Lake Ontario ‘Three Sisters’ Cocktail

Shopping list

• 50 ml Corn whiskey or bourbon — paying homage to Haudenosaunee agriculture and the ancient cultivation of maize

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• 20 ml Rich roasted squash syrup — made by roasting butternut or acorn squash with water and raw cane sugar, representing the second of the Three Sisters

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• 20 ml Freshly squeezed lime juice

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• 10 ml Birch syrup or dark maple syrup — harvested from the northern woodlands long before European contact

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• 2 dashes Aromatic bitters or sumac-infused tincture — using wild sumac berries, traditionally foraged across Ontario shores by indigenous peoples for tartness and medicinal teas

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Step by step

1. 1

   Combine the corn whiskey, roasted squash syrup, lime juice, birch syrup, and sumac tincture in a shaker filled with ice.

2. 2

   Shake hard for 12 to 15 seconds until thoroughly chilled and emulsified (the squash syrup gives the drink a wonderful, velvety body).

3. 3

   Double-strain the mixture over a large clear ice cube into a rocks glass.

4. 4

   Garnish with a pinch of toasted pepitas floated on top or served on the side, alongside the aromatic charred corn husk.