Canada's only magazine dedicated to distillers, spirits and cocktail culture.
In the months before the Rosewood Hotel Georgia’s subterranean bar, Prohibition, opened, head bartender Brad Stanton spent countless hours obsessing over every detail, from a state-of-the-art ice-maker to stylish copper bar tools.
One of the things he obsessed over most was the glassware.
• 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
• 2 oz (60 mL) pisco, preferably Encanto
• ¾ oz (20 mL) cantaloupe juice
• 2 tsp (10 mL) lemon juice
• 2 tsp (10 mL) orange juice
• 4 to 5 fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 oz (15 mL) maple syrup
This classic cocktail dates back to 1937 and is named not for the time period, but for the stylish 20th Century Limited train from New York to Chicago. It’s a perfect example of how an aperitif (Lillet) and a liqueur (crème de cacao) can combine to lift a cocktail above the ordinary.
One could argue that without liqueur, a drink isn’t a cocktail. It’s just booze in a glass.
Every cocktail starts with a base spirit. Every home cocktail bar should do the same. The question is, what spirits do you really need to stock at home? What’s worth spending money on (and what isn’t)? After all, those bright, shiny bottles can be expensive.
—Marilyn Monroe as Sugar Kane gets the party started, mixing cocktails in a hot water bottle in Billy Wilder’s classic comedy, Some Like It Hot.
Stocking your home bar? Before you invest in spirits, tools and glassware (not to mention that handy bar cart), you should get some expert advice. Luckily, there are plenty of great cocktail books out there to help you make the right choices.
Here are the essential tomes to quench your thirst for both well-made cocktails and the know-how to make them.
Stuart Bertrand from the Bard & Banker at the Grand tasting.
Kayla Morton from Fine Art Bartending School.
Jessica Barwin from Glo Restaurant & Lounge.
Michael Pizzitelli, head distiller at Arbutus Distillery.