Canada's only magazine dedicated to distillers, spirits and cocktail culture.
Once a derided device of the past, the blender is slowly finding its way back into cocktail bars around the globe.
INGREDIENTS:
2 oz. Old Tom gin
½ oz. lemon juice
½ oz. Tuscan pear rooibos tea syrup
½ oz. Triple Sec
3 dashes of peach bitters
Rosemary sprig and lemon twist
METHOD:
Fill a Collins Glass with ice. Shake all ingredients in a Boston glass. Strain into Collins Glass. Garnish with rosemary sprig and lemon twist.
To the superstitious, a black cat is a bad omen. But to underground drinkers during Prohibition, spotting a sign depicting an old tomcat meant you’d hit the gin jackpot.
A precursor to the crisp and clear London dry gin, Old Tom gin was stored and shipped in wooden barrels, so it had a naturally darker hue. Sometimes it was sweeter or more resiny, thanks to the addition of sugar or, yes, turpentine. Swill or not, Old Tom was probably better than no Tom.
To me, cocktails are mood on ice. They elevate a moment, enhance life. They’re the pocket squares of gastronomy, the clever patterned socks that tie it all together and keep the same old interesting. In that way, they distill our best selves.
When I travel, I always treat myself to an interesting bar off in some neighbourhood (thanks for the research, city magazines!) and in preparation, run through the questions. What will I wear? What time of day will I visit? And, of course, what will I order? The whole sums to this: For these precious minutes, who will I be? Cary Grant? Steve McQueen? (Hey, don’t laugh at other people’s self-delusions.)
It’s a time of change at the Homer Street Café and its sister venue, Tableau Bar Bistro. And that suits JS Dupuis just fine.
Following a stint in sales, Dupuis returned to the fold as beverage director for the restaurants in April.
Think Kitsilano and you’re likely to think yoga pants and granola, luxe hippies and sandy beaches, vegetarian cafés and cosy pubs. Cocktails? Not so much, right?
INGREDIENTS:
0.75 oz Taboo Absinthe
0.75 oz Giffard White Chocolate Syrup
0.75 oz fresh lemon juice
Prosecco
METHOD:
Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker, shake with ice and strain into a chilled champagne flute. Top with prosecco.
—By Simon Ogden
“After the first glass, you see things as they are. After the second, you see things as they are not. Finally, you see things as they really are, and that is the most horrible thing in the world.” — Oscar Wilde
Absinthe, the fabled Green Fairy that ran amok through Paris at the height of the Belle Époque, remains the most polarizing spirit on the bar shelf.
When you check in to the Rosewood Hotel Georgia, there’s no real reason to leave until you check out. With spas, superb food and three of Vancouver’s leading bars inside its 90-year-old walls, this glamorous landmark accommodation is a highlight reel of local luxury, history and flavour.