11 March 2011

Happy Hour:  Dalhousie Cocktail

Vancouver British Columbia - Mixology's movers and shakers are making their way to Vancouver. Why? For Tales of the Cocktail, North America's premier mixology event which runs Sunday to Wednesday.
 
Tales of the Cocktail is usually held in New Orleans. But for the first time, this spirited festival is being held outside the Big Easy. Aficionados are gathering at the Fairmont Pacific Rim and this writer will be there to er, soak up, the cocktail culture.
 
No mixology festival would be complete without a signature drink. The official cocktail this one is the Dalhousie by Vancouver-based bartender Jonathan Smolensky of Brix Restaurant & George Ultra Lounge. The name comes from the Dalhousie train station on the Canadian Pacific Railway line.
 
Some of the ingredients for this adapted recipe aren't available at the LCBO. We've substituted ginger syrup and a dash of bourbon for the original recipe's Domaine de Canton liqueur. The recipe called for dehydrated Canadian plums; we used prunes (dried plums).
 
Dalhousie Cocktail
 
Dried plum-infused whisky:
 
6 to 8 prunes (dried plums)
 
375-mL-bottle Canadian whisky
 
Ginger syrup:
 
3 thick slices fresh ginger
 
1 cup (250 mL) each: granulated sugar, water
 
Cocktail:
 
2 oz (60 mL) Dried Plum-Infused Whisky
 
1/2 oz (15 mL) Ginger Syrup
 
Dash cognac
 
1/2 oz (15 mL) Zwack Unicum bitters
 
Peel from 1/2 lemon
 
For dried plum-infused whisky, combine prunes and whisky in large, sealable container. Let stand at room temperature 4 days. Strain, discarding prunes. Return infusion to whisky bottle.
 
For ginger syrup, combine ginger, sugar and water in small saucepan. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 minutes. Let cool. Refrigerate until ready to use.
 
For each cocktail, in chilled mixing glass, add plum-infused whisky, ginger syrup, cognac and bitters. Stir thoroughly.
 
Remove pith from lemon peel. Rub peel on inside edge of chilled coupe or Champagne glass. Discard peel.
 
Strain cocktail into prepared glass.
 
Makes 1 drink.
 
Shauna Rempel.