B.C.'s only magazine dedicated to local distilleries and cocktail culture.
High-waisted jeans, shoulder pads, neon colours—if you had any doubts that the 1980s are back, the return of the Espresso Martini should lay them to rest.
This buzzy, bittersweet cocktail was perhaps the quintessential cocktail of an era in drinks culture that was otherwise, frankly, pretty grim.
• 2 oz vodka
• 0.5 oz coffee liqueur (such as Kahlúa)
• 1 oz espresso, freshly brewed and hot
• 0.5 oz simple syrup (or to taste)
• Garnish: coffee beans
If you’re like me, you’ve probably been dreaming of escape, of going somewhere, anywhere that isn’t your home. But it might be a while before it seems like a good idea to hop on a train or a plane just for fun.
Instead, let this trio of classic cocktails whisk you away on a spirited journey.
Cocktails have always tasted of travel and exotic places. A Kir Royale is a sip of France just as a Margarita is of Mexico. A bowl of punch carries memories of India. Tropical cocktails are the very essence of the Caribbean or South Pacific.
But some cocktails are about the journey itself, inspired by the modes of transportation that will get you there. Consider these three—the Aviation, 20th Century and Sidecar—the sour-based planes, trains and automobiles of cocktail culture.
• 2 oz Cognac (or brandy, if you’re on a budget)
• 1 oz Cointreau
• 1 oz lemon juice
• Garnish: Optional sugar rim; lemon or orange twist
• 1.5 oz gin
• 0.75 oz Lillet Blanc
• 0.5 oz light crème de cacao
• 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice
• Garnish: Lemon twist
• 2 oz gin
• 0.25 oz maraschino liqueur
• 0.25 oz crème de violette
• 0.5 oz lemon juice
• Garnish: Flamed lemon peel or brandied cherry
If you’re the sort of person who likes their cocktails served with a side of storytelling, then Bénédictine is the drink for you. Consider it the Forrest Gump of the spirits world, popping up at just the right moments and in the just the right cocktails.
Bénédictine is an herbal liqueur produced in France, based on Cognac, sweetened with honey and flavoured with 27 herbs and spices including saffron, hyssop and lemon balm. Like Chartreuse, it was originally produced centuries ago, concocted by monks as a medicinal tonic.
Or was it?
• 1 oz gin
• 1 oz dry vermouth
• 0.5 oz. Bénédictine
• 2 dashes orange bitters
• Garnish: lemon twist
2 oz rye whisky
0.75 oz Bénédictine
0.75 oz sweet vermouth
3 dashes absinthe
3 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
Garnish: 3 brandied cherries
Now that we’re all spending so much more time at home, this is a good opportunity to brush up on our home-bartending skills. That means learning at least a few recipes to serve to the people in your bubble and, eventually, all the many friends you’re making on Zoom.
The most important drink you should know how to make is the one you like best. That’s also the best advice for stocking your liquor cabinet, though for your sake I hope it’s something simple, like a highball, rather than, say, a Ramos Gin Fizz, which requires egg whites, orange blossom water and a seltzer bottle, among other things.
After that, it’s best to start with classics. They are, after all, classics for a reason—they taste good, and they work—but they are also a good place to start experimenting if you want to get creative. Here are five drinks every home bartender should have in their repertoire.