Piña Colada Punch (with a barrel-aged variation)
Rule of 8
Ingredients:
12 oz Bacardi Ocho
4 oz Rémy Signature Brandy
2 oz Luxardo Amaretto
4 oz fresh lime juice
8 oz pineapple juice
6 oz mandarin syrup (see recipe)
12 oz grapefruit soda
Garnish: edible flowers, dehydrated pineapple, fresh fruit slices or whatever captivates your imagination
She’s a Spicy Peach
• 1.5 oz white rum
• 1 oz Homemade Chili Liqueur
• 2.5 oz peach nectar
• 0.5 oz lemon juice
• 2 dashes orange bitters
• Optional: Plain or peach-flavoured sparkling water
• Garnish: Sliced jalapeño peppers
Between the Sheets
Thought of as a riff on a Sidecar, this inspired classic is amped up with the use of some higher-ABV craft spirits.
0.75 oz Wayward Distillery Cask Strength Apple Brandy
0.75 oz Wayward Distillery Drunken Hive Rum
0.75 oz Sons of Vancouver Quadruple Sec
0.5 oz lemon juice
Garnish: orange or lemon zest
Smuggler’s Sour
Recipe courtesy of Tim Cole, beverage director, Ophelia Kitchen and Monarca Cocina Mexicana.
Pair with: Prawn or fish tacos.
• 1.5 oz Don Papa Rum
• 0.5 oz 1800 Coconut Tequila
• 1 oz lime juice
• 0.5 oz guava syrup
• 0.5 oz guava juice
• 0.5 oz egg white
• 3 drops lime leaf bitters (such as Ms. Better’s)
• Garnish: Angostura bitters
Choose A Woman-Made, Woman-Led Spirit Day
Celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8 by buying or drinking a woman-made spirit, such as these global brands that have women master blenders, distillers and more.
Though countless women contribute to the vibrant local, national and international distilling industry, for International Women’s Day each year we give a nod to some of the trailblazers in top production, management and ownership positions at distilleries.
For a fresh perspective on the hidden history of women in spirits and cocktail, we highly recommend the recently released book Girly Drinks: A World History of Women and Alcohol by Mallory O’Meara.
Flannel by the Fire
Make this cocktail with Matthew Benevoli’s West Coast Spiced Rum.
• 1 oz West Coast Spiced Rum
• 1 oz Pineau des Charentes
• 0.75 oz mandarin juice
• 0.33 oz lemon juice
• 0.25 oz Chili Syrup (recipe below)
• 2 dashes cocoa bitters
• 1 egg white or 1 dropper of Ms. Better’s Miraculous Foamer
• Garnish: 3 to 4 drops of cocoa bitters
El Presidente
Make this cocktail with some home made West Coast Spiced Rum
1.5 oz West Coast Spiced Rum
0.75 oz dry vermouth
0.33 oz orange Curaçao
1 barspoon grenadine
Garnish: Orange twist and brandied cherry
Spiced rum
Give this DIY winter warmer a West Coast twist
As the days get shorter and colder, we trade our Hawaiian shirts for sweaters and our light spirits for dark. Spiced rum is a wonderful way to warm up your cocktails during the autumn and winter. But what is spiced rum? In short, it’s (usually) an aged rum that’s been flavoured.
Modern versions of rum have been around since the 17th century, with accounts of “secret blend rums” in Jamaica flavoured with fruit, herbs and spices being served in Port Royal taverns. When spirits age in oak barrels, the wood commonly imparts rich flavours of vanilla and caramel, but beyond this you’ll find spice notes of allspice, nutmeg and clove, among others. Depending how the barrels are treated, you may also find toasted nut and stone fruit notes atop the woody oak blanket. “Spicing” with these components seems a natural evolution to further enhance the flavours that rum already presents us with.
Pineapple Daiquiri
David Wolowidnyk recommends this tropical variation on the classic, perfect for wintry days.
• 2 oz Stiggins’ Pineapple Rum
• 0.75 oz lime juice
• 0.5 oz simple syrup (see method below)
• Optional: Add 0.5 tsp of maraschino liqueur for another layer of complexity
• Garnish: Pineapple slice