Nigel celebrates May 23 with a roster of whisky based cocktails.

Twenty years ago, I was in a bar in Toronto when the bartender asked if I’d like my usual Scotch on the rocks or a very dry martini, my other favoured poison. I hesitated for but a moment, when she suggested I try a cocktail that had both vodka and Scotch. Brilliant, I thought, both my vices in one. And thus, I was introduced to the Burnt Martini, which is so old that modern bar tenders have seldom heard about it. In my new hometown of Niagara-on-the-Lake, I have gradually been making the rounds of the best bars and training the younger bartenders in my archaic cocktail. Some old timers still remember how to make it, though there are several versions, even of this simple mix.

First choice is gin or vodka: I pick vodka, as I don’t like the clash of flavours, with the juniper in the former overwhelming any smokiness from the Scotch. Next choice is with or without vermouth: I decide none, as I like to savour the good single malt. Then there is the selection of the glass, on the rocks, straight up, shaken or stirred: as a Scotch on the rocks kind of guy, I select on the rocks in a rocks cocktail glass, but my drinking buddy and his partner prefer straight up in a martini glass. Honestly, there’s no right and wrong way. Don’t let the bartender bully you: drink it just how you like. Finally, the garnish: I don’t recommend olives, the oiliness fights the dryness of the mix, a simple twist of lemon peel works best.

About the same time as the above encounter, I became volunteer manager and bartender at The Celebrity Club, originally opposite the CBC buildings on Jarvis Street, but revived in the Performing Arts Lodge, Toronto, so I took a course in making cocktails. We learned 140 cocktails and had six picked at random for our graduation test. As I was decades older than most of the class, I knew most of the recipes and I’m glad to say I passed out in first place.

BURNT MARTINI

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Shopping list

• 2 shots premium vodka
• Splash of smoky single malt
• Lemon peel twist

Preparation and serving

1. Freeze the vodka overnight, or keep permanently in the freezer. Chill martini or cocktail glass for at least 30 mins.
2. Straight up: Further chill martini glass with fresh ice until ready to prep. Half fill a glass jug with large ice cubes (small cubes or shaved ice will melt too fast and dilute the mix). Pour vodka into the jug and stir vigorously with a long spoon or glass mixing rod.
3. Meanwhile, pour Scotch into the empty chilled glass. Swirl around until the interior of the glass is coated and then quickly discard the liquid. Pour the vodka through a strainer and serve immediately with a twist.
4. On the rocks: Pour Scotch into chilled cocktail glass; swirl around until the interior of the glass is coated and then quickly discard the liquid. Fill with ice and then pour on chilled vodka. Serve immediately garnished with a twist.

Spirit in Niagara (SIN) make a very good local vodka, which I use in my bar. They also make good fruit flavoured eau de vie and gin, from their own farm grown fruits, and Canadian whisky, mixed mash whisky and a whisky which they call Canadian Brrrbon, since Bourbon must come from Kentucky. It’s very sippable. As yet they have not ventured to make a Scotch-inspired whisky.

Several other whisky based cocktails are worth mentioning. There’s a great story attached to the creation of the Manhattan, which has it invented at the Manhattan Club in New York City in 1874. It was supposedly created at the request of Jennie Jerome, Lady Randolph Churchill, for a banquet she was hosting. However, further research shows she was in France at the time and pregnant with Winston, the future British Prime minister, so I guess the story is fun but fiction. It’s traditionally served straight up.

MANHATTAN

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Shopping list

• 2 shots rye whisky
• 1 shot sweet vermouth
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• Maraschino cherry

Preparation and serving

1. Chill a martini glass.
2. Fill a glass jug with ice. Pour whisky and vermouth over ice and add 2 dashes of bitters. Stir gently for 30 secs.
3. Strain into chilled martini glass and garnish with a maraschino cherry.

ROB ROY

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Rob Roy is very similar to a Manhattan, but is made with Scotch instead of rye whisky and a dash of Angostura bitters to add to sweet vermouth.

Shopping list

• 2 shots Scotch whisky
• 1 shots sweet vermouth
• Dash Angostura bitters
• Maraschino cherry

Preparation and serving

1. Chill a martini glass.
2. Fill a glass jug with ice. Pour whisky and vermouth over ice and add dash of bitters. Stir gently for 30 secs.
3. Strain into chilled martini glass and garnish with a maraschino cherry.

OLD FASHIONED

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Made with Bourbon and served on the rocks with a slice of orange.

Shopping list

• 2 shots Bourbon
• 1 white sugar cube or 1 shot simple syrup
• 3-4 dashes Angostura bitters
• Orange slice

Preparation and serving

1. In a glass jug, mix sugar with bitters. Add Bourbon and stir until sugar is dissolved (not an issue with simple syrup).
2. Top with ice and stir gently for 30 secs.
3. Fill an old fashioned glass with ice, strain the cocktail over the ice and garnish with a slice of orange, cut into the middle and rested on the edge.

RUSTY NAIL

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A Rusty Nail adds Drambuie liqueur to Scotch, garnished with a twist of lemon peel.

Shopping list

• 2 shots Scotch whisky
• ¾ shot Drambuie
• Lemon peel twist

Preparation and serving

1. Fill a glass jug with ice. Pour Scotch and Drambuie over ice. Stir gently for 30 secs.
2. Strain into an old fashioned glass with one ice cube and garnish with a twist of lemon peel.

SCOTCH AND SODA

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Nothing could be simpler, but the soda enhances the ineffable flavour of whisky.

Shopping list

• 2 shots blended Scotch whisky
• Soda water to fill

Preparation and serving

1. Fill a highball glass with ice, add two shots of good, blended Scotch and fill with chilled soda water. That’s it.

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This is Nigel’s 416th blog on Gentleman’s Portion. The SEARCH function at the top works really well if you want to look back and see some of his previous stories, or check under CATEGORIES.

NOTE: Apologies to any readers who saw an earlier, unfinished and unproofread version of this story. I must have been suffering from premature publication! Pushed the wrong button.