Dominic Primard – Quebec City

Quebec mixologist Dominic Primard, winner of the 2012 Quebec City Made with Love cocktail competition prefers simple cocktails produced without “having to be a chemist.” Primard picks up the makings of his mixes from the local grocery store and builds bitters at home. This winter, he will experiment with coffees from different countries like Jamaica and Brazil and get back to basics with a sweet twist on the Manhattan.

sweet manhattan

2 oz of your favourite bourbon or rye whisky

1 oz sweet vermouth

2 dashes Angostura bitter

1/2 oz maraschino cherry juice

Put all ingredients in a mixing glass, stir for about 15 seconds and double strain in a chilled martini glass.

Fabien Maillard – Montreal

Bartender Fabien Maillard entertains patrons of Le Lab by juggling flaming bottles of booze high in the air. His use of flame will also extend to cocktails he’ll create this winter. “What’s popular here in winter is a warm cocktail called the Blue Blazer invented by Jerry Thomas in the 19^th century. You use fire to make this warm cocktail,” he said. Maillard will also be serving grog, made with hot rum, hot water and spice; hot wine cocktails; and cocktails made with tea and spirits.

flaming berry

1 tsp sugar

1 dash Fee Brothers Cherry Bitters

1/2 oz Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur

1 1/2 oz Havana Club 7 Year Old Rum

3 wild berries

Pour all ingredients into 2 blazer cups. Light cups on fire and pour the mix from 1 blazer cup to the other. Repeat several times and pour drink into an Old Fashioned glass with the wild berries at the bottom. Cover the glass with a snifter glass to capture the skim of the cocktail.