Category Archives: Cocktails

Drink of the Week: Passion Agavera

Posted on October 3, 2014 | 1 comment

I spent part of last week in the highlands near Guadalajara, Mexico, watching jimadors harvest the hearts of blue agave plants that are used to make tequila. Then I visited the Hacienda del Patron, where that same agave is transported to be turned into various styles of Patron tequila at the distillery in Atotonilco.

Agave field near Arandas, Jalisco state, Mexico

A jimador harvests agave near Arandas in Jalisco state, Mexico.

The jimadors of yore used to dress like this! I loved this mural painted on a veranda wall at the Patron Hacienda.

The jimadors of yore used to dress like this! I loved this mural painted on a veranda wall at the Patron Hacienda.

I’ll be writing about it all in more detail for some upcoming stories, but in the meantime I wanted to share a taste of tequila and the tropical state of Jalisco, which grows so much more than agave. Patron mixologist Jose Luis Gutierrez shook up some Passion Agavera cocktails that include the new Roca Patron Silver, as well as locally grown passion fruit. Yummy.

Whoops, I accidentally took a sip of this before I took the photo. I blame it on the tequila tasting that took place prior.

Whoops, I accidentally took a sip of this before I took the photo. I blame it on the tequila tasting that took place prior.

Passion Agavera

  • 1-1/2 oz Roca Patron Silver tequila
  • 1 oz passion fruit puree
  • 1 oz peach puree
  • splash lime juice
  • 1/2 oz agave syrup
  • Top mineral water
  • Skewered peach garnish

— Recipe courtesy Jose Luis Gutierrez, Hacienda del Patron

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Drink of the Week: Classic Daiquiri

Posted on September 26, 2014 | 2 comments

Back in the late 1980s I used to throw a “Dacqueri” party at my house every summer when my parents were out of town. I don’t know what’s worse: the fact that I misspelled the word daiquiri on party invitations, or that my daiquiris — being too-sweet and neon-coloured and slushy — were, in fact, poor shadows of Cuba’s classic cocktail.

And don't get me started on the misplaced apostrophe!

And don’t get me started on the misplaced apostrophe! (But I love this invite and the fact that I drew my dad serving beer from a keg.)

Of course, my high school pals drank my “dacqueri’s” anyway and didn’t seem to care that they were abominations. I blame it on the 80s. And my poncho from Mexico. And also those frozen Bacardi mixer canisters you could buy at Safeway (just add rum!).

Contents of the yellow cup? Neon-pink Strawberry "Dacqueri" of course.

Contents of the yellow cup? Neon-pink strawberry “dacqueri”. (Please excuse the photo resolution — it’s what happens when you take a photo of an old Kodak print with your iPhone.)

The good news is I finally have a chance to redeem myself a quarter century later through the written word. I’m writing about real daiquiris for an upcoming issue of up! magazine, and it’s given me a grand excuse to learn about the tropical tipple and try my hand at making this simple sip.

And simple, it is. Lime juice, granulated sugar (or simple syrup) and aged white rum. Since I love sours I took the liberty of adding egg white to help bind the ingredients and smooth out the flavours. Not only is the resulting daiquiri sour perfectly balanced between strong, sweet and sour, it looks much better served in a martini glass.

In my opinion, adding egg white to the classic daiquiri smooths out its edges and helps the flavours co-mingle.

In my opinion, adding egg white to the classic daiquiri smooths out its edges and helps the flavours co-mingle.

Classic Daiquiri Sour

  • 2 oz Havana Club 3-Year-old white rum
  • 3/4 oz fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 oz simple syrup
  • 1/2 oz egg white

Method: Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with two ice cubes and shake until ice has dissolved and shaker feels heavy. Pout contents into a coupe glass or martini glass.

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Drink of the Week: Parlour Gin & Tonic

Posted on August 29, 2014 | 1 comment

It seems incredible I have not yet blogged about the G&T. I have written about gin and tonics for both Avenue magazine and most recently for the Calgary Herald, yet for some reason summer’s eponymous sip has yet to be featured as my Drink of the Week. Until now.

It's gin and tonic time! Try this refreshing highball after a hot day at the lake.

It’s gin and tonic time! Try this refreshing highball after a hot day at the lake.

What prompted this post was a bottle of Parlour Gin, the latest spirit from Eau Claire Distillery near Turner Valley, Alta. This delightful London dry-style gin’s reputation preceded it, and Parlour Gin does not disappoint. It’s fragrant and flavourful, thanks to its unique combination of botanicals including saskatoon berries, rose hips, lemon peel and of course juniper berries, among others. It’s a gin that I call sippable; meaning, it tastes wonderful on its own over ice, but you can add a splash of tonic until you reach the desired level of bitter fizz.

Parlour Gin is one of the best gins I've had in awhile. I love the name (a nod to prohibition-era gin parlours) and the bottle's cool logo.

Parlour Gin is one of the best gins I’ve had in awhile. I love the name (a nod to prohibition-era gin parlours) and the bottle’s cool logo.

We have been experimenting with our Parlour Gin & Tonics this summer during trips to Fernie, BC, and we find that they taste best sipped on sunny patios after long hikes or lazy afternoons at the lake. Now that our bottle has finally run dry I think we have stumbled upon the best G&T recipe.

Parlour Gin & Tonic

  • 1-1/2 oz Parlour Gin
  • 3 oz tonic (or to taste) such as Fentimans or Porter’s
  • Squeeze lime
  • Lime circles garnish

In a rocks glass over ice add gin and tonic. Squeeze in 1/8 of a lime (or to taste), stir, and garnish with a couple of thinly sliced lime circles.

 

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