It’s that perfect time of year when the first warm weather brings scores of gleeful people out of hibernation to toast in the sun. So it was great timing this past Saturday to discover my new favorite seasonal drink at the always delightful Zinc.
The Palmer starts with an invention that, like the paper clip and sliced bread, is so simple and yet so brilliant that it’s a miracle it took this long to discover: Sweet Tea Vodka. That’s right, it’s the alcoholic cousin of the classic southern refresher. Zinc uses Firefly sweet tea vodka, made in South Carolina, and tops it with lemonade on the rocks to make an Arnie Palmer… Read More
The restaurant Bang has more martinis than a UVA football game has bowties. They tend to cater to a younger female audience, with a reliance on fruity flavors and a naming scheme that involves Sex and the City characters, but most deliver a solid alcoholic punch as well. For me, however, a sordid college past that involved mixing anything alcoholic with Snapple Kiwi Strawberry has made me wary of the Bang classics, as I’ve avoided any overly sweet drinks in my wiser, more mature years. So I was pleased to find a new favorite after giving the martini menu another try on a recent visit to Bang: the Honey Ginger martini, which consists of Ketel One vodka with ginger simple syrup… 
My nominee for the most underutilized bar in Charlottesville goes to Vivace, hands down and with great enthusiasm. Yes, the Ivy Road location is a slight drive from downtown. But the reward upon arrival is great. First of all, there’s the popcorn machine where you can fill up old school popcorn baskets as much as you’d like. They… 
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