Jamming with Jack Frost

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food-story

Winter may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it can inspire the cocktails filling the glasses of today’s daring drinkers

Barkeeps who loudly and enthusiastically proclaim they love winter might get side-eyed by bar patrons trying to escape the blustering January winds, but if those blizzard enthusiasts can whip up a seasonally appropriate — and delicious — cocktail, winter-weary tipplers might just sidle up.

We’re not just talking stirred drinks, infused with decadent comfort ingredients such as cinnamon and whipped cream, but cocktails that make the best of theseason, with artisanal products, unique additions and creative mixing methods. “At the height of each season, there are different ingredients available,” says Toronto based Colborne Lane mixologist, Scott McMaster.In the winter months, McMaster looks to the age-old tradition of canning and preserving. “[In winter] we look at what’s available to us, and we use preserves, jams and jellies. A lot of items fall into the ‘preserve’ category, with creations that can be frozen, canned or dried. They can be used to add flavour and sweetness to a drink instead of simple syrup, and a flavoured jam or jelly adds an extra layer to a cocktail.”

“One fruit I like to preserve and give flavour to are cherries. [I like] grabbing a big bag when in season, pitting them and slow cooking them in simple syrup with a mixed bag of accent spices. Months later, I add that plump little morsel to a Manhattan, and that gives me more pride than fishing a little neon red ball from a jug,” says McMaster.

McMaster doesn’t shy away from bringing molecular gastronomy from the kitchen into the bar, and he excitedly talks about using soy lecithin to make
airs and hold foam bubbles together or liquid nitrogen in beverages. “It’s the ‘wow’ factor,” adds McMaster. “[Liquid nitrogen] can be used in a
martini. You can have it shaken, stirred, or made with liquid nitrogen and have it frozen immediately. Plus, people get the smoke show,” he laughs.

“We try to make something that, once it’s tasted, evokes wonderful memories,” he says. “It’s kind of a cliché, but we want someone to feel like they’re tasting
winter, fall or summer in a glass.”

Putting Jack Frost in a glass may seem like a challenge, but it can be as simple as taking a generic staple ingredient, such as gin, and mixing it with accoutrements that give it a seasonal kick. McMaster’s “Golden Step” martini, which he entered in the Beefeater 24 competition, was a concoction of gin, elder flower, white cranberry juice, pumpkin syrup and grapefruit bitters.It sounds complex, but the inclusion of the fall-inspired pumpkin and winterwhite juice is all it takes to make someone feel like they’re drinking the season.

Customers looking for a drink where the theme is more overt might gravitate to festive staples such as a white Cosmopolitan, which can be topped with hints of red and blue to further capture the mood of the season. “It’s about flavour and colour,” says McMaster. “[You can] play with colour or just keep that white, crisp look to it.”

Ultimately, what McMaster thinks most cocktail enthusiasts are looking for is a new take on an old idea. “Honestly, knowledge is the big thing. People
are stuck in their ways, and they may want just one thing. We’ll guide the guest to something new that’s similar to what they’re looking for, and then they’ll
be more interested.”

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