While early juleps were likely mixed with cognac, the accepted spirit nowadays is bourbon. For the preparation of a proper julep, a few things are needed. Firstly, a traditional silver or pewter julep cup is essential, allowing frost to form on the outside of the cup and keeping the drink icy cold. Secondly, crushed ice is a must. I make my crushed ice by placing it into a canvas lewis bag and crushing it with a mallet. Thirdly, lots of nice fresh mint is needed both as an ingredient and as a very functional garnish.

So let’s begin. A traditional julep is made with just four simple ingredients, Spirit, sugar/syrup, ice, and mint. I switch mine up just a bit and use a sweet liqueur in place of the sugar, which adds a little bit of extra flavor to the drink. We start by gently muddling roughly a dozen mint leaves in the bottom of the cup. The goal here is to gently express the mint oils and coat the glass, not to shred the leaves to a pulp. I usually add the liqueur (Apricot in this case) at this time as I like to get the flavors incorporated. Next we will fill our cup with the crushed ice, and pour in our Bourbon. A quick stir is really all that is needed, just enough to get the cup to start frosting on the exterior. Then we will pile more crushed ice on top to give it that adult snow cone look. Then we will garnish with several large sprigs of mint, the more the better in my opinion, and place our straw nice and close, so that in sipping the beverage your nose is treated to the wonderful aromatics of the mint. And there you have it, a perfect summer sipper for those long hot afternoons. Cheers!

The Mint Julep
2 oz Bourbon
1/2 oz Orchard Apricot Liqueur
Mint

I do apologize for my absence of late. The past two months have been incredibly busy, and coupled with some personal stuff, I just haven’t found the time to post anything. But now I am back, and hopefully will be regaling you with all sorts of fantastic stuff!

For those that don’t know, I am now managing the bar at the Bayou Oyster Bar. Look for a new seasonally rotating menu and some other cool stuff in the coming months. If you want to come and visit me while I’m working, I am there most Friday and Saturday nights.

I also had the pleasure of attending Tales of the Cocktail on Tour Vancouver this past February, and I’ll have a couple posts about some of the sessions I attended up soon.

And last, but not least, I have a cocktail for you. This cocktail comes from the PDT Cocktail Book, but I believe is an original creation from The Raines Law Room. The pairing of gin, aperol, and cucumber is an absolute delight. Perfectly balanced and refreshing, this is one drink that you must try at least once, if not twice. Cheers!

The Archangel
2 oz Plymouth Gin
3/4 oz Aperol
2 slices muddled Cucumber

This month’s class will be March 25th at 6:00pm, and we will be diving into the marvelous spirit that is Rum. We will take a look at the main styles of Rum, enjoy some cocktails and rum inspired food, and take part in a tasting of a variety of Rums from around the world.

The class will be limited to 10 people, so if you are interested, or know anyone who is, reserve your spot now at the Bayou Oyster Bar, preferably between the hours of 5:00-7:00pm. It should be informative and a lot of fun, and I hope to see you there. Cheers!

This poses a slight challenge for me. While Tiki is actually quite cool and not kitsch at all, as some would think, it also requires a lot of work and cool glassware. Despite the challenges, the appeal of Tiki lies in the ability to transport you away to an exotic time and/or place, without ever having moved you at all.

Tiki culture was purportedly created in 1934, by one Ernest Raymond Beaumont-Gantt, more affectionately known as Don the Beachcomber. It is from his brilliant mind that our cocktail comes from today. With a mix of tropical fruit juices, and loads of rum, Don’s Zombie is one fantastic drink. And with all things awesome, they are often shrouded in secrecy, apparently Don’s bartenders didn’t even know the makeup of many of his drinks, they just mixed out of bottles coded by numbers or letters. Nonetheless, several variations of the Zombie are out there, and this one comes to us courtesy of Ted Haigh.

Don the Beachcomber’s Zombie
1 tsp Brown Sugar
1 oz Lemon Juice
1 oz Gold Puerto Rican Rum
1 oz 151 Demerara Rum
1 oz White Puerto Rican Rum
1 oz unsweetened Pineapple Juice
1 oz Lime Juice
1 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
1 dash Angostura

Shake with ice, pour into fancy pants glass (traditionally a hurricane glass of course), and let yourself be transported away. As a disclaimer, while the glass in the picture you see below may seem empty, I can attest that there once was not just one, but two Zombies in that glass. Cheers!

This twist on a classic is tasty and adds layer upon layer of complexity to the drink. While it may seem to be an unlikely pairing, the Campari and Goslings actually work wonders together, and while the Absinthe is understated, it serves to pull the ingredients together in harmonious balance. Cheers!

Benjamin Barker Daiquiri
1 1/2 oz Gosling’s Rum
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/4 oz Absinthe
1/4 oz Demerara Syrup

Although rarely seen on a cocktail menu today, a flip is a fantastic way to get into beer cocktails. In its most basic iteration, a flip is simply beer, spirit, and sweetener. Flips can also include egg, and may be served hot or cold.

This flip variation was created by Owen Schmidt, while he was still bartending at the Bayou Oyster Bar and features a combination of amaro and stout. The initial creation utilized a locally brewed oatmeal stout, but any stout that is thick and creamy will do. This drink can easily be used as a starting point to experiment with other amaro/stout combinations. Cheers!

Breakfast In Bed
3 oz Oatmeal Stout
1 1/2 oz Amaro Abano
1 whole egg
Dash Orange Bitters

This beer pours very dark, almost jet black, with a thick and creamy mocha/tan head. First impressions from the nose was choco­late and some roasti­ness from the malts. Also present were some resin pine aromas from the hops with just a hint of citrus in the background. On the taste you definitely notice the chocolate and malt up front which then quickly fades into the hoppy bitterness and is coupled with grapefruit, lemon, and grassy flavors. The finish is long and mildly bit­ter,­ with some slight roasti­ness around the edges.

Over­all, I really enjoyed this ver­sion of a Black IPA/Cascadian Dark Ale from Alaskan Brew­ing Com­pany. If you are a fan of this style, you may be a tad dis­ap­pointed as it is a little more laid back than others. If you are not a fan of this style, this is the per­fect beer to help you change your mind. Cheers!

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The Yamazaki 12 pours a dark golden brown, darker than many other 12 year old whiskeies. The nose is well malted, and has hints of dried fruits, warm honey and butterscotch. The taste is quite dry, with an almost astringent quality, paired with hints of vanilla, citrus zest, caramelized toffee and just a hint of oak. The finish is long and has hints of spices with a little more of that astringency lingering in the background.

The Yamazaki 12 is an outstanding whisky, especially if looking for an introduction into Japanese or Scotch Whisky. A 750ml bottle will usually run between $40-$50, which is not a bad price for such a great tasting spirit. Cheers!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

“Vancouver is such a rich, vibrant cocktail city. We couldn’t help but come back for a second year”, said Ann Tuennerman, Founder of Tales of the Cocktail®. “With all the friends we’ve made north of the border, it’s really become our home away from home.”

This year the festivities have grown, and will include five tasting rooms, Meet the Maker, a specialty coffee bar and the Mott’s Clamato Caesar Bar. In addition there are 6 fantastic seminars that are sure to provide excellent information. In the evenings, guests will attend parties, and take part in a pub crawl that highlights some of Vancouver’s best restaurants and bartenders. In short, this is an event that you will not want to miss.

This year I am extremely happy to be covering this event as media. I will be attending everything I can, taking pictures as well as frantically scribbling notes, making sure that I can soak in as much as I can. If you are a cocktail enthusiast, or bartender in the Pacific Northwest, I would highly encourage you to check out this event. It is a great way to get involved in the fantastic community that surrounds our area! If you do come, drop me a note so I can make sure we meet up. Cheers!

This month’s class will be January 15th at 6:00pm, and we will be looking at the history of American Whiskey. We will dig into the main types of American Whiskey, enjoy some cocktails, and take part in a tasting of a variety of some bourbon and rye whiskies.

The class will be limited to 10 people, so if you are interested, or know anyone who is, reserve your spot now at the Bayou Oyster Bar, preferably between the hours of 5:00-7:00pm. It should be informative and a lot of fun, and I hope to see you there. Cheers!