The Hibernator

This week we're offering you a recipe inspired by the transition between January and February. A time of year when you tell yourself "-15oC, that's nothing, buddy, it's practically spring" because the day before it was easily -400.

It's that time of year when, despite the days getting longer, you know we're not out of the woods yet, your eyes sticking together in the morning because it's so cold. That's when you think of the hibernating bear and you say to yourself "damn, he looks so cozy." Anyway, Raoul (the bear in the photo) was snoring away when we were trying to de-ice the Alchemist's old pickup stuck in the ice.

And shouldn't there be a law preventing snow from falling when it's colder than -10oC? It seems like it's adding insult to injury.

Anyway, we can't change the weather, it's cold, but it seems less bad than in our parents' day when they lost a portion of municipal buildings under the snow in the middle of winter. We can't change the weather, but we can soften it in our souls, we can do that and (we'll pat ourselves on the back here) we do it well.

So here's your cocktail of the week, "The Hibernator"

To start, you're going to make some infused maple syrup; you'll need:

-2 cups of maple syrup

-a few small branches of balsam fir

-a small ginger root, sliced

-1 star anise

-4-5 cardamom pods

You can customize it by adding orange zest or a cinnamon stick. The Alchemist claims that cinnamon helps against the flu, as he consumes it daily and never gets the flu (we think the germs are scared to touch him).

Simmer the mixture over low heat; you don't want to bring it to a boil so it doesn't burn your stove, so be careful. You can also add a little water at the beginning to prevent the syrup from becoming too thick. So you let it simmer for about an hour, then strain it and let it cool gently. In short, it's not a recipe you make when you're in a hurry.

Afterwards, you can keep your infused syrup in the fridge for your next drink.

Now you're ready for your little drink; you'll need:

-ice

-2 oz of CØYØT

-1 oz of infused maple syrup

-1/2 oz of lemon juice

-One star anise per glass

-One lemon slice per glass

Start by filling your shaker with ice and add your CØYØT, infused maple syrup, and lemon juice. Shake it vigorously until everything is well chilled. Strain it into a nice whisky glass (or a glass of your choice, we won't bother you at home) and finish by garnishing with a lemon slice and a star anise.