This cocktail is part of our What’s the Problem series where we hired Bartender Atlas bartenders to create a cocktail inspired by a social issue that is important to them.
I chose the topic of eating disorders in the industry because it is something that has followed me my entire life. I feel it is something that isn’t really talked about in the service industry because it’s a very private and personal topic to people that suffer with one. We work fast-paced jobs, sometimes only eating once a day and most of the time it’s usually food that isn’t high in nutrients that we end up turning to. Eating disorders can go both ways. You can be anorexic and not eat at all – sometimes this happens by accident from just not having time to eat at work. Or you could have a binge eating disorder and be overweight which comes with its own amount of health problems. Eating disorders have the highest rate of mortality out of all mental illnesses, many will die either from health complications or suicide. A lot of people that don’t understand eating disorders believe it is a choice but it runs much deeper than that, it is a full blown addiction wrapped in fear, control and compulsion. I feel we could do better by collectively working together to encourage each other to make time to eat healthy while on shift. Employers should provide set times to have meal breaks. Something this simple can potentially help with some of these issues.
For my The Voice cocktail, I chose the colours of the cocktail to represent the red and purple ribbon representing eating disorder awareness.
Resources for this topic:
Eat Well Health Centre – Online Eating Disorder Treatment Ontario
Canadian Mental Health Association – Understanding and Finding Help for Eating Disorders
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0.75oz Campari
1oz House Made Sour Cherry Syrup*
0.5oz Pineapple juice
4 dash Orange Bitters
0.5oz Blue Curaçao
1.5oz Butterfly Pea Flower Infused Vodka**
Build in a glass: Campari, House Made Sour Cherry Syrup, Pineapple Juice and Orange Bitters. Add ice and add soda until there is about 2oz of space left in the glass. Slowly pour Blue Curaçao and Vodka on top. Garnish with a lemon zest.
*House Made Sour Cherry Syrup: By volume combine 1L cherries, 1L sugar, 1L water and 1tbsp of citric acid. Stir to dissolve. The syrup is ready once it reaches a consistent texture. Strain into sealable container. Store any leftovers in the fridge.
**Butterfly Pea Flower Infused Vodka: Add 1 cup of dried Butterfly Pea Flower to 1 bottle of vodka. Let sit 12-24 hours. Strain out solids.
