Raising the Bar with Jamie Boudreau

At Canon, Jamie’s bar in Seattle, WA, they take pride in the sours they create each and every night. Like many cocktails served at Canon, sours are made with 2:1, rich simple syrup. As Jamie has professed in passed episodes, rich simple syrup provides not only sweetness but a great mouth feel without diluting the drink as much as a typical 1:1 simple syrup might. In the Chamomile Sour, Scotch is infused with the plentiful, calming herb to create a truly delightful, rich, yet light take on the classic sour style cocktail.

An elixir fit for a king, this gin cocktail plays off Jamie’s Golden Ration for cocktails: 1 1/2:3/4:1/4 but reduces the amount of vermouth to 1/2 ounce. To cut the sweetness of the Gold Wasser (not schlager) ever so slightly, Jamie utilizes a simple technique using lemon zest.

Brunch cocktails typically come in one form: the Mimosa. Although delicious, the Mimosa is a bit lacking. Jamie’s bar, Canon, in Seattle, serves a great brunch; with great brunch, there must be great brunch cocktails. Zucca Rhubarb Liqueur and fresh grapefruit juice give the Swagger Cocktail more depth and individuality than your average Mimosa.

The Fourth Regiment Cocktail dates back to the late 19th century. Like many cocktails of the day, it was most likely made with rye whiskey rather than bourbon. The keys to making this cocktail are to choose a quality bottled in bond rye whiskey and to make sure you have a bottle of celery bitters on hand as it is the magic ingredient. Watch Robert Hess make the Fourth Regiment Cocktail

This Canon original cocktail recipe was inspired by hints of banana that Jamie finds in Jameson Irish Whiskey. Playing off those notes, Jamie infused banana into the whiskey creating a truly unique flavor profile. Interestingly enough, this cocktail is shaken due to the pectins released into the Jameson during the infusion process. Misting the glass with a smoky Islay whisky (like Ardbeg) before straining gives the cocktail a deliciously smoky essence.

Not THAT hooker! Canon is not that kind of place. The Hooker Cocktail is named after John Lee Hooker, the blues guitar legend. As you might imagine, the cocktail contains some Bourbon, some Scotch and some beer. Octoberfest is here and this is the perfect cocktail to enjoy fermented, brewed and distilled grains of all kinds. Crank some blues and celebrate!

In this episode of Raising the Bar, Jamie addresses how to shake a cocktail once again. Repetitive movements can really take a toll on a bartenders body. Jamie believes that his use of cobbler shakers, as opposed to a standard Boston shaker, reduces wear on the body. It also allows him to shake up a mean Hop Toad cocktail. First seen in The Old Waldorf Astoria Bar Book, a few variations of the Hop Toad cocktail have been created since the cocktail’s genesis. Jamie has chosen a version that calls for rum as well as aromatic bitters.

Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory fans will recognize the name of this cocktail. In the film, an overzealous Violet Beauregarde chews some special gum resulting in her plumping up like a giant blueberry. Thus, the Beauregarde’s Breakfast Cocktail. Using Canon house-made blueberry preserves, Jamie creates a delightful brunch cocktail that celebrates that most American of spirits, Bourbon.

Jamie Boudreau’s bar, Canon, has a much longer full name: Canon: Whiskey and Bitters Emporium. When Jamie decided to develop a signature cocktail for the award winning bar, he wanted it to epitomize the bar’s full title. Thus, he came up with a recipe that features his favorite spirit, whiskey, topped with a Cointreau foam and a touch of aromatic bitters in the form of a stenciled Canon logo.

Almost two years ago now, Jamie extolled the virtues of the Golden Ratio. As a formula for creating new cocktails, the Golden Ratio is 1.5 oz spirit : .75 oz aperitif : .25 oz liqueur. This combination almost always results in a delicious cocktail. If not, it can serve as the base for iteration. Get experimenting!