Ingredients
Base
- 500 mldry red wine, something robust and inexpensive
- 250 mlCanadian rye whisky
- 125 mlport or ruby-style fortified wine
- 80 mlpure maple syrup, amber or dark grade
Spices, for the hot version
- 1cinnamon stick
- 3cloves
- 1star anise
- 2wide strips of orange peel
To serve
- Small heatproof cups, or a hip flask and a plastic walking cane for the Carnaval version
Directions
- Combine the red wine, whisky, port and maple syrup in a jug and stir until the syrup has fully dissolved. This cold mixture is the base, and it improves after a day or two in the fridge.
- Taste it cold. It should be sweet but not cloying, warming and clearly alcoholic, roughly the strength of a fortified wine at around 20 percent.
- For the cold version, bottle it and chill. It is drunk straight from a flask outdoors in the cold, in small measures.
- For the hot version, pour the mixture into a heavy pan with the cinnamon, cloves, star anise and orange peel.
- Warm over low heat to about 70°C (160°F) — steaming, with small bubbles at the edge only. Never let it boil, or you drive off the alcohol and cook the wine into something flat and stewed.
- Hold it at that temperature for 10 to 15 minutes so the spices infuse, stirring once or twice.
- Taste and adjust with more maple syrup if your wine is very dry, or a splash more whisky if it has gone too sweet.
- Ladle into small heatproof cups through a strainer and serve steaming, outdoors, with a strip of orange peel in each.
Technique
- Caribou belongs to Quebec winter, and above all to the Carnaval de Québec, where it is sold in the streets and carried in hollow plastic canes. It is drunk outdoors in serious cold, in small quantities, and it is deceptively strong.
- The name’s origins are folkloric and disputed — several competing stories circulate about voyageurs and coureurs des bois — but the recipe as drunk today is simply fortified, sweetened red wine.
- Commercial bottled caribou is now sold across Quebec at around 16 to 20 percent alcohol. Homemade versions are usually stronger, and there is no dilution with water, so measure carefully.
Substitutions
- No rye whisky: brandy or vodka both work, and each has its regional partisans. Brandy makes a rounder, sweeter drink.
- Maple syrup can be replaced by an equal volume of maple sugar dissolved in a little hot wine, though the syrup’s flavour is more characteristic.
Variations
- Some cabane à sucre versions double the maple syrup and skip the port entirely.
- A modern cold serve pours it over ice with an orange twist, closer to a fortified aperitif.
History
A Quebec winter drink poured from plastic canes at the Quebec City Winter Carnival; the name recalls old hunters’ wine-and-blood lore.
Frequently asked questions
What is Caribou?
Caribou is a cocktail from Canada: hot or cold mix of red wine, whisky and maple syrup, drunk outdoors in winter. A Quebec winter drink poured from plastic canes at the Quebec City Winter Carnival; the name recalls old hunters’ wine-and-blood lore.
How long does Caribou take to make?
Caribou takes 10 min of preparation and 15 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Caribou?
Yes, within limits. No rye whisky: brandy or vodka both work, and each has its regional partisans. Brandy makes a rounder, sweeter drink. Maple syrup can be replaced by an equal volume of maple sugar dissolved in a little hot wine, though the syrup’s flavour is more characteristic.
What is the most important thing to get right in Caribou?
Warm over low heat to about 70°C (160°F) — steaming, with small bubbles at the edge only. Never let it boil, or you drive off the alcohol and cook the wine into something flat and stewed.
