The sun is shining and our great Milwaukee summer has begun. That means there's plenty of daylight for chillin' on the patio and enjoying happy hours with friends. This year, we invite you to read along as we get to know our city even better using the 2017 Thirsty Passport, a pocket-sized field guide contains over 30 two-for-one drink offers (including cocktails, beer and wine) from some of the city's best bars, restaurants, breweries, and distilleries.

Sitting on the patio at Great Lakes Distillery with a cocktail is a Milwaukee summer rite of passage. Located across from the roundabout on 6th Street in Walker’s Point, it’s a place to see and be seen – or simply just a sunny spot to take a load off.

The small-batch distillery, which was Wisconsin's first distillery since Prohibition, also has an intimate tasting room with plenty of seating, bar snacks, a gift shop, tours and, of course, cocktails. With the Thirsty Passport the drinks are two-for-one.

Rehorst vodka is the flagship product and my personal favorite. Every time I go to GLD I consider a seasonal or classic cocktail like the Mooncusser, made with Roaring Dan’s rum, a dash of Angostura bitters and Sprecher cream soda, or the Bee’s Knees which is a tempting mix of Rehorst gin, fresh lemon juice and honey syrup.

However, because GLD makes a seriously delicious tonic I "have" to order a straight up vodka and tonic. Every time. But if you visit you should definitely be more adventuresome and try something fancier.

The Tasting Room is open Monday-Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to midnight and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Thirsty Passports are available for $30 each (that's less than $1 per venue) and are good through Nov. 30. Get yours here. Tip your bartenders and remember the new Milwaukee toast: 414 let's have one more!