LCBO Food & Drink Autumn 2024

Inside Scoop from page 17

MILANO-TORINO BY ERIC VELLEND

NIGHT HARVEST MARTINI BY CHRISTINE SISMONDO

Beyond after-dinner sipping, icewine is also a bril liant cocktail ingredient. Here, it’s cut with vodka, stirred until bracingly cold, and served with a pair of juicy grapes. The name comes from the fact that the frozen grapes for icewine are mostly picked at night, when temperatures are coldest. 1 oz vodka, chilled 3/4 oz Vidal icewine, chilled 2 green grapes on a cocktail pin to garnish 1. Chill a martini glass in freezer for at least 15 minutes. 2. Pour vodka and icewine into a mixing glass. Fill halfway with ice. Stir for 45 seconds. Strain into chilled martini glass. Garnish with grapes. Makes 1 drink Sage, one of Indigenous culture’s sacred medicines, brings earthy and citrusy notes to this mocktail, and it’s a natural with the sweetness of butternut squash. Throw in maple syrup and a splash of lemon, and this drink is a testament to traditional Indig enous ingredients with all the fall feels. Bonus: it’s a great way to use up leftover roasted squash! SQUASH PURÉE 11/2 cups (375 mL) roasted butternut squash 1/2 tbsp (7 mL) maple syrup 1 tsp (5 mL) cinnamon Salt to taste SQUASH & SAGE MOCKTAIL BY MEGAN POWELL

A predecessor to the Negroni, this delicious aperitivo was likely created at Milan’s Caffè Campari in the 1860s. Its name represents the origins of the two ingredients: Campari (Milan) and sweet vermouth (Turin). It also goes by the abbreviated Mi-To. 11/2 oz Campari Aperitivo ( LCBO 277954, $34.80 ) 11/2 oz sweet vermouth, preferably Martini Rosso Vermouth ( LCBO 215343, 1 L, $17.95 ), chilled Orange twist 1. Pour Campari and vermouth into a chilled rocks glass three quarters filled with ice. Stir for 15 seconds. Squeeze orange twist over drink and place in glass. This syrup uses only apple peels and cores, and is flavoured with ginger and cinnamon, making it a perfect sweetener for drinks, especially Calvados. Made with a greater ratio of brown sugar—see variation following this recipe—it’s excellent drizzled on pancakes or French toast. You could always split the apple water and make both! Peels and cores from 2 large apples, preferably Honeycrisp 5 slices fresh ginger 1 3-inch (8-cm) cinnamon stick 2 cups (500 mL) water Granulated sugar, about 1 cup (250 mL) 1. In a small saucepan, bring apple peels and cores, ginger, cinnamon and water to a boil over high heat. Drop heat enough so it still simmers vigorously, but does not boil violently. Cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. 2. Fine-strain into a measuring pitcher, making note of the amount. It should be around 1 cup (250 mL). Pour spiced apple water into a clean small saucepan. Add an equal volume of sugar. Place over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Transfer to a glass jar. Cover with lid and refrigerate up to 1 month. Makes 1 drink SPICED APPLE PEEL SYRUP BY ERIC VELLEND

BLONDE ON BLONDE BY ERIC VELLEND

Equal parts Lillet Blanc and dry vermouth sea- soned with orange bitters, this drink is light, re- freshing and not too sweet. If you have two brands of orange bitters in your bar, use a dash of each. 11/2 oz Lillet Blanc ( LCBO 322297, $26.95 ), chilled 11/2 oz dry vermouth, preferably Dolin Vermouth de Chambery Dry AOC ( LCBO 370858, $16.45 ), chilled 2 dashes orange bitters Lemon twist 1. Pour Lillet, vermouth and bitters into a chilled rocks glass three quarters filled with ice. Stir for 15 seconds. Squeeze lemon twist over drink and

place in glass. Makes 1 drink

DUPLEX BY ERIC VELLEND

This simple yet sophisticated aperitif dates back to The Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book by Albert Stevens Crockett (1935). When served over ice with a lemon twist instead of orange, it’s called a French Kiss. If you have two brands of orange bitters in your bar, use a dash of each.

11/2 oz dry vermouth, chilled 11/2 oz sweet vermouth, chilled 2 dashes orange bitters Orange twist

SAGE-INFUSED MAPLE SYRUP 1/2 cup (125 mL) maple syrup 4 large sage leaves MOCKTAIL 4 large sage leaves, divided 1/4 oz fresh lemon juice 3 tbsp (45 mL) Squash Purée 2 oz water 3/4 oz Sage-Infused Maple Syrup

1. Place vermouths and bitters in a mixing glass. Fill halfway with ice. Stir until ice-cold, about 20 sec onds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Squeeze orange twist over drink and place in glass. Makes 1 drink

ALFONSO XIII BY ERIC VELLEND

1. For the squash purée, place ingredients in a food processor. Run machine, stopping to scrape down bowl, until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate up to 4 days. 2. For the sage-infused maple syrup, place ingredients in a small pot over medium-low heat. Gently simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, cool completely and strain into a glass jar. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 weeks. 3. For the mocktail, place 3 sage leaves and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker. Muddle for 15 seconds. Add squash purée, water and syrup. Fill halfway with ice. Shake until ice-cold, about 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with remaining sage leaf. Makes 1 drink

This unlikely Franco-Spanish alliance features equal parts sweet, fruity Dubonnet Rouge and dry, nutty sherry. The result is a complex, balanced drink that’s much lower in alcohol than a spiritous libation. Adapted from The Artistry of Mixing Drinks by Frank Meier (Fryam Press, 1936), it’s named after the King of Spain from 1886 to 1931. 11/2 oz Dubonnet Rouge ( LCBO 386334, $17.00 ), chilled 11/2 oz fino sherry, chilled Lemon twist 1. Place ingredients in a mixing glass. Fill halfway with ice. Stir until ice-cold, about 20 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Squeeze lemon twist over drink and place in glass. Makes 1 drink

Makes about 11/2 cups (375 mL)

RICH SPICED APPLE PEEL SYRUP Instead of an equal volume of granulated sugar, add twice the volume, using either light or dark brown sugar. Cook over medium-low heat and strain if you see any hardened bits of sugar that won’t dissolve.

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