Category Archives: Cocktails

Drink of the Week: Moscow Mule

Posted on March 15, 2013 | 3 comments

I know that St. Patrick’s Day is this weekend, but I’m not going to insult you by blogging about some kind of green cocktail or — worse — green beer. Instead I will wow you with a Moscow Mule and, if colour is really a consideration for your Sunday night festivities, I suppose a couple drops of Green No. 3 would do the trick.

Last weekend my husband and I and another couple attended Crowbar, a pop-up cocktail lounge. Crowbar is the brainchild of local foodie Wade Sirois, of Forage and Infuse Catering; every couple months he organizes an evening of craft and classic cocktails, plus some appetizers and small plates, in a different location. The pop-up lounge is a spin-off of the pop-up trend that has seen everything from restaurants to ice skating rinks appear overnight in surprising venues in cities around North America and abroad.

Blake and I attended our first Crowbar at the Art Gallery of Calgary last spring. I wrote about it for the Calgary Herald. Photo by Christina Ryan.

Blake and I attended our first Crowbar at the Art Gallery of Calgary last spring. I wrote about it for the Calgary Herald. Photo by Christina Ryan.

This Crowbar took place inside Calgary’s National Music Centre and so, fittingly, featured live jazz by Johnny Summers. We had a great night listening to music and sampling diverse drinks. The men loved Remember the Maine, a barrel-aged cocktail not unlike a Manhattan, made with whiskey, sweet vermouth, cherry mariner and absinthe. The Planter’s Punch was delish; the exotic Pegu Club Cocktail (gin, Cointreau, lime juice, bitters) was too, but if I’m drinking cocktails all night, give me a Moscow Mule. Its mix of vodka, ginger beer and lime is refreshing, balanced and not too boozy. Happy St. Parick’s Day!

While I liked most of the drinks on the menu, the Moscow Mule is one you could drink all night (an important consideration for St. Pattie's Day).

I liked most of the drinks on the menu, but the Moscow Mule is one I could drink all night (an important consideration for St. Pattie’s Day).

Moscow Mule

  • 2 oz Square One vodka
  • Lime wedge (1/8 of lime)
  • Top with Fentiman’s ginger beer

Pour vodka over ice in a copper mug. Squeeze lime wedge in and drop the wedge into the mug. Top with ginger beer. Replica mugs available from The Crafty Bartender out of Toronto.

— Recipe courtesy Wade Sirois

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Drink of the Week: Griz Bar Caesar

Posted on March 1, 2013 | Leave a comment

I’m off to Fernie Alpine Resort for some spring skiing this weekend. I’m looking forward to a huge base of snow, a couple of (hopefully) bluebird days and at least one run off of Polar Peak. Then I’ll head over to the Griz Bar for some apres-ski drinks including a Griz Bar Caesar.

What's better than apres ski? A Griz Bar Caesar on an outdoor patio on a sunny afternoon apres ski.

What’s better than apres ski? A Griz Bar Caesar on an outdoor patio on a sunny afternoon apres ski.

Two years ago I searched the town for the best apres-ski cocktail. What I discovered is that most skiers drink jugs of Kokanee after a day on the slopes, but the lucky few who find themselves seated at a vinyl booth inside the Griz Bar can quench their thirst — and a desire for a cocktail with some kick — by ordering the Caesar. It’s also the best choice during Griz Days, Fernie’s annual festival that’s on this weekend in honour of the mountain man (Griz) responsible for firing a cannon into the clouds and causing the town’s epic snowfalls. Cheers to Griz, Griz Days and the Griz Bar Caesar!

Griz Bar Caesar

  • 1 oz vodka
  • 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 dashes Tabasco sauce (or to taste)
  • Clamato juice
  • Celery salt
  • Pepperoncini pepper

Rim a high ball glass with celery salt. Fill with ice then add vodka, Worcestershire and Tabasco. Top with Clamato, stir and garnish with a pepperoncini pepper.

— Recipe courtesy Griz Bar

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Drink of the Week: St-Germojito

Posted on February 22, 2013 | 1 comment

Please excuse this cocktail’s  ridiculous name. It’s just that I didn’t know what else to call the “mojito” made with St-Germain, that I created earlier this week.

You can almost imagine spring is coming while sipping this St-Germain mojito.

Imagine spring is coming while sipping this St-Germain mojito.

It was happy hour and we were faced with a dire scenario: no gin, no limes and only one lemon. We did have a bunch of leftover mint and some rum, however, so I decided to get experimental. Instead of using lime in my “mojito” I used half a lemon, as I prefer lime cocktails when they’re “cut” with lemon juice. Then, rather than adding sugar or making a simple syrup I added St-Germain, an elderflower liqueur from France, as the drink’s sweetening agent. This worked wonderfully as it’s not too sweet and pairs well with mint.

I actually like my tart and refreshing St-Germojito more than a traditional mojito, which I often find too sweet and/or not strong enough. I could taste both the rum (just slightly) and the St-Germain. In a word: yum.

It's tart and refreshing, thanks to the lemon juice, mint and soda.

It’s tart and refreshing, thanks to the lemon juice, mint and soda.

St-Germojito

  • 1 oz Mount Gay Silver
  • 1/2 oz St-Germain
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 8-10 mint leaves
  • Top soda

In the base of a cocktail shaker, gently muddle the mint with the lemon juice and St-Germain. Add the rum and ice and shake. Pour contents of the shaker into a rocks glass, then add more ice if necessary and top with soda (about 1-2 oz). Stir to lift the mint to the top of the glass.

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