Fun for the Whole Family

Until recently, working at Canoe Brewpub & Restaurant created a unique set of challenges not present in a strictly liquor primary location.  As much as I love alcohol, because of the amendments to our British Columbia drinking and driving laws, pubs and restaurants alike would do well to consider beefing up their non-alcoholic offerings.  Currently we are offering up several shrub variations as well as house-made ginger beer courtesy of a recipe from Jeffrey Morganthaler.  This is proving to be quite the hit, both with and without dark rum.  Ginger beer aside, most of Canoe’s carbonated beverages are still dispensed by a Wonder Bar® soda gun.  Missing from that gun is one beverage that was previously extremely popular with the back of house staff.  That beverage was the bright neon unholy looking Orange Crush®.  So, the other day, after a beverage or two, I asked myself, “what other sodas could I make using this relatively simple formula?”  Enter the Orange Crush®.  How could I could I make this neon drink delicious?

Attempt number 1

Zest ten large navel oranges and 4 lemons with a micro-plane into a sauce pan

Add the juice from six of those oranges (approx. one Litre)

Combine with one Litre (cane) sugar and bring to a simmer reducing the syrup by three forths

Let the syrup cool, strain out the solids and add in the juice from the remaining lemons and oranges.

Top with two Litres of warm water and transfer into EZ cap bottles with ⅛ tsp Champagne yeast and ferment for 48 hours.

After 48 hours, place the bottles in the fridge and enjoy once properly chilled.

Because this was my first attempt I made a relatively small batch but I was very happy with the results.  The soda was not, however, Orange Crush®.  This should not have been surprising to me as my original goal from the outset was to create a fresher tasting product and hence the heavy use of citrus zest.  What I had created instead more loosely resembled Orangina®.  I considered ways that I could modify this recipe to more closely resemble the neon soda but quickly abandoned that line of thought.  

Attempt number two, rather, will focus more on a dual use product.  While the results of attempt number one can be mixed with Galliano and crème de cacao to make a sort of chocolate orange type beverage, what really spiked my interest was a website that suggested bypassing zesting citrus for making syrups and thinly slicing the fruit.  While they presented the main benefit to be speed and efficiency, it was the possibility of drying the candied slices for garnish that really piqued my interest.  

As we are already well into January, thoughts have turned to the all important summer drink list that will make or break service times but also have the opportunity to wow all of our patio customers and hopefully persuade the locals to keep us busy throughout the winter.  Being that it’s January, as mentioned before, we are reminded daily of that importance.  So, currently I have another twelve oranges, thinly sliced sitting in a sugar solution that I will reduce down in about a weeks time.  The dried chips then will serve as an interesting edible garnish for a house margarita that I will be developing over the next couple of days (I’ve got a night off coming up soon so it seams that I know what I need to do).   The result should be a fun fresh soda for the kiddies and a couple of wicked margaritas for the folks.  

Cheers.