Join us Thursday, September 1st at 7PM for Boston.com's Cocktail Club with host Jackson Cannon and his special guests Andrew and Briana Volk, owners, Portland Hunt + Alpine Club in Portland, ME. This week they are making end of the summer cocktails, catching up on the local bar and restaurant scene and of course sharing tips the pros use to make great drinks at home. They'll be mixing a Sherry Cobbler with late harvest fruits and a Volk's original, the Chilton County, an inventive bourbon sour with peaches and egg white.
Everything you need is on the shopping list below.
Jackson Cannon is Boston.com Cocktail Club’s host and bar director for Eastern Standard and The Hawthorne. The veteran craft cocktail leader opened Eastern Standard in 2005 as Bar Manager, quickly cementing the neighborhood brasserie’s reputation as one of the country’s best bars, known for its attention to properly crafted cocktails and unwavering hospitality in a high-volume environment. The iconic, expansive program offering more than 60 classic and new creations secured national attention and earned Cannon “Bartender of the Year” award from Nightclub & Bar magazine in 2011. Cannon introduced the next iteration of his vision when he opened The Hawthorne, an experience centered in his commitment to thoughtfully crafted cocktails, continued cocktail/spirits education, and curating exceptional moments for guests. The Hawthorne has received numerous local and national accolades, including a semifinalist award for James Beard Foundation’s “Outstanding Bar Program” in 2014 and 2015, and winning Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award for “Best Hotel Bar” in 2017. Cannon was a finalist for “Best Bar Mentor” at the 2013 and 2014 Spirited Awards and a 2014 Wine Enthusiast Wine Star Award nominee for “Mixologist/Brand Ambassador of the Year.”
Andrew Volk has been bartending for more than 15 years, working at some of the country's best bars. In 2013, Andrew and his wife Briana opened the Portland Hunt + Alpine Club, a cocktail bar with good drinks and Scandinavian-inspired food. Since opening, the bar has twice been named a James Beard Foundation semi-finalist for "Outstanding Bar Program" and was named by Bon Appétit as one of the “5 Best New Cocktail Bars in America." Andrew was named by Food & Wine as one of its 2016 “Best New Mixologists." His recipes have been featured by Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Maxim, Imbibe, Elle Décor, the Washington Post, NPR, and more.
Briana Volk is a writer/creative director who worked in advertising, TV, and film before opening Hunt + Alpine with Andrew. She was the founding vice president of the Maine chapter of the United States Bartenders' Guild and founder of the New England Cocktail Conference. Since opening Hunt + Alpine, Briana has traveled the country speaking at con ferences on bar and restaurant branding and design. As the creative director of both Hunt + Alpine and their second restaurant, Little Giant, Briana oversees the restaurants' look and feel, as well as their overall interiors. Her Finnish heritage influenced the menu at Hunt + Alpine, pulling from recipes and stories passed down through her family.
1) For rich simple syrup use a measure of 2 to 1 sugar to water by weight as opposed to the common 1 to 1 by volume
2) *Make your own Peach Jam:
12 ripe peaches
2 cups sugar
½ freshly grated nutmeg
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Get a large bowl filled with ice and water ready.
Score the bottom of each peach with an X. When the water is boiling, place 3 or 4 peaches into the water at a time (no need to crowd the pot) for 1 minute. After 1 minute, remove the peaches and immediately place them in the ice bath. Continue until all the peaches are in the ice bath. Once cool, peel each of the peaches and chop them into ½ inch pieces, removing and discarding the pits. Place the peaches, sugar and 2 cups of water into a pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat to maintain a simmer and cook down until the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Taste and adjust sugar as needed. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the nutmeg. Let cool and use immediately or store up to 1 month in the refrigerator.
* Taken from the book, Northern Hospitality, with the Portland Hunt + Alpine Club by A & B Volk.
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