| The Alchemist

Ginger Bug

July 14, 2021 No Comments

Fizzy and spicy, it’s the best base for summer’s most refreshing patio cocktails

To make the ginger bug, you will need ginger root, sugar and filtered water, as well as Mason jars, paper coffee filters or cheesecloth, and measuring tools. Matthew Benevoli photos

With the longer days and hotter weather just around the corner, let’s get a helping hand from nature. We’ll be creating something with some heat, a little bit sweet and bright as the summer: a ginger bug!

A ginger bug isn’t really a bug at all, but a naturally fermented ginger mixture with some sugar, water and a little time and care. For generations, naturally fermented soft drinks have been used as health tonics and as refreshments for everyone from laymen to royalty. Traditional ginger beer and ale used to be produced with the help of a ginger bug, and contained natural medicinal properties to ease cold symptoms and nausea (I’m sure we’ve all heard someone swear by sipping ginger ale for an upset stomach.)

Home Bar, Recipes

Powell Street Punch

January 22, 2021 No Comments

Matthew Benevoli’s Powell Street Punch uses his recipe for homemade Red Hibiscus Vermouth.

• 1 oz brandy

• 1 oz Red Hibiscus Vermouth

• 0.5 oz Sons of Vancouver amaretto

• 1 oz apple cider

• 0.25 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice

• Garnish: Cinnamon stick

Home Bar, Recipes

50/50 Martini

January 21, 2021 No Comments

Matthew Benevoli’s recipe uses his homemade White Chamomile Vermouth recipe

• 1.5 oz dry gin

• 1.5 oz White Chamomile Vermouth

• 2 dashes orange bitters

• Garnish: Lemon twist

Home Bar

DIY vermouth

January 20, 2021 No Comments

Add a personalized twist to your favourite cocktails with this aromatized, fortified wine

For this white vermouth, you’ll need botanicals such as grapefruit peel, bay leaves, dried apples, chamomile and mint tea, which mimic the earthy flavours of the wormwood that gave vermouth its name. Matthew Benevoli photo

Let’s talk about the often-misunderstood aperitif vermouth. What is it? Where does it come from?

Vermouth is fortified wine with herbs, roots, spices and sometimes sugar added. There are a handful of different styles to choose from: the most common offerings are sweet red, traditionally from Italy; and dry white wormwood-infused from France. The word vermouth is the French pronunciation for “wermut,” which is German for wormwood, the mystical herb that gives absinthe its reputation and provides the distinctive dry, bitter note found in vermouth.