Recently in Spirits Category

Starting a distillery from scratch can be a daunting task, especially in Canada, but the gentlemen at Still Waters Distillery have succumbed to their passion and taken the leap anyway. For cocktail aficionados they are planning to produce a 100% rye whisky, but with aging that is a few years away. Single malt whiskies seem to be their true passion, but again good whisky takes time. While they are laying down stocks of malt and rye for aging they have put the still to work making a 100% barley malt vodka. This may be the best use of vodka yet--to support micro-distillers.

With the walls of protectionism beaten down, the worlds largest consumer is once again allowed to clink glasses with the Green Fairy. As most people know, absinthe was banned in the United States for almost a century. The recent efforts of a small group of dedicated people, including Ted Breaux and Gwydion Stone, have knocked the walls down. But, with the long time absence, and the inherent curiosity factor of the population, a rush of new products have hit the market, identifying themselves as absinthe. Mata Hari Absinthe has peeked a few eyebrows, partially because it lacks the French-Swiss pedigree. What's the deal?

The history of Absinthe is long and convoluted. There is plenty of misinformation about the effects of Absinthe, not to mention the laws regarding it. Because of all this misinformation, Absinthe has gained a reputation as a sinister spirit with psychoactive properties. The truth is much different. Absinthe does not have hallucinogenic or aphrodisiac properties, nor does it have any effects similar to marijuana. The reality about Absinthe is being promoted by groups of dedicated Absinthe advocates, like the Wormwood Society. There are also a handful of distillers producing this, once immensely popular, spirit in an artisnal fashion. One of these distillers is Okanagan Spirits, a producer of quality eaux-de-vie’s and now Absinthe, located in the Okanagan Valley region of British Columbia, Canada. In the coming months they will be releasing Taboo and here is a sneak peak at what they have to offer.

Prior to Tales of the Cocktail my knowledge of Absinthe was fairly limited. I knew enough to avoid the Hill’s Absinth at the LCBO and other gimmicky “absinthe” type liquors. The main problem was the actual hands on experience of tasting absinthe. Even though there was never any official ban on Absinthe in Canada, it is still hard to self-import any spirits into Canada. Because of the excellent work of our customs agents (really, that’s their job and I can’t fault them for doing it well) even the Absinthe sellers that guarantee delivery to the US, a country where it is technically banned, won’t ship to Canada. What’s a person to do?

Admittedly I haven't been a big drinker of gin. I've always been seduced by aged spirits like whisky, rum and brandy (cognac). I like the look of brown spirits with their deep golden brown tint and their enticing oak aromas of vanilla and spice. I've had lots of gin cocktails, but gin is usually in a supporting role, rather than the main character. I've had some gin martini's but aside from that, I've never spent anytime taste testing gin. The local liquormart (LCBO) doesn't have a great selection of gin, but they do carry Plymouth Gin, which I find works well in cocktails, so nothing ever jumps out at me and says “buy me”. Except when I decided to write about Gin & Tonics. I came across Iceberg Gin and decided to try this relatively new gin. Here's what I've discovered so far.

With the upcoming holiday season many companies are releasing new products to get on in the gift giving. This is one of my favorite times to visit the LCBO Vintages store in Toronto and check out all the holiday releases. Some of the highlights are the limited releases that are only available at the LCBO. You see, the LCBO is the world's largest buyer of spirit, so they have a lot of pull with companies who want to sell their products. A good example of this is the Compass Box Magic Cask Scotch Whisky, which is only being sold at the LCBO, no other place in the world will see this product. Also, Appleton is releasing their “Master Blenders' Legacy” rum, which is being released at the LCBO first, and then eventually the rest of the planet. You should be able to find lots of new and interesting products (wine, spirit and beer) at your local liquor store, but here's what I get to look at.

When you think of Greek spirits the first thing comes to mind is Ouzo, the anise flavour liqueur. If you've tried Greek wine (Retsina ) you might have liked it, or maybe not. Some of the wines use a pine resin to seal the barrels leaving a unique flavour that is what people remember about these wines. These wines are not quite like other vintages. After that the only other spirit that is well know is Metaxa. Some people say Metaxa is a brandy, but in reality it is more of a brandy based liqueur, since there are all sorts of things added to it, including wine and natural botanical substances.

The spirit called “arrack” is a difficult spirit to locate in some regions, but for a cocktail enthusiast it is a very important ingredient to acquire. In the early days of cocktails it was a popular ingredient and was used frequently by the likes of Jerry Thomas and other cocktail pioneers. It is also important in that Arrack should not be confused with the middle eastern spirit called “Arak”, which is an anise flavoured distillate, more similar to ouzo. Genuine arrack is made from palm sap and is closer in flavour to rum. Arrack is actually considered a type of rum by some people. The other thing that makes Arrack important is that it is used to make Swedish Punch, which is made from arrack, sugar and citrus fruit, and is used in a lot of classic cocktails.

As some of you may have noticed, I haven't been posting as much as usual. Part of the reason is because of the new job at Mint, which is using up some of my time. The other part is that it is summer, and I'd rather be outside, instead of in front of the computer. But don't worry, my time away from writing is being well spent collecting information for new posts. In the last three days I've picked 14.5 kg (32 lbs) of blueberries, so there will have to be a blueberry cocktail creation. I've taken a tour of the Kittling Ridge distillery / winery in the Niagara region. Picked up a nice bottle of fortified dessert wine there. Then I headed off to the Black Oak Brewery in Oakville, but no one was home, so I just picked up a six pack of their Pale Ale at the Toronto LCBO. Then I hit the Summerhill LCBO and purchased a bottle of good sake.

The history of pastis in France is relatively short (1920) but is a direct decedent of the green fairy spirit called Absinthe (1797) and the much older anise based spirits like anisette, sambuca, ouzo and arak. Anise flavoured drinks have been around for thousands of years and upon the discovery of distillation, was probably one of the first flavoured liqueurs. When absinthe was banned in France in (1916), pastis was its replacement. At the time of the switch over, some producers tried to stay close to the absinthe recipe, while others decided to create something different. Henri Bardouin is referred to as a genuine ‘old style pastis’ and tries to stay pretty close to the original absinthe.

A couple of days ago I received a package at my front door, and in it was a sample of Kleiner Feigling fig flavoured vodka. I had previously not heard of this vodka, but the idea of fig vodka peaked my interest. Flavoured spirits are a staple in the cocktail world, but you can only be as creative as the flavours / ingredients you have. New flavours are a great way to make new creations and new creations are what fuel the cocktail renaissance.

The idea of the purest, cleanest vodka is one of the biggest marketing ploy's going. Every company is advertising triple distilled or quadruple distilled, and so on, to give you the impression that the vodka is the best distillate possible. Some companies even make the gimmick go to six or seven times distilled! So what makes one vodka special and another one not so special? What would be the best way to make an ultra elite vodka? Why does all of this matter? 'm not quite sure, but vodka is the number one selling spirit and prices for a bottle are climbing to the levels of single malt scotch and fine cognac. The majority of this is marketing, but image is everything, so it seems.

There is a new kid on the block in the Canadian whisky world. At least where I’m from Danfield's Private Reserve is new. This Canadian whisky is made in Alberta, a province with vast fields of rye and other grains and pure rocky mountain water and massive oil reserves. So, it's not a bad place to begin to make a whisky. Other spirits made in Alberta include Black Velvet and Pearl vodka. This is a first impression review, and over time my opinion may change, so let us see what Danfield's whisky has to offer.

Just over a week ago I received an email from Pam Jarret, of Behn of North America, the distributor of Dooley's Toffee Cream, asking if I would like to review Dooley's. Many times when I've walked through the local liquor store, I've seen the colourful red and blue bottle jumping out at me from the shelf, but not once did I buy a bottle. This email gave me a reason to pick one up and so I did. On the way home I dropped the first bottle in my driveway, so now it smells really nice out there, but then I had to go buy a second bottle. The second one made it home safely. The Dooley's has been sampled and mixed and here is what I think.

As I was browsing the Internet, I came across an article about black currants, which are used to make cassis based liqueurs and wines. In this article, it reports on a study conducted by some New Zealand researchers who found that the anti-oxidants in the black currant could prevent oxidative stress of human cell cultures. They then surmise that a range of functional products could be developed and sold for the benefits. Well, first there are product(s) that have been around since the 1600's and that of course that is Creme de Cassis. So here is some more info on this great liqueur.

With tomorrows edition of the Cocktail Critic featuring a drink made with absinth, it would be a good time to discuss some facts about absinth. Good quality absinth can be found in Europe and Canada, but is unavailable in the United States. There are products, such as Absente, which do not have the active ingredient in worm wood, thujone, present. Other liqueurs, like pastis, were developed after France banned absinth production. They are not a true substitute, because they are generally sweeter, less bitter and contain less alcohol. However, they do have the anise characteristic found in absinth.

As I was perusing my local liquor store, I came across a product called Rumona, which is a sweet rum liqueur from Jamaica. I'm personally a big fan of rum, but unless you are buying aged rum, it can be a little hot and hellish to sip straight, or even on the rocks. But, a rum liqueur would have all the flavour of rum, without the burn. Seem like a good reason for me to buy a bottle, and I wasn't disappointed.

Navan is a new product from Grand Marnier that infuses fine cognac with pure vanilla and a touch of sweetness from added sugar. This product is 'designed' for the hip and trendy crowd that revels in expensive products. Aside from the 'reason' Navan was created, it is still a great tasting product and if you like the Grand Marnier orange liqueurs and are a fan of vanilla, this product is for you.

This is another quality liqueur from the house of Grand Marnier. Instead of their flagship product made from the distilled essence of wild oranges and fine cognac, or the vanilla infused cognac called Navan, Cherry Marnier is made from cherries and quality eau-de-vie. This cherry aroma and taste is amazing. Unlike cheap cherry brandy, Cherry marnier is made without any artificial colouring or flavours. You can sip Cherry Marnier straight, or use it in a good cocktail, like a Singapore Sling.

Canadian whisky has been around for a very long time and is the number one spirit imported into the United States. It currently accounts for 11.5% of spirit consumption in the US and only trails behind vodka for market share. The key reason for this is the smooth nature of Canadian whisky. For most people, drinking is a casual affair and Canadian whisky is a casual whisky. However, there is more to this spirit than meets the eye.