It's Happy Hour, All Summer Long

Are you counting the days like we are? Summer is so close we can smell it, and we're not actually sure if Mark Bittman's Twelve Uncomplicated Summer Cocktails are making it easier to wait (things to look forward to!) or way, way harder. His recipes call for little more than some love and a twist of lime, relying on just a hint of this or that to enhance the ingredient that, according to Bittman, matters most: "...enough booze that you can taste it." We salute you, sir!

Love a little lemon with your tequila? The crème de cassis and ginger beer don't hurt, either. Check out the pretty-in-pink El Diablo. 

Gin, lemon juice, and champagne sounds simple but could just be the toast of the summer. Helloooo, French 75. 

And forget what you've learned about margarita's, because this version — with just three ingredients — will blow your mind. 

It's Five O'Clock Somewhere from New York Times Magazine