refreshing

Lavender can make a drink feel fresh, floral and a little special — until one extra splash makes it taste like soap. The trick is not avoiding lavender. It is knowing where to stop.

Aquavit can sound intimidating when the first words you hear are caraway, dill and Scandinavian shots. It gets much easier once you know whether your bottle leans toward caraway, herbs, citrus or oak — and how to turn that flavor into an easy first serve.

If lemon is starting to make every citrus cocktail feel a little too familiar, yuzu is the easy reset. This bright, aromatic Highball mixes Japanese whisky, sweetened yuzu cordial and soda water into a crisp three-ingredient drink you can build in two minutes.

This Pandan Margarita keeps everything you love about the classic — tequila, fresh lime and a little orange — then adds pandan for a soft tropical aroma that can remind you of vanilla, coconut and toasted rice. It looks special, tastes surprisingly familiar and takes only a few minutes to shake.