I think it's fair to say that 2020 has not been the best year for travelling. But, the beauty of food and drinks is that it allows us to explore the world through our tastebuds. I've teamed up with Distillerie Mariana to offer you guys a cocktail hour around the world. Every week a new country to visit and new recipes to try. Using fresh and local products while exploring different cultures is definitely the best way to travel this summer and I hope you guys will love this series as much as I do.

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A pioneer in the micro-distillery industry here in Quebec, Distillerie Mariana was founded in 2014 in Louiseville. They produce a long range of products from gins to rhums to even whiskeys. Their first product, Canopée, a forest gin, explains why they chose « Mariana » as their name. Derived from the latin term black spruce, Mariana was chosen to symbolize the distinguished flavors of their first creation and to symbolize the beauty of the nature surrounding Quebec! Their goal is to make us discover the beauty of our territory while respecting our surroundings.

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Fifth Destination

We are travelling to one of my favorite destination in the world: Hawaii. The most beautiful tropical paradise there is out there to me!!!!

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Ingredients

LAVA FLOW

1. 4 oz of Morbleu
2. 8 oz of strawberries
3. 8 oz of ice
4. 1 banana
5. 2 oz of pineapple juice
6. 2 oz of coconut milk

Preparation

LAVA FLOW

1. In a blender, mix together the rum, strawberries and ice. Place aside.
2. In a blender, mix together the banana, pineapple juice and coconut milk.
3. In your highball glass, place the strawberry mixture and add the coconut mixture on top
4. Garnish with pineapple slices.

For this drink, we used the Morbleu rum which adds that tropical spicy flavor perfect for the lava flow. This is definitely one of my favorite cocktail of all times and perfect for our summer weather!!!

Ingredients

COCONUT SHRIMPS

1. 1 1/2 lbs of shrimps
2. 3/4 cup of unbleached all purpose flour
3. 3/4 teaspoon of baking powder
4. 1/3 teaspoon of salt
5. 5 tablespoons of Ginger Ale
6. 1/2 cup of flaked sweeten coconut
7. 3 tablespoons of Panko
8. Coconut oil to fry the shrimp
9. 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
10. 1/4 cup of apricot jam
11. 1 tablespoon of passion fruit
12. 1 tablespoon of lime juice

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Preparation

COCONUT SHRIMP

1. Mix together the all purpose flour, baking powder and salt in one bowl.
2. Separate the previously done mixture in 2 bowls with 1/4 cup in the first, 1/2 cup in the second. Then add the 5 tablespoons of Ginger Ale to the second bowls to obtain a batter texture.
3. In a third bowl, mix together 3 tablespoons of Panko and 1/2 cup of flaked sweeten coconut.
4. Wash 1 1/2 lbs of shrimps and dry them thoroughly. To do the coating: first place the shrimp in the flour mixture, second in the batter and last in the coconut. Refrigerate all shrimps for 1-2 hours.
5. Deep fry the shrimps in coconut oil for 1-2 minutes on each side and splash lime juice on top when done.
6. For the sauce, mix together 1/4 cup of sweet chili sauce, 1/4 cup of apricot jam, 1 tablespoon of passion fruit and 1 tablespoon of lime juice.

Enjoy and Safe Travels!

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