Sing in the Sunshine, Dance in the Moonlight

This June, as the sun reaches its zenith, we find ourselves at the gateway to the year’s most enchanted season. The Summer Solstice — known as Litha to the ancient Celts and Geshi to the Japanese — is more than just the longest day of the year. It’s a global moment of transition, when one culture uses fire to strengthen the sun and another uses water or ice to purify the soul. A thinning of the veil where the brilliance of the midday sun meets the pull of the midsummer moon.

Light the Bonfires

Long before the solstice became a date for backyard barbecues, it was a night of “bone fires.” Communities across Ireland and Scotland would gather the bones of the season’s feasts and cast them into communal pyres to strengthen the sun, release the animals’ spirits in gratitude, and ward off evil.

One way to mark the event and honor its history is with Macallan Highland Single Malt Scotch Double Cask 12 Year Old ($47.99), a balanced single malt scotch with flavors of honey, citrus and ginger. Its name is derived from the Celtic word magh, meaning a fertile piece of land.

By the 16th century, these celebrations evolved into an Elizabethan tradition of “good amity.” Neighbors would set tables with sweet bread and drink to reconcile old feuds under the lingering light, believing bonfires “purged the infection of the air.”

To honor this tradition of serving sweet drinks in amity, Five Farms Irish Cream ($34.99), the world’s premier farm-to-table liqueur, provides a velvety finish, especially poured over ice cream or served alongside a dark chocolate sea salt tart.

The Legend of the Elder Mother

In Celtic and Germanic traditions, the elder tree was inhabited by Hyldemoer, the Elder Mother, a powerful spirit that guarded the plant. Considered a magical herb of healing and protection, elder trees were deemed unlucky to prune without chanting a rhyme for permission. Folklore warns that if you fall asleep under an elder tree on Midsummer Eve, you might be transported to the fairy realm, as the fragrance was thought to be a doorway to the supernatural Fae.

To capture a hint of these magical elder trees, sip St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur ($36.99), with its stunning botanical scent of blossoms hand-picked at the foot of the Alps. It mixes with any citrus or floral summer cocktail. Or try Fever-Tree Elderflower Tonic Water (four-pack, $6.19), offering a light character with the sweet elderflower perfectly balanced by the soft bitterness of quinine.

For a nod to the pagan Vikings, try Absolut Citron Vodka ($19.99). Produced in the heart of ancient “Northman” territory in Åhus, Sweden, this vodka is crafted with locally sourced winter wheat and zero sugar for a vibrant lemon burst. Swedish midsummer remains the most famous modern descendant of these traditions, involving flower crowns and dancing around the majstång, or maypole.

Yin and Yang

In ancient Chinese cosmology, the summer solstice represents the ultimate tipping point. This is the day Yang (active, solar energy) is at its strongest. Yet, at the very moment Yang reaches its peak, Yin (cool, receptive energy) is born again at the center. As we reach the peak heat, we transition from Chinese fire to the Japanese ritual of Geshisai at Meoto Iwa, where pilgrims enter the ocean at sunrise. They bathe as the sun rises between the “Married Couple Rocks” in an act of Misogi, or water purification, to recharge the soul.

This brings us to the art of Japanese kakigori, or shaved ice, once reserved for the elite to cleanse the spirit. Kakigori-style cocktails are the elegant, softer version of snow cones, with spirits poured over snow-like shaved ice. Recreate this cooling purification at home with an ice shaver and Daily’s Frozen Cocktail Pouches ($2.99). Made in Pennsylvania with real juice, the four flavor options are light, fresh and low-alcohol enough for a poolside afternoon.

The kakigori method also transforms an Aperol spritz, pineapple margarita or mimosa into an elevated icy treat. Aperol Aperitivo ($28.99) is the classic Italian spirit made from oranges and rhubarb. Casamigos Tequila Blanco ($49.99) offers notes of vanilla, citrus and sweet agave with a clean finish. Finally, Mionetto Organic Prosecco ($17.69) merges fragrances of acacia blossoms with tastes of golden apple, perfect for a soul-refreshing sip that balances the summer sun.

In this season of global transition, may we find that same balance within ourselves, tending to our own inner light as we celebrate the balance of the world around us. May the long day of the solstice find you in good amity, and as the sun turns toward the moon, please remember to drink responsibly.

Liz Tarditi, WSET II, is an entrepreneur and classically trained chef with 35 years’ of culinary experience. She graduated from Villanova University and the Culinary Arts program at the Art Institute of Seattle. Liz has worked for Fine Wine & Good Spirits for several years, becoming a Wine Specialist in 2020. She enjoys pairing wine and food for special events and celebrations. See her at the Villanova Fine Wine & Good Spirits location.