A few weeks ago, I was invited to the first dinner in a series hosted by Domaine de Canton in partnership with a local chef and restaurant – Thomas Cook at Prime 108 in the Union Station Hotel. I jumped at the opportunity since I’ve been a fan of Domaine de Canton for several years. The dinner did not disappoint. In addition to cocktails, Canton was also used in the food!
Seared Diver Scallop with fried green tomato, Benton’s bacon, smoked corn succotash, and Domaine de Canton ginger-tomato marmalade.
Although we have a bottle of Canton amongst our liquor collection, I hadn’t visited it in sometime and was reminded just how good it is. The combination of ginger, vanilla, honey, and ginseng added to a base of VSOP and Grande Champagne XO Cognac is complex and delightful. After the dinner, we were gifted with some swag including a recipe book for both cocktails and food. Having exhausted my beer palate during Nashville Craft Beer week, I was in the mood for a cocktail and broke out the shaker and some martini glasses.
First up was the Canton Negroni. Joe isn’t a big fan of Campari as he finds it too bitter. It is definitely an acquired taste. It seems like other countries and cultures have more of a tolerance for bitterness. One of the popular sodas in Kenya was Krest – a bitter lemon soda. This is not an easy-drinking porch-pounder kind of cocktail, but I enjoyed sipping it as I stirred some mushroom risotto. The Canton replaces sweet vermouth in the regular version of the Negroni, and I enjoyed how the sweetness and spiciness of the ginger muted some of the bitterness of the Campari.
Canton Negroni
1 part gin
1 part Campari
1 part Domaine de Canton
Stir and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with an orange slice.
I knew Joe would be much more partial to a cocktail we had at the dinner – The Gold Rush. We had combined bourbon and Canton in the past. The Gold Rush is similar to a Whiskey Sour with the Canton replacing the simple syrup. This is a drink you could easily toss back.
The Gold Rush
1 1/2 parts Domaine de Canton
1 part bourbon
1/2 part fresh lemon juice
Build all ingredients into a mixing glass. Shake vigorously and strain into a martini glass. Optional cherry garnish.
Disclaimer: I was in no way compensated monetarily for this post. All opinions are my own.
