Grays Peak Vodka and the Cucumber Cooler

Grays Peak, a charcoal-filtered vodka made in Minnesota, is a surprisingly inexpensive choice with a classic flavor. And I love the bottle. I highly recommend the straight vodka, but can’t endorse the flavored varieties – both because I’m not a fan of flavored vodkas and because the lemon bits freeze, which is unpleasant. (I haven’t yet tried the gin, but I’m excited to.)

It’s a good choice for refreshing summer cocktails, like the Cucumber Cooler, which should be a thing. Here’s the recipe from Food and Wine:

In a cocktail shaker, muddle three cucumber slices. Add five to eight fresh mint leaves, an ounce of lime juice, an ounce of St-Germain* and an ounce and a half of vodka. Add ice, shake like crazy, and strain into a tall glass over fresh ice. Add a splash (about an ounce) of club soda on top. Garnish with more cucumber and mint.

* (Also vegan!)

Recipe: Vegan Dill Dip with Pumpernickel Bread

This was a requisite dish at our family Christmas parties when I was growing up. It was generally placed next to the punch for ease of hovering. I’ve brought my veganized version to two parties this year, and it’s been a hit both times (at one, the hosts secretly held some back to use as a spread on bagels the next morning). I haven’t been able to find this exact recipe online, so I don’t know where it originally came from.

At our Christmas parties, the dip was served in a bowl carved out of a pumpernickel round. This always struck me as wasteful – much of the bread becomes soggy, and that bread and dip isn’t eaten. The rounds can also be hard to find. So I prefer to serve it in a bowl surrounded by cubed/squared pumpernickel bread.

Here’s the dip recipe:

• 3 cups vegan sour cream (I use Tofutti Better than Sour Cream)

• 3 cups vegan mayonnaise (I use Original Vegenaise)

• 4 tsp. dill weed

• 4 tsp. beau monde (Spice Islands is the only brand I know of that makes it, so wherever sells Spice Islands spices should have it)

• 4 tbsp. onion flakes

• 4 tbsp. parsley flakes

Just stir it all together in a big bowl. The key is letting it sit in a covered dish in the refrigerator overnight so the onion flakes soften and the flavors meld.

So good.