The Drinks of Summer

So besides partaking in some educational seminars, what has kept me occupied these days?  Summer is around the corner and that means a new drink list tailored to the legion of thirsty patio drinkers.  The main focus has been simplification.  Thanks to some modifications to the liquor laws of BC, we are now permitted to pre-batch cocktails.  This is going to seriously save my ass for making anything nicer than a rye and ginger.  The plan is to pre batch mojitos, margaritas, sangria and “cosmos”.  The mojitos are important because of mojito mondays where we knock $2 off of the price of every mojito all day.  It would seem that this is sufficient motivation to get people to drink.  I would love to have the time to carefully construct a 2 oz mojito with individually freshly squeezed juice for all four to five hundred patrons getting sloppy in the sun but I am only partially robot (I had a human mother).  I am still excited, however, to see the response to the hibiscus flavouring that I will be offering.  The hibiscus will come from a syrup that I will be making using Alchemist’s Brew Silk Road tea which also includes lemongrass, rosehips and essential oils of mint.  This will save me muddling time once I go into drink dispensor mode.  

Mauna Kea Mojito

Fill tall highball glass with crushed ice and add:

1 oz Hibiscuss & Mint syrup

1 oz Lime juice

2 oz Havana Club Blanco

Top with soda

Garnish with lime, mint leaves and edible flowers

*Hibiscus Syrup

Bring 4 cups water to a boil

Add 2 tbsp Alchemist’s Brew Silk Road Tea

Remove from heat and allow to steep for 10 minutes

Strain out tea leaves into new vessel, clean and return

Add 6 dashes essential oil of mint

Add 4 cups white sugar and bring to a boil

Makes approx. 40 oz

Batch accordingly

photo by Maryanne Carmack

A Belated Report on Tales

So while I have so far been unsuccesful in finding any passion fruits, I am still alive which means a succesful return from Tales on Tour Vancouver.  I think that it would be fairly safe to say that a good time was had by all.  Unfortunately, due to procrastinating and piss-poor planning, I was unable to get a room at the Waldorf for the first night, however I did head over there for day two.  The tiki lounge was not very densely populated but I must say that the room was as kitschy as I had hoped.  And it was monday.  And I arrived several minutes before they opened for service.  However, the drink list was not exactly what I had hoped for.  By the time I arrived at the bar I had already consumed several Mai Tais and not seeing many other tiki drinks on the list, I opted for a Blood and Sand.  It had no vermouth.  Furthermore, their rum selection was not very extensive.  Not a huge deal, it was still cool and from what I understand, they are just getting back on their feet.

Concerning the actual Tales event, I do not have a single valid complaint.  Every drink I drank was delicious (there were enough that I could afford to bypass those with less than awesome reputations).  The seminars were fantastic.  I attended “Famous New Orleans Cocktails” with Chris McMillian and Philip Greene , “The History and Importance of Ice in Cocktails” with Charlotte Voisey and Jon Santer, and “Who’s your Daddy? a Mai Tai paternity test” with Jeff Berry.  A little bit of trivia concerning the last one, Mai Tai is not pronounced how you think.  It is actually pronounced ‘may tay’ being that according to Jeff “beachbum” Berry, it is a real Tahitian word for awesome.

Certainly one of the most visually awesome segments of the event involved a chainsaw a very large block of ice and ponchos for those seated in the ‘splash zone’.  Quite possibly the most badass ‘flair’ ever displayed in bartending.  Furthermore, the ‘badassness’ of the seminar was augmented with a sweet complimentary lewis bag and muddler for making crushed ice.  All in all I would say that the event was worth every penny.  I am pretty sure I drank the price of admission not to mention the schwag or ‘educational’ aspects.