I think it's fair to say that 2020 has not been the best year for travelling. But, the beauty of food and drinks is that it allows us to explore the world through our tastebuds. I've teamed up with Distillerie Mariana to offer you guys a cocktail hour around the world. Every week a new country to visit and new recipes to try. Using fresh and local products while exploring different cultures is definitely the best way to travel this summer and I hope you guys will love this series as much as I do.

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A pioneer in the micro-distillery industry here in Quebec, Distillerie Mariana was founded in 2014 in Louiseville. They produce a long range of products from gins to rhums to even whiskeys. Their first product, Canopée, a forest gin, explains why they chose « Mariana » as their name. Derived from the latin term black spruce, Mariana was chosen to symbolize the distinguished flavors of their first creation and to symbolize the beauty of the nature surrounding Quebec! Their goal is to make us discover the beauty of our territory while respecting our surroundings.

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Sixth Destination

We are travelling to another one of my favorite destinations: Scandanavia. I only went once in my life but it will definitely not be the last. The beauty of the Nature, the people, the city and the food is just incredible.

‍Ingredients

CRANBERRY GIN FIZZ

1. 75 grams of cranberries
2. 30 ml of Canopée Gin
3. 8 oz of ice
4. 2 tbps of rosemary simple syrup
5. 150 ml of tonic water
6. 100 grams of water
7. 100 grams of sugar
8. 3 rosemary stems

The Canopée is a forest gin with such strong spruce & wood flavors that it reminds me of past trips in scandanavia. Whoever loves deep flavors will definitely love this drink. This being said, it is still a very light & elegant drink. I would describe it as the perfect fall drink to transition from light summer flavors to deeper more cozy ones.

Preparation

CRANBERRY GIN FIZZ

1. For the simple syrup, place 100 grams of sugar and 100 grams of water in a pan. Once the water is boiling add the rosemary and let infuse for 5 minutes. Drain the simple syrup and store until cool.
2. In a mixing glass place all the ingredients and stir with a cocktail spoon
3. In your highball glass, fill with ice and place the lemon wedges in you glass. pour half the mixture.
4. Garnish with the cranberries and rosemary.

Ingredients

HASSELBACK POTATOES

1. 4 small potatoes
2. 4 tbps of olive oil
3. 1 tbsp of thym
4. 1 tbsp of rosemary
5. salt & pepper
6. 1 shallot
7. 50 grams of roasted pecans
8. 100 grams of cheddar cheese
9. 60 grams of pancetta

Preparation

HASSELBACK POTATOES

1. Preheat the oven at 390F.
2. Using 2 wood boards of the same size cut the potatoes by slicing straight down but stop right before going all the way through.
3. In a bowl mix together 4 tbsp of olive oil, 1 tbsp of thym, 1 tbsp of rosemary, pepper and salt to taste.
4. Place the potatoes in the bowl and coat them with the mixture.
5. Reserving a small quantity of the oil mixture for later, place in the oven for 45 minutes.
6. In the bowl with the remaining oil mixture, add 1 shallot, 50 grams of roasted pecans, 100 grams of cheddar cheese, 60 grams of pancetta and pepper to taste.
7. Once the 45 minutes is done, place the toppings on the potatoes and rebake for 8 minutes.

Enjoy and Safe Travels!

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