| Happy Sunday, Everyone. For today's Sunday with Sisson, I'm going to fill you in on a little productivity trick. It's one I've used for years now. What do I do when it's later in the day and I need to work? I'm the type of person who needs something to sip on when I'm focusing on creative work. In the mornings, it's a big mug of coffee, usually with heavy cream, collagen peptides, and teaspoon of sugar. In the afternoon, it's just sparkling mineral water or maybe some tea, either green or herbal. But as the evening approaches, which is sometimes my favorite time to write in quick little bursts, what do I drink? Red wine with mineral water at a 1:2 ratio. Sometimes 1:3. The ancient Greeks and Romans would often marvel at how "barbarians" to the north would drink unwatered wine. Just straight up vino. They themselves preferred to drink one part wine to one to three parts water. I do the same. Water back then was all mineral water, of course. There weren't any mineral filters. Water came from springs or wells or rivers, not reverse osmosis filters or city water treatment plants. So pouring in some tap water or RO water won't do the same. You need mineral water, preferably sparkling. I like Gerolsteiner and Pellegrino. The result is a very light alcoholic drink full of minerals and hydrating water—two things that alcohol normally depletes. The total wine I'll typically have is a 4-5 ounce serving with a bunch more water. It's refreshing and actually tastes good. And it really seems to spark creativity, just mixes things up enough to get you out of a lull. If you like a glass (or half a glass, as it may be) of wine, try it out. Of course, the effect skyrocketed once I moved away from my big 16% ABV California cabs and started drinking Dry Farm Wines. Those are natural wines hand picked from small (and large, but mostly small) vintners from all over the world who do wine the right way, the ancient way: dry farmed (no irrigation, just rain, which causes the vines' roots to reach down deep for nutrients, thereby improving their flavor and nutrient profile), naturally reared (no additives, no chemicals, just pure grapeness), and lower in alcohol. This produces a high-polyphenol wine that's safer to consume. That's it, folks. What's your productivity secret? I'm always looking for more. And have you ever tried mixing wine with sparkling mineral water? Let me know in the comment section of Weekly Link Love. | 
