CALGARY BARTENDERS ASSOCIATION HOST PRESERVING BEHIND THE BAR PRESENTED BY MILK TIGER LOUNGE AND MAKER'S MARK

The event was hosted at Milk Tiger Lounge

Nathan Head of Milk Tiger Lounge mixes up the evening's welcome cocktail

A closer look at Earl's Garden the evening's welcome drink - which was delicious

The indomitable Christina Mah of justcocktails.org

The bar at Milk Tiger Lounge

Small bites were set out on a long horizontal table

Smoked salmon on flatbread with capers and onions

Charcuterie wrapped pretzels

Basil Hayden's bourbon - one of the featured bourbons of the evening

Colin Tait of Hotel Arts preparing a cocktail

A closer look at the Old School Jam (great name, by the way)

The always smiling Jimmy Nguyen making Apple Butter Manhattan
Photography K&S Media

Yes, the temperature was way below zero but a boisterous crowd gathered at Milk Tiger Lounge for the Calgary Bartender's Associations' Preserving Behind the Bar event. Christina Mah bedecked in a polka dot apron stirred pureed pumpkin invoking comforting memories, throughout the restaurant shadow boxes with miniature mixing tools (spatulas, whisks, wooden spoons) held recipes printed on lined cue cards (too cute), and Philippe Grandbois let guests know about the colonial practise of making a shrub (an important ingredient in the evening's welcome cocktail - vinegar and sugar preserved fruit).

Want to try the evening's cocktails at home? We've collected the recipes from Calgary's foremost cocktail experts for you (recipes courtesy Calgary Bartender's Association):

EARL'S GARDEN

Glass: Rocks

Method: Build all ingredients excluding ginger beer, in a mixing glass. Shake vigorously and fine strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice and top with ginger beer.

Garnish: Grapefruit slice

Ingredients:
1 1/2 Maker's Mark bourbon
3/4 ms grapefruit shrub
4 dashes earl grey bitters
1/2 lemon pressed
top ginger beer

OLD SCHOOL JAM

Glass: Rocks

Method: Muddle all ingredients in the base of a rocks glass, swizzle, top with ice and soda

Garnish: Lemon wedge if preferred

Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz Basil Hayden's
4 wedges of lemon
1 1/2 bar spoon cranberry-elderflower jam
3 dashes Peychaud bitters
top soda

APPLE BUTTER MANHATTAN

Glass: Martini

Method: Build in a mixing glass, add ice, stir and fine strain into chilled martini glass

Garnish: Cherry brandies, flaming orange peel, or an apple slice

Ingredients:
1 1/2 ms Knob Creek Bourbon
1/2 ms Sweet Vermouth
3 dashes Angostura bitters
1 bar spoon apple butter

Cheers!

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