For all my Old Fashioned Cocktail lovers out there, this one is quite a special one. Featured exclusively on CTV’s The Social, I bring together an award-winning Single Malt coming from YES CANADA, with some iconic flavours we know and love. Maple, Apricot and Black Currant come together in the most beautiful way, and I can’t wait to share this delicious Canadian Cocktail.
Want to catch the segment where I create this beautiful gem? Make sure to follow this LINK here as it will direct you where you need to go!
Representing the Territories
In the Canadian Whisky world, Two Brewers has been around. Starting off (and still striving) as Yukon Brewing, creating some outstanding Beer and delicious Gin, but where I believe they’ve truly stood out is in their Single Malts. First off, it’s Single Malts, which is rare enough to find in our Country. Secondly, it’s coming from the Yukon, which can seem very distant for most of us in Canada. So it felt very important to me to make sure they were included in the story. That they are as much a part of the legacy that is Canadian Spirits and they are winning a ton of awards because of this.
With Two Brewers, no release is the same. But they do categorize each release with the style of Whisky they are producing. This includes Classic (what you’d find in a classic Single Malt Scotch), Peated, Special Finishes and Innovative. The latest release is the 48, fitting into the classic character, and it’s also what lead me to create the Maple, Apricot and Black Currant Old Fashioned I featured.
If you want to shop for any Two Brewers products, make sure to shop on their website, as they ship across Canada from their site. In addition, they offer some on-premise locations across Canada, but you would have to check on their website for details.
Choosing the Flavours for this Yukon Old Fashioned
As I hinted above, this Classic 48 Release was giving me a ton to work with. I get a ton of Dried Fruit, so much spice, and it’s body can hold up against a lot. It’s a delicious mouth feel, with this whisky having rested in Bourbon casks, but also touched with Sherry Cask, which is typically an automatic win for me. There’s a blend of 17 different mashes with this release, and 6% has a 17 year old influence. It’s outrageous tasty. And I wanted to honour the work of their blender by creating something that could live up to this dram.
Why Maple? Because when you think Canadian, this is quintessential. Plus, I don’t think there is any other spirit that could COMPLIMENT and not get buried in that Maple taste, quite like this. I want to compare this to the Bacon and Maple perfect harmony. They work. At all odds, it works.
Why Apricot? Did you know we can grow Apricots here in Canada? I don’t know, this one surprised me a smidge. And with all the Dried Fruit notes, that’s why I figured this would be a great pairing.
Why Black Currant? This is important, because this wasn’t originally in the mix. But one of my favourite ingredients that’s essential in an Old Fashioned is Oranges. Thing is, we don’t grow Oranges. I mean we could, if you wanted to have a tree in your home, but I’m going to assume, most people don’t here. But an Old Fashioned needs acid for balance. So this Maple, Apricot and Black Currant Syrup came as a way to solve this issue of citrus. So the syrup is surprisingly tangy. Like your favourite sweet tart. But don’t compare this to the candy. This is sophisticated. This is delicious. So let’s get to that recipe shall we?
Yukon Fashioned
Maple, Apricot and Black Currant come together in the most unlikely way, paired up with the special Two Brewer's Classic Release 48 Single Malt Whisky. Your mouth should be drooling by this point. Make it to see why.
– Difficulty: Intermediate
Ingredients
- 2 oz Two Brewer’s Release 48 Single Malt
- 0.5 – 1 oz Maple, Apricot & Black Currant Syrup See notes for details
- 3 dashes Ms. Better’s Aromatic Bitters
Instructions
- In a mixing glass, combing all your ingredients, fill with ice and stir well.
- Strain over 1 large ice cube.
Recipe Notes
To make the Maple, Apricot, Black Currant Syrup – In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup Maple Syrup with ½ cup water, 1 cup Dried Apricot (or 1 cup fresh), ½ cup Black Currant. Bring to a simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool at room temp before straining. Can last up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
