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Summertime Sipping: Bourbon Cocktails Will Get You in the Spirit

WUSF | By Dalia Colon,
Robin Sussingham
Published June 13, 2019 at 7:00 AM EDT

Bourbon is having a moment. Not only does the spirit pair well with summer barbecue, but a bottle of the good stuff makes a great gift idea. 

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WUSF's food podcast, The Zest, recently visited the Epicurean Hotel in Tampa for a mixology lesson with Nate Wilson, director of spirits for Bern’s Steak House and its sister properties, including the Epicurean. Wilson explained the bourbon basics, offered tips for choosing an affordable-yet-impressive bottle of the spirit, and shared some easy bourbon cocktail ideas.

You can find Nate’s recipes for the bourbon cocktails BLT and Orange You Glad It’s Summer at TheZestPodcast.com.

The summery BLT cocktail.
Kelly Prieto /
The summery BLT cocktail.
Nate Wilson squeezes lemon into the BLT cocktail as Dalia Colón and Robin Sussingham look on.
Kelly Prieto /
Nate Wilson squeezes lemon into the BLT cocktail as Dalia Colón and Robin Sussingham look on.
Nate Wilson is director of spirits for Bern's Steak House, Haven and the Epicurean Hotel.
Epicurean Hotel /
Nate Wilson is director of spirits for Bern's Steak House, Haven and the Epicurean Hotel.

Copyright 2019 WUSF Public Media - WUSF 89.7
State News
Dalia Colon
Dalia Colón is excited to return to WUSF as producer of the Zest podcast. From 2010 to 2014, Dalia covered health and features for WUSF. Before that, she was a staff reporter for the Tampa Bay Times and Cleveland Magazine.
See stories by Dalia Colon
Robin Sussingham
Robin is Senior Editor at WUSF, spearheading the station's podcasting initiatives and helping to guide the vision for special reporting projects and creative storytelling. She hosts the weekly current affairs program, Florida Matters, on WUSF and also created The Zest, the station's podcast that's all about food, which she continues to host and serve as senior producer.
See stories by Robin Sussingham