Talia Kleinplatz

We quickly took to carving out an hour or two after work on Fridays to put our phones away, spin a record, stir up a drink and catch up on the week . It’s increasingly easy to lose track of time down an Instagram rabbit hole so this new routine has been a welcome refuge. Now that we have a proper record collection going that has expanded exponentially over the past year and a half, we thought it might be fun to start creating some album-inspired libations. As warmer days are once again on the horizon, I thought it fitting to create a cocktail to pair with the album that will surely be getting more air time in the coming months.

If you’ve been following the blog for a while, you’re probably aware that an Old Fashioned is my go-to cocktail and therefor, quality cherries are essential. For the second year in a row, I’ve made brandied cherries at home and while messy and time consuming, it’s so worth the effort. The cherries are steeped in a very boozy mix of brandy, bourbon, rum, cinnamon, allspice, juniper berries, lemon and star anise. *If you have extra syrup leftover (which likely you will), I highly suggest keeping it and using it in a few cocktails in the following weeks.

For the length of time it takes to sip an Old Fashioned, I’m transported outside of my city to a world of travelers sitting down for a business meeting or debriefing a full day of sightseeing. This week we’re heading to Sidecut at The Four Seasons Resort Whistler to sample Spirit of the Mountains- a collection of cocktails created by DIAGEO Reserve & World Class Global Cocktailian and co-founder of Bittered Sling Bitters Lauren Mote. The collection pays tribute to peaks around the world and we had the opportunity try a few during a recent visit to BC’s own notorious peak. Ten Gin 0.50oz Dry White Port 1.00oz acidulated Clementine Skin and Cinnamon 2 dashes Bittered Sling Clingstone Peach Bitters Top with Stellar’s Jay Brut Shake first four ingredients over ice.

For the length of time it takes to sip an Old Fashioned, I’m transported outside of my city to a world of travelers sitting down for a business meeting or debriefing a full day of sightseeing. And when I’m on the road, I love being the traveler myself, sidling up to the lobby bar for happy hour while I pour over a long wish list of restaurants I want to hit up before my trip comes to an end. This week we’re heading to Market by Jean Georges at The Shangri-La where we had the opportunity to enjoy a couple of Province-inspired cocktails on the 11th floor. Dry shake, shake with ice and double strain into a coupe glass.