Flavour of the Month: eight core-warming winter cocktails
The city’s best bar hands are dreaming up boozy cocktails to take the edge off our mid-February malaise
Hot Buttered Rum
The perfect après-ski (or après–afternoon of shopping): Sailor Jerry spiced rum and compound butter (cinnamon, clove, brown sugar, lemon zest and butter) steeped in hot water. $12. Sidecar, 577 College St., 416-536-7000.
My Darling Clementine
House-made gingerbread syrup lends a subtle molasses flavour to this mimosa-esque mix of prosecco, Grand Marnier and fresh-squeezed clementine juice. $14. Ruby Watchco, 730 Queen St. E., 416-465-0100.
Winter Jacket Fellow
A soothing mash-up of two traditional cold-weather treats—mulled wine and hot apple cider—ups the ante with a dose of Zubrówka bison grass vodka. $9. Brockton General, 1321 Dundas St. W., 647-342-6104.
S’mores Hot Chocolate
Nutty Frangelico and Navan fortify a serving of Soma’s sinful malted milk hot chocolate. Topped with a melty house-made marshmallow and a sprinkling of graham cracker crumbs, it’s tastier (and tidier) than its campfire namesake. $10. Luma, TIFF Bell Lightbox, 330 King St. W., 647-288-4715.
So Martini
Caffeine fiends can get their fix with a potent combination of vanilla vodka, Baileys, Chambord and a kick of espresso. $11. Table 17, 782 Queen St. E., 416-519-1851.
Parkdale Bake
A maple, baked butternut squash and sage syrup forms the savoury centrepiece of this gentlemanly blend of Maker’s Mark and sweet
vermouth. A crisped sage leaf adds an earthy embellishment. $10. Local Kitchen, 1710 Queen St. W., 416-534-6700.
Blitzen
A bracing mix of muddled lime, lemon-ginger syrup, Johnnie Walker Red Label and prosecco is garnished with cranberries, a rosemary sprig and powdered sugar for a pretty twist on the whiskey sour. $12. Grace, 503 College St., 416-944-8884.
Spanish Flip
Forgo the calorie-dense cream of eggnog, and indulge in a frothy concoction of Pedro Ximénez sherry, egg yolk, spice syrup (cinnamon, allspice, clove), lemon juice and nutmeg. $11. The Drake, 1150 Queen St. W., 416-531-5042.
(Image: Christopher Stevenson)
: Sailor Jerry spiced rum and compound butter (cinnamon, clove, brown sugar, lemon zest and butter) steeped in hot water. $12. Sidecar, 577 College St., 416-536-7000.
My Darling Clementine
House-made gingerbread syrup lends a subtle molasses flavour to this mimosa-esque mix of prosecco, Grand Marnier and fresh-squeezed clementine juice. $14. Ruby Watchco, 730 Queen St. E., 416-465-0100.
Winter Jacket Fellow
A soothing mash-up of two traditional cold-weather treats—mulled wine and hot apple cider—ups the ante with a dose of Zubrówka bison grass vodka. $9. Brockton General, 1321 Dundas St. W., 647-342-6104.
S’mores Hot Chocolate
Nutty Frangelico and Navan fortify a serving of Soma’s sinful malted milk hot chocolate. Topped with a melty house-made marshmallow and a sprinkling of graham cracker crumbs, it’s tastier (and tidier) than its campfire namesake. $10. Luma, TIFF Bell Lightbox, 330 King St. W., 647-288-4715.
So Martini
Caffeine fiends can get their fix with a potent combination of vanilla vodka, Baileys, Chambord and a kick of espresso. $11. Table 17, 782 Queen St. E., 416-519-1851.
Parkdale Bake
A maple, baked butternut squash and sage syrup forms the savoury centrepiece of this gentlemanly blend of Maker’s Mark and sweet
vermouth. A crisped sage leaf adds an earthy embellishment. $10. Local Kitchen, 1710 Queen St. W., 416-534-6700.
Blitzen
A bracing mix of muddled lime, lemon-ginger syrup, Johnnie Walker Red Label and prosecco is garnished with cranberries, a rosemary sprig and powdered sugar for a pretty twist on the whiskey sour. $12. Grace, 503 College St., 416-944-8884.
Spanish Flip
Forgo the calorie-dense cream of eggnog, and indulge in a frothy concoction of Pedro Ximénez sherry, egg yolk, spice syrup (cinnamon, allspice, clove), lemon juice and nutmeg. $11. The Drake, 1150 Queen St. W., 416-531-5042.
(Image: Christopher Stevenson)){kind=link}
Egg yolk?
Rosemary sprig?
Come on Toronto……stop with the foo-foo idiot drinks and start making easy, GOOD-TASTING drinks that people will actually order.
Instead of trying to out do one another. Just keep it simple. STUPID!
Wow Ick, if it’s not to your taste, that’s fine – but egg and herbal, savoury components are not new things in alcohol. Chill out.
Ick, you can still get your bottle of 50 or shots of Jager at most of these places. For those of us who’ve eagerly awaited cocktail culture’s arrival in Toronto, a rundown of interesting drinks like this is welcome news.
I thought these were recipes so I could make the drinks at home!
glammie, i’d guess it’s five parts alcohol to one part the other bits, and bob’s your uncle.
I’d like to invite you all to try one of the drinks I created for the Drake, The Spanish Flip, #8. It’s also quite easy to make at home and rather inexpensive with PX Sherry as the base (El Maestro PX $16.55 at the LCBO).
2oz PX Sherry
1oz fresh lemon juice
1/2oz spice syrup**
1 egg yolk
nutmeg (garnish)
Add all liquid ingredients to shaker tin. Add ice and shake vigorously to emulsify and produce a generous froth. Strain into short glass. Grate nutmeg over the top.
(take the extra time to squeeze the lemon and grate the nutmeg, it really makes a difference)
**Spice Syrup: Add 2 cinnamon sticks, 1tsp of whole cloves, 1tsp of allspice berries to 2 cups of water. Boil then steep for 10min. Add 1cup each of white and dark brown sugar. Stir until dissolved. Cool and bottle. Use the spice syrup in cider, whiskey and rum cocktails, etc.
Santé!
Christina
Twitter: deKuypers