A while ago, I got a Tupelo Honey cookbook and squealed with excitement.  I like cookbooks but I love good cookbooks.  Sometimes, cookbooks can be difficult to judge:

Will it be informative?

Will it be helpful?

Are the photos beautiful?

My expectations for cookbooks are quite high and I must say, Tupelo Honey’s cookbook is perfect.  The photos are gorgeous, the recipes look delicious (and they are…I’ve tried a couple), and there are fantastic narratives throughout the book.  It’s almost like reading a book that just happens to have recipes inside. The great part about this recipe is that they don’t just stop with food…there are cocktail recipes too!  The first cocktail recipe that I’ve made from this book is the Paris of the South.  I have an affection for Paris and immediately knew, I should try this.  Very easy, tasty and the fresh lemon juice make it just citrusy enough to remind me of summer.

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 oz Bulleit Rye 
1 1/2 oz St. Germaine
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 dashes of bitters
ice 
ginger ale (though I used ginger beer this time around)
twist of lemon

Combine Bulleit, St. Germaine, lemon juice and bitters with ice in a cocktail shaker.

Shake and strain into a glass.

Top with ginger ale and twist of lemon.

Bottoms up!

Happy Friday!