Misshapen peaches were on sale at the grocery store. Y’know, the “ugly” fruit that conventional shoppers apparently don’t want to buy. But these peaches were deliciously ripe and sweet — until, after a few days of sitting on the counter, they were on the verge of being over-ripe. Which called for emergency measures in the…
Dark & Stormy
The Dark and Stormy (aka Dark ‘n’ Stormy, a proprietary name) is often associated with hot coastal climates. This cocktail has been described as the (unofficial) national drink of Bermuda and a favourite among yacht owners. In chillier regions, it’s more often associated with autumn, Thanksgiving, and the coming of winter — and it’s through…
Bourbon Apple Cider
In celebration of the first week of fall, we opted for a cocktail with apple cider (plus we had bourbon in the cupboard, but I digress…). Also on hand was a lovely bottle of French apple brandy that we had been hankering to pour, so bourbon apple cider cocktails, it was! Here’s how we made…
Amaretto Sour
A 1970s throwback, the Amaretto Sour has long been relegated to the history books for being almost poisonously sweet; but the drink has recently seen a resurgence. The original Amaretto Sour recipe was created with equal parts amaretto and lemon juice over ice. Currently, most bartenders use their own creative mix to make the drink. Amaretto is a traditional…
The Amateur
In the communopoly, we are fans of Japanese food in part because of the mingling of flavours that epitomizes that cuisine. Taking that idea as inspiration, I started searching for a cocktail that would be both easy to assemble (because I’m slammed with being back to school) and pleasantly mellow at the end of a…
Basil & Lemon Vodka Gimlet
Let’s just say it was not a hot-shouldered day when we made this summertime classic. In fact, autumn (and what felt like snow) was but a dozen days away. Alas, the basil crop on the porch seemed neither to know nor care, so… when summer gives you basil, make Basil & Lemon Gimlets! Hopefully you…
Rosemary’s Baby
We were in search of something delicious, so we spent a few hours with Cocktail Culture by Shawn Soole and Nate Caudle, published by Touchwood Editions, 2013. It’s a fascinating volume about the resurgence of hand-crafted cocktails in the Victoria, BC, region, and we’ll certainly revisit this book for inspiration. The Rosemary’s Baby involves rosemary…
Sidecar
The origins of this classic cocktail are, as per usual, obscure but it’s definitely been around for most of the last 100 years, with most people labelling it a post WWI invention. Packing a punch — like most of the cocktails we’ve tried — this one is pretty easy drinking but still with enough zing…
The Negroni
Described as “dry and zingy” on most of the websites we looked at, the first two words that unanimously escaped our recoiling lips were, “Ack!” and “Jesus.” That said, the Negroni is not without its charms. Bitter? Yes—like sucking on the pith of an angry orange peel. But as the ice melts and your taste…
The Cosmopolitan
The origins of the Cosmopolitan are shrouded in mystery with versions using gin appearing back to the 30s. The current accepted form uses vodka and seems to be a creation coming out of the American mid-west in the 70s. Or maybe from Miami in the 80s? But (ir)regardless of its origin, the Cosmo’s lovely pink hue, served in a traditional…