Uncorking trends: what are we drinking this summer?

Daphnée Vary Deshaies is an independent cocktail consultant who’s designed the menus of many Montreal establishments. Passionate about agave spirits, she spends half the year in Mexico. In June, she’s opening a mezcal and tequila bar in Old Montreal called La Cantina Concha. She’s also working on her first cocktail book, which will come out in the fall.

Max Coubès co-wrote L’Apéro au Québec. He’s at the helm of Crocodile, a hidden bar found behind boutique Alambika, in Little Italy, and manages the beverage menus at Majestique, Miracolo and Brasserie Bernard.

What will THE cocktail of the summer be?

Max: It’s always margarita, margarita, margarita. The margarita is number one, followed closely by the espresso martini obviously, but on more specific occasions. Every time a margarita is added to the menu, it’s always the bestseller. At Crocodile, we make a tomato margarita. Since we know we’re going to sell a lot, we take the opportunity to make an original margarita that adds a funkier vibe to the bar.

Daphnée: What Max says! The margarita has been at the top for several summers and I don’t see its popularity waning. Lots of cocktails rise and fall, but the margarita remains one of the bestsellers, and agave spirits continue to gain traction in Quebec and elsewhere. The margarita is fresh and delicious. It’s a relatively simple cocktail with 3–4 ingredients, so it’s easy to make multiple variations. At home, you could simply add a bitter (aromatic bitter) to change the aromatic profile. 

What have you been drinking lately?

Daphnée: I almost always drink the same thing: mezcal martinis. Or a nice rosé on a terrasse. I do a lot of consulting and make lots of cocktails, so I gravitate towards cocktails without juice or sugar. But I’m aware that not everyone shares my tastes.

Max: I love cocktails with honey! We’re working on several cocktails with dry mead, cider, as well as aperitif cocktails. It’s always a pleasure to entertain people here and have them try everything. And of course, there are our classic Quebec gins and spirits, which I’m always happy to be an ambassador for.

What are the latest bar trends?

Daphnée: We’re still on the No & Low [editor’s note: low or no alcohol] train, meaning cocktails that are less strong, with higher quality ingredients. We’re talking light and bubbly. In fact, the opposite of the mezcal martini I spoke of!

Max: I think we’re moving away from 1920s cocktails—the Manhattan, Old fashioned, etc.—to more of a 1990s style, with the Miami vice and the cosmopolitan. We’re unabashedly doing fun cocktails with oversized garnishes—we’re letting our creative juices flow. And not everything has to be artisanal. Right now at the Majestique, we do a Sex on the Beach—bold, colourful, and with a fluorescent cherry. 

Your latest fave?

Daphnée: The Montréal Cocktail Fest  recently took place and there were lots of activities throughout the city. I tasted an amazing take on a Paloma with sea salt that had a perfect texture. It was very fresh, very pleasing. It’s fun sometimes to sit down to have a cocktail without having to listen to someone recount the history of the drink for 15 minutes! 

Max: I love finding low-alcohol cocktails that surprise me. Recently, I fell in love with a cocktail at Bar Bello that had a base of coffee, roasted pepper and a bit of red wine. Delicious! The combination was very complex and well executed.

The best terrasse cocktail?

Max: Vermouth soda with a small olive—you can’t get more aperitivo than that. It’s light and fresh. Start with Italian white vermouth, a bit of sparkling water, two or three drops of olive brine and a small olive. For me, that’s perfection.

Daphnée: Raise your hand if you love margaritas! It’s simple, fresh, salty, and fruity. I only drink agave spirits, so I’m a bit biased, but for me, it’s a true classic. If I’m in the mood for a cool, refreshing cocktail on a terrasse, I have a margarita.

Daphnée's mezcal martini

• In a shaker, combine ¾ oz mezcal, ¾ oz sherry and ¾ oz white vermouth with ice cubes

• Mix and pour into a coupe or martini glass

• Garnish with an olive and orange zest

Have fun with the proportions of mezcal and fortified wines to create a version that’s stronger or weaker in alcohol, according to your tastes!

Max's perfct vermouth and soda

• Pour 1½ oz of italian white vermouth into a highball glass

• Fill the glass with ice cubes and top it off with sparkling water

• Add a few drops of olive brine and garnish with an olive

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