Come and knock on my door, I’ve been waiting for you…in my caftan with my new favorite cocktail. Haha. How could I resist starting this article that way, friends? I couldn’t.

Two of my favorite summer things are caftans and cocktails. I feel like I’m already living my best retired-old-lady life in my mid-40s, and I’m totally OK with that. Coastal-grandmother chic…if that grandma wears gorgeous flowy caftans and drinks Amaro cocktails. Yup.

Summer Joy: My Beloved Emerson Fry Caftans + The Best Averna Cocktail

Give me all the hoodies and high-tops and jeans when it’s cool/cold. But when it’s hot? I transform myself into a wannabe sun-goddess type and float around in my favorite caftans from Emerson Fry. They are organic cotton, nursing-friendly, hot-weather-friendly, hand-printed in India using low-impact dye, and just a joy to wear.

I lounge in mine, wear them as cover-ups and sleep in them. I take one on every warm-weather vacation. I own two and already want more, but I’ll get into the details I love best of the two styles I have. I’ve linked to all the current styles at Emerson Fry at the bottom of the post too!

The Slimmer-Fit Emerson Fry Caftans

Each year, Emerson Fry slightly changes a few elements of the caftans, mostly the fabrics (gosh, they are all gorgeous). So, while my exact caftan is an older one that was discontinued, this year’s versions are similar and in stunning prints too. The style and cut most like mine is now called the Daughters Caftan. It has a slimmer cut, a hidden tie for adding an optional fitted look at the bust, and a midi length.

Daughters Caftan (this year’s version)

The Voluminous, Flowy Emerson Caftan

This pretty style offers a bit more room in the cut and comes in both a long version and a short version. This one is my favorite to wear as a cover-up, and while it is more sheer, I still feel perfectly fine in it on vacation, with a swimsuit underneath, going to meals, etc.

It’s simply gorgeous, and I wear it around the house all the time too. If you get the darker shades, they aren’t see-through. This one gives the flowy sun-goddess vibe I’m after.

Emerson Caftan (this year’s version)

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My Summer Drink Of Choice This Year

I’m a true lover of food, drinks, and anything interesting, unique or out of the box. Not from a box, mind you — OUT of the box. Heh. My mom and I were wanting to make Aperol spritzes when we were together in June, but she wound up not having any Aperol on hand. She did have Averna (a Sicilian Amaro), so we tried out our own version that’s similar to the popular Aperol spritz but with the darker bitter liqueur…and we fell in love!

A lot of cocktails that call for Amaro are heavier, and while they’re delicious, I’m not always down for a Black Manhattan or similar bourbon drink when it comes to summertime. This version still gives your palate a lovely, deep bitter herbal flavor but lightened up by the prosecco and lemon. YUM.

Amaro Spritz Cocktail Recipe

This unique, non-sweet cocktail is the perfect light cocktail for any season, but it’s been especially nice this summer (you may have seen it last month on my Instagram Reels. If you dig a video version, head there!)

The fresh lemon tops off the bitter Italian liqueur beautifully, and the Amaro balances the slight sweetness of the prosecco. The best part of this drink? It keeps giving. You can easily add more sparkling water or club soda as you drink it, without having to add more alcohol, so it lasts for a while to keep you refreshed without being heavy-hitting. Love it!

Ingredients — Makes 1 Cocktail

• 3 oz. sparkling wine or prosecco
• 2 oz. Amaro liqueur (try the Sicilian Averna if you can find it!)
• 1 oz. club soda or sparkling water
• squeeze of fresh lemon

Fill glass with ice (a large cube is best if you have one).

Pour in 2 oz. of the Amaro liqueur. (I highly recommend grabbing one of these brilliant little measuring cups!)

Add 3 oz. of prosecco, top with the club soda and lemon. Saluti! Enjoy your refreshing, unique drink.

Caftan (this year’s version)

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Shop This Season’s Emerson Fry Caftans

Now that we have our cocktails made, let’s peruse the whole line of Emerson Fry caftans on the site this season. The fabrics are really so lovely and breezy, and the prints are just incredibly gorgeous.

Hope you’re enjoying your late summer wherever you are. If you have another favorite unique cocktail recipe, please let us know in the comments. Cheers!

xo,
L

Want to keep up with everything else I’m into? Pop over to my Instagram @laurajansenstyle, where there are mostly odes to snacks, OOTDs, travel and everyday mom-life-stuff in Portland, Oregon. xoxo

Lovely pics by Posy Quarterman Photography

This one’s for the pinners…