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The spirit behind tall ships

As we sit on the sunny pub patio, I slowly sip my Diet Coke while ogling Lorne Caborn’s icy beer. 

It’s hot out as we trade war stories about the bar industry and discuss our favourite drinks (neither of us could decide on just one). An eighteen-year native of the service industry, Caborn is a veteran bartender and mixologist. Because of his extensive knowledge and experience, he was recently approached to create two new cocktails inspired by the local Tall Ships festival, a challenge which he eagerly accepted.

Caborn was given a bottle of Captain Morgan Private Stock rum and got to work on creating the perfect cocktails. “It’s got to look aesthetically pleasing,” he says. “It’s got to taste right, and it’s got to be user friendly for around the city.” By insisting on simple, classic glassware and readily available ingredients, he was able to create two drinks that embody the festival while remaining accessible to the public.

The first, “Morgan’s Maritimer,” is “a real reflection of Nova Scotia.” Made with Private Stock, strawberries, orange juice, and lemon/lime soda (and, to those feeling extra sophisticated, finished with fresh cracked pepper), this cocktail “is what summer is to us. Refreshing, a backyard barbecue, easy breezy.”

Caborn’s second cocktail is a true twist on a classic. “It’s more of a nighttime cocktail,” he suggests—a mixture of Private Stock, sweet vermouth, and topped with a cherry–as a sophisticated drink to mark a historic event.  The rum, very smooth and mellow with a hint of spice, blends seamlessly with the vermouth to create a truly unique flavour.

As the sun gets hotter, the day rolls along, and the ships move in, my Diet Coke just isn’t cutting it anymore. Caborn’s descriptions and ability to capture the spirit of the Maritimes and Tall Ships–perhaps alongside some buried treasure–in just two cocktails makes it seem shameful as a Haligonian to not give one a try.

After all, it’s five o’clock someplace…

Morgan’s Maritimer

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz. Captain Morgan Private Stock
• 3-4 strawberries
• orange juice
• lemon/lime soda

Muddle strawberries in a rocks glass, add Captain Morgan Private Stock and top with ice.  Fill 3/4 with orange juice and finish with lemon lime soda. 

Morgan Takes Manhattan

Ingredients:

• 1 oz. Captain Morgan Private Stock
• 0.5 oz. sweet vermouth
• garnish with a cherry

Mix all ingredients together in a shaker, strain into a martini glass. 

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