Tales of the Cocktail, Vancouver by Degen Beley
They call us Hollywood North, and soon they’ll be calling us New Orleans North, as Vancouver will host the first ever Tales of the Cocktail event outside of NOLA, from March 13-15th. I guess they picked it for the swamp-like conditions that prevail in March?
At the media launch yesterday they announced the winner of the contest for the Official Cocktail of Tales of the Cocktail Vancouver, and while I don’t currently have ANY of the ingredients, I’m looking forward to trying it ASAP: The winner was the Dalhousie Cocktail by Jonathan Smolensky from Brix and George (aka “that place with the Chihuly chandelier”) and it does sound delish:
Dalhousie Cocktail Recipe
Start by taking 6-8 Canada plums, which have been dehydrated in coarse sugar, and steep them in Gibson’s 18yr Canadian whisky for 4-5 days.
Then use these ingredients:
60 ml (2 oz.) Canada plum infused 18yr Gibson’s
15 ml (1/2 oz.) Domaine de Canton liqueur
10 ml (1/3 oz.) Zwack Unicum
1-2 dashes of high quality rendition of Boker’s bitters
Lemon peel
Chill a coupe glass and a mixing/Boston glass.
In a mixing glass, add the Canada plum infused 18yr Gibson’s, the Domaine de Canton, the Zwack Unicum, and Boker’s bitters. Stir until heavy and properly diluted.
Remove the pith of the lemon peel and rub the peel on the inside edge of the coupe glass, then toss the peel.
Double strain all mixed ingredients into the coupe glass and garnish with a small Canada plum fan.
Then, presumably, put on Barrett’s Privateers, don a festive toque (our Northern fez substitute) and enjoy. Yes, this is going to take some shopping. I think I’m all out of Zwack Unicum, and it takes time to give a unicorn a quality zwacking off.
Definitely not something you’d mix up on the spur of the moment, is it?
Truly, though, if you’re going to listen to Barrett’s Privateers, you don’t need a posh cocktail in your hand. You need two bottles of Alexander Keith’s in your hand — one full, from which to drink, and one empty, with which to thump the hell out of the pine bar table at which you’re sitting, in time to the beat of the music.
Not that I ever did that during the 10 years I lived in Halifax. 😉
Comment by La Petite Acadienne — January 15, 2011 @ 7:53 pm
Other than lemon peel, I don’t think I know what any of these things are. And I am a drinker. What are Canada plums? Plums that are like American plums, but more polite? I don’t even know what the glass is. I clearly need to do more research.
Comment by Erik Nabler — January 17, 2011 @ 8:20 pm
You don’t know that Gibson’s is a premium Canadian Whisky? Canadian plums are just black plums; I suppose you’d call them African-Canadian plums. http://cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/subsite/mx-212/canadaplum
Domain de Canton is just ginger liqueur (I had to google it). This certainly does sound like a tasty drink; it’d have to be, to beat out the competition. I’ll be swinging by George to taste it for myself and promise to report back.
A coupe glass is just one of those stubby Champagne glasses supposedly modeled on the bust of (pick one): Helen of Troy, Marie Antoinette, Madame du Pompadour.
Comment by raincoaster — January 17, 2011 @ 9:18 pm
premium Canadian Whisky? Isn’t than an oxymoron? Jumbo shrimp? Ha, I jest, but I am a bourbon man, so maybe I don’t. Speaking of premium Canadian Whisky, are you familiar with Forty Creek Barrel Select? I have not had a chance to try it, but our friends at Boozeblogger did a very interesting review of it. Check it out here if you have the chance: http://boozeblogger.com/wordpress/2010/12/reviews-forty-creek-barrel-select/
I would like to try this cocktail and I wonder if the ginger liqueur might be substitutable with something line curacao or something of that nature. Is it sweet? Find out, now!
Comment by Erik Nabler — January 17, 2011 @ 11:36 pm
Oh yes, I’ve had Forty Creek. It’s very nice, but my favorite is Centennial 10. My former favorite, which I can no longer find anywhere, is Lot 40, which is truly the finest spirit I’ve ever tasted.
http://www.whiskymag.com/whisky/brand/lot_40/whisky1138.html
Comment by raincoaster — January 17, 2011 @ 11:47 pm
PS if you’re the distiller of Lot 40, CALL ME, BABY!
Comment by raincoaster — January 19, 2011 @ 12:58 am
That sounds like a great drink, but I’m entirely too lazy to track down all of the ingredients, so I’ll just have a bourbon-ginger while I’m shout-singing the chorus to “Barrett’s Privateers.”
Comment by Chicklet — January 20, 2011 @ 9:14 am
Not even CC & ginger? Come on, get into the spirit of the thing!
Comment by raincoaster — January 20, 2011 @ 5:38 pm
Yah, eh? Hoser.
Comment by Erik Nabler — January 20, 2011 @ 5:59 pm