Lost Highway
How the whale got its throat
This cocktail takes its name from a Rudyard Kipling short story in which an Irish boy is swallowed by a whale and spat out in Labrador. That journey inspired the drink’s split base of Irish and Canadian whisky, and its wild, botanical character. Recipe by Lucas Van Es, beverage manager at Bagheera in Vancouver.
Pollination
Bearface’s distinct character serves as the perfect foundation for a cocktail that connects flavour, place and story in Lacey Roberts’s (Published on Main) Bianco Manhattan, which is poured tableside from a beeswax-coated vessel, the wax sourced directly from the Queen Elizabeth Park apiary.
Devil
Recipe by Ryan Buchanan, bar manager at Arcana Spirits Lounge, Vancouver. Note that he uses lime ash to create black bitters to draw the pentagram on the drink, but recommends that home bartender use Angostura instead.
Café Bastille Martinez with Ketel One
This dark, savoury twist on the Martini’s precursor was one of the cocktails created in support of Good Night Out this past spring. Recipe by Kate Chernoff, The Keefer Bar.
A riff on the classic Paper Plane
Recipe by Nathan Murray, bar manager at aKin in Toronto: “I prefer Canadian whisky over bourbon. Then I add an acidulated green tea blended with toasted brown rice in place of classic citrus. The result: a flavour profile that is sure to surprise even the most seasoned Paper Plane drinker.”
The Turbulent Plane
This variation on a Paper Plane is by Anita Dorion, the Toronto-based Vine Translator.
INGREDIENTS:
0.5 oz bourbon
0.5 oz Aperol
0.5 oz Amaro Nonino Quintessentia
Juice of ½ lemon, freshly squeezed
Sparkling wine of choice
Niigata Paper Plane
Recipe by Mat Locke, bar manager at Bar Asra, Vancouver: “My riff uses neither bourbon nor Aperol—half of the key ingredients. Instead, I use Japanese whisky in place of bourbon, and a non-alcoholic aperitivo to replace the Aperol. I balance the cocktail by playing around with the traditional proportions.”
Flying Home
Recipe by Avi Kunen, bar manager at Kissa Tanto, Vancouver: “Sam Ross [the Paper Plane’s inventor] initially tried the drink with Campari. This is a nod to that. Rhubarb and ginger are a natural pairing, and we love combining Japanese whisky and Italian amaro.”
The Orchardist
Recipe by Oliver Leung, co-owner of Suite 115 Cocktail Bar in Toronto.
0.75 oz Basil Hayden bourbon
0.75 oz Calvados
0.5 oz sweet vermouth
0.25 oz Bénédictine
0.25 oz chai syrup (see recipe)
2 dashes peach bitters
Garnish: orange peel (oils and twist)