Created by Michael Ranger, senior bartender at Hong Shing Restaurant.
• 1 oz Luzhou Laojiao Baijiu
• 1 oz D.O.M. Bénédictine
• 1.5 oz Seedlip Grove 42
• 3 to 4 dashes Angostura bitters
• Garnish: orange peel
Shanghattan Cocktail
Dry, Damp or Doused? What to Drink this Winter
With the Dry-uary season upon us, here are some favourites for those taking a break from cocktails, or looking for some fresh 2024 drink-spiration.
When renowned a popular U.S. drinks writer began curating a list of non-alcoholic spirits on his Alcademics blog (pioneering brand Seedlip was the first entry), it felt like a novelty niche on the cocktail scene. Today the list is approaching 200 brands, and with so many non-alcoholic alternatives on the market, including many Canadian brands, it can be hard to know what to try.
But first, to tackle the elephant in the room: why can non-alcoholic products cost the same as traditional, boozy ones? High-quality products often use the same distillation process as traditional spirits, which are then de-alcoholized (those with allergies, note: de-alcoholized spirits can legally still contain less than 0.5 per cent alcohol: about the same as a ripe banana, and less than soy sauce). That means a more involved, often more expensive, production process. Others are developed in a complex process of combining flavours, textures and botanicals to re-create the taste and mouthfeel of alcohol.
Amongst these favourites, we’ve leaned into low-sugar, low-additive Canadian brands, because although there are fewer international barriers to shipping these products than with alcohol, why not support local?
Global bar stars shake up Vancouver Cocktail Week 2024
Find these top bartenders at guest shifts, seminars and the Green Garden Gala.
Vancouver Cocktail Week is your best chance to meet — and learn from — some of the world’s greatest bartenders, and you don’t even need to get on a plane to do it. From March 3 to 10, the third annual VCW welcomes some of the most skilled, talented and highly awarded barkeeps from London, Singapore, Argentina and other corners of the planet, and you will definitely want to sample what they are shaking up.
Among them is the legendary Jesse Vida, famous from NYC’s The Dead Rabbit (named World’s Best Bar by Tales of the Cocktail) as well as his days as head bartender at World’s 50 Best Bars-recognized Atlas in Singapore. He’s now partner in the agave-forward Singapore speakeasy Cat Bite Club, and ready to share all his hard-learned lessons at a seminar and guest shift at Laowai.
The new rules of tasting rooms
A top 10 list on how to be a great guest on a distillery tour or tasting-room visit
Distillery tasting rooms are hotspots in any city’s drinking scene. Author Janet Gyenes naturally included some in Vancouver Cocktails (new in October from Cider Mill Press; a Toronto edition is forthcoming). Distillery bars are a different breed: “You’re basically in someone’s workshop… Respect the skill and craft that goes into distilling,” Gyenes says. “Let’s face it: most people don’t know if you’re supposed to swirl spirits like you would with wine, if you should sniff or spit or do something else altogether.”
New look for legacy brand
For 165 years, J.P. Wiser’s has been synonymous with Canadian whisky. But who says an old brand can’t learn new tricks? It’s just launched a bold new look across its entire portfolio, one that captures its heritage while looking ahead to the future.
World Class talent at the Royal York
A few years back, Toronto’s venerable Fairmont Royal York underwent a reno that transformed the train-station vibe of the main floor public area into the glamorous Clockwork Champagne & Cocktails. Now the space has a resident barkeep as dashing as it is.
Barrel-Aged General Waverly
Ingredients:
15 oz Reifel Rye
6.75 oz Punt E Mes
2.5 oz Galliano liqueur
2.5 oz Krupnik Spiced Honey Liqueur (or any honey liqueur)
10 dashes orange bitters
2 dashes orange bitters
Garnish: Honey, freshly ground black peppercorn
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.
Barrel-aged Negroni
Ingredients:
10 oz Roku Gin (or whatever gin you prefer)
10 oz sweet vermouth
10 oz Campari (or whatever red aperitivo liqueur you prefer)
Another round at Cocktail Bar
This Toronto institution enters an exciting new chapter with bar manager Juliana Wolkowski
In the heart of Toronto’s vibrant cocktail scene, where new bars are constantly coming up with all sorts of innovative ways to bring entertaining, theatrical serves to life, there’s one place that stands out as a true, classic gem: Cocktail Bar.