 Now onto the drink. It's called the Cruel Summer. Since the shutdown, spirits brands and other industry folk have been coming up with creative ways to help out a work bartender and maintain the sense of community that we're all used to. One way some have done this is by having cocktail competitions, and when I noticed my neighborhood liquor store was having one, I decided to give it a go. And I won. And today I'm going to share the drink I made. In addition to the liquor fountain, this competition was hosted by Singani 63, a brand of Bolivian brandy that happens to be owned by filmmaker Stephen Sotoberg. The story is that Sotoberg discovered the stuff while shooting Che in Bolivia. I just imagine him sitting in a director's chair chugging it straight out of the bottle in between takes. But before we get to the drink, let's taste the product on its own. Very fragrant, almost perfumey. Very floral. Light alcohol burn, but what stands out to me the most are the floral notes. This is a brandy. The difference between whiskey and brandy is a whiskey is made from grain, brandy is made from fruit, in this case grapes. If you've only ever seen brandy that was brown, it's because this is unaged. If I were to compare this to anything, I'd say it's close to some of the more aromatic Piscos that I've had, which is also a great brandy, but from Peru. It's a very nice sipper. Now onto the drink. It's called the Cruel Summer, and this is how you make it. Start with a full two ounces of Singani 63, then add one ounce of grapefruit juice, three-quarter lemon, three-quarter simple, and finish with a half ounce of compari. Shake and strain into a Collins glass and garnish with a grapefruit peel. Cheers! It's hard for me to be objective about this because it is my drink, but I like it a lot. It's floral, it's tart, I think the grapefruit is great in there. It's a good vehicle for what I think is a very special bottle. But the best thing about winning this competition, besides the $200 gift certificate, is that one of the judges was a bartender named Devon Tarby. For years Devon worked at one of my all-time favorite bars, The Varnish, and is now a co-owner of one of the most respected bar consultation firms on earth. I have a ton of respect for her, and it means the world that she liked my drink, but not only that, she gave me feedback on how I could make it better. To Travis at the Liquor Fountain, Devon Tarby, Lindsey, and everyone else at Singani 63, and yes, Steven Sotoberg, thank you. This was a great experience. You made my lockdown better. If you liked it, hit like, consider subscribing if you haven't already, and if there's something you think I should try, let me know in the comments. Stay safe, follow the advice of professionals, and I'll see you tomorrow.