This cocktail was created for a recent Thursday Drink Night online with cocktail bloggers where the theme was “Dark Rum”.  I had vowed the previous week to @cocktailnerd that in the interests of creating something the group could mix (i.e. no “weird” Canadian ingredients!), that I would keep it to 3 main ingredients.  Well, when I got out all the dark rums I had in my liquor cabinet, I couldn’t resist mixing them up.  Technically its all rum, so its all one ingredient, right? 

This looks rummy, but is very well balanced with the Green Chartreuse, creating a smooth but complex cocktail.  The addition of the elderflower cordial creates a nice bright note and the bitters pull everything together.  If you don’t have Jerry Thomas Bitters, try it with Angostura instead.  Its dark, smooth and tasty, so I’ve called it The Velvet Underground 

*The Velvet Undergound* 

    * 3/4 oz. Cruzan Blackstrap rum

    * 3/4 oz. El Dorado 15 year old rum

    * 3/4 oz. Goslings Black Seal rum

    * 3/4 oz. Green Chartreuse

    * 1 tsp. Elderflower cordial*

    * 1 tsp gomme sryup (or 2:1 simple syrup)

    * 3-4 dashes Jerry Thomas bitters

 Stir with ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with an orange twist

     * (Elderflower cordial made by Bottlegreen can be found in

    supermarkets like Pepper’s locally)

Janice Mansfield is a local food artist that makes killer gluten free breads to order check out her website at www.realfoodmadeeasy.com

It’s Thirsty Thursday and this week we have a few stellar contributions

Drunk Punch Love – Originated By Shawn Soole, Clives, Victoria, B.C. Canada

1 ½ oz Hendricks Gin

½ oz Absinthe

8 basil leaves

Dash lime juice

1 ½ oz White Cranberry Juice 

Tear basil leaves and drop into a boston glass. Add all other ingredients with ice and hard shake. Double strain over crushed ice in a old fashioned. 

“I created this about 7 years ago. It can be made with Thai Basil as well which works nicely with the absinthe. My friends and I used to dare each other and compete with ingredients, pulling a few ingredients off the back bar and from the cooler and try and stump the other one. We would take them back to chef and get him to taste them and decide on who gets the points. Quiet days breed fun competitions like this and it kept us on our game. Many good cocktails came out of these mid afternoon lulls.” -  Shawn Soole

The Travelling Scot by Janis Mansfield, Victoria, B.C.

This cocktail was originally developed for a Thursday Drink Night where the theme was Scotch.  (I did post the original back in January), but decided to tweak it a bit.  The ingredients are a little bit tropical, a little bit New World, and a little far-flung in general, hence the name of the cocktail!

The starting point was the citrus/scotch pairing in the Blood and Sand, but that’s about where it stops (its not an equal parts cocktail).   Some sweetness was added through the sortilage, and the pink grapefruit juice adds some tart without too much pucker.  When tweaking the recipe, I also added a small amount of elderflower syrup and a few drops of my homemade grapefruit bitters to add a little more brightness.  The Angostura helps tie everything together.

The cocktail itself is classic in style, but is a little bit on the sweeter side.  My goal was to develop a Scotch-based cocktail that was accessible enough for non-cocktail drinkers, but had some complexity to it to make in an interesting sip.  I also switched out the Arran Malt whisky for Blended Scotch in this version to make it easier to make at home.  For those who want to make it at home, all the ingredients are available, with the exception of my homemade grapefruit bitters, however, Bitter Truth makes a version which Carmen at Charellis has been bringing in.

The Travelling Scot:

• 1.5 oz. Blended Scotch
• 0.5 oz. Sortilage (maple syrup-Canadian Whisky liqueur)
• 1.0 oz. pink grapefruit juice
• 0.25 oz. Elderflower syrup
• 4 dashes grapefruit bitters
• 2-3 dashes Angostura bitters

Shake well with ice, strain and serve up in a chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with a grapefruit twist

Janis is a local amateur mixologist creating professional quality cocktails. She also has her own Facebook page and website called Real Food Made Easy (www.realfoodmadeeasy.ca) and is responsible for some of the best gluten free breads that I have ever tasted. If you want some follow her on Twitter and place your order www.twitter.com/toot11

The Wicked Mary by Shawn Sutton Brown.

The WICKED MARY story began 20 years ago in a small town in Southern California.  I was working at a busy bar in the Harbor and was turning out drinks on any given Sunday for brunch.  I whipped up all of the different drinks for a good brunch, everything from a Ramos fizz to a mimosa.  

All of these drinks were great except for the Bloody Mary.  This one always seemed to fall short.  Nothing but vodka, tomato juice, a splash of Wooster and a dash of tabasco.  Nothing to write home about.  So I developed my own.  The Wicked Mary.

WICKED Mary mix base
1 can (48 fl oz)            Heinz Tomato Juice
½ tea spoon     Onion powder
½ tea spoon     Garlic powder
½ tea spoon     Celery salt
1 tea spoon      Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
½ tea spoon     Prepared horseradish
½ tea spoon      Angostura Bitters
¼ tea spoon     Tobasco hot pepper sauce (heat level is low at this point but can be adjusted when the individual drink is made)

WICKED Mary Individual serving

Rim large pint glass or hurricane glass with celery salt
Fill glass with ice

2 Oz                Vodka
Dash                Onion powder
Dash                Garlic powder
Dash                Celery salt
2 dashes          Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
Dash                Angostura Bitters
1/8th  tea spoon           Prepared horseradish
Dash                Tobacco hot pepper sauce (Heat as desired)

Fill glass with WICKED MARY Mix 
1                      Lemon Wedge
1                      Celery Stock
Pinch                           fresh grated horseradish
1 Large            Pitted Green Olive
1                      Dill Pickle Spear
1                      Pickled green bean

Shawn SuttonBrown lives in Southern California and is currently on location in Chicago, Illinois. For sometime now Shawn has shared is fascination for making the perfect cocktail with friends and family.

You know how sometimes we just chalk an ‘ailment’ up to getting older? I had just that experience this summer.

It was a hot day and I had just finished cutting the grass and cleaning up the yard. The whole time I was labouring I was thinking of the ice cold beer that I had in the fridge waiting for me. My daydreams created a very romantic interlude between myself and that beer (frankly I don’t even remember the beer’s name). I finished my tasks, removed all dirt and grass before entering the house (I am well trained), got changed, grabbed the book I was reading at the time (Cellist of Sarajevo – great read and the author lives in Richmond), went to the fridge and opened the door.

I swear that streams of light flew out of the fridge, there was a light breeze that blew  tufts of my hair back. My eyes met the bottle which, in anticipation of our meeting, had a hint of condensation beading around its neck.

I gently put my hands around the bottle and gazed longingly at its label. As I opened the top, the sounds of angels rang in my ears. I lovingly poured it into my glass and as the golden nectar of the gods filled the glass, a chill grabbed the glass as if to say ‘hold me, love me.’

I proceeded to the deck, arranged a chair for the best view, and allowed my lips to touch the glass. As the brewed ambrosia cooled my body I sat back with a contented smile and thought ‘I am the master of my domain.’

I drank about half the bottle when my peace was broken.

About 20 minutes later I was not feeling well. I had some heartburn, felt really bloated, and more dazed than usual.

This was not the first time this had happened after having only a few sips of beer. I started to notice the same feeling after having bread, pasta, and anything, as it turns out, that contained wheat… gluten.

Since then I have dramatically reduced my intake of gluten and have never felt better. I have lost weight, I don’t have ‘food comas’ in the afternoon, and most importantly, I no longer need my medication for acid reflux.

I started to look into gluten free beverage alcohol products and found some very interesting facts.

#1 Anything not made with wheat or barley contains no gluten. This includes wines, rum, gin, brandy & cognac and most liqueurs.

#2 Anything distilled, even if the base product is wheat or barley, contains no gluten. This means Scotch, Rye, Irish Whisky, Bourbon and wheat Vodkas contain no gluten.

#3 Beers made from rice or sorghum, do not contain gluten.

All the above would be fine for those who wish to reduce or control the amount of gluten in their diet. However they can not be certified as gluten-free.

Items can only be certified as gluten free when there is zero threat of any resulting product being ‘contaminated’ with gluten. That means if there is barley or wheat, or any gluten products in the winery, distillery or brewery, that facility cannot be certified as gluten-free.

This certification is very important to those who suffer from Celiacs disease or have significant gluten intolerance.

At present there are a very few items that are certified as Gluten-Free. This designation is relatively young and like organics, there are different certification boards and standards around the world.

There are only a few beers currently available in B.C. that are gluten free and they are generally more expensive than others, given that they have to do their own malting of sorghum. However we will continue to seek out more and, I suspect that in the years to come demand will be high enough to encourage a reduction in prices and appropriate labelling.

I am so pumped for this one. It is not too often that we get to taste Highland Park or Macallan Single Malts, but to Gerry Tosh take us through the line up is the icing on the cake. Gerry was recently awarded the coveted Whisky Ambassador of the Year Award so you know he is a show in and of himself.

The tasting will start promptly at 3pm and go until about 5pm.

Here is the confirmed line up for the night:

Flight 1: Macallan 12yr ($82), Macallan 15yr ($120), Macallan 21yr ($400 – Special Order), Macallan 18yr ($225 – Special Order) – presented by Jay Wheelock of Beam Global.

Flight 2: Highland Park 12yr ($70), Highland Park 15yr ($110 – Special Order), Highland Park 18yr ($160), Highland Park 30yr ($400 – Special Order) – presented by Gerry Tosh – Whisky Ambassador of the Year.

There are only 20 seats available. Tickets are $10/head plus Eventbrite service fee of $1.40, all ticket revenues will be donated to our feature charity the Greater Victoria Down Syndrome Society’s Music and Speech Therapy programs. Here is the link to reserve your seats: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/466236526

I hope to see you there…

Cheers

Rod Phillips- Buyer

This weekend I noticed the leaves starting to change on the maples, a gentle mist hovering above low lying areas, and a nip in the early morning air. This combined with the steady stream of reps must mean that fall is a upon us and that Thanksgiving is right around the corner.
Over the next few weeks you will no doubt see a number of new items hitting our shelves and this week is no exception.
The new releases this week include 5 wines, 6 spirits, and 1 beer. Here is a little story about each starting with the wines.

WINE

RED BELLY BLACK 2006 SHIRAZRegion: Australia (Riverland, Wrattonbully, Padthaway and McLaren Vale)

Grapes: 100% Shiraz

Alcohol By Volume: 14%

Winery: Angoves Pty.

The Story: The Angove’s family has been making wine and brandy in Australia for over 150 years and is still 100% family owned and operated. I had the great pleasure of spending a few days with John Angove and his daughter Victoria a few years back. True salt of the earth people whose life’s pursuit is not premised on earnings or the accumulation of ‘things’. Rather they believe that financial wealth comes from the development and care of healthy relationships. Relationships not only with people, but also with the environment.

Water rights and practices along the Murray River is on of the most significant issues facing all the communities that source from the Murray. This has lead many a winery to pack up, but the Angove’s and decided to work hand  in hand with local communities to develop sustainable strategies so that all can share the water.

The Red Belly Black Shiraz is inky black with purple and garnet hues. The aromas are deep and filled with ripe black plums, red currant and a touch of licorice. The palate is soft, silky and rich with full flavour. The finish is velvety and features luxurious flavours of berry, vanilla and nutmeg.

I bought this wine as it one of the best values on the market even though it is $20/bottle.

Food Pairing: The winemaker suggests long marinated Kangaroo. Given we don’t get a lot of Kangaroo on the grocery shelf I would suggest a big thick steak with a Greek rub. Other choices would be a lamb roast with rosemary and roasted garlic.

Serving: let breathe for 15 minutes before serving.

Price: $19.99 +deposit

Availability: One Time Buy, Not Available in Government Stores.

  

 

 

Region: Spain (Toro- Central Spain)

Grapes: 100% Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo)

Alcohol By Volume: 13.5%

Winery: Bodega Vina Bajoz

The Story: In January 2009 I had the good fortune of going to Spain and tasting my way around the country. One of my favourite stops was in the City of Zamora which is in the heart of the wine region of Toro. Not only was the City steeped in history (see photo of Roman built bridge that is still in use today) but it is home to some of Spain’s best wines. The region is not as famous as Rioja, or a cult favourite of collectors like Ribero del Duero or Priorat, but it does produce some amazing wines using the same grape (Tempranillo) as those areas but a far better prices.

Consider for a moment that the Bajoz 2003 Crianza was made 6 years ago. Since fermentation it has spent a minimum of 12 months resting in oak barrels and another 60 months blossoming in bottle, yet it is only $20. Wines such as this from Rioja would start at $40, and if from Priorat they would be $60.

This wines features aromas that are dark and rich in layers. The scent of wild berries, cherry and sage drift slowly upwards as if heavier than air. To get a great sense of the palate let the wine linger on your tongue and you will find that like a rose, it opens up to incredible beauty. Wonderful flavours of ripe berries, plums, currants, lavender, violets and a touch of earth glide across the palate. If you are not a lover of oak you will rejoice in the fact that the effect of the oak aging was to tame the brutish nature of Tempranillo without interfering with the flavour.

Like many aged wines the finish is long, velvety with hints of spice.

I bought all 42 cases that were available as this will be a wine to buy by the case as there won’t be anymore from Bajoz of the 2003 vintage.

Food Pairing: I can think of a number of cheeses like Manchengo or Gouda that would work with this, but I am salavating thinking of a rainy evening tht features a hearty stew and big glass of this wine.

Serving: Let breathe or decant for 45 minutes before serving.

Price: $21.99 +deposit

Availability: Liquor Plus Douglas 216 bottles (18 cases) Liquor Plus Royal Oak 168 bottles (14 cases) Liquor Plus Saanich 120 bottles (10 cases)

 One Time Buy, Not Available in Government Stores.

Cellaring: 2-3 years but pretty close to peak right now.

 

FATTORIA MONTELLORI 2006 CHIANTI

Region: Italy (Chianti – Tuscany)

Grapes: 100% Sangiovese Grosso

Alcohol By Volume: 13.5%

Winery: Fattoria Montellori

The Story: For Bordeaux 2005 was the vintage of a century and 2006 was really good but overshadowed by 2005. In Chianti it was the opposite. 2005 was pretty good but 2006 was excellent. Even the Wine Spectator rated the vintage as 93 points or Outstanding. This created a bidding war for the top names and thus drove prices way up. That is unless you are the family that runs Fattoria Montelloriwho have always believed in providing the best possible quality for a fair price. So when the wine gods shine down on Chianti they don’t see an opportunity to increase profits, rather they see it as a gift for lovers of what Chianti can provide.

The 2006 Montellori Chianti is classic in its aromas of dried and ripe red cherry, with undertones of almonds and earth. The palate is awash in wonderful acidity and body, while the finish is graceful and long. When giving a seminar on Chianti, this is what I would present as a wine that represents the region of Chianti in terms of aroma, body, flavour and value.

I bought all every case I could (30) so get it while you can as there is no more 2006 hanging around.

Food Pairing: Perfect Veal, meat sauce pastas, or with a plate of olives, cheeses (including Parmesano, Gouda, and Mild Cheddar) baguette, prosciutto, salami and olive oil.

Serving: Let breathe or decant for 30 minutes before serving.

Price: $16.99 +deposit

Availability: Liquor Plus Douglas 120 bottles (10 cases) Liquor Plus Royal Oak 120 bottles (10 cases) Liquor Plus Saanich 120 bottles (10 cases)

 One Time Buy, Not Available in Government Stores.

Cellaring: 2-3 years but pretty close to peak right now.

 

MUSE WINERY 2008 VIOGNIER

Region: B.C. (Vancouver Island)

Grapes: 100% Viognier

Alcohol By Volume: 12.0%

Winery: Muse Winery

The Story: Janet & Peter Ellmanare a couple heavily influenced by the hippie generation in San Francisco California, and after years of hard work and hard play they were in a position to decide where the next chapter in their lives would take place. Lucky for us they chose here.

A few years back Mike Betz put the Chalet Estate winery up for sale. If you haven’t been there you should go. It is a beautiful, serene little parcel of heaven in North Saanich. Mike took every step to insure that his grapes were treated with extreme care. The proof is that year after year his wines would sell out in the local Victoria market.

This is the tradition that Janet and Peter inherited and have taken great pains to continue; to the point where Mike is still consulting on the final wine product.

A couple of months ago the Muse Winery received a Gold Medal at the All Canadian Wine Championships. Great praise indeed. I called Peter and ordered a number of cases for our stores and his words at the time were “if you like that you’ll love the Viognier.”

The wine is full of aromas of sweet orange and honeysuckle blossoms, fresh peach, apricot and lime zest. The palate is deliciously exotic and full. There is a lot of body but the wonderful acidity keeps that in check.

Food Pairing: Serve just chilled and not too cold with cold wild salmon, fresh greens follow fresh lemon tarts and you will be in heaven.

Serving: Serve chilled (2 to 4C). If condensation is on the bottle after removing it from the fridge it is likely too cold.

Price: $25.99 +deposit

Availability: Consistent - Vintage change next Spring. Not Available in Government Stores.

 

MUSE 2007 SYRAH

Region: B.C. (Vancouver Island)

Grapes: 100% Syrah

Alcohol By Volume: 13.5%

Winery: Muse Winery

The Story: In the description about Viognier you got the description about the winery so I will keep my comments limited to that of the Syrah.

As most of you know it is pretty much impossible to ripen Syrah  on Vancouver Island. So to offer full bodied reds most Vancouver Island Wineries source grapes from the Okanagan.

The trick is to find a grower that will meet your viticultural needs. Mike Betz, years ago, had secured some of the best Syrah available in the valley from some of the oldest Syrah vines in the valley.

The result is a Syrah that has rich and textured aromas that featured smoked meats, black fruits and tones of violets and lavender. the palate is full of opulent fruit, spice and is hugely textured. The finish is juicy and soft which make it very approachable on its own or with food.

Food Pairing:  This would be a great pairing for roasted beef or Saltspring Lamb. This would also be great with a deep dish classic steak & kidney pie.

Serving: Let breathe or decant 30 minutes before serving.

Price: $25.99 +deposit

Availability: Consistent - Vintage change next Spring. Not Available in Government

Coming Soon….

Lyngrove Chenin Blanc (Western Cape, South Africa) $14.99

Nine Below Shiraz (South Eastern Australia) Low Glycemic Index, Low Alcohol, Low Calorie without loosing the body. $15.99

Nine Below Chardonnay (South Eastern Australia) $15.99

Folonari Bardolino (Veneto, Italy) $17.99 Exclusive.

Benton Lane 2007 Estate Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley, Oregon) $39.99

Emino Prestigo Ribero del Duero (Spain) $42.99 – very limited quantities

 

BEER

PADDOCK WOOD CZECH MATE

Region: Saskatchewan

Category: Craft Brewing

Type:Pilsner

Story:The Paddock Wood Brewery in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan started out as a way to satisfy a hobby. Steve Cavan, a professor at the University of Saskatchewan, began making mail-order brewing kits. They became so popular he soon found demand to create brewed products. Within a few years Steve found himself as the President and CEO of a craft brewer that was gaining global recognition for quality brewing.

Although Paddock Wood has a number of offerings, one in particular captured my taste; Czech Mate. I love the refreshing, hoppy quality of euro-lagers and ales but had not found a Canadian expression until now.

Czech Mate uses very soft water with rich barley malts that greet the palate. The hops come through in the mid-palate, while the finish is refreshing and clean. If you like Czechvar, Budvar, or Krusovice Czech Pilsners give Czech Mate a try and let me know your thoughts.

Serving: 4 to 6C Chilled but not cold. If a beer is too cold the quality and profile of the malt is hidden.

Price: $12.99 + deposit

Availability:Liquor Plus Douglas, Liquor Plus Royal Oak only. Not Available in Government Stores.

 

Coming Soon ……..

Lindemans Kriek 720ml-Belgium $11.99 + deposit

Lindemans Cassis 720ml-  Belgium $11.99 +deposit

Lindemans Framboise 720ml – Belgium $11.99 +deposit

Karmeliet Tripel 1500ml – Belgium $34.99 (very limited quantities)

Deschutes Black Butte Porter 6×355ml – Bend, Oregon $16.99

Brooklyn Pennant Ale ‘55 6×355ml – Brooklyn, New York $14.99

Pyramid Apricot Heffeweizen 6×355ml – Seattle, Wa. $16.99

Pike Brewing XXXXX Extra Stout 650ml – Seattle, Wa. $6.99

Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat 650ml – Eureka, Ca. $6.99

Dogfish Midas Touch Golden Elixir 4×355nl – Delaware $17.99

Dogfish 60 Minute IPA 6×355ml – Delaware $18.99

 

SPIRITS

SCHRAMM VODKA

Region: Pemberton, B.C.

Base: Organic Potato, Glacial Water

Category: Premium Vodka

Story:What do you do if you are from the Pemberton Valley, just north of Whistler, and you grow some of the best potatoes in the world, but want to find a different expression for your growing craft- well make Vodka of course.

Jonathan and Tyler Schramm were faced with this question and in 2002 they decided to invest and build a distillery to make their dream come true. They figured they had some of the best potatoes in the world and access to glacial water, so why not?

Tyler went off to Scotland to do his Masters Thesis in Potato Distilling and upon arrival home, with Masters in hand, he developed the recipe that is now available on our shelves.

Schramm Vodka is 100% organic and 100% Gluten Free. It is distilled 4 times in small batch copper pot stills. Once distilled the Vodka rests on pure charcoal to insure purity and smoothness. As measure of the quality it takes 600kg of potatoes to create 80 750ml bottles.

In taste tests it is easy to see that Schramm could and will compete with brands like Grey Goose and Chopin. However these isn’t much around so get it while you can.

Price: $49.99 + deposit

Availability: All Liquor Plus stores.

CHARTREUSE YELLOW

Region: Dijon, France

Base: 167 different herbs, Glacial water from the Alps. Actual recipe is tightly guarded by 2 Carthusian Monks.

Story: The world was introduced to Yellow Chartreuese in 1838. It is a blend of 130 different herbs found in the region of Dijon France. The actual recipe is closely guarded by only 2 Carthusian Monks, yet the order has been making Chartreuese for over 4 centuries in the same way.

Yellow Chartreuese is slightly lighter than the Green (40% ABV vs 55% ABV) and its colour is 100% natural; nothing is added to the green or the yellow to create the world famous colour.

Makes a number of really interesting cocktails, some of which you can find at Solomon’s in Victoria, B.C. Canada.

Price: $39.99

Availability: All Liquor Plus Stores. Not Available in B.C. Government Stores.