proof whisky, The Spiked Rooster Vol. 6

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Welcome to another week of ‘the proof is in’. As a special treat, we prepared this week’s hot Thursty Thursday drink off-site. On Monday we decided to bring our recipe to The Rooster Coffee House in Riverdale (www.roostercoffeehouse.com 479 Broadview Avenue), because we wanted to use the best coffee possible. With the help of its expert barista Jay, we successfully brewed an appropriately named ‘cock’-tail, The Spiked Rooster. This yummy little eye-opener makes the perfect post-brunch drink on a lazy weekend morning (or afternoon). Enjoy! To learn more about our brand, visit www.proofbrands.com. Become a friend on Facebook www.facebook.com/proofbrands and Twitter http://twitter.com/proofbrands to get last minute updates on all of our tastings, parties and events.

The Spiked Rooster

1 ½ oz proof whisky

1 tsp vanilla simple syrup*

5 oz espresso (or good quality coffee)

Heavy cream or frothed milk**

Pour 1 ½ oz proof whisky, 1 tsp. vanilla simple syrup and 5 oz hot espresso into a coffee mug or latte bowl, slowly float the heavy cream or frothed milk on top. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

* Vanilla simple syrup recipe – Combine equal parts of sugar and boiling water. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Pour into a jar or bottle with a lid and drop in a 1” piece of vanilla bean (you can substitute a 1/4 teaspoon of real vanilla extract for the bean). Let cool and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. This syrup is also great in your morning coffee. You can re-use the vanilla bean once the syrup is gone by putting it in your sugar bowl for vanilla sugar. (You can infuse your simple syrup with a variety of flavours like cinnamon sticks, cloves, etc.)

**HINT: Non-Fat Milk will be the easiest to foam. It will however not be as decadent a combination with your coffee. 2% Milk will foam quite easily and is a nice balance between ease of foaming and some fat in the milk making for a creamy and tasty drink.

Whole Milk is going to be the most challenging to create foam with. It will however be some kind of tasty when combined with coffee. The extra fat in the milk makes your latte or cappuccino a special treat. The milk is important, treat yourself.

Jay used an espresso house blend and whole milk to create our drink. We were lucky enough to catch it on video. Check out his technique:

The Rooster Coffee House sells it’s own specialty roast, made to order by the artists at Te Aro (www.te-aro.ca 983 Queen Street East). You can order anything from a standard Americano or choose from their selection of custom blends.

They also offer an assortment of teas from Tealish (www.tealish.com 728 Queen Street West), and delicious sweets from both Jules Patisserie (www.julescafe.ca  617 Mount Pleasant) and Circles and Squares (www.circles-squares.com  3495 14th Avenue, Markham). Their fresh sandwiches come from Loîc (www.loicgourmet.ca  722 Queen Street East)

The Rooster Coffee House is one of the 24 independent coffee shops participating in the Indie Coffee Passport. (www.indiecoffeepassport.com)

The passport is a great way for you to experience Toronto's fantastic independent coffee culture. The concept is super simple. It costs $25, and entitles the owner to one coffee-based drink at each of 24 participating espresso bars. The creators opened the card up to any independent shop south of Bloor Street.

Shawn Andrews is owner of the Rooster. She was sweet enough to answer our few questions:

PROOF: What are your views on Indie Passport vs Disloyalty Card – or does it matter to you at all?

S.A.: I love supporting independent small business and to be honest I really like anything that motivates us to get out and explore other neighborhoods in our city. I was really excited to be apart of the indie passport.

PROOF: Did the programme bring in a lot of new business for you?

S.A.: We have probably stamped 100 cards to date so I think it’s significant. You have to hope that if they had a great experience they will be back and tell a few friends. It’s a great concept.

PROOF: Douglas Coupland did a reading in your store – how did this happen? Will you/do you have lots of these special events? Any special new plans for winter?

S.A.: An editor from Random house is a friend and loyal customer and he asked if we would host an evening with Douglas Coupland. It was a magical night and the first in a series that this editor plans to hold here! We will be doing a lot of things like this in the future. Next is a viewing of an award winning documentary “Vine of the Soul” by Richard Meech. He will be there to do a question and answer after. (Nov 25 & 26 on roostercoffeehouse.com)

PROOF: In which direction do you see the Rooster heading? Do you think that you will ever apply for a liquor license?

S.A.: We have had a lot of people that would love to come and enjoy a drink with friends in the evenings and watch the sunsets over the city.......

PROOF: Will you sell any special holiday gifts? Will you list any seasonal coffees?

S.A.: Yes we will, we will have some wonderful coffees, teas and all the toys that go with it!

PROOF: Any funny stories you would like to share?

S.A.: We have a lot of great stories but to be honest they are best told early in the morning...you will see us and two of our best story tellers under the patio heaters seven mornings a week. Gerald and Robert, (and their two four legged companions) are the most interesting people you will ever meet. Historians that have a circle of regulars around them sharing story after story every morning at the Rooster...i get up early for it!

Thank-you Shawn! It was our absolute pleasure. WE are big BIG fans. :)

Because we cannot all hire Jay for his 24-hour barista services, we will mention a few shops that carry great quality coffee equipment for home purposes.

www.bergo.ca 55 Mill Street (the Distillery District), www.iqliving.com 542 Danforth Avenue, www.thecooksplace.com 501 Danforth Avenue, www.hightechonline.ca 106 Front Street East, www.dinetz.ca 231 King Street East, www.greenbeanery.ca 565 Bloor West, www.faema.ca, www.espressoblu.com 165 Woodbridge Avenue, Woodbridge, www.morala.com 4120 Steeles Avenue, www.peppermill.biz 87 Avenue Road, www.canadiantire.ca, www.kitchenstuffplus.com, www.cayneshousewares.com, www.williams-sonoma.com, www.homeoutfitters.com

And lastly, because we do not believe in drinking on an empty stomach, we leave you with this crisp little cookie recipe to nibble with your Spiked Rooster:

Nonna’s Biscotti (www.epicurious.com)

Gourmet January 2009

By Toni Oltranti

yield: Makes about 42 cookies

active time: 20 min

total time: 2 1/2 hr (includes cooling)

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

3 tablespoons proof whisky (we replaced the brandy – Nonna wouldn’t mind)

2 teaspoons pure almond extract

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup whole almonds with skin, lightly toasted, cooled, and coarsely chopped (optional – can replace with dried fruit or 1/4 cup chopped candied ginger)

3 large eggs

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Stir together sugar, butter, whisky, and extracts in a large bowl, then stir in almonds and eggs. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt until just combined. Chill dough, covered, 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Using moistened hands, halve dough and form 2 (16-by 2-inch) loaves on an ungreased large baking sheet. Bake until pale golden, about 30 minutes. Carefully transfer loaves to a rack and cool 15 minutes.

Cut loaves into 3/4-inch slices with a serrated knife. Arrange biscotti, with a cut side down, on a clean baking sheet and bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to rack to cool completely. Cooks' note: Biscotti improve in flavor if made 1 to 2 days ahead. Keep in an airtight container at room temperature.

proof whisky, It was a dark and stormy night, Vol. 5

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Welcome to November’s first week of ‘the proof is in’. Today we introduce you to a twist on an old classic drink, The Dark ‘n’ Stormy, typically made with dark rum and ginger beer. The original drink was created in Bermuda just after WWI. Ours was re-invented at the Martini Club headquarters by the talented mixologists, Michelle and Laura. www.martiniclub.com. To learn more about our brand, visit www.proofbrands.com Become a friend on Facebook www.facebook.com/proofbrands and Twitter http://twitter.com/proofbrands to get last minute updates on all of our tastings, parties and events.

The Capone

Cocktail size:

1 ½ oz. proof whisky

½ oz lime juice

½ oz simple syrup*

dash of orange bitters**

ginger beer
mint

Fill a glass with ice. Add 1 ½ oz. proof whisky, ½ oz. lime juice, ½ oz. simple syrup*, a dash of orange bitters (optional, but well worth it) and top with ginger beer. Garnish with a mint sprig.

*Simple syrup recipe – Combine equal parts of sugar and boiling water. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Pour into a jar or bottle, let cool and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

**HINT: Orange Bitters is an important ingredient in a cocktail. Many classic cocktails include it, as it offsets the sweetness and adds depth to the drink’s flavours. Peychaud’s and Angostura are readily available in the cocktail section at most grocery stores. Stock it in your bar.

Ginger Beer

Ginger beer is very similar to ginger ale, but crisper and more pungent. Originally, the most basic ingredients of ginger beer included water, sugar, ginger and ginger beer plant. (a ginger beer plant is an organism made up of a gelatinous substance of fungus, yeast and bacteria.) The ginger beer plant helped with the carbonation and fermentation process. Modern variations of ginger beer have replaced the ginger beer plant with sugar and artificial sweeteners. They use forced carbonation rather than relying on natural carbonation from the yeast. As a result, most ginger beers have no alcoholic content.

We found these five brands of Ginger Beer at local grocery stores. Although they are all good, you will want to choose the one that best suits your palate, as they vary in sweet & spiciness. Stewarts Ginger Beer www.drinkstewarts.com, Old Tyme Jamaican Ginger Beer, Reed’s Ginger Brew www.reedsinc.com, DG Jamaican Ginger Beer (also the producers of Ting) www.jamaicadrinks.com and last but not least Grace Ginger Beer www.gracefoods.com

If you cannot find any of these ginger beers, you can always make your own by using one of these simple recipes:

easy peasy ginger beer by Jamie Oliver

www.jamieoliver.com

Ginger beer is one of my favourite things in the world, especially blooming good in the summer when it's getting hot. I can't think of anything more sexy than having a big jug of iced ginger beer on the table with a barbecue on a hot day. The classic real ginger beers use a starter, and these are fantastic but slow, so here's my shortcut for getting amazing results taking hardly any time. Jamie Oliver

Ingredients

140g/5oz fresh ginger
4 tablespoons muscovado sugar
2 to 3 lemons
1 litre/1¾ pints soda water or sparkling mineral water
sprigs of fresh mint

First of all you need to grate your ginger on a coarse cheese grater – you can leave the skin on if you like. Put the ginger with its pulpy juice into a bowl and sprinkle in your muscovado sugar. Remove the rind from 2 of your lemons with a vegetable peeler, add to the bowl, and slightly bash and squash with something heavy like a pestle or a rolling-pin. Just do this for 10 seconds, to mix up all the flavours. Squeeze the juice from all 3 lemons and add most of it to the bowl. Pour in your fizzy water or soda water. Allow to sit for 10 minutes and then taste. You may feel that the lemons are slightly too sour, therefore add a little more sugar; if it's slightly too sweet, add a little more lemon juice. To be honest, these amounts are always a little variable so just follow your own taste. Pass the ginger beer through a coarse sieve into a large jug and add lots of ice and some sprigs of mint.

Homemade Ginger Beer

By The Canadian Living Test Kitchen

www.canadianliving.com

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups (375 mL) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (125 mL) grated gingerroot
2 tbsp (25 mL) lime juice
4 cups (1 L) boiling water
1/2 tsp (2 mL) active dry yeast

Preparation:

In large heatproof bowl, mix together sugar, ginger and lime juice; pour in boiling water, stirring until sugar dissolves. Let cool to lukewarm (about 100°F/38 °C), about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix yeast with 1/2 cup (125 mL) warm water; let stand until frothy, about 10 minutes. Stir into ginger mixture. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 24 hours. Strain through cheesecloth-lined strainer into airtight jar. Seal and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Tip: To finely chop a large quantity of gingerroot, peel and cut into 1/2-inch (1 cm) pieces then pulse in food processor.

Homemade Ginger Beer (non-carbonated)

Martha Stewart

www.marthastewart.com

Ingredients
2 pounds ginger, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 gallon boiling water
1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed lime juice
1 1/2 cups superfine sugar

Directions

Place ginger in the bowl of a food processor, and process until finely chopped. Transfer to a large pot or bowl, and add the boiling water. Allow to stand for 1 hour. Drain through a fine sieve lined with a double thickness of damp cheesecloth. Discard solids. Add lime juice and sugar, and stir to dissolve.

Allen’s on the Danforth (http://allens.to 143 Danforth Avenue) has been one of our regular destinations for some time. They have a great selection of whiskies and a long list of beers. With its dark wood bar up front on the right, blue and white gingham tables at the back, it has a characteristically New York saloon layout. The walls are decorated with a nice combination of old theatre posters, as well as a host of memorabilia from Mr. Maxwell's other passion - the Jaguar motorcar company. Mr. Maxwell is also part owner of next door’s, Dora Keogh, one of the most charming pubs in town.

The menu at Allen's features the very best hamburgers in town. www.allens.to/allens/menus.shtml

‘WE COOK ALL OUR FOOD ON THE PREMISES AND TO ORDER, AND USE LOCAL AND PESTICIDE- AND HORMONE-FREE PRODUCE WHEREVER POSSIBLE.  OUR AMBITION IS TO PRESENT FOOD AND DRINK IN A TRADITIONAL WAY, AS WAS DONE BEFORE THEME RESTAURANTS AND ENTERTAINMENT DINING BEGAN TO CROWD THE MARKETPLACE.  WE ARE DECIDEDLY INFORMAL, BUT STRIVE FOR THOROUGHLY PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AND A CIVILIZED ATMOSPHERE.’ - John W. Maxwell, Proprietor

Following our last visit, we had a few questions for proprietor, Mr. John W. Maxwell:

PROOF: What are the characteristics that you like most about Canadian Whisky?

J.M: I like Canadian whisky's individuality. It tastes like no other.

PROOF: How does Canadian Whisky compare to the Scotches and Bourbons?

J.M: Canadian Whisky compares very favourably with Scottish and American whiskies. Its distinctive sweet grain flavours and marked smoothness have great appeal.

PROOF: What is your favourite Canadian Whisky cocktail?

J.M: Favourite Canadian Whisky cocktail would be an Old Fashioned, up.

PROOF: What kinds of trends have you observed in Canadian Whisky over the past 30 years? Have Canadian Whiskies changed over the past 30 years?

J.M: The trends are toward higher quality, greater age and to interesting finishes.

PROOF: Which foods on your menu best pair with Canadian Whisky?

J.M: All foods pair with Canadian Whisky, but pork is the natural meat, corn the natural grain.  At Allen's a glass of ‘proof’ is the perfect predecessor, accompaniment or successor to "Cumbrae Pork Loin Chop with roasted potato and sweet-sour red cabbage".

PROOF: What kind of customer purchases Canadian Whisky?

J.M: Only the most discerning customers purchase fine Canadian Whisky.

PROOF: How many Canadian Whiskies do you carry on your back bar?

J.M: We currently list 29 Canadian Whiskies, including proof whisky.

PROOF: Which of your two establishments sell more Canadian Whisky – Allen's or Dora?

J.M: Allen's sells about 20 x the amount of whiskey sold at DK and about 90 x the Canadian Whisky.

PROOF: Finally, how do you drink your Canadian Whisky?

J.M: I drink my Canadian Whisky neat.

Thank-you Mr. Maxwell.

Drop into Allen’s and order a proof Canadian whisky the way you like it.

Today’s Thursty Thursday cocktail, The Capone was featured in the October 30^th Style section of the Globe and Mail. Check out the beautiful photography in “Party Trends go Back in Time”

www.theglobeandmail.com/life/style/party-trends-go-back-in-time/article1776652/

To nail the speakeasy effect, serve spirits in teapots, pouring them into cups or Mason jars. For an especially evocative cocktail, try Canadian whisky brand Proof’s aptly named Capone, made by combining 1 1/2 ounces Proof whisky, 1/2 ounce lime juice, 1/2 ounce simple syrup and a splash of ginger beer in a highball glass filled with ice. Garnish with a sprig of mint. Get more Proof recipes at www.proofbrands.com.

Also, make sure to check out the LCBO’s latest Whisky Soul campaign, which ends after this weekend. proof’s ‘The Urban’ is featured. www.lcbo.com

Weekend Forecast:

Saturday: Variable cloudiness – high of 4 degrees. (brrrrrr....)

Sunday: Isolated showers – high of 5 degrees.