Alcohol & Other Drinks

Cold brew goes down easy, but watch out: This is high-octane stuff. For a clear liquid, use coarsely ground coffee. (Finely ground beans make for a cloudier drink.)

The bite of mustard and the char of the grill amp up the flavor of tender but mild-tasting filet mignon. Be sure to have all the sauce ingredients ready to go before starting the meat. For perfect timing, add the cream to the sauce while the steaks are resting; they'll be done at the same time.

There are only three ingredients in this cherry compote recipe (and one of them is booze).

Portland-based Salt & Straw adds a drop of vinegar and a hint of pepper to balance the sweetness in this strawberry shake, plus a splash of rum to make it deliciously grown-up. If you're making this for the under-21 crowd, just omit the booze.

No sugar here—this margarita get its sweetness from agave syrup. Choose your favorite tequila blanco for the base.

Berries get a subtle herbal note from tea-infused whipped cream.

You'll need a special mold for this canelé recipe.

But hey, when it comes to America's liquid gift to the world, what *isn't* important?

Black-eyed peas are the perfect side for this redeye-glazed pork tenderloin.