The Chinook

It has been a long and bitterly cold winter this year in Edmonton. The snow started in October and the cold followed the snow. Usually we get a few warm days here and there, and although the snow will accumulate, about half of it will be melted away by now. But not this year. Not only has the snow kept falling in amounts I haven’t seen for well over 30 years, but the thermometer has rarely popped above zero degrees centigrade meaning that I still have October’s snow under my December, January, and February snow. The piles beside my driveway reach up to the roof of my house and yesterday it was snowing some more.

What we need is a good ‘Chinook‘. A Chinook, for those who don’t know is a warm Pacific wind which flows over the Rocky Mountains. As it passes up over the mountains, it looses its moisture by the way of rain so that after it passes over the mountains it has become dry. Flowing down the westward side of the mountains it gains warmth due to something called adiabatic warming. Think about it. A warm, dry air mass pouring over the mountains coming to melt all that snow and warm up the winter time. It is not unusual for the temperature to increase by as much as 30 degrees Celsius during a Chinook and for a foot of snow to disappear. That sounds positively lovely!

So today I am making my own Chinook. A cocktail, I designed many months ago when I reviewed Highwood’s Momento Amber Rum. My Chinook might not change the weather, but it sure will make it easier to deal with.

1 1/2 oz Amber Rum (I suggest Momento Amber Rum )
1/2 oz  Cherry Flavoured Whisky  (I suggest Red Stag Flavoured Bourbon)
1/4 to 1/2 Oz Lime Juice
2 Tsp Simple syrup (or sub grenadine for colour)
3 Large Ice Cubes

Put all ingredients into a blender.
Blend until smooth(ish).
Serve in a wine glass.

Garnish with a thin lime slice folded around a Brandied Cherry with a spear through it.
(I have to give credit to forrest here for the wonderful garnish idea!)

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