Category Archives: Cocktails

Drink of the Week: Bagasse

Posted on December 9, 2016 | Leave a comment

Bagasse is the fibrous matter that’s left over after sugarcane stalks or agave hearts are crushed to extract their juice. The bagasse is then either turned into animal feed, or composted and turned into fertilizer. But don’t let the fate of the agave fibres dissuade you from trying this delicious drink.

The Bagasse appears on Proof’s latest cocktail menu, which features drinks created by its talented bar staff. This one is the brainchild of managing partner Tony Migliarese, who visited the Tequila region of Mexico not long ago, and so loved the taste of roasted agave he wanted to capture its honeyed richness in a cocktail.

This cocktail from Proof combines tequila with apple brandy and cinnamon syrup for a rich and delicious drink.

This cocktail from Proof combines tequila with apple brandy and cinnamon syrup for a rich and delicious drink.

I’m a big fan of both tequila and agave (roasted, or in syrup form), and I love how the drink plays up those tastes with cinnamon and the round flavour of apple. A small amount of turmeric bestows an air of mystery and a lovely colour. Bonus: the Bagasse is pretty easy to recreate at home with such straightforward ingredients — just add a couple cinnamon sticks to your simmering simple syrup, and voila!

Bagasse

  • 1.5 oz Espolon Reposado
  • 0.5 oz Calvados
  • 0.5 oz cinnamon syrup
  • 0.5 oz apple juice
  • 0.5 oz lemon juice
  • Dash of agave nectar
  • 1/16 tsp. turmeric

Glass: Coupette

Method: Combine ingredients and shake with ice. Double strain into a coupette.

— Recipe by Tony Migliarese, managing partner at Proof

 

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Drink of the Week: Tequila Manhattan

Posted on November 11, 2016 | Leave a comment

I really like Cocchi, a sweet vermouth from Italy. It’s made using a Moscato wine base that’s then infused with herbs and spices, including gentian, cinchona bark and bitter orange peels. The result is a fruity, raisiny and spicy vermouth, with a touch of bitterness. I learned all this during a crash course in “vermouth vs. amaro” several weeks ago, and now I have the difficult job of trying out recipes that showcase each.

Cocchi Vermouth di Torino is a high-quality sweet vermouth from Italy.

Cocchi Vermouth di Torino is a high-quality sweet vermouth from Italy.

First up: the Cocchi vermouth. Why not use it to make a Tequila Manhattan, a twist on the classic cocktail? When you add a bit of jalapeño syrup for smoky sweetness, and a dash of orange bitters to keep its edge, you have the makings of something spirit-forward, but smooth and round. I like-y.

Smooth tequila and sweet vermouth combine in this spirit forward sip that's a twist on a traditional Manhattan.

Smooth tequila and sweet vermouth combine in this twist on a traditional Manhattan.

Tequila Manhattan

  • 1-1/2 oz reposado tequila (I used Rocado)
  • 1/2 oz Cocchi Storico Vermouth di Torino
  • 1 tsp. jalapeño simple syrup*
  • Dash orange bitters
  • Orange zest

Method: Combine tequila, vermouth, jalapeño syrup and bitters in a mixing glass with ice. Stir for about 20 seconds. Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice ball (optional). Squeeze in orange zest, rim glass with orange peel and drop in.

*Jalapeño simple syrup

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 jalapeño, cut into chunks

Method: Combine sugar and water and heat until sugar is dissolved. Add jalapeño and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove and let cool. Strain out jalapeño and store syrup in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

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Drink of the Week: Heavenly Hibiscus

Posted on November 4, 2016 | Leave a comment

It seems a stretch when people describe cocktails as sublime or divine or heavenly. Like, can a drink taste so good it inspires awe? Well, the aptly named Heavenly Hibiscus, created by James Nguyen of Royale Brasserie Francaise, comes awfully close.

You'll have a hard time stopping once you start siping this vanilla-meets-cognac-and-hibiscus taste sensation, aptly named the Heavenly Hibiscus.

You’ll have a hard time stopping once you start siping this vanilla, cognac and hibiscus taste sensation, aptly named the Heavenly Hibiscus.

In fact, once I started sipping I had a hard time putting down the glass, so intoxicating is its combination of cognac, vanilla liqueur and apple juice. It’s strong and rich, with the heady scent of vanilla transformed into something drinkable. There are also hibiscus flowers in there — Nguyen makes his own cordial (see recipe, below) — and a splash of lemon juice for tartness. The drink is intended to demonstrate that cocktails made with cognac can be light, long and easy to drink. I may have asked him for a to-go cup (request denied).

Heavenly Hibiscus

  • 1-1/3 oz Chateau Montifaud VS cognac
  • 2/3 oz Giffard’s Vanille de Madagascar
  • 1/2 oz Hibiscus Cordial*
  • 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
  • 2 oz apple juice
  • Garnish: 3 thin apple slices, skewered

Method: Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake with ice. Strain into a Collins glass filled with fresh ice and garnish with three thin apple slices artfully arranged on a skewer.

*Hibiscus Cordial

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp. hibiscus flowers from Silk Road Spice Merchant

Method: Combine sugar and water and heat until just simmering and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add hibiscus flowers. Let steep like a tea. When cool, strain out flowers and refrigerate cordial.

— Recipes courtesy James Nguyen, Royale Brasserie Française

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