The Italian Buck
BACKGROUND
The Italian Buck is bittersweet and refreshing, a true drink for Amaro enthusiasts. Bucks typically contain Bourbon, but here, whiskey is switched out for both Cynar and Montenegro. Perfect for a long summer day or after a great meal. Don’t be afraid to try this cocktail. By using Cynar and Montenegro, you'll end up with a cocktail you want over and over.
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 oz Cynar1
1/2 oz Amaro Montenegro
3/4 oz of freshly squeezed lime juice
3 oz of Ginger Beer
METHOD
This is a shaken cocktail.
Simply combine all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker (I prefer a Boston shaker). Add ice and shake until contents are combined and chilled.
Strain into a Collins Glass and garnish with a lime wheel.
The Clover Club
BACKGROUND
You can’t go wrong by putting together gin, raspberries, and lemon. The classic combo of these ingredients makes the clover club a fantastic cocktail in your repertoire. The addition of the egg white adds a luxurious mouth feel to the drink, taking your cocktail to a whole new level.
INGREDIENTS
2 oz of Gin
1/2 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Raspberry Syrup
1 Egg White
METHOD
Smoke your glass on Maple.
With this cocktail, you will want to do a double shake to get that nice foam on top.
Add all the ingredients into the shaker (remember alcohol last!) and add ice. Wet shake, remove the ice and dry shake. Double strain into a coupe glass.
Smoked Old Fashioned
BACKGROUND
“Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whiskey is barely enough.” – Mark Twain.
The Old Fashioned comes by its name, honestly. It’s old. Though its origins are contested, in general, it is believed to have not emerged as one specific cocktail but rather as a popular style of drink around the 1860s. For generations, bartenders, cocktail enthusiasts, and starch traditionalists have debated the proper components, garnishes, recipes & presentation of what is essentially a three ingredients cocktail.
Our Spirits with Smoke combination creates a very well-balanced Old Fashioned. Not too sweet, not too spicy, and very smooth, the perfect cocktail for anybody’s palate.
INGREDIENTS
2 oz Makers Mark Bourbon
1 Raw Sugar Cube
2 Dashes of Black Walnut Bitters
1 Dash of Angostura
1 Dash Water
METHOD
First, smoke your glass on Oak.
In a Mixing Beaker, combine the raw sugar cube, bitters, & water. Muddle the ingredients to a paste. Next, add the bourbon and ice. Stir for 15-20 rotations or until the ingredients have combined and chilled.
Strain into a rock glass and add fresh ice. Finally, garnish with an orange twist.
The YYZ
BACKGROUND
What kind of Canadian company would Spirits with Smoke be if we didn’t have a Canadian cocktail on the list? The YYZ is a riff off the classic Manhattan that goes back to the pre-Prohibition era.
However, unlike its more famous cousin to the south, Toronto goes a little bit away from the classic 2 – 1 – 2 ratios. Instead, a touch of Fernet Branca is used in place of sweet vermouth. A little bit of sweet syrup also helps tame the Fernet's bitter, herbal notes, keeping the cocktail's flavours balanced.
INGREDIENTS
2 oz of Dark Horse Whiskey
0.25 oz of Fernet Branca
0.25 oz of Demerara Simple Syrup
2 Dashes of Angostura
METHOD
Smoke your glass Oak
Using a Yari Mixing Beaker, combine all the ingredients. Add ice and stir for 20 rotations—strain into a rock's glass or coupe.
Garnish with an orange twist.
Whiskey Sour
BACKGROUND
The Whiskey Sour is a classic cocktail with old roots. Though it was first written down in 1862 by Jerry Thomas in “The Bartender’s Guide,” the basic recipe was created over a century prior. Back before the era of refrigeration, on long sea journeys, the water wasn’t considered safe to drink, so Sailors drank liquor instead. In an effort not to have a consistently inebriated crew, Vice Admiral Edward Vernon started mixing watered-down rum with lemon or lime. The citrus not only helped conceal the lousy taste but also prevented scurvy. Thus, the sour was born.
Today, the contemporary version includes more sugar and egg white, adding a sweet creaminess to the drink.
INGREDIENTS
2 oz Buffalo Trace
1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
1 oz Simple Syrup
1 Egg White
METHOD
Smoke your glass on Maple.
Combine all ingredients in a Boston shaker (alcohol last), add ice and shake. We do a wet shake first to chill the egg whites. Remove ice and shake again. This is where you want to whip the eggs—double strain into a coupe glass.
Add a couple of drops of Angostura and drag through the dots with a straw to make a swirl.
Rasberry Rumble
BACKGROUND
This is another excellent Gin cocktail, perfect for warm spring and summer days. Like the Clover Club, this is another play on the same great three ingredients: gin, lemon & raspberries.
For our Raspberry Ramble, we recommend using ingredients sourced in Alberta to create a dry gin with the essence of rose petal, fruity tartness of Saskatoon berry, and a smooth cucumber finish.
If you don’t have Creme De Cassis for this cocktail, you can add another raspberry or two to bump up the flavour. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to use blackberries in place of raspberries too.
INGREDIENTS
2 oz of Gin
1 oz Lemon Juice
1.25 oz Simple Syrup
4 Raspberries
Touch of Creme De Cassis
METHOD
Smoke your glass on Walnut
Combine the gin, lemon juice, and 3/4 of the simple syrup in a Boston Shaker. Shake with ice and strain into a rock glass filled with crushed ice. Add the raspberries, the remaining syrup, and a dash of Creme De Cassis to the empty shaker. Gently muddle and pour on top of the drink.
