As our summer series of bartender interviews will be coming to a close soon, I thought it would be fitting to take a brief cocktail interlude and share a little bit about what we’ve been drinking at home on these last lingering days of summer.
I have two words for you- Pina Colada. Say what you will about this most excellent of guilty pleasures. I don’t want an elevated Pina Colada. I don’t want a variation of a Pina Colada. Give me a Coco-Lopez laden, pineapple juice filled, swirled in a blender, maraschino-cherry-of-my-childhood-topped Pina Colada. If Morgenthaler can own his love of of this cocktail, then so can I. Haters gonna hate. Cocktail enthusiasts may scoff and judge. I say bring it. I like to believe that they are secretly going home and blending up one of these bad boys in the privacy of their kitchens. For any of you that have the courage of your convictions to declare your colada love, check out this recipe from Imbibe Magazine which we have been using all summer.
And of course, I’ve been sipping on some less shame-inducing favourites as well including a classic margarita and non-slushy daiquiris. But perhaps my favourite cocktail this summer has been one created by the man that puts the “Two” in “Two For The Bar.” Blair Turton (my partner in all things food, drink and life), has been known to experiment and create magic with our modest bar at home. So a few weeks ago while playing with homemade tea syrups and bourbon, he managed to shake up something quite special. And with that, a cocktail was born.
Blair uses careful consideration and a great deal of thought before naming his cocktails. So when he settled on “The Peddler’s Moon” my first thought was “That’s beautiful.” Until I googled “Peddlers Moon” at which point my second thought was “Leave it to Blair to find a way to incorporate Stephen King’s The Dark Tower into his creations.” Alas, this is the man I’ve chosen for life and longer and it is in fact his dorkish, quirky sense of humour that makes me love him so.
But I digress. Regardless of the name, I have been drinking these things on the daily. If you know me, you know I’m a sucker for anything that combines bourbon, ginger and lemon. And if you care to partake, I’ve provided the recipe below! Hope you enjoy it as much as I have! Happy end-of-summer libating folks! Cheers!
The Peddler’s Moon
Ingredients
2 oz over proof bourbon or rye
1 oz lemon juice
0.5 oz Oolong Tea Syrup (Combine one part oolong tea, one part sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer until the sugar is dissolved, approximately 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely)
2 oz Ginger Beer
Instructions
In a shaker combine bourbon, lemon juice and oolong tea syrup.
Top with ice and shake.
Strain into a rocks glass. Add fresh ice and top with ginger beer.
Garnish with a lemon peel.
