David Szanto

Je me resouviendrai 52 cocktails of Québec Je me resouviendrai Je me resouviendrai

52 cocktails of Québec

David Szanto

ÉDITIONS FRIGO © David Szanto 2010 for Joey Lamen—

Éditions Frigo a stirring shaker, 4407 boul. St-Laurent #2 straight up. Montréal (QC) H2W 1Z8 Canada Tel: 514-312-8278

All rights reserved. No reproduction of this work, in whole or in part, is permitted without written authorization.

Although this book celebrates and recommends the consumption of alcoholic cocktails, drinking liquor is not always the right choice for all people. Be smart, and when drinking, enjoy your cocktails in moderate moderation. cataloguing in publication data TK Preface

Many years ago, my sister, Elisabeth, left Montréal to go study math and philosophy at university in Boston. On a visit home, she told us a joke she had heard, which appropriately enough merged the two subjects in which she was then immersed. It went something like this: René Descartes walks into a bar. The bartender looks up at him and asks, “the usual, René?” The philosopher ponders the question for a moment, then announces, “I think not,” and promptly disappears. I was thoroughly frustrated, at age fifteen, by this joke, never having encountered Descartes’ famous statement, cogito ergo sum, linking thought with being, and underpinning the scholary humour my sister had started to appreciate. But I was also frus- trated, and scared, by the emerging distance between Elisabeth and me that the joke reinforced. She had gone back to the city where we had both been born (though lived only briefly), per- haps refinding a more comfortable sense of belonging there, and leaving me alone to develop an anglo-montréalais identity of my own. She had become clever and witty in that place, and though I would later adopt this joke as my own—including the mixology—it’s an appropriate time to think about where we have significance of its bar setting—it highlighted the reality that a come from, gastronomically, and where we are going. How would separation can grow between even the closest of siblings. a bartender interpret Québec if the province walked in, plunked Today, some twenty-five years later, cocktails and identity itself down on a stool, and placed an order? and place have become major themes in my life. In September To M. Descartes’ great statement, then, I offer a variant: 2009, I began a project within the graduate design program at bibito ergo sum. For it is perhaps by both thinking and drinking that Concordia University, centered on these ideas. The Bar N+1 was we can say and enact who we truly are. At least until the next round. an interactive installation, based on the notion that ordering and drinking a cocktail is a process of self-definition. By stripping —D.S. away some of the cultural baggage around alcohol and brands Montréal, August 2010 and interior design and music and lighting, I wanted to under- stand how we might express our personality through a cocktail order. I’m a martini drinker or I prefer it on the rocks, not too sweet or simply, the usual, please. The bartender who mixes up your order creates an interpretation of your expressed desire—not an exact representation of it. It is filtered through the bartender’s impres- sion of you in that moment, as well as through his or her own personality. Finally, by consuming, you alter yourself, even if only a little bit, and only for a short time. You are what you drink. Like my sister, I too went away from the city of my youth to study, but my travels and experiences brought me back to Montréal. My being needed to find its home base. I sampled (and made) many drinks along the way, adding bartender to my own identiy mix, and becoming fascinated with how an individual, or a place, might be represented by a cocktail. This book, then, is the Bar N+1, plus one: the next iteration of my project on cocktails and identity. As Québec’s food and drink culture grows—we’re seeing more and more bars and restaurants offering the latest in

viii ix Introduction

What is a cocktail? There are shrimp cocktails and fruit cock- tails, drug cocktails and Molotov cocktails, cocktails of toxic waste and cocktail sausages, and of course the cocktails that come in a glass—mixtures of alcohol that are drunk in a bar or in a living room or poolside. There are those who will say they do not drink cocktails (too strong, too busy, too sweet), prefering wine or beer. There are those who drink no alcohol at all, who have taken cocktails off their personal menu. And there are those for whom another time is conjured up, or another place, or another kind of drinker altogether, when the word is even mentioned. Dictionary definitions of the word vary greatly. Ulti- mately, however, a cocktail is a blend of ingredients, merged under specific circumstances, and experienced within tem- poral limits. Brought together in these ways, the cocktail has significance greater than its components, and its effects go beyond those of the individual parts. Depending on the venue, the maker, and the consumer, this significance may change, and rarely do the cocktail’s effects stay consistent with each subse- quent iteration. The province of Québec itself is a cocktail. A few parts farmers and processors and retailers, writers and researchers and anglo, a few parts franco, a few parts native. Additional elements, critics, celebrities and chefs and teachers. We are all gastronomes, migrating into the mix over time, have contributed new aromas in a way—we eat, every one of us, and there are precious few who and tastes. We shake ourselves up periodically, and ice is rarely in don’t share what they think and feel and like. short supply. The result: distinctive, sometimes volatile, occasion- To bring ourselves face-to-face with who we were and ally flammable. And very definitely intoxicating. who we will be as a province, and to believe in and support the Outside of Québec, we are often thought of as French. existence and evolution of our culture, we need to re-remember A nation of wine drinkers and pâté eaters, beret-wearing admir- who we are. We need to re-remember the ingredients of the ers of Piaf and Depardieu. Within our borders, we of course see québécois cocktail—both old and new—and recognize its unique ourselves differently. We are both proud of our cultural heritage flavour and value. So too do we need to remember, today, that the and disparaging of its humbleness and American influences. We flavour tomorrow will be subtly different, even if it is the same have enacted language laws, through substantial strife, directed basic drink that we are enjoying. at preserving and valorizing our culture. In the realm of food, When you walk into a bar and order, for example, a we challenge each others’ regional variations on tourtière and Manhattan, myriad variables will influence what you experience guédilles, tout the terroir of our maple syrup, establish pro- in the drinking. The brands of bourbon and vermouth, of course, tected denominations, and champion our local pork, apples, and and the type of fruit and/or twist that is added. But also the way dairy. Yet we also admonish ourselves for consuming fast food the bartender interprets who you are, either directly or through and snack cakes, bemoan the brevity of our growing season, and a server, and how your preferences should be responded to. The shudder at the baseness of the Marie Antoinettes and Lafleurs proportions, the chill of the glass, the stirring or shaking, the that we grew up loving. For our food we feel part pride and part time over ice, the pour, the garnish. Its presentation—on a nap- shame, and partly we feel nothing at all, thinking Québec simply kin? on a coaster? with élan? with a spill?—and the surrounding doesn’t have a gastronomic culture. environment. Are you in a dimly lit lounge dotted with fringed Yet our food heritage is rich, and complex, and as im- lampshades and sultry, exchanged glances, set to the sounds of portant to the preservation of québécois culture as the promo- a smoky-voiced singer and her four-piece band? Or a glass and tion of our official language (as well as all our unofficial ones). chrome airport bar, packed with roller bags and tense travelers, Québec is full of gastronomes—figures from the past and the faint scent of jetfuel tingling your nostrils? When you lift present, and from our history and our imaginations, who have the glass to your lips, in what state do you receive the first sip? contributed to the creation of our culinary character. They are It initiates a transformation, and all that has gone into making xii xiii the drink—the history and technique and symbolism, as well as culture, as illicit and poor-quality “bathtub” gin was made more the alcohol and mixes, the bitters, the juices—goes into you. It is palatable with sweeteners and strongly flavoured mixers. Dur- an alchemical infusion of culture and identity and memory and ing the post-War boom in North America, wealthy anglophone place. A cocktail. culture embraced the cocktail hour—both after work in cocktail The word itself was probably coined at the beginning of bars and in the home, pre-dinner. While vodka would eventually the nineteenth century in the United States, and has conflicted replace gin in popularity, drinks tended to the relatively simple: and clouded etymological roots. A rooster’s tail feather used as a variations on the Martini (gin and dry vermouth) and Daiquiri swizzle stick? A bastardization of the French-language name of (rum and lime), or whiskey, bitters, and fruit mixtures like the the measure used to dole out ingredients? Whatever the case, the Manhattan or Old Fashioned. A variant on the cocktail, the basic recipe was thus: alcohol, sugar, bitters, and water. The goal shooter—generally composed of two high-sugar liqueurs— was to harmonize the flavours and mysteriously hide the taste of fueled the nightclubbing 1980s, then faded away relatively each individual ingredient, while achieving a distinct and unique rapidly. The early 1990s saw a return to the classic, strong, and overall result. simple (vodka Martinis re-emerged alongside rare-cooked steaks) Balance, then, is key to making a good cocktail. The before the Sex and the City quartet skyrocketed Cosmopolitans medications in a drug cocktail interact with each other to provide and a whole host of girly and not-so-girly innovations onto the a benefit otherwise unattainable. The success of a seafood cock- bartop. Today, the retro combo of sleeve garters, suspenders or tail depends on a harmony of briny and sweet, tangy and tender. vests, and slicked-back hair defines the look for hipster bar mas- Beverages such as wine and coffee are a kind of cocktail them- ters, and house-made infusions or extracts populate the backlit selves, an equilibrium between taste and aroma, intensity and counters of the more progressive saloons. And as sushi and sou- bouquet, texture and appearance. Bringing about balance requires vlaki creep their way along Route 132, so too do the mojitos and precision on the part of the maker, in both measuring and mixing, side cars and saketinis. and has engendered specialized terms, tools, and techniques. The This book of identity cocktails reflects the multiplic- bartender, with his quasi-scientific skills, may ascend tomixologist, ity of elements that compose our province. The food figures, carrying glamour and power and status. He is an alchemist, a from whom mixological inspiration is drawn, are some (but by transformer of elements, of drinkers, and of his own self. no means all) of the personalities that shaped and continue to Since its muddled origins, the cocktail has become shape québécoise gastronomy. The 52 seasonally thematic mo- strongly associated with specific eras and cultures. The Prohi- ments that are linked to each of the figures, and which make up bition period in the United States saw an upswing in cocktail a year in the life of Québec, are a cross-section of the breadth xiv xv and variety of everything that happens here annually. A cock- tail a week, therefore, for a taste of what it means to live in this province from January through December. Together, the themes and people represent one interpre- tation of that rare mix that is our culture, viewed from a specfic persepctive in both time and space. Like the ephemerality of the moment between bartender and drinker, and between drinker and cocktail, so is this book but a slim and transitory slice of Québec. Drinks I have perceived my province, gathered some details about its winter gastronomes, and presented what I think are some amusing and 1 renewal enjoyable quaffs. What remains is for you, the reader and drinker, 2 epiphany to respond. Respond to the cocktails, their identities, and the 3 ice 4 reality times that spawned them. Then, perhaps, try to re-remember 5 home ourselves, and reinvent the drinks from your own perspective, 6 shadow reinterpreting the cocktail of Québec for yourself. 7 heart 8 break 9 storm 10 clearing 11 film 12 Ireland 13 depression spring 14 fooling 15 maple 16 eggs 17 earth 18 mourning 19 virginity 20 opening 21 patriotism xvi 22 burgeoning 23 terrasses 24 follies 25 berries 26 nationalism summer 27 federalism 28 powwow 29 arts I like to have a martini, 30 construction Two at the very most. 31 woods After three I’m under the table, 32 swimming 33 Acadia after four I’m under my host. 34 humidity 35 casse-croûte —Dorothy Parker 36 industry 37 school 38 cowboy 39 harvest fall 40 preservation 41 opportunity 42 grace 43 frost 44 disguise 45 spirits 46 memory 47 decoration 48 hibernation 49 shopping 50 transition 51 baking 52 feast WINTER balance

As in so many other aspects of food and drink, balance is the key ingredient in making and drinking good cocktails. Equili- brating the flavours and aromas, the sugar and acid levels, the temperature and texture, as well as the alcohol-to-dilutant ratio—all will ensure a beverage that’s pleasing. But because all taste is subjective, that balance must be determined by the individual. Some like it hot, some not. For some even a touch of sweet is too much. For others, alcohol isn’t an option, either for taste, tolerance, medical, social, or religious reasons. Removing the booze altogether, in that case, is how equilibrium is made. Balance is about finding yours, including the quantity, order, and time in which you drink. When mixing, think about building the interplay be- tween alcohol, water, acid, bitter, and sweet. To tweak the sweet- ness, your best tool is either agave syrup or simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water, heated to a simmer then cooled), both of which allow control over sugar without adding too much flavour. THE MARTIN P week 1 Like its namesake, focuses less on rigid adherence to using local ingredients and following time- r e n e w a l less tradition, and more on the pleasure of remaking a classic in the same spirit but with an updated perspective. Here, the loungy standby, the Sidecar, is made more luxurious with a At both the Montréal-based restaurant, Au Pied du Co- heady pear liqueur and the rich, dry smack of an apple-based chon and his more recently opened Cabane à Sucre in St- brandy. American bitters make it very contemporarily Québec. Benoît de Mirabel, 45 minutes west of the city, Martin Picard serves up equal portions of culinary humor, québé- 2 oz calvados cois heritage, and innovative indulgence. Mounds of foie gras 0.25 oz Belle de Brillet and piles of pork abound, all napped in a saucy mix of rein- squeeze fresh lemon juice vention and sly, foodish winks. While we revel in the bison 2 drops Fee Brothers tartare, duck in a can, whole roast piglet head, and plogues Whiskey Barrel–Aged Bitters with artisan cheese curds and maple syrup, Picard also slips in some national identity. Many simply consider him over the In a shaker, combine all ingredients over not too much ice and shake vigorously. top, or a marketing genius playing off the day’s tastes, or a Strain into a chilled martini glass. loud-mouthed and hairy hedonist. In fact, he is at once a gastronomic rebel and a dedicated cultural con- servationist, and his food—indeed his entire attitude towards hospital- ity and cooking—is neither haute nor humble, but a savvy blurring and renovation of both.

2 3 SALAD week 2 is a revelation for both body and soul when the early days of January seem too dreary for words. Even if there’s e p i p h a n y nothing growing on your rooftop or back deck, this fresh com- bination of vegetable juices and potent spirits will raise your heart high, at least for a while. Ismael Hautecoeur coordinates Montréal’s Rooftop

Garden Project, an eye-opening effort to provide urban- 2.5 oz vodka ites with the means and know-how to grow at least some of 0.5 oz cucumber juice their own food in places where tillable soil is at a premium. dash salty simple syrup Grounded in the international social sustain- squeeze fresh lime juice ability organization, Alternatives, the pinch ground cardamon project has established gardens on the 2-3 drops maple syrup McGill and UQÀM campuses, at the 6-7 fresh basil leaves Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec, as well as at other edu- In a blender, combine all ingredients cational and community sites in and and blend until basil is coarsely around Montréal. Much of the food that chopped. Strain into a shaker and stir Hautecoeur and his team produce from their over ice. Pour into a chilled martini glass partner gardens goes to Santropol Roulant—a local and garnish with a twist of lemon. meals-on-wheels organization that provides food to seniors and those with diminished autonomy through a network of rolling volunteers. Community and individual health, health- ful foods and production practices, healthy cities and futures. All worth raising a glass to and toasting with a hearty Santé!

4 5 THE ENTERTAINER week 3 is a slow-sipping but gener- ous drink that goes down smooth and cool for a long win- i c e ter’s night of music appreciation. Essentially a dry gibson, it harmonizes Hendrick’s unique aromas with the tang of the onions, and the single cube gives both visual and sonic appeal. The tinkling sounds of cubes in a glass and music on the air Jacques Normand, came together around the person of 3.5 oz Hendrick’s gin a singer and host of a spate of programs on radio, starting in 0.75 oz Noilly Prat dry vermouth 1941, and later on television, when it first made its appearance in Québec in 1952. Known north and south of the American border, he appeared alongside such performers as Lise Roy and Bing Crosby, and through shows such as le Café Place one large ice cube des artistes, Porte ouverte, and Music-Hall, in a chilled rocks glass. Pour gin and vermouth introduced music fans to both international gently over ice and and québécois artists. A longtime asso- swirl glass several times. ciation with Gilles Pellerin, including as emcee Skewer two pickled onions on of numerous live cabarets, made Normand a fixture on the a toothpick and drop into the glass. Montréal nightlife scene, and a constancy with iced beverages introduced television viewers to the glamour of the cocktail. Born in the Charlesbourg arrondissement of Québec City in 1922, he was inducted into the Ordre national du Québec in 1994. He died in 1998.

6 7 THE PINARDI week 4 A big pink drink, is a bolder, more vivacious version of the Cosmopolitan: more flavour, deeper r e a l i t y colour, yet subtler in its balance and richer in aroma. The brands suggested below play off each other nicely, each bringing qualities from outside the province while combin- Daniel Pinard is a real communicator about really ing for a uniquely good mid-winter drink d’ici. good food. He brought vim and variety to the average dining- room table, while making the fact of being gay both accept- 2.5 oz Absolut vodka able and irrelevant. Straightforward when it comes to culture 0.5 oz Grand Marnier and taste, thinking about cooking, and action on globaliza- 0.25 oz fresh lemon juice tion, his personal panache is as impressive as his self-taught 0.25 oz Pom Wonderful skills. As a journalist and television personality, pomegranate juice he connects with his audience honestly and simply. As a sociologist and writer about In a shaker, combine all ingredients food chemistry, he understands the over ice and shake. Strain into underlying elements of why and what a martini glass and garnish with we eat. Ultimately, however, his most a twist of orange. important role may be as mentor and inspiration to cooks and food communicators (like Josée di Stasio), to the québécois palate, and to other media and public figures.

8 9 THE LOCABOIRE week 5 Imagine if you will that is really a Kir (Port) Royale, an applish take on the more traditional h o m e bubbly apéro. Though any brand will do, Michel Jodoin iderc­ is nicely dry and balances the sweetness of the Lac St-Jean blueberry juice. Staghorn sumac, which grows wild in the Bobby Grégoire’s food activism led him to explore woods, can be harvested and made into a tart “sumac-ade” the reality of adopting a 100-mile diet far from the region by crumbling the conical seed clusters in water, then filtering where the locavore trend first arose. He set himself the goal through cheesecloth. (Be sure to avoid poison sumac, with its of sourcing 75% of his food from within 160 kilometres of white berries, which grows mostly in marshy areas.) his home, and of only consuming products that were raised either organi- 1 oz Michel Jodoin Calijo cally or without pesticides, hor- apple brandy mones, or GMOs. That included 4 oz Michel Jodoin La Grande Tentation giving up choco- late, coffee, sparkling cider lemons, and a whole host of other 0.5 oz sumac-ade basics that most of us would never dream of 0.5 oz Blülife blueberry juice going without. It also included a months-long search for flour and affordable meat, and not drinking much wine. The up- Pour apple brandy into the bottom of a flute glass and add chilled cider. shot? Grégoire discovered a raft of foods he had never heard Top with sumac-ade and stir gently before about or enjoyed previously, and a respect for what his prov- adding blueberry juice in a slow stream. ince can produce. At the same time, he learned that not all growing regions can support such an idealized diet without making serious sacrifices (especially during a Québec winter), including giving up a degree of domestic harmony.

10 11 THE SARITA week 6 Food-justice defenders need drinks like when they’re dining incognito. Stealthfully disguised as a s h a d o w vodka- or gin-and-tonic, it has rather more going on beneath the mild-mannered appearance, and as a tall drink, it goes down slowly enough that you can keep a clear head while tak- Sarah Musgrave moves in darkness. The unseen ing copious notes about the entrées. guardian of goodness in the world of casual dining, she brings light and insight to the murky realm of high-quality, low- 2 oz reposado tequila priced meals. Reputed to be six feet tall, blonde, and blue- 2.5 oz tonic water eyed, this champion of value must forever protect her identity 1.5 oz soda water to remain anonymous and authoritative. To her squeeze fresh lemon juice admirers, she represents taste, security, 2 drops orange-flower water and confidence; to her foes, she is a sniffer-out of cheap pesto and In a tall highball glass, fake crab. Superhero? Caped combine all ingredients defendress of the masses? over not too much ice. Stir inconspicuously. More like journalist and critic, a Top with a wedge profession she has practiced since of fresh lime. 1999. Musgrave is also a food scholar, earning a master’s degree in 2009 by shining her high beams on the question of alimentary authenticity and place in the food world today. If you spot her, skulking in the dark corners of your neighbourhood bistro, offer a nod of appreciation, and keep on walking. Just know that she’s got your back.

12 13 THE SMOKY SCHWARTZ, week 7 like Montréal smoked meat, is an imported tradition, and one that could h e a r t eventually generate some pretty long lineups. Good thing it’s as generous as a Schwartz’s sandwich. (Definitely get the extra fat if you’re going to try this beefy drink.) Bourbon, which is Reuben Schwartz is a culture hero, a demigod who only made in Kentucky, is as varied and complex as any other stole knowledge from the heavens and delivered it unto hu- whiskey (or whisky, if we’re talking Canadian or Scotch), and manity. Except instead of fire, he snuck smoke and spices down the vanilla/caramel/tobacco aromas go great with meat. from the firmament, along with a good supplier of rye bread and pickles. The restaurant the Romanian immigrant established 3 oz Eagle Rare bourbon in 1928, 1 sugar lump Schwartz’s dash Fee Brothers H e b r e w Rhubarb Bitters Delicates- sen, is now Lightly rim a rocks glass a legend unto itself, and has spawned a book, a film, and a loyal with smoked fleur de sel. Place one large ice cube and following that creates hour-long lines running out the front a sugar lump in bottom of glass door. Order your meat sliced lean, regular, or extra fatty—it’s and shake in a dash of bitters. all good for the heart, filling you with a sense of satisfied well- Pour in bourbon and place an being. Schwartz’s preciously guarded spice recipe remains a orange slice next to cube. Swirl glass gently. secret, though the restaurant’s combination of conviviality and high-energy does not. Whether or not its founder knew that his recipe would come to be paired with Cott’s black cherry soda and pickled banana peppers is less clear.

14 15 THE RENÉ WEST week 8 is a bit obvious, a guzbo treat that isn’t really intended for day-to-day consumption. But if you’re b r e a k going to sneak an over-the-top drink, this one may be it. The proportions are highly adjustable, depending on whether you prefer fakey chocolate flavour or fakey vanilla flavour. René Brousseau, Thanks to an afternoon’s pause- Note: not to be consumed in 12-packs, even if you’re doing a café became a moment of pure processed-food indulgence. In Friday-night mani-pedi in front of the television. the 1940s, the then-foreman at the Vaillancourt pastry factory

reputedly invented everyone’s favorite 1.5 oz vanilla vodka sugar-bomb, the May West, today 0.5 oz vodka a part of the Vachon line of 0.5 oz Frangelico gâteries. A white cakelet filled 0.5 oz crème de cacao with yellowish-whitish creme (not cream) filling and covered in a chocolatey (not chocolate) In a shaker, combine first three coating, the oddly named snack ingredients over ice and shake well. holds icon status in Québec, and a guilt- Rim a martini glass with laden fondness among most adults. There’s even cocoa powder and a supersized version, twice the weight and with two layers add cocktail mixture. of filling. How many of us remember sneaking them from Gently pour crème de cacao down the inside wall of glass. our neighbours’ cupboards while babysitting, wolfing down the forbidden junk food with the dangerously sexy name? And how many of us stalk the aisles of the Super C, waiting to pounce on marked-down boxes of 12? We’ll never tell....

16 17 THE STORMY CHRONIC week 9 is like a velvet glove wrapped around a gold brick. It comes on gently, then s t o r m impresses you with its strength and intention: it’s going to convince you of itself, and there’s no point arguing. Gin is a beautiful and eternal spirit, and as the artisan and premium Françoise Kayler possessed a strength of opin- market ramps up, the variety of aroma profiles provides end- ion and power of communication that made her a key fig- less room for experimentation and exploration. Broker’s, with ure in the definition of good food in Québec. Born in France, its classic balance, supports the intense anise of the Pernod. near Paris, she came to Montréal in 1951. A long and exalted With a more juniper-heavy gin, try playing with the propor- career in gastronomic journalism followed, as a critic for tions. Just do it with confidence. almost 35 years with La Presse and, after retir- ing in 2007, on her blog, Gastronote. 2.5 oz Broker’s gin Insightful and decisive, Kayler let 0.25 oz triple sec her opinion be known with- 3 drops Pernod out resorting to sharpness, and many chefs credited her comments for helping them improve their dishes and In a shaker, combine all ingredients over ice and shake their craft. Her relation- ships with such vigorously. Squeeze a twist of lemon organizations as the Institut de tourisme and rub peel against the inside of a chilled et d’hôtellerie du Québec and Slow Food martini glass. Strain cocktail into glass extended an already impressive influence and garnish with a thin slice of lemon. to the realms of education and activism, and she remained staunchly dedicated to her belief in quality, integrity, and truth until her death in 2010.

18 19 Un p’tit verre de drink week 10 is a good drink for giving advice. Frank and uncomplicated, it nonethe- c l e a r i n g less satisfies a taste for something a little new, something you hadn’t thought to try before. Qi roughly translates as “life force” and is the name of a dry liqueur (produced Janette Bertrand is our mother. Teacher, guide, do- by St. George Sprits in California) that is an infusion of mestic therapist. She showed us how to be well in our families, lapsang souchong tea and other compelling ingredients. In how to relate with our partners, and how to go through diffi- this li’l cocktail, the Qi can be replaced by a smoky, peaty cult experiences and come through single-malt scotch. the other side without losing too

much emotional skin in the process. 2 oz cognac At the same time as demystifying 0.25 oz Qi smoked black tea liqueur such taboo subjects as sexuality, sui- 2 drops vanilla cide, and divorce, Bertrand also blew 1 drop rose water away the fog that often surrounded the art, craft, and duty of family cook- ing. Her recipes grew organically from the subjects she was already exploring, Combine all ingredients and her well-reputed vin d’orange emerged in a rocks glass over from her love of the writings of Colette. In a few pieces of ice 2010, an on-air taste test with Christiane Charette, and stir. Twist featuring of some of her boozy creations, earned Bertrand a piece of orange zest over glass and discard. the sobriquet of Queen of the Cocktails, despite a somewhat unflattering response to her “vin au pain.”

20 21 THE WAITRESS week 11 will help get you through a long day (or night) on your feet, and maybe serve to dull the edge f i l m of your personal baggage while you keep your best customer- facing smile shining outward. A little dangerous, a little classy, and very refreshing, it’s a good drink to nurse slowly over the

“ Un-grilled-cheese-un-ordre-de-toast-un-café. ” course your shift. Plus, it really lets those high-speed orders Françoise Durocher, waitress. roll off your tongue. Like the theatrical Greek choruses that inspired it, Michel Tremblay’s choeur des 2 oz Jack Daniels waitress evokes equal parts tragedy and 1 oz Dolin sweet vermouth drama. His short film, Françoise Durocher, 1 oz fresh lemonade waitress, directed by long-time collaborator dash Angostura Bitters André Brassard, portrayed a panorama of the women who serve us at lunch counters, cocktail Combine all ingredients bars, and casse-croûtes. Their faces, their over crushed ice in a tall highball glass and stir. Garnish with a wide twist of orange and a straw. fears, and their realities come at us as fast as the orders they call, chant-like, to the cooks in imagined kitchens behind. “Un-pepper-steak-pas-d’piment, un-spaghetti-a’ec-des-boulettes...” Because one of every two of us will work in food service at some point, Françoise is really us, or if not, someone we know very well. Tremblay’s portraits were not always flattering, but they shone a light on an archetypal role, and established an icon of the screen durable enough to be spoofed in a St-Hubert television spot some 35 years later.

22 23 THE bouton (sur TA LANGUE) week 12 has a nice bit of bite to it, but hopefully not enough to take your I r e l a n d lilt away. Like the Bolducquian song that inspires it, it’s upbeat and whimsical, and a little old fashioned. Unlike the origi- nal (unless you consume it in extremely cold conditions), the La Bolduc, aka Mary Travers, was born in 1894 in cocktail probably won’t make you b-b-b-bégayer (stutter). . . . Newport to an Irish father and a franco-québécoise mother.

At the age of 20, having survived an empoverished gaspésien 2 oz Bushmills Black Bush childhood, a relocation to Montréal, and work as a house- Irish whiskey keeper and textile worker, Mary married Édouard Bolduc, 0.25 oz dry sherry a plumber. Throughout familial and geographic instabilty, she dash simple syrup combined a wry and cheerful disposition with her childhood musical skills, and eventually became known for her infor­ In a shaker, combine all mative, popular songs, which promoted both tradition and ingredients over ice and good humour during the economically trying times of the De- shake vigorously. Squeeze a large twist of orange zest pression. Like her early success, “La cuisinière,” La Bolduc’s and rub against the inside compositions dealt with daily life and current events, and of a chilled martini glass. served to transmit the day’s cultural knowl- Strain cocktail mixture edge and mores in an upbeat, hope- into glass and garnish with a maraschino or brandied ful tone. Despite her death from cherry, skewered on a cancer at an early age, La Bolduc is toothpick and balanced on a lasting star of the québécois music the edge of the glass. scene, and an important early inno- vator in the singer-songwriter genre.

24 25 THE CHAMPLAIN week 13 Very unlikely that would have been regularly consumed in 17th-century New France, but it d e p r e s s i o n is rather exploratory, and guaranteed to induce good cheer. A lively winter drink for brightening your night and driving the blues far into yonder, it both chills and burns, and the only The long, dark, cold of winter in the northeast can get you cure for the impact of your first sip is the rest of the drink. down. At Port Royal, New Brunswick, in 1606, Samuel de Champlain saw the necessity of keeping jolly and 2 oz vodka well fed, and founded the Ordre du Bon Temps in order to 0.5 oz junmai sake prevent his men from tumbling into the pits of despair. Effec- 0.25 cup chopped cucumber tively the first food and social club in North America, it featured 0.25 cup cilantro leaves plenty of roasted game—from goose and moose to partridge, squeeze fresh lime juice beaver, and bear—and members took turns organizing the dash simple syrup menus. While contemporary cocktails may not have been on one half Thai chile the menu, good strong cider was (when it wasn’t frozen solid in its barrels). The Order was a precursor to the numerous winter In a shaker, combine all ingredients festivals that take place in Québec today (think Carnaval and over ice and shake vigorously. Strain loosely into a chilled martini glass Montréal en Lumières) and lent early support to apple cultiva- and garnish with a slice of tion in the region, which would ultimately unpeeled cucumber. become a major industry in the Monterégie as well. Flashforward and imagine what Champlain would choose from the well- stocked shelves at the SAQ. A little Jodoin? Some Pinnacle? De la Face Cachée?

26 27 SPRING brown vs. white

Bartenders and liquor-selling organizations tend to categorize spirits as either brown or white (or sometimes amber/clear). This separates the whiskeys (and whiskies) from gin and vodka. But then there are those spirits that straddle both, like rum and grappa and tequila. The amber hue usually comes from barrel- aging, which generally softens the taste and adds heavier aromas like caramel, vanilla, smoke, leather, earth. Bear this in mind when drink-making, and remember what the plain spirit will bring to the drink, then mix in ingredients to complement or play up its inherent qualities. Ordinarily, a cocktail is made of a base (strong spirits) plus a mixer (lower- or non-alcoholic), along with single- or multiple-note additions like citrus, bitters, and other aromatics. Stirred, shaken, or blended with ice, the drink is then served “up” (no ice) or “on the rocks” (with cubes). A final garnish—twist, onion or olive, cherry or other fruit, straw or parasol—is added just before serving. THE SUZANNE-SUZANNE week 14 is classy, fun, and just a little bit tart. A riff on the champagne cocktail, it’s f o o l i n g a timeless drink that goes on being enjoyable no matter what the occasion. A great drink to share with a friend, the recipe can be varied to suit each person’s individual tastes—a little Suzanne Lapointe has for years been entertaining more fizz or a little more bite—depending on how seriously audiences as a television host, singer, cook, and even as the you want to take it. subject of good-natured mockery. Her comic imitator, Suzanne Champagne, has portrayed her on the Bye‑Bye 6 oz sparkling wine and elsewhere, alongside a similarly sent-up Gilles dash cognac Latulippe, one of Lapointe’s frequent on- squeeze fresh lemon screen partners. As the grande dame of juice television entertainment, her classic 3 drops Angostura look and remarkable voice, along Bitters with her trademark laugh, made Shake bitters into a her an engaging target, without flute glass (or two) diminishing her iconic status. She was and fill with champagne, inducted into the Order of Canada in prosecco, or cava. 2009, and her recipe books and cooking Top with a dash of cognac and a squeeze of lemon juice. show appearances indelibly link her with Garnish with a slice québécois food culture. Her secret recipe for of caramelized Christmas cake has never been revealed— grapefruit peel. Lapointe has made hundreds of them over the decades—lest she have to resort to knitting and giving ties as presents.

30 31 THE TOM FERGUSONS week 15 When start flowing, you know that Spring will be on its way soon. Cachaça, a tra- m a p l e ditional spirit made in Brazil by fermenting the fresh juice of sugar cane, is a fun parallel to maple syrup, though its potentcy is altogether different. If you have access to a nearby mapling Jean-Guy Whiteduck In 1998, saw a sweet opportunity operation, replace the caramel water in the recipe with fresh for the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation, and the sap sap, for a milder but more regional flavour. hasn’t stopped flowing since. The former band chief initiated a maple syrup production project, and today this community 2 oz cachaça or white rum south of Maniwaki (its name means “carrying water” in the 2 oz caramel water Anishinabe language) 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice has increased production 0.25 oz caramel syup to an area of 90 hectares dash Angostura Bitters with more than 17,000 taps. Its tradition-meets- technology system in- Pour caramel syrup onto the bottom of a tall highball glass and top with cludes 75 kilometers of ice cubes. Add bitters, cachaça, sap tubing, reverse-osmosis concentrators, and a wide variety lemon juice, and caramel water, of formats and grades. In addition producing syrup that is and slide in a bendy straw. rich in taste and terroir, the maple production has allowed the Stir to blend. Kitigan Zibi community to preserve a large swath of woodland while still generating income. The facility’s original manager, Tom Ferguson, died after establishing the success of the operation, but it’s a legacy he would have been proud of.

32 33 THE CORA week 16 Fresh and juicy, is a great accompaniment to a leisurely weekend brunch, whether you’ve got eggs on the e g g s plate or not. In Mexico, good-quality tequila is often sipped from a shot glass alongside another shot of sangrita—a spicy tomato-orange mixture—which complements the aromatic With restaurants ranging from the Saguenay to Gatineau, and vegetal aromas of tequila. For a smokier option, try this Chez Cora has become synonymous with breakfast in Québec. drink with mezcal, a similar spirit to tequila, but made with Cora Mussely Tsouflidou Born in Gaspésie, maguey, rather than blue agave. studied classics at the Cardinal Léger Institute before leav- ing school to care for her kids. After her husband left her 2 oz white tequila some years later, she bounced back and discovered a talent for 1 oz tomato water restaurant management. She bought and opened her first 1 oz strained orange juice breakfast place in 1987, then added seven more outlets before 0.25 oz Rose’s Lime cordial developing the franchise model that has brought the total up dash hot pepper sauce to more than 100 across the country. Featuring an eye-popping color scheme and the founder’s face on advertising In a shaker, combine all ingredients and promotion, the Chez Cora visual has become a and stir. Rim a rocks glass with recognizable and typical part of the québécois morning spicy salt, add crushed ice, and landscape. Moreover, Tsouflidou’s pour in cocktail mixture. self-starter success later in life is an inspiration for new food business- es everywhere. Move over Marie Antoinette, there’s a shiny new middle-aged face on the roadways.

34 35 THE FARM CART week 17 may not be the best drink to consume while operating heavy machinery, but after a long e a r t h day in the fields, it certainly eases aching muscles. Drawing on the root-vegetable heritage of our northern clime, plus the lift of a classic French liqueur, it transmits both history and con- le Cercle des fermières Turning 100 in 2015, temporary pleasure. Forget bake sales and holiday bazaars—if is the largest women’s organization in Québec. Although its you want to raise money for good works projects, set up at a members live and work on farms in the same modest percent- market stand selling these babies. ages that the rest of our population does,

their efforts to preserve culinary and 2.0 oz beet vodka agricultural practices form a key link 0.5 oz Cointreau between the land and its people. In the squeeze fresh lime juice era when family knowledge dropped a generational beat, le Cercle was key in

passing down collective memory. Their In a shaker, combine all ingredients cookbook series, Qu’est-ce qu’on mange?, over ice and shake. Moisten lip of a martini glass is now in its fifth edition, features thousands ofrecipes, as well with lime rind and rim as preserving techniques, nutritional information, and herit- with finely ground sugar. Strain cocktail into age-based advice. In the years since establishing its founding glass and garnish motto, “pour la terre et le foyer,” le Cercle has come to operate with a twist of orange. across multiple segments of social culture, from such issues as food labeling to container recycling, hunting and school lunch- room policies to water rights, improving spoken French, and eliminating youth prostitution. Quite a large circle.

36 37 THE MRS. LEVY week 18 Like its namesake, may introduce you to some new flavours, all the while being distinctive and m o u r n i n g notable. With its nod to the east, it’s a drink to grip in one hand while getting down to business with the other—whether that’s typing emails, repricing inventory, or cooling yourself Though Warshaw’s on the Main was heart-wrenchingly with a cheap paper fan. Soju, a distilled beverage from Ko- shuttered in 2002 (eventually being replaced by a mega- rea (and similar to its Japanese cousin, shochu) has a nuttier,

sized Pharmaprix), those who knew its matriarch, earthier flavour than sake, and is a touch more potent. Mrs. Levy, will never forget the diminu-

tive figure, nor the trademark kimono she 3 oz soju sported in the store. Founded by Polish 0.5 oz lychee syrup immigrants to Montréal in 1935, Warshaw’s dash white crème de menthe became a St-Laurent boulevard institution, squeeze fresh featuring low-priced, good-quality food and a lemon wide selection of housewares from kitsch to classi- juice cal. At one point, the meat counter employed 35 butchers, an indicator of the volume the store turned over. Mrs. Levy (born Helen Florkevitch) inherited the store from her parents after working there from her early youthhood, and became a fixture in the aisles with her coke-bottle glasses and high energy. From the campy clutter to her hand-lettered “grande réduction!” In a blender, combine all ingredients signage on wickerware and clementines, Mrs. Levy was a con- over ice and blend. stant and iconic symbol of the immigrant history, cultural evolu- Pour into a martini glass and garnish with a mint leaf. tion, and eventual decline of St-Laurent’s food-retail industry.

38 39 THE FRYING NUN, week 19 while non-alcoholic, still makes for a divine little cocktail with a spirited balance of fla- v i r g i n i t y vours—a harmony achieved despite, or pehaps because of its globally dispersed ingredients. (If a less abstemious aperitif is desired, you can always slip in a couple of ounces of vodka....) Throughout Québec history, the church has played a key role in 4 oz genmai cha cookery instruction, and though (brown rice green tea) Soeur Angèle is linked to that 1 oz almond milk tradition, she also represents an impor- dash dark maple syrup tant transition in its evolution. Born in 2 drops Fee Brothers Whiskey Italy, Angela Rizzardo learned to cook Barrel–Aged Bitters at a young age before emigrating to 4 basil leaves Québec and joining the Notre-Dame-du-Conseil reli- gious community. She studied extensively, and frequently In a shaker, worked in an ambassadorial role for her birth-country of combine all ingredients Italy. Soeur Angèle also taught for many years, including and shake vigorously. Strain into a highball glass at the ITHQ in Montréal. She is best-known as a public edu- half-filled with crushed ice. cator and communicator, however, with television shows and numerous publications, even with a traveling show sponsored by Métro Richelieu in 1993. Today, with her Facebook page and an eponymous bloomy-rind cheese (profits go to the youth organization, Dignité Jeunesse), Soeur Angèle’s reach goes far beyond the traditional habits of food-teaching nuns.

40 41 THE GUY week 20 is a great drink for sitting around with the boys (or the girls), talking about rebellious days past and planning o p e n i n g bad behaviour of the future. Keep the aquavit good and cold. And handy.

A journalist, screenwriter, broadcast executive, and, in recent 1.5 oz aquavit years, lightening rod for criticism, Guy Fournier broke 2 oz vodka many barriers in television, and through his landmark 0.5 oz cucumber juice cookbook, Un homme aux fourneaux, did the same for 2 oz ginger beer men’s roles in the kitchen. From Waterloo to Sherbrooke dash Peychaud’s Bitters to Trois-Rivières to Montréal, Fournier made his mark as a rebel communicator, first in print and later in television. He Fill an iced shot glass with chilled aquavit. In a rocks glass over ice, combine other ingredients and stir. headed both TQS and Radio-Canada briefly, stepping down Alternate sips of cocktail and aquavit. from the latter after comments about the comparative pleas- ure between defecating and fornicating raised excessive public outcry. But as one of the first men in Québec to write about the joys of cooking, Fournier cleared the way for today’s manly chefs—think Chuck Hughes, Louis-François Marcotte, the groovy hosts of Des kiwis et des hommes—and opened up audiences to more daring con- tent, even if it sometimes made them shift on their couches.

42 43 THE CHOCOLATINE week 21 A sneaky little drink, slides its punch in between layers of sweet and tart, delivering a gentle p a t r i o t i s m buzz to the brain while distracting the tongue with candy- store gentility. This is one mystery you won’t return to the box.

Although Laura Secord’s duty to King and Country triggers more pride among Ontarians than it does here in

Québec, the War of 1812 heroine remains a figure of cultural 2 oz rye significance in this province as well, due to the confectionery 0.25 oz triple sec company that bears her name. Long before today’s massive 0.5 oz chocolate syrup wave of artisanal chocolate started to sweep the nation, Laura 1 oz fresh lemonade Secord shops set the standard for filled and solid treats, and were a ubiquitous icon in malls and shopping complexes. We grew In a blender, up with the taste of her mint and caramel bars, and where else combine all could you buy chocolate-dipped ingredients with two ice cubes and orange peel? blend until frothy. Today the Pour into a chilled company highball glass and competes top with a straw and a brandied in a busy and diversified market, where cocoa content, grand or maraschino crus, artisanal-aesthetic packaging, and esoteric flavor combi- cherry. nations dominate. Secord may have helped the British in the Battle of Beaver Dams, but we’re happy to help ourselves to the sweet legacy she inspired.

44 45 THE MAMA D week 22 Afer a day of parental duties, will remind you that you’re still yourself, above all, even if you feel b u r g e o n i n g like you’re always serving others. Shake up one of these drinks, based on the classic martini but with a little something extra, (including antioxidants!), put your feet up, and enjoy. If you Thérèse Tanguay “Maman” Dion is a woman make it to the bottom without feeling the weight of the day who makes life blossom. She gave birth to 14 children, lifting from your shoulders, whip up another—maybe just a including superstar Céline, eventually half—and hire yourself a nanny. putting their hometown of Charle- magne on the international map. Her 2 oz Bombay Sapphire gin passion for music and nurturing her 0.5 oz Martini Bianco famous daughter has made le phenomène dash white Lillet Dion—from hair styles to chest-thumping squeeze fresh lemon juice to pregancy news—a worldwide spectacle, squeeze fresh lime juice and her dedication to children’s needs, through the Maman Dion Foundation, supports underprivileged students. Along In a shaker, combine all ingredients the way she also became a culinary mama, launching her over ice and shake vigorously. Pâtés de Maman Dion line of food products and co-hosting In a mortar, grind one vitamin C tablet and one Le Brunch de Maman Dion with Éric Salvail on TVA. Like teaspoon white sugar into a fine powder. so many of her media-minded sisters and brothers, Thérèse Rim a chilled martini glass with Tanguay Dion has used her visibility in the public eye to bring powder and pour in cocktail. together a variety of cultural roles, merging maternality with the maintainance of tradition, whether through philanthropy, music, or food.

46 47 THE FRANÇOIS week 23 While not scientifically proven, pairs well with all kinds of moments, from afternoons on t e r r a s s e s terrasses to evenings at the opera. One of these will do before moving on to the rest of your day, whether guided by wine writers or food friends. To make the ginger vodka, peel and As the days turn warm and the slice fresh ginger root, then let it soak in a neutral-tasting restaurants and bars open their store- vodka for about a week, shaking occasionally. When the François fronts to the streets, infusion’s aroma is to your liking, strain the vodka through Chartier’s wine wisdom pro- cheesecloth and rebottle. vides thoughtful stimulation to palates looking for more than sangria and 1.5 oz ginger vodka spritzers. The Laurentides resident 0.5 oz red Lillet trained as a sommelier in 1989 and has since received nu- dash Cointreau merous top titles in wine competitions at home and abroad. squeeze fresh lemon juice Today he is a popular columnist, blogger, and Twitterer, not to splash sparkling wine mention cookbook and guide writer. Now in its 14th edition, his wine compendium, La Sélection Chartier, has been read by over 600,000 readers and continues to sell in record numbers. In a shaker, combine vodka, Lillet, Cointreau, Chartier has also explored food and wine from a molecular and lemon juice over ice. perspective, proposing chemo-physiological reasons behind Stir briefly and pour into a commonly (and not-so-commonly) appreciated gastronomic chilled flute glass. Top with pairings. Whether you buy into this reasoning and the physi- a splash of champagne, prosecco, or cava. cal properties Chartier bases it on, there’s no pseudo in the well-demonstrated science of his success.

48 49 THE CANDY DROP week 24 If you’re piloting an airplane, is a better option than drinking anything alcoholic, otherwise f o l l i e s you might end up spreading your cargo over a rather wider swath than you intended. With it’s juicy freshness and whim- sical garnish, this is a cocktail for kids of all generations and If you’re in Kuujjuac around noon on Christmas Day, wear seasons—a little silly, a little celebratory, and a little surprising Johnny May some head protection. It tends to rain candy. , that it’s true. a local bush pilot, started the Candy Drop in 1965, flying his plane low over the northern Québec town and providing sweet 2 oz agua de jamaica treats to the sugar-crazed mob below—via very-direct deliv- (hibiscus juice) ery. The somewhat silly tradition was almost halted in 2004 by 1 oz apricot nectar an overzealous Transport Canada, whose revised regulations 0.5 oz tamarind juice prevented air travel over crowded areas, but a last-minute (kid-lobbied?) decree put May back in the air. In 2008, the Canada Aviation Museum joined the fun, donat- ing aviation-themed In a blender, teddy bears and temporary tattoos to combine ingredients over ice and blend the payload mix. Still shuttling well. Pour into a Santa and a couple of helpers chilled martini glass through the Arctic blue and top with a a n n u a l l y, May has cocktail parasol. be­come a local legend, and the Candy Drop a moment of pure youthful fantasy.

50 51 THE RARE BREED week 25 provides strength and endurance when doing battle with corporate giants, whether they’re from b e r r i e s the industrial food sector or not. A smaller version, shooter- sized, might be good if you find yourself in a drinking com- petition with one of them. Guaranteed that an industrial seed As the Québec coordinator of Sémences du Patrimoine/Seeds of magnate will do a fast face-plant the bar room table after a Lyne Bellemare Diversity, is helping to make our straw- few of these. (Suits get out of practice from drinking too much berries taste better. Major seed companies, through breeding Chardonnay-in-a-box.) and genetic manipulation, have developed strains that may be more consistent or durable, but the loss of biodiversity and 2 oz gin local heritage poses a threat to both environmental 0.5 oz fresh spinach juice and cultural sustainability. Bellemare and her cross- 2 drops chile sauce Canada organization are striving to preserve 1 oz tonic water the time-honoured practice of seed saving and exchange through education, events, and informational resources, and projects like the the Great Canadian Garlic Collection engage the larger network in sharing observations and pref- erences that grow their collective knowledge. The Sémences/ Combine gin, spinach juice, and hot pepper sauce Seeds Heritage Plants Database lists 19,000 cultivars of over ice in a rocks glass. Top with tonic water Canadian garden vegetables, fruit, grains, and ornamentals, and a thin slice of lemon and stir gently. and puts independent growers in contact with small-scale seed companies. If we reap even part of what Bellemare is sowing, it will be an impressive harvest for everyone.

52 53 THE QUÉBETINI week 26 With a nod to both past and present, is a great beginning-of-summer drink, provided it hasn’t gotten nationalism too hot yet. (You don’t want your martini glass sweating.) Though vodka is, in general, a low-aroma spirit, Kamouraska carries a little local flavour—somewhere between European Jehane Benoît is one of the most im- and American, but very definitely from here. Switch out the portant voices in the history of Québec food. strawberry Alexis for crème de cassis, if you’re feeling more A compiler of recipes, an innovative teacher and parisien than gaspésien. business owner, and a communicatrix par excellence,

Benoît embodied the word gastronome. After study- 2 oz Kamouraska vodka ing cooking at the Cordon Bleu and food chemistry 0.25 oz Noilly Prat dry vermouth at the Sorbonne, she returned to Montreal to launch one of 3 drops Ferme Bourdages Alexis the first laic (and bilingual) cooking schools, instructing more strawberry apéritif than 8,000 students over the course of four years. Though her daring vegetarian restaurant, Salad Bar, closed in 1940, she In a shaker, combine all ingredients went on to write over 30 books, including her definitive tome, over ice and shake vigorously. Pour into a well-chilled martini glass l’Encyclopédie de la Cuisine Canadienne. Benoît was a key fig- and garnish with a long twist of lemon. ure in shifting culinary education away from the realm of the church, and successfully engaged the then-emerging medium of television. A woman before her time, she also took consult- ing gigs with such companies as Dainty Rice, Dow Beer, and Panasonic, becoming an early advocate of microwave cooking. Benoît died in 1987, but not before breathing life into what we now consider as québécois cuisine.

54 55 SUMMER infusing

Making your own infusions is both satisfying and a good way to take drinks out of the traditional realm while personalizing your base ingredients. Simple spirits like vodka, white rum, and even grain alcohol are easy to tart up with citrus peel, aromatic herbs, and dried spices. More complex distillates, like gin and whiskey, already have a great deal of flavour, and are therefore best infused with single-note aromatics (as in lavender gin or smoky- bacon bourbon). The infusing instructions given in this book are purposefully vague because taste is subjective: it’s better to experiment for yourself than to follow an “authoritative” recipe and potentially be displeased with the result. Bitters, like grapefruit, rhubarb, celery, and others, are easily made by infusing smaller quantities of grain alcohol with larger quantities of aromatics. Try combining ingredients to build layered extracts that can be used to make simple cocktails more complex without making them busy. Note: low-humidity aromat- ics will reduce the risk of your infusions oxidizing over time. THE OMNIBOIRE, week 27 All kinds of things go into making for a refreshing, if unlikely, combination. If you are f e d e r a l i s m what you eat (or in this case, drink), then you should feel yourself becoming very international as you sip one of these cocktails. French sociologist Claude Fischler famously wrote Derek Dammann & Alex Cruz put the entire about how our fear of newness is inextricably linked to our country on their menu, along with entire animals. At their need to pursue it. Does this drink scare you? Well, does it? swanky Restaurant DNA (“Derek ’n’ Alex”) in Old Montréal, Nope, didn’t think so. Canadian breeds and local products abound, and dishes range from veal-heart tartare to pike braised with its own roe to the thirteenth century–derived raviolis du roi 2 oz mezcal Manfred, made with “the best parts of 0.5 oz white curaçao the duck.” (Be prepared to eat a pair 0.5 oz tamarind juice of duck testicles.) Their coast-to- dash agave syrup coast philosophy parallels their dash nam pla (Thai fish sauce) nose-to-tail cooking, and DNA squeeze fresh lime juice is also the only local restaurant 1 oz soda water baking with Red Fife Wheat, a Slow Food–promoted species with pre-industrial credentials and a notable nutty- spicy flavour. From their eye-opening (and extensive) list of In a shaker, combine BC-to-Acadia wines to their soul-soothing (and sexy) service, all ingredients over ice and shake gently. Strain into a tall highball glass with three ice Dammann and Cruz have made “Canadian cuisine” some- cubes and top with a twist of grapefruit. thing proudly indulgent and remarkably delicious.

58 59 THE D’ICI week 28 Just like Québec, is rather large, with an extended frosty bit spanning the top of it. It nonetheless has p o w w o w a lot going on, and is definitely worth exploring and get- ting to know. For the fresh juices, just blend peeled apples or rhubarb with a little water and strain the pulp through cheese- Suzanne Bergeron & Tony Drouin are a cloth, squeezing to extract the juice. You can also experiment couple of terroirists. Gathering together food, drink, and with other ingredients from around where you are, according a powerful sense of community, their Marché des Saveurs du to your taste and regional products. After all, our place is only Québec at the Jean-Talon Market in Montreal is a hub of what we make of it ourselves. local-food action, with products ranging from foie gras and

Coaticook ice cream to cedar jelly and pickled cattails. The 2 oz Michel Jodoin Calijo boutique started life at the Marché Maisonneuve as a retailer apple brandy of alcoholic beverages after new legislation made it possible 1 oz Kamouraska vodka for small-scale producers to avoid SAQ-imposed taxes by sell- 0.5 oz fresh apple juice ing through public markets. Though setbacks 0.5 oz rhubarb juice and shifting regulations forced the couple dash birch syrup to stop selling alcohol in 2006, a 20,000- dash light maple syrup signature petition and a meeting with the head of the Régie brought about a new shop- In a blender, combine brandy with spruce syrup within-a-shop configuration. Today, the and two to three ice cubes. Blend thoroughly and pour slush into a room-temperature martini Maison des Vins is housed in the same space glass. In a shaker, combine remaining ingredients over one ice but operates independently, a management cube and shake vigorously. Pour into centre of slush-filled glass (and cultural) collective of the numerous and insert a wide straw. producers who sell there.

60 61 ROUND & PINK week 29 pairs very nicely with cured meats and spicy salami, both for its colour and strong flavours. A a r t s salute to the Italian heritage that Patrick Mathey is inspired by, it’s an early-afternoon sipping drink to enjoy in the back- yard before heading out into the warm summer’s evening for a Patrick Mathey paints portraits of pleasure with his gallery opening or free concert. For the rhubarb grappa, blend pork. The native of Dijon came to Québec in 1979, eventually fresh or frozen rhubarb with a little grappa or other eau de vie settling in Havre Aubert on the Îles de la Madeleine in 1993. (even vodka), then strain through cheesecloth. For the simple As a restaurateur, he operated l’Auberge La Marée Haute until syrup, dissolve one part sugar in one part water and add a few 2007, when he turned himself over full time to his beloved drops of vanilla extract to taste. craft of meat-making. He launched les Cochons Tout Ronds with Vincent Lalonde, and though he now runs the operation 2 oz Campari himself, the company has expanded continuously in the years 1 oz Martini Bianco since. Mathey’s cured meats—coppa, lonzo, and a prosciutto- 0.5 oz rhubarb grappa like ham—and his spicy chorizo and liver-rich figatelli salami squeeze fresh lemon juice b r i n g the best of many places together in dash vanilla simple syrup typical local fashion: a little dash Peychaud’s Bitters France, a little Québec, and yes, a little Italy. In 2007, In a shaker, combine all ingredients over a small amount of ice the spiritual home of cured and swirl. Strain into a rocks glass half-filled with crushed ice meats even awarded Mathey and garnish with a wide twist of grapefruit. the prestigious Prix Culatello d’Oro, the grand prize of Italy’s Consortium of Culatello di Zibello. High art indeed.

62 63 THE RHONA week 30 Layered and carefully defined, reveals itself gradually as the ingredients interplay in your glass. The construction last squirt of cucumber is largely for aroma, so take a moment to inhale before drinking. For the agua di jamaica, infuse boil- ing water with hibiscus flowers and add sugar to taste. Kombu Rhona Richman Kenneally is a kind of dried seaweed used to season soups. It is boiled builds things. With a PhD and a profes- and left to soak before using, and the cooled boiling liquid sional degree in architecture from McGill adds a savoury and mildly earthy flavour to the drink. (for which she designed a house for three of James Joyce’s fictional characters),she led 3 oz agua de jamaica the charge to create a food-studies research (hibiscus juice) program at Concordia University, where she 1 oz genmai cha is chair of the Design Department. A food researcher (brown rice green tea) and Irish historian, she layers together social evolution 0.5 oz kombu liquid and kitchen design, identity and material culture, and 0.5 oz cucumber juice inspires her students to do the same. In 2008 dash simple syrup she published an article on the food of Expo ’67, pinning the moment when “Canadian cuisine” became In a shaker, combine all ingredients over a small amount of ice. Shake concretized in the international consciousness—even if briefly and strain into a tall it was falsely skewed towards beluga meat and beaver broth. highball glass. Top with a Through academic rigor paired with a frontiersperson’s squirt of cucumber juice. curiosity, Richman Kenneally is simultaneously deconstruct- ing the brick walls of traditional food scholarship while remaking a beautiful new space for us all to inhabit.

64 65 THE HUNTSMAN, week 31 There’s nothing fussy about but depending on the quality (and qualities) of your ingredi- w o o d s ents, its flavour profile can be remarkably subtle and complex, making it an ideal drink for contemplating the best way to prepare, say, a piece of venison. (Hmm, grapefruit, maple and With a deep appreciation for local game meat, and a venison?) It’s a drink for a grown-up, someone who’s tasted a Jean-Paul Grappe matching skill in cooking it, found lot and seen a lot, and is ready to share his wisdom with others. a suitable adoptive home here in Québec. A transplant from Burgundy, Grappe 3 oz vodka arrived in Montreal to oversee the dash fresh grapefruit juice culinary aspect of the French pavilion 0.5 tsp maple syrup at Expo ’67. In the years since, he has seen the restaurant scene transform In a shaker, combine all ingredients over not too much ice and shake gently. Pour cocktail mixture, with ice, into a chilled rocks itself, participating in that evolution glass and top with a large slice of grapefruit zest. himself with such establishments as La Marée and La Brioche Lyonnaise. A raft of cookbooks (he is an avid recipe compiler) has served to document the culinary trends and techniques of his time, not to mention inspire a legion of home cooks. But it is perhaps his more than 20 years as chef-instructor at the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec, training ranks of new young chefs like Daniel Vézina and Martin Picard, where his influence on québécois cuisine has been greatest and will be longest felt.

66 67 THE BATISCAN week 32 stands up for itself and says, “Hey you: over here! C’mon, drink me!” There’s a lot going on in this s w i m m i n g glass, and unless you grab the glass by its stem and dive in, you might miss something pretty interesting. To make the kaffir vodka, soak fresh kaffir lime leaves, each torn into two or three Deeply immersed in the food culture and eco-tourism potential pieces, in good-quality vodka for about 10 days, shaking oc- Johane Germain of her adored Vallée de la Batiscan, casionally. Strain and use promptly. Rose’s (the company also is a force of (and for) nature. Fighting hydroelectric planning make grenadine) is not widely available in Québec grocery with hydromel tastings, Germain is as dedicated to sus- stores, so when you find it, buy a big bottle. Mixed with gin or tainability as she is to the tastes and land- plain vodka, it makes a great, simple drink, the Gimlet. scapes of the region. She is also founder of the non-profit Héritage Vallée de la 2 oz kaffir lime leaf vodka Batiscan and, as of 2006, leader of the 0.25 oz fresh lime juice local Slow Food chapter. Through these 0.25 oz Rose’s lime cordial organizations, she is promoting rural 0.25 oz apricot nectar entrepreneurship and the development of a GMO-free, ecogastronomic tourism In a shaker, combine all ingredients over ice and research zone, extending over 177 and shake vigorously. kilometers of the Batiscan River from Lac Édouard to the town Strain into a martini glass of Batiscan. In 2009, Germain received support for her work via and garnish with a report on the river valley entitled La Batiscan, une rivière, une mint leaves and 2-3 ice cube histoire, un terroir, prepared by Université d’Angers researcher, fragments Lucie Chevalier, and focusing on the exceptional non-indus- trial potential that the largely untouched wilderness can offer.

68 69 THE ACAD’JUN week 33 is a bouncy summer refresher, whether you’re snacking on lobster rolls or guédilles, by the A c a d i a ocean, canal, or water-park splash pool. The nam pla adds a little funky bite to the drink, and brings in the taste of the sea. And although it might be hard to come by (unless you’re Bringing the taste of the Maritimes west and fully just back from a visit to the other sin city), Old New Orleans Daniel Noiseux into the 21st-century, rum packs a great spicy blend, and of course tips in a tasty cul- has reinvented the lunch box. The founder of tural-historical connection. (The word “cajun” derives—quite the Pizzaiolle mini-chain of upscale pizzerias audibly—from acadien.) has planted a lobster-roll and clam-chowder shack alongside the locks of the Lachine canal in 2 oz vodka Montréal, except the “shack” is an old shipping 0.5 oz Old New Orleans container that folds out into a solar-powered spiced rum micro-restaurant in less than two minutes. Seat- 2 oz fresh pineapple juice ing for 28 and a compact but inventive menu dash nam pla (including duck sausage pizza) is included. The (Thai fish sauce) concept, dubbed Muvbox, recycles old materials into a very new design, reducing environmental impact while having a decidedly powerful aesthetic one. While the format has been sold to an upscale client in Paris as well, the Old In a shaker, combine all ingredients over ice Montréal–based iteration remains true to its provincial roots, and shake well. Pour selling seafood from the Îles de la Madeleine while recalling cocktail into a tall highball glass and roadside casse-croûtes from the byways and side roads of our garnish with a key lime twist. collective memory.

70 71 BREW week 34 If you ever tire of artisanal beer, offers a variety of tastes that even the best brasseur might not be able to achieve. h u m i d i t y Shochu and it’s Korean cousin, soju, are traditionally mixed with fruit juices, and are a nice neutral for this otherwise busy concoction. Tamarind juice is availale in most Asian markets, Adding heat to the artisanal beer trend that Québec is but you can also soak unsweetened tamarind paste in hot Jean-François becoming known for, water, then strain through cheesecloth. Gravel & Stéphane Ostiguy

are the steam behind the Montréal-based 3 oz shochu Dieu du Ciel! brewpub. In 2006 they were joined 2 oz mango juice by Luc Boivin and later Isabelle Charbonneau, 0.5 oz tamarind juice when the team opened a microbrasserie in squeeze fresh lemon juice St-Jérome allowing for wider distribution of 4 mint leaves their thirst-inspiring brews. Their ales, lagers, and stouts range from 5.0 to 10.5% alcohol, with In a shaker, combine aromas as varied as cocoa/vanilla, hemp, and coffee. Although all ingredients over ice and their beers are certainly quite heavenly, their attitude is down- shake well. to-earth, and the group focuses on experimentation without Pour into a trend-chasing, while creating a work environment that is tall highball glass socially and economically fair to their employees. With educa- and top with a straw. tions in microbiology, automated systems, and management, and ongoing professional development in both brewing prac- tice and theory, the Dieu du Ciel! group are constantly soaking up knowledge while keeping their clients happily moistened.

72 73 TOAST week 35 A variation on the Bronx cocktail, replaces the bittersweet of red vermouth with honey and bitters. To make casse-croûte the lavender gin, soak fresh lavender blossoms for a week in good-quality, not-too-heavily flavoured gin. (Make sure the lavender is organic so as to avoid making a nasty pesiticide Robert & Sophie Beauchemin —one miller, infusion.) Shake the gin periodically and check for aroma one baker—are breaking a lot of crusty old traditions. occasionally, then strain through cheesecloth and rebottle. Les Moulins de Soulange is an innovative mill in

Saint-Polycarpe, where father Robert produces 2 oz lavender gin specialty flours without chemical additives, and 0.25 oz dry vermouth works closely with bakers to produce unique blends 1 tsp chestnut honey for their specific breadmaking needs. Daughter splash fresh orange juice Sophie is the technologist-baker, testing flours for 2 drops Angostura bitters water pickup and gluten structure, and provid- ing critical insights into the viability of new wheat Dissolve honey in a teaspoonful of hot water. strains. Ongoing research helps them help wheat In a shaker, combine all ingredients farmers grow better and more effective crops over ice and shake vigorously. and understand the role they play in the eventual Strain into a production of high-quality bread. At the same time, chilled martini relationships with bakers serve to educate them on glass and top the complexities of flour and recognize the primary with a twist of lemon. material as more than just commodity. It’s all about making connections between agriculture, production, transformation, and consumption . . . and some really good bread, too.

74 75 THE NEWPORT week 36 is for moments of expansiveness when you feel like celebrating your success. Though celery i n d u s t r y soda is less commonly available these days, it recalls a his- tory and traditional taste that might remind you of where you came from. Served with a big pot of sharp, spreadable cheese Giuseppe Saputo Though retired from the family (or perhaps a more refined québécois brie), this cocktail makes company in 1969, it was the Sicilian immigrant’s cheesemaking good drinking with a televised soccer game. skills that first launched the cheese empire and gained early success, expanding it rapidly from an initial per-day volume 2 oz gin of ten kilos of mozzarella. Son Lino, who made those earliest dash Fee Brothers deliveries on his bicycle, took over as president, and the Saputo Orange Bitters company expanded first into Canada, then the U.S., and 1 oz celery soda eventually worldwide. Today, the company processes over five billion liters of milk per year, and acquisitions have grown the In a shaker, combine business into snack cakes (they own Vachon), milk and yogurt, vodka and bitters over ice and shake as well as industrial ingredients. The vigorously. Pour quasi-artisanal cheese brand, Alexis de into a chilled Portneuf, boasts more than 25 varie- martini glass ties, from camembert to blue to goat, and and top with celery soda. has raised consumer awareness of Québec’s Garnish with evolving cheese industry. Rumors of mafia con- a curl of fresh celery. nections have bounced around over the years, but today the Saputo name is better known as sponsor of the Montréal Impact’s new stadium. That’s a lot of curd.

76 77 THE LEMASSON week 37 updates a loungy classic that has fallen out of favour lately—the Stinger. With a little less bite s c h o o l than the original, this cocktail helps lubricate the cranking wheels of scholarly gastronomes, both easing their academic tensions and fueling an already heady subject of debate. Drink A key figure in food and academia, one (or three) for an evening of talk on the merits of alimen- Jean-Pierre Lemasson is tary studies—you might even solve the world’s food issues in having a major impact on the future a single soirée! of Québec gastronomy. Having studied psycho-sociology in Paris, 2 oz cognac he went on to a doctorate in history and 0.25 oz white crème de menthe political science at l’Université de Montréal. dash vanilla simple syrup For 15 years he was director of the Bureau de la coopération dash soda water internationale at l’Université du Québec à Montréal, which he himself founded 1989. More recently, however, following his In a shaker, combine own passion for food, terroir, and tourism, Lemasson launched a all ingredients new gastronomy certificate program at UQÀM, training students over not too much ice and in the fine art of bridging Québec’s unique food production shake vigorously. industry with consumers who take pride in their province’s Strain into a culture, but have not found access to the panoply of offerings chilled martini it provides. Though he was born in France, his local expertise glass and garnish with a mint leaf is unparalleled, as shown in his recent volume examining, in or a well-drained depth, one of Québec’s much-debated national dishes: pâté lychee. chinois. You think it’s just shepherd’s pie? Better read the book.

78 79 THE VINTINI week 38 breaks a few rules, and serves up a taste that is both new and somehow familiar. Unlike a the layered c o w b o y and winding bouquet of many biodynamic wines, the aromas in this drink are more straightforward, a break from complex- ity and a day of harvesting innovation. On the other hand, do Though at a bit of a remove from the Festival Western in St-Tite, you really need a cocktail when great wine is so readily and Valérie Hupin & Michael Marler none- deliciously at hand? Of course you do! theless exude a fair degree of pioneering spirit. The owner- operators of Vignoble Les Pervenches in Farnham have 1.5 oz vodka ridden the bucking bronco of winemaking in Québec for 1 oz kirsch much more than eight seconds now, having acquired their 5-6 red grapes three-hectare property in 2000. Hupin and Marler’s wines are certified both organic and biodynamic, and their careful selec- tion of terrain makes for a unique microclimate, just different enough that they are the only producers of Chardonnay in In the bottom of a rocks glass, muddle the grapes the province. Though the SAQ doesn’t carry their wines (they with a teaspoonful of sell out quickly to restaurateurs and collectors), les Pervenches powdered sugar. Add a is acquiring a widespread reputation as one handful of small ice cubes of the best wineries in Québec, mak- and pour in the vodka and kirsch. Top with a twist of ing their tiny and distinc- lime and stir gently. tive space in the Eastern Townships a new desti- nation for those seeking a little wild in their wine.

80 81 CRUSTINI week 39 As the days start getting shorter, a makes for a nice greeting to the late-afternoon sunset. The autumnal h a r v e s t flavours herald the coming baking season, along with the anticipation of roast meats and savoury sauces. Similar in composition to a Sidecar or Rusty Nail, which combine La Famille Colpron-Fiset’s mini-chain, an amber spirit (whiskey, cognac) with a sweeter alcohol Première Moisson, is ceasing to be all that mini, with bakery- (Drambuie, triple sec), this drink lends itself to numerous outlets popping up further and further afield, and products variations, according to your own preferences. being found in supermarkets as far away as Ontario. Headed by mother Liliane Colpron and her three offspring, Bernard, 2 oz scotch whiskey Josée, and Stéphane Fiset, the company is 0.75 oz Pineau des Charentes reaping substantial success after its relative- pinch ground cinnamon ly recent founding in 1992. A partnership 2 drops orange bitters with les Moulins de Soulange in 2007 now provides the bakeries with Québec-sourced, Sprinkle cinnamon in the chemical additive–free wheat flour, and bottom of a rocks glass and a series of internal initiatives support a moisten with bitters. Add the Pineau and reduced impact on the environment as well as place two or three better social sustainability. But it’s the breads, ice cubes in glass, pastries, charcuterie, and other prepared then pour in scotch. foods that are the most satisfying bounty that Première Swirl gently and garnish with a Moisson provides. Dozens of varieties, baked on-site, small twist of lemon. inspire carb consumption to the extreme, and rare is the time when a baguette arrives at home un-munched-upon.

82 83 FALL the weight of a drink

One of the best moments surrounding a cocktail is the time when you are waiting for it to come, and the pre-transforma- tive interval as you lift the glass to your lips. The anticipation of the alchemic transferrance of identity into your body, of being altered in mind and spirit—even if only briefly—can be as tasty as the cocktail itself. As well as a wait, a drink has a certain weight, or per- haps more accurately, a density. How strong that drink is, not in alcohol but significance, may be the most important factor in the way it affects you. It may also determine when and how much you drink of it, whether you enjoy it with snacks, with other people, or all alone, as well as what you’re up for after- wards. Just as a cocktail itself needs balance, so should it be in harmony with the context of its drinking—the evening, the meal, the party, or the season. Measure these elements, and not just the ingredients, when making your cocktails. It will make them all the more pleasurable and satisfying. THE COWBELL’S week 40 smooth and subtle combination of citrus and vanilla almost recalls the orange-and-ice-cream preservation Creamsicle ice pops of our hazy childhoods, without being as sickly sweet as the orange-and-ice-cream Creamsicle cock- tails of our misspent young adulthoods. While commercial A few hundred years ago, a number of cows from Normandy limoncello abounds, it’s also easy to make it yourself, and a arrived in Québec, accompanied by nice way to preserve the fragrancy of organic autumn lemons. a guy named Champlain. Today, Soak the zest (just the yellow—not the white pith) of a dozen thanks in part to the efforts of the or so in a bottle of grain alcohol. After about two weeks, the Laiterie Charlevoix and manager peel will have lost most of its colour. Strain out the solids and Jean Labbé, the descendants of mix the infused spirit with simple syrup and water to achieve those animals—the Canadienne cow—are the sweetness level desired. growing in ranks after a period during which the breed almost disappeared. The only dairy cow to be developed in Canada,it 1 oz vodka was supplanted over time by other breeds (like the Holstein) 1 oz gin that produce greater volumes of milk. In 2007, initiated 1 oz limoncello by the Lyne Breton and Hengil farms, biologist Mario 0.5 tsp vanilla Duchesne, and Labbé at the Laiterie Charlevoix, an associa- 2 drops orange-flower water tion was formed to bring back the Canadienne. A year later, playing on the 400th anniversary of the cows’ ancestors’ arrival, In a shaker, combine all ingredients a new cheese—Le 1608—was launched into the market. Nutty, over two ice cubes and shake well. unctuous, and preserving more than just the Canadienne’s Half fill a martini glass with crushed ice and milk, it represents a great example of the “eat it to save it” pour in cocktail mixture. model of heritage conservation.

86 87 THE BRIDGE week 41 A zesty and surprising drink, brokers the the exotic (chile paste) with security of the more familiar opportunity (fruit juice) for an altogether new experience. Think sweet and hot, like General Tso’s chicken, minus the meat and breading.... Varying the potency and flavour of the sambal Following periodic food-safety scares and related crises in (there are dozens of varieties, each with its own heat and Louis Gadreau & Nancy Portelance Québec, aromas) can alter the sinus-clearing power of the drink, must feel hard-pressed to find a silver lining in the gloom. while simultaneously stocking your fridge with some fun Based in Neuville, their small cheese distribution company, new condiments. Plaisirs Gourmets, represents such artisanal producers as Fromagerie 2.5 oz vodka Pied-de-Vent, La Ferme Tourilli, 0.5 oz pomegranate juice and Au Gré des Champs. With squeeze fresh lemon juice outbreaks of listeriosis or anti– dash simple syrup raw-milk cheese media coverage, fear 0.25 tsp sambal (chile paste) of non-industrial products gets amped to new highs, despite little that supports greater security In a shaker, combine all ingredients in large-scale production environments. Fortunately, Gadreau over ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled and Portelance’s operation—which integrates their producers martini glass. into business-development activities—makes the most of eve- ry occasion, bringing those of us who love Québec cheese into closer connection with the remarkable range of dairy delicious- ness that the province has to offer. Nice to have a crew of cru and cru connaisseurs on the job.

88 89 THE ANIMA week 42 speaks loud and clear, telling a tale about its ingredients while being charming and coolly seductive. g r a c e Riffing on the margarita, tequila sunrise, and caipirinha, the drink twists together the vegetal warmth and light, woody aromas of the resposado (not as heavy as an añejo tequila) Josée di Stasio For more than a decade, has been with the bittersweet, old-Europe taste of Grand Marnier. introducing québécois television viewers and cookbook readers Cashew juice, made from the fruit of the plant, is available in to cooks and cuisines from both here and abroad. Her relaxed concentrate form, and adds a bright, tart flavour. Fresh lemon style and personal curiosity demystify food while simultane- juice may also be substituted. ously complexifying both its pleasures and importance. Trained

in communications rather than cooking, di Stasio started out 2 oz tequila reposado co-hosting the show Ciel! mon Pinard with Daniel Pinard, then 0.25 oz Grand Marnier went on to launch her own show, À la di Stasio, in 2002. Still 0.25 oz cashew juice on the air, and having spawned cookbooks and boxed sets of dash grenadine DVDs, the show has traveled to California and Italy, Barcelona splash tonic water and New York. In each place, di Stasio plays cultural interpreter, meeting the people who inhabit the local In a shaker, combine tequila, Grand Marnier, food worlds and making their day-to-day and cashew juice over ice and shake vigorously. realities come to life. If certain flash-in- Place grenadine in the bottom of the-pan cooking shows veer more a chilled martini towards extremism and food porn, glass and pour in then À la di Stasio is more like cocktail mixture, classic love poetry: still seductive, then top with a splash of tonic. but with a lighter, er . . . touch.

90 91 HIDE AND GO SEEK? week 43 A little bit of apple in the It hardly seems fitting to leave it out, given the drink’s inspira- f r o s t tion. In fact, this twist on the classic Perfect Manhattan (the “perfect” indicates that both sweet and dry vermouth are used) is a cozy auspice of more winter cocktails to come, while still Despite the chilly conditions required for remaining relatively light. A little fruit, hidden at the bottom making of their local innovation, ice cider, of the glass, comes as a tasty surprise at the end of the drink. Stéphanie Beaudoin & Vitamins! François Pouliot have felt nothing but warmth from their consum- 2 oz rye ers. As the first commercial producer of ice 0.25 oz sweet vermouth cider in Québec, La Face Cachée de la Pomme 0.25 oz dry vermouth have gone on to win numerous awards and accolades, includ- 2 drops orange-flower water ing initiating the first steps towards a reserved designation for lateral slice red-skinned apple their category. Pouliot, a former filmmaker and video director, segment white grapefruit started the operation in 1994, collaborating with Christian In a pint glass, combine rye, vermouths, Barthomeuf, who had developed the production technique and orange flower water over ice and based on the same natural sugar-concentration processes stir gently. Remove any seeds from employed in making ice wine. By 1998, Poulio was joined by the centre of the apple slice, and Beaudoin, who contributed her marketing savvy to develop- place on the bottom of a rocks glass. Remove outer membrane of the ing the brand’s unique look and feel. Today, with its ice, dry, grapefruit segment and add to and sparkling ciders, La Face Cachée and primary competitor glass. Pour cocktail mixture, Domaine Pinnacle are responsible for nearly 80 percent of the including ice, into glass, and annual production of ice cider in Québec. Sweet! top with a thin twist of lemon.

92 93 THE WILENSKY week 44 Technically kosher, is nonetheless not recommended for observing the high holy days, nor as a d i s g u i s e quaffto go with paschal lamb. Better, perhaps, as a Hallowe’en party drink, or to keep behind the front door (not too close to the candy), for when the young’uns come around demand- Mordecai Richler In Son of a Smaller Hero, renamed ing treats. Through peculiar in concept, onion-infused vodka it “The People’s Tobacco and Soda,” even is surprisingly mellow, and plays the same game with your though to everyone in the neighbour- senses as a good-quality tequila. A touch of rum complements hood, it was Panofsky’s. In The Apprenticeship the sweet onion taste, and fits the theme if any kiddies arrive of Duddy Kravitz, it became “Moe’s dressed as a pirate. . . . Cigar Store.” But throughout, the real

Wilensky’s Light Lunch in Montréal’s 2 oz Vidalia onion vodka Mile End neighbourhood has been 0.5 oz dark rum serving up counterside Specials, a 1 tsp clover honey salami and bologna sandwich, pressed flat squeeze fresh lime in a grilled onion roll, and always with a blob of mustard. Richler also conjured up other eternal images Dissolve honey in a teaspoonful of hot water. of symbolic eating, memorably placing his In a shaker, combine all ingredients over two Samuel Panofsky character on the side- ice cubes and shake well. Strain into a flute glass and fill to top with chilled soda water. walk outside his shop, scarfing down a ham sandwich while smoking a pipe during the Jewish high holy day of Yom Kippur (the day of atonement, when observant Jews fast for the day). Pissing off god in the guise of a midday bite. . . . Hmm, a cherry coke might go well with that.

94 95 THE EDIBLE CUP, week 45 with its numerous savoury notes layered onto one another, is a slow-sipping, contemplative s p i r i t s drink. Think about the future of the planet, and your moderate role within it. Now breathe and exhale. Do the ghosts of the cocktail’s ingredients leave your body with your breath? Or is Diane Bisson wants you to eat your plate. Then she’ll there some aroma or taste left behind? Are you becoming the ask you to swallow the knife and fork. The leader of an innova- drink, or vice versa? Take another sip. tive effort in environmental sustainability, Bisson is a profes-

sor of design at l’Université de Montréal, where she leads the 3 oz shochu Edible Project, aimed at developing food-serving containers 0.5 oz daiginjo sake that are themselves made of food. Initial work with Première 0.5 oz kombu liquid Moisson and the Toronto Design Exchange started in the 2 oz diced daikon early 00’s, and support from the Québec Fund for Research on 2 kalamata olives Society and Culture enabled a period of intensive investi- pinch wasabi powder gation during 2008. A year later she published her book, 2 oz soda water Comestible/Edible, which presents 32 of her “dishes” along with design process and recipes, all of which are based on flours, In a shaker, combine all ingredients purées, oils, and other binding ingredients like agar over ice, except soda water, and egg white. While no finished bowls or and shake vigorously. Strain into a tall highball glass bottles yet exist, the work is a major and top with soda. contribution to gastronomy, and a foundation for making piles of take-out trash just a wisp of long-forgotten memory.

96 97 THE MICHEL week 46 is a reminder that the tastes inhabiting us, both collectively and as individuals, come from many dif- m e m o r y ferent places and times. We are an amalgam of this and that, and though we often add and incorporate new bits into our- selves, we rarely subtract anything. What can you do with this Like Italian culinary documentarian Pellegrino drink to make it match your own history? Artusi, and our own cookery compiler, Michel Lambert Jehane Benoît, 2 oz amber rum has contributed a vital service to the 1 oz white rum gastronomic culture of his home nation. 1 oz Earl Grey tea, chilled Lambert’s three volumes of Histoire de la 0.5 tsp cedar jelly cuisine familiale du Québec (from origins to sea 2 drops Angostura bitters to forest) bring together recipes, narratives, and dash simple syrup opinion, and together form a major component of the pinch ground cloves québécois food canon. Originally inspired by his mother and his own family, Lambert opened la Maison de la Rivière, Dissolve cedar jelly in two teaspoonfuls of hot water. Combine all ingredients in a shaker with three ice cubes and an inn on the banks of the baie des Ha! Ha!, where he served swirl gently. Pour cocktail clients food from the region, including recipes incorporating mixture, including local wild plants. Basing his books on research and interviews ice, into a rocks glass. conducted around the province, Lambert paints a complex portrait of our traditions and tastes, incorporating the Algonquin, Inuit, and Iroquois heritage, as well as the major influence of European cuisine and more contemporary addi- tions. Il se souvient.

98 99 MARTIN C week 47 When you first make a for your friends, they may take a little convincing. Tell them about the first d e c o r a t i o n time you had really fresh key limes, and the view from your beach hotel as you tasted them. Describe that little shop, a couple of streets away from the main strip of the spice market, Martin Charpentier Flight attendant is always where you found the chile paste, and the smells and sounds coming back from somewhere, and usually with a new taste that surrounded you when you bought it. Then hit them with in tow to dress up his dinner table. Though he leaves the cocktail, and watch them drink in your travels. the actual cassoulet in Toulouse, Charpentier is very

representative of the new québécois eater: a person 2 oz key lime vodka whose travels abroad influence not only 0.5 oz Rose’s lime cordial what he himself eats chez lui, but the squeeze fresh lime juice food he prepares for friends and fam- 0.25 cup chopped Italian parsley ily as well. Historically, shifting food 0.25 tsp chile-garlic paste trends are due as much to travelers dash salty simple syrup coming home as they are to immigrants arriving from elsewhere, and no one comes home much more than an airline worker. In a shaker, combine all ingredients A new product from Paris or a plate tasted over ice and shake vigorously. Half in the Caribbean brings a lasting impact to fill a rocks glass with crushed ice and strain cocktail mixture into glass. St-Bruno or la Petite-Patrie, and it slowly but surely makes Québec ever more international. Nothing gets lost in this change, it just makes how we live more inter- esting, adding details and depth to the overall picture.

100 101 THE BIG SLEEP week 48 A luxurious winter cocktail, is a somewhat lightened version of the Negroni, which tradition- hibernation ally combines equal parts gin, vermouth, and Campari, for a very big bitter bang on the head. Here, a little Martini bianco (similar to white vermouth, but with a milder and sweeter As winter approaches, our thoughts seem to turn taste) and a bit less Campari even out the rough edges, and

to potatoes. Saint-Eugène-de-Guigues farmers ease you into a good night’s slumber. Jean-Luc Baril & Nicole Maheux are not only putting those cold-season staples on our 1 oz gin plates, they are making sure we know where they 1 oz sweet vermouth come from and what they are called, and doing 0.5 oz Martini bianco so in ways that reduce negative externalities. 0.75 oz Campari The husband-and-wife owners of La Ferme squeeze fresh lemon Lunick have dedicated themselves to pro- duction and transportation practices that In a shaker, combine all ingredients over not too much ice and shake vigorously. improve environmental and social sustainability Strain into a chilled martini (they arrange annual training and development for their work- glass and garnish with ers), as well as traceability and biodiversity. For their efforts, a twist of orange. Baril and Maheux were awarded the grand prize of the Ordre national du mérite agricole in 2009, the first time for a farm in Abitibi-Témiscamingue. Having once planted 40 different varieties of potato for an annual meeting of potato producers, these two spudniks are hardly curling up and going to sleep for the winter.

102 103 THE MONTREALER week 49 is a drink that celebrates the unique harmony of some very varied ingredients. A little spicy, s h o p p i n g a little weird, a little classic, and a little dirty, it fills you with a satisfaction and pleasure in wherever you are, and reminds you how lucky you are to be there. Little did mother and son Ida & Sam Steinberg

know in 1917 that their family name would go on to become 2 oz Absolut vodka synonymous with buying groceries in Québec, 0.5 oz triple sec nor that the little shops they opened on 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice St-Laurent boulevard in Montréal would pinch curry powder become the foundation for a revolu- dash bourbon tion in food-retailing. Steinberg’s, or as it became known as early as In a shaker, combine all ingredients 1961, Steinberg (sans apostrophe), ex- over ice and shake vigorously. panded rapidly throughout the province Strain into a chilled martini glass and top with a sprig of crushed thyme. in the ’30s and ’40s, transforming the habits of shoppers and introducing the supermarket concept for the first time. On-site parking, self-service, and non-food items added to the chain’s growing popularity, and external acquisitions expanded its reach. Due to their policy of bilingualism, the expression “je fais mon Steinberg” became idiomatic for grocery shopping among francophones, and though the chain largely collapsed in the 1980s, Steinberg’s holds a key place in our collective contemporary memory.

104 105 THE CHEDDARIFIC week 50 An energetic orange martini, depends on a very careful taste balance. Since taste is so vari- t r a n s i t i o n able from person to person, it’s best to try a few of these, tweaking the quantities, to make sure you get it just right. Don’t be afraid to innovate—that’s wher great gastronomy la Famille Perron Four generations of have oper- comes from. For a little sweet and salty fun, try floating a ated the Fromagerie Perron in Saint-Prime since the cheese cheese doodle on top of your cocktail, just before serving. company’s founding by Adélard Perron in 1895. Today,

after recognition as 2 oz vodka a national heritage 0.25 oz Grand Marnier site by the Min- 0.25 oz Cointreau istère des Affaires 0.5 oz fresh orange juice Culturelles, the original factory has been converted into a squeeze fresh lemon juice veritable homage to cheese, the Musée du fromage cheddar, 3 drops Angostura bitters with educational programs, historical artifacts, and of course tours and tastings. Debate on the loss of cheddar’s authenti­ In a shaker, combine all ingredients city bounces back and forth between producers, European over ice and shake vigorously. denomination authorities, and organizations like Slow Strain into a chilled martini glass and top with Food—is it all based on terroir, or can good cheddar be made a twist of lemon. anywhere? Either way, there is no doubt that the cheese remains a popular favorite in Québec and some ten other regions around the world where cheddar is produced. No gloom or doom in Saint-Prime, however—how could there be anything but joy in a place where cheese gets its own museum?

106 107 THE MARC-ANDRÉ week 51 Celebratory and wide-ranging, might not be the best idea before getting up at 4:00 a.m to b a k i n g start baking bread, but it certainly refreshes the soul after a long day of proofing and kneading. Pisco, a distillate made from grapes, was developed in Peru by Spanish settlers, and Marc-André Cyr With his infectious energy, is very today is produced in the winemaking regions of both Peru definitely a man on the go. A blogger and itinerant baker, Cyr and Chile. A good strong ginger beer adds bite to the thick gives private breadmaking lessons and group workshops, and sweetness of the guava, while bitters and basil pop in a couple contributes his considerable creativity to a variety of eateries. of unexpected aroma notes. His goal is to demystify the process of making bread

and to encourage every 2.5 oz pisco individual to roll up their 0.5 oz guava juice sleeves and rediscover 4 Thai basil leaves how a few simple tech- dash Fee Brothers niques can bring about the Rhubarb Bitters most satisfying aromas any 0.5 oz ginger beer kitchen has ever produced. He believes everyone should try it at least once—even using a non-professional oven—just for In a shaker, combine the experience, and his workshops often include a few small all ingredients over ice and shake gently. Strain dishes with international flavours that complement the fresh- into a flute glass and garnish made breads. Whether he’s hosting students from Italy’s Uni- with a twist of lime. versity of Gastronomic Sciences, shooting interviews about Red Fife Wheat, or preparing menus for Olive + Gourmando, Cyr has certainly carved off a nice big slice to chew on.

108 109 THE AUTOCHTINI week 52 is more about a sense of belonging than about using ingredients that grow within a f e a s t given radius, or that are part of a national heritage, or that have a limited carbon footprint. Before there were borders, space was defined by usage and occupation, not by lines on a A number of far-flung influences have helped to shape map, so maybe being “from here” should depend on what we Phoebe Sutherland’s food ethos, but it all start- do when we’re physically and emotionally present, and what ed for the chef-owner of Sweetgrass we contribute to our community, what we’re able to learn and Aboriginal Bistro during her child- adapt to, rather than what politics and media and economics hood in Mistissini, near James Bay. tell us is important. Making food and drinks together and cel- There, Sutherland, a Cree (born ebrating the great gifts of gastronomy is something we can all Blacksmith) grew up connected enjoy, and it makes every one of us native to our own reality. to the seasons and to nature, and One very dry vodka martini, sipped slowly, brings us into close by the age of ten she was already contact with ourselves. Now that’s a good cocktail. cooking for her family. Schooling in the south, including at the New England Culinary Institute in 2.5 oz vodka Vermont, added another gastronomic perspective, as well 0.25 oz dry vermouth as the influence of a new relationship with Jamaican-born Warren Sutherland, who is now her husband and part- In a shaker, combine vodka and ner in the restaurant. Internships and work in Maine and vermouth over ice and shake vigorously. Phoenix added other flavours to their experience, and Strain into a chilled martini glass and add an olive or twist of lemon. today Sweetgrass is about merging the realities of glo- bal taste with the savory traditions and inspirations that Sutherland carries with her from the québécois north.

110 111 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I owe a great debt of thanks to my teachers and colleagues from the 2009–10 edition of the graduate design program at Concordia University. This book grew out of that environment of research and exchange and making—indeed it is my final thesis (even though nothing is ever truly final. . . .) Thank you Ana, Tina, Chris D., Mia, Emmanuel, Pame, Vincent, Vijay, and Isa, both for telling me and showing me your tastes and personalities. And to Chris Salter, jake moore, and Rhona Richman Kenneally: you are remarkable designers, academics, and guides, all. I toast you again and again. I thank my father for first teaching me how to make a proper gibson (at age 12), and for invariably giving me one of his two booze-soaked onions. And to both my parents, Kit and George, for their generous and endless support in all the strange and very satisfying things I have done. Wow. To the many consumers of my drinks over the years, I offer my appreciation for your appreciation as well as your feed- back and lack thereof—all of which helped me think about what a cocktail represents, both to the drinker and the maker. And of course to the ranks of bartenders who have interpreted my own identity, shaken their shakers, swizzled their sticks, and fed me well with their mixology, I am very grateful. This book would not have been possible without the invaluable input of Martin Charpentier and Richard Ouellette, who provided ideas and suggestions for intriguing québécois food figures to include: my education continues. And of course to mon monsieur, Jean Lessard, the thinkingest man I know, for INDEX perpetually providing insights, stories, parallels, connections, triggers, and lots and lots of ice. Je t’embrasse. ingredients L’chaim! agua de jamaica...... 51, 63 cilantro ...... 27 almond milk...... 41 cognac...... 21, 31, 79 apple...... 61 Cointreau...... 37, 49, 107 apple brandy...... 11, 61 crème de cacao...... 17 apricot...... 51, 69 crème de menthe...... 39, 79 aquavit...... 43 cucumber...... 5, 27, 43, 65 basil...... 5, 41 curaçao...... 59 basil, Thai...... 109 curry...... 105 Belle de Brillet...... 3 daikon...... 97 birch...... 61 Frangelico...... 17 blueberry...... 11 gin...... 7, 19, 47, 53, bourbon...... 15, 105 77, 87, 103 cachaça...... 33 gin, lavender...... 75 calvados...... 3 ginger beer...... 43, 109 Campari...... 63, 103 Grand Marnier...... 9, 91, 107 caramel...... 33 grapefruit...... 31, 67 cardamon...... 5 grapes...... 81 cashew...... 91 grenadine...... 91 cedar...... 99 guava...... 109 celery...... 77 honey, chestnut...... 75 chile...... 27, 53, 89, 101 honey, clover...... 95 chocolate syrup...... 45 Jack Daniels ...... 23 cider...... 11 kalamata olives...... 97

114 115 people kirsch...... 81 sherry...... 25 Baril, Jean-Luc...... 102 Lapointe, Suzanne ...... 30 kombu (seaweed)...... 65, 97 soju...... 39 Beauchemin, Robert...... 74 Lemasson, Jean-Pierre...... 78 lemonade...... 23, 45 sparkling wine...... 31, 49 Beauchemin, Sophie...... 74 Maheux, Nicole...... 102 Lillet, red...... 49 spinach...... 53 Beaudoin, Stéphanie...... 92 Marler, Michael...... 80 Lillet, white...... 47 strawberry...... 55 Bellemare, Lyne...... 52 Mathey, Patrick...... 62 limoncello...... 87 sumac ...... 11 Benoît, Jehane...... 54 May, Johnny...... 50 lychee...... 39, 79 tamarind...... 51, 59, 73 Bergeron, Suzanne...... 60 Mrs. Levy...... 38 mango...... 73 tea, Earl Grey...... 99 Bertrand, Janette...... 20 Musgrave, Sarah...... 12 maple...... 5, 41, 61, 67 tea, genmai cha...... 41, 65 Bisson, Diane...... 96 Noiseux, Daniel...... 70 Martini bianco...... 47, 63, 103 tequila, reposado...... 13, 91 Bolduc, La (Mary Travers)...... 24 Normand, Jacques...... 6 mezcal...... 59 tequila, white...... 35 Brousseau, René...... 16 Ostiguy, Stéphane ...... 72 mint...... 73 tomato water...... 35 Cercle des fermières, Le...... 36 Perron, la Famille...... 106 nam pla (fish sauce)...... 59, 71 tonic water...... 13, 53, 91 Champagne, Suzanne...... 30 Picard, Martin...... 2 orange...... 35 triple sec...... 19, 45, 105 Charpentier, Martin...... 100 Pinard, Daniel...... 8 orange-flower water...... 13, 87, 93 vermouth, dry...... 7, 55, 75, Chartier, François...... 48 Portelance, Nancy...... 88 parsley...... 101 93, 111 Colpron-Fiset, la Famille...... 82 Pouliot, François...... 92 pernod...... 19 vermouth, sweet...... 23, 93, 103 Cruz, Alex...... 58 Richler, Mordecai...... 94 pineapple...... 71 vodka...... 5, 9, 17, 27, 43, Cyr, Marc-André...... 108 Richman Kenneally, Rhona...... 64 Pineau des Charentes...... 83 55, 61, 67, 71, 81, Dammann, Derek...... 58 Saputo, Giuseppe...... 76 pisco...... 109 87, 89, 105, 111 de Champlain, Samuel...... 26 Schwartz, Reuben...... 14 pomegranate...... 9, 89 vodka, beet...... 37 di Stasio, Josée...... 90 Secord, Laura...... 44 Qi (black tea liqueur)...... 21 vodka, ginger...... 49 Dion, Thérèse Tanguay...... 46 Soeur Angèle...... 40 rhubarb...... 61 vodka, kaffir lime...... 69 Drouin, Tony...... 60 Steinberg, Ida...... 104 rhubarb grappa...... 63 vodka, key lime...... 101 Durocher, Françoise...... 22 Steinberg, Sam...... 104 rose water...... 21 vodka, vanilla...... 17 Fournier, Guy...... 42 Sutherland, Phoebe...... 110 Rose’s lime cordial...... 35, 69, 101 vodka, Vidalia onion...... 95 Gadreau, Louis...... 88 Tsouflidou, Cora Mussely...... 34 rum, amber...... 99 wasabi...... 97 Germain, Johane...... 68 Whiteduck, Jean-Guy...... 32 rum, dark...... 95 whiskey, Irish...... 25 Grappe, Jean-Paul...... 66 rum, spiced...... 71 whisky, Scotch...... 83 Gravel, Jean-François...... 72 rum, white...... 33, 99 Grégoire, Bobby...... 10 rye...... 45, 93 Hautecoeur, Ismael...... 4 sake, daiginjo...... 97 Hupin, Véronique...... 80 sake, junmai...... 27 Kayler, Françoise...... 18 sambal (chile paste)...... 89 Labbé, Jean...... 86 shochu...... 73, 97 Lambert, Michel...... 98

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