or two) of vodka and you've got a delicious, rejuvenating drink. Cheers to keeping cool!

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Memorable Father's Day Martinis

Some of our father figures are known for their no-nonsense attitudes while other times their wit is endless. Either way, we've got a martini for him! For practical, no-nonsense Dad, we polished a classic Gibson martini with savory house-made pickled pearl onions. For sweet & silly Dad, we added fancy to a French martini with vanilla bean-infused vodka. Either way, he'll appreciate the extra touches and the time together to enjoy them. We know a lot of well rounded men who will love both!Infusing your own vodka is an absolute breeze and it is a great way to capture all the flavor from a precious Madagascar 3 Count Vanilla Bean. Once you make it, you'll never go back. We tapped our favorite local spirits for this recipe using Oola Distillery vodka for a smooth, clean finish. The playful froth in this martini comes from the shaken pineapple juice. Enjoy!The Gibson martini is traditional and crisp. We pickled our own pearl onions using our house blend Pickling Spice. We also used Oola's Gin that has been cask aged in old whiskey barrels which gives it a golden hue. Adding a dash of the brine to the martini makes the gin go down even easier and really completes it. At the end, you'll be left with a tasty pickled pearl onion.Now go make your dad a drink and raise a glass!

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Cold Brewed Iced Tea

With the heat of summer well on its way, we look to our favorite things to keep us cool. One of the best ways to beat the heat is by sipping on cold brew tea. Cold brewing has several advantages over the traditional hot water steeping. For one, it's incredibly easy to do. The low temperature also prevents tannins from developing and giving unwanted bitterness in the tea. Another benefit is that cold brewing preserves a higher amount of vitamin C while extracting less caffeine — making for a refreshing beverage to give a steady boost of energy without a caffeine crash. We advise steeping black tea leaves overnight or for 4 hours if using a green tea. Here we used Keemun black tea, commonly used to make other favorites like English and Irish Breakfast Teas. This tea is malty and rich, tasty on its own, and strong enough to stand up to additions like lemonade or fruit.

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Raspberry Pearl Sherbet and Cava Float

Jasmine Pearl tea is hand-picked and rolled green tea leaves. After harvest, the tea is laid out and covered with jasmine blossoms before being rolled. The resulting brew releases the light, heady scent of jasmine into your cup. Here we have combined the tea with tart raspberries and honey to compliment the floral aspects in Jasmine Pearl and created an elegant sherbet. With just a splash of vodka to preserve the flavor and consistency and after a quick spin in the ice-cream machine, voila! The flavors are sensational. While incredible on its own, this sherbet shines when added to a flute of brut cava or champagne. Garnish with a few fresh raspberries and you have the perfect drink to kick off patio season.

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Parilla Piñarita

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Citrus and pineapple combine to quench your thirst in this classic cocktail. Charred pineapple adds extra flavor by fire with a smoky garnish. As if all that wasn't enough, we rimmed the glass with our Limón-Chile seasoning. Inspired by the classic Tajin spice, this irresistible seasoning adds a powerful spark of lime and chili to each sip. Make the Parilla Piñarita your summer grilling go-to, it's easy to shake one up when you fire the grill.

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Noon Chai

Tackling new culinary challenges is one of my great joys, and I'm always on the lookout for new techniques to try. As it happens, I also love all things floral and pink so when I came across this Noon Chai, it went to the top of my list. Traditionally made for brides on their wedding day or for special occasions, the drink gets its beautiful color from aerating the green tea and adding a pinch of baking soda. The two react, creating a deep rouge color. Never did I realize that a cup of tea would require such a technique! After several failed attempts on mastering this delicacy, luck would have it that a wonderful customer at the spice shop gave me some important tips!The result was unlike any cup of tea I've ever had. The tea is creamy, floral and scented with Green Cardamom Pod, Star Anise and Roses — with just a little Himalayan Pink Salt. We garnished the tea with pistachios, rose petals and a star anise, making it a tasty afternoon treat. The marriage between sweet and salty is just perfect.A special thanks to Hassaan Arshad, for sharing his Mom's technique and giving me the tools to master this treat!

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