Our love of fresh, crisp summer produce is no secret, but this season’s real star is the spritz. The refreshing wine-based beverage is perfect for a poolside afternoon, a balmy mid-summer’s night dinner outdoors,  a lazy Sunday with the gals — or an evening at one of NYC’s best new spots.

Our Big Apple restaurant guru, Kat Odell, stopped by Public Kitchen for a sip of their spritz. Here’s everything you need to know about this summer-ready cocktail, and the other menu items you should probably try when you’re there…

 What I drank: Public Kitchen’s pineapple spritz.

Why I drank it: Public is the next super chic, Le Labo-smelling installment from Ian Schrager, the hotelier who gave you Gramercy Park Hotel and, more recently, the Edition. Right now, all the cool kids are sipping spicy passionfruit sours and pineapple spritzes at one of the property’s many bars, or within Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Public Kitchen on level one.

Why you need it: Because the spritz is the unofficial drink of summer, and Public Kitchen has crafted a killer version using pineapple-infused Aperol, mixed with Boodles gin and dry bubbly rosé. That alongside Public Kitchen’s flaky fried basil pancakes (almost like a Chinese scallion pancake but lighter and made with basil in place of scallions) is a absolute win.

Check out all of Kat’s NYC restaurant excursions here!