I am counting down to the release of my newest book! Let’s Make Cocktails! comes out in just three short weeks! I’ve got another (spirit-free) “cutting room floor” cocktail for you today: the Orgeat Lemonade.

One interesting fact that came up while I was researching the book: “mocktail” is a much older word than I expected! It first appeared on a menu in 1916, over 100 years ago. This particular mocktail recipe is at least as old as 1892, when Jerry Thomas’s Guide was published – and it’s possibly much older. People have wanted creative and tasty non-alcoholic drinks for as long as they’ve wanted creative and tasty alcoholic drinks. The Orgeat Lemonade is a really delicious one that definitely holds up. If you’ve got some orgeat in your pantry, it’s absolutely worth a try.

Upcoming things:

BOOK EVENTS ABOUND!

I’ll be at C2E2 on Saturday, March 28, to speak on a panel with Kim-Joy, Jarrett Melendez, and Lucy Knisley! There’s a good chance we’ll have at least a few copies of Let’s Make Cocktails! for sale at C2E2, even though it’s about a week before the book comes out.

The first events for the launch of Let’s Make Cocktails! will be:

• Tuesday, April 7, 6-8 pm: Book Release Day at Billy Sunday

• Saturday, April 11, 6-8 pm: Cocktail Party at Challengers Comics

I’d love to see you and sign your books at any/all of these events!

What I’m Into Lately:

In my ongoing experiment where I’ve been asking friends to recommend their favorite books, this week I read The Bullet Swallower, by Elizabeth Gonzales James, which was recommended by brother Dave. It’s a magical realist western, and it’s wildly entertaining. But it’s also a meditation on some interesting ideas about evil, intergenerational trauma, and how later generations suffer from the unresolved sins of their ancestors.

What Toki’s Into Lately:

Any box that enters the house becomes Toki’s domain for at least a few days, and this box was no exception.