Sarah Morrissey swears by keeping a bottle of the Cognac-based French aperitif Pineau des Charentes on hand, often turning to it at home when she’s looking for a vermouth alternative for a low-ABV spritz or a neat after-dinner pour that could serve as dessert on its own. In The Sun King (named after Louis XIV, for his practice of exporting Cognac in exchange for rum), she pairs the sweet aperitif with a funky Jamaican rum and a base of muddled lime, in a highball that’s lengthened with spicy ginger ale. She advises growing your own mint at home for the freshest sprigs (and to save a grocery run). “A package of seeds is $2, and mint grows like wildfire,” says Morrissey. “If you pick too much mint, put it in a quart container wrapped in a cold, wet paper towel, and it will last much longer.”
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