Friday Night Drinks – June
It isn’t hard to find exceptional cider, wine, beer and craft spirits being produced across Nova Scotia by passionate artisans. Check out this week’s Friday Night Drinks blog to help inspire your inner mixologist, get recommendations for your next local purchase, and celebrate the people behind these fantastic local products.
Whether you are hosting a summer barbecue or unwinding after a long work week, there is no better way to cool off then a refreshing white wine sangria! This month we have a recipe for just that, along with new products from Compass Distillers, Sober Island Brewing Company, Propeller Brewing Company, Lightfoot & Wolfville Winery and Shipwright Brewing Company.
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Strawberry Lemonade Sangria
Cheers to the start of another beautiful summer in Nova Scotia! And nothing says summer more than sweet strawberries and refreshing lemonade. Together, with a bottle of crisp Nova Scotia Tidal Bay, they taste even better! This summer spend more time relaxing by the water’s edge with this easy sangria recipe featuring Tangled Garden’s Sensual Strawberry Liquor.
Ingredients
| 1 bottle | Tidal Bay |
| 8 oz | Tangled Garden Sensual Strawberry Liqueur |
| 3 oz | Nova Scotia vodka |
| 5 oz | fresh lemon juice |
| 3 oz | simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water) |
| 7-10 | sliced strawberries |
| 1 | sliced lemon |
| sparkling water or refreshing sparkling wine |
Directions
Makes: one pitcher
- Take a large pitcher and add sliced strawberries and lemons.
- Pour in white wine, strawberry liqueur, vodka, lemon juice and simple syrup.
- Top with sparkling water or sparkling wine and give the mixture a light stir.
- Serve over ice and enjoy!
Recipe provided by: Lindsey MacDonald
Local Source Guide
Vodka: Raging Crow Distillery Inc., Ironworks Distillery, Barrelling Tide Distillery, Still Fired Distilleries, Steinhart Distillery, Compass Distillers.
Local strawberries: Noggins Corner Farm Market, Masstown Market, Stirling Fruit Farms Ltd., and any of the Farmers’ Markets of Nova Scotia.
Tangled Garden products: Order online from their website or pick up at select Farmers’ Markets of Nova Scotia locations.
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New Products
Not in the mood to whip up this delectable recipe? Don’t worry – we have you covered with a few local beverages released this month!
Explore the past and taste the present with Compass Distillers
This month Compass Distillers introduced three new spirits as part of their new Citadel Distilled Experience taking place at the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site.
- The Noon Gun Gin: Starting with a base of 100% Nova Scotian wheat and 10 classic gin botanicals, this gin is aged in oak barrels for 5 months resulting in a full bodied, extremely smooth spirit that appeals to both gin and whiskey lovers. Juniper on the nose with a sweet, smooth finish.
- Daily Rotation Rum: Fermented and distilled in small batches from Crosby’s Molasses and sugar. Barrel aged for one year, this amber rum has a warm brown color with an attractive sweet nose, wood flavour and a bright, sweet finish.
- Fort George Genever: Handcrafted from a mash of equal parts Nova Scotian rye, corn, and malted barley. It is twice distilled and infused with a subtle blend of botanicals including juniper, caraway, cinnamon, frankincense and pink peppercorn. This classic spirit is aged in oak barrels which lends flavours of oak, vanilla caramel and smoke.
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Show your Military Pride with Sober Island Brewing Company
This super-easy drinking Blonde Ale from Sober Island Brewing Company should be consumed with pride as it celebrates the group of friends and family that is the 5th Division. Low bitterness, and a touch of honey malt gives this beer roundness.
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Sparkling bubbles, bitters, ACID and funk is what Propeller Brewing Company is serving up
- The Brett IPA: Aged for over eight months in red wine barrels with Brettanomyces Bruxellensis, a wild yeast that, over time, brings about characteristics of funk, acidity, and spice. Notes of tangerine, papaya and passionfruit blend with the complex barnyard funk. Bottle conditioned for bright carbonation and to allow for evolutionary potential in the bottle.
- Celebration Pils: Propeller’s signature unfiltered pilsner has been elevated to new heights with their new Celebration Pils. Bottle conditioned with champagne yeast, producing fine sparkling bubbles, makes this beer perfect for every occasion.
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The Terroir Series’ perfect Summer Wine
Lightfoot & Wolfville Vineyards’ 2018 Terroir Series Scheurebe: Relatively obscure in North America, with less than 10-acres planted in all of Canada, Scheurebe is a German vinifera grape variety and relative of Riesling which is characterized by an exuberantly aromatic and tropical profile. Nova Scotia’s cool-climate provides freshness and vibrancy, melding with the inherent aromatic intensity of the Scheurebe grape to create a truly unique expression. The late spring frost of the 2018 vintage meant crop levels were lower than average, ultimately enhancing aromatic potential and quality.
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New Brews from Shipwright Brewing Company
- Rye’T Aweigh-Rye Session Ale: This rye-forward session ale boasts a generous dose of Topez, Ella and Vic Secret. Flavours of lime zest, honeydew melon and papaya are balanced with the sweet rye malt profile. Unfiltered, juicy and refreshing.
- Aussie Rules Australian Pale Ale: Using Australian hops, galaxy and enigma, this down under pale ale displays tropical aromas of peach, pineapple, and cantaloupe that follow through on the palette with a refreshing light malt sweetness! Meant to enjoy on a good sunny day with your mate!
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Friday Night Drinks is a summer 2019 monthly feature profiling local beverages written by Lindsey MacDonald.
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