“I was inspired by the idea of the island of Madeira floating in the sea. I wanted the richness of the Madeira to float on a refreshing, citrus-forward, more tropical cocktail.”
Islas Moradas (Purple Island)
Chocolate Basil Daiquiri
INGREDIENTS:
2 oz light rum
1 oz fresh lime juice
3 fresh basil leaves, plus one for garnish
1 oz cocoa nib syrup*
1 egg white
cocoa powder for garnish
METHOD:
Pre-chill a cocktail glass. Add rum, lime, basil (torn in half), cocoa nib syrup and egg white to a cocktail shaker and dry shake without ice for about 10 seconds. Add ice and shake for an additional 10-15 seconds. Double strain into the glass using a fine mesh. Garnish with a fresh basil leaf and a small pinch of cocoa powder.
—by Justin Taylor
Turn of the Century
INGREDIENTS:
1.5 oz single malt Scotch whisky
0.5 oz dry vermouth
1 oz white chocolate syrup*
0.5 oz fresh lemon juice
3 dashes Bittered Sling Malagasy Chocolate Bitters
candied cocoa nibs
METHOD:
Pre-chill an Old Fashioned glass. Add ice and all liquid ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for 15 seconds. Strain over crushed ice into your glass. Garnish with candied cocoa nibs.
*White chocolate syrup: Boil 2 cups heavy cream and pour over 6 oz white chocolate chips, stirring to dissolve. Reserve in a sealable jar or bottle and refrigerate until needed.
—by Justin Taylor
Spicy Oaxaca Old Fashioned
INGREDIENTS:
2 oz mezcal
0.5 oz cocoa nib syrup*
2 dashes Scrappy’s Fire Water
1 dash Angostura bitters
orange zest for garnish
METHOD:
Pre-chill an Old Fashioned glass. Add all liquid ingredients to a mixing glass with ice and stir for 20 seconds. Strain cocktail into the glass, over fresh ice. Garnish with orange zest.
*Cocoa nib syrup: Add 1 cup cocoa nibs, 1 cup raw sugar and 1.5 cups water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, stir, and simmer for 10 minutes. Allow syrup to cool and strain into a sealable bottle or mason jar and refrigerate (it will keep for about four weeks). Dry the nibs on parchment paper to use as garnish.
—by Justin Taylor
Dad’s Hot Chocolate
INGREDIENTS:
4 oz 70 per cent dark baking chocolate
3 tbsp cocoa powder
0.5 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
8 cups whole milk
1 cup Fernet Branca
0.5 cup peppermint liqueur
12 dashes Angostura Bitters
marshmallows or whipped cream for garnish (optional)
shaved tonka bean for garnish (optional)
METHOD:
Add chocolate, cocoa powder, milk, sugar and salt to a medium saucepan and heat gently, stirring constantly. As the mixture reaches a slow boil, remove from heat and add liquor. Pour into mugs and garnish with whipped cream or marshmallows, and shaved tonka bean. Makes 8 cups.
—by Justin Taylor
The B.C. Filibuster
Just in time for the provincial election, a politically inspired cocktail with ingredients that celebrate British Columbia.
INGREDIENTS:
3 oz Lohin McKinnon Single Malt Whisky
3/4 oz apple butter diluted with just enough water to make a thick syrup
2 dashes of Bittered Sling Suius Cherry Bitters
1 dash Bittered Sling Kensington Bitters
METHOD:
Place all the ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir well. Strain into an Old Fashioned glass and add fresh ice. Garnish with a dehydrated apple chip.
—by J-S Dupuis
The Paper Plane Updated
Mia Glanz puts her own spin on the modern classic cocktail.
• ¾ oz (22 mL) lemon juice
• ¾ oz (22 mL) Aperol
• ¾ oz (22 mL) bourbon
• ¾ oz (22 mL) Mia Amata amaro
The Pachamama
An ode to Mother Nature
INGREDIENTS:
1.5 oz El Gobernador Pisco
0.25 oz Amaro Nonino
0.25 oz Giffard Elderflower Liqueur
0.75 oz lemon juice
2 dashes of Bittered Sling Western Haskap bitters
METHOD:
Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shake. Double strain into a chilled, small coupe. Garnish with a dehydrated rose.
—by Katie Ingram
Read more about pisco and the Pachamama Cocktail.
The Last Wall
This Mexican-influenced variation on the classic Last Word cocktail was created by bartender Tarquin Melnyk to highlight the fresh, juicy Ms. Better’s Green Strawberry Mah-Kwan bitters. “It has the biggest wow factor when people are trying bitters for the first time,” he says.
• 1 oz (30 mL) mezcal, preferably Siete Misterios
• 1 oz (30 mL) green Chartreuse
• 1 oz (30 mL) Luxardo Maraschino liqueur
• 1 oz (30 mL) fresh lime juice
• 2 dashes Ms. Better’s Green Strawberry Mah-Kwan bitters
Elderflower Tom Collins
Recipe by Robyn Gray, head bartender at Prohibition in the Rosewood Hotel Georgia.
• 2 oz (60 mL) Old Tom gin
• 1 oz (30 mL) lemon juice
• ¾ oz (20 mL) elderflower liqueur
• Soda water
Shake gin, lemon juice and elderflower liqueur in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a Collins glass filled with fresh ice, then top with soda water. Garnish with 3 lemon wheels. Serves 1.
—by Robyn Gray