The Caesar might be Canada’s most well-known drink, but it’s far from the only cocktail born in the Great White North. To celebrate the highly-anticipated appearance of the Canadian women’s soccer team at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, drinks writer James Chatto shares five nationally-inspired cocktails for countries around the globe – including this option for the hometown crowd, The Toronto:
“Here’s a classic with roots in the 1920s, when it was known as a ‘Fernet Cocktail’ and ‘much appreciated by the Canadians of Toronto,’ as famed Belgian bartender Robert Vermeire affirmed in his classic book, Cocktails: How to Mix Them. Delicious enough to represent the whole country, our version soothes the rye whisky with mellow maple and then spikes it with the sharp bitterness of Fernet-Branca. Serve it stirred and strained into a Martini glass, or build it on the rocks in a tumbler, like an Old Fashioned. Either way, it offers convincing proof that there is more to Canadian mixology than the Caesar. We recommend using actual rye, such as Alberta Premium, rather than a typical blended Canadian whisky – its spicy edge adds an extra dimension to the drink.”
Watch the 2024 Summer Olympics on CBC Gem here.
The Toronto Cocktail
Ingredients
- ice
- 2 oz Canadian rye whisky
- ½ oz Fernet-Branca
- ¼ oz maple syrup
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- orange peel for garnish
Instructions
- Half-fill mixing glass with ice. Top with whisky, Fernet-Branca, maple syrup and bitters. Stir to chill. Strain into Martini glass, twist orange peel overtop to release essential oil, then garnish rim with peel.
More cocktail recipes for the 2024 Summer Olympics
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Stars and Stripes Cocktail
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Brazilian Canary Port Cocktail
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