This thoughtful spin on a whisky smash uses flavour mapping to showcase the whisky’s range. Recipe by Griffin Cox, bar manager at Bernie’s Supper Club & Cinema in Kelowna.

INGREDIENTS: 

1.5 oz Dillon’s Three Oaks Rye Whisky

0.75 oz apricot brandy or liqueur such as Giffard Abricot du Roussillon

0.75 oz Super Orange (see recipe below) or fresh lemon juice

0.5 oz tonka syrup (see note) or vanilla syrup

5 large mint leaves

METHOD: 

Shake all ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker until chilled and properly diluted. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a chilled rocks glass over a large ice cube. Garnish with a large mint sprig. Serves 1.

Super Orange

Note that this will take 24 hours to make.

40 g orange peel, without the bitter pith

66 g granulated sugar

600 g water

44 g citric acid

Combine orange peel and white sugar in a container and allow it to sit overnight to extract the oils from the peels.

The next day, add the mixture plus water and citric acid to a blender and blend on high for 30 seconds. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve to remove any solids. Bottle and store in the fridge for up to two weeks. Makes about 2½ cups.

Tonka Syrup

Bring 750 mL water to a boil and grate in 2 tonka beans. Infuse for 30 minutes, then strain through a coffee filter to remove the solids. Weigh the liquid and add an equal measure of white sugar. Stir to dissolve, bottle and store in the fridge for up to one week.