The 2010 Winter Olympics are wrapping up in Vancouver this weekend and this week’s drink celebrates the games well. The fair amount of Canadian whisky should help insulate you from the cold. Canadian whisky and maple syrup, this may work on pancakes as well. Let us know!

Vancouver Cocktail

1 1/2 oz. Canadian whisky
3/4 oz. Dubonnet
1/2 oz. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. maple syrup
1/2 egg white ( powered egg whites can be used if you are concerned about salmonella)
3-4 dashes orange bitters

Combine everything in the tin side of a Boston Shaker. Don’t add ice yet. Use a stick blender or a cappuccino frother get the eggs whites started. Blend lightly for about 20 seconds. Add a scoop of ice and shake well (20 - 30 seconds) and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

If you are brave, flame an orange peel into the drink to release the oils and float it.

I was recently summoned to Bourbon & Branch in San Francisco’s Tenderloin to celebrate the debut of a very special Scotch whisky, Highland Park 1968. This 40 year-old single malt is the first in their Orcadian Limited Edition Series. To be released over the next 5 years, each bottling will consist of just 8 casks each, hand selected by Max MacFarlane, that’s just 1550 bottles world wide.

Retailing at $3,999, Highland Park 1968 comes nicely appointed in a decanter style black bottle with Pictish knot work on the neck and the Highland Park’s “H” logo in Pewter on on the front. The bottle comes in a cabinet quality oak box adorned with a silver “H” on the outside and Viking art illustrates the inside of the lid. Inside the lid a panel slides away to reveal a leather bound book with tasting notes and information about the series.

So how did it was it?

Well, in a word, Amazing.

It’s nose is as smooth as they come, with hints of honey and none of the alcoholic tones. On the tongue, everything is just right. Hints of orange peel, oak and vanilla are complemented by a delicate spiciness.

Of course, we couldn’t just jump in with the 1968. We ran the Highland Park table starting with 18 year, then 25, 30 and 40 year, all Highland Park single malts are aged in sherry casks made of American and Spanish oak and matured in the cool climate of Orkney.

Each whisky was masterfully paired with cheese by Wil Edwars of the Artisan Food School. Cheese ranged from a local Sonoma Tome to a very rare Cheddar from the Isle of Mull, which was paired with the Highland Park 1968.

If you get a chance, get your mouth on the Highland Park 1968.

Ladies this is one hell of a Father’s Day gift.

Highland Park 1968

It’s President’s Day. Not all of out Commander and Chief’s have been drinker’s, but many have. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson even ran distilleries as part of their households. Distilling and brewing was quite common in those days.

Here’s a cocktails our commander and chief’s preferred.

Gerald Ford: Gin and Tonic
Herbert Hoover: Martini
Richard Nixon: Rum & Coke
Franklin D. Roosevelt: Scotch or Brandy
Harry Truman: Bourbon
Lyndon Johnson: Scotch and Soda
Warren Harding: Everything

FDR Portrait of a Drinking President from Modern Drunkard
Our Drunkest Presidents
Cigar Smoking President

see what the Queen of England drinks on Mental Floss…

This prohibition era cocktail was named after the 1922 film Blood and Sand, the story of a young boy who becomes a famous bull fighter staring Rudolph Valentino.

It seems like an odd mixture, but it works. What you get is a well balanced drink with a hint of fruitiness and some kick.

Top bartender Dale DeGroff tells the the story of how he thought it would be “god awful” until he tried it. So good, in fact, BarSmarts named the Blood and Sand as one of 25 cocktails every bartender should know.

Blood and Sand

3/4 oz. Scotch Whisky
3/4 oz. Cherry Heering
3/4 oz. Sweet Vermouth
3/4 oz. Orange Juice (preferably fresh squeezed)

Combine ingredients in a shaker with a scoop of ice. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with an orange peel.

more drink of the week cocktails

Bourbon, pear and cherry … seriously, how can you go wrong with those flavors? Cocktailing alone is not as much fun, so I collaborated with my friend at Savvy Housekeeping on this slightly sweet and sparkling drink for winter made with bourbon, pear syrup and maraschino liqueur.

When you see maraschino liqueur in the ingredients, don’t think of those neon-red cherries that never go bad! It’s actually a liqueur made from real cherries, pit and all, that has a light nutty flavor.

Pearaschino

1 1/2 oz. Bourbon
1 oz. Maraschino liqueur
1/2 oz. pear syrup
roughly 1 oz. ginger ale

In a shaker, combine the bourbon, maraschino liqueur, and pear syrup. Shake thoroughly with ice. Strain into a martini glass and top with ginger ale, about 1 oz. Garnish with a cherry.

Pear Syrup

2 pears
1 c sugar
2 c water
2 Tbs vodka (optional)

First, cut up the pears. Combine them with the sugar and water in a pot on the stove. Boil for about 10 minutes until the sugar dissolves and the syrup has a strong pear flavor.

Strain the pears from the syrup (you can also save the pears and use as an excellent topping on ice cream, yogurt, etc.). Transfer the syrup to a bottle. If you want it to last longer, add a little vodka to the syrup.

more drink of the weekcocktails

San Francisco was host to the NASFT Winter Fancy Foods Show this past weekend and WOW!! what a spread. There was miles of cheese, chocolate, oils, dips, coffee, liqueurs, ice cream, sauces, dips, salts (lots of salts) and a ton of other fancy food products from all over the world.

My favorite Irish Cheddar, spiked with whiskey or ale is pictured below:

Among the thousands of products on hand there was plenty for the bar. We found garnishes, rimmers, buckets of margaritas, syrups, fresh juices and even a hangover cure from France.

In the French pavilion, we even found the P&M whisky range (pictured). Distilled in Corsica, P&M makes two blends and a single malt.

Among the rows and rows of enthusiastic entrepreneurs I kept finding hidden cocktail culture gems. It was truly an International experience with Pisco from Peru, espresso infused Sambuca from Italy, and a hangover cure from France.

I discovered a Sence Rose Nectar, Q Tonic - a natural Quinine tonic sweetened with agave nectar, and chocolates filled with Jack Daniels, Baileys or Jose Cuervo. There were also several mass produced ‘cocktail’ mixes and kits that seem to glow. At least the Appletini tasted ‘like’ apple.

For the first time this year, The Fancy Food Show featured a Craft Brewers Pavilion with some great beers from the 21st Amendment, Stone Brewing, Sam Adams (yep that one) and Kona Brewing. Shockingly, this was one popular spot!

Garnishes and rimmers were popular. I found a nice array of pickled veggies and some boozy one’s as well. I even found “real” maraschino cherries, sans electric red coloring! On the chocolate front we found a neat little product the ‘choc-tail’ sipper, essentially a straw filled with chocolate beads. Made by local chocolate maker Bridge Brand, a drinker sips a drink and the chocolate adds flavor to the it.

Even with all this food, I found that I got quite a workout walking the endless aisles of amazing culinary products.

National Asociation for the Specialty Food Trade

The playoffs are in full swing, so why not an easy drink to enjoy during the game. Sure this drink if just a whiskey & cola, but add a lemon slice and use Canadian Club and you have a Quick Kick.

Now isn’t that more fun?

Quick Kick

1 1/2 parts Canadian Club Whisky
4 parts cola
Slice of lemon

Pour ingredients into a tall glass with ice. Garnish with a lemon wedge.

more Football Cocktails

Courtesy, Canadian Club Whisky®