Mix it up

You've gone to the trouble of selecting the perfect cut of meat, lovingly marinating it in preparation for its transfiguration into something heavenly.
  You’ve prepared the veg. You’ve set the table. You’ve donned the novelty apron and armed yourself with the giant tongs. Now, your only task is to cook your creation.

But before you put your eyebrows in harm's way, you'll want to belly up to the barbecue with a little something tasty in hand -- something to cool your fevered brow as you slave over the burning coals (or propane jets as the case may be). It doesn't always have to be beer, though. It could be something more sublime, more stylish, more urbane.

Perhaps a wine cocktail to whet the palate.

That's the cheeky, upscale attitude you'll find (along with some delicious drinks) in Wine Cocktails: 50 Stylish Sippers that Show Off Your Reds, Whites and Rosés By A.J. Rathbun (The Harvard Common Press, $14.95).

Rathbun is a Seattle mixologist (author of award-winning Good Spirits) who has taken wine beyond Sangria (a perfectly good fall-back, but not too adventurous) and into the more sophisticated category of "cocktail."

Wine Cocktails boasts a good introductory section on wine, liquors and liqueurs and bar tools and glassware. It's a good first step for the novice bartender who wants to offer their guests something more thoughtful than just what comes straight out of the bottle. Focusing on one type of cocktail (like learning to become adept at say, cooking Italian food) allows you the opportunity to refine some skills and tastes which then give you the confidence to broaden your "libatious" horizons. But you (and your guests) would be well-served even if you decided wine drinks were your party specialty.

Before you delve into the delicious possibilities of Wine Cocktails, you might want to give one of your key ingredients a little extra thought. It has nothing to do with vineyards or distilleries, it's your...

Ice Ice Baby

There's nothing worse than lifting a pretty glass of something potent and getting a whiff of last night's leftovers. Ice is the finishing touch on any cold drink in terms of temperature, taste and even appearance. And while making ice might seem like a no-brainer (especially if you live in Winterpeg) there are a few things you should do to ensure a polished presentation for your cocktails.

It's all in the details.

It's important to start with filtered water to remove any taste from the tap. That means making sure your filter system and jug (if you use one for filtering) are always spotlessly clean. You also need to keep food well-wrapped and your refrigerator regularly wiped clean to ensure that food smells and tastes are not transferred to the freezer.

I scouted around the internet to find some useful hints. If you go to the site called eHow at www.ehow.com, you'll find detailed instructions for cleaning and maintaining trays and storing cubes so they stay sweet.

It's especially important to wash regularly because you are handling the trays, and to rinse thoroughly to ensure no detergent remains on your trays. eHow recommends transferring cubes to freezer quality plastic bags as soon as the cubes are frozen to maintain a fresh taste. If you are making freezer pops for the kids, slipping the whole pop-tray (once frozen) into a large bag would be a good idea as well.

If you go to http://www.instructables.com/id/make-crystal-clear-ice!/ you'll find instructions on how to make crystal clear cubes. They look better and if you are adding fruit to the cubes, the fruit will show up better. The key is to boil your water, let it cool and then boil it a second time. Cool it, then freeze. This removes dissolved air and breaks down minerals in the water.

Martha Stewart has some good instructions for ice cubes at www.marthastewart.com.

Key in "Fruity Ice Cubes" to see how to make large cubes, ideal for punches, with layers of fruit in muffin tins. You can also key in "Lemon Verbena Ice Cubes."

Once you've got your cubes ready, your lemons and limes sliced and your shaker at hand, you can try these three cocktails from Rathbun's guide. You can also find Rathbun (along with his blog Spiked Punch) at his website www.ajrathbun.com The photos are by Melissa Punch.

Simple Syrup

This basic recipe for simple syrup also comes from Wine Cocktails. Simple syrup makes it easier to add sugar to cold drinks because the sugar has already been dissolved into boiling water and cooled. Simple syrup is also handy for iced tea, homemade lemonade or any other cold drink you want to make from scratch. Using a solution of simple syrup to mix cold drinks (as opposed to making a commercial drink mix) allows you to add as much or as little sweetness to your glass as you like.

625 ml (2 1/2 c) water

750 ml (3 c) sugar

1. Combine the water and sugar in a medium-size saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat a bit, keeping the mixture at a low boil for 5 minutes.

2. Turn off the heat and let the syrup cool completely in the pan. Store in a clean, airtight container in the refrigerator. Makes about 4 1/2 c (1 litre).

Cactus Berry

This one is so-named because it has a bit of a bite.

Ice cubes

90 ml (3 oz) Merlot

90 ml (3 oz) white tequila

45 ml (1 1/2 oz) Cointreau

30 ml (1 oz) fresh lime juice

2 lime slices for garnish

1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with ice cubes. Add the Merlot, white tequila, Cointreau and lime juice. Shake exceedingly well (as if you were shaking cactus thorns from your hands.

2. Strain the mix into 2 cocktail glasses. Garnish with the lime slices and serve. Serves 2.

Fremont Fruit Bowl

Rathbun has this to say about maraschino liqueur: "Don't be fooled into thinking that maraschino liqueur is the same as the liquid that comes with maraschino cherries in the jar or as a cherry syrup. Instead, it's made from the fruit and pit of marasca cherries, with a dry, rich flavour that has hints of both cherries and almonds".

Rathbun also recommends using an Australian Riesling for this punch.

3 fresh peaches, pitted and cut into wedges

3 fresh apricots, pitted and cut into wedges

3 cups fresh strawberries, stemmed and quartered

Ice (in block form if possible, or use cracked ice)

150 ml (5 oz) apricot liqueur

150 ml (5 oz) maraschino liqueur

1X 750 ml bottle of Reisling

1 X 750 ml bottle of chilled brut Champagne or sparkling white wine

1. Put the peaches, apricots, and strawberries in a large punch bowl. Using a wooden spoon, stir them together, being just a little brisk, as you want them to be well-mixed.

2. Add the block of ice to the bowl or, if using cracked ice, fill the bowl almost halfway.

3. Add the apricot and maraschino liqueurs. Stir well with your wooden spoon.

4. Add the Reisling and Champagne, concurrently (this makes both feel an equal part of the festivities). Stir well, again. Serve in punch cups, white wine glasses, or sculpted goblets. Serves 10.

Champagne Bowler

A muddler is a wooden bar tool shaped sort of like a baseball bat. Muddling fruit or herbs (rubbing and pressing with the muddler) releases oils and juices which flavour your drinks.

6 fresh strawberries

60 ml (2 oz) Simple Syrup (recipe is above)

Ice cubes

30 ml (1 oz) Cognac

30 ml (2 oz) white wine

250 ml (8 oz) chilled sparkling wine

1. Combine the strawberries and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker. Using a muddler or sturdy wooden spoon, muddle well.

2. Fill the cocktail shaker halfway full with ice cubes. Add the Cognac and white wine. Shake well.

3. Pour everything from the shaker into 2 goblets or large red wine glasses. Top with the sparkling wine. Stir gently and serve. Serves 2.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition June 3, 2009 D1