Shrub | Tonic
To those of you participating in Dry January in some way, good for you. I’m all for mindful eating and drinking, whether that’s initiated by a certain time of year or just a periodic look inside. In any case, as someone who enjoys entertaining guests and pretending to be a bartender, it’s important to have interesting and delicious options for those who aren’t drinking alcohol.
Mai Ti-erra
Cold weather hits and sure, the flips and toddies come out in full force, but right around this time of year I switch to Tiki Mode. The vacation/beach vibes are especially welcome now that the holidays are well behind us.
Cabbagetown
This drink is a riff on the Toronto (rye/fernet/syrup), so I called on my friend @sidds.pix for some Toronto neighborhoods. Cabbagetown (sweet name right?) isn’t too far from Toronto proper, and this riff is not far from the original. It’s a revitalized area that still retains a lot of its older, Victorian architecture. And from what Google tells me, it’s kinda… fancy, with farmer’s markets, trendy coffee shops, and higher-than-average priced homes.
Don’t Ass-ume
I love plum wine (umeshu). I always assumed it was made with, well, plums… but it’s actually made ume, which is actually a relative of (but not identical to) the plum most of us are familiar with. The things I learn while posting, amiright? I recently got my hands on an umeshu made with kokuto sugar.
Open Sesame
Another flip coming your way today. Gotta make up for all that lost time of my “pre-flip” days. This one is closer to my “core” in that in takes a more culinary approach and evens flirts with some savory flavors. The driving force for this build was the honey sesame cashew orgeat. Ever had those irresistible cashews from @traderjoes? If not do yourself a favor and pick up a bag…or don’t, if your new year’s resolution wasn’t to snack uncontrollably. The oregeat is a syrup made from this top-notch snack.
Vinaigrette
I am excited to participate in this year’s #secretsanté that is so kindly hosted by the one and only @servedbysoberon. My Santé is @saifbarman. This was a new account to me, but one that was easy to enjoy and to find common ground with my own cocktails: frequent use of fresh ingredients and herbs, and unafraid to lean toward the savory now and then.
Swan Song
I’m not typically one to gift birds, even to my true love. A new cocktail is more my style, and my love does enjoy tequila. Thankfully, I have the chance to join some drinkstagram friends in celebrating the #12daysofelbandido (#ad), so a tequila drink it is.
PPP (purple / pea / plum)
Happy Monday y’all! After acorns and spruce trees I felt like something more… indoor? Less woodsy ? It’s a little simpler too, but don’t let that fool you; it’s a darn good gin sour. And it’s really purple so it has that going for it.
Southside of the Forest
Another day, another southside riff because they’re awesome. This one came together because: 1) I received a lovely gin from @spring44distilling (with a cool victory engraving by @rec_etch) that definitely gives “mountain forest” vibes; 2) I attempted to make spruce syrup. I say attempted because spruce tips are really necessary to make a proper syrup and I only had branches. The result still tastes spruce-y but was not near the tree branch mouth slap that I was going for.
Joy To the Squirrel
Today we are going full Christmas mode with a really special cocktail that is both human and, I assume, squirrel-approved. It is a rum-based, stirred drink that was created to showcase the incredible @chairmansreserveofficial spiced rum. It’s different than any spiced rum I’ve ever had. First, it’s 40% abv, and not overly sweet. The spice profile is deep, with the expected flavors (cinnamon, clove, all spice) supplemented by hints of citrus and a note of cola-like bitterness that reminds me of some of my favorite amari. It’s lovely.