Classic cocktails

Sizing up the Sazerac

February 1, 2019 No Comments

The mysteries of NOLA’s signature cocktail

Bartender Justin Taylor pours a Sazerac at The Cascade Room. Dan Toulgoet photo

What is it with absinthe? Every time the herbal spirit gets involved, confusion and controversy seem to follow.

Take the Sazerac, one of the world’s oldest and greatest cocktails and since 2008 the official state cocktail of Louisiana. For decades experts as revered as Dale de Groff, King Cocktail himself, traced the origins of the first cocktail to this anise-scented variation on the Old Fashioned. Sadly, it can’t be true, since the word “cocktail” first appeared in print in 1806 and the apothecary who allegedly invented the Sazerac was only three years old at the time.

Still. It’s a good tale.

Home Bar

Party in a bottle

July 6, 2018 No Comments

Batch the cocktails for your next gathering, and you can be part of the fun, too

Bottling cocktails for your next social event makes for impressive presentation—and it’s much easier than you might think. Dan Toulgoet photo

Let’s face it: Making cocktails for a crowd is quite easy, but executing multiple different drinks over and over can be a tedious chore, especially when you want to enjoy the fun, too. The solution? Bottle these crowd pleasers in advance of your next party or backyard barbecue.

Your guests will be blown away with your attention to detail and this fun way of serving iconic cocktails.

Features

Two short, one long

June 29, 2018 No Comments

Why the highball is our enduring summer cocktail of choice.

The simplicity of a highball such as a classic gin and tonic makes it the perfect thirst-quenching option when the weather is hot and the days are lazy. iStock photo

When it’s hot and sticky out, who’s really up for making fancy cocktails? Not me.

That’s why summer time is highball time. The highball is the quintessential two-ingredient cocktail: spirits and soda, gussied up with ice and maybe a lemon wheel or a sprig of mint if you want to get fancy.

Features, Recipes

Dark ‘n’ Stormy

June 28, 2018 No Comments

Purists insist on Goslings Black Seal rum, but in fact, any good quality dark rum will work in this satisfyingly spicy drink. Try one of the new made-in-B.C. craft ginger beers for zingy home-grown flavour.

• 2 oz dark rum such as Goslings Black Seal
• 4 oz chilled ginger beer
• Optional: 1 to 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• Lime wedge

In a highball glass filled with cubes of ice, add the rum and top with ginger beer. If you like, add a dash or two of bitters. No need to stir; the bubbles should do the work for you. Garnish with a lime wedge. Serves 1.

Recipes, The Last Word

The Last Word: Clover Club

June 4, 2018 No Comments

The Clover Club, as created by Justin Taylor at The Cascade Room. Jennifer Gauthier photo

Millennial pink. Tumblr pink. Scandi pink. Candy pink. Pale dogwood. Blush. Rose gold. Rose quartz. Rosé. Frosé. Call it what you will, the soft, sweet, nearly-neutral hue of a generation is all around and here to stay. We prefer it in a cocktail. How about you?

Features

Pip-pip for Pimm’s

April 30, 2018 No Comments

The traditional British cocktail to serve at your next garden party or royal wedding do

The first time I had Pimm’s Cup, I was in the Costwolds, visiting friends of friends, and I was baffled. Why, I wondered, were these nice strangers handing me what appeared to be a glass filled with fruit salad and cola?

Little did I know that Pimm’s is a grand British tradition like double decker buses, cream teas and cricket whites. And as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle head to the altar on May 19 for the first of this year’s two royal weddings (the other is Princess Eugenie’s nuptials on Oct. 12), it seemed like a good time to revisit this classic English cocktail.

Features, Recipes

Pimm’s Cup

April 29, 2018 No Comments

At The Cascade Room, manager and bartender Justin Taylor makes this vibrant version of Pimm’s Cup with added zing from ginger beer rather than traditional sparkling lemonade. You could also use Sprite or ginger ale if you prefer.

Home Bar

Rule Britannia!

April 23, 2018 No Comments

These British cocktails are worthy of a royal celebration

Wedding bells will be ringing this spring at Windsor Castle and you are going to need some cocktails to celebrate, too. With this as inspiration, let’s take a glance at some iconic British tipples and learn how to make them.

The Alchemist

Fire up the fizz for patio season

June 23, 2017 No Comments

These soda-charged sours are what you should be drinking this summer

A fizz made with ginger beer instead of soda water, at Le Logis in the Cognac region of France. Joanne Sasvari photo

Some of Europe’s most talented bartenders are lounging around the swimming pool at Le Logis, the 16th-century chateau in France’s Cognac region that Grey Goose calls home.

It is hot – the mercury hovering around 30 C – and humid, with thunderstorms threatening to break later on.

Classics

Lovely Bubbly

January 19, 2017 No Comments

The history of the Champagne cocktail

It’s kind of a funny thing, the way Champagne cocktails are considered all girly and twee these days. Back when they were originally invented — arguably a harder-drinking era than our own — they were enjoyed by tough guys and sophisticates alike, and so lauded for their powerful kick, they were named for military weapons.

Today, though, you have celebrated bartenders such as Portland’s Jeffrey Morgenthaler tweeting: “Only old ladies and hookers drink Champagne cocktails.”