Every book needs a birthday cocktail.

My wonderful production editor, Rebecca Norton, at UGA Press recently emailed to say my advance reader copies of Once Removed, my new short story collection, were on the way.

I was thrilled, especially since I’d forgotten I was entitled to any. (Yes, I’m a former lawyer, and no, I don’t read my own contracts as closely as I used to read those of my clients.)

When the box came, I eagerly ripped it open, only to discover the books weren’t mine. The distributor had mistakenly sent me copies of the previous Flannery O’Connor Short Fiction Award winner.

Oops.

Rebecca made sure the distributors sent the correct copies ASAP, and when I ripped open that box, I was thrilled. The ARCs are even more gorgeous IRL as the cover I’ve been staring at for months. They have the heft and weight of a real book, though I haven’t been able to bring myself to read a copy yet. Still, I’ve opened one and smelled it and run my hands across the silken texture of the cover.

Heaven.

And in heaven–at least Italian Heaven–we celebrate with a cocktail.

My Prosecco Obsession

Anyone who knows me even a little knows I’m obsessed with Prosecco, a sparkling Italian wine that I infinitely prefer to Champagne. There numerous differences between the two. The most obvious differences are that Prosecco is made in the Veneto region of Italy and is much cheaper than Champagne, which is made in the Champagne region of France and tends to be pricey due to its expensive production method and its reputation as the top of the sparkling wine food chain.

There are also significant differences between the two wines in taste and bubble quality. According to this great article, Champagne is made with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier grapes and “aged longer on the yeast particles” which can result in “a cheese rind like flavor,” and the bubbles are “fine, persistent and sharp.” Prosecco is made with Prosecco (Glera) grapes using a less expensive production method that results in “more present fruit and flower aromas” and also produces bubbles that are “lighter, frothy and spritzy with less persistence” than Champagne bubbles.

So, basically, what these differences mean to me is that Champagne is aggressively dry and carbonated while Prosecco is sweeter with bubbles that don’t mind being mellow.

I’m someone who hates sweet drinks, but I still enjoy Prosecco, which still leans toward the dry side despite being sweeter than Champagne. Plus, it’s less caloric and has a lower alcohol content; so I can drink a split (or two) over the course of a few hours and still feel great the next day.

Lately, my drinks of choice have been Prosecco or, if I’m in the mood for a cocktail, a Greyhound (basically grapefruit juice and vodka, preferably Grey Goose). Recently, though, my husband and I took a cruise with a group of friends. The ship itself, not so great. The company and the cocktails, however, were fantastic. There was one cocktail in particular called a Cucumber Sunrise that even my husband, who usually only drinks beer , loved. In fact, he loved it so much, he found the recipe online and made sure we had all the ingredients on a recent trip back east so we could drink it all week.

Anguria Bellini Sunrise

Circling back to my ARCs of Once Removed (since everything in my life these days seems to circle back to its release), I decided to concoct a variation on a Cucumber Sunrise in honor of the my book’s birthday, which happens to fall on September 15th, my paternal grandfather’s birthday.

Nonno wasn’t a cocktail drinker–he stuck to inexpensive Italian wines in jugs or bottles wrapped in straw and the occasional Sambuca laced espresso–but I still wanted to add an Italian twist in his honor to my book’s birthday signature cocktail. Plus, Prosecco makes any day just a little bit more festive.

My Anguira Bellini Sunrises aren’t nearly pretty as the cocktail pictured above (whatever it is), but I haven’t been able to let them sit around long enough to get a picture.

If you make yourself one, post a pic below and let me know how it tasted. Better yet, post a picture with my book next to it so I can see whether the drink color complements the book cover.

Cent’anni!

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