Sunsets & Sundowners

Stir up a storm this summer with cocktails by cookbook author and chef Nicole Aloni.

- Karina Antenucci

Is there any better way to start a summer beachside dinner party than with a glamorous sundowner cocktail? 

“Even if you’re serving a simple meal of grilled steaks, salad and corn on the cob, if you are greeting guests with an insanely beautiful and delicious cocktail, it says, ‘This gathering is going to be really fun and different,’ ” says leading chef, culinary consultant and three-time cookbook author Nicole Aloni of Aloni Culinary, based in Seattle, Wash.

In her cookbook