Hair-of-the-Dad Brew

Uh, huh—nothing like fighting a hangover with… well, another possible hangover. The ‘hair-of-the-dog’ idea (when you remedy an overindulgence of alcohol with more alcohol) has been used across the ages (admittedly, with varying levels of success).

This Fathers’ Day edition relies on cold-brewed coffee (which has to help) along with bourbon and amaro, an Italian liqueur. Amaro can be made with grain alcohol or wine (vermouth is wine-based amaro), and flavoured using a blend of herbs, roots, flowers, bark, and citrus peels. Try it made in the ‘medium’ style—the nutty, citrus flavours complement the coffee beautifully.

• 4 oz cold-brewed coffee (see below)
• 1.5 oz bourbon
• 1.5 oz amaro
• 1 oz vanilla-infused simple syrup (see below)
• Tonka bean, finely grated

Cold-Brewed Coffee
Combine coarsely ground medium or dark-roasted coffee beans with cold water in a French press (you should have about a 4-to-1 ratio of coffee to cold water). If you like, add a pinch of grated tonka bean to the ground coffee for an almond-like note. Steep overnight (but don’t depress the plunger until morning).

Vanilla-Infused Simple Syrup
Pour 1 cup of water into a saucepan. Add 1 cup of white sugar and bring to a slow boil, making sure all the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add ½ – 2 tsp of pure vanilla extract. The syrup can be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Hair-of-the-Dad
Add bourbon, amaro, and vanilla syrup to a cocktail shaker (proportions can be adjusted to taste) and shake. Add mixture to the cold-brewed coffee (again, to taste), pour over ice cubes, and fine-grind a little tonka bean overtop (if using). Add cream or milk, if desired.