Concocting flavoured liquor illegal in Alberta
Dropping two cardamom pods into a bottle of gin and leaving the mixture to steep for 24 hours creates not surprisingly a cardamom gin. To make such a drink in Alberta is sanctioned within the home or in an industrial setting. But in a public venue — such as a bar or a restaurant — the creation and service of an infused-alcohol beverage is illegal in Alberta even though such drinks are concocted in most other provinces.
And that doesn’t sit well with many Calgary bartenders. Nathan Head co-owner of Milk Tiger Lounge says that the current infusion laws — which prohibit the addition of flavouring agents such as fruits or herbs to a basic spirit or alcohol in a bar or restaurant — are outdated and restrictive.
“As far as infusion laws go Alberta’s definitely way behind. It’s kind of a silly sticking point but once infusions are legal it opens up the whole world. We can start doing infusions and making our own bitters. It gives us bartenders more tools.”
Under the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Act which is enforced by the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (AGLC) the adulteration of liquor is banned and punishable by fines or the suspension of the licence of the offending premises. Angelle Sasseville spokesperson for the AGLC says that the law exists to protect the customer from over-consumption as the alcohol content may alter through the process of infusion. In Alberta the ingredients and exact alcohol content of each beverage must be listed on a menu in order for the customer to make an informed decision and for the venue to be protected from liability.
But Philippe Grandbois owner of Barmetrix Calgary and a bartender for more than a decade says AGLC’s concerns are unwarranted and date back to prohibition.
Bartenders well-experienced at infusing alcohols can easily do so without raising the alcohol content. Unless an ingredient such as yeast is added he says that the infusion “will never ever be higher than the base alcohol by volume.” He concludes that the issue of over-consumption that the AGLC raises is a moot point.
Beverages made with infused spirits are permitted to be served if the custom alcohol was made within an industrial setting with rigid quality control. For example Bols Blue Curacao which is a pacific-blue coloured liqueur is a Dutch infusion that has been flavoured with synthetic flavours and colours.
But Grandbois says that if in doubt tools such as a hydrometer — which measures the density of liquids — can be used to determine the alcohol by volume content of an infusion made in the bar. Alternatively he suggests that Alberta could adopt a policy like Quebec which lists gradients of alcohol such as 15 to 20 per cent on menus; such a gradient accounts for factors such as the dilution of the infusion with water to balance the flavour.
INTERNATIONAL SPIRITS
Infused spirits are made and served in bars and restaurants all over the world. Grandbois worked at a bar in Australia that featured 280 different infused spirits with 120 distinct rums; all of the custom spirits were made with the same white rum which they barrel-aged then infused with a variety of herbs spices and fruits. He also says that although some provinces in Canada outlaw the practise they typically turn a blind eye to venues that do it. Although the Liquor Control Board of Ontario doesn’t have a specific law regarding infusions Grandbois says many bars make them and the board monitors the spirits to ensure they are up to snuff.
And the variety of infusions possible is vast. Currently Head is preparing a Saskatoon berry vodka at home. Grandbois made a pork-belly-infused vermouth in a martini for a cocktail contest three years ago which provided the beverage with a smoky bacon-like flavour. A quick Google search pops up recipes for Skittles-infused rum watermelon-infused vodka and apple- and pear-infused gin.
“A venue with an opportunity to have an infused bacon vodka turns Smirnoff into 10000 more things than Smirnoff could do. It’s still Smirnoff it’s now just been infused” Grandbois says.
Head is quick to point out that the number of bartenders in Calgary who would initially take the time to make infused alcohol is limited. He suggests that high-end restaurants such as Cilantro Petite and Bravo would be quick to experiment with infusions but a majority of bars would prefer to keep costs down and serve the public at large.
“It’s fiddly stuff” Head says. “You’re spending a month and a half with a bottle of booze sitting on your back bar that you can’t sell because you have to wait for it to infuse properly with all these wonderful botanicals.”
The retail price of a custom concoction if it was even sanctioned would make up for the massive amount of time staffing management and research that Grandbois says are required to make infusions. For example Head says a Grey Goose vodka infused with a special blend of herbs could retail for upwards of $20. The wealthy who he says are often responsible for setting trends when it comes to food and drinks would be more than willing to try infused drinks.
But infusions represent more than just a status symbol for the wealthy customer. For Head the opportunity points towards a massive growth in the industry.
“We’re now working to bringing bartending back to being a craft. Infusions are just one more tool in our kit of stuff that we can do to make really interesting and really good drinks. The idea is that we’re not just here to get people drunk anymore. We’re here to give people an experience much like it was with dining.”
In addition to this Grandbois says that legalizing infusions would respond to a push from the consumer for more local organic products. Because customized spirits can be made with any kind of fruit or herb products such as a Saskatoon berry vodka would be unique to the western region of North America. Or a special blend of herbs infused into a spirit would create a beverage that would separate each bar from another.
Grandbois compares infusions to the garam masalas of India which he tried many of when he was in India. Each family there has their own recipe for garam masala and one would become a return clientele because one’s palate would be more excited by certain spice blends. Similarly each bar could create their own special infusions.
Sasseville of the AGLC suggests that those with recommendations or suggestions should contact the commission. Grandbois who has a shelf in his office dedicated to infusions has contacted the AGLC on numerous occasions about the law and has been directed to PDFs on the commission’s website.
Head concludes that “Our biggest frustration lies in that we’re the good guys. We’re the nice-guy bartenders that want to get you two or three really good cocktails rather than get you totally hammered on a bunch of Jägerbombs. We’re trying to fight the good fight but we’re kind of lumped in with everyone.”
