We have a long weekend coming up as this Monday in Ontario is our Civic Holiday. In Toronto, the holiday is known as Simcoe Day, after John Graves Simcoe. John Graves Simcoe was the first Lieutenant Governor of the Province (Upper Canada) and founded York, which became Toronto. I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot of JGS. Maybe it is because, hey, who doesn’t like a long weekend, especially in the summer? Maybe it was because he abolished slavery, introduced courts of law, trial by jury, English common law and freehold land tenure. (Pete the lawyer approves.)
Truth be told, the main reason for the soft spot is probably because I went to a grade school named after his wife, Elizabeth Simcoe. Elizabeth named the area Scarborough after seeing what are now the Scarborough Bluffs, as she said they reminded her of the bluffs in Scarborough, England. Elizabeth was a not only a wealthy heiress, she was also a diarist and an artist. Her writings were compared to Jane Austen; high praise indeed.
Back to the long weekend. Nothing says long weekends like time with friends and enjoying some beautiful weather and cocktails. As summer is bursting with flavour, fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs, I thought I’d do some vodka variations to take advantage of the fresh summer fruit and some twists on mojitos to celebrate the long weekend and my city.
Blueberry Vodka:
What you need:
- 1/2 cup blueberries, washed and any small stems removed
- 1 3/4 cup vodka
What you do:
- Put blueberries in a mason jar
- Cover with vodka
- Seal lids tightly and place in a cool dark spot for 2-3 days
- Keep blueberries for garnish
Cherry Vodka:
What you need:
- 20 Cherries, ripe, washed and any small stems removed
- 1 3/4 cup vodka
What you do:
- Put cherries in a mason jar
- Cover with vodka
- Seal lids tightly and place in a cool dark spot for 2-3 days
- Keep cherries for garnish or for an easy flambé
- My simple drink for Cherry Vodka is to mix it with lemonade and add some soda.
The Elizabeth Martini (this is based on a cocktail I had at the George V in Paris)
What you need:
- 1 oz Vodka
- 1 oz Creme de Violette
- 1/4 oz Lichi-Li
- 2 oz (or more) Prosecco (or Champagne)
What you do:
- In a martini shaker, add ice
- Add Vodka
- Add Violette
- Add Lichi-Li
- Shake
- Strain into chilled martini glass
- Top with Champagne or Prosecco
The John Graves Mojito (for staying cool as a cucumber)
What you need:
- 1 lime, juiced
- 5 leaves of mint
- 1 mini cucumber, cut into chunks (or 1/4 English Cucumber, peeled, deseeded and cut into chunks)
- 1 1/2 oz Hendrick’s Gin
- 1/2 oz Ginger Simple Syrup
- Club soda
What you do:
- In a blender, put the cucumber chunks, lime juice, mint and ginger simple syrup
- Blend until smooth (if you don’t like a slightly chunky texture, strain at this stage)
- Pour into a martini glass
- Add Gin
- Stir
- Add ice
- Top with club soda
- Garnish with a cucumber wheel
The Simcoe Mojito
What you need:
- 1 tsp blueberries (approximately 7- 10)
- 6 mint leaves, torn
- 1 oz Blueberry Vodka (see recipe above)
- 1/2 ounces Verveine
- 1/2 oz Simple Syrup
- Club soda
What you do:
- In a martini glass, muddle mint leaves
- Add Blueberry Vodka
- Add Verveine
- Add Simple Syrup
- Stir
- Add ice
- Top with club soda
- Garnish with blueberries
Thanks to BoldWorks for filling a special order of Verveine for me and for letting me play with the Violette and the Lichi-Li.
