by Malcolm Jolley
In the few short years since Jen Agg and Chef/Charcuterie Master Grant van Gameren opened The Black Hoof and its sister restaurant across the street, The Black Hoof Café, on Dundas West, the crowds of animal-fat-and-a-well-made-drink-loving epicures have not abated. De rigueur, before any Hoof meal is one of their house made cocktails – house made since they make all the ingredients, save the booze. On a snowy December afternoon, I visited Agg at the bar of her café to see (and make the video below) her fashion her very favourite cocktail, the Manhattan, which just happens to be very deliciously holiday appropriate…
Malcolm Jolley is the Managing Editor of Good Food Revolution and Executive Director of Good Food Media, the non-profit organization that publishes GFR. Follow him at twitter.com/malcolmjolley.
This video was made possible through the kind support of Fortessa Canada / Schott Zwiesel.
what kind of Vermouth does Jen Agg use?
we can’t read the label
………………………………………………. ????!!!
It’s Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth. The most accessible way to get it is probably just going to NYC and grabbing a bottle at Astor Wines; otherwise you’ll have to order a case of it and pay the 2 or 3 times LCBO markup on it.
Malcolm: Would you also mind asking Jen for more information on how to prepare those sour cherries; specifically the ratio of rye, amaretto, caramel syrup, and vermouth; and whether they are poached before marinating?
Hmmm… it was very fancy and rare and possibly a “private order” i.e. something brought in directly from the producer, rather than through the LCBO. I’ll ask Jen…. – Malcolm
thanks! (for the speedy reply too!)