As I’ve hit my nine years within the hospitality community recently, I thought of things from my childhood that I still hold dear from that period of my life. For lunch for much of my elementary school years I always had an assortment of snacks, fruit roll ups, gusher and yes even Dunkaroos. But 90% of the time my mother would give me a peanut butter sandwich with a banana and a knife on the side so I could construct only the freshest of the peanut butter-banana sandwiches out of my lunch bag, sometimes even double deckers. After jumping into the hospitality industry many moons ago as a door guy who was just working to make some money on the side of my full time gig during the day, I slowly moved my way up the ladder and finally got to take my place behind the bar slinging pints and highballs. Some time passed and I found my love of cocktails and was finally given a chance to learn about cocktails through Milk Tiger Lounge, a small cocktail oasis tucked away on 4th Street in Calgary. I cut my chops and learned about hospitality in way I never knew about. My path has taken me through several bars and to many different countries over the last nine years, this drink is a reflection of my childhood, a few things I was learnt along the way and pays homage to the time spent to create great whiskey; patiently aged and bottled in Kentucky.
.jpeg)
45ml Knob Creek Rye
20ml Peanut Butter Washed Amontillado Sherry*
20ml Banana Milk**
15ml Cashew Fermented Honey Syrup***
Cinnamon stick and nutmeg
Build in tins and shake. Double strain into a chilled coup.
*Peanut Butter Washed Amontillado Sherry
750ml Amontillado Sherry, 250g smooth peanut butter.
Warm peanut butter until liquid, add sherry into a small Cambro with liquid peanut butter, let sit for 12 hours and then chill. Filter solids off.
**Banana Milk
1 peeled banana, 1/2 cup H2O, 1/2 cup ice cubes, grate small amount of nutmeg and cinnamon into blender and blend until smooth.
***Lacto Fermented Cashew Honey Syrup
125g liquid whey, 150g cashew/coconut water, 200g cashew, 50g sandalwood, 1.5g green cardamom, 500g coconut water, 150g raw sugar, 150g almond milk, 750g water
Split whey from yoghurt curds.
Blend cashews with coconut water and spices.
Loose strain, retaining some pulp.
Combine whey, cashew milk, almond milk, raw sugar and water. Stir to combine and vacuum seal at maximum pressure.
Leave to ferment at room temperature for 4 days, or until vacuum bag has inflated fully.
Finely strain lacto-cashew. Measure brix and use to dilute raw honey to desired sweetness.
Should hold for some time. Lasts two weeks chilled.
