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
Churchill’s Breakfast
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!
Mediterranean Spritz
This alcohol-free cocktail by Matthew Benevoli uses homemade Mediterranean Cordial.
6 oz San Pellegrino or other sparkling mineral water
2 dashes aromatic bitters
Garnish: fresh basil sprig
Behind the palms
This cocktail, created by Matthew Benevoli, features homemade Strawberry Elderflower cordial.
1.5 oz reposado tequila
0.5 oz bianco vermouth
0.5 oz Strawberry Elderflower Cordial
2 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
Garnish: candied pineapple
Cordials
Time to be cordial (with our cocktails)
Cordials are often referred to as liqueurs or flavoured liquors; however, today we will be making the UK style of cordial, which is more akin to a concentrated syrup.
I’m sure we’ve all noticed and maybe even reached for that bottle of neon green lime cordial at the grocery store. Sure, it works “fine” in drinks like a classic Gimlet (which is simply gin and lime cordial, shaken and served in a chilled cocktail glass), but the artificial lime flavour can take away from the beautiful spirits we love.
Spiced rum
Give this DIY winter warmer a West Coast twist
As the days get shorter and colder, we trade our Hawaiian shirts for sweaters and our light spirits for dark. Spiced rum is a wonderful way to warm up your cocktails during the autumn and winter. But what is spiced rum? In short, it’s (usually) an aged rum that’s been flavoured.
Modern versions of rum have been around since the 17th century, with accounts of “secret blend rums” in Jamaica flavoured with fruit, herbs and spices being served in Port Royal taverns. When spirits age in oak barrels, the wood commonly imparts rich flavours of vanilla and caramel, but beyond this you’ll find spice notes of allspice, nutmeg and clove, among others. Depending how the barrels are treated, you may also find toasted nut and stone fruit notes atop the woody oak blanket. “Spicing” with these components seems a natural evolution to further enhance the flavours that rum already presents us with.
La Joya
Matthew Benevoli’s La Joya uses his homemade ginger bug.
• 1.25 oz blanco tequila
• 0.5 oz elderflower liqueur
• 0.75 oz ginger bug
• 1 oz orange juice (preferably fresh-pressed)
• 0.25 oz lemon juice
• Garnish: lemon twist, orange slice or vibrant flower
Ginger Bug Penicillin
Matthew Benevoli’s Ginger Bug Penicillin uses his homemade ginger bug.
• 1.5 oz blended scotch whisky
• 0.75 oz fresh lemon juice
• 0.75 oz ginger bug
• 0.5 oz honey syrup (see note)
• 0.25 oz peated Islay scotch
• Garnish: piece of candied ginger or a lemon twist