straight on image of tall glass with red hued cocktail garnished with gummi bears and camoflauge nettting

Sometimes, life brings you a friend who feels like they’ve been part of your story all along—a soul who laughs with you, cries with you, and makes the world feel softer in their presence. For me, that friend is my dear Wendy Woo. Though only a recent acquaintance, she has become a constant source of kindness, humour, and generosity—the sort of person whose spirit lights up every room.

Wendy carries with her the memory of her beloved son, Daniel, who was taken far too soon while serving in Afghanistan. When his belongings were returned, amongst them she found bags of Haribo bears that, under the fierce Afghan sun, had melted together into what she affectionately called “bear pizzas.” Something so ordinary, so childlike, unexpectedly transformed into a bittersweet keepsake—forever linked to him. From that moment on, Haribo bears became her way of remembering, of smiling through the ache of loss.

This year, in his honour, we let the sun melt Haribo bears once again, watching them fuse into golden, glistening pools of memory, before breaking them apart to snack on. It is a small ritual, a tender act of remembrance, but one that carries so much love. And then came the thought—why not take it further? Why not create something that allows us to raise a glass to him, to toast his life each time we sip?

And so, a cocktail was born. A syrup made from melted Haribo bears, infused with the gentle bitterness of Wendy’s beloved Campari, and lifted into a sparkling spritz. It is playful yet poignant, sweet yet bitter, just like the way memory holds both love and loss in equal measure.

A drink that pays homage to a brave young man, a life lost too soon, but also one that celebrates the enduring love of a mother, the strength of friendship, and the way even melted sweets under a foreign sun can become a symbol of love everlasting. To Daniel, with every sip.