Banff's Elk and Oarsman owners thought it was time to revamp the food and cocktail menu for the new summer season, then doubled efforts in renovating the rooftop patio for visiting patrons.
Banff's Elk and Oarsman owners thought it was time to revamp the food and cocktail menu for the new summer season, then doubled efforts in renovating the rooftop patio for visiting patrons.
The patio will pull double duty over the summer in being an oasis for locals and tourists, and for growing fresh herbs for menu recipes and cocktails.
“We'll grow basil, oregano, chives and mint up here, too,” said Elk and Oarsman bartender Stuart Schnell. “With our new drink and food menus, we wanted to keep a similar theme of easy to read with smaller and better ingredients.
“We serve a lot of people throughout the day and we want to utilize the space we have as much as possible.”
Schnell added staff joke that the Elk and Oarsman's size is for serving 100 people a day, but they easily serve over 300. “We have to keep the old philosophy of keep it simple; it's better to have small and better than a lot and not nearly as good.”
The Elk is true to its word in offering fresh ingredients with a nod to the world of tradition with its Negroni cocktail, which Schnell says pairs very well with Margarita Chicken (tequila-seared chicken supreme, charred lime, white wine tomato sauce, bruschetta, rice pilaf).
“The story on the Negroni is it's from the early 1900s in Italy and there was a guy who used to drink at a bar and he used to drink Campari and sweet vermouth with soda water - an Americano. But he wanted something stronger, so they added gin to it, and the Campari family helped popularize it because their product was in it,” Schnell said.
Campari is used as a traditional aperitif, helps in stimulating your stomach and has a very distinct red hue in colour with an orange but non-sweet taste and finish.
“The standard garnish was usually a lemon, but now it's moved towards an orange peel because of the closeness in taste to grapefruit and we use a blood orange for ours,” Schnell said.
“Some of the drink recipes, when you read the history and heritage behind them, are pretty cool and fascinating. Campari has such an interesting colour and has started to become in vogue again. People want to start using it because it has such an interesting taste, a little bitterness, and little orange and a beautiful colour - even a dash will dramatically change you cocktail, it's really fun to work with.”
The Elk also recommends trying its El Pepino cocktail with watermelon salad (spring greens, grape tomatoes, feta cheese, mint, citrus vin) for light fare on a warm summer day.
Elk and Oarsman Negroni cocktail:
Ice in a cocktail glass, garnished with a blood orange.
In a cocktail shaker, add one ounce of gin, one ounce Campari and half an ounce of sweet vermouth.
Shake and pour over ice.
El Pepino cocktail:
Two ounces of tequila over ice in a highball glass.
Add fresh muddled cucumber and lime and top with soda.
Garnish with fresh cucumber and lime.
