From Canada, with Love

One of the features available to me as blog author is the ability to see who is reading me. Not on an individual level; just the countries where page views are coming from. And while over the lifetime of my blog (just over two years now) Canada is still ahead and the U.S. number two, for the last few months the largest share of my readership has been coming from Russia.

This curious situation has me puzzled. What is it that hundreds of Russians (or the same Russians hundreds of times) find so appealing about my blog? After all, I live in a small Canadian town and I generally write on subjects, that if not of interest primarily to Canadians, at least tend in that direction.

So I've been thinking: what is it about my blog that would interest Russian readers?

Of course the first thing that came to mind was hockey. Both Canadians and Russians are passionate about hockey. Every Canadian of my generation still remembers the series of games between our two countries in September 1972 and the 3-3 tie between Central Red Army and the Montréal Canadiens on December 31, 1975 – the greatest hockey game ever played. But I seldom mention hockey in my blog (except to poke fun at Don Cherry) because I find the state of today's game – as represented by the NHL – to be depressing.

So if not hockey, maybe travel? Like Canadians, Russians live in a cold country. I'm betting that, like Canadians, Russians revel in our all-too-brief summers and would like to get away to somewhere warm when the cold winter winds blow. But I've never mentioned Aeroflot and had never heard of its frequent flier plan, Aeroflot Bonus, until now (I just looked it up).

Ahem, beverages? Russians have a reputation for enjoying vodka. Well, why not, they invented the stuff. So maybe my Russian readers are looking for ways to add some variety to their diets. So here's a classic drink from the 1950's, when vodka was first becoming popular in North America, the Moscow Mule. Over ice in a short glass, combine 50 ml. of vodka, 25 ml. of lime juice, and 150 ml. of ginger beer (or use ginger ale for a milder taste). Stir gently.

But I've got an uncomfortable feeling that my Russian friends are not reading me because they're interested in hockey, travel, or cocktails. I suspect, rather, that they're laughing at me.

Now, I sometimes try to be funny, but that's not what I mean. As a university student, I read a lot of Russian literature – Tolstoy, Chekov, Dostoyevsky – and I know that Russians have a great sense of humour, but they're also a people with a long history, a history that has been hard, more often than not. So that sense of humour is sometimes dark, because it has often been needed to sustain them through difficult days and nights.

So when I complain about the greed of our business class, the unfairness of our government's policies; or the autocratic tendencies of Stephen Harper, I imagine Russians shaking their heads and chuckling, "You don't know what hard times are, приятель."

Thanks for reading.

Follow me on Twitter: @AeneasLane

Valentine’s Cocktails

Light some candles, put on some music, and shake up a little romance. Here are a couple of cocktails, specially for Valentine's Day.

The Valentine is a beautiful, deep garnet colour. It has a pleasing sweet/tart balance. The pomegranate juice it contains is loaded with antioxidants which may help lower both bad cholesterol and blood pressure. What better drink for Valentine's Day?

• 1½ oz. gin
  
• 1 oz. pomegranate juice
  
• 1 oz. grenadine
  
• ½ oz. lemon juice
  
• Ice
  

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake sharply for 30 seconds. Strain into a martini glass.

The Sweetheart makes an ideal dessert, or is simply for those who like sweet or creamy cocktails. Chocolate and raspberry are perfect partners.

• 1 oz. chocolate-flavoured liqueur (Bailey's, for example)
  
• 1 oz. raspberry liqueur (Southbrook Framboise or Chambord)
  
• 1 oz. vodka, preferably from the freezer
  
• Ice
  

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake sharply for 30 seconds. Strain into a martini glass.

To all lovers, Happy Valentine's Day.

Follow me on Twitter: @AeneasLane

Sipping in the Sunshine State

Just back from a week in Florida, split between Key West and Fort Lauderdale. More on those two towns in upcoming posts, but I promised a special drinks post a while back and here it is.

Key West is a slightly less crazy version of New Orleans. Old Town is its French Quarter and Duval its Bourbon Street. Most of the shopping, bars, and restaurants are here, though some gems are tucked away elsewhere.

Camille's (1202 Simonton) serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner and the menu changes daily. The food is terrific and so are the drinks. "Denise's Medication", named for the owner, is a vodka martini with three olives that delivers fast-acting relief. The designated drinker (a.k.a. Mrs. 500 Words) assures me the Lemon Drop martini is also top-notch.

We stopped at Jimmy Buffet's Original Margaritaville (500 Duval) for some souvenirs. We had tried the Margaritas here when we were in Key West five years ago. Made with a commercial sour mix, they were disappointing.

Instead, go across the street to Willie T's (525 Duval), which has more than 30 kinds of Mojitos on the menu. The food is better than you'd expect.

A great place to catch the daily sunset celebration at Mallory Square is from Sunset Pier at the foot of Duval Street. Service is spotty, though. Best go up to the bar to order drinks or food. Begin the evening here and you can say you started your crawl at 1 Duval.

Another terrific spot for sunset viewing is the rooftop bar of the Crowne Plaza La Concha Hotel (430 Duval), Key West's tallest building. Get your drinks from the bar inside before going outside to the patio, which is undergoing some sprucing up. Enter through the Starbucks at street level and take the elevator to the roof. Get there early if you want a seat.

The Rum Barrel (528 Front at Simonton) proved irresistible to the designated drinker. A confirmed rum fanatic, it took her quite a while to decide from among the more than 180 rums on offer (alas, none from Cuba). Good selection of micro beers too. Try the Capn' Kidd's Crock, a shrimp, crab, and spinach dip served with tortilla chips. Good service.

We were slowing down a bit by the time we hit Fort Lauderdale. Riding the water taxi along its entire route to stop 1, we had lunch at Shooters on the Intracoastal Waterway. The food was OK, but I suspect there was a problem with their draft lines, as both beers I sampled had the same musty odour and taste. I didn't finish them. Service was slow too.

The real highlight of our trip came on the final night when we stopped for a drink in the Wreck Bar at the Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel. This is the former Yankee Clipper Hotel, an iconic 1950's era Fort Lauderdale landmark built in the shape of an ocean liner. The bar itself is constructed to resemble the hold of a wooden sailing ship, and windows behind the bar offer a view into the deep end of the hotel pool. They still have an underwater "mermaid" swim show Friday night. A scene from the Robert De Niro/Billy Crystal movie Analyze This was filmed here, and Tim Dorsey sets a scene from his novel Nuclear Jellyfish here as well. Pure nostalgia.

Look for more on Key West and Fort Lauderdale in the next few days.

Follow me on Twitter: @AeneasLane

Festive Fizzy Cocktails

Among the brightest pleasures of the holiday season is sparkling wine. While you may want to save that bottle of "real" French champagne for toasting the arrival of a New Year, sparkling wine is a versatile and convivial beverage that suits a variety of occasions. It goes well with most appetizers as an aperitif, and is an ideal complement to roast turkey.

There are also a number of wonderful cocktails that employ sparkling wine and they make the perfect accompaniment to a holiday brunch. Their low alcohol makes them suitable for consuming early in the day, while with their fruit juice content, you can even tell yourself you're drinking healthy. The fact that they "stretch" a bottle of wine also makes them an economical choice when entertaining a crowd, and they're simple to prepare. Another bonus: for designated drivers, expectant mothers, and non-drinkers, you can substitute low-sodium club soda or sparkling water for the wine; no one will know the difference.

Two final points before we get to the cocktails: don't use expensive "real" champagne. I recommend Spanish cava. It's made by the same method as French champagne, it tastes great in a cocktail, and it's a fraction of the price. And serve all these drinks in champagne flutes.

Mimosa: This is the classic and it couldn't be simpler. To 2 oz. of orange juice (squeeze your own or use a good-quality, no-pulp, not-from-concentrate brand like Tropicana), add 3 oz. of sparkling wine.

Grand Mimosa: Kick it up a notch. Add ½ oz. of Grand Marnier to your Mimosa.

Fuzzy Mimosa: Add ½ oz. of peach schnapps to the basic Mimosa.

Creamsicle Mimosa: Hard to find, but worth it. Add ½ oz. vanilla rum or vodka to the basic Mimosa.

Lilosa: Use pink grapefruit juice instead of orange juice.

Pomosa: Instead of orange juice, use pomegranate juice.

Poinsettia: Use cranberry juice instead of orange juice.

Have a joyous and peace-filled Christmas and a safe and happy New Year.

Boozy Coffees

The evenings have grown long and cold and we're lingering longer over dinner. The perfect accompaniment to dessert, or even as a dessert itself, is the "boozy" coffee.

The granddaddy of them all is the Irish Coffee. Add 6 oz. strong black coffee to a mug or heatproof glass with a handle. Add 1½ oz. Irish whisky and 1 tsp. of sugar (some prefer brown sugar). The original calls for heavy cream to be poured slowly over the back of a spoon to layer on top of the coffee. The coffee is then sipped through the layer of cream.

You'll commonly see Irish Coffee and other boozy coffees made with whipped cream. Using freshly whipped cream is preferable and practicable if you're serving several guests at a dinner party, but if you're preparing a single serving for yourself, using the aerosol canned product is an acceptable alternative. Be sure to rinse the nozzle well and it'll keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

The Irish Coffee spawned a host of other boozy coffees that you're no doubt familiar with from restaurant menus. Here are a few other recipes I've developed here at the 500 Words Bar and Bistro.

Kentucky Koffee: 1½ oz. bourbon, 1 tbsp. honey, 6 oz. black coffee, whipped cream. Don't use your expensive bourbon.

Mexican Coffee: 1 oz. Presidente Mexican brandy, 1 oz. Kahlua, 6 oz. black coffee, whipped cream. If you can't find Presidente brandy, any other brandy will do.

Bwana Coffee (adapted from The Elephant Bar restaurant, Torrance, CA): ½ oz. each brandy, Kahlua, crème de banana, and amaretto, 6 oz. black coffee, whipped cream.

And for those who don't drink coffee, the Kilt and Curry: brew Mighty Leaf Bombay Chai Tea for 4 minutes in a large mug (you may use any other brand of chai tea you prefer). Remove the teabag and add 1½ oz. of Drambuie. Sounds weird, but the honey and spices in the Drambuie marry beautifully with those in the chai. Give it a try.

Next month, I'll have some sparkling cocktail recipes for the Festive Season.

Follow me on Twitter: @AeneasLane

Dessert Cocktails

Sipping a glass of port or icewine is a great way to end a fine meal with friends. And it's hard to beat a boozy coffee on a cold winter's night (We'll get to that in a future post). But there's a delicious alternative you might not have considered: the dessert cocktail. Sweet, and usually creamy, they're more than just a layered shooter.

The following examples are all original creations; I've even given them literary (that's debatable) names. They're best served in a Martini- or Margarita-style glass.

Curious George

• 1½ oz. white rum
  
• 1 oz. crème de bananes
  
• 1 oz. dark crème de cacao
  
• 1 oz. half and half cream (10% M.F.)
  
• crushed ice
  

Crème de bananes and crème de cacao aren't actually creamy: they're clear, strongly-flavoured, but fairly low-alcohol liqueurs, intended to add flavour to cocktails. Crème de cacao comes in both dark brown and colourless varieties; they taste the same. You'll find them at the liquor store, alongside the triple sec and apricot brandy. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake sharply for 30 seconds and strain into your cocktail glass.

The Man in the Yellow Hat

• 1½ oz. white rum
  
• 1 oz. crème de bananes
  
• 1 oz. pineapple juice
  
• 1 oz. half and half cream (10% M.F.)
  
• crushed ice
  

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake sharply for 30 seconds. Strain into a cocktail glass.

The Albino Monk

Named for the character Silas, in The Da Vinci Code, because its hazelnut flavour is reminiscent of the liqueur, Frangelico, which comes in a monk-shaped bottle. And yet it's snowy white, like the self-flagellating friar. It's also perfect for the lactose intolerant because it contains no dairy.

• 1 oz. Coffeemate, Hazelnut flavour
  
• 1 oz. vodka
  
• 1 oz. white crème de cacao
  
• crushed ice
  

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake sharply for 30 seconds. Strain into a cocktail glass.

These cocktails are made from "scratch" in the sense that they require you to combine cream with various liqueurs. Of course, there are many premixed creamy liqueurs available that come in a range of flavours. Check their websites for ways to serve them as an ingredient in desserts or dessert cocktails.

Since next month is October, in the spirit of Oktoberfest, I'll take a look at some beers for the cooler days (and nights) of autumn.

You can now follow me on Twitter: @AeneasLane

Blueberry Fizz

Summer's winding down and that means the blueberries are in the supermarket. The tiny fruit is a nutritional powerhouse, credited with possessing health benefits ranging from Alzheimer's and urinary tract infection prevention, to lowering cholesterol and blood pressure.

But if you're not getting enough blueberries from jams, muffins, and pies, Dr. 500 Words prescribes the following cocktail.

Muddle 12-15 blueberries in the bottom of a tall glass. Add 1½ oz. of gin and 4 or 5 ice cubes. Fill with 4 or 5 ounces of lemon-lime pop. Give everything a gentle stir and garnish with a few more blueberries.

About the pop: read the labels. Some have nearly twice the sugar and calories as others. You can also cut back on the calories by substituting a lemon- or lime-flavoured sparkling water for the pop.

That's our twelfth and final fruit-themed cocktail of Summer 2011. I hope you've enjoyed them. Next Thursday I'll look ahead to what's coming in cocktails and travel and points for fall.

Cheers!

Prickly Pear Margarita

The prickly pear cactus grows throughout the deserts of the southwest United States. Juice and syrup can be produced from its edible, fuchsia-coloured, pear-shaped fruit. And, or course, cocktails can be produced from the juice or syrup.

Recently, my sister-in-law celebrated a special birthday, and at my brother's request, I reproduced a cocktail she had enjoyed during a holiday in Arizona – the Prickly Pear Margarita.

The only hard part about making one is getting hold of prickly pear syrup, but an online search revealed many sources of supply. I placed an order and five days later I had my syrup and testing began.

Here's the recipe I came up with: to a cocktail shaker half full of ice, add 1½ oz. of tequila, ¾ oz. lime juice, ½ oz. triple sec, and ½ oz. prickly pear syrup. Shake sharply for 30 seconds and pour into a Margarita glass. Allow a few pieces of ice to slip into the glass in order to dilute the drink, as it's quite concentrated otherwise. Or you can blend the ingredients with ½ cup of crushed ice if you like frozen Margaritas.

If you don't happen to have any prickly pear syrup handy, you could experiment with other fruit syrups – blueberry, blackberry, or pomegranate, for example. Or try using a one-inch cube of peach sorbet instead to make a Peach Margarita.

The Prickly Pear Margarita is a good example of how switching up one ingredient in a familiar cocktail recipe can produce new and interesting results. Don't be afraid to experiment: you can always drink your mistakes.

The Bellini

I think peaches are the quintessential summer fruit, and last year, I told you how to turn our seasonal bounty into a cold, refreshing peach sorbet. You don't remember?

Well how about when I described how to turn peach sorbet into a Peach Daiquiri. I bet you remember now.

Well, it's even easier to turn peach sorbet into a Bellini, the classic sparkling wine cocktail that's popular in Italian restaurants.

You'll need to make a batch of peach sorbet first. Just click here for the recipe. Then place two one-inch cubes (about 2 oz.) of the sorbet in a champagne flute and let thaw until you can purée them with the back of a spoon. Top with 3 oz. of sparkling wine and give a gentle stir to combine. Italian prosecco is the traditional choice, but use whatever inexpensive, fruity sparkling wine you enjoy. Save your pricy French champagne for another occasion.

Cin cin!

Banana Daiquiri

The Banana Daiquiri is a classic, and along with the Strawberry Daiquiri, is probably more popular today than the original cocktail. If you like Piña Coladas, you'll probably enjoy a Banana Daiquiri.

It's pretty simple, really. Just add the following ingredients to your blender: 1½ oz. of white rum, ¾ oz. of triple sec, ¾ oz. of lime juice, 1 ripe banana, and 1 cup of crushed ice. Blend on low for a few seconds to combine everything, and then on high until smooth. Pour into a Hurricane or Margarita glass. Sip through a straw, if you wish to avoid a moustache.

Some tips:

• You could pre-chill your blender jar in the freezer. That will keep your Banana Daiquiri colder and make it thicker.
  
• The riper the banana, the sweeter it will be. If your daiquiri is too sweet, add a few drops more lime juice; if too tart add a little more triple sec, simple syrup, or sugar.
  

You can see all the rest of this summer's cocktail recipes by clicking on June and July, over on the left side of the blog.

Cheers.

Pineapple Cocktails

We continue our fruit-themed series of summer cocktails with pineapple drinks. Pineapple's sweet-tart flavour pairs beautifully with rum. Close your eyes, and you'll think you're on a tropical vacation.

Another thing I really like about using pineapple juice, is that, when used in a shaken cocktail, it creates a layer of foam that settles on the top of the drink, an especially lovely effect if you've coloured the drink with a liqueur like blue Curaçao. I named one of last summer's cocktails, the Aphrodite, after the Greek goddess of love, who was born of the sea foam, because of this effect. Try one, and you'll see what I mean.

Unless you have a juicer that can handle fresh pineapples, I recommend using PC 100% Pure Pressed Pineapple Juice, available in the refrigerated juice aisle wherever President's Choice products are sold.

I'm going to give you three recipes – one that's very basic, and two that require a few more ingredients.

Hawaiian Margarita

You'll need 1½ oz. tequila (preferably gold), 1 oz. orange juice, and 2 oz. pineapple juice. Combine over ice in a Margarita glass, or blend with ½ cup of crushed ice for a frozen Margarita.

Green Goddess

If you have some green melon liqueur lurking in the back of your liquor cabinet, here's the perfect way to use it. To a cocktail shaker half full of ice, add 1½ oz. of white rum, ½ oz. of green melon liqueur, 1 tsp. of lemon juice, and 3 oz. of pineapple juice. Shake sharply for 30 seconds and strain into a cocktail glass. If you really want to impress, garnish with cubes of honeydew melon and pineapple on a small skewer.

Hurricane

Similar to the Bahama Mama, which I featured a few weeks ago, the Hurricane was the signature drink of New Orleans even before Katrina, and there are many versions out there. It's usually served in a tall, curvy glass that resembles the globe of a hurricane lantern. If you don't have any Hurricane glasses, any tall glass will do. Combine 1 oz. of white rum, 1 oz. of dark rum, 2 oz. of orange juice, 2 oz. of pineapple juice, and ½ oz. of Grenadine in a mixing glass. Pour over crushed ice in a Hurricane glass. Best enjoyed sipped through a straw.

As we head into August, there's still plenty of summer left and still lots of fruit we haven't turned into cocktails. Stay tuned.

Watermelon Daiquiri – Natural Viagra?

Well, as last week's post demonstrated, sex sells: the number of visits to the blog was among the highest ever. So at the risk of being labelled the Rupert Murdoch of cocktail blogging, I'll continue the theme for one more week. But while this week's fruity elixir lacks a suggestive name, it may actually deliver the goods.

It seems scientists have discovered that watermelon contains high levels of citruline, an amino acid which the body converts into arginine, a precursor for nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels, the same way the little blue pill works its magic.

Start by cutting up a few cups of watermelon (remove any seeds) into cubes and puréeing them in your blender. Then half-fill your cocktail shaker with ice and add 2 oz. of white rum, 1 oz. of triple sec, ½ oz. of lime juice, and 4 oz. of the watermelon purée. Shake sharply for 30 seconds and strain into a Margarita-style glass (that's a stemmed glass with a coupe-shaped bowl). This makes a serving that's large enough for sharing, and that's kinda the point.

While scientists don't know how much watermelon you'd have to ingest to achieve the desired effect, Dr. 500 Words suggests you sip one or two Watermelon Daiquiris a half hour before bedtime. And leave a comment on his blog in the morning.

Sexy Cocktails

Summer is heating up and so is the blog. This week's featured fruit is the orange, but we're bending the rules a little here, because we're using some more unusual, but still readily available liquors. To compensate, I'm giving you three hot, hot, hot cocktails to choose from. So, shoo the kiddies away from the computer and get ready for some adult fun.

Bahama Mama

You'll need 1 oz. of white or amber rum, 1 oz. of coconut rum (such as Malibu), ½ oz. of Grenadine, 2 oz. of orange juice, and 2 oz. of pineapple juice (President's Choice has an excellent fresh, not from concentrate, example in the refrigerated juice section). Stir together in a hurricane glass half filled with ice and sip through a straw. Or, alternatively, blend with a cup of crushed ice and serve in a large wine glass.

Sex on the Beach

To a tall glass half full of ice, add 1½ oz. vodka, 1 oz. peach schnapps, 2 oz. orange juice, and 2 oz. cranberry juice. Stir with a straw and sip lazily as you sigh with satisfaction.

Sloe Comfortable Screw

You're probably familiar with the Screwdriver, that classic mixture of vodka and orange juice, but did you know you can make a Virgin Screwdriver by leaving out the vodka? If you'd prefer a Sloe Screw, fill a tall glass half full of ice, add 1½ oz. of sloe gin (not really a gin), and top up with 3 or 4 oz. of orange juice. For a Sloe Comfortable Screw, reduce the sloe gin to ½ oz. and add ½ oz. of Southern Comfort and 1 oz. of vodka. Top off with orange juice and give everything a stir.

That's our first six weeks of summer cocktails and so far we've featured strawberries and lemons, raspberries and limes, mangoes, cranberries, and oranges. Just look on the left side of the blog and click on "June" to see the recipes and to find links to last summer's drinks.

There are still six more weeks of summer and lots more fruit we can drink. Stay tuned.

Non-alcoholic Cocktails

A regular blog reader asks: "Dad, why don't you post some non-alcoholic cocktail recipes?"

Those of you who know me personally can probably guess the answer to that one, but the apple of my eye raises a good point. So for all the designated drivers and moms to be out there, here are some summer cooler suggestions courtesy of Best Start: Ontario's Maternal, Newborn and Early Child Development Resource Centre (www.beststart.org). Their recipes are followed by my comments and suggestions in brackets.

Blueberry Ice

To a tall glass filled with ice, add 1 oz. blueberry juice and 3 oz. of white cranberry juice. Stir and sip through a straw. (You could also muddle a few tablespoons of fresh or thawed frozen blueberries in the bottom of the glass, add ice and fill with white grape juice, lemon-lime pop, or sparkling water.)

Escarpment Mocktail

Add 2 oz. of orange juice to ice in an old-fashioned glass. Top with 2 oz. of lemon or lime sparkling water. (Perrier and San Pellegrino make flavoured versions of their well-known sparkling mineral waters, and most supermarkets have lower priced house brands. They taste great all by themselves.)

Baby Belle

Mix 2 oz. pineapple juice, 2 oz. orange juice, and 1 tsp. Grenadine in a tall glass with ice. Top with 2 oz. of lemon or lime sparkling water. (Grenadine is a sweet, red syrup used for adding colour and sweetness to cocktails. You can find it in the supermarket beverage aisle. You could omit it and use lemon-lime pop instead of the sparkling water.)

Sunny Lemonade

Fill a tall glass with ice and add 1 oz. of pomegranate juice and 3 oz. of lemonade. Stir and sip through a straw. (You could add another red juice such as cranberry, raspberry, or cherry to get that pink lemonade colour.)

Berry Bramble

In the bottom of a tall glass, muddle two tablespoons of fresh or thawed frozen raspberries. Squeeze in the juice of a lime wedge. Half fill the glass with ice and top with 4 oz. of sparkling water. (Club soda is fine, but many contain a lot of sodium. There are sodium-free club sodas available, a far better choice.)

One final tip: adding garnishes such as orange or strawberry slices, a few blueberries or raspberries, or chunks of pineapple can boost the appeal as well as the nutrition of any of these drinks.

So there you are, five ways to be nice to your non-drinking family, friends, and guests this summer. If you'd like to see June's cocktails, here they are: Strawberry Lemonade, Peony, Mango-rita, and Muskoka Maple Leaf. And for a complete list of last summer's drinks, including Long Island Iced Tea and Sangria, click here: Summer Cocktail Season is Here.

Until next week, Cheers!

Muskoka Maple Leaf

Canada Day is tomorrow and so here's a drink that's made with two ingredients from our great country. It's also a brilliant scarlet colour in keeping with the national holiday, and unlike our first three drinks, is carbonated, which makes it a refreshing choice now that hotter weather is here.

Though Canadians living in B.C.'s lower mainland, the foothills of the Rockies, the picturesque villages of ancien Québec, or the seacoast communities of Atlantic Canada may disagree (and they'd be perfectly correct), for Canadians living in the urban centres of Ontario, the Muskoka region of Central Ontario evokes all that is quintessential in the Canadian landscape: the primordial granite of the Shield, the icy lakes carved by mile-high glaciers, the immense silence of the forest.

And it's Muskoka, particularly Bala, that's home to the cranberry, this week's featured fruit. The annual Bala Cranberry Festival, held the weekend following Thanksgiving (that's Canadian Thanksgiving, the second Monday in October), is billed as the third largest festival in Ontario.

We'll come back to cranberries in a moment, but first…

Canadian whisky (without the "e") is often called rye. These days that's a misnomer, since most Canadian whiskies are primarily distilled from corn. Alberta Premium is one whisky that is still 100% rye. You can try a small 200 mL bottle available at the LCBO for $7.25 if you'd like to taste your grandpa's whisky.

Regardless of which whisky you have in the back of your liquor cabinet or kitchen cupboard, pour about 1½ ounces over several ice cubes in a tall glass and add ½ ounce of freshly-squeezed lime juice.

Now here's where you have some choice. The one I prefer, though it does violate my principle of using real fruit or juices, is to top up your glass with President's Choice Cranberry sparkling soda. It's available at any store that sells President's Choice products, such as Loblaw's, Super Centre, No Frills, Zehrs, or Your Independent Grocer.

Your other option is to fill your glass with a half and half mixture of cranberry juice and club soda.

Sit back in your Muskoka chair and enjoy the fireworks. Happy Canada Day.

Mango-rita

The Margarita is one of the world's most popular drinks and a summertime favourite. In fact, that's where I began last summer's series of cocktail posts, and that's where you should start if you want to try this week's variation on the classic. Just click here to go there. It'll tell you all you need to know about how to make the best Margarita you've ever tasted. Guaranteed, or double your money back.

Once you've mastered the basic Margarita, you'll need to make a trip to your local supermarket that sells President Choice products. In the refrigerated juice section, look for President's Choice 100% Purée & Juice Mango Orange Blend.

To make one Mango-rita, combine ½ ounce triple sec, 1½ ounces tequila, 1½ ounces PC Mango Orange juice, and 2 ounces Margarita mix. For a frozen Margarita, blend with a cup of crushed ice and serve in a coupe-shaped Margarita glass, or serve over ice in a large wine glass and sip through a straw.

Here are links to some more of last summer's cocktails:

• Sangria
  
• Aprodite (a pineapple drink)
  
• Long Island Iced Tea
  
• Frugal Cocktails
  
• Mojito
  
• Mint Julep
  
• Peach Daiquiri
  

Just mouse over the name of the cocktail and click on it to go to the post. Click on your browser's back button to return to this post.

Cheers!

Peony

Mrs. 500 Words frequently refers to peonies as "last day of school flowers" because, when she was a schoolgirl, she noticed the peonies in her parents' garden would finally open on the day school let out for summer holidays.

Living where we live, in Southern Ontario, we often remark on how the end of June means not only the end of the school year, but truly seems to represent the end of another year, more so than does December 31. Clubs, organizations, and activities all take a two month break, and the day after Labour Day, when the new school year begins and normal routines resume, seems to be the "real" New Year's Day.

All of which is to say, we should mark the occasion with a drink. And this week's drink is a sweet-tart, deep-pink concoction named in honour of the "last day of school flower", the peony.

Start by adding about a cup of ice to your trusty cocktail shaker, and then pour in 1½ ounces of white rum, ½ ounce of freshly squeezed lime juice, and 1½ ounces of frozen raspberry juice concentrate. I prefer the brand made by Welchs, but Minute Maid makes one too. If you let it thaw in the fridge beforehand, it'll be easier to measure.

Shake vigourously for 30 seconds and let settle for a minute or two. You want some dilution to occur. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a few fresh raspberries on a small skewer, if you wish. Since this recipe requires you to add only 3½ ounces of liquid to your shaker, you can easily double it for sharing.

My original version was made with white rum, a sort of raspberry daiquiri, but in a recent blind tasting at our house, the version made with gin was deemed a winner. You could also use vodka.

In case you'd like to try any of last summer's cocktails, here are links to those posts:

• Margarita
  
• Sangria
  
• Aprodite (a pineapple drink)
  
• Long Island Iced Tea
  
• Frugal Cocktails
  
• Mojito
  
• Mint Julep
  
• Peach Daiquiri
  

Just mouse over the name of the cocktail and click on it to go to the post. Click on your browser's back button to return to this post.

Cheers!

Strawberry Lemonade

Although it's been a cool, rainy spring here in Southern Ontario, strawberry season will soon be upon us. What better way to start off our series of fruit-themed cocktails than with a taste of the first fruit of summer?

You'll need to start by adding about a cup of ice to your cocktail shaker. Then toss in a couple of strawberries (frozen are fine; just let them thaw first). Cutting them up into several pieces will help purée them when you start shaking.

Next, measure three ounces of lemonade and pour that into the shaker. About the lemonade: you can always make your own of course, and if you do, I salute you. But there's no shame in using a good quality substitute. Most refrigerated lemonades from the supermarket have additions such as citric acid and cellulose gum. You want to avoid them. But Minute Maid Lemonade frozen concentrate is free of additives, and that's what I used.

Another advantage of using frozen concentrated lemonade is that, instead of following the instructions on the container and adding four cans of water when reconstituting it, I added only two. This gave me a much stronger mix, so that when my lemonade was diluted by the ice in the shaker, and again by the melting ice in the glass, it didn't taste weak.

This recipe is based on one which appeared in an LCBO advertising insert in the weekend paper a while back, and it called for an ounce and a half of vodka. I also tried the drink with gin and with white rum. I preferred the gin version, but feel free to use whichever you prefer or have on hand.

Add the liquor to the shaker and shake vigourously for about 30 seconds. Strain into a Collins glass that's half filled with ice (a Collins glass is a tall glass that holds about 12 ounces). Put your feet up, sip through a straw, and sigh with contentment.

In case you'd like to try any of last summer's cocktails, here are links to those posts:

• Margarita
  
• Sangria
  
• Aprodite (a pineapple drink)
  
• Long Island Iced Tea
  
• Frugal Cocktails
  
• Mojito
  
• Mint Julep
  
• Peach Daiquiri
  

Just mouse over the name of the cocktail and click on it to go to the post. Click on your browser's back button to return to this post.

Cheers!

Summer Cocktail Season is Here!

Victoria Day is behind us, June is here, and that means (most) serious thought is hereby suspended until after Labour Day. And though it's really, really tempting to take a few cheap shots at Tim "Bits" Hudak, instead, just like last year, I'm going to use my blog over the summer mainly to post drink recipes.

My goal this year is to provide you with a new cocktail recipe each Thursday, so you'll be all set to kick back on the following weekend. And each week's drink will highlight a different fruit flavour: orange, pineapple, lemon, lime… twelve fruits in all, one for each of the next twelve weeks.

There are a lot of flavoured liquors out there, particularly flavoured vodkas and rums (gin is the original flavoured vodka), and there's nothing wrong with them. It's just that if I took that approach, you'd end up with a cabinet full of bottles and an empty wallet.

So instead, our recipes will rely on basic liquors like vodka, gin, rum, and tequila, and fresh or frozen fruits and juices.

Also, each cocktail will contain no more than four ingredients (not counting ice) so you can spend less time mixing and more time sipping.

Our first recipe's coming up next Thursday, but I thought I'd take this opportunity to direct you to some of last summer's posts, partly because there are some good drinks there that you might like to try, but also because, in those posts, I shared what I'd learned over the last few years about ingredients, techniques, and barware that will help you make better cocktails.

• Margarita. Using real fruit juices versus powdered mixes.
  
• Sangria. My own recipe.
  
• Aprodite. (a pineapple drink). Good quality ice and the cocktail shaker.
  
• Long Island Iced Tea. Making your own sour mix.
  
• Frugal Cocktails. More than a dozen cocktails you can make with a few basic bar ingredients.
  
• Mojito. Simple syrup.
  
• Mint Julep. Bourbon basics.
  
• Peach Daiquiri. Plus a peach sorbet recipe.
  

Just mouse over the name of the cocktail and click on it to go to the post. Click on your browser's back button to return to this post.

Cheers!

Just Peachy

It's late August and that means the peaches are here. Lots of them. I love peaches, so I always buy a basket, and then... Then most of them grow moldy sitting on the kitchen counter.

But this week I offer a two-fer, two easy ways to use up a lot of peaches.

Start with a dessert recipe: Peach Sorbet. We've had this one in the form of a yellowed newspaper clipping taped into a recipe binder for over twenty years. We'd forgotten it was there until last week. Then we rediscovered it and made it for company. I say "we" because my wife is the sorbet maker at our house.

Peel and pit 10 medium-sized peaches. I find peaches easier to peel if you pour boiling water over them in a large bowl. After about a minute, drain off the hot water. Slice around the circumference of the peach and the skin should slide right off. Cut the peaches into slices.

Bring 2 cups of water, 2 cups of sugar, and 2 ounces of freshly-squeezed lemon juice to a boil in a large pot. Add the peaches. Reduce heat, and poach about 10 minutes, until the peaches are soft.

If you have a hand blender, purée the peaches right in the pot. Otherwise, remove the peaches to a blender or food processor and purée. Return the puréed peaches to the syrup in the pot and mix thoroughly.

Pour into a large shallow pan, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze for about 12 hours. You could also pour into molds, or ice cube trays. Makes about 10-12 servings. Leftovers keep well, covered, in the freezer for a week.

When ready to serve, let soften a little on the counter and scoop, scrape, or cut into cubes. A scoop of vanilla ice cream is optional.

I mentioned this was a two-fer. You can also make a great cocktail from this: the Peach Daiquiri. To a blender, add 2 ounces of white rum, 1 ounce of freshly-squeezed lime juice, and about 6, 1-inch cubes of the peach sorbet. Blend for about 10 seconds and pour into a Margarita glass.

I have a wicked good Peaches 'n' Cream Pie recipe too. If you're interested, I'll share it next week.