Week of June 11, 2009, Issue #712
SUMMER FOOD
Keep it cool
Summer can get hot, but these drinks will cool you down
Summer in Edmonton means heat. The recent weather is but a blip—the hot stuff will be coming, and hopefully soon. That's why it's important that you arm yourself with liquid refreshment, because when the going gets tough, the tough hit the patio. As soon as the mercury starts to rise, these six summery drinks should have you cooled off in no time.
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<h3>The Bender</h3>
Emily Dirk
The Bend (14743 - 40 Ave)
Emily Dirk greeted me with a smile at The Bend, which was half full of Riverbenders having Sunday afternoon beers. Between ferrying popcorn to various tables and joking with customers, Dirk made me a Bender, the bar's featured summer drink. She describes the drink as "refreshing" and "different," and says that the combination of cider and hard alcohol gives a "nice contrast that mixes all elements."
This drink is reminiscent of summer in its bubbliness and fruitiness. There's a lot of sweetness here, both in how it tastes and in its girly drink look. It's pretty, but don't ignore the alcohol content. Cranberry juice, ginger ale and fruity flavours make it easy to forget that you're not drinking fruit juice. I was careful and left some behind so that I wouldn't be unprofessionally stumbling out of the bar. If you like things less sweet, try cutting the ginger ale, upping the cider, and going with a citrus or ginger vodka instead of the sweeter blueberry one.
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The Bender
½ Strongbow cider
1 shot blueberry vodka
cranberry juice
ginger ale
Pour Strongbow into a pint glass half full of ice, add a shot of vodka and fill the glass the rest of the way with equal parts ginger ale and cranberry juice.
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<h3>Panaché</h3>
Mark Woytiuk
Leva Café (11053 - 86 Ave)
Mark Woytiuk was busy fielding the tail end of the lunch rush at Leva when I dropped in to see him, but he managed to take the time to sit and drink a Panaché with me. Woytiuk says this drink is good because he uses a good quality blonde French beer (Fischer) that is caramelly rather than crisp or dry, so it makes a good contrast with tart lemonade. He warns that this won't taste good if you use Bud Light. He also uses real lemonade, not lemon-lime soda. It has endless possible variations depending on the beer you choose, and it's "nice for the patio because of its low alcohol content." It's good for a hot day.
This is a summer-is-too-short drink, sidestepping all but the most rudimentary measuring. I love its simplicity and its flavour. Lemonade is light and summery, and the beer keeps the sweetness in check while adding a touch of carbonation that floats on your tongue. Woytiuk explained that Panaché is French for this particular mixed drink. This is flexible, so try your favourite beer. I like the St. Ambroise Blonde.
Panaché
1 part lemonade
1 part blonde beer
This is easy. Pour lemonade into a glass. Top it up with beer. According to Woytiuk, if the beer is cold, you'll get a bit of a floating effect, which looks great and tastes good too.
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<h3>Melony C</h3>
Curtis Fowlie
Hundred Bar (10136 - 100 St)
Bartender Curtis Fowlie is dedicated to his cause—he drove into town to meet me at Hundred in between games of a baseball tournament (he was on the Showgirls team). Then he put on a tie! Fowlie recommends the Melony C because it's light and refreshing, without the "sweet, heavy taste" fruity drinks sometimes have, and because it uses watermelon, "the ultimate summer fruit." Hundred bar manager Ian Frank adds that the drink is seasonal and easy to make.
The Melony C takes advantage of summer produce. It looks like a lady drink, but the watermelon's crispness and the minimal amount of simple syrup kept it from tasting sugary. For backyard use, make these drinks in a blender and serve them from a pitcher. You could also try varying the spirits. Gin's herbal notes would make a nice counterpoint to the watermelon.
Melony C
1 ½ oz Absolut Citron (or other citrus vodka)
½ oz watermelon liqueur
3 to 4 one-inch cubes of fresh watermelon
½ oz simple syrup
½ oz lime juice
Muddle watermelon cubes with simple syrup, watermelon liqueur, and Absolut Citron. Shake with ice, then strain and sieve (to eliminate pulp) into a martini glass. Garnish with two melon balls on a martini pick.
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<h3>Gingered Arnold Palmer & Pomegranate Martini</h3>
Bryce Parsons
Suede (11806 Jasper Ave)
Bryce Parsons obviously loves his job. When I arrived at Suede and asked him for a drink, he couldn't narrow his choices down to just one. He made two drinks, then sat down with me to taste his creation. Parsons says that the ideal summer drink "combines sweet and sour" to quench thirst. He also notes that a good summer drink is simple, saying "we have such a short time for summer. Every minute counts." Don't fiddle with overly complicated drinks.
Both of Parsons' drinks are tea based. The Gingered Arnold Palmer plays on a classic mocktail. I like this one because of its simplicity and endless possibilities. You can alter the alcohol (use different flavoured vodkas or try another spirit) and use your favourite iced tea or even brew your own. The pomegranate martini has more ingredients, but it's still easy to assemble. You can easily make larger batches of both drinks for parties.
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Pomegranate Green Tea Martini
1 oz Three Olives pomegranate vodka
1 oz Pama liqueur
½ oz Zen Green Tea liqueur
splash of apple juice
splash of lemon juice
lemon slice for garnish
Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice, then strain into a martini glass. Parsons suggests serving this in teacups.
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Gingered Arnold Palmer
2 oz Alchemia ginger vodka
1 part lemon juice/lemonade
1 part iced tea
8 mint leaves
Muddle mint leaves in a pilsner glass, then add ice, lemon, iced tea and vodka. Stir. Quadruple this recipe for a pitcher drink.
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<h3>Barnamint Baileys</h3>
Jason Osborne
Bartender-about-town Jason Osborne has worked all over the world and at bars all over the city, including Union Hall and Ruth's Chris. Osborne recently won a nationwide bartending competition that was sponsored by Gibson's, but while he's an accomplished bartender, he's tired of serving highballs and shots and trying to decipher the made-up drink names people throw at him. He's currently DJing at Rockstar Tuesday at Suite 69. Osborne's summer drink is a spiked milkshake, because "ice cream goes with summer, and now that we're all grown up, we can put some alcohol in it." Just make sure that it's thick enough. Add more ice cream or crushed ice to get the right consistency.
It's ice cream and cookies. Honestly, do you need to be convinced? While I wouldn't drink this in the middle of a hot summer day, I can't wait to sit on my balcony with a spiked milkshake after barbecuing burgers. This drink could also be easily adjusted if you're not a mint fan. I bet coffee liqueur would go well.
Barnamint Bailey
2 heaping scoops vanilla ice cream
3 Oreo cookies
2 oz milk
¾ oz Baileys
¾ oz crème de menthe
small handful of crushed ice
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Adjust proportions as needed to get the right consistency. Top with whipped cream and an Oreo if you want to get fancy. V
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