VAN: Parched Penguin Perfects The Art Of The Cocktail

Vancouver is no snob to a friendly 5 o’clock cocktail. In fact, if you snoop around the neighbourhood, you’ll soon find a surge of hot spots dedicated to the bartender’s craft. However, recreating the cocktail is a delicate art, honed by the select few. Parched Penguin will help you navigate through the deep end.

Parched Penguin, an online hub that launched its wings early April, perfects the art of drinking – serving up quality glassware, bar tools, and accessories for the amateur sipper to the seasoned pro. The result of 30 years of hands-on experience through its parent company, Atkinson’s, Parched Penguin blends the passion of a new generation that honours old world traditions. Specializing in unique, quality brands such as Hermes, Baccarat and Lalique, its chic selection also offers affordable glassware from Schott Zwiesel and Spiegelau. “Just as your favourite drink is handcrafted with care at your local cocktail bar, our collection is comprised of pieces that share the same attention to detail,” Danny Atkinson, Founder of Parched Penguin, explains.

A master of the art of the cocktail must purge their plastic ‘flip’ cups and chipped glasses for a more refined experience. To wet our lips, Parched Penguin offers us a cocktail recipe written and prepared by David Wolowidnyk, winner of the 2012 Bombay Sapphire “World’s Most Imaginative Bartender,” Bar Manager of award-winning West Restaurant, and Parched Penguin Brand Ambassador. Perfectly paired with Parched Penguin glassware and accessories, David’s crowd-pleasing cocktail will get your guests swooning in no time…

Old Fashioned by David Wolowidnyk
There are so many interpretations of the classic Old Fashioned Whisky cocktail, dating back from the 1800s to present day. Originally, the Old Fashioned consisted of the following basic ingredients: spirit (Bourbon); sugar (one cube); bitters; lemon zest; water (through dilution).

I like to make an Old Fashioned using both a lemon zest and an orange zest (pith removed), along with .25 tsp of sugar and a small bar spoon of cherry jus from marinating cherries (do yourself a favour and only use a good quality natural cherry that has marinated in alcohol, not chemicals). I then add two dashes of bitters (I like Angostura), and large ice cubes to stir the drink (good quality ice).

1. Begin by ensuring your mixing glass is chilled (try our Yarai Mixing Glass for best results); and place your Old Fashioned glass in the freezer until you’re ready for it (check out our Baccarat Harmonie Old Fashioned Tumbler).
2. Add the .25 tsp of sugar to the mixing glass, with a dash of water (1/2oz) to dissolve sugar.
3. Throw in lemon and orange zest (pith removed).
4. Add two dashes of bitters and a bar spoon of the cherry jus (take a gander at our Japanese 30cm Trident Spoon to get the look).
5. Next, add 2oz of your choice of Bourbon and allow these flavours to combine for a few moments before adding ice.
6. Take a few large ice cubes (1 inch) and add them to the mixing glass, keeping in mind that only the cubes that touch the liquid have any affect in chilling and diluting the drink.
7. Stir the liquid until the desired chill and dilution are achieved and strain into the chilled Old Fashioned glass over new ice.
8. Garnish with an orange zest (pith removed), expelling the oils over the surface of the drink.
9. Finish with a high quality cherry.

For more info check out Parched Penguin online, on Instagram and on Twitter.

Will you be testing out this recipe of the classic Old Fashioned? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us @ViewTheVibe.