Strawberry-Rum Coolers

The joyful laughter that comes from sitting around the BBQ pit, under the sun, wiping your brow, sipping a refreshing drink is all about the love of food, family and friends, and reverence for the cook. It’s hard not to be dutiful to the person cooking for you, “Is there anything you need?” When I’m the one wearing the cook’s hat, I want something cold, boozy, and delicious. And delicious is what this drink is. It’s the kind of drink that upon first sip seems to stop the sun’s rays in their tracks and makes the breeze feel somehow cooler. That’s called refreshment. Excerpted from Soul by Todd Richards. Copyright © 2018 Oxmoor House. Reprinted with permission from Time Inc. Books, a division of Meredith Corporation. New York, NY. All rights reserved.