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There's something about a margarita that just screams summer relaxation to me. Whether it's blended or on the rocks, the mix of tequila, triple sec, lime juice and, quite often, some other fruit flavor just helps your shoulders relax and helps you forget whatever you left back at work. Here are a couple spots to get great margaritas around the country.

In Santa Monica, not far from the Sheraton Delfina, Border Grill is the place to be, particularly at happy hour, when the freshly made margaritas are just $5. Stick around for dinner and you'll be rewarded with creative takes on traditional Mexican and Latin American dishes.

Chicago has a large Latino population, so your margarita options are legion. But two favorites near the Westin River North are Frontera Grill and Zocalo. Frontera Grill is celebrity chef Rick Bayless' joint, so getting a table might be tough, but there's often room at the bar, and the margaritas are outstanding. Zocalo boasts 120 tequilas behind the bar, and fresh blood orange, prickly pear, guava and other nectars to further flavor your drink. For variety, try the margarita flight.

In Boston, Masa offers the Tres Chile Margarita, made with tequila muddled with three hot peppers for a little refreshing heat. Closer to the Sheraton Commander in Cambridge, Border Cafe gets high marks for its margaritas as well as for its affordable Tex-Mex and cajun food.

As much as we love wine, Americans are much more in love with beer. And so it's no surprise that nearly every weekend features a beer festival somewhere in the country. Interestingly enough, Boston is a hotbed of beer-oriented events, with several major ones coming up in the coming weeks and months. They're all within easy reach of the Westin Copley Place.

On April 16-17, Boston Beer Summit takes over the historic Park Plaza Castle. It's a three-day celebration featuring hundreds of beers from more than 50 breweries. Later in the month, Slowfest pairs craft brews from around the world with dishes by members of Boston's slow food movement and top gastropubs, including Deep Ellum and Stone Hearth Pizza. The same weekend, April 24, there's also a Bacon and Beer Fest, but it appears to be sold out.

In June, Boston Beer Week culminates in Beer Advocate's American Craft Beer Fest takes over the Seaport World Trade Center for the East Coast's largest celebration of the brewer's art. More than 80 breweries are expected to attend, offering samples of well over 350 different beers. It's enough to make your head spin before you get tipsy.

Cocktail culture continues unabated, and now most major cities have at least one bar devoted to the finest hand-crafted concoctions. Here are a couple of my favorites for you to visit on your holiday travels.

In my hometown of Chicago, The Violet Hour is the go-to spot — but if you like bourbon and tequila, you might head across the street to Big Star instead. Recently opened by the same team, Big Star is a big draw for great cocktails paired with incredible Mexican small plates. I recommend the al pastor taco, the phenomenal queso fundido and a Bakersfield Buck to drink. Take a cab from the W Chicago - Lakeshore.

In Boston, Drink is all the rage — so much so that it's beginning to get dinged on Yelp for being unable to handle the crowds. The undulating bar runs the length of the garden-level room. Bartenders stand ready to create a cocktail from memory if you know one's name, or make one up for you based on your personal taste and even hand you the recipe if you like it. Tip: get there early or save it for a weeknight. It's about half a mile from the Westin Boston Waterfront.

New Orleans is a town with plenty of great cocktail destinations, and the latest is Cure, on the up-and-coming Freret Street near the Garden District. The drinks change seasonally and so does the menu of snacks and desserts, so it's already different since I was there in October, but if I were going tomorrow, I'd order the Brown Bunny, a wintry sip. The bar is an easy cab ride from the W New Orleans.