Whether area residents or visiting guests need to cool off or cool their heels, local establishments offer plenty of refreshing beverage options to make summer less about venturing away from home and more about staying local. Partake in some homegrown specialty concoctions, many of them made with ingredients from just down the road.
A Whiskey Lover's Gin
J. Carver Distillery in Waconia is making a barreled gin that I think is spectacular. This golden liquid is rich and surprising with a bump of vanilla riding through the grassy, citrusy ginny bits. It's a seductive sipper.