Summer's Last Drinks

Mix, pour, put your feet up, and send this hard, long summer into the past with wishes for a miraculous autumn.

First a cocktail.

Carlos M. Victoria is one of the most innovative mixologists around. He conceives and brews his own bitters and shrubs, using herbs and spices influenced by his Dominican heritage. The drink above is a Manhattan he made for me: It’s his favorite—and my least favorite, until I tasted his.

He also creates different rubs using unexpected ingredients (for instance, dried grasshoppers) to use on meats and to rim a cocktail glass. Visit his company, Sunset Botanica, and be sure to follow Carlos on Instagram for more drink and food inspirations.

Vanilla Old Fashioned

1/2 oz simple syrup

Sunset Botanica vanilla bitters

2 oz whiskey or dark rum

Orange twist

Stir the simple syrup and bitters together in a rock glass, then add rum.

Add a handful of ice cubes and stir for 30 seconds. Garnish with orange twist.

And now an aperitif.

If I know my sister, Sue, she is sitting on her porch with a pitcher of a classic Italian drink made out of Aperol. It is one of the most blessed ways to relax and prepare for a late summer meal. Be sure to mix it in a glass pitcher to admire the drink’s beauty.

Aperol spritzer

Into a glass pitcher measure 3 parts Aperol, 2 parts Prosecco, and 1 part seltzer, and stir. Float thin slices of one orange on top. Chill until ready to serve.

To serve: For those who prefer to have ice, serve in a wine glass. Be sure each glass have at least one slice of orange.