It happened a few days ago that I was having one of those non-problem problems that only someone who spends her time writing about food would have…. I couldn’t decide if I should have homemade lemonade or beer. I know, call Amnesty International, right?

The problem was, it was 4 o’clock – a perfectly legitimate time for an adult beverage, and, yet, lemonade sounded so much more refreshing. And then a stroke of brilliance hit me, as it clearly did for a few other people around the world, that I should mix the two.

I have a confession to make… while I could pontificate ad nauseam on most gastronomic subjects, I am woefully naïve in the ways of wine and cocktails. I know that I like to drink them, but beyond that, I’ve never been a superior cocktail master, nor could I impart any significant knowledge on the origins, ratings, or flavors of a good wine.

But, I am grateful for the oenophiles and cocktail masters in my life who make the apt and judicious wine and cocktail pairings for the meals that I make. My dear friend, CS, has a profound and delightful knowledge of wine, unique liquors, and liqueurs, and is always fiddling with new cocktail combinations.

The first time I sampled the unparalleled combination of orange & chocolate was on a date with my hot, HOT high school boyfriend at a new cafe in town, Starbucks. The first sip of my Valencia Mocha had me spellbound, and the combination of its heavenly taste and staring across a white and green cup into those smokey, eighteen-year-old eyes has left me weak in the knees at that particular flavor fusion ever since.