3 classic cocktails get a B.C. twist (RECIPES)

Jul 16 2016, 4:49 am

With B.C.’s most iconic landmarks as my inspiration, I’ve taken three classic cocktails and given them a local twist by incorporating some of our province’s vast bounty of ingredients — from craft spirits distilled right here in B.C., to homegrown artisanal cocktail bitters.

Try your hand at these fun, easy and hyper-local cocktail recipes below, or come visit me at my bar and let me shake one up for you.

Ogopogo

Justin Taylor/Daily Hive

Justin Taylor/Daily Hive

This fun variation on the classic Mai Tai is named after the legendary sea serpent of Lake Okanagan, the Ogopogo. This cocktail features a beautiful cherry liqueur produced in the Okanagan Valley.

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 oz Gosling’s Rum
  • 0.5 oz Jagermeister
  • 0.25 oz Okanagan Spirits Maraschino
  • 0.5 oz Orgeat
  • 0.5 oz Simple Syrup
  • 1.0 oz Lime
  • 3 dashes Angostura Bitters

Method:

  • Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker.
  • Add ice and shake vigorously for 10 seconds.
  • Strain over ice in a highball or Collins glass and garnish with preserved cherries.

Steam Clockwork Orange

Justin Taylor/Daily Hive

Justin Taylor/Daily Hive

The Harvey Wall-banger is back in a whole new concoction. This simple cocktail from the mid 1980s gets a much needed makeover with Gillespie’s Gastown Shine Vodka, and Bittered Sling’s Kensington Bitters. These local ingredients combine to make the perfect brunch cocktail.

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 oz Gillespie’s Gastown Shine Vodka
  • 1.0 oz Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
  • 0.5 oz Galliano
  • 3 dashes Bittered Sling Kensington Bitters
  • 2 oz Cava, or Sparkling Wine

Method

  • Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker except for Cava.
  • Add ice and shake for 10 seconds.
  • Pour into a chilled cocktail glass, top with Cava and garnish with an orange twist.

Coquihalla

Justin Taylor/Daily Hive

Justin Taylor/Daily Hive

One of the most famous and and picturesque highways in all of Canada, the Coquihalla is a riff on one of the world’s most famous cocktails, the Negroni. This variation uses an uncommon spirit called Aquavit from my friends at Okanagan Spirits in Vernon.

Ingredients:

  • 1 oz Okanagan Spirits Aquavitus
  • 1 oz Cocchi Vermouth di Torino
  • 1 oz Campari

Method

  • Combine ingredients in a mixing glass.
  • Add ice and stir for 15 seconds.
  • Pour over fresh ice in an Old Fashioned Glass and garnish with an orange twist.

 

Justin TaylorJustin Taylor

+ Dished
+ Booze
ADVERTISEMENT