In the darkest and coldest days of the year, we want comfort. Whether it’s cozy shelter from the weather, convivial holiday celebrations or warming après-ski, a fireside cocktail hits the spot. And just like comfort food, the sensory elements of aromas, flavours and even colours add layers and luxurious depth to cocktails. Bring them together with some bar-cart basics.
Barrel-aged spirits such as Canadian rye, single-malt Scotch, Cognac and Caribbean rum — and the timeless cocktails they make: old-fashioned, Rob Roy, French Connection, High Horse — have a rich and toasty caramel essence with woodsy, spicy notes. On the lighter and crisper side, gin has distinctive botanicals, and tequila has a unique peppery character; both match well with seasonal notes found in fir trees, cranberries, citrus peel or holiday baking — think of a mandarin-and-thyme paloma or a cranberry martini.
These spirits are the base of a cocktail, to which mixers or modifiers are added (sours and sweeteners, whether alcohol, juices or sodas). Bitters, vermouths and liqueurs bring another layer of aroma, flavour and texture. Derived from roots, herbs, barks or spices, bitters live up to their name by tempering sweetness. A little goes a long way. Most cocktails call for only a dash or two of tinctures like Angostura (clove and allspice character) or Peychaud’s (wormwood and anise) or citrus, pepper, walnut, lavender, chocolate or cherry variations.
Other cocktail components are the bittersweet herbal amari known as apéritifs or aperitivos, such as Aperol, Select, Campari and Averna. Vermouths — white, red, pink, including Esquimalt, Cocchi, Lustau and Antica Torino — are similar but are wine-based and can be sipped on their own or mixed in cocktails (Manhattan, Negroni, spritz). Sweeter liqueurs soften bitterness and alcoholic heat and add texture and viscosity to cocktails. Cold-weather classics are amaretto, Grand Marnier, Manitou, Tia Maria, cinnamon schnapps, Frangelico, Chartreuse and Irish cream — sometimes all you need is a splash in hot chocolate (see page 25 of Winter Issue 2025)! The final touch is the garnish: a few coffee beans on an espresso martini, an orange peel for a Boulevardier, or a brandied cherry in an old-fashioned.
There are three ways to combine ingredients together to craft a cocktail. They can be built right in the serving glass, shaken with ice in a shaker and double-strained, or stirred with a bar spoon in a mixing glass (about two-thirds filled with ice) before straining. And there are standard bar tools: a jigger to measure ounces, a glass mixer, a bar spoon, a Boston shaker, a Hawthorne or julep strainer, a fine-mesh sieve strainer, a muddler, a paring knife and peeler and cocktail picks. For glassware, the basics are martini glasses (conical with a long stem to keep the drink cold), old-fashioned or rocks glasses (short and wide to accommodate a large ice cube) and highball glasses (taller for “longer” drinks and lots of smaller ice cubes).Whatever your pleasure — savoury and umami; boozy and bold; or bright, crisp and clean — there’s a cocktail to cozy up with. My favourite fireside tipple is the French Connection, named for the classic ’70s film (and a variation on another movie-inspired cocktail, the Godfather), made with B.C.-crafted bitters and amaretto and Cognac from France, bien sûr. Cheers!
