Market-Fresh Mixology

Photo: Juyhun Baik

YOUR SWIG FOR ALL SEASONS Plump garnishes, perspiring glasses and a plethora of (rosemary) twigs and berries—yes, when Bridget Albert’s Market-Fresh Mixology ($17.95, Surrey Books) hit our desks, we knew we had just been introduced to cocktail porn. And yet this book would have had us drooling even without the photos: The adamantly seasonal recipes, which start with the ingredients of spring and don’t stop until the end of winter, include irresistible ideas such as blueberry-lavender mojitos, watermelon margaritas, cinnamon-fig sidecars and savory avocado cocktails. Think of it as the antidote to any and every weather emergency—no matter if it’s a scorcher or a snow-in, there’s a cocktail in this book to get you through it.

We wanted to see Albert's market-driven mixology in action, so last week we followed her to a farmers' market. There—knowing only that she wanted to work with tequila—she roamed around and picked up the makings of a seasonal drink: Honey, cucumbers, peaches and cilantro. Then, to prove that her cocktail would actually taste good, we headed to Chi Bar, where we taped Albert as she taught us how to make it.