Classic cocktails mixed with bourbon from the world’s oldest bourbon distillery. And fresh, inventive cuisine from one of Canada’s top chefs.
Sometimes I pinch myself about how lucky I am in life. Last Wednesday was one of those times.
A small group of food writers and travel folks were invited to Arcane Nightclub on King West (461 King St. W. if you want to be precise) for a bourbon and food pairing, sponsored by Buffalo Trace Distillery of Kentucky and chef Claudio Aprile, who hopes to open Xango restaurant within the Arcane space prior to the start of the Toronto International Film Festival. Aprile is famous for being a host on MasterChef Canada for several years now.
A Buffalo Trace Bourbon Mule. Delicious! JIM BYERS PHOTO
It was one of those perfect, warm southern Ontario evenings last Wednesday and we started out on the patio, which is just steps from King Street but is a super-quiet spot in a courtyard surrounded by handsome brick buildings. They’ve created a lovely sanctuary with black, grey and blue sofas and pillows, along with a substantial amount of greenery. To my mind, it’s one of the top patios in the city.
The bartenders were mixing “Buffalo Trace Bourbon Mules,” so naturally I had to try one. It’s the same as a Moscow Mule, but this animal uses bourbon instead of vodka. I would never have thought to try it, but the lime and ginger beer are a wonderful compliment to the smoky/sweet taste of bourbon. I was so impressed I made a couple of them for my wife and I to try the other night.
Drew Mayville and his wife, Ellen. JIM BYERS PHOTO
I also had the chance to talk with Drew Mayville, the master blender for Buffalo Trace and a native of Kitchener/Waterloo. Mayville served as the master blender at Seagram’s at one point, and he’s had the job at Buffalo Trace for 15 years.
Although the Buffalo Trace brand is relatively new, the facility where they make their bourbon has been operating for almost 250 years, making it the oldest, continuously producing bourbon distillery in the world.
For those who aren’t initiated in the world of whiskey, bourbon can only be made in the U.S. It has to be primarily distilled from corn, but rye often is used for a peppery, spicy taste. Others use wheat, which results in a sweeter, creamier bourbon.
Bourbon and other brown spirits have spiked in popularity the last few years. JIM BYERS PHOTO
“There’s been a resurgence in brown spirits,” said Drew Mayville. “For a while it was flavoured vodka, but now whiskey is huge.
“I think people are fascinated by the history and the aging process. The younger generation is very curious about how bourbon is made and what makes it different from other spirits.”
Mayville said he enjoys blending bourbon but gets the most satisfaction out of testing new products.
Buffalo Trace also distills the highly respected Pappy Van Winkle line of bourbon, as well as Blanton’s, The E.H. Taylor Jr. Collection and others.
A lovely dessert from chef Claudio Aprile. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Jim Murray’s Whiskey Bible named the E.H. Taylor as best whiskey in the world last year?
Mayville told us, and I found this surprising, that 55% of bourbon drinkers are women. Who knew? Maybe it’s the Mad Men/old-fashioned cocktail craze, but that surprised me.
Anyway, on to the main event. Aprile served up an amuse bouche of calamari with corn croquette and cashew mole that was lovely but maybe could’ve use a kick of spice. After that was a lovely appetizer of blue crab, lobster and avocado wrapped in cucumber strips and served with a sweet bourbon vinaigrette, dark mole, cilantro sprouts and lemon. I would never have though to pair shellfish with Mexican mole, but it’s a tremendous combination.
They paired the appetizer with a drink called The Eagle Has Landed, which featured mint-infused Eagle Rare bourbon, raspberry cordial and lemon juice. A lovely drink.
Celebrity chef Claudio Aprile at Arcane, which will soon house his new rerstaurant, Xango. JIM BYERS PHOTO
The main was a tremendous sous vide beef tenderloin infused with coffee and served with bourbon cumin carrots. Wonderful dish. Aprile and Mayville paired the main course with a great drink called Smokey and the Bandit, featuring Blanton’s Original bourbon, sweet vermouth, Benedictine, cold brew, bitters and applewood smoke. An excellent drink; full of flavour.
For dessert we had a George T. Stagg bourbon paired with a dark chocolate mousse dome, bourbon vanilla ice cream (yum) and a “clementine encapsulation.”
All in all, a truly remarkable night, with great bourbon and wonderful food. Definitely worth checking out Xango once it opens, likely in time for the Toronto International Film Festival in September.
