White RoomWhite Room
A cold-weather cocktail from Montanya Distillers, in honor of those white-room days on the slopes.
1.75 oz. vanilla-infused Montanya Platino Rum
1.25 oz. Montanya Oro Rum
2 oz. half-and-half
0.5 oz. simple syrup
splash of Orgeat syrup
1 teaspoon crushed almonds
1 teaspoon sugar syrup
pinch of slivered almonds
Mix the Platino rum, Oro rum, half-and-half, simple syrup, and Orgeat syrup in a shaker with ice. Wet a martini glass, rim with sugar syrup, then dip it into crushed almonds. Strain the rum mix into the glass and garnish with almonds.
A smattering of ski town beverages for your drinking pleasure.
Caesar
History: Canadians are passionate about this Clamato-based drink developed in 1969 at an Italian restaurant in Calgary.
Mixer's notes: Akin to a Bloody Mary with crisp vodka, Clamato (tomato juice infused with clam broth), Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, salt and pepper.
Wet Woody
History: Namesake Garfield Wood was a boat builder in the 1930s. The lakeside Gar Woods Grill & Pier (garwoods.com) has been slinging the Wet Woody since 1988.
Mixer's notes: This blend of rum, peach schnapps, and fruit juices will gas you up after a long day in the Sierra.
Garland's Bloody Mary
History: The Bloody Mary is a staple at Snowbowl's Last Run Inn. Two decades ago Garland Davis developed his strain of the classic drink and now the pub serves 100 a day.
Mixer's notes: Davis' unique mix made with spicy habanero pepper. Its secret ingredient? Well, that's Davis' secret.
Porron Martini
History: Ernie Blake, who founded Taos in 1955, took a class of beginners skiing one day, only to have a lady refuse to ski down. He sent his son for a martini to loosen her up. Today, ski school still hunts for reward martinis in the trees.
Mixer's notes: If you're not enrolled, look for these silky gin treats at the Martini Tree bar, where they are still served in the same blown glass porrons Blake imported from Mexico.
Grist Mill Goombay Smash
History: This tasty drink is a cult classic at Killington's Grist Mill, imported by a bartender in 1980s from the Bahamas. They go through 15 gallons of the mix alone in a winter weekend.
Mixer's notes: This tasty blend of rum, fruit juices and cream of coconut packs a punch.
- Brian Irwin
From the Early Winter 2011 issue
