Let’s set the record straight: the Mai Tai isn’t some sugary swamp poured from a Slurpee machine at a beachside resort with a sad maraschino cherry and a paper umbrella jammed into it like a crime scene...

 Historians will tell you the first official distillation happened in the 1600s. But don’t believe for a second that people weren’t getting delightfully wrecked on fermented cane juice long before the ink dried on any logbook. 

 A hangover is not so much a punishment as it is a proclamation—a declaration of your effort, your joie de vivre, your commitment to the art of celebration...

 It’s 97 in the shade. The sidewalk’s sizzling like a cursed skillet. Your shirt is glued to your spine, and the air feels like Satan’s breath on low. Perfect. It’s Daiquiri Day. 

A dive bar is more than just a place to kick back and relax. It’s where we mark out life’s plans, celebrate its successes, and make memories to treasure. We make friends who become family and remember those who have left us behind.

 If cocktails had a royal court, the Sazerac would be its dignified monarch—equal parts history, elegance, and swagger. Its roots are deeper than a jazz bassline and its recipe demands respect. 

June 20. Summer solstice. More hours of sunlight in a single day. Of course, it’s a scientifically proven fact that the longer the day, the more time there is for day drinking.

Can you walk into a bar and trade your AA Chip in for a cocktail? We give you the unfiltered facts.

 17 bars, six games of pool, and an unknowable number of Miller Lites later, I finally tracked it down. But I could never have prepared myself for what I found along the way.