What Do They Drink in Boston?

We're on our way to Boston in a few days for a week's holiday. I've never been there before, and I have one burning question: what do you suppose they drink there?

Boston, of course, is home to the original tea partiers. But they didn't drink the tea. Quite the opposite: they threw it into the harbour, and I like to think their revolutionary zeal was primed with a libation or two before they headed out for the evening's festivities.

I suspect they know a thing or two about cocktails in Boston, because the two-piece glass and metal shaker preferred by professional bartenders is known as a Boston Shaker (the other style of shaker you frequently see with the screw-on cap and strainer is called a cobbler shaker).

Consulting a few cocktail books produces a good omen: there are several cocktails with Boston in their names. The Boston Cocktail (gin, apricot brandy, lemon juice, and grenadine) is perhaps a bit sweet for the heat of July. The Boston Cooler sounds more like it though: white rum, lemon juice, simple syrup, and club soda in a tall glass with lots of ice. And there are Boston versions of those old classics the Sidecar and the Sour. But like the Boston Cocktail, perhaps better saved for cooler days or evenings.

They obviously know their beer in Boston: Samuel Adams Boston Lager was one of the beers that began the American craft beer renaissance a quarter century ago. Named for a signer of the American Declaration of Independence, it's on my Top 10 Great Beers of the World list. The company that brews it, the Boston Beer Company, makes a range of seasonal and specialty brews. And a trivia note: Pawtucket Patriot Ale, the beer quaffed by Peter Griffin and his pals on Family Guy is said to have been inspired by Samuel Adams, though an episode of the show features a Willie Wonka-like Pawtucket Pat and a brewery run by Chumbawumbas.

We're not actually staying in Boston, but rather in Waltham, about 20 kilometres up the Charles River. Known as the "Watch City", it was a centre of clock and watch making for a century beginning in the mid-1800's. Like me, you may have a vague memory of having seen the name Waltham on a clock somewhere. Today, Waltham boasts the Watch City Brewing Company, a brewpub with an adventurous streak. The latest video on their website features a tasting of their Bacon Cask Beer. You can click on the link to find out how they make it and how it tastes. Needless to say, Watch City Brewing is on my "must do" list in Waltham.

And of course, no trip to Boston would be complete without a visit to that iconic saloon where everybody knows your name, Cheers. Actually the Bull and Finch, it's on all the tours, so I'm looking forward to bellying up to the bar just like Norm and Cliff did. And just like Norm, when asked what I'd say to a beer, I'll reply, "Daddy wuvs you!"

Adding Some Mojo to Your Mojito

The Mojito is one of those older cocktails that has become very popular of late, turning up on drinks menus everywhere. It's a long drink, a combination of rum, lime juice, sugar, and mint. It does require a little extra effort, as you'll see, but it's well worth it.

It originated in Cuba, where, before refrigeration, the addition of mint lent a cooling sensation to the mixture of rum, lime juice, and sugar, basically the recipe for British Navy Grog (hence the term "limeys" for British sailors). The same effect is credited for the presence of mint in the American Mint Julep, and some authorities (American?) believe the Mojito was inspired by the Julep. The availability of ice and soda water gave the drink its present form, and while Hemingway preferred the Daiquiris at La Floridita, he drank his Mojitos at La Bodeguita.

You'll need to make some simple syrup to start. Since sugar is difficult to dissolve in cocktails, bartenders use simple syrup. It's easy to make: heat equal parts water and white sugar (say 1 cup of each) until the sugar is completely dissolved. Let cool, and store in a clean glass bottle in the fridge. It'll keep a week or two.

In your cocktail shaker, combine 2 ounces of white rum (Bacardi is a good choice, but a real Cuban rum, like Havana Club, will make your Mojito taste closer to the original), 1 ounce of freshly-squeezed lime juice, and 1 ounce of simple syrup. Then add a sprig of mint, one with, say, 4 or 5 leaves.

About the mint. Many people have it growing in their gardens, and if it's a variety you like the taste of, it'll work fine. But if you're trying to replicate an authentic Hemingway hangover, there is a Cuban variety specifically for Mojitos. It's available at Richter's Herbs in Goodwood and is called, ahem, Mojito Mint. Or you can ask me for some. Like all mint, it grows profusely and spreads rapidly.

Muddle these ingredients in the bottom of the shaker. To muddle means to mash fruit or herbs to extract their juice and/or flavour. You can buy a muddler in kitchen stores; it looks like a pestle in a mortar and pestle, same idea. Or simply use the back of a wooden spoon.

Now add some ice, about half a cup. Shake until chilled and pour over ice in a Collins glass. Top with a few ounces of club soda and garnish with a second sprig of mint. Sip through a straw and imagine old Havana.

That's the basic Mojito, but of course there are variations if you want to add some mojo to your Mojito. If you have some fresh or frozen raspberries, muddle a few of them in there too for a Raspberry Mojito. Or use one of the many varieties of flavoured rums.

One variation, and it was actually my introduction to the Mojito in Key West a few years ago, is the Vanilla Mojito. It's made with Cruzan Vanilla Rum, of course, but also without the addition of the splash of soda at the end. Use about a cup of ice in your shaker and after shaking until very well chilled, strain into a martini glass. More like a Mint Daiquiri really, I've seen this variation in a few places. You could, of course, make this style of Mojito with any variety of rum, but if using a sweetened flavoured rum, reduce or omit the simple syrup.

¡Viva Cuba!

Frugal Cocktails

Throughout June, I've been telling you how to make some classic summer drinks, like the Margarita, Sangria, Long Island Iced Tea, and my own concoction, the Aphrodite. To make some of these drinks, maybe you've had to buy a few ingredients you didn't have, such as triple sec, blue Curacao, or tequila. Maybe you're wondering what else you can do with them and all those left over mixes and juices? So this week I'm going to show you how to make ten more summer drinks from the ingredients you have on hand.

That sour mix you made for Long Island Iced Tea? Last week I mentioned how you could use it (made with added lemon instead of lime juice) to make a Margarita. It will taste slightly different, but maybe you'll prefer it.

And remember our Margarita recipe? Well, you can make a Blue Margarita, just like in chi-chi Tex-Mex places. Simple: just substitute blue Curacao for the triple sec in the recipe.

You can make a Hawaiian Margarita by combining 1 1/2 ounces tequila, 1 ounce orange juice, and 2 ounces of pineapple juice. Serve blended or on the rocks.

How about a Pineapple Daiquiri? Blend 2 ounces white rum, 1/2 ounce triple sec, 3 ounces pineapple juice, and 1/2 ounce lime juice with ice until slushy. Serve in a Margarita glass and sip through a straw. Tip: if you don't have Margarita glasses, large bowl, red wine glasses make good substitutes, especially for frozen drinks.

Or try a Blue Lagoon: 2 ounces vodka, 1 ounce blue Curacao, 2 ounces pineapple juice, and a teaspoon of triple sec. Shake with ice in a cocktail shaker and strain into a martini or margarita glass.

Why not use those Collins glasses for a Tom Collins? Over ice, combine 2 ounces of gin and 1 1/2 ounces of sour mix. Top off with club soda. Substitute vodka for gin and you have a Vodka Collins. Tastes a lot like Smirnoff Ice or Mike's Hard Lemonade. Like Mike's Hard Cranberry? Just add a couple of ounces of cranberry juice as well.

Gin and Tonic is the quintessential summer cooler: 2 ounces of gin over ice in a Collins glass, fill with tonic, and add a squeeze of lime. I still remember the first one I ever had. It was made with Gordon's gin and that's still the way I like my G&T.

Rum and Coke, also know as a Cuba Libre is just as easy to make: 2 ounces of rum (white, amber, or dark) over ice in a Collins glass, fill with cola. Add a squeeze of lime (optional). I always think of my friend John when I drink these. I prefer mine with dark rum and without lime, but he always specified Bacardi (white), with a slice of lime in his. Only, his were much stronger!

Well, those are some of the basics. You can have the summer off, or for the more adventurous, follow the blog as, each week, I feature some of summer's more interesting cocktails, such as the Mojito and the Mint Julep.

Have a Happy Canada Day and a great summer! Cheers!

Coffee: The Right Drink for Canada?

HUNTSVILLE -- A report released today by the Tazer Institute concludes that coffee beats education when it comes to helping voters make the right choice. Estimates of its effect ranged from a small regular trumping a community college diploma, to an extra large double-double besting a Ph.D.

Rumours had been circulating since the 2008 federal election, when pundits claimed that the Harper Conservatives' success at the polls was due to their appeal to "the Tim Hortons drinking" segment of the electorate.

Speculation increased late in 2009 when Harper was a no-show at the United Nations, instead touring the Tim Hortons Innovation Centre in Oakville.

Observers sensed something was brewing last week when Quebecor Media launched its Sun News channel, dubbed "Fox News North". Dressed in a $3,000 suit, Quebecor Media vice-president and former CBC pundit and communications director for Stephen Harper, Kory Teneycke, explained, "We will offer the type of raw debate Canadians only find today in coffee shops."

Speaking at a news conference held at the $2 million drive thru specially constructed to host the G8 summit here, a spokesperson for the Institute explained how it had arrived at its findings. "We simply counted the number of Don Cherry bobbleheads in pickup trucks idling in coffee shop drive thrus. The number was highest in Conservative ridings. It was a no brainer, really."

Strangely, the effect was not observed in those who consumed coffee drinks with names ending in "-ino". "They tend to live in cities and take public transit," he explained, "Need I say more?"

A representative of the Canadian Taxcutters Federation confirmed the Tazer Institute findings. When asked what his group's studies had shown, he stated, "We don't need no academic elites doing 'so-called' studies. We know we're right. It's just common sense."

Tea Time

Over the first three weeks of our summer cocktail series, with the margarita, sangria, and Aphrodite, we're covered blended, on the rocks, punches, and shaken drinks. There's one other category of popular summer cocktail, and that's the long drink. And what better example than the Long Island Iced Tea?

Long drinks are served in a tall, cylindrical glass capable of holding about 350mL, or 12 ounces. They're usually called Collins glasses because of their association with the long drink of that name. We need a tall glass so there's room for lots of ice and a carbonated mixer.

The Long Island Iced Tea is all about balance, as you will see. It's a drink with a large number of ingredients and you will find some variation in recipes (as well as local names for the variations) if you go hunting on the internet. Here's my version, which is the result of many hours of rigorous testing.

Because of the small amounts of several of the ingredients, I find it easier to make up a double batch. You'll see why. Start with a glass measuring cup. Add 1 ounce each of vodka, gin, white rum, silver tequila, and triple sec. I told you there were a lot of ingredients. Don't leave any out, and be careful to measure accurately. As I said, this cocktail is about balance. Well made, you'll be able to detect the subtle presence of all the elements.

Next, add 1 1/2 ounces of sour mix to the measuring cup. Sour mix is that lemon-lime stuff you see added from a plastic jug in bars. It's often made from powders containing citric acid and artificial flavours and colours. But we don't go in for that stuff. Instead, remember the margarita mix you made a few weeks ago? The one where you added extra lime juice to Minute Maid Limeade frozen concentrate? Well, to make sour mix, follow the same directions, but instead of adding lime juice, add 4 ounces of freshly squeezed lemon juice. You now have a top-quality sour mix.

You'll end up with about a litre. It'll keep a week or so in the fridge and can be used in many other cocktails. Or you can freeze it in an ice cube tray and keep serving-sized amounts in a ziplock freezer bag. Or use the rest to make a slightly different tasting version of the margarita. But if you're like me, you'll probably use it all up making Long Island Iced Tea.

To assemble the L.I.I.T., half fill two Collins glasses with ice. Add half the liquor and sour mix combination to each glass, and top with about 4 ounces of Coca-Cola. Add a straw. Stir and sip.

This is a potent drink and is best enjoyed sitting down, preferably on a deck or dock in a comfortable chair with good company. Cheers!