It’s another Mixology Monday and usually I’m on the ball and have my write up done a day or two before hand. Well not today, I’ve got more things to do than a corporate executives henchman. But, never one to miss making a drink and writing about it, here I am. The idea of the aperitif topic is a good one, but one that I’m unprepared for. I do have lots of bitters and liqueurs that qualify as aperitifs, but I usually like to do something unique. As I sat and contemplated what to write about I decided to create the ultimate aperitif using a handful of aperitifs in my liquor cabinet. This is effectively the “hail Mary” shot when you are running out of time. The lynch pin of this “mixture” will be Unicum bitters. If you don’t know too much about Unicum, I’ll provide a little background. This could be good, this could be bad.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I had the opportunity to sit on a tasting panel to blindly compare and rate a number of beers at the Steam Whistle Brewery. The goal of the tasting was obviously to see how people perceive Steam Whistle, compared to other beers in the market. There were 15 people on the panel and oddly, it was fifteen guys and no girls, even though Steam Whistle is a girl friendly beer, even my wife likes it. I guess guys take their beer a little more seriously. Everyone on the panel seemed like a pretty good bunch, who enjoyed finer micro-brew beers. The one thing that worried me was that tasting beer blind might lead me to rate a “bad beer” as a good one. I generally like more flavourful beers and it would be a funny result if I rated a cheap, light, megabrew as my favorite.

Well it is official, I have left the bar at Moxie’s for a better place. The new restaurant is called Mint and is a fine dining establishment. This new position should present a number of opportunities that Moxie’s couldn’t, including making real cocktails. Unfortunately, Moxie’s was stuck in the “liquid candy” style of drinks which wasn’t quit my style. Mint is a 60+ seat restaurant set to open in the first week of July. The bar will seat 10 people. Right now I’m working on the cocktail list. Luckily, the owner was a bartender when he first entered the Food & Beverage business, so he is very open to serving classic cocktails and modern creations. This should be a much better opportunity for me. As we get closer to opening, I’ll provide the updates.

Between starting a new bartending job, the NHL playoffs, home renovations, other writing commitments and everything else, it is squeezing me for blog writing time. First, yes I have left Moxie’s, and moved on to a new fine dining restaurant called Mint. Right now I’m working on some cocktails for the restaurant and preparing for the opening in two weeks. I’m definitely looking forward to this new opportunity. The NHL playoff are sucking up more of my time, but tonight is the last game so once that is over I can get back to writing more in depth stuff. On Wednesday I’m heading to Toronto to sit on a beer tasting panel for Steam Whistle. I’ll be writing about that later this week, but it should be interesting. For those that don’t know, Steam Whistle is a regional producer of a great pilsner beer. So stay tuned, I’ll have lots to write about regarding this new job and everything else.

Schenley OFC was first made in 1955 at the Schenley distillery in Valleyfield, Quebec. According to the manufacturer/distributor Schenley OFC is the most decorated Canadian whisky. It has won 25 Gold Medals for product excellence in 27 Monde Sélection competitions. In Canada Schenley OFC is an 8 year old whisky, where as in the US it is a 6 year old whisky, so taste profiles may vary between the two. Originally, like many Canadian whiskies, it was bottled at higher proof (86.6) but now it is bottled at the standard 80 proof. Currently, Schenley OFC sells about 75,000 cases per year.

Well the components for making my own bitters are slowly arriving at the doorstep. The buchner funnel arrived a few weeks ago and this is obviously to filter the bitters. Because it uses a vacuum to pull the liquid through a very tight filter, this will help with product stability and prevent “drop out” in the future. The herbs have arrived and to start I will be working with about 20 herbs and spices. Some of the herbs include gentian, burdock and milk thistle. But I’ve also located some “secret” herbs, now I sound like a KFC restaurant. The reality is that I want to try the herbs first to see how they work out. I’ll be using a number of spices including cinnamon and cardamon. And finally to make this product unique, instead of being orange or peach bitters, they will be . . . .

Gibson's is the third most popular Canadian whisky in Canada. I holds 17% of the market and sells around 300,000 cases per year. Whenever you read the term "case" it means that 9 bottles of 750ml were sold. Just in case you didn't know. Outside of Canada you will be lucky to find Gibson's since it doesn't have much of an international following. However that may change in the near future. William Grant & Sons recently acquired the brand, and with their world wide reach they may decide to start marketing this product. William Grant & Sons also owns the Glenfiddich and Balvenie brands, so they are no slouches when it comes to international marketing.

After giving the Killer Koolaid cocktail some more thought, I decided that if the definition of a classic cocktail is proportions, vermouth and bitters, than why not make a new cocktail that fits the classic cocktail description and base it on the Killer Koolaid. At the very least, this would test the theory of whether “bitters make things better,” kind of like “everything is better with butter.”  For the proportions, I’m not sure I can use the: 1 part sour to 2 parts sweet, 3 parts strong to 4 parts weak ratio, but it will be close. 

As I was browsing the news I came across a report that coffee may counteract alcohol’s poisonous effects on the liver. It seems to help prevent cirrhosis of the liver.

“In a study of more than 125,000 people, one cup of coffee per day cut the risk of alcoholic cirrhosis by 20 per cent. Four cups per day reduced the risk by 80 per cent. The coffee effect held true for women and men of various ethnic backgrounds.” As reported in the Globe and Mail

The researchers are unclear whether the caffeine is the helpful ingredient, or whether it's another component in the coffee the provides the protective benefits. Overall this seems like good news for people who consume coffee and alcoholic beverages. But remember, a little self control and moderation can go a long way to preventing alcohol related illness.

Alberta Premium Canadian whisky is an enigma. It’s an affordable, run of the mill, 5 year old whisky made from 100% rye grain. But it is also highly regarded and even considered to be the best Canadian whiskies, according to Jim Murray. What we do know is that Alberta Premium is a 100% rye whisky made in Canada that is readily available. Alberta Springs is another 100% rye that is aged for 10 years and made by the same distiller (Alberta Distillers). Pike Creek and Lot 40 are rye whiskies, but are available in only limited quantities.  So what is Alberta Premium, is it average or great?

Here's a drink that is very popular, but doesn't get much recognition. Of course there are a number of versions of this cocktail, some being nothing more than 151 proof rum and tropical fruit crystals, which will probably kill you. Aside from that "killer" version, the one I'm talking about is sometimes referred to as a Canadian Killer Koolaid, and is made with vodka, amaretto, melon liqueur and cranberry juice. This is by far the best version and the one that I remember drinking many years ago in college. After the rum and coke and whisky sour, this was probably the first cocktail I drank. At the bar I still recommend this one frequently and people are always happy to drink it.

The Seagram's brand has a long history in the whisky market. Seagram’s VO is a very common whisky in North America and many bartenders may use it on their bar rails, since it is the whisky included in the Diageo rail (Captain Morgan white rum, Tanqueray gin, Smirnoff vodka). It seems every bar I work at uses the same products, Diageo must have some good rebates. Anyway, Seagram's VO has a long history stretching back to 1913 and was probably a commonly bootlegged product through US prohibition. So what does this 6 year old Canadian whisky have to offer?

Mint is one of those flavours that has two parts, one being a slightly sweet flavour, the other being a “cooling sensation” when you drink a cocktail made with mint. For me, the flavour is good, but the cooling effect is what makes mint based drinks special, like the Mint Julep and the Mojito. On a hot summer day this cooling sensation helps us perceived these cocktails as a refreshing drink that takes the edge off the heat. The other great thing about mint is that it is a very “clean” spice that doesn’t leave a bad aftertaste and actually freshens your breath up. All of this from a simple weed. Yes, if you grow mint it acts like a weed and will quickly take over your garden and possibly your yard. The only solution is to have a big party and make Juleps and Mojito’s. After a while you will need a few additional recipes to keep people coming back so for your drink pleasure I present the Mint Divine and the Centaur.

Wiser's is the fifth most popular whisky brand in Canada. Wiser Deluxe is also available in most US states and select market around the world. It was originally distilled in 1857 by J.P. Wiser and is aged for 10 years in oak barrels. It is a traditional Canadian blend. It is also the fastest growing Canadian whisky brand, and that has a lot to do with it’s bolder than normal flavour. For the most part, Wiser's has been a stalwart whisky brand in Canada and ranks #2 in Canadian whisky sales. Someday's I wonder if the whisky the world gets (aka the "brown vodka"), is a ploy to keep all the good stuff for ourselves. Could that be possible? Maybe that has a lot to do with why Canadian whiskies are looked down on by the elite dram imbibers who hold single malts so high. I always like to appreciate a spirit for what it is, instead of what the perceived value is.