Originally published on Huffingtonpost.com

It's a scenario most people who slave in front of a screen all day have imagined at least once: ditching the tie, taking a sledgehammer to the computer and opening a restaurant. That's precisely what Nate Pollak and Heidi Gibson did. (Except maybe without the sledgehammer bit.)

For decades, Golden Gate Park has hosted festivals for every kind of person out there. We're talking Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Outside Lands, queer-centric celebrations, even the bike-rodeo-circus known as Tour de Fat. And this weekend, there's a new fest in town called Cultivate, throwing down on Saturday, June 8.

I had a moment of discovery while researching the piece about sour beer that I wrote for the May issue of 7x7 that is probably worth mentioning. I was familiar with the genre before, but I quickly figured out that this wasn't the kind of trend — like rosé wine or rye whiskey -— that was likely to appeal to a wide range of drinkers.

We appreciate a good light, summery drink that can be enjoyed at all hours of the day. Mimosas, margaritas, and mint juleps are just a few quintessential daytime beverages. But sangria–fruity, light, yet deceptively strong–is the perfect drink to sip all summer long.