I Like The Drink in East Coast Living

Check out the latest copy of East Coast Living, there is a great article in there where I was interviewed by Trevor Adams - it's all about coffee drinks and there is great stuff to learn. There are tips and tricks and some recipes too!

Also, ECL is full of other great recipes and cool stuff. Check it out!

Grant's Apple Crumble with Whisky Cream

Here's a little holiday treat from Grant's - - This is a good one!!

Enjoy!

Grant’s Apple Crumble with Whisky Cream

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs (1 Kg) Granny Smith apples

• 1⁄4 cup (50 mL) Grant’s Scotch Whisky

• 1⁄2 tsp (2 mL) cinnamon

• 1⁄3 cup (75 mL) dark brown sugar

• 1⁄4 cup (50 mL) all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp (5 mL) finely grated lemon rind

Crumble Topping:

• 1⁄2 cup (125 mL) butter, room temperature

• 1⁄2 cup (125 mL) dark brown sugar

• 1⁄2 cup (125 mL) all-purpose flour

• 1 cup (250 mL) quick-cook oatmeal, not instant

Whisky Cream:

• 1 cup (250 mL) cold whipping cream

• 1⁄4 cup (50 mL) Grant’s Scotch Whisky

• 2 tbsp (25 mL) granulated sugar

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 3500F (1800C).

2. Butter a 9 ̋X 13 ̋ (3 L) baking dish.

3. Peel and core apples. Cut apples into eight wedges. In a large bowl, toss apples

with Grant’s Scotch Whisky.

4. Combine cinnamon, brown sugar, flour and lemon rind. Add mixture to apples and

toss to coat.

5. Place mixture in prepared baking dish.

(more)Crumble Topping:

1. In bowl of electric mixer, cream together butter and brown sugar. Add flour and oatmeal. Mix until crumbly in texture.

2. Sprinkle mixture evenly over apples.

3. Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 1–1 1⁄2 hours, until crumble is

golden and fruit is tender.

Whisky Cream:

1. Add whipping cream and Grant’s Whisky to bowl of electric mixer. Beat cream with whisk attachment. Gradually add sugar. Continue to beat until cream holds soft peaks.

To Serve:

1. Spoon warm apple crumble into a dish and top with Grant’s Whisky cream.

Quidi Vidi - 1892 Traditional Ale

Once again life has taken me to what now seems like my second home, Newfoundland. This is not a bad thing as there is an abundance of brewers that I would not otherwise get exposed to. One such brewer is Quidi Vidi. Offering a variety of ales, the Quidi Vidi Brewery is a local success.

For the first time I tried the 1892 Traditional Ale. This is a very easy drinking ale with crystal clear, amber colour, medium carbonation, and creamy head with a slightly yellow tone. The aroma is mild but sweet, and the body is full but not filling. The flavor is of toffee and roasted almond with a lemon peel finish.

I would recommend this to anyone. This is a great middle range ale that will offer itself well to light and darker ale drinkers. It goes well with a meal as it is not filling. It pairs well with food such as fish & chips.

Overall rating: 4/5

I Like The Drink Gets Ink'ed!

If you're in Atlantic Canada, keep an eye out for the next issue of East Coast Living magazine. My old friend Trevor Adams is managing editor there, and he recently interviewed me for an article he's writing about coffee. We had a really interesting chat about everything from the quality of your water to the best way to spike a good cup of joe. I even submitted some photos of one of my creations-they may use them with the article. I'll post a link to the article when it's online, and look for the issue on newsstands in late November.

Spiced Scot

Here is a twist on the more traditional Rye and Ginger (which is one of my all time favourites), the Spiced Scot.

2 oz Scotch

Ginger Beer

Mix with ice in a Highball glass.

A simple refreshing drink with a bit of a bite. And for the love of Pete, don't use your best single malt for this one.

Vancouver Updates Liquor Laws In TIme For Olympics

The Winter Olympics are coming in February 2010 to Vancouver. This means thousands and thousands of tourist from all over the world, coming from places with varied, but mostly modern liquor laws. Until a recent decision by Vancouver city council, many of the bars and restaurants in the city were required to close by midnight. The new law will allow establishments to remain open to 1 am and 2 am on weekends.

The bar and restaurant owners seem to be in favour of this and so are many citizens, however there are others who say that it will lead to more trouble with public drunkenness.

What do you think? Does extending the times that bars can serve alcohol lead to more trouble with over drinking? Or will it prove to better the city and the Olympic experience?

School Yard Fun: Is University Binge Drinking a Right of Passage?

Recent news stories out of Nova Scotia, Canada have brought into the light the issues surrounding young people and drinking. Over the past weekend emergency crews were called to Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia when a young female student passed out from drinking too much. When crews arrived they examined six people for drinking and four where hospitalized over night due to alcohol poisoning. The partying at Acadia University is not an unusual activity for university students, but it highlights what seems to be a growing problem of binge drinking by young, inexperienced people in some universities.

In contrast, in a recent article form the McGill Daily (http://www.mcgilldaily.com/accounts/13/articles/20162) discusses the introduction of the alcohol culture of Montreal, Quebec where McGill university is located and legal drinking age is 18, to first year students. The artical makes the arguement that this benfits the students by teaching them about a society that includes alcohol - national surveys seems to back this up.

I too was once a young lad, fresh to a new town and barely the legal drinkning age (I admit nothing of drinking underage...) and yes, I did indulge in the drink more then one should, but I never ended up in a hospital or jail. I do think that each of us has to discover what it means to be independent and an adult, and in most societies around the world alcohol is part of the culture, but is this being taken to far? Is peer pressure form Frosh activities and other students having too much influence on some young people?

A Muddy Kentucky Breakfast

Now that summer is gone and it's (almost) officially fall and the air is turning cooler I thought it was time to start think warmer thoughts. I love coffee, and though it is non-alcoholic in itself it makes a great base for a drink.

Here is a drink that is a great fall afternoon drink, or a after diner dessert drink. It's warm and delicious. Try it and let me know what you think.

Muddy Kentucky Breakfast

1 oz Bourbon

1 oz Kahlua

2 oz Chocolate Milk

Brewed Coffee

Mix in a mug and enjoy!

You Say Limes, I Say Lawsuit

This year Anheuser-Busch, Inc. introduced Bud Light Lime, a twist on Bud Light that gives the beer a lime flavor. This beer has been a hit. I have tried it myself and it's not too bad, though I can't see drinking more then a couple at a time. This innovation does not seem to be a huge leap in the beer industry or anything that is unique enough to paten, however Anheuser-Busch and Labatt's (both owned by AB InBev) is suing a Waterloo, Ontario based craft beer brewer, Brick, for brewing a lime variety of their Red Baron beer. Anheuser-Busch is seeking a court injunction and compensation from Brick or a cut on their Red Baron Lime profits. The Ontario based brewer said that it wasn't a surprise and they plan to defend themselves in court.

I am not a legal expert, but I don't see how someone can sue for something they didn't invent - I have been putting lime in my beer for years (blonds like Corona or Sol) and this is how they have been marketing the beer and how it's should be drunk. This seems like a bully in the school yard looking for some lunch money and a way for Anheuser-Busch to eliminate competition. This is one of the reasons why it is so hard for smaller brewers to get a piece of the market and for the public to quality and variety we deserve.

This is the latest in an ongoing dispute between Labatt's and Brick. Labatt's had claimed that the Red Baron labels too closely resembled the Labatt's Brava labels (in fact some bottles were mistakenly returned to Labatt's by the Beer Store in Ontario). The matter was settled in June of this year.

Are the big producers in it for the money or the beer? Is big business preventing us, the devoted beer drinking public, from getting the best beers from the smaller craft brewers? What do you think

Ooh, Saucy!

Besides The Drink, I do enjoy The Food and I like to mix these to hobbies together. I have made a few good things (and a few less then great things). Here is a super simple recipe for a blueberry sauce that is great over ice cream, on pancakes, or on anything else you might think of.

Wild Blueberry Whiskey Sauce

1 cup wild blueberries

1 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

2 oz Whiskey

In a 2 quart sauce pan bring blueberries, water, and sugar to a simmer. Simmer until sugar dissolves and sauce thickens to a syrup consistency. Adjust taste by adding more sugar to desired sweetness. Add Whiskey and allow to heat then carefully light on fire - this will make a flash so be very careful. Burn until the flame is gone.

As an option, the syrup can be simmered until it thickens further and can be used like a jam and is great on toast.

Enjoy!

Beer Basics - Part Two: Storing and Serving

Most beer is not meant for long storage and should be drunk within a few weeks of bottling or kegging, depending on the beer. There are some exceptions to this rule, but generally speaking it's meant to be enjoyed sooner then later. Beer is best kept from exposure to sunlight as it can cause the beer to turn "skunky" and not so pleasant to drink, this is why most beer is bottled in dark brown bottles or kegs. Some beer is put into green bottles, which lessens the effects of the sunlight, but are not as protective as dark brown bottles.

Beer should be stored between 2 °C (35 °F) and 15 °C (60 °F), the higher the temperature the faster the beer will age. In North America beer is generally served chilled - this mutes some of the flavors and in Britain, it is served at room temperature so the full flavor can be enjoyed. As a general guide temperatures range from 7 °C (45 °F) for pale lagers to 15.5 °C (60 °F) for strong dark ales. Avoid freezing beer as it will form ice crystals that don't melt back the same way and will alter the taste of the beer.

There is a variety of glassware; almost every beer has its own glass that is designed to showcase the appearance, aroma, and the taste of the beer. As glassware could be a large topic, I digress. When it comes to pouring the beer, the amount of head there is on the beer in the glass can be controlled (to a point) by the pour. To archive a larger head the beer can be poured directly into the glass and to reduce the head, the glass can be tilted and the beer poured slowly.

The most important tip I can give it to always enjoy the beer and enjoy it responsibly.

~ More to come, stay tuned for Part Three: Types of Beer (some, not all)

Once Upon a Dark and Stormy Night...

It was a Dark and Stormy Night - no really, there's thunder outside and everything. I'm kidding, but there is Dark and Stormy Night by Picaroons Traditional Ale of Fredericton, NB, Canada on the table. Picaroons has produced this this deep reddish-brown ale that is a hybrid between a German dunkel and an English ale. It has a head that is off-white and slightly mocha with a light aroma of roasted barley with sweet, butterscotch notes. This ale has a slightly creamy texture and is lightly carbonated. The taste is wheat and roasted barley with a light, sweet caramel flavor.

This is a very easy drinking ale with a balanced flavor and light body.

My rating: 3.5/5

Beer Basics - Part One: Brewing God's Gift

"Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."

-- Benjamin Franklin

Beer has been around for thousands of years, it was brewed since ancient times by the Egyptians. It is the third most drunk beverage in the world behind water and tea. Beer has played a role in shaping out history - the Pilgrims on the Mayflower landed in Plymouth because, as was written by one of the passengers "we could not take time for further search or consideration, our victuals being much spent, especially our beer..."

Beer is made from pure water, hops, and grain, generally corn grits and malted barley (malted meaning that the barley has been soaked in water and allowed to germinate, sprouting just a little). The malted barley is what gives beer its flavor and color. The grains are cooked in the water to produce what is called the mash. The wart (the liquid part of the mash) is then removed with the solids discarded. The wort is boiled with hops and then cooled. Yeast is added and fermentation is allowed to occur (the yeast consumes the sugars producing alcohol and carbon dioxide). After fermentation is allowed to take place the end product (once filtered, most varieties anyway) is beer.

Brewing beer is an art and each brew is as unique as the brew master. Beer does not last forever, so each bottles is made to be enjoyed - and so we should.

~ More to come, stay tuned for Part Two: Storing and Serving

The Big Orange Screw

We now find ourselves in summer (well, in the northern hemisphere at least - sorry Australia) and it is a great time to enjoy the sun and have a cool refreshing cocktail. These are the days for laying on the deck, patio, or at the cottage, soaking up some sun and relaxing - - and of course enjoying a cool refreshing drink. Something that proclaims "Summer is here!", something that will quench your thirst on those hot, lazy days of summer.

Here is a refreshing summer drink that will please. It's served cool and has summer citrus flavours with refreshing zing of tonic water:

The Big Orange Screw

1 1/2 oz Gin

1 1/2 oz White Rum

1/2 Orange, juice of

Splash of Lime

Tonic water

Mix in a highball glass with ice. Enjoy.

Bad Water, Bad Ice, Bad Drink

Over the years I've gone from drinking purely to be drunk to enjoying the drink itself. I now enjoy the sometimes complex flavours that are in a drink. One thing I have discovered is that bad ingredients make for bad drinks. I'm sure this is not new news, but one thing I'm sure most people don't realizes is that bad water makes bad ice, makes bad drinks. I will not get into the importance of always using the top-shelf ingredients, not all of us can afford it, but using good water to make good ice is something we all can do.

I grew up in a rural village where we all had well water and it was spring fed, but I've live my adult life in cities and not always had good water. The best investment I have ever made in my bar was a water cooler and bottled water. My ice is made from non-chlorinated water that is a pure as you can buy (there is a lot of arguments on how good bottled water is - some say it's just tap water - but in most cases it will be better then city/town water). The water tastes pure, thus the ice tastes pure, the drink is not tainted by the ice and you get to enjoy the flavour of the drink and not impurities in your bad tap water.

Lately I have been having some issues with my ice - fracturing into pieces rather then coming out whole from the tray. I have been doing some research into this and the basic explanation for this is the development of large crystals in the ice. This is caused by freezing too fast, or so the research says. My freezer made great ice before and now it's brittle and breaking, the only thing that has changed is the weather - seems funny to say, but think about this: humidity causes frost in the freezer, frost is ice crystals. Never the less, the solution to the problem is to boil your water before you freeze it. The boiling will drive out extra gases in the water allowing for smaller crystals to form giving better ice.

I hope that this has given some insight to good mixology and helps you make better ice (and therefore better drinks). Try it and I'm sure you will agree that good ice makes a drink that much better.

As always, 'til next time enjoy responsibly.

The Drink, She Loves Me... tonight at least

For some time now I have enjoyed the drink - that is to say, most of my life - and the last few years I have started to experiment with different recipes. I enjoy trying new things and seeing how the turn out. Sometimes it's good, great even, and other times, well, less then great.

I have been keeping a journal on what drinks I have been making for a while now (after a couple it was hard to remember what I was making - you know what I mean) and now I think it's time to share them with the world. Some have never been tried by anyone other then myself, and others have been shared and even published.

Please try them out, enjoy them, share them, and let me know what you think.

Here is a Mexican twist on the Mojito.

Tequjito

1 1/2 oz Tequila
1 Lime, juice of
1/2 Tangerine, juice of
2 sprigs of Mint
1 tsp Sugar (or simple syrup)
1 tsp Salt
Club Soda

In mortar, mix lime juice and tangerine juice with mint, sugar, and salt. Pour into highball glass with ice. Add tequila and top with club soda.

Remember, enjoy responsibly, never drink and drive, and always tip the bartender - before the nights out he'll be your best friend.