Alaska Amaro Cocktail
I used a gin from Amalga Distillery in Juneau Alaska that was rested in Pineau des Charentes casks, which pairs perfectly with this amaro. Pineau des Charentes is a French apéritif made from a blend o...
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What We’re Reading
Kitchen Think
by Nancy Hiller
lostartpress.com/products/kitchen-think
From off-grid cabin builders to young families remodeling first homes to folks contracting out top-notch custom design-build jobs, all houses need a kitchen. Nancy Hiller’s new book, Kitchen Think (Lost Art Press), is a practical, beautiful resource and a fascinating read that examines kitchens’ changing roles over several generations. The book is full of inspiration and advice—recommended for woodworkers looking to expand their knowledge, homeowners with or without DIY skills considering a remodel, or anyone seeking inspiration around non-wasteful methods of creating a perfect kitchen. Hiller is an able guide and a wise coach: “The first requirement is simply to think,” she says, “where you are in life; what resources you have access to in terms of money, interesting materials, or time; the architectural style of your home.” Whatever else you bring to the kitchen-improvement table, make sure Kitchen Think is part of the recipe.
Cold Spell, Cocktails and Savouries for a Northern Winter
by Michele Genest and Jennifer Tyldesley
freepourjennys.com/shop
This delightful book by two Yukoners is very compatible with Alaska’s own northerly sensibilities. Cocktails, like Bonfire Bravado, a mulled wine, and Moose Milk, a traditional boozy punch in the Canadian military, use boreal botanicals and small-batch bitters. Yukon takes on classics like the Old Fashioned and the Corpse Reviver work well with Alaska spirits, too. The book also offers non-alcoholic drinks and snacks like Peppery Cheese Crisps, which turn out halfway between a cheesy cracker and a potato chip. The meeting of two great minds, this slender book is spiral bound, fullcolor, and kitchen-ready. Co-author Tyldesley handcrafts small batch bitters, tonic syrups, and shrubs from Yukon ingredients and sells them as Free Pour Jenny. Genest is well-known in Yukon as the author of The Boreal Gourmet and The Boreal Feast—big, gorgeous tomes loaded with recipes and stories from around the circumpolar north. The pair co-wrote a companion volume for northern summers called Add Light and Stir. (Borealchemy Press, Whitehorse).
The Wildcrafted Cocktail
by Ellen Zachos
storey.com/books/the-wildcrafted-cocktail
Not brand new, but still timely, The Wildcrafted Cocktail by Ellen Zachos (2017, Storey Publishing) brings a forager’s approach to mixed drinks. With chapters on garnishes, syrups, fermentation, and bitters, the book is part DIY guide to making ingredients, and part recipe collection on how to use those foraged ingredients. Many of the syrups, garnishes, and add-ins are alcohol free, so the book has utility for anyone building festive beverages, spirited or not. We were charmed by some of the garnish ideas and had no idea, for instance, that daylily buds can be brined and used in place of pickles and olives in cocktails. Even Japanese knotweed, an invasive in Alaska and elsewhere, has stems that can be pickled, so you can feel virtuous and have a rewarding drink after you eradicate your lawn of troublesome plants. Cheers!
—The Editors
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