proof rum, proof’s perfect day, Vol. 78

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If you could have the perfect day, just what would that day be? 
Starting April 1^st, 2012, proof will be running its first-ever FB contest – the proof’s perfect day sweepstakes. To become eligible to win, all you have to do is LIKE us on Facebook. If you should win, you will start this perfect day with a $50.00 haircut at Toronto’s trendiest Barber Shop, Garrison’s by the Park Barbershop (for him), and a $75.00 mani-pedi at Sunny Mummy Spa & Boutique (for her). A $500.00 shopping spree will follow, courtesy of Club Monaco. Later you will enjoy a $75.00 SoCal dinner at the Combine Eatery on the Danforth, and you will then finish your perfect day with a Cineplex Movie Night Out Pass for two. A few surprises await you along the way, but these we are keeping a secret. 
The total value of this prize is over $750.00.

For more information on proof brands, visit our website www.proofbrands.com, and follow us on Twitter for updates on tastings & events.

proof’s perfect day daiquiri 1 ½ oz proof rum • 1 oz lime juice • 1 oz vanilla & cinnamon simple syrup*

To a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add 1 ½ oz proof rum, 1 oz lime juice & 1 oz vanilla and cinnamon simple syrup. Shake sharply and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime twist.


*vanilla & cinnamon simple syrup combine equal parts sugar and boiling water. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Pour into a jar or bottle with a lid and drop in a vanilla bean and cinnamon stick. Let cool and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. HINT: Remove cinnamon after a day because the flavour will become very intense.

On Sunday, April 1st LIKE us on Facebook to enter your name in our sweepstakes!

Garrisons (907 Queen Street West, 2nd floor  www.garrisons.ca) Doug Stewart and his wife Hollis Hopkins opened this cool retro barber shop in their Victorian home almost 2 years ago, along with barber Alan Brown. Inside, an antique city map covers much of one wall, along with a display of photos of the area from the city archives. Little displays of retro men's accessories line the park-framing windows. A spacious deck at the back is open, when the sun is shining.

Sunny Mummy Spa & Boutique: (903 Queen Street West, Toronto, 647-430-3883  www.sunnymummy.com) Named after Owner Nilla Petta’s daughter Soleil, Sunny Mummy is the first of it’s kind in Toronto. Sunny Mummy Spa and Boutique offers a variety of spa and wellness services, is child friendly and offers onsite childcare.

 Club Monaco (www.clubmonaco.com) Club Monaco's Spring Look Book 2012 is here. Check out their new line at one of many locations.

The Combine Eatery: (162 Danforth Avenue, 416-792-8088 www.thecombineeatery.com) The Combine Eatery is one of the first restaurants in Toronto to offer a So-Cal menu, fresh enough to trick you into believing that you are in some cool Southern California city, like San Diego. They serve a combination of Canadian comfort foods like poutine, lobster fritters, burgers and BLT’s beside an extensive list of sunny so-cal items like, fish tacos (choose grilled or fried), burritos, chipotle grilled seafood and meats. 

They also have a good variety of salads and lighter fare to choose from. With friendly staff and awesome drinks, it’s a perfect place to hang. And make sure to order a proof 'The Make Thyme' while you're there. It's on the menu.

Cineplex Night Out Movie Package includes: 2 general admissions, 2 regular soft drinks and 1 regular popcorn

Earth Hour 2012 Don’t forget to turn off your lights this Saturday night from 8:30pm – 9:30pm

You can visit last year’s Earth Hour Lights Out blog for a tasty cocktail and other tips 

We will be celebrating the movement at Trinity Square at the Distillery, Saturday, March 31st, 2012 from 7:30 – 9:00pm 

Please bring your own candles, lanterns, glow sticks and flashlights! And don't forget your reusable mug!

Location: Trinity Square at The Distillery Historic District, 55 Mill Street Toronto

(http://earthhour.wwf.ca/earthhour  www.earthhour.org)

Weekend Forecast

Saturday: Sunny with variable cloudiness and a high of 6 degrees

Sunday: Light rain and a high of 7 degrees

proof whisky, Episode 8: A Night to Remember, Vol. 77

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Finally!!! After a very looonnnng hiatus, we will be able to catch up on the lives of our favourite characters in Sunday's two-hour episode of Mad Men Season 5. Today, we are covering some nifty 60s design in celebration of the show’s anticipated premiere. For more information on proof brands, visit our website www.proofbrands.com, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for updates on tastings, parties & events.

the Draper (Old Fashioned) 1 tsp sugar • 2 dashes Angostura bitters • water • 1 orange wedge • maraschino cherry • 2 oz proof whisky

Mix sugar, splash of water and Angostura bitters in an old-fashioned glass. Drop in a cherry and an orange wedge. Muddle into a paste using a muddler or the back of a spoon. Pour in proof whisky, fill with ice cubes and stir. Serve with vintage stir stick.

Ever wish you could mix an Old Fashioned just the way Don Draper likes it? Or prepare Oysters Rockefeller and a martini the way they did fifty years ago at one of Roger Sterling's favorite haunts, The Grand Central Oyster Bar? Ever wonder how Joan Harris manages to prepare a perfect crown roast in her tiny apartment kitchen? Or about the connection between Jackie Kennedy's 1962 White House tour and Betty Draper's Valentine's Day room service order?

The Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook serves up more than 70 recipes to satisfy a Mad Men appetite! From the tables of Manhattan's most legendary restaurants and bars to the Drapers' Around the World dinner, this book is your entrée to the culinary world of Man Men-era New York.

 Planning on throwing a Mad Men Dinner Party this Sunday? We suggest this menu, created with recipes from The Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook. Start with the Shrimp Curry Butter Canapés (Season 3, Episode 9) or the Classic Shrimp Cocktail (Season 1, Episode 4)

Next move into the Oysters Rockefeller (Season 1, Episode), before devouring Trudy’s Rib Eye in the Pan (Season 1, Episode 3)

Finish your meal with Kitty’s Pineapple Upside-Down Cake (Season 2, Episode 1)

 

If you are in the market for some 60s vintage barware, furniture and accessories, boy, do we have the neighbourhood for you. Leslieville has a strip of awesome vintage shops.

Let’s work our way from west to east, starting at Philz 20th Century Design (792 Queen Street East, 416.461.9913) A collection of vintage furniture and accessories from various styles and era makes visiting Philz a worthy stop for any design purist.

Zig Zag (985 Queen Street East, 416.778.6495 www.modfurnishings.com) Located in the antique row of the Leslieville strip, Zig Zag supplies Toronto with vintage designs of the 1950s through to the 1970s. Recently featured in Wallpaper, Echoes, and the Toronto Star, their emphasis is furniture, lighting, glass, electronics and accessories for the home.

Machine Age Modern (1000 Queen Street East, 416.461.0471 http://machineagemodern.com/) For nearly two decades, Toronto's Jake Keck has offered modern vintage furniture, lighting and accessories. Jake's 20th century collection includes modern design icon's by legendary masters and rare international finds, all artistically arranged. These design elements coexist harmoniously among affordable, purposeful, stylish pieces still relevant today.

Ethel (1091 Queen Street East, 416.778.6608) Ethel is looking for a new home! They are still hoping to stay in Leslieville, but if not, they are looking for retail space in Corktown, Gerrard & Jones or possibly Riverside. Ethel is, at heart, an east end gal after all!

Guff (1142 Queen St East, 416.913.8025 http://guffonline.blogspot.ca) Guff is a used furniture store loaded with great stuff! In the mix you'll find interesting vintage finds, mid-century modern classics, re-purposed industrial pieces, and much more!

 

If you live in the West-end, these vintage stores are also worth visiting: Morba (665-667 Queen Street West  www.morba.ca), BYOB (972 Queen St. West, 416.858.2932 http://byobto.com) and Bungalow (273 Augusta Avenue, www.bungalow.to)

Meet Michael Riley for a drink after work today at the Liberty Village LCBO from 4pm-8pm. He'll be shaking up some great rum cocktails. 

And enjoy the show!!!

Weekend Forecast

Saturday: Cloudy with showers and a high of 14 degrees.

Sunday: Cloudy with sunny breaks and a high of 14 degrees.

proof rum, get your greens, Vol. 76

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Happy St. Patty’s Day 2012! We are very sorry for this tardy posting. Thanks to both Disney and Direct Air we had a few 'technical malfunctions' this week, but we're back. Last year, we took you on a magical journey around the city for March 17th – Check out Beautiful Day. 
If you’re tired of the black stuff you’re in luck, because, this year we are offering you 5 carefully crafted emerald cocktails to share with your buds. For more information about our brands, visit our website www.proofbrands.com, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to get last minute updates on tastings, parties & events.

Cool garden green 1 1/2 oz proof rum • 1 oz cucumber-cilantro syrup* • frozen cucumber and lime slices • crushed ice • club soda

Add the cucumber-cilantro syrup and proof rum to an (crushed) ice-filled glass. Top with club soda. Garnish with frozen cucumber, lime slices and a sprig of cilantro. (snack dry-roasted edamame)

*Cucumber-cilantro syrup 
Ingredients:
½ cup fresh cilantro • ½ cup sugar • ½ cup water • juice of 1 lime
• ¼ of a medium cucumber, chopped

Boil the water, adding sugar and ½ the cilantro. Let cool, then put in blender or food processor with the lime juice, cucumber and rest of cilantro. Refrigerate until ready for use.

 

winterfresh green 2 oz proof whisky • ¼ oz crème de menthe • 2 oz cream

Add proof whisky, crème de menthe and cream to an ice-filled shaker. Shake and pour into a chilled glass. Garnish with a sprig of mint 
(snack Fry's peppermint cream)

 Honeydew green ½ oz midori or melon  • ¾ oz proof rum • ½ oz orange juice

Pour midori, proof rum and orange juice into an ice-filled glass. Stir and garnish with a honey dew melon slice. 
(snack dry-roasted pumpkin seeds)

 Zen-tea green 1 1/2 oz proof whisky • 1 oz Zen Green Tea Liqueur* • 4 sprigs fresh mint • LOTS of crushed ice

Muddle 3 mint sprigs and Green Tea Liqueur in the bottom of a Julep cup and fill with crushed ice. Pour in 2 oz proof whisky and stir. Garnish with remaining mint sprig. Drink with straw. (snack wasabi peas)

* Zen Green Tea Liqueur has limited availability so make sure to check the lcbo website for in stock locations (www.lcbo.com)

Lush island green 1 oz proof rum • ½ oz blue curacao • 3 oz orange juice • 3 oz sprite • ice

Pour proof rum, blue curacao and orance juice into an ice-filled glass. Top with sprite and garnish with a lime peel. 
(snack dry-roasted and salted green peas)

In our search for bar tools and appliances, we came across these cool green gadgets. Here is where we found them: 1. www.bodum.com 2. www.alessi.com 3. www.kitchenaid.com 5. www.crateandbarrel.com 6. www.iqliving.com 7. www.cb2.com, 8. Green glass 9. www.bodum.com

May your glass be ever full.

Weekend Forecast

Saturday: Sunny and a high of 16 degrees

Sunday: Cloudy periods and a high of 19 degrees