Keep your cool

Muscadet
Lots of wines call for serious thought to drink them. Muscadet isn't one, which makes it one of the greatest things you can uncork in months that don't contain an R.

Muscadet is made from melon wine grapes grown at the western edge of France's Loire valley, just inland from the Atlantic. To be fair, the melon variety (no relation to the fruit) has little real flavor itself, so the best Muscadet is made "sur lie," with the wine sitting on its lees — the remnants of the crushed grapes and yeast used to make it — which smooths the wine out and adds flavor. The best usually comes from areas allowed to mark "Sèvre et Maine" on the bottle.

Bonus: Even the best bottle shouldn't run you more than $10-12 at the store.

You'll find it fresh and light, with a bit of citrus and this beautiful limestone hint in the back. It's not a fruit bomb, you won't taste any oak here and at around 12 percent alcohol, it'll leave you standing for a second glass. And that mineral note? Makes for one of the world's best matches with raw shellfish.

Serve cold, in whatever glass you like.

-Jon Bonné

Grape Nehi
Until I moved to Seattle in 2001, the only Grape Nehi I’d ever heard of was Radar O’Reilly’s favorite bottled soft drink on “M*A*S*H.” In Minnesota, where I come from, if I’d tried to order one in a bar, I’d likely get only a confused stare.

But it turns out that the Grape Nehi is a name for a popular cocktail here in the Pacific Northwest. They’re refreshing and sweet, but pack a hidden punch: Drink more than two (one if you’re me) only if you’re not driving. Befitting Radar’s gentle nature, you wouldn’t call this a manly drink, but if you prefer your alcoholic concoction more sweet than spiked, you might just enjoy.

There appear to be as many recipes for the drink as there are garage bands in Seattle. Here’s one version. Hey, wait, are those choppers I hear?

2 oz. vodka
2 oz. Chambord
3-4 slices lemon or orange
ice

Crush ice with lemon (or orange) and alcohol. Strain into a cocktail glass.

-Gael Fashingbauer Cooper