deVille

After two weeks in Calgary helping Paul Brassard and Mark Nolan with their cafe,im feeling some what re energised being home and relaxing with a day of canoeing in deep cove and sunshine under my belt.
deVille coffee will be the the swankiest sexiest cafe in canada,period.I havnt seen a cafe set up like this since being home in oz.deVille will be a healthy addition to the Calgary coffee scene,while still in construction mode interested on lookers were peeking in and commenting on the construction and asking on the opening date,to which Paul replied….soon,would you like a coffee?
So we gave away a lot of coffees to onlookers while i was training the guys,not a bad way for word to get around and free press,the word got around so fast that a food critic came by to check out deVille.I also dropped by Phil and Sebastians and checked out their new set up as they now have a synesso and an fb80 on the go,also i dropped by cafe beano while i was there and had a coffee,i didnt get a chance to drop into bumpys but the next trip to Calgary ill make sure ill check them out.A big disappointment on the crawl was cafe Artigiano,we ordered 4 lattes and mine had to be the super hot one and i wasnt able to drink it,although the cafe was busy it seems the consistency was out.
Unfortunately i wasnt around long enough to attend Calgary’s barista jam which was held a few days after i left,it wouldve been fun to hang out with the local talent,Calgary will be hosting their first regional competition for the upcoming canadians.
I will post photos of deVille when Paul sends me some pics so stay tuned,and if your in Calgary drop in on the guys,they’re located in the arts central building downtown

Spring

What the hell is going on with this weather on the west coast?

I was looking forward to more snow falling here in B.C. during february,but no…

All we get is warm rain now,which is melting the snow,which is quite annoying,this time last year we saw a decent dusting throughout february which kept the runs nice and soft.

Although on the other side of the country its in the minuses,toronto is -25,i think i watch the weather channel toomuch these days and its starting to annoy me when its snowing everywhere else.I guess not riding in the last 2 weeks is getting to me, and the thoughts of being in fernie with all that champagne powder and hardly anyone up on the hills gets me slightly wound up,although i wasnt fortunate enough to experience the waist deep powder they got a few weeks before,i did get to ride knee deep stuff

walking back home from a session,i wish i had someone with a ski doo to tow me round through all this snow as it was all untouched wouldve been a laugh

cedar bowl

hardly anyone on the hill was a plus,being able to do big carves without danger of taking anyone out was one hell of a ride

How to murder a cocktail

Its been so long since the last time i wrote about cocktails.
So ive been surfing for some videos or so of cocktails just to get some inspiration from bartenders,and what i found almost made me sick,bartenders killing classic drinks such as this offering from mojo.com with their version of the irish coffee.doesnt really have that much substance on the drink apart from slapping it all together

Compared to this offering from Angus Winchester,Mixologist extrodanaire and i believe he’s into molecular mixology as well,which is crossing over from food,coffee and now into cocktails which is quite exciting.

Angus’s delivery and short history on this drink (daquiri),is a pleasure to watch,to see a talented bartender deliver this drink well with the step by step guide on technique,a good way to learn if your a budding home mixologist.

A good book for any budding mixologist would be Craft of the Cocktail by Dale De Groff,a great read and a must for any working bartender

Been Playing

So,i went down to B.C. Liquor on the weekend,as it was raining quite heavily and was bored shitless at home,so i decided to blow some cash buying a few things to play with and get my creative juices flowing.
I ended up walking out of there with a bottle of Glayva,Hendricks Gin,Soho Lychee liquer and a bottle of Cacaca 61,not my preferred brand but it’ll have to do for now.

After enduring the walk home in the rain,i was thinking through what i could make with my newly acquired spirits that would go well as a coffee cocktail,so i brewed some Kenya from Intelligentsia in a french press.While i was waiting around for the coffee to brew i went hunting in my fridge to see what i can use,and i found some blueberry jam,some thyme,apples to juice.

With the coffee now brewed i poured out a cup to slightly cool while i made some sugar syrup with the thyme.
I then used about a teaspoon of blueberry jam into my mixing glass along with the same amount of thyme sugar syrup to the mix and added 30ml of the brewed coffee,so i then added some of the Hendricks and soho and stirred with ice till it cooled down enough to taste.To my amazement the taste resembled flat cola,if i had a little bit of soda to charge the drink it wouldve been interesting.

Mix number two,almost using the same ingredients as the first one,i replaced french pressed coffee to a shot of espresso,I also used Black Cat from Intelligentsia,and this time i added fresh apple juice,i shook it with lots of cracked ice till it was good and cold.Strained it into a cocktail glass.

The flavour i got kinda thew me off as i wasnt expecting it.What i got was Chocolate,reduced balsamic vinegar and a hint of thyme.I gave it to Kylie to do a tasting to see what flavours she picked up.Her first reaction was chocolate,and a slight coffee flavour and asked if i had used chocolate in the mix and so i told her that i hadnt used chocolate at all,and she was quite surprised.So ill do a lot more playing around with that till i get the right ratios to get a mostly chocolate finish to the drink so stay tuned……

Espresso Eggnog

For this installment, I will tackle a holiday drink: eggnog - with coffee, of course!

Now, I’ve tried to resist the temptation of this rather festive drink, as I’m not too fond of its heaviness with all that cream. And with so many versions of eggnog out there, it’s hard to try them all without getting sick from the intake of cream and, for that matter, raw eggs.

But eggnog is a holiday tradition that goes too far back to ignore. Of course, mixology wouldn’t be complete without a little trip down memory lane, so… let’s take a look at the history of eggnog and how it came about.

The History

Eggnog had its start in the Middle Ages as an English drink known as a “posset,” a hot beverage of sweetened, spiced milk curdled with ale or wine. A variation on the posset, the “caudle,” was a similar concoction of warm spiced ale or wine, sweetened and thickened with bread, grain, or eggs. These drinks were not only enjoyed during the holiday season but were thought to be helpful in curing colds and fortifying one’s health. It is for this reason, perhaps, that some historians suggest that the word “coddle” (to comfort or pamper) is derived from “caudle.”

By the late 1700s, the earliest versions of eggnog as we know it were being created. It was a drink of the upper class; after all, eggs, milk, and even brandy weren’t readily available to the average Londoner at the time, and there was no refrigeration. In colonial America, however, eggnog became very popular, as dairy was plentiful, and so was rum. Rum came in from the Caribbean, and it was far more affordable than brandy, which had a heavy tax on it.

George Washington, the legendary first president of the US, is said to have been quite proud of his personal recipe for a powerful “dry sack posset.” The recipe called for a combination of eggs, milk, cream, sugar, brandy, rye whiskey, rum, and sherry. It was then set aside in a cool place for a few days, during which the recipe directs to “taste frequently.” Fortunately, it seems the alcohol had the effect of delaying the spoilage of the other ingredients.

Before long, Washington’s potent recipe became part of US military tradition. During the Christmas season of 1826, a group of young cadets at the US Military Academy at West Point dared to sneak the ingredients for a spiked eggnog into the Academy, in the name of holiday celebration. At first, they were successful in avoiding detection, but rumors of their plan had reached the ears of the superintendent, and officers were sent to check on the cadets. What followed is the not-so-famous “Eggnog Riot.” Jefferson Davis, the future president of the Confederate States of America, was among the instigators. At the end of it all, six cadets resigned, nineteen cadets were court martialed, and one was charged with attempted murder.

It wasn’t until the Victorian era that this drink finally gained popularity on both sides of the Atlantic. Toasting the health of one’s friends and family with a cup of eggnog became an essential part of holiday socializing in both England and America. By this time, it was being served as a cold drink, prepared in large quantities in anticipation of holiday callers.

As for how eggnog ultimately came by its name… that is a subject for debate. According to some sources, “nog” is a shortened form of the word “noggin,” which was an ancient name for a small wooden cup - hence, “eggs in a small cup.” Another source claims that “nog” is derived from an Old English word in the East Anglian dialect meaning “strong beer or ale.” Yet another source suggests that “eggnog” is a slurred abbreviation of “egg-n-grog,” “grog” being a colonial American word for rum. In England, it is also called “egg flip.”

The Drink

Whatever you may call it, the basic recipe for eggnog is generally the same - eggs beaten with sugar, milk or cream, and a spirit. However, there are many variations of the recipe found around the world.

In Puerto Rico, the drink is called coquito, and the recipe calls for rum combined with fresh coconut juice or coconut milk. Mexico’s version is called rompope. Reputed to have been invented in the convent of Santa Clara, it is heavily dosed with Mexican cinnamon and rum and is sipped like a liqueur. In Peru, biblia con pisco is made with a Peruvian pomace brandy called pisco.

Meanwhile, in Germany, they serve biersuppe, a drink made with ale with the consistency of soup, and eierlikoer, which combines egg yolks with brandy, cognac, and/or grain alcohol.

Naturally, there are also versions that include coffee, which is why we’re talking about eggnog in the first place! I have heard of eggnog lattes, but I’m not convinced with the beverage; and buying pre-packaged eggnog, although it is convenient, takes the fun out of it all. So here’s a recipe that combines the best of both worlds, espresso and a homemade eggnog.

Classic Eggnog with a Twist - The Recipe

Glass: Wine glasses will do nicely for this drink. We’re using a Riedel Chardonnay glass in this how to.

The ingredients:
2 large eggs
3oz Demerrera sugar
1/4 teaspoon of fresh grated nutmeg
2oz brandy
1oz spiced rum
8oz whole milk
2oz of cream
2oz of espresso
Cinnamon sticks for garnish.
Ice (optional)

Step by Step

In this step by step method, we’re skipping what is probably the most important step - chilling the mixture before serving - truth is, we couldn’t wait! So we crushed up ice (smaller ice will chill a beverage faster because there’s more surface area on the ice). But I highly recommend sticking the mixture once done in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 hours before serving.
.

All the ingredients
Here’s all you need to make this drink - eggs, espresso, ground nutmeg, sugar, cinnamon sticks, cream, milk, blender, spiced rum, brandy or calvados, and wine glasses.
Eggs in the blender
First, add both eggs to the blender, and blend for two full minutes to really aerate and emulsify the eggs.
Continue Blending
At the 2 minute mark, add your sugar and keep blending for another minute. You can use this time to pull your double espresso shot.

Mixing other ingredients
Pour your 2oz cream into your 8oz of whole milk, away from the blender. We’re going to reduce the “shock” on the espresso.
Adding Espresso
Add espresso to your cream / milk mixture.
Adding Nutmeg
Add the nutmeg last, then stir the mixture vigorously for few seconds.

Adding to Blender
Add the mixture to the blender, making sure all the nutmeg gets out of the pouring pitcher.
Adding the Booze
Next, add 1 ounce of the spiced rum, and 2 ounces of the brandy to the blending pitcher.
Blend and serve!
Blend the mixture for at least another minute, then place in the fridge for 3 hours. If you’re in a rush like we were, you can crush ice first, and pour straight from the blender into your wine glasses. Enjoy!

Seeing as this is the holiday season, enjoy, drink responsibly, and always have a designated driver.

The Martini

The Classic Gin Martini

You need:

Dry Vermouth
60mls Gin

Pour a tiny bit of dry vermouth into a chilled martini glass and swirl to coat the inside of the glass,then discard the vermouth if your after a real dry martini. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, gently stir the gin then strain into glass

Garnish:

Olives are my preferance but its quite nice with a twist of lemon,lime twists are too hard to make as the skin is to thin to make a twist out of and you end up with a mess,for a Gibson add a cocktail onion

Aspiring Bartenders

its been a while now since ive been behind a bar making drinks and i do miss it quite a bit,although one thing i dont miss is the odd hours i used to work and being sleep deprived,but i do miss being able to make up a beautiful drink with seasonal produce for a new menu or a beverage to accompany a meal.
what really got me thinking about cocktails again was what i experienced last night at a bar in vancouver,so my night started out harmlessly enough when my girlfriend kylie and our friend olivia perched ourselves at the bar oggling the cocktail list and at that stage im in shock with the list,and our ever so helpful bartender took my list off my hands and said “dont worry about the list i will make you a drink thatll blow your mind……”and he smiles at usand takes our order.ill have something sweet…(olivia)ill have something fruity….(kylie)and ill have a very dry martini stirred with gin,so my drink was made first ,shaker full of ice…so far so good,bombay sapphire ok so far,but there was no glass ready being chilled with a wash of noilly prat,ok not to worry hes just off tempo and will do it last,maybe the glas has been in the fridge chilling all this time and was just chilling the gin before giving the glass a wash with the noilly,by this time im feverishly looking in his fridge for a martini glass chilling away but i couldnt see it.so i look over his next step as he puts the boston shaker together and before i could stop him he was shaking my martini which i asked to be stirred,and then he proceeds to strain my gin into a glass which the bar back just pulled out of the glass washer steaming hot,what was the use of chilling my spirit when your just going to put it in a steaming hot glass,you wouldve been better to just have poured me a double shot of gin in a rocks glass neat.i wouldnt even dare describe what concoction he made the girls but they wouldve been better off drinking sugar syrup with food colouring.what im trying to say is if your a bartender willing to impress know how some of the classics are made,ask how they like it eg.martini i would ask the patron,how would you like your martini?sweet,dry,perfect or dirty then i would proceed by asking gin or vodka,and wait for a reply,then i would ask shaken or stirred,but preferrably i would stir it as i would have my spirits in the freezer whether it be gin or vodka,and i would also have them on my shelf so as you can see it then i would proceed to put it together with all the theatrics,making the drink deliberately slow in front of the customer so as to get them going like its the main event they were waiting for and to have some pride when putting this classic drink together,its simple but it is perfect,not too hard to make but it seems that everyone who is in the industry seem to wreck and i was one of those many years ago as a newbie behind the bar all gung ho and thinking i knew how to make it and totally demolish this simple drink.then after all that when everything is in place i would serve the drink with an olive cocktail napkin in front of the customer put the drink on the napkin and look the customer in the eye and smile and wait for the reaction,if everything goes well they should end up with a smile on their face and coming back for more.james bond may like his martini shaken but i like it stirred,knowing the classics will help you develop new drinks by giving old ones a re vamp with your own interpretation as long as the drink is well balanced in flavour

Classic Cocktails

as summer slowly fades for another year i would like to give one last toast before the weather turns.a drink that i like to indulge in from time to time is a well made mint julep or the mighty mojito.both drinks remind me of summer where you lounge around in boardies and thongs(flip flops)and the sound of the surf in the background.although for some,the mint julep is an all american tipple that has its roots deeply imbedded in the south,a placewhere the humidity of summer in the afternoon hangs heavy in the air and after a hard day days work the only thing that would quench your thirst is this drink,while you put your feet up to relax and watch the sunset.
my take on this wonderful beverage would be………..

mint julep

60 mls of woodford reseve bourbon
handful of mint leaves
1 tbls caster sugar
crushed ice

glass :old fashioned

garnish: mint sprigs

method: muddle mint leave in the mixing glass with the sugar to release the oils and aroma from the mint,add a little of the bourbon and crushed ice,now transfer the mix into the old fashioned glass,top up with more ice stir and add the rest of the bourbon stir again and top up with more crushed ice and garnish with mint sprigs

mojito is cubas national drink originating in havana,now made by bartenders in all corners of the globe.hemmingway drank mojitos in la bodeguita del medio,a bar im yet to drink at and hopefully will soon.originally a farmers drink in the early 1820’s it has elevated from its humble begginings and drunk by all.

mojito

60mls havana anejo rum
handful mint sprigs
half lime quartered
2 tbls caster sugar
soda water
crushed ice

glass: old fashioned

garnish: mint sprigs

method: add mint sugar and limes in the mixing glass and muddle together,pour contents into old fashioned glass add ice and stir.then add the rum,stir add a slpash of soda water,stir and top off with crushed ice.

Description of equipment

there are two types of shakers shown here,a boston shaker and a cobbler shaker.
the boston shaker comes in two parts a toughened glass half and the tin which has a slightly wider lip than the glass allowing the two parts to come together to form a seal so they can be shaken safely without coming apart.the glass part is also used in strirring cocktails with ice for example when your making a martini…..
the cobbler shaker entirely made of steel,the top of the cobbler has a smaller cap which has its own strainer,quite easy to use,just add all the ingredients shake,take off the cap and pour into the glass.

speed pourers makes it easier to consistently pour providing a thin stream of alcohol and they fit into the necks of the bottles.bar blade makes a speedier way of opening beer bottles.tea strainer alows you to double strain a cocktail to stop chunks of unwanted fruit or ice into drinks.a peeler and a zester for making garnish

a bar spoon is a long handled teaspoon used for stirring in a tall glass,light muddling of mint and layering of shots or floats,a hawthorne strainer for straining out ice it fits neatly into the boston glass.muddling stick for juice extraction from fruit and bashing herbs,and also an ice scoop

History of Irish Coffee

Like Samuel Beckett, Phil Lynott, U2, Riverdance, and Guinness - all famous exports of Ireland - the classic Irish Coffee is a true child of Ireland: born on Irish soil, created with Irish ingredients. It all began in Foynes Airport, Ireland, in 1942…

The History

In the late 1930s and early 1940s, Foynes served as the hub for the latest mode of air travel - flying boat - between the US and Europe. Every flying boat leaving or arriving in Europe came through Foynes, and by 1940, Foynes Airport was being visited by the glitterati of the day: Ernest Hemingway, Humphrey Bogart, Eleanor Roosevelt, Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.

Passengers disembarking a flying boat were obliged to endure a boat trip to get to the terminal and sometimes found themselves chilled to the bone in the cold, damp North Atlantic winter. While the flying boats were preparing for the next leg of the journey, passengers recouped at the airport; sometimes they even had to stay overnight during poor weather. So much for glamour. It soon became clear that a first-class restaurant showcasing the best of Irish cuisine was needed. By 1942, the restaurant was operating in full swing with chef Joe Sheridan.

One chilly night, a flight departed Foynes with stops scheduled in Newfoundland and New York, but adverse weather prompted the captain to turn about and head back to Foynes - not an unusual event, but certainly unpleasant, as it meant another trip in the boat. The restaurant was alerted to have food and drink prepared as the passengers would likely be cold, wretched, and in need of cheer.

Joe Sheridan had coffee prepared and decided to put a little something in it to give the passengers a little kick to get them out of their cold slump - so he added a drop (or two) of Irish whiskey to the brew. A surprised American passenger is said to have asked, “Is this Brazilian coffee?” to which Joe replied, “No, that’s Irish coffee!” From that day forward, Irish Coffee became known around the world as the official welcoming drink served at Foynes Airport.

In 1945, Foynes Airport closed, the age of the flying boats having come to an end as land-based aircraft came into their own, and a new airport for landplanes was built nearby. Now known as Shannon International Airport, it is where Joe Sheridan took his now-famous Irish Coffee to welcome passengers to Shannon and to Ireland.

If Foynes was the birthplace of Irish Coffee, then San Francisco was its port of entry to North America. In 1952, the Buena Vista Café in San Francisco was a saloon where longshoremen and workers employed at the nearby sardine cannery took their breaks. At the Buena Vista, they could sip whiskey and watch for the fishing boats to arrive, signaling that it was time to head back to work.

In November of that year, Jack Koeppler, the owner of the Buena Vista, and his friend Stanton Delaplane, a renowned food critic who had enjoyed an Irish Coffee in Shannon, had a brilliant idea. They would re-create the recipe for Irish Coffee.

They spent hours experimenting with various whiskeys and proportions, but one thing eluded them. They couldn’t get the cream to float; it always sunk to the bottom of the glass. Jack even flew to Shannon to ask the man himself, Joe Sheridan, for the secret - whisk fresh cream just short of stiff and pour it slowly over the back of a spoon to float it on the coffee. The recipe was soon perfected, and it wasn’t long before the fame of the Buena Vista and its Irish Coffee spread throughout North America.

The Buena Vista Café can still be found on the corner of Beach and Hyde Streets, and even now, they make somewhere on the order of 2,000 Irish Coffees a day. In 2002, the Buena Vista celebrated the 50th anniversary of their famous re-creation and estimated that they have served over 32 million Irish Coffees over the years, making them the largest consumer of Irish whiskey in the US.

The drink

Of course, Irish whiskey, not Scotch whisky, must be used. Irish whiskey is triple-distilled, giving it a smoother mouthfeel, and it is not as smoky as Scotch. But if you have a taste for Scotch, try Connemara Irish whiskey, which is the only peated Irish whiskey. The most common brand of whiskey used is Jameson, which is quite readily available.

If you want authenticity, Joe Sheridan’s recipe originally called for Paddy Old Irish whiskey from the Cork distillery, but I have used a 15-year-old Redbreast which has a sweet, slightly oily finish. If you’re after these or any other rare whiskeys, they can be found at Celtic Whiskey Shop in Dublin, where I have spent some time tasting various whiskeys. In addition to whiskeys that can’t be found anywhere else, they carry the Irish whiskey that is specially bottled for the Buena Vista Café.

And about the coffee… in the original recipe, Bewley’s was used. Bewley’s is a coffee roasting company in Ireland; I’ve visited the roastery in Dublin while I was there. If you don’t happen to have Bewley’s on hand, any freshly ground and brewed coffee will do - we were using Intelligentsia Coffee Roaster’s Ojo de Agua Nicaraguan Microlot coffee in the press pot, and their Oromo Blend in the americanos with great results.

Classic Irish Coffee - the recipe

The ingredients…
(as Oscar Wilde would describe them)
Cream as rich as an Irish brogue
Coffee as strong as a friendly hand
Sugar as sweet as the tongue of a rogue
Whiskey as smooth as the wit of the land

(as a bartender would describe them)
- 35 ml Irish whiskey
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- Freshly brewed coffee, press pot preferred
- Fresh cold whipping cream
- Use a traditional Irish Coffee glass, one with a handle and a short fluted design.

Step by Step

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Preheat the cup
The traditional Irish Coffee cup is on a thick, short stem, with a handle. Preheat with hot water.

Press is best

For the traditional Irish Coffee, you can’t beat a freshly pressed pot of coffee. Don’t skimp on the quality or preparation!

The Whiskey

Just as you wouldn’t want to skimp on the coffee, don’t skimp on the whiskey either - we’re using Jamison’s 12 Year for this tasty beverage.

Whip it up

Where a lot of people make a mistake on Irish Whiskey is the cream - out of a can won’t do. The cream has to be just short of stiff - pourable, but extra, extra thick.

Add the Whiskey

Add your whiskey first, after emptying the glass of the hot water. This allows the whiskey to immediately start releasing big aromas.

Pour the Coffee

As quick as you can, pour the coffee to infuse and distribute the whiskey, locking in the melange of flavours both beverages offer.

Add the brown sugar

Add the brown sugar, and stir until fully dissolved. The beverage is hot, and brown sugar melts quickly.

Fold the cream

As the boys in San Fran figured out, the secret to great Irish Coffee is folding the cream onto the beverage via a spoon. Gentle pouring and layering will create a great looking and even better tasting drink.

The finished beverage

The finished Irish Coffee beverage, ready to enjoy and savour.

That’s it! Drink the hot coffee and whiskey through the layer of cold cream, as it’s meant to be - don’t stir! This fine Irish beverage is a must-have recipe for every bartender to have in their book. If you’ve ever experienced a cold Irish winter, you’ll know why this drink is worth every drop.

Now if you’re adventurous, try this signature version of the Irish Coffee - it has a little extra heat to it!

Signature drink: The Devil in Molly Malone

I’ve been anxious to use maple syrup in an inventive way in a “coffee and fine spirits” beverage for quite some time, and I also have a great interest in providing subtle spiciness where people least expect it. This drink allowed me to do both. We sourced some of the absolute best maple syrup to ever come out of the Gatineau Hills of Quebec, and one of the best Irish Whiskeys out there - Redbreast 12 year, which has especially sweet and soft characteristics.

The glass…
160 ml glass - we’ve chosen the Illy Collection Freddo crystal glass for this drink build.

The ingredients…

- 30 ml Redbreast 12 year whiskey
- 1 tsp Demerara (unrefined, raw) sugar
- 10 ml ultra premium maple syrup
- Fresh cold whipping cream
- Americano (4 oz / 120 ml)
- Small chili pepper

The method…

Whip the cream with the maple syrup until just short of stiff. Set aside in the refridgerator to chill.

Butterfly cut the chili and remove the seeds; then rub the rim of the glass with the inside of the chili and set aside for garnish.

Preheat the glass with hot water until warm, and then empty the water.

Pour in the whiskey and then the freshly brewed americano to about an inch below the top of the glass.

Add the unrefined sugar and stir until fully dissolved.

Carefully fold and float the cream over the back of the spoon into the glass and garnish with the butterfly-cut chili.

On presentation to your guests, it’s up to you whether or not you tell them there’s a bit of a chili “hit” from the rim of the glass; hence the drink’s name.

Slàinte!