Winter Cocktails: French 75 in New Orleans

It is with great appreciation and honour that I present a whopping total of four Christmas cocktails from the historic New Orleans bar, the French 75. The bar itself was built in the late 1800's, but was renovated in the 1970's, and reinvented in 2003 with an emphasis on premium spirits and cigars, and of course the new renaissance in cocktails. This award-winning bar is the first in New Orleans to grace this site, and they have graciously contributed a handful of recipes.

"The Winter Waltz," a rye, amaro, and Christmas spice mix, is named after head bartender Chris Hannah's favourite Frank Sinatra Christmas Carol. "The Contessa" is a nod to the character in Tennesse Williams' novel, "The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone." Contessa was the swindler in the book who introduced the Negroni to the characters in tho novel.

Winter Waltz
2 oz Rye Whiskey
1/2 oz Averna Amaro
1/4 oz St. Elizabeth's Allspice dram
2 dashes Angostura bitters
 
Shake with ice, strain into cocktail glass, garnish with star anise.

Dicken's Toddy
2 oz Wild Turkey bourbon
1/2 oz Maple Syrup
3 dashes Angostura Bitters
 
Build like and Old-Fashioned in a rocks glass with ice, garnish with an orange peel and a cherry.

Contessa
3/4 oz London Dry Gin or Plymouth Gin
3/4 oz Aperol
3/4 oz Ruby Red Grapefruit juice
1/2 oz Cranberry Cordial
2 dashes Orange Bitters

Shake with ice, strain into chilled cocktail glass, garnish with an orange peel.

(We make the Cranberry cordial similar to making Cranberry Sauce)

A fairly simple alternative to making a cordial is making an infused simple syrup. By adding equal parts water to sugar (usually 1 cup) and adding fresh cranberries to the mix once the sugar dissolves over low heat, you can make a cranberry syrup to use in this and other similar Christmas cocktails).  

Charante Hessian
1 1/2 oz Cognac
1 1/2 oz Pumpkin Butter
1/4 oz St. Elizabeth's Allspice dram
4 oz boiling hot water
 
Build in a tempered glass or mug, stir and garnish with grated cinnamon and nutmeg.

Pumpkin butter is a compound butter with added pumpkin puree.

Cheers to the French 75 team and their amazing bar in such a historically exciting city.
Merry Christmas everyone!

Fall Cocktails: "Jones' Bitter Aperitif" by Evelyn Chick

Next up is the always creative and lovely Evelyn Chick, who previously contributed to the Bittered Sling series in the summer (which you can see here). Now you can catch her at the Blue Water Cafe in Yaletown of Vancouver.

Evelyn is sharing a unique cocktail combining some unsuspected elements, namely amaro and sparkling wine. Both port and allspice make appearances, lending some harvest flavour to the mix and further complexifying (yes, I just used that word) the herbal depth of the amaro combination. Caramel and coffee play with artichoke and bitter herbs and are balanced nicely by the dried fruit flavours from the port and the mulling spices of the syrup. Evelyn introduces it herself:

"This is the best way to make bubbles winter-appropriate. There was once the infamous Mr. Jay Jones sitting at my bar asking for something "bitter and bright," and immediately the challenge comes with how I can make two conflicting concepts work - bringing in 3 different types of herbaceous ingredients to balance out a light, bone-dry cava. It's the perfect aperitif, and the perfect after-dinner drink. Bon apetite!"

Jones' Bitter Aperitif

1/2oz Amaro Averna

1/4oz Cynar
1/4oz Taylor 10 Tawny Port
Barspoon All-Spice Syrup
Stir all ingredients with ice, strain into champagne flute & top with dry cava 
(Segura Veudas Brut Reserva used in photo)

All-Spice Syrup:
Boil a tablespoon of crushed allspice berries, one stick of cinnamon, and three cloves in one litre of water. Simmer for 15 minutes on low, then add two litres of sugar. Stir until dissolved, then let cool before bottling.

[[ Photography by Evelyn Chick ]]

The Fall Cocktail Series
You can see the series introduction here
and more terrible Halloween cocktails here
"Death & Oranges" by Donnie Wheeler
"The Satchmo" by Simon Ogden 
"Dark City" by Jay Jones
Classic Halloween Cocktails
"The Giant Huntsman" by Lauren Mote
"The Bay Harbour Butcher" by Shaun Layton  
"A Nightmare On Juniper Street" by Shea Hogan 

Aperol & St. Germain

Since hitting the North American market in 2006 and 2007 respectively, Aperol and St-Germain liqueurs have become staples on many a cocktail menu. It's no secret that the latter is ridiculously tasty and is considered by some to be almost cheating because of its ability to make just about anything delicious. Made from elderflowers gathered in France by hand during only a handful of weeks, and transported by bicycle before being gently macerated, the liqueur is not overly sweet for a liqueur. It offers aromas of flowers, peach, pear, grapefruit, and lychee, and flavours just as wonderful. Perhaps the reason bartenders get so excited about it, however, is its acidity, which balances extremely well in a cocktail and even in small doses can round out a drink without ever being overpowering. Aperol, the mildest of Italian amari, originated in 1919 with the intention of being a lighter version of Campari and as such offers lower alcohol content, a sweeter profile, and much less bitterness. It is also much less complex, and has strong rhubarb and orange flavours. It will be bitter for some, but most experienced drinkers will find it quite mild. Modern bartenders have furthered its reputation of being "Campari's younger brother" by swapping the liqueurs in classic drinks such as the Negroni and Boulevardier, or at least mixing the two so as to make these drinks more palatable to the uninitiated.
It is usually fair to assume that putting two awesome things together will create further awesome drinks, and in this particular case this logic yields amazing results. However, it doesn't seem to happen as often as one would expect. There are a ton of options, particularly with gin, and it is worth experimenting. With the hot weather finally arriving in the Pacific Northwest, here is a small collection of some summer afternoon refreshers to evening sippers employing the skills of both of these liqueurs and the magic they create together.

Apparent Sour
(Bobby Heugel, Anvil Bar & Refuge, Houston)

• 1.5 oz Aperol
• 0.75 oz St-Germain
• 0.75 oz lime juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary.

These taste amazing and are perfect not only for summer, but also for anyone looking for something low-proof. A perfect and simple example of the great flavour you get from mixing the two liqueurs. Try switching the lime for lemon and throwing in a dash of your favourite bitters.

 
 Primrose
(Jay Jones, Shangri-La Hotel, Vancouver)

• 1.5 oz London Dry Gin
• 1 oz Aperol
• 0.75 oz St-Germain
• 0.5 oz lemon juice
• 2 dashes peach bitters

Stir with ice and fine strain into a cocktail glass.
There are a lot of options in sour-territory.

This is a great starting point to play around with the bitters, citrus, or spirit choice. Tone down the Aperol and top with sparkling wine for a lighter drink even better suited for hot weather.



Rye Invention
(Kathy Casey, Small Screen Network)

• 1.5 oz Straight Rye Whiskey
• 0.75 oz St-Germain
• 0.75 oz Aperol

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, garnish with a flamed orange peel and a cherry.

This one is surprisingly light in flavour and mouth-feel for a whiskey-based cocktail and the rye brings some much welcomed spice to the mix. Using a different spirit with a dry profile might work well here too (such as a slightly high-proof rum, an unaged Tequila, or be very adventurous and use aquavit or a Scotch).

Welcome To The Dark Side
(Colin Turner, Cin Cin, Vancouver)

• 1.5 oz Bourbon
• 1 oz Amaro Averna
• 0.25 oz St-Germain
• 0.25 oz Aperol
• Orange Peel

Lightly muddle the orange peel in the mixing glass, then add ingredients with ice and stir. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a fresh orange peel, squeezing the oils over the top of the glass.

A much darker, heavier drink than the rest so far. The liqueurs offer a lot of complexity and bitterness, but the sugar from each balance everything very nicely. Despite having a whiskey base and using a full ounce of Averna, the flavour offers a lot of fruit along with chocolate and vanilla. Using a dry bourbon is your best bet here to really round things out (Colin prefers Maker's 46).

Article by Rhett Williams; originally published on www.shakestir.com

[[ Photography:
Wall Street Journal (Apparent Sour)
Taste Magazine (Primrose)
Small Screen Network (Rye Invention)
Rhett Williams (Welcome to the Dark Side) ]]

Bittered Sling Extracts: Jay Jones at Shangri-La

Next up is a more familiar face, one of the talented veterans at the helm of the Vancouver scene, Jay Jones at Market By Jean-Georges in the Shangri-La Hotel.
You can check out some information on the man himself plus his previous contribution to the site here (from Amaro April).

Jay sticks with his typically spirit-forward and boozy style and again uses Amaro Averna, but this time incorporates a little smoke from the very peaty Ardbeg and some spice and depth from the Moondog bitters. The cocktail comes out tasting surprisingly light and soft, very balanced, and is an excellent showcase for the Don Julio Reposado.
I'll let Jay introduce his cocktail himself:


"Debuting at Bittered Sling Bistro [the bi-monthly series at Legacy Liquor Store], "The Jaguar" was designed to embrace and resound the characteristics of Don Julio Reposado Tequila, while simultaneously pairing with Chef Jonathan Chovancek's dish of pressed pork, Mayacoba beans, smokey vegetable broth, and crispy ramps. Furthermore, the use of Bittered Sling bitters was required - the range of hand-crafted extracts being the inspiration behind the event itself.
The cocktail addresses both challenges by featuring compliments and contrasts to specific tasting notes:
Averna helps create a fuller weight on the palate, while its bitter depth creates structure an earthy tones that match the beans, vegetables, and natural personality of aged Tequila. The chocolatey tastes add a decadence to the flavour experience.
The Moondog bitters provide spicy amplification to the cocktail while showcasing the Tequila's bite and the seasoning of the dish.
A finishing mist of Ardbeg Alligator single malt Scotch binds elements with an assertive waft of smoke and char - perfect for pork - and adds savoury to compliment the sweet components of the drink.
Fresh lemon oil introduces a bright aroma to invite and trim some edge appropriately from the bolder elements.  
The cocktail is named for the indigenous animal of Mexico - the jaguar is recognized as a national symbol. The sometimes black-furred jungle cat is known for its grace and power, and has a particularly powerful jaw. In tandem with the animal's impressive fangs, it is capable of piercing an alligator's hide..."

If you are lucky enough to have both a little Don Julio and some Ardbeg sitting around (or perhaps suitable substitutions), pick up some Moondog and try this bad boy at home. Otherwise, take a trip to Market and have Jay make one for you.
Cheers!

The Jaguar

1.5oz Don Julio Reposado Tequila
3/4oz Amaro Averna
4 firm dashes Bittered Sling Moondog
3 mists of Ardbeg Alligator Single Malt Scotch
Lemon peel

Combine Tequila, bitters, and Averna and stir with plenty of fresh ice cubes until well-chilled. Fine-strain into a cocktail coupe. Mist the surface of the cocktail thrice with Ardbeg Alligator, then zest thoroughly with lemon peel before wiping the rim and garnishing.

[[ Photography by Jay Jones ]]

See the Bittered Sling introduction here
See Dani Tatarin from The Keefer mix something up in her Chinese apothecary-style here
See Justin Taylor from Yew mix up some infused and barrel-aged spirits here
See Evelyn Chick from Uva Wine Bar make some fresh-fruit seasonal cocktails here 
See David Wolodidnyk's world-wide competition-winning cocktail here 
See Grant Sceney use his barrel-aged Cointreau here
See David Wolodidnyk's world-wide competition-winning cocktail here

Amaro April: "Welcome To The Dark Side" from Cin Cin

Heading north once again to beautiful Vancouver takes us to the heart of downtown, peering over the street lights and night-shoppers of Robson street. Multiple award-winning contemporary Italian restaurant, Cin Cin, has been a big name in the Vancouver food scene for some time, but like Blue Water Cafe, I sometimes wonder if people realize how amazing the bar program is as well. Ignore the misleading "fresh juice martini's" offer on the website and look at the actual bar menu that offers several excellent classics, and some solid and simple originals. Bourbon is a common theme here, and continue scanning down (or continue flipping through, next time you're there) the menu and you'll find pages and pages of grappa. You'll even find it in some of the cocktails, including their signature, the Negroni Cin Cin, featuring Beniamino moscato grappa, Punt e Mes, Aperol, and a few drops of orange bitters, served on the rocks with orange peel. In fact, Cin Cin is awaiting one more shipment that should give it the largest selection of grappa in North America (at the moment, I've been told only one restaurant in San Francisco is ahead).
The man behind this program is one of the true veterans of the Vancouver bar scene, CPBA director, Colin Turner. Bringing experience from over twenty years of being behind the bar in some capacity, Colin is an expert of the craft - and I mean bartending, not just mixology. He creates cocktails that suit your palate while being engaging, entertaining, and informative, making Cin Cin another top choice for a great drinking experience. He will also create something to pair nicely with your meal, believing that cocktails, particularly those of the bourbon persuasion, can work excellently alongside food - a view I very rarely encounter. Should you feel so inclined, the wine list is also award-winning, as is the dessert menu, so there is many a reason to make the trip.

Requesting to meet Colin to discuss Amaro April brought me not only a ton of information, but also some great drinks. I went through some originals he'd been tinkering with, including one with Bols genever, Amaro Ramazzotti, St. Germain, Bitter Truth Jerry Thomas' Own Decanter Bitters, and orange peel, and another that I loved with Rittenhouse Bonded 100, Amaro Nardini, maraschino, and Bitter Truth aromatic bitters. Ultimately for his amaro post, I had to go with one currently on the menu, and one that will soon actually be tied around the neck of any bottle of Averna you buy from the BCLS (whenever they get around to bringing some in!) - "Welcome To The Dark Side."
When Colin tried a Black Manhattan, he found it to be terrible (though I argue he had a poorly-made one, because it can be a good drink), but found something in the mix that was worth tweaking. Using, as he puts it, the "full sweetness of Aperol" to pull the Averna and bourbon together, he balanced with just a little of St. Germain, which unlike most other liqueurs, has an "acidity that really cuts through." Adding just one other factor in the muddled orange peel to bring the oils to the full taste of the cocktail and not just the nose, it needed only a name, one he chose in honour of both a bumper sticker in the Cin Cin office, but also the several Star Wars geeks on staff. The sugar content feels quite high after you finish your glass, but it is not at all overly-sweet in your mouth as the bitterness of both amari balance things out and the bourbon provides a full-bodied backbone.

Welcome To The Dark Side

1.5oz Maker's Mark 46 Bourbon
1oz Amaro Averna
0.25oz Aperol
0.25oz St. Germain
Orange peel

Lightly muddle the orange peel in the mixing glass. Add ingredients, then ice and stir. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a fresh orange peel, squeezing oils over the top of the glass.


If you're at all interested in grappa, or perhaps learning about a new spirit if you don't know what it is, Cin Cin is THE place to go, and all the staff are informative. It's not at all a spirit I know well, but I find myself stopping by there lately just to try a new kind. Head to Cin Cin soon if you can for both food and drink because they're both fantastic, or at the very least head there for a drink from Colin and take a turn to the Dark Side.

[[ See my post on amaro digestivos here ]]
[[ See my post on amaro aperivos here ]]
[[ See a buying guide for amaro here ]]

[[ See "The One Hit Wonder" from L'abattoir in Vancouver here ]]
[[ See "The Penny Farthing" from Pourhouse here ]]
[[ See an introduction to amaro  here ]]
[[ See "The Imperial Eagle" from Bourbon & Branch here ]]
[[ See "Sevilla" from Beretta here ]]
[[ See "Fallow Grave" from the Toronto Temperance Society here ]]
[[ See "The Black Prince" from Phil Ward here ]]
[[ See "Bad Apple" and "Jackson Ward" from Amor y Amargo here ]]
[[ See "The Four Horsemen" from Jay Jones at Shangri-La here ]]
[[ See Colin MacDougall from Blue Water Cafe here ]]
[[ See "Debbie Don't" from Dutch Kills here ]]
[[ See "Foolish Games" from Russel Davis here ]]
[[ See "Intro To Aperol" from Audrey Saunders at Pegu Club here ]]

Amaro April: "Foolish Games" from Russell Davis

So I'm really excited about this one. We're heading back to the left coast to visit the very friendly and extremely creative Russell Davis from Rickhouse and The Ice Cream Bar. To catch up if you weren't around last month, take a look at "The Unforgiven" cocktail from Maraschino March..
When I asked Russell for an Averna cocktail his response was "I'm gonna do a Averna soda fountain style drink for you," which seriously had me itching to see what he was going to do. He didn't disappoint as this is an actual, traditional soda-fountain drink... with Averna. Unfortunately, this does mean that the majority of us won't be able to make it at home, but if you're in San Francisco, head to The Ice Cream Bar and try some actual house-made sodas, and perhaps if Russell is there, the possibility of getting this drink might exist. (I'll be looking into this and updating the post when I get more information).
For more information on soda fountain history, you can see a little bit on my aforementioned post, but you should definitely head to Darcy O'Neil's "Art of Drink" website and furthermore get his book, "Fix The Pumps."

Looking at instructions on how to make the drink, there are a few things that are quite foreign to me, so here's a little information up front (which I am borrowing from a couple sources, but mainly Art of Drink):

Extinct Acid Phosphate - a partially neutralized solution made with calcium, magnesium, and potassium salts. "Phosphated Soda" was a very popular drink in soda bars until it disappeared in the 1950's, but now that acid phosphate has become available again, it will make tasting a lot of old, forgotten sodas possible. I have actually tasted it (at Darcy's "Science of Taste" presentation at the Art of the Cocktail festival) and it has a faint, sour flavour, and being acid makes your tongue tingle. According to O'Neil, "the tongue-tingling sensation and dry tart flavour are what make it distinct from other soda acids, like citric acid."
If you have the means to make soda, you can buy the phospate here.

Soda Fountain Syrup - a potent sugar syrup that is used to flavour soda (potent because of how much dilution occurs when using it). I am still looking into where to find the Turbinado one, or if Russell makes it himself, and will again update the post when I find out.

Fine and Coarse Stream Soda - Having a soda machine allows you to dispense soda water at a cooled temperature at two different settings - coarse, for the body or fizz of the actual drink, and fine stream, for the foam or head added at the end.

For Russell's drink, the preparation is more intensive than you may be used to, since it's not just a cocktail, and this should hopefully give you more respect for the process of making traditional soda. Averna does have some chocolate and caramel flavour to it, so mixing it with a cocoa flavour will really bring that out. Making extracts for lemon and vanilla is not difficult, but if you choose to buy one, make sure you get actual extracts and not the artificial ones at Safeway that only taste faintly like the real thing. A final note to any who don't know, star anise is an herb with a similar flavour and aroma to licorice, and you can easily pick up at most grocery stores and markets. As a garnish it adds a nice final touch to a lot of drinks, particularly hot ones during the winter.

Ready? Ok here we go...


Foolish Games

• 1 teaspoon extinct acid phosphate
• 1 oz Averna
• 1 oz Homemade Intense chocolate syrup
• Fill Soda
• Star Anise

Build in a 10-12 oz parfait or Collins glass that has been chilled in a deep freezer:
1. Fill glass 2/3 with soda (coarse stream)
2. Add acid phosphate
3. Add chocolate syrup and Averna, stir
4. Top with soda (fine stream)
5. Garnish Star Anise


Homemade Intense Chocolate Syrup 

• 750 ml Turbinado Fountain Syrup 
• 70g cocoa powder (Scharffenberger) 
• 1tsp house-made vanilla extract 
• 5 drops lemon extract 
• 1 cinnamon stick (Vietnamese)

1. Thoroughly blend Turbinado Fountain syrup and Coco powder until smooth consistency is achieved
2. Heat on stove until edges begin to boil
3. Add cinnamon
4. Continue to heat until syrup reaches a rolling boil
5. Immediately cut heat and add vanilla and lemon extracts
6. Allow to cool to room temp uncovered before placing in fridge


Once again Russell has contributed one of the most interesting concoctions of the month, and hopefully something that will inspire either preexisting soda-makers, or people to start making soda!
A big thank you to Russell for this, and to Darcy for his book and wealth of information.

[[ See my post on amaro digestivos here ]]
[[ See my post on amaro aperivos here ]]
[[ See a buying guide for amaro here ]]

[[ See "The One Hit Wonder" from L'abattoir in Vancouver here ]]
[[ See "The Penny Farthing" from Pourhouse here ]]
[[ See an introduction to amaro  here ]]
[[ See "The Imperial Eagle" from Bourbon & Branch here ]]
[[ See "Sevilla" from Beretta here ]]
[[ See "Fallow Grave" from the Toronto Temperance Society here ]]
[[ See "The Black Prince" from Phil Ward here ]]
[[ See "Bad Apple" and "Jackson Ward" from Amor y Amargo here ]]
[[ See "The Four Horsemen" from Jay Jones at Shangri-La here ]]
[[ See Colin MacDougall from Blue Water Cafe here ]]
[[ See "Debbie Don't" from Dutch Kills here ]]
[[ See "Welcome to the Dark Side" from Cin Cin here ]]
[[ See "Intro To Aperol" from Audrey Saunders at Pegu Club here ]] 

Amaro April: "Debbie Don't" from Dutch Kills

One bar I really wanted to include this time is an iconic name in the cocktail-scene - Milk & Honey in New York. Getting in touch with owner Sasha Petraske sadly revealed the news that M&H can't participate in any kind of press or promotion "that might increase walk-in foot traffic on Eldridge Street, due to the arrangement with the landlord," which is all fine and good and keeps them enigmatic, but on the bright side it gave me a new place to research a little bit. Sasha, who's behind several New York establishments, gave me his favourite Averna cocktail, courtesy of former bartender (and co-owner of the craft ice company, Hundredweight Ice) Zack Gelinaw-Rubin, at another of Sasha's bars, Dutch Kills in Long Island City.

Sasha, along with former M&H bartender Richard Boccato, opened Dutch Kills, named after the inlet that extends into the heart of Long Island City, in 2009 with a more accessible and older feel (and slightly cheaper prices) than the speakeasy-style, find-the-right-phone-number-to-get-the-right-password-to-enter-through-the-side-door-type establishments in NYC. Checking out the history page on their website reveals that this area of Dutch settlement in the mid 1600's also served as a British Army garrison during the Revolutionary war, unified into Long Island City in 1870, and was finally incorporated into the City of Greater New York in 1898, and this latter time period is really where the bar seems to take its inspiration in terms of history. Upon arriving at said website (dutchkillsbar.com), the music takes you right back to the late 19th century, and I'm ecstatic to find out that there are actual live bands playing ragtime and early jazz at the bar on select evenings. The drink menu is laid out like a turn of the century newspaper, complete with full recipes and instructions, and all of the drinks either fit in with the Jerry Thomas era, are simple classics from the 1930's, or new originals in the aforementioned styles. I love a simple, classic drink, and seeing something like a 2011 original, the "Bloody Knuckle," with just American rye, Aperol, sloe gin, and orange bitters, really gets me excited to have a drink (nothing against modern, creative mixology, I just find myself more interested in the simple and well-crafted). The outside is lit simply by a sign reading "bar," and the amount of brick, concrete, and wood inside and outside really transport you to saloon times - before Prohibition and its speakeasies.

As for today's cocktail, Sasha touts this as "the best Averna cocktail he's ever had," and it takes us back to Tequila, but this time in very different proportions with the Averna at a full ounce, and like the last couple we've seen, simple in concept as its just a Tequila sour. Maple syrup is something you'd see occasionally in post-Prohibition drinks, for example Quebec's Larry Denis cocktails in the 1940's, and the key with using it today is that you use actual maple syrup. Don't buy Aunt Jemima and mix it with your nice spirits.
You may notice that the brand of Tequila is not specified. This is because Sasha believes "picking the base spirit is really up to the individual bartender - it is not for the recipe author to dictate."

Debbie Don't

1oz Tequila Reposado
1oz Averna Amaro
0.75oz lemon juice
0.5oz maple syrup

Combine all ingredients with ice and shake. Strain straight up into a cocktail glass.

Please do check out the website, they have a list of some amazing drinks, with pictures, recipes, instructions, and sources listed both on the menu and gallery pages. I'm going to have to make some of these tonight! They also have an explanation of each type of ice they'll be using to concoct your tipple.
Next time I'm in New York, I'm going to make sure I have time to get to Long Island City, if just to see Dutch Kills, because immersing yourself into an era is the most exciting thing about exploring cocktails, and nothing will do that like ragtime and honky-tonk on an old piano, a polished wood bar, and a couple of well-crafted classic drinks. If you're there, do the same.
Thanks to Sasha and Zack for the contribution!

[[ See my post on amaro digestivos here ]]
[[ See my post on amaro aperivos here ]]
[[ See a buying guide for amaro here ]]

[[ See "The One Hit Wonder" from L'abattoir in Vancouver here ]]
[[ See "The Penny Farthing" from Pourhouse here ]]
[[ See an introduction to amaro  here ]]
[[ See "The Imperial Eagle" from Bourbon & Branch here ]]
[[ See "Sevilla" from Beretta here ]]
[[ See "Fallow Grave" from the Toronto Temperance Society here ]]
[[ See "The Black Prince" from Phil Ward here ]]
[[ See "Bad Apple" and "Jackson Ward" from Amor y Amargo here ]]
[[ See "The Four Horsemen" from Jay Jones at Shangri-La here ]]
[[ See Colin MacDougall from Blue Water Cafe here ]]
[[ See "Welcome to the Dark Side" from Cin Cin here ]]
[[ See "Foolish Games" from Russell Davis here ]]
[[ See "Intro To Aperol" from Audrey Saunders at Pegu Club here ]]

Amaro April: Colin MacDougall from Blue Water Cafe

As promised I return with another drink, this time from a new neighbourhood for this blog - Yaletown in Vancouver. There is a lot of good food in these parts, but not as much good drink, but I have made the trip numerous times specifically for one place, one great bar program, and one insane whisky collection. Blue Water Cafe is first and foremost a raw seafood bar, one of the best in the city - actually THE best in the city as they just won "Best Seafood Restaurant" at the 23rd annual Vancouver Magazine Awards - but I feel like their name doesn't come up often enough for what they're doing with cocktails. The first key is to have some great skill behind the wood, and they definitely have it with bar manager Keith Trusler, assistant bar manager Colin MacDougall, and the rest of the team. Next is probably to ensure a good product selection, and Blue Water features - no joke - over 170 labels of Scotch alone, including 125 rare single malts, and also a nice selection of bourbon, Tequila, and brandy. This page on their website shows what seems like a smaller and outdated list, but at the least you'll get the idea.
I tried to get some good pictures of the bottles, but they cover the windows for the entire span of a long bar and just couldn't get a picture hat encompassed more than one or two regions. You can see a picture on the right of their hilarious "gin couch" - a couch-shaped ice shelf for the high end gins, which does include the amazing G'Vine Nouaison. Another very fun thing about this selection is their offer of whisky flights, from some peaty pals to the "world's finest 18 year-old's" to a $150 flight of three very rare bottlings.


As for the cocktails, the menu leans (as they often do) to the light and palatable side, but all the choices look tasty, and the barrel-aged choices all came out excellent - a Botanist Negroni and a Pre-Prohibition Manhattan in American oak, and a Blue Water original, The Red Mile, with Buffalo Trace bourbon, Orancio, Tuaca, Fee whiskey barrel-aged bitters, and a hint of Averna - aged in French oak. There are entire pages dedicated to Martini and Manhattan specifications, the latter featuring pre- and post-Prohibition styles as well as a Red Hook. Needless to say, it's a great cocktail and spirit destination - as are all of the Top Table restaurants, including Cin Cin and West.

Colin, from West before his 3-year tenure at Blue Water, is another Certified Specialist of Spirits, as well as a finalist you might remember from last year's Cocktail Kitchen at The Refinery, creating a winning concoction for the Cointreau competition using the liqueur as a base with gin and Fernet as backbones. On my first visit to Blue Water, Colin offered me a shot of Averna to finish my evening, and I knew he had to join us for Amaro April. The drink he shares with us today is an almost-finished work-in-progress that should be showing up on their menu soon enough, and it's served straight up but with a small shot of Averna on the side. This is, as he says, in case you want a little more bitter in your drink so you can add more as you please, but I actually found the cocktail to be balanced just the way it was, and really enjoyed sipping the Averna on the side and having the flavour come out more on my palate when I went back to my glass. The Alberta Springs, Averna, and walnut bitters bring out strong toffee and caramel flavours yet comes off as drier than you'd think. He mentioned that he'd prefer to use the Sazerac 18 rye, but then he'd have to charge about $23 per glass, so this was his second choice.

An Untitled Cocktail from Colin MacDougall

2oz Alberta Springs 10 Year-Old Canadian Rye Whisky
0.25oz Benedictine
3 dashes Fee Brothers Black Walnut Bitters

Combine all ingredients with ice and stir. Give a cocktail glass a hearty rinse of Amaro Averna, then strain the mixture into the glass. Flame a lemon peel over the drink and discard. 
Serve with 0.25oz Averna in a shot glass on the side. 

Thank you to Colin and to Blue Water Cafe for the excellent drinks I have had there. I recommend it if you haven't been yet - especially if you want to try some Scotch.



[[ See my post on amaro digestivos here ]]
[[ See my post on amaro aperivos here ]]
[[ See a buying guide for amaro here ]]

[[ See "The One Hit Wonder" from L'abattoir in Vancouver here ]]
[[ See "The Penny Farthing" from Pourhouse here ]]
[[ See an introduction to amaro  here ]]
[[ See "The Imperial Eagle" from Bourbon & Branch here ]]
[[ See "Sevilla" from Beretta here ]]
[[ See "Fallow Grave" from the Toronto Temperance Society here ]]
[[ See "The Black Prince" from Phil Ward here ]]
[[ See "Bad Apple" and "Jackson Ward" from Amor y Amargo here ]]
[[ See "The Four Horsemen" from Jay Jones at Shangri-La here ]]
[[ See "Debbie Don't" from Dutch Kills here ]]
[[ See "Welcome to the Dark Side" from Cin Cin here ]]
[[ See "Foolish Games" from Russell Davis here ]]
[[ See "Intro To Aperol" from Audrey Saunders at Pegu Club here ]] 

Amaro April: "The Four Horsemen" from Jay Jones

Today and tomorrow we will be changing pace a little and looking at two very simple, classic-style cocktails using Averna. The first takes us to the Shangri-La Hotel in Vancouver where award-winning bartender, Jay Jones, gives us his "Four Horsemen."
Jones, or "BARJONESING" (who you can follow @BARJONESING on Twitter), is a veteran of the Vancouver scene, having been behind the wine, beer, and cocktail programs at some really great places in town, including Nu, Salt, Voya, the Donnelly Group, a five year stint at one of my favourites, West, and also co-created and opened Pourhouse in Gastown before heading to Shangri-La in early 2011, where you can now find him behind the bar at Market. He's a Certified Specialist of Spirits, a founding member of the Canadian Professional Bartenders Association, a contributing writer at Montecristo and Urban Diner magazines, a multiple award-winner (including a few Bartender of the Year awards, and the recently announced "Most Imaginative Bartender" by GQ Magazine), and despite only having the chance to be served by him once so far, I can say he's definitely one of the most talented bartenders I've had the pleasure of meeting. Needless to say, you should head to Market and meet Jay when you can, especially if you feel like learning a thing or two and enjoying a perfectly balanced cocktail.

As for his drink, it was originally created as a holiday offering over Christmas last year to "resound the assertive qualities of Maker's 46 in the spirit and architecture of a Manhattan," as Jones puts it. "It speaks not only to the bourbon, but allows each component to speak distinctly as an individual while simultaneously creating harmony with its colleagues." Entering 2012, which is of course when the Mayan calendar ends and therefore as some see it, The Apocalypse, Jones named his drink for the occasion after the harbingers of the Last Judgement as prophesized in the New Testament. Each of the four ingredients, or "The Four Horsemen of The Four Horsemen," are represented as follows:

War - Maker's 46 Kentucky Straight Bourbon - declares battle and charges through you

Death - Amaro Averna - your bittersweet demise; a pull towards the darkness

Conquest - Abricot de Roussillon - taunting with the sweet; a seduction of righteous victory

Famine - Angostura Bitters - the scent and taste of the bitter end approaches with certainty.


(Perhaps you understand the aforementioned "Most Imaginative Bartender")...

As for flavour, Jay explains:
"Bitterness is certainly essential to the structure, but also dictates the flow and complexity across the palate. Averna is the body of the drink - fattening the personality with sweet tones of coffee and chocolate. It's bitterness is amplified by a heavy dose of Angostura. I tried a variety of different aromatic bitters, but in the end, it was good 'ol Angostura that gave me the tone I sought. Abricot de Roussilon provides a very specific sensual nuance - not just expressing apricot, but also almond, coffee, coconut, plum, and cherry-like subtleties derived from its drupe genetics. [It's] complexity allows it to play immensely well with others."

The Four Horsemen

1.5oz Maker's 46 Bourbon
0.75oz Amaro Avera Siciliano
0.5oz Giffard Abricot de Roussilon
4 hard dashes Angostura Bitters

Combine all ingredients with ice in a mixing glass, stir gently for 15-20 seconds, then fine strain into a cocktail coupe. 
No garnish.

This is a nice departure from the mostly modern cocktails that we are seeing this month, and Jones hopes it will some day be looked upon as a modern classic. Take a trip to Market, have him make you one, and you be the judge.
Thanks to Jay Jones for his excellent contribution and for being such an important part of making Vancouver the cocktail destination it has become today!



See you tomorrow for another first-time trip for this blog, this time to Blue Water Cafe in Yaletown...

[[ Photography by Mark Prince Photography - @CoffeeGeek - (top) and Jay Jones (cocktail) ]]

[[ See my post on amaro digestivos here ]]
[[ See my post on amaro aperivos here ]]
[[ See a buying guide for amaro here ]]

[[ See "The One Hit Wonder" from L'abattoir in Vancouver here ]]
[[ See "The Penny Farthing" from Pourhouse here ]]
[[ See an introduction to amaro  here ]]
[[ See "The Imperial Eagle" from Bourbon & Branch here ]]
[[ See "Sevilla" from Beretta here ]]
[[ See "Fallow Grave" from the Toronto Temperance Society here ]]
[[ See "The Black Prince" from Phil Ward here ]]
[[ See "Bad Apple" and "Jackson Ward" from Amor y Amargo here ]]
[[ See Colin MacDougall from Blue Water Cafe here ]]
[[ See "Debbie Don't" from Dutch Kills here ]]
[[ See "Welcome to the Dark Side" from Cin Cin here ]]
[[ See "Foolish Games" from Russell Davis here ]]
[[ See "Intro To Aperol" from Audrey Saunders at Pegu Club here ]]

Amaro April: "Bad Apple" and "Jackson Ward" from Amor y Amargo

Through collecting new cocktails, new information, and engaging in some conversations for Amaro April I found out about a very fitting and very awesome new bar in New York called Amor y Amargo ("love and bitters") from barman Sother Teague. "AyA" is the first bar in New York (and the first I've heard of at all, actually) to "focus solely on exploring the richness of the world's bitters" - from amari, to amer, to Kräuterlikör, and so on. They have their own creations as well, including house-made vermouth on tap (for real), and being in partnership with Bittermens means they have a lot of bottlings that we'll probably never see over here (or up here - take your pick). You can even buy some of these bitters in their store, or take a class on making your own syrups and a tinctures, so it's a must if you're into bitter or trying to get there (and you should, if this month's series is any indication).
They've already racked up awards from numerous magazines and websites, and just looking at the menu and pictures of the bitters collection was inspiring me to do a little post on AyA on its own - then Sother sent me six recipes instead of just one when I asked him to contribute this month, which means I simply must do something on them and share all these delicious drinks. (The truly sad part is that all but one of the recipes include ingredients you can't buy in Canada, but some craft bars will have the good stuff and so will Washington if you take a booze-stop on your next road trip).

I'm going to share two different cocktails today, neither of which are on the menu at AyA yet, featuring two different base spirits and two different amari  from two different bartenders (and it took me a long time to decide which ones to print first). One thing we haven't seen all month is any kind of brandy, so I had to go with Sother's "Bad Apple," which he describes as "floral and slightly fruity, but with a bitter punch." The amaro is familiar territory - Averna - but the bitters are an interesting one from Bittermens - the Hellfire Shrub, with flavours of spice and pepper and being a shrub, vinegar. Thankfully you can get all but one of the ingredients for this one at Legacy, Averna at $48, Antica at $75, and Yellow Chartreuse at $44, and the Bittermens are only $16 at Gourmet Warehouse. As for the apple brandy, I can't seem to find Laird's anywhere, but to substitute, there are several kinds of Calvados available at $40-50. I should also mention that the Antica is only $28, Averna is $33, and the Laird's is only $24, but surprisingly Yellow Chartreuse goes for a whopping $61. Score one for us!

Bad Apple

2oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
0.75oz Averna
0.75oz Carpano Antica
1 dash Hellfire Shrub (Bittermens)


Stir with ice and strain into a Yellow Chartreuse-rinsed glass.

The next is one that really fits my tastes as a variation on the Manhattan, but, as Sother puts it, "with some lovely dark tobacco flavours and a funky bitterness." This drink comes from another AyA barman by the name of Chris Elford, who is also a distiller at King's County, a certified cicerone (beer extraordinaire), and is currently opening another two bars in Manhattan. He named his drink after a neighbourhood in Richmond, Virginia, that was named "the Harlem of the South" for its African-American arts scene. Rittenhouse and Nardini is a combination I've actually tried before at Cin Cin to great success, but unfortunately the Nardini is unavailable in Canada. It's only $28 in Washington though! Gosh I'm getting tired of writing that sort of thing. I may give up on offering buying advice soon because it's really depressing me...
As for the wormwood bitters, you can get them from Cocktail Kindgom.

Jackson Ward

2oz Rittenhouse Rye
0.75oz Amaro Nardini
0.25oz Sweet Vermouth
3 dashes Wormwood Bitters 
1 dash Regan's Orange Bitters

Stir with ice. Serve up in a chilled coupe. Garnish with expressed lemon peel.

Thank you kindly to Sother and Chris for these originals, and thanks to AyA for doing something so cool and exciting!
Check out their new site here, and follow them @BRAINSNYC
Sother Teague is @CreativeDrunk
Chris Elford is @ChrisElford
and AyA can be found at @amoryamargo
Cheers!

[[ See my post on amaro digestivos here ]]
[[ See my post on amaro aperivos here ]]
[[ See a buying guide for amaro here ]]

[[ See "The One Hit Wonder" from L'abattoir in Vancouver here ]]
[[ See "The Penny Farthing" from Pourhouse here ]]
[[ See an introduction to amaro  here ]]
[[ See "The Imperial Eagle" from Bourbon & Branch here ]]
[[ See "Sevilla" from Beretta here ]]
[[ See "Fallow Grave" from the Toronto Temperance Society here ]]
[[ See "The Black Prince" from Phil Ward here ]]
[[ See "The Four Horsemen" from Jay Jones at Shangri-La here ]]
[[ See Colin MacDougall from Blue Water Cafe here ]]
[[ See "Debbie Don't" from Dutch Kills here ]]
[[ See "Welcome to the Dark Side" from Cin Cin here ]]
[[ See "Foolish Games" from Russell Davis here ]]
[[ See "Intro To Aperol" from Audrey Saunders at Pegu Club here ]] 

Amaro April: "The Black Prince" from Phil Ward

Today's cocktail took a little tracking down. I first heard about it from my brother in San Francisco, and got to taste it when I visited there. It's currently on the menu at Smuggler's Cove - possibly the coolest bar I've ever been to - so I naturally contacted them and asked to use it in this series. The bar manager there informed me that it was actually created at Death & Co. in New York, but the man who came up with it now works at Mayahuel - Phil Ward. Well, the good news is that I already had Phil Ward kindly clarify his recipe for The Division Bell during Maraschino March, so I contacted him again and asked for this one, and he once again was kind enough to contribute.
First, I have to take a moment to talk a bit about Smuggler's Cove since that's where I tried this drink. Finding the place is almost impossible unless someone who's been there takes you, as the entrance has basically no label or sign or anything, and the entire side of the building is black (from across the street, I didn't even notice that there was a door). Stepping inside, you walk into a dimly-lit three-level bar with twisting stairs, covered in Tiki-decor. Downstairs is the main bar, which has just a ridiculous collection of rum (I would not be surprised if it was the biggest in the country), and is backed by a whirling dervish of mixological speed, pouring about 8 drinks at once faster than I can pinpoint what ingredients are being used. The menu is separated by historical era, and of course, all rum-centric. One of the modern selections is "The Black Prince," a drink my brother loves so much he bought a bottle of Averna and Zacapa rum specifically to make it at home.

Phil Ward from Mayahuel, which you can read more about in The Division Bell post, created the drink while at Death & Co. in New York, which is definitely one of the biggest bar names in the cocktail scene. The name is quite fitting as it's a very dark, dense drink. It looks black, and it tastes black, and it's awesome - especially if you enjoy the New York family of drinks (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Red Hook, etc, and the one even closer in ingredients, the Boulevardier).

There are 2 bottlings of Zacapa rum (somewhat) readily available, the 23-Year-Old, and the XO. In B.C., I've only found the 23., where you can find it at Legacy for $100, or some government stores for $80. However, it is available in Washington State liquor stores for $49. If you choose to use a different dark rum (I assume for price reasons), I wouldn't suggest using something like Gosling's, which has a lot of fruit flavours, but rather something darker and more molasses-y,  maybe like the Flor De Cana 7-Year-Old (for $30), or if you're in the states I bet Cruzan Black Strap would work well. Punt E Mes is available at Legacy and Viti and probably other independent stores, and runs $38 here, and $16 in Washington, and Averna is sometimes in the B.C. government stores, but otherwise is again available at Legacy for $48, or $34 in Washington. While Phil doesn't name the orange bitters he uses by name, I would imagine that Fee's would actually work well here, whereas Regan's may be too bitter and throw the balance a little bit, but Bitter Truth might make a perfect middle ground. Try them all!
[[ edit: I updated some prices above, and I've now tried this at home with Fee's and can say that they work nicely but easily overpowered the drink, so be very careful. I plan to try again tonight with Regan's and I'll update if it works better ]]

The Black Prince

2oz Zacapa Rum
3/4oz Punt e Mes
1/2oz Averna Amaro
Dash orange bitters
Stir with ice, strain and serve up in a cocktail coupe.


Thanks again to Phil Ward at Mayahuel, as well as Smuggler's Cove, which should always be mentioned in the same breath as the word "rum."


[[ See my post on amaro digestivos here ]]
[[ See my post on amaro aperivos here ]]
[[ See a buying guide for amaro here ]]

[[ See "The One Hit Wonder" from L'abattoir in Vancouver here ]]
[[ See "The Penny Farthing" from Pourhouse here ]]
[[ See an introduction to amaro  here ]]
[[ See "The Imperial Eagle" from Bourbon & Branch here ]]
[[ See "Sevilla" from Beretta here ]]
[[ See "Fallow Grave" from the Toronto Temperance Society here ]]
[[ See "Bad Apple" and "Jackson Ward" from Amor y Amargo here ]]
[[ See "The Four Horsemen" from Jay Jones at Shangri-La here ]]
[[ See Colin MacDougall from Blue Water Cafe here ]]
[[ See "Debbie Don't" from Dutch Kills here ]]
[[ See "Welcome to the Dark Side" from Cin Cin here ]]
[[ See "Foolish Games" from Russell Davis here ]]
[[ See "Intro To Aperol" from Audrey Saunders at Pegu Club here ]] 

Amaro April: "Sevilla" from Beretta in San Francisco

For the next cocktail, I'm going to head south to San Francisco's Mission District for a first-time contributor. You might not have heard of it if you're more of a cocktail nerd, like me, and less of a food nerd, (and you don't live in San Francisco) but the more reading I did on the SF scene the more a name started to pop up as a 'surprisingly' good, and fairly new cocktail bar: Beretta. Known seemingly first and foremost for their food, being named consistently one of the best Italian restaurants in the city, if not one of the best overall, and getting impressive reviews in The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, Gourmet and Details magazines, and the list goes on. It was even recently named by Food & Wine to be one of the top 50 bars in America. So why 'surprising' when it comes to drinks? I think mostly it's just that the food reputation was so high that people came to eat and then were surprised at how great the cocktails were. Either way, Beretta is being recognized for both, and that's great news.

The barstaff has all the good kinds of experience, coming from other big names like Bourbon & Branch and Slanted Door, the service is consistently reviewed as impeccable, and despite the buzz that's been heard around this place since it opened in 2008, the consensus is again and again that it lives up to the hype. Southern Italian cuisine is really what they do, in particular pizza, so make sure you go for a drink and a snack.

The menu is short and simple, which I always appreciate. Rifling through pages and pages of complicated concoctions, as creative or delicious as they may be, makes me want to ignore the menu altogether. It's supposed to be a good starting point, a few suggestions, and more importantly, a show of what the bar staff enjoy to make right now. That's how I feel anyway. Yes, yes, digression...
The majority of the drinks on the menu are very refreshing, like "Nuestra Paloma," using Tequila, elderflower, Cointreau, grapefruit, and bitters, or the "Lonsdale," using gin, apple, basil, and honey. Others are simple, like their "Anejo Sour," and they have a classic or two as well, including one of my go-to drinks at home, the "Monte Carlo," with American rye, Benedictine, and bitters.

The head of the cocktail program, Ryan Fitzgerald, sticks with this mentality for his Amaro April cocktail, keeping things very simple. We again see Tequila (those SF'ers sure love their agave, but they have copious amounts of good quality stuff, so it makes sense), pairing it with Averna, then using Cointreau and orange bitters to really pull the citrus out. Ryan prefers to use Pueblo Viejo Tequila, and Angostura Orange bitters (which you better grab fast because I hear they're being pulled off the market - in Canada, anyway), which is much more dense and spicy than any other orange bitters I've tried. Using these will really lengthen the taste of any cocktail, opposed to using one like Regan's, which - while excellent - is much drier and dies quicker on the palate. Averna has some subtle citrus character that will play well with the orange in the cocktail, and being quite thick and fairly sweet, will change the texture of the drink and balance everything out.

Without further adieu, here is "Sevilla," named after the bitter variety of orange, from Ryan Fitzgerald at Beretta in San Francisco.

Sevilla

2 oz Pueblo Viejo Añejo Tequila
0.5 oz Averna Amaro
0.5 oz Cointreau
2 dashes Angostura Orange Bitters

Stir over ice, then strain into a small old fashioned glass over ice. Squeeze an orange twist over top and add it to the drink.

[[ Photography by "Cooking With The Single Guy," and Beretta ]]


[[ See my post on amaro digestivos here ]]
[[ See my post on amaro aperivos here ]]
[[ See a buying guide for amaro here ]]

[[ See "The One Hit Wonder" from L'abattoir in Vancouver here ]]
[[ See "The Penny Farthing" from Pourhouse here ]]
[[ See an introduction to amaro  here ]]
[[ See "The Imperial Eagle" from Bourbon & Branch here ]]
[[ See "Fallow Grave" from the Toronto Temperance Society here ]]
[[ See "The Black Prince" from Phil Ward here ]]
[[ See "Bad Apple" and "Jackson Ward" from Amor y Amargo here ]]
[[ See "The Four Horsemen" from Jay Jones at Shangri-La here ]]
[[ See Colin MacDougall from Blue Water Cafe here ]]
[[ See "Debbie Don't" from Dutch Kills here ]]
[[ See "Welcome to the Dark Side" from Cin Cin here ]]
[[ See "Foolish Games" from Russell Davis here ]]
[[ See "Intro To Aperol" from Audrey Saunders at Pegu Club here ]] 

Amaro April: "The Imperial Eagle" From Bourbon & Branch

Last month we saw a creative cocktail from Jayson Wilde, the general manager at Bourbon & Branch, in which he infused Maraschino liqueur with Meyer lemons, as well as using blood orange syrup, cinnamon, and a black pepper tincture. This month, Jayson is simplifying things a bit, but still uses spice and fruit to play with both the base spirit - this time bourbon - and the modifier, amaro Averna. There are again a lot of elements here - the basic idea is a bourbon sour in which he's using ginger syrup and Averna to sweeten instead of just sugar. He's also using a traditional silver or Ramos Fizz framework, with the sour, spirit, sugar, egg, and bubbles combination, this time using ginger beer instead of just plain soda. Add the two elements together, with a little extra aroma and presentation using peach bitters, and you have a tasty and complex drink.

You can check out Jayson's "Blood Lust" cocktail along with a small review of Bourbon & Branch on this Maraschino March post.

A note on ingredients...
You can get the Eagle Rare 10 Year at the BC Liquor Stores, and it will run you $60. It's $30 or so in the states, and it's an excellent choice for the money. It's made by the Buffalo Trace distillery, so their regular BT bourbon would be a suitable substitution if you have to; I would not use too sweet or soft of a bourbon here (like Maker's Mark). As for the ginger beer, be sure to get a beer and not a ginger ale, which is much sweeter and less ginger-y. Bundaberg is Australian and I've never seen it here, but many markets, liquor stores, Whole Foods, and Gourmet Warehouse all sell good substitutes. Fee's peach bitters can be picked up at Gourmet Warehouse for $8.

The Imperial Eagle

2 oz. Eagle Rare 10 Year Single Barrel Bourbon

1 oz. Lemon Juice

0.5 oz. Ginger Syrup

0.5 oz. Averna

0.5 oz. Egg White

0.75oz Bundaberg Ginger Beer 

1 dash of Fee's Peach Bitters

Shake ingredients with ice, strain into a Collins glass.

Add the ginger beer over top as a float, then add an extra dash of the peach bitters on top of the foam.

[[ See my post on amaro digestivos here ]]
[[ See my post on amaro aperivos here ]]
[[ See a buying guide for amaro here ]]

[[ See "The One Hit Wonder" from L'abattoir in Vancouver here ]]
[[ See "The Penny Farthing" from Pourhouse here ]]
[[ See an introduction to amaro  here ]]
[[ See "Sevilla" from Beretta here ]]
[[ See "Fallow Grave" from the Toronto Temperance Society here ]]
[[ See "The Black Prince" from Phil Ward here ]]
[[ See "Bad Apple" and "Jackson Ward" from Amor y Amargo here ]]
[[ See "The Four Horsemen" from Jay Jones at Shangri-La here ]]
[[ See Colin MacDougall from Blue Water Cafe here ]]
[[ See "Debbie Don't" from Dutch Kills here ]]
[[ See "Welcome to the Dark Side" from Cin Cin here ]]
[[ See "Foolish Games" from Russell Davis here ]]
[[ See "Intro To Aperol" from Audrey Saunders at Pegu Club here ]] 

Amaro April: "The Penny Farthing" From Pourhouse

I was going to continue on with another Aperol cocktail from Pegu Club in New York, which in hindsight would have been the best cocktail to start everything off (being an introduction to Aperol, which is a great introduction itself to amaro), but I've decided instead to head a couple blocks west of L'Abattoir in Gastown and visit my good friends at Pourhouse.
This is one of my favourite Pourhouse originals (again a creation by bar manager Christopher Flett, the man who brought us both "The Bittercup" for Fernet February and the amazingly delicious "Don't Mind If I Do") and actually the reason I bought my first bottle of Averna. It's fairly unique in its choice of base spirit - gin - because amari are typically darker and denser in taste and body, which means that they will typically be paired with darker and denser spirits, like whiskey or dark rum. Lighter spirits are usually overpowered by more potent ingredients, so Flett's choice of gin with a dark amaro here makes for an immediately intriguing drink, and a great showcase for amaro's versatility.
The specific ingredients here are key - I've tried it with other gins and it's still a great cocktail, but not quite the same, and I've tried it with other orange bitters, but Fee's is the one that without a doubt really makes this work. While not my favourite orange bitters at all, as it's much less complex and interesting, it does work exceptionally better in certain cocktails, plus will only run you $8 at Gourmet Warehouse. Victoria Gin from Victoria Spirits in, yes, Victoria, is one of my favourite gins (as you may have already seen in my Beginner's Guide to Buying Gin in B.C.) and is probably very different from what you've had before. It has a much softer juniper component, which allows its other spices and citrus to really create a different balance than you're used to in a London Dry-style gin, and despite its higher proof has a really soft and buttery feel in your mouth. Using Averna brings out certain botanicals in the gin, and using the very orange Fee's orange bitters brings out the citrus notes. Maraschino cuts through as you would expect, but in the spirit of a cocktail like the Martinez, doesn't overpower and almost makes a seemingly dark drink taste and smell lighter.
While the ingredients are not all cheap (with Victoria gin coming in at $45-$50 in B.C.), they're all worth every penny, and this drink is true evidence of this. (I should also note that you can get a half bottle at 375mL of Victoria Gin for $28 should you want to save a little and try it out, but only non-government stores carry it).

Cheers to Flett and the boys at Pourhouse for continually mixing high-quality, classic-style cocktails. Head to Pourhouse immediately for this and many other a cocktail whenever you're in Vancouver.

The Penny Farthing
1.5oz Victoria Gin
1/2oz Averna Amaro
1/4oz Luxardo Maraschino 
2 dashes Fee's Orange Bitters

Stir over ice and strain into a cocktail coupe. 

[[ See my post on amaro digestivos here ]]
[[ See my post on amaro aperivos here ]]
[[ See a buying guide for amaro here ]]

[[ See "The One Hit Wonder" from L'abattoir in Vancouver here ]]
[[ See an introduction to amaro  here ]]
[[ See "The Imperial Eagle" from Bourbon & Branch here ]]
[[ See "Sevilla" from Beretta here ]]
[[ See "Fallow Grave" from the Toronto Temperance Society here ]]
[[ See "The Black Prince" from Phil Ward here ]]
[[ See "Bad Apple" and "Jackson Ward" from Amor y Amargo here ]]
[[ See "The Four Horsemen" from Jay Jones at Shangri-La here ]]
[[ See Colin MacDougall from Blue Water Cafe here ]]
[[ See "Debbie Don't" from Dutch Kills here ]]
[[ See "Welcome to the Dark Side" from Cin Cin here ]]
[[ See "Foolish Games" from Russell Davis here ]]
[[ See "Intro To Aperol" from Audrey Saunders at Pegu Club here ]]

Amaro Digestivos

Let's take a look at some of the most popular amaro digestivos, which are amari to be enjoyed after a meal to aid digestion (this is for the most part a tradition, but because of all the herbs involved, you'd be surprised at how a little Fernet can really calm your stomach).
The most traditional way to have a digestivo in Italy, and this includes grappa, is to enjoy it alongside an espresso or coffee after the meal, and in some cases, even pour your amaro into your empty coffee cup to combine a bit of the flavours. I like to enjoy mine in a small liqueur glass just neat, but some of more bitter amari are actually really refreshing afternoon or aperitivo drinks with some ice or soda (I most often drink my Fernet with a hefty splash of soda).

The most popular and available brands in North America are Averna, Montenegro, Fernet Branca, and Ramazzotti (there are numerous others you can find here, and hundreds more you'll find in Italy, but I have to narrow it down. For more examples of what to buy, including some prices, check out this post on buying amaro in B.C.).

Averna Amaro was created by monks, as is often the case in France and Italy, in Sicily in the tradition of Csitercian and Cluniac convents. In 1859 the recipe of herbs for infusion with alcohol was passed on to Salvatore Averna, who was both a Judge Peach and a benefactor of the Convent of St. Spirito's Abbe in Caltanisetta. By 1868, Averna had started his own production of the recipe for houseguests and friends. His son, Francesco, took the recipe and presented it at other monestaries and friars throughout Europe, and by 1895 even presented it to the king. In 1912, Averna became the offical supplier of amaro to the royal household in Italy, and after the early death of Francesco, his wife carried on the legacy until his sons again took over and finally began to export their product to America. By the late 1950's, production had become big enough to sustain a large business, and in another twenty years, Averna became one of the most popular amari in Europe. Averna as a company expanded to produce wine and grappa, but it's biggest product and legacy is that of its amaro. It has a dense but smooth taste, combining herbs, roots, citrus, which are steeped in a neutral alcohol base (likely grappa, but again, I don't have confirmation) before a natural caramel is added. Averna on the rocks is a very suitable aperitivo, but typically is consumed neat as a digestivo. It has a high alcohol content for typical amari (32%), and has a fairly heavy, thick, dark, slightly bitter taste, balanced by a sweet vanilla and caramel, making it excellent for a post-meal drink. I often drink it neat at the end of the night, and so should you - it's an excellent starting point for digestivos.

Amaro Montenegro has a somewhat different beginning, as it was produced in 1885in Bologna by an already established spirit manufacturer by the name of Stanislao Cobianchi. He infused a neutral spirit with many combinations of herbs from his travels all over the world before finally settling on the perfect recipe (supposedly after many sleepless nights), and named it in honour of the marriage of Victor Emmanuel III to the second queen of Italy, Princess Elena of Montenegro. The producer claims it to be the top-selling brand in Italy, though I've seen no confirmation of this (yet I have seen numerous claims that Fernet is the top-selling amaro in and out of Italy). The aroma and flavour bring a fair amount of orange peel, along with coriander, red cherry, pekoe tea, cucumber, and other more bitter but subtle components. It is most popular alongside a coffee or espresso, as is the most traditional Italian way.


Amaro Ramazzotti dates back further than any other I've found, to 1815, when Ausano Ramazzotti perfected his recipe in Milan, and sold and shared it as the expected medicinal tonic - supposedly the first Italian bitter liqueur. It wasn't until 30 years later, when Ausano opened up a cafe and started liberally serving his amaro that it started to become popular, and in 1848, he opened a bar next to the new La Scala theatre, where he served Ramazzotti instead of coffee as a digestivo. The business carried on through the family, production and sales grew, especially during WWI, when it became one of the first advertising campaigns, calling itself "the King of aperitifs." The demand continued to grow through the 50's, when a new, much larger factory was built, and again in the 70's, when an even larger factory was built. In the 80's, it was bought by the Pernod Ricard group, increasing its advertising and brand even further, and it became a socialite rage to sip Ramazzotti in Milan. The recipe includes 33 different herbs and spices, in particular orange peel, cardamom, myrrh, galangal, and cinnamon, and tastes quite similar to traditional cola. It's slightly weaker in flavour and proof than Averna, and I find it might be an even easier starting point.

For information on Fernet, check out the posts I did during Fernet February.

Now that we've discussed aperitivos, digestivos, where and what to buy, we can move on to some original cocktails from some talented bartenders...

[[ See my post on amaro aperivos here ]]
[[ See a buying guide for amaro here ]]

[[ See "The One Hit Wonder" from L'abattoir in Vancouver here ]]
[[ See "The Penny Farthing" from Pourhouse here ]]
[[ See an introduction to amaro  here ]]
[[ See "The Imperial Eagle" from Bourbon & Branch here ]]
[[ See "Sevilla" from Beretta here ]]
[[ See "Fallow Grave" from the Toronto Temperance Society here ]]
[[ See "The Black Prince" from Phil Ward here ]]
[[ See "Bad Apple" and "Jackson Ward" from Amor y Amargo here ]]
[[ See "The Four Horsemen" from Jay Jones at Shangri-La here ]]
[[ See Colin MacDougall from Blue Water Cafe here ]]
[[ See "Debbie Don't" from Dutch Kills here ]]
[[ See "Welcome to the Dark Side" from Cin Cin here ]]
[[ See "Foolish Games" from Russell Davis here ]]
[[ See "Intro To Aperol" from Audrey Saunders at Pegu Club here ]]