Kayahara.ca

In a Canadian winter, it’s sometimes fun to mix up a tropical concoction to briefly ease the pain of these dark, snowy months. Few things transport you from white snowdrifts to white sandy beaches as quickly as a glass filled with fruit juice and rum. And sometimes the name even fits the condition, as is [...]

When working on a homemade cocktail ingredient, I always find it helpful to try someone else’s version first, to establish a basis of comparison, so I know what I’m aiming for. Take Swedish punch. Despite having read about it many times, I never had the chance to try it until this summer, when I found [...]

So far, all the cocktail syrups I’ve discussed in my Summer Syrup Series have come from the classic bartending tradition. Today’s, however, is drawn from an altogether different branch of the mixological family tree: Tiki drinks. The Tiki tradition calls on a wide array of different syrups, from plain old simple syrup to orgeat to [...]

Before there was grenadine, there was raspberry syrup. Okay, maybe that’s not literally true, but if you read early cocktail books, like Jerry Thomas’ Bartender’s Guide, you’ll see plenty of references to raspberry syrup… and none to grenadine. It’s an indispensable ingredient in the East India Cocktail and Clover Club, and makes a pretty fine [...]

Is it possible for a blue drink to be good? People in some quarters spend a lot of time debating what, exactly, constitutes a craft cocktail. There’s lots of debate, but I’m sure most would agree that any drink that’s blue probably doesn’t qualify. But, as Jeff “Beachbum” Berry points out in his book, Beachbum [...]

When I first became interested in craft cocktails, orgeat was one of the first syrups on my “to buy” list. (Actually, the very first time I heard about it was when watching Amélie, in which one of the customers orders a Mauresque.) Strangely, though, I had never made it myself until recently. Originally made from [...]

After the indulgences of the Christmas season, January drinks should be more stripped down, even elemental. The Hot Toddy fits the bill, with the added bonus that it will keep you warm on a cold winter’s night. Although it survives today almost exclusively in hot form, toddies were once served either hot or cold. A [...]

My plan for today had been to review the inimitable David Wondrich‘s new book, Punch: The Delights (and Dangers) of the Flowing Bowl. Unfortunately, due to slow shipping on the part of the online vendor I bought from, I still haven’t received my copy, even though it was released 10 days ago. (And I ordered [...]

The blogs have been abuzz over the past week with an innovative approach to alcohol infusions suggested by the good people behind the Cooking Issues blog. At its most basic, it involves placing the spirits and aromatics to be infused in a whipped cream siphon, like the iSi Gourmet Whip,  charging it, and waiting for [...]

If you followed my advice and made up a batch of falernum for the Zombie, by now you’re probably wondering what else you can mix with it. Here’s your answer! The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, like many rum-based drinks, is essentially a riff on the original Daiquiri. The trinity of rum, juice and sugar can [...]