Caribou Cocktail Recipe

The Caribou is a French-Canadian mulled wine most frequently related to Quebec Metropolis and the Quebec Winter Carnival, held each February. The precise recipe can differ, however it’s sometimes made with crimson wine, a spirit akin to whiskey or brandy, maple syrup, and baking spices. This variation combines crimson wine, rye whiskey, maple syrup, and orange juice. The normal drink is most frequently served scorching, however can be served chilly.

The wine-based cocktail is claimed to have originated in Seventeenth-century Canada, when fur merchants and loggers relied on it to endure lengthy, chilly days outside. Its title is usually linked to a legend claiming the unique drink was made with whiskey and caribou blood — a narrative that’s broadly thought of a fable.

Why the Caribou works

With roots in historic Rome, heat, spiced wine has been a winter staple for hundreds of years. The wealthy and comforting concoction of crimson wine, a daring spirit, citrus, and spice has been handed down for generations from numerous cultures throughout the globe.

A daring crimson wine and spicy rye whiskey pair particularly effectively collectively as a result of they share complementary traits: dried fruit, oak, and peppery spice. Maple syrup is a signature Canadian ingredient, serving to to amp up the intense fruit within the wine whereas balancing the whiskey’s heat. Orange juice offers this Caribou a contact of citrus sweetness and acidity, provides depth of taste, and counteracts the wine’s tannins. 

Seasonal garnishes are non-compulsory, however an orange wedge, rosemary sprig, and cranberries lend a wintery aptitude and heat, fragrant notes.