The Awakening Craft Cocktail
It’s time to wake up and smell the roses – if the roses were Sichuan peppercorns and your morning regiment includes a craft cocktail! This month’s bartender special is named “The Awakening”. Its sensory-forward ingredients perk up any drinker’s palate.
This lively craft cocktail starts with a foundation of bright, balanced citrus flavors of lemon and grapefruit, combined with a floral pairing of elderflower liqueur and Roku gin. The star of the show is Sichuan peppercorn syrup. This peppercorn, which gains its name from the region in China where it’s grown, has a signature mouth-numbing quality that creates a tingling sensation on the tongue and lips. Being a pepper, it also adds a layer of warmth and spice.
The craft cocktail sensation utilizes all five of the senses to create an awakening experience.
Bartender’s Special At-A-Glance
INGREDIENTS
- 2 basil leaves
- 2 oz. Roku Gin
- .75 oz. Sichuan peppercorn syrup
- .5 oz. lemon juice
- .5 oz. grapefruit juice
- .5 oz. Giffard Elderflower
GLASSWARE
- Chilled coupe
GARNISH
- Single basil leaf
The King Has Returned: Wild Columbia River King Salmon Season Is Here!
With Wild Columbia River King Salmon, it's not about the destination; it's about the journey: a 1,243-mile trek, that is.
The Columbia River runs over 1,200 miles, from Canada through Washington, Oregon and to the Pacific Ocean. It's from here that the Wild Columbia River King Salmon makes its trek - returning from the salt water to the fresh waters of its birth.
Wild Columbia River King Salmon, also known as “Chinook” Salmon, is admired for its marbling, which comes from the fat reserves it builds as the fish travels up one of the longest rivers in North America. The Columbia River starts in the freshwaters of the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, and carves its way through Washington and the northern part of Oregon before making it to the Pacific Ocean.
Since this river passes through multiple states, it creates a unique collaboration when it comes to fishery management. Both Washington and Oregon have a seat at the table when it comes to determining quotas and fishery openings, with the season typically running from May to October.
This isn’t your average river fish. King Salmon are anadromous – meaning they’re born in freshwater before making a migration to the saltwater oceans, where they spend their lives until it's time to spawn again. That’s when they return to the freshwaters of their birth, journeying back up the Columbia River.
King Salmon is the largest of the Pacific Salmon, averaging 15 to 20 pounds. Those fat reserves lead to a rounder mid-section and the highest fat content of all Pacific Salmon.
At Water Grill, we serve Wild Columbia River King Salmon grilled with heirloom carrots and vadouvan curry butter. Hungry for more? Check out our daily menus and grab a reservation.
