Canada's only magazine dedicated to distillers, spirits and cocktail culture.
Garnishes can be beautiful, vibrant, eye-catching additions to what we eat and drink. The more appealing, the more they add to our enjoyment. Though usually small in size, garnishes can have a large impact on our overall experience; just because they’re small doesn’t mean they’re not integral to the flavours and finish.
Enter the cocktail cherry.
Clarifying cocktails may seem like a modern technique, but it actually dates to 1700s England, when milk punches were batched in large quantities in advance of parties.
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.
• 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
• 1.5 oz blanco tequila (Hornitos used)
• 1 oz Homemade Chili Liqueur
• 1 oz lime juice
• Garnish: Salt for rim of glass, pepper, lime wheel
Just like summer, Home Bar is bringing the heat! Spicy drinks aren’t new, but have recently experienced a popularity boom, whether the heat comes from hot sauce, fresh jalapeños or spicy spirits.
We’ll be making something more dynamic and versatile than just popping jalapeños into a bottle of tequila. Chili liqueur allows for balanced, nuanced flavours, can be added or substituted into drinks, and can be as fiery as desired. Or, if you prefer, you can make a chili syrup for all your zero-proof drinks.
2 oz unpeated scotch whisky
1 oz brewed coffee
0.5 oz maple syrup
2 dashes aromatic bitters
A pinch of freshly grated cinnamon
Garnish: torched cinnamon stick
2 oz London Dry-style gin
1 oz lemon juice
1 oz honey syrup (see note)
1 small rosemary sprig
Garnish: charred rosemary sprig
1 oz Courvoisier or other VSOP Cognac
1 oz Arbutus Distillery Birch Liqueur
0.5 oz medium sherry
1 tsp grapefruit oleo saccharum (see note)
2 drops saline solution (1:5 sea salt to warm water)
Hickory smoke
Garnish: dehydrated orange wheel