By Sheri DeCarlo
Toronto Business Casual, Bloke & 4th Supper Club, and The Food Dudes joined together to bring young urban professionals cocktail couture and a five-star epicurean adventure on May 31, 2012.
Over 150 members of Toronto Business Casual learned the art of creating unique designer cocktails from Toronto mixologist wizard, Jeremy Browes, and had the pleasure of tasting The Food Dudes’ epicurean creations first-hand. The Food Dudes is a five-star entertainment catering company owned by Adrian Niman and Brent McClenahan, stars on the Toronto food scene.
Toronto Business Casual is an approximately 6,000-member social club for busy, young urban professionals living and working in the GTA. “Our members like to experience new things, and don’t often have the time to create unique experiences on their own due to their busy schedules. So we package and deliver these unique experiences for them,” says President and Founder of Toronto Business Casual, Tanya May.
I was dazzled by the tangerine mojito infused with liquid nitrogen that appeared to be smoking as it arrived at our table. As the ice cubes melted, they tasted like little watermelon mojito popsicles. Browes explains, “The pieces of fruit, once flash frozen in the nitrogen, act as ice cubes making your drink colder as you drink it.”
Bloke & 4th, Toronto’s hot new supper club, is a fun and fabulous addition to the Toronto nightclub landscape on Toronto’s King Street West with an urban ‘social dining’ twist. Guests of the Toronto Business Casual event were invited behind the bar to get in on the action of concocting cocktails. “It’s a known fact that the face you make when you shake a cocktail is the same face you make when you orgasm,” says Browes.
The three drinks chosen for the evening for guests to prepare and taste are three new additions to Bloke & 4th’s summer cocktail menu. Pomegranate Mojito with watermelon ice is a refreshing and balanced drink that’s perfect for warm summer weather. The Lavender Lemonade is also very refreshing and with the incorporation of egg whites, it takes on a frothy-like texture that is pleasant and light. The Pineapple/Cilantro/Jalapeno offers a unique twist on a Margarita using the sweetness of pineapple, the heat from jalapeno, and the unique herbal notes of cilantro.
“Our cocktail menu is always changing, as is our inspiration, and we strive to provide our guests with fresh, well-balanced cocktails every time they are at Bloke & 4th. On top of our cocktail menu, we can execute any classic cocktail or martini you desire with consistency and perfection,” says Browes.
Many of the Toronto Business Casual members were eager to try mixing these drinks at home so below you’ll find recipes for the Bloke & 4th’s cocktails served at the event:
Pom Mojito
Pomegranate| Rum| Mint| Watermelon
12 Mint Leave – Muddle
1.5oz Bacardi
1.5oz Mint Syrup
2 Dashes of Bitters
Pinch of Salt
10oz Lime Juice
2oz Perrier
Garnish: Watermelon
Lavender Lemonade
Lavender | Gin | Albumen | Lemon
1.5oz Plymouth Gin
1.25oz Lavender/Apple Syrup
10oz Lemon Juice
10oz Pasteurized Egg Whites
Garnish: 4 drops of bitters
Mexican Margarita
Pineapple | Tequila | Cilantro | Jalapeno
1 Slice of seeded Jalapeno – Muddle
2 Sprigs of Cilantro – chopped
1.25oz Tromba
0.25oz Cointreau
10oz Lime Juice
0.5oz Cilantro/Jalapeno Syrup
1.5oz Blended Pineapple
Garnish: Cilantro sprig and Jalapeno slice
