Beyond the Bloody Caesar
Jamie Martyniuk of Citizen, is tasked with tomato sauce to make this cocktail that is Beyond the Bloody Caesar.
Behind the Stick
Chives Make a Savoury Herbaceous Cocktail
Julian Bernard, head bartender at Fauna Food + Bar uses chives to make his Genepy Cricket.
In Behind the Stick, we task Ottawa bartenders with creating a wholly original cocktail using an oddball ingredient. We’ll be highlighting one bartender, their spot and an ingredient per column, at the end of which they’ll challenge another of the city’s drink-makers for the next rendition.
Julian Bernard, head bartender at Fauna, has a singular focus when designing drinks to go with the restaurant’s elegant and ingredient-driven menu. “Our menus are seasonal and as local as possible,” he says. “When an ingredient is in season, it has a great impact on the flavour, and the shorter distance a product has to travel, the fresher that flavour will be.”
Bartender Jamie Martinyuk, who mixes drinks down the street at Citizen, challenged Bernard to create a drink with chives, an herb whose subtle pungency often relegates it more to the kitchen than the bar. Bernard’s initial concern stemmed from the fact that chives, in culinary use, usually serve as a final garnish rather than the focal point of a dish. An allium-forward drink could be unbalanced and unpleasant.
Playing off the herb’s spiciness, Bernard chose the Scottish gin The Botanist for his concoction. Made on the island of Islay, a noteworthy hotspot for incredibly peaty and nuanced single malts, the gin is made from hand-foraged island herbs, roots, spices and fruit. With its inherently herbal profile, it paired pleasantly with the chives’ familiar flavours. With this wind in his sail, Bernard decided to add mint to the mix. “I know mint and chives are good friends in the kitchen,” Bernard explains. He has paired the two flavours previously in rubs for potatoes, beef tenderloin and even Arctic char.
With two herbs already in play, putting the rest of the drink together would require balance. Unlike Martinyuk’s infused gin (Beyond the Bloody Caesar), Bernard did not want the herbs to dominate the spirit, preferring a more subtle effect. He tried several methods, including muddling, which work, but was impractical, since it would require a constant supply of fresh chives, given how seldom such a niche drink would likely be ordered.
He then tried juicing the chives, but the quantity of juice was thanklessly small. He finally landed on creating a syrup with mint, which would help preserve the chives while adding a balancing sweetness to the drink.
Putting it all together, Bernard came up with , a new name for a very new libation — a savoury and bright cocktail with a subtle, lingering note of chive in the finish.
The drink pays homage to Jiminy Cricket, the grass-dwelling fictional insect from The Adventures of Pinocchio, who lives cheek by jowl with all sorts of herbs.
He used Genepy, an herbaceous French liqueur, alongside the gin to amp up the grassy and fresh herb notes. A touch of Maraschino Liqueur add s a subdued sweetness and nuttiness and enhance s the mouthfeel that compels another sip.
Against the heady spirits and the sweetness of the syrup and Maraschino, Bernard adds lime juice to brighten and balance. A couple of dashes of Peychaud’s Bitters — a bright red spirit used in scant drops — bring s a touch of bitter spice.
Bernard shakes the drink with ice and then, to remove all ice shards, double - strains it into a coupe. Lastly, he garnishes with chamomile foam, black pepper and chives — et voilà. The drink’s pink hue and presentation promise as much delight to the eye as to the palate.
Using such an oddball ingredient can prove challenging, but Bernard’s rendition with its subtle complexities makes for a delicious summer sipper, which unfortunately won’t be seen on Fauna’s menu.
For the next challenge, Bernard has chosen Andrew McDow, bartender at Fauna’s sister restaurant, Bar Laurel. Embracing the bar’s Spanish tapas and conserva focus, Bernard has come up with a challenge ingredient that even he thinks may be going too far: Boquerone sardines. Stay tuned.
Fauna Food + Bar
425 Bank St. Ottawa
faunaottawa.ca | 613.563.2862
Genepy Cricket
1½ ounces Botanist Gin
1¼ ounce s lime juice
½ ounce Dolin Genepy liqueur
½ ounce Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
½ ounce mint and chive syrup
4 dashes of Peychaud's Bitters
Add all ingredients into a cocktail shaker. Shake well then strain using a fine mesh strainer into a glass. Garnish with chamomile foam on top, black pepper and chives.
Mint and Chive Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
½ ounce chives
1 ounce fresh mint leaves
Bring all ingredients to a boil in a small pot. Turn off heat and let sit until the liquid reaches room temperature. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Reserve.
Chamomile Syrup
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1 chamomile tea bag
Bring all ingredients to a boil in a small pot. Turn off heat and let sit until the liquid reaches room temperature. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Reserve.
Chamomile Foam
1 cup milk and 1 cup cream into a siphon with ¼ cup Chamomile syrup. Add CO2, shake well.
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