Memorial Day weekend is the official summer kick-off. Every year, this weekend marks the calendar with family picnics, backyard BBQs and of course pool parties. In our neck of the woods, it inevitably rains. But that never stop us from celebrating like it's sunny outside! Grab a pitcher and join me in turning summer's favorite staple — lemonade! — into the perfect cocktail for happy hour.

When I first started brewing beer at home, I was a 5-gallon girl — much like most new homebrewers. It's just what you do. But there were drawbacks almost immediately. Brewing this much beer at once meant clearing out a precious coat closet for storing carboys and bottles, always having a buddy on hand to help lift the heavy (and hot!) pot on and off the stove, and drinking my way through a lot of beer — which may not seem like a bad thing at first, but can get tiresome if your beer proves less than stellar. Trust me. 

And then I discovered 1-gallon batches. Like a lightning strike to my brew pot, my life as a homebrewer was transformed overnight, and I ultimately developed all the recipes in my new book True Brews to be 1 gallon or less. Here's why I may never brew another 5-gallon batch of beer again.

Wine of the Week: 2010 Tibouren Clos Cibonne “Cuvée des Vignettes” Cru Classé
Region: Côtes de Provence, France
Price: $30  

I just love rosé wine. Can’t get enough really and am always on the look out for the tasty everyday rosé as well the one for special occasions.  This 2010 Clos Cibonne Tibouren “Cuvée des Vignettes” from Provence at $30 is pricey but definitely worth the splurge for a special dinner or treat.  This is a wonderfully serious rosé — complex, beautifully structured, contemplative and elegant — worthy of its price tag.

Spring can sneak up on one in New York City; the moment sunny, warm weather arrives everyone magically appears on the street in shorts, summer dresses, and sandals. Don't they need to switch out their clothing from under the bed (where, due to space constraints, my summer clothing resides in cooler months)? With the same urgency, suddenly it feels imperative to drink lemonade. As in now. That's why you'll want to know this shortcut to a glass of lemonade. 

I have been so very excited to share my new homebrewing book, True Brews, with you this week. Yesterday we gave you a little peek into the book, and today here's one more tidbit to spark your homebrewing daydreams! I have many favorites from the book — the Peach Iced Tea Kombucha, the Mocha Stout, the Chai-Spiced Mead — but this ginger ale is The One. It's like all your wildest ginger ale dreams come true: snappy and fresh, sweet and a little spicy, and perfect for these early summer days. Even better, you can start a batch tonight and be sipping your first glass of homebrewed soda by tomorrow.

Want to jazz up your non-alcoholic drinks like sparkling water, iced tea, and lemonade? Add a sprig or two of aromatic rosemary. These five beverages are a little bit herbal, a little bit sweet, and very refreshing. 

If you're gifting a bottle of wine, you might think the bottle itself is gift enough. But if you want an extra special presentation, I have just the thing: wine wrap papers from the newly launched Bottle Stock, a small shop based out of LA catering to design-minded wine lovers. Each sheet is cut to fit most 750ml wine bottles, and the paper designs are lovely and eye-catching!

This is a very exciting spring for books here at The Kitchn! A couple weeks ago we told you about my new book, Bakeless Sweets, and this week we're turning the spotlight to another book from our team: True Brews, by Emma Christensen, our very own recipe editor. Emma has written about beer for The Kitchn for many years, and she has become a knowledgeable expert in brewing it as well — and her new book shows you how you can make it for yourself. But she doesn't stop at beer —  wine, kefir, kombucha, and fizzy sodas show up in True Brews too! 

Today we have an interview with Emma, talking about her new book. Come read all about brewing in small apartments with minimum equipment, the most surprising things she learned while writing the book, and the most refreshing drink for summer!

Q: I'm getting married to my partner of 5 years in about 1 month! We are having the wedding in her parents' backyard and will be serving beer, wine, iced tea, and water, but we'd also like a cocktail. I'd like something that requires minimal effort and can be made with and without alcohol. Ideas?

Sent by Lisa

Cru Bourgeois is a wine term that you see on the label of some wines from Bordeaux. Do you know what the term actually means?