6 minute read
Capturing Spring in a glass – must try cocktails for the season
WORDS BY MARCIA J. HAMM PHOTOGRAPHY MARCIA J. HAMM
Capturing Spring in a Glass: Shake Up Something Delicious!
Fresh, fruity, and fantastic. Get ready to wow your friends with these fabulous patio worthy cocktails
With Spring upon us (we hope), it’s time to start thinking about setting up the patio, having friends over and mixing up some new cocktails. Think fresh, fruity, and fun! With cocktails being on trend, the smells and colours of Spring had me thinking fresh fruit & florals!
Looking to mix up your glass of Chardonnay? There are some fabulous Chardonnays out there from iconic producers that are meant to be enjoyed solo, or with a great meal. But if you’re tired of the same old Chardonnay, try adding soda and fruit for a simple, yet exotic cocktail.
Razzberry Chardonnay
Ingredients: Unoaked Chardonnay (I used Joel Gott – USA) Raspberry syrup Sparkling water or club soda Fresh raspberries
Pour 3 oz of Chardonnay into a flute glass with ice. Stir in 1/2 oz raspberry syrup, and top with sparkling water. Garnish with 2-3 fresh raspberries and serve.
I’m a big fan of the Gimlet, a cocktail that is one of the classics; simple, elegant, and timeless! Back in the 19th century, the lack of Vitamin C caused scurvy. The British Navy brought gallons of lime juice on board its ships to give to the sailors to keep them strong and healthy. The story goes that the doctor on board, Sir Thomas Desmond Gimlette, administered gin with the lime to mask its bitter taste and make it easier to drink. Some say the drink was named after him. Of course, it could have been named after the hand tool that bore into the barrels of spirits found on the ship called a gimlet. It doesn’t matter which story you prefer; the cocktail is always delicious and easy to make. Try adding cucumber and basil for a twist on the classic!
Cucumber Basil Gimlet
Ingredients: Gin (I used Tanqueray) Rose’s Lime Cordial
Basil leaves
Lime
Cucumber sparkling water
Combine 2 oz gin, 1 oz cordial, juice of half a lime, and 3-4 basil leaves in a shaker with ice. Shake well until basil leaves are muddled. Pour into a
chilled coupe style glass, top with ¼ oz sparkling cucumber water and garnish with a lime wheel or cucumber slice.
Spring is a time of new birth; trees are budding, and flowers are blooming. The world is full of colour again after the monochromatic white of winter. Buying annuals is a favourite activity of many in Spring to brighten up patios and porches. With that in mind, think about what floral notes would go inside a tasty cocktail! Rose? Lavender? Hibiscus? Elderflower? A true homage to Spring, any of the above flowers would make a tasty drink. You could even make it non-alcoholic and skip the vodka. Fresh and delicious either way!
Lavender Rose Lemonade
Ingredients: 2 oz Vodka 1/4 oz lavender syrup 1/4 oz rose syrup 3 oz lemonade (use 4 oz if making non-alcoholic) Blue Butterfly tea bag (the bitter tea offsets the sweetness of the syrup)
Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake well until chilled. Pour into a chilled highball glass and garnish with edible dried flowers or a mint leaf. Happy Spring!
VOLTARE TENORS
WORDS BY MONA BUTLER PHOTOGRAPHY EMILY WELZ
Not Your Grandma’s Opera
Taylor, Kaden, and Adam of Volare Tenors are transforming the way we imagine opera, combining the sweeping vocals of opera with the catchy lyrics that pop music is known for
FRESH off of a standing ovation from the judges at Canada’s Got Talent, Volare Tenors could not have asked for a better start to finally being able to perform in front of a large crowd. It was the confidence boost they needed after having to stick to primarily virtual performances.
“We did a lot of virtual stuff and got to do a little bit of live performing as things opened up, but capacity was so limited. This was our first time doing the type of show we had written this music for, which is a big theater, a huge audience, and lots of drama!” said Kaden.
Now that they’ve gotten that big performance under their belt, Volare Tenors are planning their schedule very carefully. When things initially opened up, the trio did a lot of performing at small gigs, but now it’s time to set their sights on loftier goals - though there will still be opportunities to see them.
“We want to be selective in order to do much
bigger shows. At Christmas we did a tour where we incorporated choirs, like hundreds of people behind us singing our songs with us, so we want to produce larger shows that have instrumentalists in it. We should also be releasing our first album. It will be holiday themed, so we’re slowing down performing for the next couple of months so that we can write and record that album,” said Taylor.
The development of Volare Tenors is something the three of them are passionate about and they want their group to gain more visibility. Tours, performances, collaborations, and albums are all on the table.
We want to increase our collaborations. We’d love to do our “ shows with a live orchestra sooner rather than later.
“We want to increase our collaborations. We’d love to
do our shows with a live orchestra sooner rather than
later. We orchestrate all our pieces, so we’re ready to go; it’s just a matter of time to find the right group to collaborate with.”
The pop opera genre falls in the realm of the underappreciated and Volare Tenors would like to change that and push the boundaries of the sound. There are key figures like David Foster who helped define the sound and the expected repertoire, but their background and theater influence can help push those expectations.
“We’re interested in removing barriers and boundaries that people have the expectation of when it comes to opera music; but also vice versa when it comes to the ideas opera lovers have of pop music. They might not be aware of how ‘pop-y’ some of the music they enjoy really is.”
The Dreams of Volare Tenors:
Dream Venue: Madison Square Garden Dream Collaboration: Celine Dion or David Foster
WWW.VOLARETENORS.COM
