The Black Rider

I suppose it's about time for me to share a drink of my own creation. This one may not be a typical summer sipper, but it's very interesting and on the brand new cocktail menu at Pourhouse, so what better time to share it than now.

I have been intrigued with the idea of using a soft mezcal in place of vermouth in a classic cocktail. For example, making a Manhattan with 1/2oz dry or sweet vermouth and 1/2oz mezcal to go with your 2oz of whiskey and some aromatic or chocolate bitters. Lately at Pourhouse, we've also been intrigued with the idea of using multiple spirits in one drink while still maintaining a consistency in flavour (see also Christopher Flett's "Avenue and Davenport," containing both rye and bourbon - also on the new menu). My thoughts inevitably turn to the Negroni, as it's the perfect classic cocktail for creative swapping. 

The drink is a fairly unexpected combination of elements, but has a surprisingly cohesive flavour, albeit complex. While the big and fruity body of Spanish brandy provides a backbone, the smokiness of mezcal is pleasantly subtle, and the Cynar showcases its range of flavour and dry bitterness. This is a "drinker's drink," so to speak - probably unapproachable to the novice but exciting to the veteran.

When trying to come up with a name, I asked my lady and muse for ideas (as I always do). She asked "what is the drink like?"... and I responded as simply as I could: "dark, bitter, and complex." To this she almost immediately replied "The Black Rider." There couldn't be a more perfect name.

In 1988, theatre director Robert Wilson, playwright William Burroughs, and musician/songwriter Tom Waits created a musical of sorts based on the German fable "Der Freischütz," an opera by Carl Maria von Weber. (This musical is more famously an album recorded by Tom Waits in 1993). 

I should say "spoiler alert" here, though it is a fable and you can probably guess where this story will go. 

The Black Rider tells the tale of a file clerk who falls in love with a huntsman's daughter. The clerk must of course gain the huntsman's approval for marriage, but has no shooting skills. He too eagerly makes a deal with the Devil for some magic bullets that will always be a sure shot - all but one; this bullet will be under the Devil's control. Predictably, on their wedding day that final bullet hits the clerk's bride and kills her. The clerk goes mad and joins the Devil's carnival of the damned. 

The Black Rider

1oz brandy (Torres 5 preferred)
1oz mezcal (Fidencio or something similarly soft preferred)
3/4oz Cynar

Stir ingredients with ice, strain into a cocktail glass. 

Say, come on along with the black rider, you'll have a gay old time. 

Modern Mondays: "Chartreuse & The Chocolate Factory"

I'm always encountering new cocktail ideas, recipes, and techniques. I hope to catalogue as much as possible on this site to encourage a sense of community and in hopes that every professional and home bartender will inspire every other so we all continue to create and share. A little alliteration helps in these situations, so "Modern Mondays" seemed fitting enough for sharing new ideas. I have no intention of doing this every Monday, but a couple a month is definitely a start. Let's get to it.

We're currently in the fall limbo between Halloween and Christmas (up here anyway, I guess all you southerners still have your Thanksgiving to come), and I'm lucky to have been sent a few fall cocktails to share before I get into my upcoming Christmas series in December. These didn't make it into my series last month, but are too delicious to pass up.

The infamous and renowned David Wolowidnyk from West on South Granville in Vancouver is sharing his herbal and chocolatey sipper aptly titled "Chartreuse & The Chocolate Factory." His story behind this is simple:
"Picture the night security guard at the chocolate factory falling asleep drunk while drinking Chartreuse and eating walnuts and somehow burning the place to the ground."

Sad but delicious - my kind of drink.

Chartreuse & The Chocolate Factory

2oz Maker's Mark Bourbon infused with Cocoa Nibs
1/2oz Green Chartreuese
1/2 oz Cynar
Dash Fee's Black Walnut Bitters

Stir ingredients with ice. Strain over new ice.
Mist surface with Ardbeg 10 Year-Old Single Malt Scotch.

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 

"The Fellini" from Joel Virginillo at The Refinery

There’s something special about The Refinery. It could be the tasty Italian-influenced bites courtesy of chef Kirk Morrison, the very affordable prices, the talent behind the bar, or maybe its location on downtown Granville Street – an area known for nightclubs and not for quality food and drink. Maybe it’s the fun events hosted here weekly dating back to Lauren Mote’s Cocktail Kitchen, to the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party Wednesdays, to the Cork & Distillery Four Course Dinners starting this month. Or perhaps it’s the culinary approach that the bar takes to the cocktails and the dedication that they have to making everything fresh and in-house rather than stocking an extensive back bar. Looking past the wells you’ll see counters covered in hand-labeled mystery liquids, and around the restaurant itself are a multitude of shelves displaying mason jars of tinctures, bitters, infusions, preserves, teas, and herbs. Most bars nowadays have the occasional housemade bitters or flavoured syrups, but The Refinery takes this to a whole new level.

Chatting with bar manager Joel Virginillo reveals a passionate interest in all aspects of flavour and an ambition to combine them.

How do you view the cocktail program at The Refinery?
“The spirits we have here are selective – it’s the bitters and tinctures that are really the personality. Customers are getting more used to saying ‘I like this flavour but not this flavour’, and then we create something special for them. Something that sets us apart here is how we really nurture that – that’s what drew me to this place. Being able to take any random number of ingredients and throw something together that’s quality is really exciting. The most pleasure I get is from that culinary background of being able to create something individual for a specific guest.”

Where does that culinary approach come from for you?
“I actually started in the kitchen and studied at the Dubrulle French Culinary Institute when I was fifteen and afterwards had the chance to work with some amazing chefs. After that I went to a bartending school and actually ended up teaching there for five years before doing some consulting for nightclubs and it just went from there.”

How do you view the use of bitters and tinctures behind the bar?
“I like having a lot of options for flavour, and I’m also looking at the apothecary side of it and the health benefits of the ingredients I use. I definitely got inspiration from both Lauren and Dani (Tatarin from The Keefer) in that respect. Bitters, and for the most part the entire cocktail culture came from the medicinal side of things, and one day I want to create my own line of fairly profound bitters that have immediate health benefits. My ideal bar would have little vials and containers covering the entire back wall with raw teas, spices, nuts, and all this stuff – having that as part of the bar kit and almost replacing the back bar.”

Where do you think cocktail culture is going overall?
“The industry is really turning towards the personal relationship between the creators and the guests. Ten years ago it was pretty rare that anyone would care who the chef is at a restaurant, now you seek these people out and want to talk to them, and that’s now translating to the front of house and bartenders. Media has brought a lot of light to chefs and what it really means to be a professional in the flavour industry.
I think this ties into the economy right now too – people want a lot more quality for a lot less money, and a whole lot more feeling and story behind it. They want to know that they’re getting the most out of their dollar. People are going to a specific bar to meet a specific bartender for a special experience. There’s so much more to that than just going to a chain restaurant and getting a squishy out of a machine.
People’s palates and tastes have really changed too and everyone is really expecting quality now.”

Where do you see Vancouver’s cocktail culture going?
“Vancouver has the attention span of a gerbil. It’s so hard to tell where the trends are going, and while I like hearing what other bartenders are doing, I don’t pay a lot of attention and follow trends. I do what I’m interested in.”

How do you approach creating a new drink?
“I love changing people’s perceptions of something. Mixing with interesting spirits that aren’t overly common is one of my new interests, like pisco or grappa. Using good bases and having a ton of options. I definitely play with flavours in the spirit, but I also try to do a lot of things regionally – things that grow together tend to work really well together. A lot of our cocktails have classic origins, but we’ve taken them and done our thing. Any good bartender has to pay credit to classic cocktails.”

What cocktail have you chosen to share today?
It’s one that showcases our cocktail program, our Italian mentality, and what we do here. It’s sort of a classic cocktail with a little flare. There was a guy I knew was on a sherry kick, saying that port and sherry aren’t in cocktails enough, so when he came in I knew I wanted to start with that. Using a grape spirit base makes sense since the port is also grape-based, so grappa should work well, and we do a wicked grape bitter. The combination was very light, so adding Cynar gave it that herbaceous depth. I called it “The Fellini,” after the influential Italian filmmaker.

Originally posted on www.eatmagazine.ca by Rhett Williams
Photography by Rhett Williams: "The Fellini" by Joel Virginillo at The Refinery, Vancouver, 2012

The Fellini

1oz grappa
1/2oz Cynar
1/2oz Tawny Port
Dash of The Refinery’s grape bitters

Combine ingredients with ice. Stir. Strain over rocks.
Flame an orange peel over the drink and garnish.

The Butchertown Cocktail

The words “craft cocktail” make most Vancouverites think of one particular area – Gastown. While there are obvious exceptions, and some great ones at that, the concentration of stellar bar programs here is staggering. Cocktail culture in Vancouver has been growing so dramatically over the last few years that most of the top establishments are no more than three years old. One of the most notable has to be L’Abattoir.

Located in Gastown’s iconic Blood Alley, a drink’s throw from Gassy Jack, the award-winning French-influenced restaurant and impressive wine list is reason enough to visit. Add in their solid, simple, and classic cocktail program courtesy of Head Barman, Shaun Layton, and you have reason enough to visit regularly. Though the name (slaughterhouse) refers to one of several unconfirmed legends of Blood Alley’s past (the others include it being an execution site and Vancouver’s first prison) and the refurbished, century-old brick walls alongside tile and hanging antlers give the impression of both formality and Tobe Hooper, L’Abattoir is in fact quite casual and friendly. They were even named “Best Casual Restaurant” at this year’s Vancouver Magazine Awards.

Casual accolades aside, the food and cocktails are as sophisticated as you could want, and Layton has found a comfortable niche for his bar that marries classic style with subtle, modern sensibilities. The “Classic Cocktails” menu is a collection that includes some sadly forgotten ones, and a look through the “Originals” reveals a strong, balanced selection that often extends on the classic ideals. The “Slaughterhouse”, for example, is a Sazerac variation, decorating Cognac with Elixir Vegetal, aromatic bitters, and some orange oil and Green Chartreuse mist. The “Clover Club Refashioned” is simply the original refreshing Clover Club with added mint and sweet vermouth.

There are lighter sippers for the less initiated, combining modern juices and liqueurs (try the “Gastown Swizzle” on a hot day), and even a beer cocktail using a chili-infused Tequila, but talking with Layton or his right-hand-man David Greig reveals they are much more interested in a well-balanced spirit-focussed cocktail. This is further evident by eyeing the tilted backbar shelves, covered in rare gins and whiskies plus a collection of unique products that are hard to get here in Canada.

It has been a good five years since craft cocktails and mixology have become commonplace in Vancouver. There are upwards of fifteen high-quality cocktail bars in downtown alone, and Layton places the city alongside the best in the States. “A lot of bartenders have gotten over themselves and are just worrying about good drinks and pleasing customers. Our culture is really growing up – I haven’t made a Mojito or touched the vodka in over a year. This year I’ve been all over the U.S., and in terms of the volume of bars and the quality of spirits, there’s not much setting them apart from us anymore. Our crowd is not quite as knowledgeable, but it’s getting there.”

With Vancouver;s status as a craft-cocktail city, there are factors outside the mixing glass Layton feels puts us above the rest, namely the quality of customer service. “Our hospitality is fantastic – that definitely sets us apart. Also our ability to deal with not being able to get so many great products, and the fact that most of our best bars have high quality food, whereas a lot of bars in the States just focus on drinks. In Vancouver, we can’t do that.”

With the maturation of the scene in general, Layton feels there are positive shifts in the mentality of not just the bartender, but also the customer. “It’s becoming less about mixologist and more about having a good clientele. It’s more or less just spending time concentrating on your guests, more about quality spirits, and the homemade thing is going away. A really good drink is something you’re going to have again and again, not something you’ll have once just to say you’ve had it. It’s the same with the food industry – it’s gotten away from being too high-dining focused because you don’t want people to only come to your restaurant once every six months. If you become too novelty in your bar, and you find you go there just for the experience, and you feel frowned upon for having a beer instead of a cocktail, you’re not going to go very often.”

Layton has chosen his “Butchertown” cocktail to share, which is probably the most interesting on his menu. Named after an actual town in Kentucky, Layton designed the drink around two of the state’s major exports – bourbon and tobacco. Dry vermouth gives a different balance to each of the ingredients, allowing the bitterness of the Cynar and Becherovka to be more present, and just a touch of rum to hold things in place. It’s a quite dry and complex cocktail, and definitely a must-try for any enthusiast.
By Rhett Williams

The Butchertown

45 ml Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon
25 ml Noilly Prat French Vermouth
10 ml Becherovka
10 ml Amaro Cynar
1 barspoon Banks Rum
4 drops Tobacco Bitters

Combine all ingredients with ice, stir, strain into a cocktail coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist.


Originally published on www.eatmagazine.ca by Rhett Williams

Photography by Rhett Williams: The Butchertown Cocktail by Shaun Layton at L'Abattoir, Vancouver, 2012 

Veneto Unveils Their New Menu!

This weekend Veneto Tapa Lounge in Victoria, B.C., will be busting out a new cocktail and wine menu featuring some really awesome-looking originals, one or two old favourites, and even some new flights. According to Simon, the new menu is "quite reflective of what we do at Veneto; playful and fun with a backbone of classicist bartending technique."

I found the "flight" idea very exciting when I was there. At the time they had an "evolution of..." flight you could try, for example, the evolution of "The Brandy Cocktail," from its oldest incarnation to the most modern. This time around, they've gotten even more creative, doing "The Hemingway Trio," with the Death In The Afternoon, Papa Doble, and Death In The Gulfstream. There's also a Wondrich-inspired Manhattan flight, and one I think is simple but particularly clever, "The Sour Trio," going from bourbon in the south, to Tequila in Mexico, to pisco in South America.

Still remaining are Veneto classics like Rosemary's Baby and Wax Poetic, but for the most part the menu is totally new.

I'm excited to try every single one, but I should try to narrow myself to mentioning just a few I suppose. Oh screw that, I'm going to talk about the ones I want to try. Here are the first ones the popped out to me:

From Katie McDonald comes a few lighter drinks like "The Fluffer," with gin, Aperol, Orancio, and orange flower water, and "Jenkins!," with gin, honey, lychee, lemon, rose water, and a rosebud garnish, but she balances out her selection with "The Stranger," using Maker's 46 and sarsaparilla bitters complete with a Big Lebowski quote.

A few from Josh Boudreau really have me salivating, like "The Red Dress," which combines grappa, Campari, orange, and violette ("perfect for a night of playful conversation and intimate confessions"), and throws a little fire in the mix with "The Chestnut Cabinet" via flames Angostura and rum, chestnut, French vermouth, coffee bitters, and Jamaican rum.

Then there's the man himself, Simon Ogden, with a handful of new concoctions. The most noteworthy for me is one he created for Jay Jones of Market in the Shangri-La Hotel in Vancouver - "Passionate modern bartending on the West Coast has its pioneers. Vancouver's Jay Jones is one of the greatest. This is for him, with gratitude." Simon has graciously sent me the recipe, which uses the deliciously spicy Bittermens Tiki bitters in honour of Jay's island heritage, a recipe I will share below. Simon also a diverse mix inluding "Satchmo" (Mr. Louis Armstrong), which blends Highland and Islay whiskies with cinnamon apple bitters, honey, and lemon, the refreshing "Gin Micki" using gin, cucumber, pear, and celery bitters, and "Jasper Newton," (an ode to Jack Daniel's) with JD, fig compote, barrel-aged bitters, a red wine float, and a fig newton "on the side for good measure."

Lastly, there are a few new sparkling options, two of which I must try as well -
"Kentucky Waterfall" from Josh, with bourbon, peach, Campari, and prosecco,
and "A Modest Proposal," from Katie, with juiced celery, pistachio, cachaça, and prosecco.

Thirsty yet? Today is another day I'm sad I almost never make it over to Victoria. The new menu is probably reason enough.

So, the Barjonesing (which is both the name of Jay's twitter and consulting company). Simon has called Cynar his "all time, number one fave" amaro. "Beautiful, syrupy, and just the right amount of bitter" (you can see more info in my Amaro April series introduction). All these ingredients are readily available in B.C., thankfully (head to Legacy), and the Bittermens can be picked up at Gourmet Warehouse for just $17 per bottle (and they're all worth it). Simon tells me "Elemakule" means "old man" in Hawaiian. You learn something new every day.

I tip my hat and glass to Simon and the Veneto team, and to Jay as well. Now, get to Veneto and try some new drinks!

Barjonesing

2 oz. Woodford Reserve Bourbon
1/2 oz Amaro Cynar
1/2 oz Giffard Abricot de Rousillan
3 dashes Bittermens Elemakule Tiki Bitters

Lightly and briefly stir all ingredients together in ice just to cool them, then strain over large ice in an Old Fashioned Glass.
Garnish with a flamed Orange zest.

If you are unfamiliar with Veneto, please
check out my review here
check out The Pandemonium cocktail here
check out The Cherry Bob-omb cocktail here

Amaro Aperitivos

Drinks are often separated into categories involving food - aperitifs (French), or aperitivos (Italian), which are served before you eat to stimulate your palate and appetite, digestifs, or digestivos, which are served after a meal to aid digestion or calm your palate, and while you are eating you shouldn't really be drinking a mixed drink, but rather a nicely-paired wine, beer, or just water. This practice of enjoying alcohol through different stages of a meal is common practice in Europe, and one that has been carried over through good, high-end European restaurants here, or just in those with a really good cocktail program (Cin Cin in Vancouver, for example, has the second - soon to be first - largest selection of grappa in North America). Italians in particular have a very, very long list of aperitivos and digestivos in the form of amari and the Italian grape brandy known as grappa, both of which for the most part are enjoyed post-meal, but also sweet vermouths, or rossi, that are enjoyed beforehand. This does partly have to do with how it's being served, for example, making a mixed drink in an aperitivo-style, like a Negroni, using a heavier amaro than Campari like Montenegro makes a very refreshing pre-dinner cocktail, but sipping Montenegro neat is an excellent digestivo. But let's not make things too complicated and just look at some specific products.
First, to whet our palates, are the aperitivos, the most popular of which are Campari, and it's 'younger brother,' Aperol.

In 1860 in a town called Novara, northwest Italy, Gaspare Campari invented a recipe for a new liqueur by infusing alcohol (I have no confirmation, but I assume a grape spirit, or grappa base) with herbs, plants, roots, and fruit. It became so popular among the locals that Gaspare moved to Milano and opened Caffe Campari, where he soon invented Campari's signature cocktail, The Milano-Turino, named after the origins of both his liqueur and Cinzano sweet vermouth. This drink was later named The Americano, and you can see more history on this drink in particular here, plus it's successor, the Negroni, here.
It was common at the time to consume bitters (on the English side of things) or amaro after a meal to aid with digestion, but customers began to prefer sipping their Campari before lunch, which began a popular custom of meeting friends in the afternoon at a cafe for a little aperitivo before the big meals. The aperitivo concept was not new, but Campari made it a much more popular social custom.

The recipe has been claimed to include over 60 components, but nobody at Campari has ever spoken a word as to the ingredients. The disctinctive red colour comes from carmine dye, which originally came from crushed cochineal insects. The flavour is very unique and very bitter, but very light in comparison to other amari such as Averna or Fernet. There are hints of spice and menthol, strong herbal flavours, and bitter orange. There are many exciting and classic cocktails that use Campari, and the more you develop your bitter palate, the more you'll just want to just sip it with soda. The Americano is a good starting point for something light, but if you're more of a whiskey drinker, The Boulevardier is a must, with bourbon, sweet vermouth, and just a bit of Campari.

Aperol came much later, after the amaro boom of the mid 1800's. It was created by brothers Luigi and Silvio Barbieri with the intention of making an even lighter amaro than Campari in both flavour and alcohol content (only 11%) to be enjoyed as well as an aperitivo. They unveiled their invention at the Padua Exhibition in 1919, but it didn't really become popular until almost 30 years later. The recipe, as always, is a secret, but has supposedly remained unchanged since its inception. One thing did not, however, and that was the colour, which was basically clear, but a year after the original release (1920), the orange colour was added and used as part of its advertising identity. In the 1930's, Aperol started directing its campaign towards women, claiming its low-alcohol content was a great way for a woman to stay lean and fit but still enjoy drinking. In 1950, the signature cocktail the "Spritz" is invented, combining Aperol with Prosecco and a dash of soda, and the 1960's brought about television advertising, and Aperol really took off in Europe. It wasn't until 2000 that it spread to the rest of the world, when Peggy Guggenheim's exhibition in Venice is sponsored by the Campari group (the company that came to own Aperol) where the liqueur had a big advertising presence and Spritz was served to all manner of famous guests. Fast forward to 2006 and Aperol is suddenly available in the U.S. where it has since been not only delicious but an excellent stepping stone for anyone to get into amaro. This is where you need to start if you haven't yet, and this is definitely where you need to start if you don't have a taste for bitter yet. The biggest flavour is a bitter orange, but gentian and rhubarb are very noticeable as well.
While there are no real classic cocktails using it, it can fairly easily be substituted into any Campari drink to decent success. In fact, you'll see a lot of bars doing this, I assume to avoid offending anyone who isn't ready for the acquired taste of Campari. Making a Negroni with half Aperol and half Campari is quite delicious and easier to handle for the uninitiated, and I also find it mixes well with bourbon as is exemplified by an original by Joel Virginillo at The Refinery in Vancouver called "The Boulevardier of Broken Dreams," with 1oz bourbon, 3/4oz Aperol, and 3/4oz Cynar, built over ice.

Speaking of Cynar, I should take a further moment to mention it as it is most often enjoyed as an aperitivo (though also as a digestivo - being both is part of its identity). Also owned by the Campari group as of 1995 (they have quite the monopoly on aperitivos), but much younger, Cynar is an artichoke-based amaro made from only 13 herbs and plants and bottled at only 33 proof. It was launched in 1952 and gained popularity through television advertisements in the 1960's. Drinking an artichoke bitter may sound odd, and I honestly did not enjoy the first few times, but I have come to appreciate what it brings to a cocktail. Speaking of The Refinery, they make a fine Cynar Negroni that's definitely worth a try before you make any judgements on this amaro, and Pourhouse in Gastown has a couple creative Cynar drinks on their menu as well.

Next, we'll look at some popular amaro digestivos, namely Averna, Montenegro, and Ramazzotti.

[[ See my post on amaro digestivos 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 ]] 

Amaro Part 2: Buying Amaro in B.C.

Now that we've taken a brief look at what exactly amaro is, let's take a look at buying it in B.C. While some are actually cheaper here than in the States (well, Washington at least), others are only available at specialty stores where you'll still be paying a lot more, but if you're Canadian, you're used to it. Below I will list the types available to us here in Canada, which are the more popular types you will see in craft cocktail bars. If you're looking to buy for your home bar, Legacy is the place to go, unless you have time to visit Seattle (I've listed both prices so you can compare).

Averna - from Sicily, originally made in 1868 by a man of the same name. Herbs, roots, and citrus are soaked in a neutral spirit, then caramel is added and is bottled at 64 proof. It will run you $48 at Legacy in Vancouver, or $34 or less in the States.
Aperol - bright orange-colour, orange and rhubarb flavour, slightly bitter, low-proof (see my post on The Petruchio), aperitivo. This is the best starting point if you don't know amaro very well, or don't have a taste for bitter. $22 in the B.C. government liquor store, and $25 in Washington (woot!).
Campari - vibrant red colour, citrus and cinchona flavours, quite bitter (see my post on The Americano), aperativo. $27 in the government stores here, and $33 in Washington (woot again!).
Cynar - made from 13 herbs and plants, including artichoke, and bottled at 33 proof. Launched in 1952 and currently owned and distributed by the Campari group. $38 at Legacy, but only $27 in Washington.
Fernet - very bitter, 80-proof or higher (see my post from Fernet February), made in Lombardia. This will run you $30 in both Washington and B.C.
Lucano - fairly bitter using 37 herbs. $40 at Legacy, and not available to Washington stores (score another for Canada!).
Montenegro - from Bologna in the late 1800's, made from over 40 herbs and bottled at 46 proof, strong orange flavour. $44 at Legacy, $30 in Washington.
Nardini - mainly a grappa producer dating back to the late 1700's, they also produce a fairly light and minty amaro. You won't be able to find this in Canada, but can pick it up in Washington for only $28.
Nonino - grappa-based with very herbal but sweet flavour. $50 in Canada, but in the States you can find it for $24.
Ramazzotti - from Milan, bottled at 60 proof, flavour similar to traditional cola. $34 at Legacy, and $29 in Washington.

There are other less popular ones you can get in the Wasington stores like Santa Maria Genova (which is really light and tasty - another good starting point), Abano, and Rabarbaro Zucca, all in the $30-40ish range. I'm sure there are other states and cities, such as San Francisco, where you can find more, because you always can. 

The most typical way to enjoy an amaro is just neat in a liqueur glass after a meal, but often some are suggested to be drunk with soda water and an orange or lemon twist, or on the rocks, again with said twist. No matter how you enjoy it, an amaro is a perfect digestivo, or a perfect ending to an evening of drinking.

I'll be back soon with some information on aperitivo amari, specifically Campari and Aperol.

[[ See my post on amaro digestivos here ]]
[[ See my post on amaro aperivos 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 ]] 

Maraschino March: "Oden's Muse" from Tavern Law

The next cocktail for our month of Maraschino hails from a widely respected bar from Seattle by the name of Tavern Law. It's a winner of many honours, including being named one of the Top 25 Bars In America from GQ Magazine, and is often mentioned, even in the New York Times, in the same sentence as such infamous names as Milk & Honey in New York and Bourbon & Branch in San Francisco. The chef pairing of Brian McCracken and Dana Tough are multiple award-winners as well, even being named in the Top 5 New Chefs by Gayot. Needless to say, it's a pretty amazing establishment. 

Being somewhat easy to miss from the outside in Prohibition speakeasy fashion, but also having a secret second bar upstairs behind a black metal door called "Needle & Thread," really sets the perfect mood for imbibing, and the cocktail menu has a generally more traditional focus to match. To even get upstairs to the Needle, you need to call from the on-site telephone (similar to PDT in New York), and if one of the 25 seats are available, or more importantly, if you sound like you deserve a great drink, the bartender will buzz you up. There's no menu up there, so the incredibly skilled staff will create libations based on your mood and spirit preference. 

I feel the mission statement on their website says more than I could about this place:

"In 1832 the Pioneer Inn and Tavern Law legalized drinking in public bars and saloons. The Golden Age of cocktails thrived for nearly a century until the 1919 Volstead Act almost destroyed the craft of the American bartender by outlawing the production and pleasure of alcoholic beverages. However, in hidden rooms and dark basements, thirsty patrons still sought spirits. And so the Speakeasy was born, booming until the repeal of Prohibition in 1933. Neatly another century after Prohibitions repeal, left with only the fond memories and old bar manuals, the art of mixing drinks is alive today thanks to the efforts of dedicated bartenders, historians and drinkers alike. It's because of their diligence and passion that the pleasures of artfully crafted cocktails, fine wine, and masterfully prepared food has kept the spirits of the night dancing on our tongues and in our hearts. Welcome to the celebration of our history."

Sounds like the kind of place I'd want to get a drink. You?

It's an honour to have a contribution this month from Tavern Law, courtesy of event coordinator / bartender, Monica Buntha. To continue a sub-theme here, she uses Aquavit (like "The Hemingway Solution" from Vessel), but this time going for a stirred drink, using the fantastic (and impossible to get in Canada) Dolin dry vermouth, along with Cynar amaro and Fee Brother's Whiskey Barrel-Aged Bitters. Cynar is an amaro (Italian bitter liqueur) made with artichokes, and is one of the more bitter of its ilk, opposed to Averna or Ramazzotti. You can very rarely find it in the government liquor stores, but Legacy will have it for just under $40. The bitters are the Fee Brothers Old-Fashioned Bitters (which have a heavy cinnamon flavour) that have literally been aged in whiskey barrels for a period of time to add a subtle layer of complexity, and to smooth the flavours out. These you can pick up at Gourmet Warehouse, but not all the time, as they're aged and therefore supply is somewhat limited. 

Thank you so much to Monica and Tavern Law for contributing, and I implore all of you to head there for a drink if you're in Seattle, and hope that you're lucky enough to make it up to Needle & Thread as well. 

Cheers!

Oden's Muse

1.5 oz Linie Aquavit
0.75 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth
0.5 oz Cynar
0.25 oz Maraschino Liqueur
1 dash of Fee Brother's Whiskey Barrel Bitters

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass, add ice and stir, strain into a coupe. 

[[ see "The Hemingway Solution" from Vessel here ]]
[[ see the Maraschino March introduction here ]]
[[ see "The Division Bell" from Mayahuel here ]]

[[ see "The Shibuya Crusta" from L'Abattoir here ]]
[[ see "The Unforgiven" from Russell Davis of Rickhouse here ]]
[[ see "Cherry Bob-omb" from Veneto here ]]
[[ see "Primer Beso" from The Refinery here ]]
[[ see "The Rubicon" from Jamie Boudreau at Canon here ]]

[[ photography courtesy of Seattle Weekly (sign), and Bob Peterson (roulette/bar) ]]

Review: Boneta Restaurant

So I can easily say that Boneta is one of my favourite restaurants and bars in Vancouver. Recently changing locations from the edge of Gastown to the heart of Gastown (as most good food and drink in Vancouver seems to be), the ambience is great. Walking on the Gastown brick into alleys and hidden doorways leading to fantastic cuisine and treasure troves of fantastic bartenders is part of what I feel is the Vancouver cocktail experience (see also L'Abbatoir, Pourhouse, and The Diamond). While the bar is small, it's well-worth the wait on a busy night for some of the best service and best cocktails I've had in my adventures. The lighting is perfect for imbibing some classics, the windows show you the old Vancouver brick, and like all my favourites, I feel classy here. I really think that's one of the keys to a great bar, along with excellent service, and of course cocktail quality (see again Pourhouse, and also The West).

Boneta was discovered in its original location ("discovered" for me, that is) by my brother while he was visiting from San Francisco. After taking him to Pourhouse he decided to grab some food and another drink (sadly, after I had left) and stopped at Boneta after eyeing the menu. He left raving about the food, the drink, and the service, so of course I had to come see it for myself. The first time I visited, I was impressed by the food, but even moreso by both the interesting cocktail menu and the great bartending service. I had the pleasure of meeting Jess Nichol, who made me not only some great Boneta originals, but also pulled out a hidden bottle of American rye for a finely made Sazerac. Jess passed away last summer, and Vancouver and its cocktail culture will miss him and his skill. I am very lucky to have had the pleasure of being served by him.

Each time I've visited Boneta since I've been even further impressed by the food, the drink, and moreso the service (particularly by Mathieu Faure, who has served us in some capacity each time we've visited). Aside from one bad experience with one bartender in particular, I feel the service has been above and beyond (including both my lady and I receiving sparkling wine on the house, delivered by Mathieu himself upon noticing us at the door, because of the wait we had to endure for a seat at the bar on a busy night).
The menu always has interesting modern cocktails both from Boneta itself, and from the best bars in the world, like Milk & Honey, Death & Co., Rickhouse, French 75, etc. All the drinks tend to be simple and classic in mindset, which is usually what catches more of my interest. This is not as much of a place to find crazy house-bitters or infused spirits, though they do have some interesting tea and fruit syrups in their originals. As creative as those practices are, I always find myself drawn to more classic tastes.
I have to thank Boneta in particular for serving me the only true Brooklyn cocktail I've ever had (because of the impossibility of finding Picon Amer anywhere near where I live). Mr. Faure had his father send some over from France, and I'm sure there are a lot of thankful people in Vancouver.

Some current libations that stand out for me are the Vested Bartender, featuring Beefeater gin, Cynar amaro, Maraschino liqueur, and Fernet Branca, and the Gastown Proud - a variation on a Perfect Manhattan - featuring Buffalo Trace bourbon, Martini Bianco, Punt e Mes, Maraschino liqueur, and Peychaud's bitters. Overall, what I've enjoyed the most here are the 'bartenders choice' cocktails, which have never disappointed and shown us some amazing drinks for the first time, like the aforementioned Brooklyn, and also the Trinidad Sour - which is still a completely insane cocktail you must try if you have the balls.
Speaking of balls, actually, I should mention that one visit, after a very long, cold, and wet walk around the city for a history of crime in Vancouver tour, my lady and I stopped in for a drink at Boneta. My lady asked for "something with balls," which prompted Mathieu to make her a Brooklyn with Buffalo Trace, and I'm not sure anything else would have suited the mood more perfectly. That is one of the most exciting things about going to a great bar - trusting the bartender's judgement based on your mood. Boneta is definitely a place you can trust in that respect.

If you ever find yourself in Gastown - and you better, because that's where most of our great food and drink is - I definitely recommend Boneta Restaurant, particularly if you feel like having a few drinks. Thank you to Mathieu and the late Jess for their great service and cocktails!

[[ Check out "The Vested Bartender" cocktail here ]]