Some of the best memories of my life involve music.

I grew up listening to an eclectic mix of artists, all of whom defined certain parts of my life: Childhood christmases with The Chipmunks, afternoon nap times with Abba (Super Trouper still puts me to sleep), Sunday family lunches with Ray Conniff, Sinatra sessions with my dad, racing home as a school kid to either sing along to 90s divas or “harmonize” with boy and girl bands of the time, dreaming of forming a band (Doc Martens optional) inspired by the 90s rock gods (Nirvana, baby!), saving up to make a mix tape/CD (or to just buy a very good CD, such as Jagged Little Pill or Frenté’s Marvin The Album) of all my favorite songs and play them over and over again, getting a first generation iPod to finally take my music from the clubs to my car and the office, and finally downloading Spotify (this generation’s better version of Napster) to make a multitude of playlists to match my moods.

Maybe it was because of a severe attack of nostalgia, or the fact that the people from Santa Ana Gin included a vinyl with their swag box during their online launch last year… but I suddenly found myself itching to get a record player. This was after swearing off buying one as being “too hipster” for my taste, then eventually realizing that there’s something about listening to the jazz greats I loved in their original format.

My husband being the freakishly amazing human being that he is decided to gift me one for Christmas, along with a couple of Sinatra vinyl records. This led to the birth of my new – and dangerously expensive – hobby: Listening to records over drinks and a good book.

Here are a few of my favorite drink and vinyl combos: