Keep your cool

Maybe you're a beverage snob.

Maybe you only drink soda made in Italy. Maybe you turn your nose up at a margarita unless it's made with Patrón and the juice of limes from organic groves — straight up, no salt. Maybe you want all your frou-frou Napa chardonnays served at precisely 50 degrees.

Come summer, talk to the hand.

Doesn't matter whether it's a lazy Sunday afternoon or a bask in the sun after work: Now's the time for ice cubes and chilled mugs, for lingering a moment too long in front of the freezer door.  Now's the time to drink whatever tastes good and keeps you cool. Now's the time for plastic cups and beer cozies. Here are some of our favorite suggestions for drinks to temper the heat.

Mint julep
Being a good Southerner, I like my dark liquor, and there is no better way to enjoy a couple of shots of bourbon than in a mint julep.

I had my first julep on the first Saturday in May 1995 at Churchill Downs with a group of girlfriends who had roadtripped all night from Chapel Hill, N.C., to arrive just before post time for the Kentucky Derby.

I can’t say that I would recommend juleps when they are made in mass quantities, but a family friend who hails from Kentucky gave me her recipe a few years ago when I threw my own Derby party. It made all the difference.

Prepare at least a day in advance.

2 cups sugar
1 cup water
About 12 sprigs of mint
Crushed or shaved ice
Powdered sugar
Premium quality Kentucky bourbon

First, make a simple syrup: Bring the sugar and water to a boil in a saucepan, and boil for a few minutes to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat.

Bruise the mint leaves, add to syrup and place in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

After it has chilled, run syrup through a sieve to remove the leaves.

Chill glasses in the freezer for a few hours. Remove and fill with ice (it’s vital that the ice is crushed or shaved). Sprinkle a pinch or two of powdered sugar over the ice and then pour about two tablespoons (depending on how sweet you like your drink) of syrup over the ice. Follow that with 2 oz. of bourbon.

Stir, garnish with a sprig of mint and enjoy!

-Katie Cannon

African Amber beer
The best time for me to have that cold summer drink is after a game of hoops with the fellas, when I'm just craving a cold one.

The choice for me is African Amber, an amber/red ale beer brewed by Mac and Jack's Brewery in Redmond, Wash. This is the best beer I've ever had on tap.

African Amber has a distinctive taste compared to other amber beers on the market. The flavor is majestic, with hops and malt that make it perfectly balanced. The color is dark orangish-brown, but isn't heavy tasting. (Hey, I dislike dark beers.) Finally, there is even a hint of carbonation that makes this drink perfect.

This is a "must-taste" beer for anyone. Unfortunately, the state of Washington is the only place I've found it. When friends come to visit from other states, however, they immediately fall in love with this beer.

Others agree. Come to Washington and see for yourself.

-Danny DeFreitas