LCBO Food & Drink Early Summer 2020

Soda shoppe from page 82

SIMPLE SYRUP Bring 1 cup (250 mL) water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add 1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar. Stir until dissolved. Remove from heat. Let cool completely. If making ahead, syrup will keep well stored in a resealable container in the fridge for at least 2 weeks.

REBUJITO Briny, bone-dry fino sherry plays the foil to sweet-tart sparkling lemonade in one of Spain’s most beloved aperitifs. Make sure to keep sherry refrigerated after opening and finish the bottle within a few weeks. Instead of Fever-Tree Sicilian Lemonade, you could use Sanpellegrino Limonata soda. 3 oz fino or manzanilla sherry, chilled 4 oz Fever-Tree Sicilian Lemonade, chilled Mint sprig to garnish 1 Fill a chilled Highball glass with ice. Pour in sherry. Top with soda, pouring slowly. Lightly stir and garnish with mint sprig.

Makes 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) syrup

BLACK CHERRY BLUES Bourbon and cherry soda go together like rum and coke, while muddled citrus and Angostura bitters bring extra complexity. Both Cott and Boylan Bottleworks make black cherry soda that can be used instead of Stewart’s. 1 lemon wheel, 1/4 inch (5 mm) thick, halved 1 orange wheel, 1/4 inch (5 mm) thick, halved 2 oz bourbon 2 dashes Angostura bitters 3 ice cubes plus extra 4 oz Stewart’s Black Cherry soda, chilled Maraschino cherry to garnish 1 In a cocktail shaker, muddle lemon and orange wheels. Add bourbon, bitters and 3 ice cubes. Shake 5 seconds. Fine-strain into a large chilled Lowball glass filled three-quarters with ice. Top with soda, pouring slowly, and lightly stir. Garnish with cherry. PINK GIN FIZZ Fruity, floral and mouth-wateringly tart, this pink drink takes the classic Gin Fizz and gives it a fabulous makeover. Fentimans Rose Lemonade is unique, but you could also make this cocktail with sparkling lemonade or elder- flower soda. 2 oz gin 1/2 oz strained fresh lemon juice 1/2 oz Grenadine (recipe on page 127) Ice 4 oz Fentimans Rose Lemonade, chilled 1 Place gin, lemon juice and grenadine in a cocktail shaker. Fill three-quarters with ice. Shake until ice cold, about 12 seconds. Strain into a chilled tall glass. Top with soda, pouring slowly. Stir once. No garnish. Makes 1 drink

SAUVIGNON SPRITZER The tropical fruit flavours of a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc are a natural with LaCroix Passionfruit sparkling water in this refreshing, low-buzz spritzer. Just about any New World Sauv’ Blanc should work fine in this drink. Ice 4 oz New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, chilled 1 tsp (5 mL) Simple Syrup (recipe this page) 2 oz LaCroix Passionfruit sparkling water, chilled Lime wheel 1 Fill a chilled red wine glass three-quarters with ice. Pour in wine and Simple Syrup. Top with sparkling water, pouring slowly. Lightly stir, and garnish with lime wheel. RYE AND ’BUCHA A New Age spin on the great Canadian High- ball finds spicy rye whisky and tangy ginger kombucha sweetened with a hint of maple syr- up. Since kombucha varies in sweetness and acidity from brand to brand, if you don’t use Rise you may need to adjust the maple syrup. Ice 1 1/2 oz rye whisky 1/4 oz strained fresh lemon juice 1/4 oz pure maple syrup, or more to taste 4 1/2 oz Rise ginger kombucha Long, thin lemon twist cut with channel knife 1 Place 2 ice cubes in a chilled Highball glass. Add rye, lemon juice and maple syrup. Stir for 15 seconds. Fill glass with ice. Top with kombu- cha, pouring slowly. Lightly stir. Garnish with lemon twist. Makes 1 drink

Makes 1 drink

Ready, set, pour! from page 33

KENTUCKY ICED TEA This Southern Highball tones down the sugar of classic bourbon sweet tea, while adding a new flavour profile with peach tea. Feel free to ex- periment with other fruit-flavoured herbal teas such as cherry or blackberry. And if caffeine is a concern, use decaffeinated orange pekoe.

6 cups (1.5 L) cold water 4 orange pekoe tea bags 2 peach herbal tea bags 2 cups (500 mL) bourbon

3/4 cup (175 mL) Simple Syrup (recipe this page) 1/4 cup (60 mL) strained fresh lemon juice 6 cups (1.5 L) ice cubes, about 1 1/2 lbs (680 g), plus more for serving Lemon slices and mint sprigs to garnish 1 In an 8-cup (2-L) glass jar or pitcher, com- bine water and tea bags. Cover and refrig- erate. After 6 hours, remove and discard tea bags. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 3 days. 2 In a 16-cup (4-L) drink dispenser or punch bowl, pour in bourbon, Simple Syrup, lemon juice and iced tea. Stir. Add 6 cups ice cubes, lemon slices and mint sprigs. 3 Serve with chilled glasses and ice cubes, and garnish with lemon slices and mint sprigs. Makes 8 to 10 drinks

TRY WITH Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon LCBO 605063, $40.55

Makes 1 drink

Makes 1 drink

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EARLY SUMMER 2020 FOOD & DRINK