Imbibe’s Tasting Notes Enewsletter, 06.22.21

Earlier this month, I boarded a plane for San Francisco and tried to remember what normal feels like.

There was a house Margarita from Tommy’s, iced coffee sipped while walking along the Embarcadero, and a burrito consumed in the almost-summer sun. There were cocktails from Kona’s Street Market (and a friendly nuzzle from Kona, bar owner Kevin Diedrich’s dog and the bar’s namesake) and a Great Silence from California Gold in San Rafael. There was a long drive to Napa and back, watching the vineyards roll past my window while catching up on podcast episodes of Cocaine & Rhinestones. And there were handshakes and hugs—awkward at first, then refreshingly familiar—from colleagues and friends whose faces I’d only seen via Zoom over the last 15 months.

We’re all getting back to normal these days—in our own ways, and at our own paces. Face masks are still a part of the equation to one degree or another, as is small talk about vaccines and the range of pandemic experiences. But conversations also turn to the future—to the resumption of long-delayed vacations and family visits, and making plans to check out favorite restaurants and bars that are doing their best to get back to normal, too.

Whatever your idea of “normal” looks like this summer, we’re here to help. We’ve got season-appropriate wine recommendations from Coly Den Haan at Vinovore in L.A., and warm-weather port cocktails perfect for sipping outside. Set the scene the next time guests come over with the help of a playlist from a favorite bar or café, and when you’re ready to head out and grab a beer with friends, check out one of the new breweries that’s opened during the past, very challenging year. 

We’ve got plenty more recipes, articles, and ideas for you at imbibemagazine.com. Be sure to follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook to keep up with us day to day, and subscribe to our Radio Imbibe podcast on your favorite podcast platform to listen in on conversations with some of the drinks world’s most interesting people (this week’s episode features Bacardi’s national LGBTQ+ ambassador, Chris Cabrera). If you’re not already a subscriber to the print and/or digital issues of Imbibe, then let’s change that—as an added bonus, we’re donating $2 from each subscription order through the end of June to Lambda Legal, which works to protect and advance the rights of LGBTQ+ people and those living with HIV. Click here to subscribe.

Summer’s just getting started—get out there and enjoy it.