QC Relish and Whisky Winter 2016

QC

Local Gastronomic to the Angels’ Share

and

Relish Whisky

Winter 2016

Jamie Oliver Holiday Recipes

Gooderham & Worts Four Grain Whisky Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old

Secret Spirits Our Interview with Jonathan Bray The Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar

We’ll take you there.

HIGHLANDS, LOWLANDS, SPEYSIDE. ISLAY ...

handcraft slowly,

we our Single Malt Scotch Whisky the and make it time-honoured way.

finest

Using the natural ingredients, our three distillers orchestrate every second of the distillation process; there are no short cuts to perfection. Every cask is hand-filled, handweighed and hand-stamped before maturing for many years in our traditional dunnage warehouses. Why do we make it this classic pre-1960s Speyside way? Because it creates a character: beautifully balanced with a light touch of smoke.

gorgeous

Discover more at benromach.com

Best Speyside Single Malt 12 Years and Under

discover more

Benromach.com

please enjoy benromach responsibly.

Sunsets and sea air: unofficial ingredients in every bottle.

view from shelter point distillery, vancouver island, canada

Introducing Shelter Point Single Malt Whisky Paradise isn’t necessarily a geographical requirement for making great whisky, but we managed to find it at Shelter Point. It’s here that we handcraft our 100% Single Malt Whisky, distilled batch-by-batch in traditional copper pot stills from two-row barley, and aged in American oak casks in our oceanfront warehouse. When it comes to artisanal whisky, every element matters — and in our unique, temperate rainforest climate, even the sunsets and sea air become integral.

There’s a Point to making beautiful whisky. Find out more at shelterpoint.ca

ELEVATE YOUR SCOTCH WHISKY COLLECTION WITH AN AWARD WINNING WHISKY REHAUSSEZ VOTRE COLLECTION DE SCOTCH WHISKY AVEC CE WHISKY HAUTEMENT RÉCOMPENSÉ.

GOLD

BUNNAHABHAIN - 2016 DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR www.bunnahabhain.com | www.deanstonmalt.com | www.tobermorydistillery.com Consommez Responsablement. Please Enjoy Responsibly. Représenté par / Represented by PMA Canada | pmacanada.com

KEEPING

THE

INDUSTRY AS

STRONG AS THE WHISKEY. For more than 136 years, the Kentucky Distillers’ Association has stood strong in supporting America’s distilled spirits industry – and the nation’s only native spirit, Bourbon. And the business has never looked better.

The KDA welcomes visitors to the Kentucky Bourbon Festival and the Bluegrass state to celebrate our signature industry.

Kentucky Distillers’ Association PROMOTING & PROTECTING KENTUCKY BOURBON SINCE 1880.

BEAM SUNTORY • BROWN-FORMAN • DIAGEO NORTH AMERICA • FOUR ROSES HEAVEN HILL BRANDS • MAKER’S MARK • MICHTER’S • WILD TURKEY • WILLETT BARREL HOUSE • BLUEGRASS • BOONE COUNTY • BOUNDARY OAK • CASEY JONES • COPPER & KINGS CORSAIR ARTISAN • DUELING GROUNDS • HARTFIELD & CO. • KENTUCKY ARTISAN KENTUCKY MIST • KENTUCKY PEERLESS • LIMESTONE BRANCH • MB ROLAND NEW RIFF • OLD POGUE • SECOND SIGHT • TOWN BRANCH WILDERNESS TRAIL • DISTILLED SPIRITS EPICENTER

WWW.KYBOURBON.COM • WWW.KYBOURBONTRAIL.COM • WWW.KYBOURBONAFFAIR.COM The Kentucky Bourbon Trail , Bourbon Trail™, Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour® and Kentucky Bourbon Affair™ are trademarks/service marks of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association. Please drink responsibly. ®

AWARD WINNING

CANADIAN WHISKIES WHISKY of the FINISHED in

RUM

BARRELS ®

PIKE CREEK

YEAR

LOT NO. 40®

*

Best

NEW

WHISKY

*

GOODERHAM & WORTS™

*As awarded by the Canadian Whisky Awards 2015.

Established in 1991 in England, Green & Blacks Organic has grown to become a world leader in organic and Fair Trade chocolate and is committed too the creation of chocolate products that provide a taste experience like no other. Using only organically grown cocoa, sourced Principally from the Dominican Republic, Green & Blacks Organic believes its possible to respect our earth while Indulging in the best things it has to offer. To find out more about Green & Blacks Organic products and values, visit www.greenandblacks.co.uk and www.facebook.com/GreenandBlacksCanada

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QC

Local Gastronomic to the Angels’ Share

Relish Whisky

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Winter 2016

Editor’s

Thoughts

Here we are, our sixth issue of QC Relish and Whisky. This has been an incredible experience. Meeting with passionate Entrepreneurs, Master Distillers, Writers, Chefs and so many more enthusiastic people behind the scenes, who have taken personal time to open their lives and share their stories with me, so I may share them with you. We continue to explore the exceptionally incredible recipes for mouth-watering sumptuous meals from our established Chefs to enjoy flavourful drink, dram and delicate mixtures from around the world. For sharing, or keeping on your mantle, our spirits, single or blended, artisanal crafts and creations will enlighten your senses, make you aware of a new joy, and set you off to bring home a beautiful experience. We have all your favourites to open and share over the holidays.

Joy to the world.

Robert Windover Local Gastronomic to the Angels’ Share

Relish Whisky QC and

Autumn | 2016

Gooderham & Worts Four Grain Whisky

Winter 2016

Jamie Oliver Holiday Recipes

Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old

Glendalough The Birth of Distilling

The Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar

We’ll take you there.

HIGHLANDS, LOWLANDS, SPEYSIDE. ISLAY ...

Treasure enough for any pirate!

-

12

Rum’s from Around the World

- Ship in a Bottle

- Tasting Skull Glass - Treasure Map

- Piece of Eight Lapel Pin - 2000 Happy Pirates

RUMS REVENGE RUM CHEST * RUMSREVENGE.COM SECRETSPIRITS.COM

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Winter 2016

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08 Editor's Thoughts 13 Esteemed Writers 16 Our Interview Secret Spirits

44 Christmas Cookbook Jamie Oliver

19 Chocolate Treats Green & Black's

52 Limited Edition Collection Golden Decanters

22 The Orphan Railcar Davin De Kergommeaux

27

54 The Albion Rooms Jesse Bell

24 Winterey Drinks Proof Craft Spirits

57 Your home, the home

27 The Art Of Distillation Johanne McInnis

32

of the whisky cocktail

Ray Daniel

31 Bourbon-U.S. Spirit Fred Minnick 32 The Birth Of Distilling Glendalough Distillery

59 Holiday Must Haves For everyone

SCOTLAND

16

36 The Greatest Story Never Told Brilynn Ferguson 40 Barrel Aged Syrups Runamok Maple 42 Mouth of the River Bunnahabhain

The Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar

We’ll take you there.

HIGHLANDS, LOWLANDS, SPEYSIDE. ISLAY ...

THE SCOTCH WHISKY ADVENT CALENDAR * SCOTCHWHISKYADVENT.COM WWW.SECRETSPIRITS.COM

STAND APART

The Glencairn Whisky Glass

"The Glencairn Whisky Glass is a revolutionary whisky glass that really lets one savor the taste and complexity

of fine whisky. These are great to use for any of your Single Malt Whisky's, Irish Whiskey's, and also your single barrel bourbons. With the tapered mouth, you are able to really smell all of the nuances the whisky has to offer. Any malt advocate will love this glass!

History Of The Glass: Champagne, Brandy, Wine... each has its own glass. Yet whisky, the world’s most

complex spirit can be found served in anything from

hiball tumblers to Paris goblets.

In 2001 Glencairn Crystal solved the problem of identifying the ideal glass for whisky. Designed by Raymond Davidson nearly 25 years earlier, its development involved pulling together the master blenders from the five largest whisky companies and asking them to perfect his initial design.Today the Glencairn Glass

can be found at every distillery in

Scotland,

Ireland, Wales as well as most in the USA."

www.glencairnwhiskyglass.com

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Writers Davin De Kergommeaux is the author of Canadian Whisky: The Portable Expert, the definitive guide to Canadian whisky. An independent whisky expert, de Kergommeaux has been writing about, talking about, and teaching about whisky for more than fifteen years. He is the founder, and head judge for the Canadian Whisky Awards, and publishes comprehensive notes about Canadian whiskies on canadianwhisky.org. His writing and tasting notes appear regularly in Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate magazine, and various lifestyle publictions. De Kergommeaux has also contributed to or co-authored three other books about whisky, and spirits and cocktails. Follow him on twitter and instagram@Davindek.

Ray Daniel brings with him nearly two decades of experience behind the bar from Europe to Canada and is currently the Chief Mixologist at Char No.5 Whisky Bar - Toronto. Hailing from Ireland he has a huge range of knowledge of whisky as a category and whisky cocktails specifically and has performed at whisky masterclasses, festivals and cocktail competitions in both the US and Canada.

Fred Minnick is the author of four books: Whiskey Women, Bourbon Curious, Camera Boy and the Certified Angus Beef history. Whiskey Women earned a Gold Medal at the ForeWord Reviews Book Awards and a Silver at the Indie Publisher Awards. Camera Boy became a Wall Street Journalbestselling eBook in May 2012. Fred Minnick is the “Bourbon Authority” for the Kentucky Derby Museum.

Since October 2013, Minnick has taught bourbon classes at the museum and hosted private bourbon tastings for convention groups. Louisville.com named Minnick’s popular “Legend’s Series” one of the top events in all of Bourbon Country. | 2016

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Johanne McInnis, aka Whisylassie, is an international spirits freelance writer who has a deep passion for whisky.

She has been a judge, panelist as well as a presenter at Spirits Festivals around the world.

Johanne loves to write about her adventures, distillery visits or help people discover the world of whisky.

Local Gastronomic to the Angels’ Share

Relish Whisky

Editorial Director | Editor !

Artistic Director | Photography !

National Advertising Sales Director Editorial!Director Robert'Windover Robert Windover | QC Magazine Editorial Director| Editor Editorial Director| Editor Artistic Director | Photography

Associate!EditorJudith'Kipka!

National Advertising Sales Director

Publisher Quintessentially Art!DirectorAutumn'Clare!

Robert Windover | QC Magazine

Canadian 4 Group

C

Design!ConsultantTaylor'Gordan!

Enjoy all our publications At issuu.com PublisherQuintessentially Quintessentially/ Canadian4Group/

Advertising Enquiries Toronto!ON! quintessentiallycanadian@hotmail.ca '

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QC Relish andpublications!at!!issuu.com' Whisky Magazine Is the number one magazine in North America ! representing the specific field of Food and Drinks.

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Celebrity Chefs and sought after Spirits from around quintessentiallycanadian@hotmail.ca' the world. Seasonal 4 times a year for your responsible 416!770!7279! enjoyment. !

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Quintessentially!Canadian!Magazine!makes!no!warranties! of!any!kind,!written!or!implied,!regarding!the!contents!of! this!magazine!and!expressly!disclaims!any!warranty! regarding!the!accuracy!or!reliability!of!information!

contained!herein.!The!view!contained!in!this!magazine!are! those!of!the!writers!and!advertisers;!they!do!not!

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CONTRIBUTORS CONTRIBUTORS

Creative!ConsultantFaith'Kerry'

of familiar pleasures and tastes. Our Canadian roots grow ever so wildly out across our wonderful country.

Different cultures with incredible ideas on food and drinks. We come together around the fire ready to share stories of tastes of rich flavours and scents and textures with smooth finishes. Rocks, neat or mixed with a twig of mint. Barbeque, oven roasted, fried or deep-fried, different ways with familiarity. Old and new discoveries are pleasurable to explore with family and friends. We have ventured off into this world to bring you our adventures in the libation and gastronomic circles. QC Relish and Whisky will be your guide. Come taste, smell, feel, enjoy. Then indulge some more.

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Canadian Whisky: The Portable Exp to Canadian whisky. An independent w de Kergommeaux has been writing ab teaching about whisky for more than founder, and head judge for the Canad and publishes comprehensive notes a is th on canadianwhisky.org. His writing an Canadian Whisky: The Portable Expert, regularly in Whisky Magazine, Whisk to Canadian whisky. An independent whi and various lifestyle publications. De de Kergommeaux has been writing about contributed to or co-authored three o teaching about whisky for more than fifte whisky, and two about spirits and coc founder, and head judge for the Canadian twitter and instagram @Davindek. and publishes comprehensive notes abou

on canadianwhisky.org. His writing and t regularly in Whisky Magazine, Whisky A and various lifestyle publications. De Ker contributed to or co-authored three othe whisky, and two about spirits and cockta twitter and instagram @Davindek.

is a freelan writer from Saint John New Brunsw started her whisky journey almost ago and has never looked back. She certified chemical engineering tech judge for the Canadian Whisky Awa 2012, panelist on international tast is a freelance w presenter at whisky festivals across writer from Saint John New Brunswick as well as the world renowned Spir started her whisky journey almost 30 y Speyside Festival in Scotland. Her b ago and has never looked back. She is a found at: www.whiskylassie.blogsp certified chemical engineering technolo

judge for the Canadian Whisky Awards 2012, panelist on international tastings presenter at whisky festivals across Ca as well as the world renowned Spirit o Speyside Festival in Scotland. Her blog found at: www.whiskylassie.blogspot.c

complete!liability!for!the!content!of!and!all!replies!to!any! advertisement!and!for!any!claims!made!thereof.!!! '

Quintessentially Canadian 4 Group publishes QC Made QC Made in Canada, QC Relish and Whisky Made in Canada, QC In QC Canada, QC Travel AdventureRelish and Whisky and QC Relish and and QC Travel Adventure Magazines are published and QC Travel Adventure Magazines are Whisky magazines quarterly. Subscription rates $17.50 quarterly by Quintessentially Canadian Cdn. Per year plus postage. To subscribe, contact 4 Group. quintessentiallycanadian@hotmail.ca Subscription rates for USA and Canada, $17.50

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Recipes from: Jamie Oliver’s Christmas Cookbook by Jamie Oliver © 2016. Photography ©Jamie Oliver

Enterprises Limited, 2016. Published in Canada by HarperCollins Ltd. All rights reserved.

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Look for our extensive in home product must haves.

Spring 2017

QC

Local Gastronomic to the Angels’ Share

and

Relish Whisky

QC Relish and Whisky had the opportunity to sit down with the owners of Secret Spirits.

Jonathan and Cindy Bray are the purveyors of the finest Whisky, Rum, Gin And Spirits from all over the world.

It's not and easy task but they have managed to build their passion into a successful business.

What made you want to jump into the world of Scotch Whisky and have it represented in the forum you have created today, the Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar?

The third edition has a few twists that we have not seen before. For the first time, we were able to source a closed distillery which is very exciting and extremely rare. Our oldest whisky to date is also included in this edition, however our focus is always on showing how amazing whisky can be at any age and we have seen some of the youngest whiskies receive the most appreciation over the past two years.

Firstly, can I thank you for the opportunity to give your readers some insight into Secret Spirits. I have been involved in the whisky industry for almost 15 years and luckily have been able to entertain my passion through the lens of independently bottled single cask expressions. Independent bottling is the most amazing, and probably the most misunderstood segment of the Scotch Whisky landscape.

Having spent years educating and energizing whisky drinkers by more traditional methods, I saw the Advent Calendar as a really fun way to immerse whisky consumers into a whole new world. The feedback we have had so far from our first two ediHow do you find the Whisky you want to have tions has certainly bolstered our belief that we are with you in the Calendar? There are thousands to achieving that goal. look at, not to mention enjoy tasting.

You’re onto your third release now with the AdFirst and foremost we work with excellent indevent Calendar. What can we expect to pendent bottlers that have our full trust when it see this time? comes to choosing barrels. On our annual January trip to Scotland each year we taste a lot of different All three releases have followed a similar formula samples that are invariably all excellent. There are that takes consumers on a journey through the always those that stand out. However, in keeping whisky regions and styles of Scotland. Combining with a diverse model my hand is sometimes forced differing ages, barrel aging and distilleries, along to choose between cost, variety and how it all with only sourcing exceptional single cask one off needs to come together. whiskies, has proven to be a winning template.

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The registration was initially a challenge due to Secret Spirits actually owning all the whisky but still adding each bottler’s details to the labels to give them kudos for the choice and to help promote their brands. This has since actually made things easier, which is a happy place to be. We have run into some incredible price differences especially in lieu of a few government controlled provinces changing their pricing policy to include adding their entire markup to packaging as well as alcohol. In years past, we could separate the considerable packaging costs involved in our product, keeping the pricing down for the consumer. Taxing alcohol is understandable and something that helps bring in much needed revenue for all provinces. What I cannot understand however is attaching that same markup to cardboard and wood just because it happens to be involved with an alcohol based product. It has caused a variation in pricing for our Collector’s edition by over $500 in some cases.

Do you have your favourites now under lock and key or are you still searching for that elusive spirit the angels only know of?

I wish I had invested a little more in special bottles over the years, especially with the price of whisky increasing so drastically. I am first and foremost a whisky drinker but have allowed one exception in that I am collecting one of each of the Christmas Day whiskies in a full bottle format for posterity…is that wrong? I love well balanced whisky and tend to look for complexity that requires some time and thought to get to the bottom of. Samaroli releases tend to be right in my wheelhouse for this reason and so far the Christmas Day whisky in the second edition is one of my favorites. I also drank an incredible 45 year old Bunnahabhain from Samaroli that knocked me over it was so good.

Your go to Scotch and Favourite time of the year?

Rum's revenge is your new adventure ready for the holidays. What inspired this?

My wife Cindy and I actually thought about Rum’s Revenge shortly after making the first edition of the Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar a reality. We have always been pirate fans and the rise of the rum category in the past 5 years or so, just made it a really fun option that we couldn’t ignore.

What will we find in the treasure chest with Rum's Revenge?

The Rum’s Revenge is the name of a Pirate Ship that we invented and each chest comes with a miniature Rum’s Revenge in a bottle. Navigating your way around your wax sealed treasure map and matching symbols with the chest to find your next rum is just way too much fun. Of course we included the now mandatory collectors pin that is a hallmark of every Secret Spirits product, and finally a skull glass to drink your rum out of or use as a glowing candle holder to add some pirate ambiance.

What may we expect for the future of Secret Spirits? Maybe an all Canadian Advent Calendar or Treasure of the Wild North all bundled in an Old Fashioned Maple Syrup Bucket?

Fun ideas there Rob. We have however, already gotten ahead of you and our next product is well underway with the packaging concept almost complete. Watch this space in 2017 for something that will bring one of the most popular whisky categories in North America to life like nothing has before. If any of your readers want to follow along with our progress they can subscribe on our website at Secretspirits.com.

Sorry, don’t have a go-to Scotch as I enjoy too many styles to just pick one. Favorite time of year is summer and one of my favorite drams on the deck is a Single Malt from Australia called Sullivan's Cove Double Cask.

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Edinburgh, Scotland

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Recipes

Green & Black’s divine Milk Chocolate Almond Hot Chocolate is sure to be a favourite this holiday season!

The subtle flavour of roasted almonds is infused into this delicious beverage with finely grated flakes of Green & Black’s Almond Bar.

Ingredients 1 cup Milk 1 tbsp Milk Green & Black’s Organic Hot Chocolate 40 g (12 pieces) Green & Black’s Organic Almond Chocolate, finely grated, plus extra for sprinkling Directions Simply combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and heat gently, whisking to blend the ingredients.

Remove from the heat just before it comes to the boil.

Pour into your favourite mug and grate some more Green & Black’s Organic Milk Chocolate and almond on top to garnish.

Makes: 1 serving. Double ingredients to make 2 servings!

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Green & Black’s Organic Mint Hot Chocolate Get festive with Green & Black’s Organic Dark Chocolate Mint Hot Chocolate! This recipe combines hot milk with fresh sprigs of mint leaves and offers an incredibly flavourful treat.

Ingredients 1 cup Milk Fresh mint leaves, plus a sprig to garnish Green & Black’s Organic Hot Chocolate Simply put all the ingredients in a small saucepan and heat gently, stirring or whisking constantly to blend the ingredients. Remove from the heat just before it comes to a boil.

Pour through a strainer into your favourite mug and garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.

Makes: 1 serving. Double ingredients to make 2 servings!

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Local Gastronomic to the Angels’ Share

Introducing Shelter Point Canadian Artisanal Vodka

Canada’s finest handcrafted vodka: there can be only one

Find out more at shelterpoint.ca

Davin de Kergommeaux

The Orphan Railcar Crown Royal is one of the best-known and most highly regarded whiskies in the world.

In fact, no other Canadian whisky approaches its sales.

Fifty warehouses on a 360-acre site near the shores of Lake Winnipeg hold a million and a half barrels of slowly maturing Crown Royal. It’s a little more complicated than that though. The whisky that we enjoy is made by blending individual whiskies from many barrels, and not all of these whiskies are the same.

Workers at the Crown Royal distillery in Gimli, Manitoba, make five kinds of whisky spirit. They put each of these five spirits into a variety of different barrels where they mature into the diverse range of whiskies that comprise the blend. Ageing them for varying periods gives each its own special character, thus creating the fifty distinct whiskies that

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make up Crown Royal. Then, when each is ready, the blenders bring them together for the final blending.

Even this over-simplifies things, as those five different spirits come from two different spirit streams.

The first stream is made from corn and is distilled to a high alcohol content to remove many of the flavours from the grain and yeast, leaving behind a lighter spirit that will develop all its whiskiness in the barrel. This is called base whisky, and at Gimli and its sister distillery in Valleyfield, Quebec, Crown Royal distillers make two kinds of base. One is produced in a continuous process, and the other in smaller batches. Although distilled to very high proof, these two distillates and the whiskies they eventually become couldn’t be more different.

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The second spirit stream is called flavouring whisky and begins with three distinctive spirits.

Not surprisingly, Crown Royal owns its own railcars to make sure nothing but whisky goes into them, but a few years ago, the people who make Crown Royal mingled too many barrels of flavouring whisky and ended up with one full tanker car more than they needed. They sent this orphan car to Amherstburg, where it sat for a while before it was taken back to Gimli. There, the whisky was poured back into barrels to free up the railway tanker for its next shipment.

Back once more in barrels, this blend of flavouring whiskies continued to mature to the point that it no longer matched what goes into the familiar and always consistent Crown Royal Deluxe blend. Then a brainwave struck the blenders and brand managers. They tasted this orphan product and found it delicious, even without the base whisky. Why not bottle it? And so Cornerstone Blend, the first in a series of special one-time releases from Crown Royal, was born. A rail tanker load may sound like a lot of whisky, but with the solid popularity of Crown Royal in the US, almost all of this has already gone.

Will there be another one-time release to turn this noble accident into a “Noble Collection?” Quite likely, especially since the innovations team at Crown Royal recently invited journalists to taste some new, experimental whiskies. These included an all-wheat Crown Royal distilled in an ancient Coffey still, an all-barley whisky from the same still, and a phenomenal Crown Royal single malt whisky. Any of these could make it onto the market, alone or in a new blend, but only time will tell if they do. It is reassuring, though, to know that with the world-wide acclaim that Canadian whisky is currently enjoying, the whisky that was originally made solely for a King is not resting on its many laurels.

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One is made using all rye grain and the other two from a mixture of rye, corn, and malted barley. Each is distilled to lower proof to preserve the flavours of the grain and yeast. When it comes time for bottling, all the different mature base whiskies from the various barrels, and ranging in age are mingled together in massive blending tanks according to carefully guarded recipes. The three flavouring whiskies, also of varying ages and matured in various types of barrels, are mingled together in other tanks. Because the Gimli distillery uses all its space for distilling and maturing whisky, there is no room left to bottle it on site. So, when each sub-blend is ready, it is loaded into separate railway tanker cars – one set for flavouring whisky, another for the base. These are freighted to a bottling plant in Amherstburg, Ontario. There, the whiskies are finally brought together and bottled.

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Proof Craft Spirits Eggnog Brûlée • 6 large eggs • 3/4 cups vanilla sugar • 1 litre half and half (or light cream) • 1 cup proof whisky or homemade proof spiced rum • freshly grated nutmeg or mini marshmallows METHOD: In large bowl, beat eggs until pale yellow and slightly frothy. Add sugar and cream, and stir until well blended. Add proof whisky or homemade proof spiced rum* and stir. Transfer to large pitcher and chill until cold, at least 3 hours. Divide between 6 punch cups, garnish each with mini marshmallows and brown tops with kitchen torch.

Winterfresh Green • 2 oz proof whisky • 1/4 oz crème de menthe • 2 oz cream METHOD: Add proof whisky, crème de menthe and cream to an ice-filled shaker. Shake and pour into a chilled glass. Garnish with a sprig of mint

The Spiked Mistletoe

• 1 1/2 oz proof whisky • 3 oz apple juice or cider • 2 oz cranberry juice METHOD: Fill a highball glass with ice. Add proof whisky, apple juice & cranberry juice.

Garnish with a cinnamon stick and cranberries. This drink can also be served warm, just omit the ice and warm in the microwave in a heat-proof mug or on the stove top.

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R E C I P E S

The Art of Distillation

Johanne McInnis

Part Two

The malted barley, now a slightly boozy slurry (8-10% alcohol by volume) a result of the mashing and fermentation process, is poured into a large copper still. The goal of distillation is to separate that alcohol from the water and since alcohol has a lower boiling point (78 degrees Celsius) than that of water it evaporates first. If the vapors are then collected and passed through a cooling process at least two times, the end result

is a colorless spirit with an ABV of about 70%.

That is the very basics of distillation.

Let’s dig a bit deeper shall we?

In the majority of cases the stills are set up in pairs, which results in double distillation. Very few Scottish distilleries go beyond that but Springbank, situated in the heart of the Kintyre peninsula, is one of those exceptions. This distillery has three stills; the wash still, low wines and the spirit still. Through a calculated procedure, the liquid ends up being distilled 2 ½ times. What is used exclusively in all single malt distilleries is copper. This metal has a significant influence on the quality of the distillate being made. The production of alcohol triggers a chemical reaction.

The constant contact with copper creates those long chemical nomenclature equations that most of us never understood in high school but that prevent or remove many of the very undesirable compounds found in the spirit.

The type of spirit produced is directly influenced by the she shape and size of the still. Some are onion shaped with a really wide neck; some have constrictions just below the neck to slow down the vapors whereas others have a boil ball right in the middle which results in a bit of reflux back down and only a much lighter spirit making it up and out of the still. Let’s break it down even further. The wort (boozy slurry described earlier) is poured into still number one: Wash still. At this point, the liquid usually has about the same alcohol content as a strong beer.

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In the first part of our series we covered a very important aspect of the whisky making process – malting the barley. Moving on to the second stage, it is only natural that we discuss what happens once the grain has been turned into a distillable liquid. Every distillery tour I have ever experienced will go into many details about what makes their distillation process so unique from everyone else’s. The fact of the matter is, distillation has been documented as far back as the 1st century AD and although there have been many improvements, it has remained fairly unchanged for the last 200 years.

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Once they filled it half to two thirds full, the liquid is gently heated almost to a boil. The mixture starts to expand and foam. By using temperature control throughout the first distillation this creates a steady production of alcohol vapor that rises up the still, over the swan neck and down the lyne arm to the condenser where it goes through a cooling process and is then converted back into liquid form, and collected into a container called a low wines receiver. The alcohol content is now somewhere between 21 and 28 percent alcohol. Another unique factoid about Springbank distillery is that their condensing unit is situated outside and is called a worm tub. Very few distilleries still have this old world technology. Once there is sufficient liquid collected in the low wines receiver it begins its journey to the spirits still. The second distillation is where the bulk of purifying the spirits takes place. The goal is to separate the impurities such as aldehydes or strong esters from the other several hundred compounds that give whisky its very distinctive flavours.

The spirit still is brought to a rolling boil and carefully monitored. Many distilleries are now computerized, so the process of “cutting” the heads, hearts and tails are no longer done by the stillman. At Springbank (I think you may be noticing a trend here) the most computerized piece of equipment used is a scientific calculator found at the stillman’s desk as every part of the process is still manually done by the employees that work there. As mentioned, the heads which are also called foreshots are the first part of the condensed liquid that comes out of the spirit still. This is what your grandfather may have warned you about. It’s the stuff that can make you go blind if you drank it.

They allow that to run off, get collected and it is recycled into the system at a later time. The second part, called the heart or middle cut, is redirected to a spirits container. This is the essence of what will end up as whisky in your glass someday. Then the last cut, called the tails, are the very heavy organo-sulfur compounds that cause the really undesirable flavours in whisky.

These are also redirected away from the final product and disposed of. The alcoholic strength of the “hearts” collected at the end of the second distillation is approximately 70%.

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Where the individuality of each distillery shines and becomes unique is the type of still they use and where they choose to make those very specific cuts. The exact timing for switching to the hearts cut can be a well-guarded secret that plays a huge factor in the character of the whisky being made. Early cuts result in a light or mild spirits whereas a later one results in a more pungent spirit. In the 21st century where automation rules, the majority of distilleries have very few people actually monitoring the process from start to finish. In some cases, as little as two people are all that is required to run the entire distillery. It’s likely why I was really impressed during my Springbank visit. Unlike many others, it remains somewhat unchanged from its yesteryear and still produces whisky the same way it did at the turn of the 20th century. The stills are direct fired, the process is monitored manually and the distillery has as many as 60 people working there when at full production. This old world whisky stands out among enthusiasts and has a huge following around the world.

Distillation is likely considered the most important aspect of the whisky making process, and without a doubt whether it comes from a fully automated or completely manual distillery, the end product is a colorless spirit that is ready to enter the next phase of its life: maturation. Maturation is where the unexplainable, and likely most misunderstood part of where your whisky comes from. Join us in our next issue where we will attempt to explain how wood makes the difference and we will cover a visit to the cooperage, the types of barrels mostly used and what flavours these can impart on the lovely elixir we call whisky.

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INTRODUCING SHELTER POINT SUNSHINE LIQUEUR

The impossible made possible: Sunshine in a bottle

Find out more at shelterpoint.ca

Bourbon Fred Minnick

U.S.Spirit

Bourbons with wheat as the secondary grain are referred to as wheated bourbons. These include Pappy Van Winkle, W.L. Weller, Maker’s Mark and Larceny. Just as wheat bread yields a different flavor profile than rye bread, wheated bourbons taste slightly sweeter and less spicy than bourbons using heavy doses of rye.

Higher rye bourbons include Four Roses and Bulleit Bourbon. These bourbons typically warm the palate with fun cinnamon notes and baking spices.

When hosting a private tasting class, I ask the crowd to pick a flavor – caramel or cinnamon. If they prefer caramel, I start them with wheated bourbon, usually Maker’s Mark, because these bourbons’ caramel notes tend to be stronger. For cinnamon lovers, I find they love the higher-rye bourbons, especially Four Roses, because in addition to the caramel and vanilla, the cinnamon gracefully expresses itself.

Bourbon is America’s most-alluring spirit, Maturation glimmering russet hues in the light and offering a vanilla-and-caramel bouquet of After bourbon makers put the clear distillate (it looks like vodka) into a new charred oak barrel, the wood aromas.

Grains Much like corn syrup sweetens countless candy bars, corn gives bourbon its caramel and vanilla base. In what’s called the mash bill, corn is mixed with the common secondary grains wheat and rye.

interacts with the liquid, chemically changing its color and filtering out organosulfur components. The wood also gives bourbon the majority of its flavor, including smoke, coconut, coffee and mocha notes.

As the bourbon sits in the barrel, about 3 to 5 percent is lost every year to evaporation, a process referred to as the “Angel’s Share.” If the barrel had a leak, more than 15 percent a year could be lost until the leak is filled.

In the best-case scenario, the average barrel loses about half of its whiskey before bottling. In the worst-case scenario, the barrel completely leaked all the precious whiskey.

Thank goodness whiskey-leaked-through barrels are rare, but bourbon makers must take the Angel’s Share into account when forecasting demand.

The bourbon you buy today was conceived several years ago.

Most bourbons don’t carry age statements on the label, but older doesn’t always mean better. Maker’s Mark averages six-years-old and Woodford Reserve ages for more than seven years; both consistently defeat older bourbons in blind tastings.

As for which one you’ll like, well, you’ll have to taste to find out.I recommend tasting them all. Responsibly, of course.

Fred Minnick wrote Bourbon: The Rise, Fall & Rebirth of an American Whiskey. View his work at FredMinnick.com.

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It’s also as American as baseball and apple pie.

In 1964, Congress declared bourbon to be distinctive to the United States, effectively giving it geographical labeling protection from other countries, such as Mexico, which had a distillery selling “bourbon” at discounted prices until the early 1960s.

Nowadays, the U.S Federal law defines bourbon as: “Whiskey produced in the U.S. at not exceeding 80 percent alcohol by volume (160 proof) from a fermented mash of not less than 51 percent corn and stored at not more than 62.5 percent alcohol by volume (125 proof) in charred new oak containers.”

Bourbon is so much more than a legal definition. With 95 percent of it made in Kentucky, its roots are buried in the Bluegrass State, but many smaller distillers, like Finger Lakes Distillery in New York and Balcones in Waco, Texas, are making delicious bourbon.

No matter where it’s made, bourbon is influenced by five sources of flavor: grain, water, fermentation methods, distillation and maturation. The two most identifiable flavor contributors are grains and maturation.

Local Gastronomic to the Angels’ Share

Glendalough Distillery

Glendalough Distillery The Glendalough Distillery was set up by five friends from Wicklow and Dublin with a deep passion for reviving the heritage of craft distilling in Ireland. In the 18th & 19th centuries there were over 200 licensed distilleries in Ireland and along with countless unlicensed ones, produced diverse styles of poitín, whiskey, gin and even absinthe. Until recently, that dropped to a small handful. Glendalough Distillery is now part of a revival of this heritage. The idea behind Glendalough Distillery is to make innovative spirits while staying true to the tradition and heritage of our ancestors.

We export Whiskey, Poitín & Wild Botanical Gin to 30 plus countries around the world including America, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Russia, Australia and South Africa.

We employ 16 people and are building a new Distillery and tourist facility which will open in the second half of 2017.

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Our Drinks: Glendalough Premium Poitín We’ve harnessed tradition, craft and heritage to capture a millennium and a half of distilling expertise in this ancient and notorious drink. It is carefully crafted from an old poitín recipe using the finest Irish sugar beets and malted barley. It is batch distilled and finished in virgin Irish oak. The result is a smooth but complex mix of malted barley sugars and toasted, woody flavours.

Glendalough Sherry Cask Poitín With a tip of the hat to a great poitín maker of old, a hero of ours called McGoldrick, we take our Glendalough Premium Poitín and introduce it to some Spanish sherry casks. It extracts some more depth of flavour with a now visible wood finish, and added touches of honey and raisin.

The pre-loved sherry caskoak brings the already smooth Glendalough towards a velvety mouthfeel with a crystal clear light amber color.

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Glendalough Mountain Strength Poitín We only add a drop of water off the still to this spirit. With the same depth of flavor of the original, the strong, flavorsome Mountain Strength builds on the spicy and woody side of the taste profile. Take it with a drop of water for the real authentic feel, neat if you have the bottle or into cocktails and mixed drinks for an extra kick. Enjoy it for the “real experience” it offers, but be careful.

Glendalough Wild Botanical Gin

Glendalough Double Barrel Whiskey This single grain whiskey, like Glendalough itself, was born out of a wild Irish streak. Forget everything you know about Irish whiskey, this one dares to standout in a world of copycats and same old styles that blend into one. Our Double Barrel has sucked the marrow out of two casks, Bourbon and Sherry. Both represent a world gone by, from the rolling hills of Bourbon

This is a gin unlike any other. Each season we go out into the wilds of Wicklow and forage. We pick what grows and distill with it the very next day.

While the spring gin is a fresh mix of young green shoots, wild botanical leaves and flowers, the summer gin tastes like a meadow in bloom. Autumn is packed with wild fruits and berries, and Winter is full of pine and fir, with a cinnamon sweetness and a hint of cloves. With each taste, these gins transport Glendalough Single Malts (7 & 13 years old) you to a place and time in our home - Glendalough, Our single malts go back to the source of what made deep in the Wicklow Mountains.

Irish whiskey great. This is the whiskey that your great granddaddy drank. Crafted using age old traditional methods to create the style of whiskey that gave Irish whiskey its great name. The maritime climate on the east coast of Ireland provides perfect aging conditions for this single malt Irish whiskey.

Glendalough Distillery carefully selected a small number of these casks that best represent the full, rounded and smooth flavour of Irish single malt.

The whiskey was then cut with Wicklow spring water to 46% and non-chill filtered to create a taste and character that you would expect from this perfect sipping whiskey. Today, there are two types of Irish whiskey in the world. One that's drunk in a rush under neon lights and another for those who know better. Welcome to the latter.

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The birth of distilling - Poitín Reintroducing the oldest spirit in the world

Where the Glendalough Distillery story started was exactly where it should have - with the first ever spirit, poitín {pronounced pot-cheen}.

Long before there was Irish whiskey there was poitín. Earliest records from 584AD show that Irish monastic settlements, like Glendalough, were the birthplace of distilling in Ireland. Poitín was first made with expertise and reverence by Irish monks, like St. Kevin. They were the master distillers of their time, and the only distillers of their time.

Every distilled spirit across the world from rum to gin, vodka to absinthe, you name it, can trace its ancestry straight back to poitín. And such was its quality; it outsold Irish whiskey for a thousand years.

Glendalough Poitín is a drink that truly captures the original Irish spirit. Traditionally drunk neat in a rush, we like it over ice. However because of its robust flavor, we find that it will really hold its own and add depth to mixed drinks and cocktails.

In 1661 it was outlawed and forced into the wilderness, where it enjoyed an illicit romanticism.

Remote glens were used to distil. The winds swept through, broke up the smoke from the peat fires, and kept prying eyes, and the law away. Over the next few hundred years it lived in whispered infamy between chancers, bowsies and divils. Amongst winks, nods and backhanders. Until now.

584ad

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The earliest record of distilled drinks. Poitín {potcheen}, meaning small pot, is made by monks in Ireland.

Earns the nick name "uisce beatha" {ishka baha}, meaning water of life. The word whiskey is an English mispronunciation of uisce.

Experiments in cut points and maturation first lead to "nectar" and then further lead to whiskey.

Any man worth his salt, by now has a small pot still.

Poitín provides income for ordinary people, plagued by British rule.

A dark day. King Charles of England outlaws poitín making as he’s unable to tax it effectively. It disappears into the wilderness.

1589ad Oak wood, revered by the monks (to keep out evil spirits), is used to store the poitín. It was soon noticed that the wood smoothened the liquid and imparted a depth of flavor.

Knowledge of this strange alchemy of distillation passes from the monastries out into the villages of Ireland, across to Scotland with traveling monks, and out into the world beyond with marauding vikings and other invaders.

Poitín making thrives for a thousand years.

Techniques are honed, recipes experimented with. Malted barley still the preferred base, but traditional “break crops" like the native Irish sugar beet begin to come into use.

Walter Raliegh shows up in Ireland from the new world with the potato. It proves a good starchy base for a poitín mash bill. Ideal for when you can't get your hands on barley.

Such is the quality of poitín at this stage that it out sells whiskey for another 150 years. It seeps into Irish culture, folklore and song, enjoying a romantic mysiticism.

1820ad Poitín making remains hidden in Ireland, demonised by the establishment. Irish whiskey is now the dominant spirit on the island.

Tax laws reduce legal distilleries to 20 on the emerald isle. Numbers of illegal poitín stills explode (some literally!).

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1200 distilleries making whiskey in Ireland, tens of thousands more making poitín. Good times!

Prohibition closes the largest export market for Irish whiskey.

Everyone from Al Capone to Joe Kennedy have a hand in annhilating the Irish whiskey industry.

2012ad Distilleries fold, eventually only leaving 3 players, all would fall into the hands of multinationals.

Cat and mouse games continue with the law persuing poitín makers right up to recent decades.

A test batch of Glendalough Poitín is made in the original style from an old recipe. We tasted it, and it was good.

The largest batch of poitín ever to cross the Atlantic lands on the east coast of the United States.

The batch is split between Boston and New York.

1997ad

2013ad

2014ad

Poitín is legalised.

By now a broken industry and lost art, ruined by bowsies and chancers doing dodgy deals with dodgy liquid.

No reputable operation is willing to rescue the original Irish spirit.

Dublin learns to love poitín again.

Glendalough is stocked in all the best bars.

The world’s first poitín cocktail competition takes place.

The Glendalough Distillery vows to revive our craft distilling heritage.

Numerous secret projects are begun with steady release dates set for the coming months and years.

The Greatest

Story Never Told Brilynn Ferguson

How it all began Canada has a long, proud history of distilling spirits. Immigration was the key to the development of Canadian whisky. The first recorded distillery in Canada was in Quebec City, dated 1769. The Industrial Revolution and the American Civil War converged to spark a development in large, commercial distilleries.

With over 200 distilleries in Ontario by the middle of the 19th century the first Golden Age of Canadian Whisky had started. By the end of the 19th century less than 20 distilleries were in operation – the industry had consolidated – but Canadian Whisky was the world’s most popular style of whisky and Canada was home to the world’s largest distillery, Gooderham and Worts.

A FOUNDATION OF QUALITY In order to be considered Canadian Whisky the following has to be true: The entire process, from mashing the cereal grains through to aging the spirit, has to take place in Canada. It has to be at least 40 per cent alcohol by volume.

It has to be aged in small barrels-under 700 liters for at least three years. Canada was the first country to introduce minimum age requirements and did so by 1890. This regulation was later adopted by other whisky producing regions i.e., Scotland, Ireland and America.

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A SPECIAL SPIRT MARRIED TO A UNIQUE CLIMATE

MILLERS, MERCHANTS, FARMERS, GROCERS AND BAKERS

Canadian Whiskies founding fathers, The Whisky Barons, came from a variety of backgrounds.

William Gooderham and James Worts started a mill in 1832 at the mouth of the Don River in Toronto.

Gooderham and Worts took out a patent on the Riley Still, a style of column still, in 1845.

In 1857, Hiram Walker, a grocer by trade, purchased the site where the Hiram Walker Distillery – the beating heart of the Canadian Whisky industry - still stands today.

Henry Corby, started distilling in 1859 and his family name is still carried today by Canada’s largest independent alcohol company, Corby Spirit and Wine.

John Phillip Wiser, J.P., was a merchant by trade and was one of the first to put Canadian Whisky on the global stage at the Chicago World Fair in 1893.

Wiser, Corby, Walker, Gooderham and Worts laid the foundations that made Canadian Whisky the most popular whisky style in the world at the turn of the century.

Canadian Whiskies' relevance and importance was cemented forever as cocktail culture first rose to prominence in the early part of the 20th century with many original recipes calling for Canadian Whisky.

Today, Master Blender Dr. Don Livermore PhD, presides over the most wide ranging Canadian Whisky portfolio in the world and continues the tradition of quality and inventiveness laid down before him by Canada’s original Whisky Barons.

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Canadian Whisky has a distinct production process and is born from an intense climate directly infuenced by the Great Lakes of North America.

The cornerstone of the Canadian Whisky process is single grain distillation versus a mash bill made up of multiple grains i.e., Bourbon. This affords the Master Blender an ability to focus and find balance in specific distillate profiles, such as the spicy characteristics of pot still rye or the creaminess of column distilled corn. Canadian Whisky also has flexibility in the type of cask that spirit can be matured in, unlike Bourbon, which must use brand new white oak barrels. The most prevalent types of barrel used by Blenders are; Canadian Whisky, First fill American Bourbon and Virgin Oak casks.

Each barrel type imparts a unique flavour on the precious spirit it holds in one of our concrete warehouses in Pike Creek, Ontario. Dramatic temperature swings of the climate in southern Ontario, Canada, deepens the interaction between whisky and wood, intensifying the flavours imparted onto the spirit. Pike Creek, Ontario reaches temperatures as hot as Kentucky in the summer but gets a full 20 degrees cooler in the winter. Single grain distillation, cask type and a truly unique climate make Canadian Whisky the most diverse and innovative of all whisky styles.

Local Gastronomic to the Angels’ Share

REDEFINING MAPLE FROM TREE toTABLE Runamok Maple is redefining maple from tree to table. From our innovative line of barrel-aged, infused and smoked maple syrups to our best of the season Sugarmaker’s Cut, we are completely obsessed with quality. All of our products are certified organic and made with the absolute best ingredients available.

Please visit our website to peruse our collection of creative food pairings and chef-curated recipes using all of our unique syrups in dishes both sweet and savory. Enjoy!

RUNAMOKMAPLE.COM

Scotsman Food and Drink

Your one stop shop for all the latest Scottish food and drink stories, news and reviews.

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The rye and pear juice are remarkably complementary and adding the Pimm’s inserts a tawny element that keeps it from being too sweet. The ginger and Runamok Maple Pecan Wood Smoked Maple Syrup are what really give this drink interest and will put you into the Cool Mixologist category.

1 oz rye whiskey 2 oz pear juice ½ oz Pimm’s ½ tsp Runamok Maple Pecan Wood Smoked Maple Syrup 1 thick slice of fresh ginger Ice Put the first five ingredients in a glass. Muddle the ginger a bit with a spoon. Stir and add ice. Makes one showstopper of a drink.

WWW.RUNAMOKMAPLE.COM

As weeknight dishes go, this one couldn’t be easier.

If your shrimp are all prepped, it takes all of five minutes cooking in the pan so have some rice ready.

The trick is to coat your shrimp with cornstarch much like you would flour a filet of chicken before browning. The cornstarch will not only give a nice golden color to the shrimp, it will act as an instant thickener that will bind the sauce to them when you deglaze the pan. The rest is one part soy sauce to one part Cardamom maple syrup - a little fresh ginger, and you have an instant sweet and salty glaze.

The results will have you raising your eyebrows, mumbling, “Eat your heart out General Tsao”.

1 lb peeled and deveined raw shrimp ½ cup cornstarch Oil for sautéing 1/3 cup soy sauce 1/3 cup Runamok Cardamom Infused Maple Syrup 1 tsp grated ginger In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, maple syrup and ginger and set aside.

Put enough oil in a wide sauté pan to cover the bottom thoroughly. Turn the burner on mediumhigh to preheat the oil. In a separate bowl, toss the shrimp with the cornstarch, making sure to coat all sides. Gently place the shrimp in the oil, making sure to keep them in one layer in the pan. Let the shrimp brown on one side and then turn them to brown the other (about 2 minutes each side).

When the shrimp is thoroughly cooked and golden brown, pour the soy-maple sauce into the pan (watch for splatter) and let the sauce bubble up and coat the shrimp. You should not need additional salt because of the soy but taste just in case. Serve over jasmine rice.

Distillery

Situated on the ‘whisky isle’ of Islay on the West Coast of Scotland, Bunnahabhain is the most northern of the Islay distilleries and one of the most remote.

Bunnahabhain Distillery was founded in 1881 by William Robertson and brothers James and William Greenless. The word “Bunnahabhain” is Gaelic for ‘mouth of the river’, an appropriate name, as the distillery is situated right at the shoreline close to where the Margadale River flows into Bunnahabhain Bay. Bunnahabhain’s remote location, which is exposed to the sea and the elements, makes it an idyllic place for whisky distillation.

An unpeated Islay malt, Bunnahabhain’s distinctive taste is quite unique in comparison to the heavy smoky flavours typically produced on Islay. The distillery is proud to be the only distillery on the island to produce its whisky using pure spring water, meaning it has less interaction with peaty land on its way to the distillery.

Bunnahabhain is produced using local, lightly peated malted barley and

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water sourced from the Margadale Spring, which rises through the fertile green valley only a mile to the north of Bunnahabhain. The whisky’s quality is further enhanced by the distillery practice of taking only a very narrow cut from the second distillation. Outside of its core range, Bunnahabhain produces limited edition peated expressions for a short period each year.

Bunnahabhain scooped a raft of honours at this year’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC) including the Tasting Panel Magazine Distillery of the Year award.

with light fruit notes, nutty flavours and a malty sweetness on the palate.

The distillery’s core range includes:

Bunnahabhain 25 Year Old

Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old 12 Year Old is a combination of Bunnahabhain malt matured in exsherry casks, bourbon wood and whisky refill. The casks used are chosen to obtain the correct balance in flavours between the sherry wood matured spirit and the non-sherried whisky. This results in a russet gold coloured malt that is fresh and aromatic on the nose

Bunnahabhain 18 Year Old Bunnahabhain 18 Year Old is matured for 18 years in ex-sherry casks, making it a beautiful rich mahogany colour. On the nose, it’s fragrant with dried fruit notes, toffee and a hint of spice. With notes of mellow sherried nuts and dried fruit, it has a slight tang of sea salt on the palate owed to its maturation on the coast.

The 25 Year Old Bunnahabhain has a strong sherry influence, which shows the diversity of maturation flavours achieved from its time in oak casks and showcases how well Bunnahabhain spirit matures. It’s a deep rich gold colour with sweet caramel dessert aromas, subtle oak and polished leather. To taste, 25 Year Old evokes sweet berries and cream with hints of rich spice and dried fruit with the signature tang of salt to finish.

CLASSIC MINCE PIES FLAKY PASTRY, MINCEMEAT, SWEET SQUASH, ALM ONDS, & MAPLE SYRUP

I love all mince pies at Christmastime. This is my nod to the more traditional variety, but I think these are just a bit more interesting than usual, as the addition of delicious, sweet squash really lightens the classic mix.

MAKES 24

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Roast the whole squash for 1 hour 30 minutes, or until

2 HOURS 15 MINUTES

cooked through. Once cool enough to handle, halve and seed, then scoop half

PLUS COOLING

the soft flesh into a bowl to cool (you only need half here, so keep the remaining roasted squash for another recipe, such as the one on page 146).

FILLING

1 butternut squash (2½ lbs)

Meanwhile, to make the pastry, sift the flour and confectioner’s sugar onto a clean

3²⁄³ cups quality mincemeat

it into the flour and sugar until you end up with a fine, crumbly mixture. Beat 2

¼ cup maple syrup 3½ oz blanched almonds

work surface. Cube the cold butter, then use your thumbs and fingertips to rub eggs and the milk and add to the mixture, then gently work it together until you have a ball of dough—don’t work it too much at this stage as you want to keep it crumbly and short. Flour your work surface, pat the dough into a flat round, flour

PASTRY

it lightly, wrap in plastic wrap, and pop it into the fridge for at least half an hour.

2¹⁄³ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

Lightly grease two 12-cup muffin pans with butter. Add the mincemeat and

¾ cup confectioner’s sugar, plus extra for dusting

mix together. Roll out the pastry on a clean flour-dusted surface to ¹⁄8 inch thick.

1 cup + 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (cold), plus extra for greasing

maple syrup to the bowl of cooled squash, then chop and add the almonds and Use a 4-inch pastry cutter to cut out 24 circles of dough, then ease and press them into your prepared cups. Equally divide up the filling, then cut out 3-inch circles from your leftover pastry to top the pies, crimping the edges together

3 large eggs

as you go. You can also add pastry shapes to decorate, depending on how many

1 tablespoon reduced-fat (2%) milk

offcuts you have. Brush the tops of the pies with beaten eggs, also using it to help you stick on any pastry decorations you’ve cut out.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the middle of the oven, or until golden. Leave to cool

GET AHEAD I love making these in advance. Stack them in the freezer and you can cook

and firm up for 10 minutes in the pans, then carefully transfer to a wire cooling rack. Dust lightly from a height with confectioner’s sugar and serve. Lovely hot with a drizzle of custard, or warm or cold with a cup of tea. You can also box them up for another day, and they’re great as a gift, too.

them directly from frozen, with a light egg wash, for 35 minutes.

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CALORIES

FAT

SAT FAT

PROTEIN

CARBS

SUGARS

SALT

FIBER

317kcal

13.6g

5.6g

4.6g

47.4g

29.4g

0.1g

1.4g

BANOFFEE ALASKA A LM O N D PASTRY, CA RA M EL, B A N A N A S , & VANILLA ICE CREAM

I had this idea to marry off two of my favorite desserts—banoffee pie and baked Alaska, which means you get creamy cold vanilla ice cream in the middle of a delicious warm tart. And let me tell you, this marriage is blooming amazing!

1 HOUR PLUS COOLING & FREEZING

11 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold), plus extra for greasing 1 orange 1¹�³ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting ¾ cup ground almonds 6 large eggs 1 x 1-lb tub of quality vanilla ice cream ¼ cup dulce de leche or caramel sauce 1¹�³ cups superfine sugar 2 large ripe bananas 1 lime 1 tablespoon Camp coffee syrup

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease a deep, 10-inch loose-bottomed tart pan. To make the pastry, finely grate the orange zest into a food processor, add the cold butter, the flour, almonds, and 1 egg, then blitz until it comes together into a ball of dough, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes. Roll out on a clean flour-dusted surface until just under ¼ inch thick, then loosely roll up around the rolling pin and unroll over the tart pan, easing it in and pushing it carefully into the sides. Trim off any excess, patch up any holes, then prick the base with a fork, cover, and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes (use any leftovers for mince pies).

When the time’s up, line the pastry case with quality plastic wrap (non-PVC), then fill with rice, making sure you pack it right out to the sides. Bake blind for 15 minutes, remove the plastic and rice, and bake for another 5 minutes, or until lightly golden, then leave to cool. Soften your ice cream in the fridge.

Once the pastry case is cool, spread the dulce de leche or caramel across the base, scoop over the ice cream, and freeze until frozen solid—you could get it up to this stageadayinadvance. Turntheovenupto 425ºF. Tomakeyourmeringuetopping, separate the remaining 5 eggs (keep the yolks for another day). In a stand mixer, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of sea salt until they form soft peaks. Place the sugar and ¹�³ cup + 1 teaspoon of water in a pan on a high heat. Use a sugar thermometer to monitor it getting up to 230ºF, then reduce the temperature to low. Let it gently bubble until it gets up to 250ºF. Remove from the heat and let the bubbles settle for 30 seconds, then very gradually pour it into the egg whites, whisking constantly on a low speed. Leave it whisking for 10 minutes to cool and thicken the mixture. Meanwhile, peel and slice the bananas, finely grate over the lime zest, and squeeze over the juice, then toss together.

Get your tart out of the freezer, arrange the bananas over the ice cream, then pile on the meringue in nice peaks. Use a fork to ripple through drips of Camp coffee syrup. Bake on the bottom of the oven for just 4 minutes, or until the meringue is lightly golden, leaving the ice cream frozen inside. Remove from the pan, and serve.

CALORIES

FAT

SAT FAT

PROTEIN

CARBS

SUGARS

SALT

FIBER

444kcal

18.6g

9g

7.2g

62.1g

47.3g

0.3g

1.1g

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WINTE R BOMBE CHOCOLATE, CHERRIES, VIN SANTO, PANETTONE, & PISTA CHIOS

Get-ahead desserts are great. I make this frozen classic every year without fail. It looks amazing, is crazy delicious, and is a clever assembly job. It’s a sort of cross between a summer pud and an Arctic roll, and it’s sure to wow.

SERVES 12

Get the ice cream out of the freezer so it can soften a little while you get things

20 MINUTES PLUS FREEZING

ready. Linean 8-cuppuddingbowlwiththreelayersofplasticwrap. Useaserrated

2 x 1-lb tubs of quality vanilla ice cream

You’ll have some panettone left over, so keep this for another day. Arrange six

2 lbs panettone ½ cup Vin Santo 3 heaping tablespoons quality raspberry jam 3½ oz canned cherries, in juice 2½ oz candied clementines (or other candied fruit) 1 clementine 1¾ oz unsalted shelled pistachios 10 oz quality dark chocolate (70%) 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

knife to slice four ¾-inch-thick rounds off your panettone, then cut them in half. of your panettone slices in a single layer around the inside of the bowl, pushing them down if they overlap. Drizzle some of the Vin Santo onto the panettone so it soaks in, then use the back of a spoon to spread the jam all over it.

Drain the cherries, and thinly slice the candied clementines. Finely grate the fresh clementine zest and put aside, then peel and finely slice the clementine into rounds. Spoon one tub of ice cream into the bowl, spreading it around in a thick layer. Sprinkle in the pistachios, cherries, and candied fruit, then layer on the clementine slices. Add the other tub of ice cream. Spread it out, working quickly so the ice cream doesn’t completely melt. Put the remaining two panettone slices on top of the ice cream, drizzle over the rest of the Vin Santo, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Press a plate down on top to push and compact everything down, pop a weight on, then freeze overnight, or until needed.

Around 20 minutes before you want to serve it, unwrap your amazing winter bombe, carefully turn it out onto a beautiful serving dish, then leave to thaw slightly (I tend to transfer my bombe from the freezer to the fridge just before serving up the main to give it a head start). Snap up the chocolate, place in a heatproof bowl with the butter over a pan of gently simmering water on a low heat, and leave to melt. Once nicely melted, stir in the reserved clementine zest, then pour the chocolate over the pudding so it oozes down the sides and looks super-tempting and delicious. Serve up any extra sauce in a little pitcher.

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CALORIES

FAT

SAT FAT

PROTEIN

CARBS

SUGARS

SALT

FIBER

648kcal

31.9g

15.2g

11.3g

78.1g

48.7g

0.5g

5.8g

Golden Decanters is a new independent bottler from Scotland, founded byAnn Medlock and Julia Hall Mackenzie-Gillanders.

Golden Decanters launched its first collection in October. The collection comprises: The Tight Line (34 Year Old, 41.8%) from the Glenlivet distillery in the River Spey Valley, famous for its fishing.

The High Drive (26 Year Old, 46.8%) from the Bowmore distillery in the Isle of Islay, an area with a long history of stalking and shooting.

The Golf Widow (22 Year Old, 59.8%) from the Auchentoshan distillery in the golfing country of the Scottish Lowlands.

The Highlander (19 Year Old, 55.5%) from the Ben Nevis distillery in the Scottish Highlands, the home of Highland cattle.

The collection looks modern and striking, but is also sympathetic to Scottish heritage. Each whisky has an individual design, that has been etched onto the bottles and carved into the wooden packaging.

Ann and Julia spent the last two years exploring Scot land’s exclusive and finest distilleries, tasting some excellent casks of single malt. They acquired only four of the best tasting casks, and have bottled a limited edition collection of great single malt whiskies.

The cask in which whisky matures is recognised as the single most important factor in terms of the final aroma and taste. Golden Decanters has embraced this fact, conducting extensive sourcing and tasting of single cask whiskies. The first collection is less about the age of the whisky or which distillery is in fashion, rather each bottle combines exceptional taste from four different Scottish regions with a striking and elegant design.

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Ann and Julia are family friends and ladies who dram. They both have backgrounds connected to whisky and the luxury drinks industry.

Ann originally ran bespoke tours of Scottish distilleries, and as a result she has forged many connections and friendships with distilleries, important when trying to source great tasting single cask whisky.

Julia has worked in the luxury drinks business for ten years, specifically selling fine wines to collectors globally. Four years ago a customer expressed an interest in whisky, and Julia asked Ann to create a bespoke tour of specific distilleries. At a later date another customer asked Julia for a distillery tour and expressed an interest in creating a blend of his own.

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Julia and Ann saw market demand for limited edition collections, as many of Julia’s customers wanted to source single malt that was a little different, not simply the premium whiskies already in fashion.

Customers wanted an extensive sourcing process that resulted in great tasting whisky. Julia and Ann also recognised that collectors wanted something that looked as good as it tasted.

In the early days Julia and Ann sourced four old casks of whisky, which were bottled and sold to private clients, part funding for the Golden Decanters project. All bottles sold, further confirming that the project was sound.

Julia and Ann always wanted to produce collections of single malts from different regions, with different ages and hues. It was an organic process, from sourcing single malts, then deciding which four casks to buy, then obtaining an HMRC licence, and dealing with bottling regulations and labelling laws.

“Our two year journey has taken us across Scotland, tasting hundreds of the best single malt whiskies,” said Ann Medlock. “As independent curators we were able to select the finest casks from each distillery, basing our decisions on what tasted exceptional. Not just our own taste, but also that of industry experts to corroborate the selection.”

“Once the whiskies were selected we commissioned iconic Scottish designers Timorous Beasties to design the etched bottles and carved oak presentation boxes, creating works of art, both inside and out,” said Julia Hall Mackenzie-Gillanders. “The result is a collection of four single cask whiskies that look and tastes spectacular. This is proving extremely attractive to collectors around the world, with sales already exceeding 30 sets, with a further 10 on hold.” www.goldendecanters.com

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The Albion Rooms Jesse Bell

Located in the Novotel Ottawa the Albion rooms has been running since March 2013.

It is located on the site of one of Ottawa’s earliest Taverns, The Albion Hotel, one of the oldest surviving hotels in Ottawa.

It was a favourite meeting place of lawyers and university students due to its proximity to both the University of Ottawa and the Courthouse (now the Arts Court). It was linked with numerous famous trials, because juries unable to finish deliberating before midnight were housed there overnight.

The red brick and segmental-arch windows of this threeand-a-half story structure represent Ottawa’s lingering classicism.

The Albion Rooms very much wanted to capture some of this history when we launched, and as a result styled our food with a slight English touch and feel. The Old Tavern has been renovated and turned into our main dining room featuring a large communal chef’s table, open concept kitchen, and gorgeous modern yet timeless dining space.

As the Chef, I have lived and held many positions in the city of Ottawa but have been a part of the Albion rooms since day one. I took over in March of 2016. I have held true to the original style while maintaining an emphasis on local farm to table food. I would call my style contemporary Canadian and like to incorporate our rich Canadian history into all of my dishes while adding many modern techniques and styles. I draw inspiration from every part of the country; the east coast and Quebec inspire me to cook in a more traditional pot au feu style using traditional recipes while incorporating my own style. The north inspires me to use game, roots, and grains in new and unique ways. The west is our breadbasket and has plenty to offer from subtle Asian flavours, wonderful seafood, and a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. And Ottawa itself has one of the most diverse and vibrant food scenes I have had the pleasure of experiencing. Our local farmers are close by with a wide variety of products and our city has a diverse and collaborative chef population.

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Our Craft Cocktail program has just as much love and attention put into it. Our creative and unique cocktails change as rapidly as our menu does and feature many local liquors as well as housemade shrubs, tinctures, bitters, and every other thing you would find behind any great bar. We also focus heavily on local craft breweries, and as a result all of our taps showcase great Ontario beers.

Although food and drink is a major focal point for us, the warm and welcoming atmosphere also demands that our knowledgeable servers and bartenders create an experience for the guest. We happily talk about all of the great things going on in our city, about our suppliers and products and adopt a no rush cozy setting.

We have three rooms, the always vibrant lounge, the small semi-private snug room and our soon to be opened main dining room. The walls are adorned with cookbooks, preserves, and local artwork as well as photos of the many culinary events we have been a part of. info@thealbionrooms.com Relish Q C Whisky 55

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“Your home, the home of the whisky cocktail”

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Ray Daniel

With the holiday season fast approaching and everybody starting to organize their house parties and special events, we are also once again into my favourite part of the year, the “let’s get our home bar started so we can impress our friends with our insane mixology skills” season. Ok, so maybe not everybody is thinking of trying to knock the likes of Sam Ross or Dale DeGroff from their perches by mixing up some Whisky Sours in the little den just off the living room, but who doesn’t love mixing up some great libations to enjoy with loved ones during a magical time of year?

What I’m here to do is to assist you with how exactly to get yourself set up strong, without breaking the bank or having your significant other take shots at you (no pun intended) for filling your dwelling with eight different types of fine strainers, hand press juicers, spill mats and olive forks while the cat hasn’t been fed in 2 days.

As a bartender for the past 16 years or so, I have been asked this question so often.“What are the

essentials I need to set up a bar at home?”

There is so much temptation to go out and spend, spend, spend when you look at all of the fantastic and incredibly aesthetically pleasing tools and bottles being released these days, but one big thing to remember is that you are setting this bar up for you to make yourself a drink every now and then and to show off those mad skills to your friends once in a while. You don’t need the $45 copper Japanese jigger or the $95 Yarai stirring glass.

What you will need are the following essential tools: Cocktail Shaker – I would highly recommend purchasing a two piece “Boston Shaker”, it’s much easier to assemble and disassemble, feels much more comfortable and is a lot easier to maintain and clean then the classic “Cobbler” shaker.

Stirring Glass – Try to find something with a little more weight to it. Some products out there look great but have very thin glass which can lead to issues with cracking and chipping. Also, remember to hand wash as they have a tendency to crack in dishwashers.

Jiggers – Those little measures that you see the local bartender flipping between their fingers out of boredom. The ideal would be one that has a 1oz pour on one side and 2oz pour on the other. These can also often be found in sets of 2 or 3 for a reasonable price.

Stirring spoon – You may see this one as a bit of a non-essential, but trust me, for ease and proper dilution of your drink it makes a huge difference over say your standard table spoon.

Muddler – Again, the back of a spoon can be a slightly decent substitute but make life easy on yourself and get a nice muddler (metal or rubber tipped recommended over wooden) Hawthorn Strainer – the key to making life behind the bar easy.

Y-peeler/Veg Peeler – The ultimate tool in zesting and peeling oranges and lemons. Word to the wise, watch your fingers, even the best of us have been known to take a cut or two.

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Glassware This is going to be very much about personal preference but some form of “Old Fashioned” or “Rocks” glass and a “Cocktail” or “Coupe” glass should get you through pretty much any whisky cocktail related situation. Tip: bar and restaurant focused stores are an obvious choice but can be a little expensive. Try checking out the likes of amazon.ca, cocktailkingdom.com or drop by Winners or Homesense, you’d be surprised at the fantastic deals you can find on genuinely great quality tools. I’ve also found some little gems on secodhand websites, just make sure to wash really well before using.

So that’s your tools covered. Now let’s look at the fun stuff. The booze.

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither should your bar selection. Start off with one or two decent base spirits and a few liqueurs. I’m a whisky guy so for the purpose of this article we will be looking at whisky, but the same principles can be applied to whatever your preference is.

For the most part you can get away without the highest of high end whiskies for your cocktailing adventures. In fact, a lot of the time the more inexpensive brands will do a better job of carrying the flavor of your whisky through when mixed with other additives. For Canadian Whisky I would personally recommend Canadian Club 100% Rye or Lot No.40 Rye Whisky, and for Bourbon I really like Jim Beam Black, a great cocktailing bourbon and a steal for the price. Feel free to shop around and ask the good folks at your local store for recommendations and upcoming deals.

Liqueurs are essential when it comes to cocktailing and can change the entire landscape of your whiskies flavor profile. Sweet Vermouth (Martini Rosso, Dolin) goes hand in hand with whisky cocktails and should be a staple on your back bar, but also look at some more herbal based products like Benedictine, Fernet Branca and Amaro Nonino, all relatively inexpensive and packed full of flavor.

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Some more rounded and high proof spirits like Cognac/ Brandy (I’m partial to Martel or Courvoisier) and Applejacks (Toronto Distillery Co. or Lairds) can add some beautiful dimensions to your drink.

Finally, additives. You could pretty much fill a large banquet hall with all the different types of bitters out there but Angostura bitters and Peychaud’s bitters are in my opinion essentials. Angostura can be found in most major grocery stores but Peychaud’s can be a little harder to find lately. I’d recommend purchasing the larger bottle rather than being caught short.

It’s also really helpful to keep some sugar cubes on hand. You can make some simple syrup by dissolving a cup of sugar with a cup of water, stirring and leaving to cool, but a pack of sugar cubes will keep for longer and won’t take up that all important fridge space.

So there you have it. A nice quick and simple guide to starting your home whisky cocktail bar. Of course, you will add items to your collection as time goes on.

Experiment! Cocktailing is supposed to be fun and exciting and you will quickly start to figure out what you like and what you don’t and will add to your bar accordingly.

Below are a couple of great classic whisky cocktails to get you started. Have fun and be safe.

Sazerac 2 oz straight Rye Whisky 1 oz simple syrup 3 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters Herbsaint Rinse Combine all of your ingredients into a stirring glass and fill with ice. Stir until the sides of your stirring glass have frosted up and strain into a cocktail or coupe glass which has been rinsed with herbsaint.

Garnish with a lemon zest.

Vieux Carre 1 oz straight Rye Whisky 1 oz Cognac 1 oz Sweet Vermouth ¼ oz Benedictine 2 dashes of Angostura bitters 2 dashes of Peychaud’s bitters Combine all ingredients in your old fashioned glass and fill with ice. Stir until the sides of your glass frost over and the ice falls below the liquid line.

Garnish with a lemon zest.

These are a few of our favourite things we hope they become yours

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QC

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Tastes Tree 1

from under the

2

1. Shelter Point Single Malt Whisky a very nice spice with good barrel sweetness, fruit and floral notes and some chocolate on the nose. It’s nicely finessed with a good balance of complexity and delicateness. Translation? It goes down very, very smoothly.

2. Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky This whisky is the stuff tales are made of, and inside the new bottle, the whisky speaks for itself. The nose offers a fresh and aromatic experience with a subtle whiff of smoke floating through the air. The taste starts with a light fruit and nut appeal that leads to a spectacular malty sweetness, finishing into a beautifully rich full-bodied, lingering experience.

for everyone you

LOVE

1

2

1: Rum's Revenge “Arr mateys use yer treasure map to navigate treacherous waters with yer Rum's Revenge Pirate ship in a bottle. A piece of 8 Pirate pin and a skull glass be yer extra tools for finding all 12 o’ the lost rums. Rum's Revenge, treasure enough for any Pirate!”

2. Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar A totally immersive experience in the world of Scotch Whisky.

Journey through the regions of Scotland as you taste 25 exclusive independently bottled expressions. With a unique tasting glass and booklet, along with a special collector's lapel pin, each edition will leave a lasting impression.

GIVE

&

1

3

Whisky Water Dropper

2

1. Whisky Tasting Pipe Glass Ideal for whisky, brandy or port, the small curved pipe helps to direct the whisky straight onto your taste buds.

2. Whisky Water Dropper - Angel, Pot Still or Thistle (Gift Box) The hand crafted whisky diluting dropper allows finer control, releasing one drop of water at a time.

3. Angels' Share Glass Whisky Angel Every single angel is uniquely designed to hold whisky through a secret process, known only to the highly skilled craftsmen who have created it.

1

2

RECEIVE

6

7 5

3 4 1. Golden Decanters has curated and bottled four premium casks of single malt whisky to represent the finest flavours found in Scotland.

For the collector and connoisseur. 2. The English Whisky Co, The English-Original Aged to perfection in specially selected Bourbon Casks. An unpeated single malt whisky. 3. The English-Smokey A peated single malt whisky. A lovely waft of smoke on the palate, ideal alternative for the Islay fan.

4. J.P. Wiser’s 18 Year Old A matured Canadian whisky with an incredibly smooth finish, emphasizing notes of vanilla and caramel. 5. Glencairn Whisky Glass Flight Tray This flight tray is a great way to serve multiple whiskies at once. 6. The Glencairn Glass Known as the standard for Scotch whisky and made in the land where it's born, the Glencairn whisky glass is one of the standards for tasting, and will not disappoint. 7. The Ledaig 10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky A wondrous union of sublimely spicy white pepper, the vibrant sweetness of licorice and a kick of cloves with a exquisite lingering saltiness.

THE BEST OF THE BEST

It’s hard to say one whiskey is “better” than another. It’s a matter of taste. But when your whiskeys have received accolades like this from the world’s most prestigious spirits awards, it’s hard not to.

san francisco world spirits competition · irish whiskey awards · global spirits masters · icons of whisky