The Alchemist

Mezcal Mule

September 8, 2017 No Comments

INGREDIENTS:
3 cucumber slices (plus 1 for garnish)
0.5 oz (15 mL) agave syrup
1.5 oz (45 mL) mezcal, preferably Del Maguey Vida
1 oz (30 mL) ginger beer
0.75 oz (22 mL) lime juice
0.75 oz (22 mL) passion fruit purée
Garnish: Candied ginger, pinch of ground chili

METHOD:
In a cocktail shaker, muddle the cucumber slices and agave syrup, then add the remaining ingredients. Shake with ice, then fine-strain into a chilled rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with the candied ginger skewered to the cucumber slice, and a pinch of ground chili.

The Alchemist

Simply the best

September 1, 2017 No Comments

Vancouver’s Kaitlyn Stewart named world’s best bartender at Mexico City comp

Kaitlyn Stewart, bar manager at Vancouver’s Royal Dinette, won the prestigious Diageo World Class competition on Aug. 24 in Mexico City. More than 10,000 bartenders from 57 countries entered the global competition. Diageo World Class photo

The winner of the Diageo World Class competition is widely considered the best bartender in the world. And right now, the best bartender in the world is Vancouver’s own Kaitlyn Stewart, bar manager of Royal Dinette.

Recipes, The Alchemist

Diced Pineapple Cocktail

September 1, 2017 No Comments

This zero-waste cocktail created by Royal Dinette’s bar manager Kaitlyn Stewart helped her win Diageo World Class Bartender of the Year 2017. It uses all parts of the pineapple, including the skin, pulp and tops.

Recipes, The Alchemist

Hotel Georgia

August 25, 2017 No Comments

The recipe for the Hotel Georgia cocktail was discovered by Hawksworth Restaurant’s bar manager, Brad Stanton, in the hotel archives in 2011.

INGREDIENTS:
1.75 oz (52 mL) Plymouth gin
0.75 oz (22 mL) fresh lemon juice
0.5 oz (15 mL) orgeat (almond syrup)
6 drops orange blossom water
1 egg white

METHOD:
Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and “dry shake” (without ice) vigorously until quite frothy. Add ice and shake again until well chilled, then double-strain into a chilled cocktail glass. If you like, garnish with freshly grated nutmeg. Serves 1.

The Alchemist

Vancouver’s classic cocktails

August 25, 2017 No Comments

There’s now a handful of unique, signature cocktails that make up part of the city’s cultural identity. Pictured: Wildebeest’s Horseradish Sour. Contributed photo

You can’t call something a classic until it’s been kicking around a while. But there’s more to it than that. A classic has a timeless elegance that feels so right, you can’t quite imagine the world without it.

Think Breton stripes, little black dresses, Hemingway’s novels, the Barcelona chair, Frank Sinatra’s velvet vocals and the Manhattan, Old Fashioned or Negroni – the LBDs of the cocktail world.

Here in Vancouver, you might think the cocktail scene is too young to have inspired any classics. You’d be wrong. Here are some of the city’s signature sips.

Recipes, The Alchemist

Gerard

August 25, 2017 No Comments

This drink is perfect for sipping while you sit beside the fireplace on a leather couch and reminisce.

INGREDIENTS:
1.5 oz (45 mL) Macallan Gold whisky
0.5 oz (15 mL) maraschino liqueur
0.25 oz (7 mL) Fernet Branca
3 dashes Bittered Sling Suius Cherry

METHOD:
Combine all ingredients and stir in a mixing glass with ice for 20 seconds. Strain mixture into an Old Fashioned glass over fresh ice. Garnish with a cherry. Serves 1.

Recipes, The Alchemist

Avocado Gimlet

August 25, 2017 No Comments

Inspired by a visit to Mexico, Shaun Layton infused gin with olives and rosemary, mixed it with avocado and created a West Coast classic.

INGREDIENTS:
1.5 oz (45 mL) olive and rosemary-infused Beefeater Gin (see note)
0.5 oz (15 mL) Lillet Blanc
1 oz (30 mL) fresh lime juice
0.75 oz (22 mL) simple syrup
1/4 fresh avocado, flesh only

METHOD:
Combine all ingredients into a shaker tin and fill with ice. Give it a good, long, hard shake to make sure the avocado blends into the cocktail. Double-strain with a slightly bigger mesh strainer into a large coupe glass. Serves 1.

Recipes, The Alchemist

Horseradish Sour

August 25, 2017 No Comments

Josh Pape’s Horseradish Sour features a crisp tartness balanced with an umami-rich profile that goes exceptionally well with oysters and steak.

INGREDIENTS:
1 tsp (5 mL) creamed horseradish
2 oz (60 mL) Beefeater London Dry Gin
1 oz (30 mL) lemon juice
0.5 oz (15 mL) honey syrup (1:1; see note)
1 egg white

METHOD:
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail tin and shake vigorously. Fine strain into a chilled cocktail coupe glass. Garnish with finely cracked black pepper. Serves 1.

Recipes, The Alchemist

Chartreuse Milkshake

August 25, 2017 No Comments

Crushable, complex and refreshing.

INGREDIENTS:
1.5 oz (45 mL) Tanqueray No. TEN Gin
0.5 oz (15 mL) Green Chartreuse
0.5 oz (15 mL) crème de cacao (chocolate liqueur)
0.75 oz (22 mL) orange juice
0.75 oz (22 mL) lime juice
0.25 oz (bar spoon) simple syrup (see note)
2 dashes Bittered Sling Malagasy Chocolate bitters
1 egg white

METHOD:
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail and dry shake (without ice) to emulsify egg white. Add ice to the shaker and shake vigorously for 10 to 15 seconds until well chilled and diluted. Pour into a tall Collins glass over fresh ice and garnish with crushed cacao nibs. Serves 1.

Recipes, The Alchemist

Classic Mint Julep

August 18, 2017 No Comments

With its mountain of crushed ice, the mint julep is one drink that cries out for a straw, and a reusable glass one allows for the purest taste of bourbon and mint. In fact, it was because he didn’t like the way rye grass made his mint juleps taste that an American inventor named Marvin C. Stone created the first paper straws, back in the late 19th century.