California Cooler

A favorite on the menu at Horsefeather in San Francisco, this elegant cocktail may be named after a trashy, pre-packaged Sangria-esque beverage, yet it is anything but. Created by Ian Scalzo, the cocktail swaps out the usual wine with a wine syrup, specifically a Sauvignon Blanc syrup spiced with fresh horseradish and thyme. Celery juice joins the syrup along with gin, lime juice and sparkling wine. “The inspiration for the California Cooler was to take a savory and slightly spicy flavor profile and reinterpret it into a light and refreshing cocktail,” Scalzo says. “It is celery and thyme forward with some herbaceousness from the gin and horseradish, with the sparkling wine keeping it light on the palate.” If you’ve grown out of the old-school wine coolers and are pining for something new, then look no further.