September: A Season of New Beginnings September has always felt like a second New Year to me. Remember those childhood days of heading back to …
Teacherâs Pet
Back to school for grown-ups.
Crown Royal. Apple brandy. A little maple or demerara. Bitters. Orange. Cherries.
Smooth, warming and just mischievous enough to earn detention.
Itâs an Old Fashioned with an autumn twist â and tastes rather like September in the Okanagan poured over ice.
Croatia: The Dalmatian Spritz
Your European cruise is overâbut must your holiday be? Add four delicious days in Croatia for ancient Split, Adriatic islands, long lunches and a distinctly Croatian Maraschino cocktail.
Buenos Aires: Fernet Con Coca
Known affectionately as Fernando, Fernandito, or simply Fernet con Coca, this deceptively simple cocktail mixes the bitter, herbaceous, menthol-rich intensity of Fernet with the caramel sweetness of Coca-Cola. The result? A drink that, like Buenos Aires itself, is at once bitter, sweet, minty, and complex â and apparently a rather respected hangover cure.
New York City: The Manhattan
âNew York is loud, fast, gritty, glamorous and absolutely electric. Explore the city that never sleepsâand raise a glass with its most legendary cocktail, the Manhattan.â
Death in the Afternoon
Discover the story behind Ernest Hemingway’s famous Death in the Afternoon cocktail, complete with recipe, literary history, tasting notes, and travel inspiration from Traveltinis.
âď¸Â August Newsletter Â
August has always been my favourite month.
Perhaps it’s because I grew up in the Okanagan, where August seemed to stretch on forever.
It was a season of teenagers – “hanging out” at the beach, warm evenings around campfires, or sweaty summer dances, and long, carefree days.
At Kalamalka or Okanagan Lake â the water finally surrendered to weeks of sunshine and became as inviting as a warm embrace.
By August, the orchards were overflowing with abundance. The last cherries gave way to fragrant peaches, sun-ripened apricots, juicy plums, raspberries, nectarines, and other stone fruits, while the first grapes, apples, and pears hinted at the even bigger harvest still to come. The air hummed with bees drifting lazily from blossom to blossom, white clouds wandered across impossibly blue skies, and after dark the Milky Way spilled across the heavens highlighted by the Perseid meteor shower stitching fleeting ribbons of light through the night.
Even now, August carries that same feeling for meâa season of possibility. A gentle reminder to slow down, savour the moment, and dream about where life’s next journey might lead.
As many travellers enjoy this summer’s holidays, seasoned explorers know that now is also the perfect time to begin planning next year’s adventures.
In this month’s newsletter, we’ll wander through the sun-drenched Mediterranean, admire Japan’s spectacular spring blossoms, celebrate Canada’s magnificent coastlines, and raise a glass to summer with a special Traveltini.
Wherever your travel dreams may take you, I’d be delighted to help you turn them into unforgettable memories.
Hugo Spritz
Fresh, floral and delightfully sparkling, the Hugo Spritz brings together Prosecco, elderflower, mint and lime in a cocktail inspired by the sunlit terraces and alpine beauty of northern Italy.
French Martini
Discover the elegant French Martini with its silky blend of vodka, Chambord and pineapple juice. A classic cocktail inspired by the romance of Paris, complete with recipe, story and Traveltini travel inspiration.
The Canadian Caesar
The Canadian Caesarâbold, briny and garnished with enough greenery to qualify as a small garden.