Bar Clementine
Soif
“This is a new punch we’ve got for the patio launch. It will be served under cork, in a bottle that we are engraving with our Clementine logo. This recipe is for a single serving; Clementine multiplies by five for the actual punch.” –Evan Watson, Bar Clementine.
| 4 oz | Birichino Vin Gris |
| 1 oz | Aperol |
| 0.5 oz | ruby grapefruit juice |
| 0.5 oz | cucumber water |
| 0.25 oz | cinnamon syrup* |
* To make the cinnamon syrup, lightly toast cinnamon sticks in a saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 cup of water, and 1 cup of sugar. Stir to incorporate, bottle and strain the cinnamon after 24 hours.
Photo: Steven Babish
Bar Bricco
Negroni
In our opinion, Bar Bricco’s Negroni is the best in town. Or, maybe it’s just that we love to sit at the Bricco bar enjoying Negronis? Either way, this is how they spin the classic.
| 1 oz | Tanqueray |
| 1 oz | Cocchi Vermouth |
| 1 oz | Campari |
Add the gin, vermouth and Campari in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Stir roughly 30 times. Strain into a tumbler filled with ice. Garnish with an orange peel.
Wishbone
The Incredibly Deadly Viper
“A fruit-forward drink with a citrus kick and a lovely hint of habanero.” –Brayden Kozak, Wishbone.
| 1.5 oz | Espolon Reposado |
| .75 oz | Aperol |
| .25 oz | Yellow Chartreuse |
| .75 oz | lime juice |
| ¼ piece | habanero |
Shake with ice and fine strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a lime twist.
Wilfred’s
The Weekend Getaway
This is a refreshing tropical Daiquiri variation and certainly appropriate to the season.” –James Grant, Wilfred’s.
| 1.5 oz | Havana Club 3 Year white rum |
| 0.5 oz | Giffard Banane de Brésil liqueur |
| 0.25 oz | coconut-infused simple syrup (recipe follows) |
| 1 oz | fresh lime juice |
| 2 dashes | Bittermen’s Elemakule Tiki Bitters |
Combine all the ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake until chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.
Coconut-infused Simple Syrup
| 500 g | white sugar |
| 500 g | water |
| 50 g | toasted coconut flakes |
Combine sugar and water over heat. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Transfer to a heat-resistant container and add the coconut. Seal, shake, then steep for 2 hours. Strain out the coconut. Syrup will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks.
Three Boars
The Bette Midler
“A nice floral twist on a Negroni by Jade Krull.” –Brayden Kozak, Three Boars.
| .75 oz | Tanqueray Rangpur |
| .75 oz | Cocchi Rosa |
| .75 oz | Bitter Bianco |
| .25 oz | rose syrup |
Stir on ice and strain into rocks glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Drunken Ox at Night, Sober Cat in the Morning (DOSC)
Rose & Leaf
“I looked for unique flavour pairings that would tie into the history of the Metals Building. There are beautiful rose and leaf inlays on the sides of our building that represent Alberta’s provincial flower and Canada’s maple leaf. The watermelon and rose water, along with the dry tea notes of Beefeater 24 which are elevated by the Absinthe, work really well to showcase the diversity of this drink.” –Brandon Baker, Drunken Ox at Night, Sober Cat in the Morning.
| 2 oz | Beefeater 24 |
| 0.25 oz | lychee syrup (recipe follows) |
| 1 oz | watermelon juice |
| 0.75 oz | fresh lemon juice |
| 2 dashes | Absinthe |
| 1 | Japanese shiso leaf, a mist of rose water |
Place all the ingredients, except garnishes, in a shaker tin filled with ice. Shake for ten seconds and fine strain into a rocks glass containing a large ice cube. Add the shiso leaf and mist with rose water.
Lychee Syrup
To make the lychee syrup, take a 2:1:1 ratio of sugar, water and peeled and chopped lychees by weight. Place the sugar and water into a saucepan over medium-high heat. Do not boil. Once the sugar has dissolved remove from heat and add the lychees. Let sit for 20 minutes to infuse, then strain out the fruit. Allow to cool completely. Bottle and refrigerate. The syrup should last for 2 weeks in the fridge.
A substitute for the lychee syrup is a can of peeled lychees in syrup. Separate the lychees and the syrup through a strainer. Reserve the lychees for yummy snacks or other uses.
El Cortez
Oaxacan On Sunshine
| 1 oz | Mezcal Espadin |
| 1 oz | passion fruit shrub (recipe follows) |
| .5 oz | lime juice |
| .25 oz | Aquavit |
| 2 dashes | Angostura bitters |
| 1.5 oz | Champagne |
In a shaker tin, combine all the ingredients, except for the sparkling wine, with one cube of ice. Shake. Add Champagne to the tin and pour over ice into a Collins glass. Garnish with fresh mint and lime.
Passion Fruit Shrub
“A shrub is an old-fashioned method of preserving fruits, vegetables and herbs with sugar and vinegar. The great thing about this crisp, acidic and refreshing preserve is that you can use it for a variety of drinks. Whether you drink it straight, top it with soda water, or mix it with booze; it makes for a great summer cooler.” –Ryan Sumner, El Cortez.
| 8 oz | Boiron Passion Fruit Purée |
| 10 oz | white sugar |
| equal parts champagne vinegar |
Combine the puree and white sugar in a saucepan. Simmer while stirring until the sugar is fully dissolved. Measure out the mixture and add an equal amount of champagne vinegar. Whisk until thoroughly mixed.
Speak Tiki
Speak Tiki is a cocktail pop-up and catering company dedicated to promoting tiki cocktail culture. Bartenders Natasha Trowsdale (Bar Clementine and LittleHK), Nic MacDonald (Woodwork), André Bober (bar manager Baijiu and LittleHK) and Warren Johnston (not a bartender, just drinks like one) share a passion for tiki. “Tiki drinks are very popular amongst bartenders,” says Warren Johnston. “We wanted a chance to showcase them with the same emphasis on quality and ingredients as you’d see in any of the great bars in our city.”
The Amazon
“Try this delectable concoction at Bar Clementine- it’s on their new menu and will be just the thing to convince you to pick up that bottle of Cachaça for your home bar.” –Warren Johnston.
| 1.5 oz | Leblon Cachaça |
| .5 oz | St. Germain |
| .75 oz | passionfruit juice |
| 1 oz | fresh lime |
| 2 oz | avocado sweetened coconut milk |
| 1 sprig | mint |
Add ingredients to shaker tin and shake with ice until chilled.
Strain over crushed ice. Serve with a metal straw and garnish with a fresh mint sprig.
East Bank
“Speak Tiki likes to embrace the non-traditional. While some purists might say this drink strays far from typical tiki concoctions, it is the perfect thing to sip on an accidental beach when you don’t have a shaker on deck. If you need a quick fix, go visit Trader Nic at Woodwork and ask him to stir one up for you!” –Warren Johnston.
| 1 oz | El Dorado 15 |
| .5 oz | Appleton 12 |
| .75 oz | Amaro Meletti |
| .75 oz | Punt e Mes |
| 3 dashes | DeGroff Pimento Bitters |
| lime zest |
Add the ingredients to a mixing glass and stir with ice.
Strain. Express lime oil over the drink prior to garnishing with the lime zest.
A long cool gin and tonic, its fragrant herbaceous notes, merging with the backyard aromas of fresh-cut grass, defines summer. My current splash, with a good squeeze of lime (or lemon to mix it up) is Gilpin’s Extra Dry with Q Tonic or Strathcona Spirits Seaberry Gin with East Imperial Tonic. I like the collision of the crisp juniper, citrusy notes with the direct quinine hit of these tonics. And, these tonics are low in sugar, coming in at about 40 calories.We asked several other gin lovers what makes a gin and tonic sing.
“At the Juniper, we make our own tonic syrup for our gin and tonic and we like to source local or Canadian gins. My fave is Stump Coastal Forest Gin from Vancouver Island, so yummy. It reminds me of the West Coast Trail with its woodsy and earthy tones that are reminiscent of wet fir trees. There are hints of lavender and coriander too!”
Peggy Adams, Juniper Café and Bistro
“I’m a fan of Edinburgh Small Batch Gin with the Porter’s Grapefruit Tonic.”
Leanne Smoliak
“I like Bombay Sapphire Gin with soda, not tonic, with a lime wedge. I don’t like the sweetness of the tonic. Doug’s favourite is the pre-mixed Parlour Gin and Tonic from Eau Claire.”
Marcia J Hamm, Hick’s Fine Wines
“The Botanist on ice with Perrier and a splash of Fever-Tree Tonic and slice of lemon,”
Alison Phillips, Aligra Wine & Spirits
“One of my all-time favourites is Uncle Val’s Botanical Gin from California. I’m also fond of Noteworthy from Vancouver and have my eye on an Italian gin called Imea.”
Michelle Tobias
“Boodles London Dry Gin with club soda, Wildlife Tonic Syrup and a splash of Upson’s Classic Lemonade Cordial over crushed ice, garnished with a slice of dehydrated lemon. Or, Hayman’s Old Tom Gin with East Imperial Tonic, a fresh mango slice and peppercorns over crushed ice.”
Juanita Roos, Color de Vino.