Piña Colada Punch (with a barrel-aged variation)
Sip clearly now
With clarified cocktails, both the process and the result are a little bit magical
Clarifying cocktails may seem like a modern technique, but it actually dates to 1700s England, when milk punches were batched in large quantities in advance of parties.
Well aged
Cocktails are better in a barrel—even if you don’t have one
What exactly is barrel aging? Simply put, it’s the interaction between alcohol and the wooden barrels it’s resting in. This process can range from a mere 60 days to years, decades, even centuries. When temperatures rise, spirits absorb deeper into the barrel staves; then they retract out when temperatures cool. This constantly changing interaction affects the spirits by mellowing harsher notes, adding body and giving deeper, richer flavours.
She’s a Spicy Peach
• 1.5 oz white rum
• 1 oz Homemade Chili Liqueur
• 2.5 oz peach nectar
• 0.5 oz lemon juice
• 2 dashes orange bitters
• Optional: Plain or peach-flavoured sparkling water
• Garnish: Sliced jalapeño peppers
Spicy Margarita
• 1.5 oz blanco tequila (Hornitos used)
• 1 oz Homemade Chili Liqueur
• 1 oz lime juice
• Garnish: Salt for rim of glass, pepper, lime wheel
Turn up the heat
Homemade chili syrup and liqueur add sizzle to summer cocktails
Just like summer, Home Bar is bringing the heat! Spicy drinks aren’t new, but have recently experienced a popularity boom, whether the heat comes from hot sauce, fresh jalapeños or spicy spirits.
We’ll be making something more dynamic and versatile than just popping jalapeños into a bottle of tequila. Chili liqueur allows for balanced, nuanced flavours, can be added or substituted into drinks, and can be as fiery as desired. Or, if you prefer, you can make a chili syrup for all your zero-proof drinks.
Churchill’s Breakfast
2 oz unpeated scotch whisky
1 oz brewed coffee
0.5 oz maple syrup
2 dashes aromatic bitters
A pinch of freshly grated cinnamon
Garnish: torched cinnamon stick
Rosemary Bee’s Knees
2 oz London Dry-style gin
1 oz lemon juice
1 oz honey syrup (see note)
1 small rosemary sprig
Garnish: charred rosemary sprig
Jupiter Ascending
Make this cocktail at home by smoking it in a decanter.
1 oz Courvoisier or other VSOP Cognac
1 oz Arbutus Distillery Birch Liqueur
0.5 oz medium sherry
1 tsp grapefruit oleo saccharum (see note)
2 drops saline solution (1:5 sea salt to warm water)
Hickory smoke
Garnish: dehydrated orange wheel
Smokin’
Fire up fall’s woodsy flavour
Fall has arrived and there’s a chill in the air, so it’s time to trade T-shirts for sweaters and cosy up with a comforting drink. Dark, boozy cocktails offering a warming feeling become our go to, and through smoking we can elevate those drinks and invoke a fireside experience.
There are many ways to smoke cocktails, using ingredients such as woods, herbs and spices, and employing anything from a lighter to culinary torches, wood planks and the handy appliance known as a smoking gun. Smoking might seem intimidating, but with the methods on the next page and some practice, you’ll soon be creating complex flavour layers in every sip.
Whichever method you choose, practice makes perfect. Have fun experimenting—just mind those fingers!