Industry food shows are one of my favorite things about owning a business. Fueled by 100% passion, late nights, second jobs, and dreams…they bring together a subset of incredibly passionate people. And did I mention the swag? That’s the best part. No one wants to haul everything home so a massive swap happens at the end of the show allowing you to take home products no one else may have seen.

And that is exactly what happened with my new friends from San Juan Island Sea Salt. We hit it off, and this week’s cocktail was born. All their salt is harvested from the waters right off Washington’s San Juan Island and, if you’ve been to the Seattle area, have seen our gorgeous Madrona trees - the wood of which is used to smoke their salt. This cherry salt marriage happened just in time for margarita season.

In Seattle’s bartending circles, I have heard this week’s guest bartender described as a super taster. Damon Dhanens has a knack for putting together ingredients that would never traditionally go together and doing it to delicious results.

Damon’s cocktails tend to be a bit more work, but, if you put forth the effort, I can guarantee you’ll arrive at something so nuanced, you’ll feel like you never left the cocktail bar.

It’s been a cold week in Seattle, but, coming on the back of some really gorgeous days. I always want summer, my favorite season, to hurry up and get here. We bought a 10 foot inflatable above ground pool this year. It’s currently housed in my in-home office. Staring at it on those rainy Seattle days doesn’t help fend off my love of summer much.

What does help, however, is this drink. Sipping on it will foreshadow those 80 degree days, this icy cocktail in hand, and kids splashing around in an inflatable above ground pool (or, insert your more ambitious ambitions here). Either way, friends, cheers.