This swanky new Financial District lounge is one of the most highly anticipated openings of the season, with no shortage of big names at the helm. Alex Day and David Kaplan (who founded Death and Co. in the East Village) developed the cocktails along with bar manager Scott James Teague, formerly of Pegu Club. Though Kaplan, Day, and Teague are known for classic cocktails, Demi Monde's bartenders won't be stirring up the drinks you've seen a million times before. More

Raspberry liqueur isn't hard to find, but the bottles you can buy are all over the map. Some options are candy sweet, while others are cough syrup-strong. Making your own liqueur gives you control over how sweet and boozy the end result is—you're likely to end up with something that better suits your sugar tolerance. More

Bar manager Jason Mort has watched mezcal gain in popularity in recent years. "We wanted to create a menu that plays on the classic cocktail while adding smoke and heat," he told us. Mort and acclaimed bartender Copper Gillespie worked together to give well-known mixed drinks just the right mezcal twist for a bar that aims to transport its patrons to a Mexico of generations past. More

The festive opening night Gala that kicks off the Manhattan Cocktail Classic may be the biggest event in the MCC schedule, but the week offered tons of other opportunities to celebrate cocktails—seminars, dinners, and parties galore. In fact, these smaller-scale events impressed us even more than the grand Gala—it's great to get a chance to focus on just a few well-crafted cocktails, get to know a new spirit or drink-making technique, and enjoy a look behind the scenes without struggling against huge crowds. Here are a few snapshots from the highlights of our MCC week. More

The beautiful New York Public Library was the place to be on Friday night—not for the books, but for a lavish opening night celebration kicking off the 5-day Manhattan Cocktail Classic. Dozens of different cocktails were poured (over 75 different drinks, by our count) for about 3,000 guests. We were on hand to sip (and sip, and sip some more) and snap a few photos. More

Rhubarb is one of my favorite cocktail ingredients. When rhubarb season arrived, I ran to buy as much as I could from the market that's usually first to get all the seasonal produce. When I couldn't find it, I went to the manager in a panic. "We used to stock that," he said. "But nobody likes it, so we stopped." I then dramatically flung myself onto the nearest support beam and screamed, "Noooooo!" as if I just found out Darth Vader was my father. (He is not.) Luckily, the next store had a whole display of rhubarb and promised me that they would keep stocking it throughout the season. More

Mother's Day brunch requires a little something to toast your mom with. When I was growing up we went to the same standard-issue hotel brunch buffet every Mom's day, and she always had a mimosa (while we drank sparkling cider from flutes). But why not get a little more creative this Mother's Day? Here are six cocktails that are wine or sparkling wine-based and totally day-drinkable, but just a little more creative than that bellini or sangria. More

I always get my mom flowers on Mother's Day; predictable, I know, but my mom's an avid gardner and flower arranger and loves a beautiful bouquet the way I'd love, I don't know, a selection of great cheeses. And thinking about flowers and mothers, I bet my mom would love one of these eight floral cocktails: some made with rosewater, some lavender, some elderflower liqueur. They're all light and refreshing enough to kick off a brunch or to sip on the porch before an early dinner. More

It's time to officially bring back the aperitif. I'm not talking happy-hour margaritas here, but light, appetite-whetting refreshments to sip (ideally outside) at dusk. Something a little bitter and not too boozy—the perfect aperitif doesn't even really need to include a strong spirit, just some aromatized wine or amaro, sometimes a dash of soda or tonic, just the thing to ease into evening (and accompany a plate of appetizers.) Here are 5 delicious recipes for aperitif cocktails to make at home. More

I have a rule when it comes to strawberries—I wait to buy them until they make their way to the farmers' market. Nothing compares to that first day when you see them, or more accurately, smell them. But the other day when I was in my local grocery, I smelled that scent of real, ripe, flavorful berries, then examined the berries to make sure I wasn't going crazy. I broke my rule. I just couldn't resist them. I immediately ate one as soon as I left, hoping that my nose didn't deceive me—the berry was flavorful. Of course I started plotting out what to do with my preseason score. More