Powerful Women Through History – A List of Globe Cafe Cocktails
“I’m a little bit of a history nerd myself, and so wanted to translate my passion for women’s history through our cocktail list,” says Maddie Hodges, General Manager at Globe Cafe, adding that Globe has always celebrated women, with co-owner Jude Brunt, and previous GM of 10 years Jo Audette.
“At Globe, we have a history of producing award-winning cocktails and so when taking on the production of the cocktail list it seemed appropriate to celebrate women.”
Maddie, who has a background in mixology, worked with the restaurant’s head bartender to develop and refine recipes for the signature cocktails built on the bases of well-known favourites.
FUN FACT: One of Maddie’s summer cocktails, The Tuscan Sunrise, was featured in a national initiative from Corby Wine and Spirit Ltd called ‘A Toast from Coast to Coast.’ This coffe-table book features cocktails from bars around Canada during the pandemic, and will soon be available for purchase at Globe Cafe.
Read below the names and descriptions of the femme-inspired cocktails now available at Globe Cafe, provided by Maddie.
Globe Signature Espresso Martini – Gisele Rabesahala
This cocktail features Absolut Vanilla vodka which is a link to the vanilla trade of Madagascar, where Gisele Rabesahala was from. She campaigned all her life for the emancipation of individuals, the freedom of the Malagasy people and the independence of the nation. She fought tirelessly and vigorously in a political world largely dominated by men. The cocktail is a classic Espresso Martini.
She-Wolf – Eleanor of Aquitaine
The base of this cocktail is Brandy, a French liqueur. Eleanor of Aquitaine was a French noble-woman and a queen of France and England, as well as a duchess in her own right (quite unusual for 12th Century Europe). With her first husband, King Louis VII of France, she participated in the ultimately unsuccessful Second Crusade. Her first husband sued for an annulment from Pope Eugene, who granted it on the ground of consanguinity as they were third cousins. It is widely thought it’s really because Eleanor and Louis had only produced two girls from their marriage and therefore not a legitimate heir for the throne. Eleanor went on to marry Henry II of England and bore him four sons, and two girls. Her most notable sons from her second marriage are Richard I of England (Richard the Lionheart) and King John of England (the catalyst for Magna Carta). Her girls were Matilda, Duchess of Saxony, Joan, Queen of Sicily, and Eleanor, Queen of Castile. She rebelled against her husband in favour of her son, Richard, and is known as a She-Wolf for protecting her cubs. The cocktail features majestic gold glitter and is a play on an Old Fashioned.
Lady Lindy – Amelia Earhart
This cocktail features Aviation Gin, an appropriate base liquor for the first female solo transatlantic pilot. She attempted to circumnavigate the globe and unfortunately went missing, never to be found. The cocktail is light and refreshing and is a play on a Martini.
The Coup – Catherine the Great
This is a play on a Daiquiri. The base liquor is Absolut Elyx, a nod to Russia. The cocktail is also blue in colour, as Catherine often wore blue at the court when she first arrived as the Empress Elizabeth installed a rule that only she could wear pink. Catherine was a German princess who married into the Russian royal family. She was married to Peter III, who became Tsar or Russia. She led a coup against her husband and became Empress of Russia herself, and was also the longest ruling female leader of Russia. Her reign saw the vast expansion of Russian territory, and she tried greatly to reform the government. She is remembered for being lustful and for having a shocking reputation.
Ruler of the Heavens – Empress Wu Zeitan
This is a play on a Daiquiri, with the chili syrup being the reflection of Empress Wu in the cocktail. She began her life in court as a concubine to the Emperor before she became the consort to the ineffectual Gaozong Emperor, then moved on to be the power behind the throne of her youngest son. She became Empress in 690AD until her death in 705AD. She was ruthless, and has a bad, long lasting reputation. She stabilised the Tang Dynasty, a period that is celebrated as the Golden Age of Chinese civilisation. She is believed to have committed some heinous crimes, including killing her own week-old daughter and blaming it on the Emperor’s first wife which resulted in her being demoted and imprisoned, clearing the way for Wu to become empress. When she became Empress, she ordered that the former Empress and another concubine have their hands and feet cut off and drowned in a vat of wine. She is also known for her erotic encounters later in life, which inspired the use of a spicy chili syrup. Her memorial tablet which is located near to her tomb, was erected as usual during her reign. These tablets are traditionally left blank until the ruler’s death where the successor composes an epitaph. Empress Wu’s is the only tablet in 2000 years of Chinese history to remain blank.
Viva La Vida – Fridah Kahlo
This is a play on a sidecar, more specifically a Paloma. This is a link to Fridah Kahlo’s Mexican heritage. Fridah Kahlo has a distinct artistic style, and despite denying the connection, she is often labelled as a surrealist in the art world. Her artwork explored the themes of the human body, death and self. Her use of striking colours and her style inspired the bold flavours of the cocktail, and work for the home-made lime bitters began in June 2020. She is one of the best known female artists of the 20th century.
Tupa – Syilx First Nations
For powerful women of history, I wanted to include a woman local to the Okanagan. This inspiration for this cocktail is the use of local spice, Sumac, in a syrup, and is a play on an Old Fashioned. Tupa, meaning ‘elderwoman,’ is a tribute to the unnamed women that have led the Syilx nation throughout history.
The Anarchy – Empress Matilda
This cocktail is a play on a Flip, despite being served in a martini glass! Empress 1908 Gin, silver glitter and home-made lavender bitters create a smooth regal purple colour, reflecting the status of Empress Matilda. The daughter of Henry I of England, granddaughter of William the Conqueror, she became heir when her younger brother, William Adelin, died in the White Ship disaster of 1120. She had been married to the Holy Roman Emperor Henry V, before she married Geoffrey of Anjou. Upon her father’s death, she should have become the first Queen of England. However, her cousin Stephen of Blois usurped the throne and installed himself as King Stephen, igniting a civil war known as The Anarchy. Empress Matilda fought hard for her birthright, based out of Devizes Castle. Eventually, Empress Matilda shifted her focus from installing herself as monarch to installing her son, Henry II as King. She assisted her son in his ruling, particularly throughout the crisis that followed the murder and subsequent martyrdom of Thomas Becket.
Alhambra Sangrias – Isabella I of Castile
A Globe classic – our signature sangrias have had small changes made to their base ingredients and are based on a highball. Sangria is traditionally Spanish, and the standout Spanish powerful woman to me is Isabella I of Castile. Known as the mother of Katherine of Aragon (the first wife of Henry VIII of England) and Juana La Loca (an unfair however long lasting nickname), Isabella married her cousin, Ferdinand of Aragon, and united the country we now call Spain. She was a strong leader and a firm believer in the Catholic faith. She reformed the criminal justice system, the government and the financial operations of Spain. Her beliefs inspired herself and her husband to revolutionize religion in Spain and together they began the Spanish Inquisition and the firm removal of the Moors from Spain. They successfully drove the Moors from Spain and part of their spoils was the magnificent Alhambra palace, the name attributed to the cocktails. She also funded Christopher Columbus’ expedition to the New World, and took a large portion of the treasures he returned with. She did refuse to accept the native people that he had brought back to Spain as slaves, stating that as subjects of the Castillian crown they could not be enslaved. Spain was at war for most of her reign and she was a strong leader – fighting on horseback in battles along with her army and husband.
Kill-Dara – Saint Brigid of Kildare
Born in 451AD, Brigid of Kildare is patron saint of: County Kildare and Ireland. She is a nod to our Irish co-owner, Paul Doherty, and the inclusion of whiskey as the base liquor further cements this. Brigid is celebrated for her generosity to the poor. Saint Brigid is linked to miracles, that mostly relate to healing and household tasks usually attributed to women. According to tradition, Brigid founded a monastery around the year 480AD, at Kildare. In Irish, Kildare is Cill Dara, meaning Church of the Oak. The monastery was on the site of a Pagan shrine to Celtic goddess Brigid, served by a group of young women who tended an eternal flame. This cocktail is play on a Flip.
Angel of the Crimea – Florence Nightingale
Italian born, limoncello influenced this play on a Sazerac – part of the Old Fashioned family. Florence Nightingale is a household name, a testament to her contributions to the medical profession. Overcoming both parental and societal barriers to her passion, Florence pursued nursing and followed her passion. During the Crimean war over the Ottoman Empire, Florence assembled a team of nurses and travelled to the military hospitals in the Crimea to attend to the injured soldiers. Florence was the catalyst for reform of the medical provisions in the army, and introduced a lot of new things that improved the sanitary conditions of the hospital, which included a kitchen for the preparation of food to cater to the dietary requirements of patients, a laundry so that the patients could have clean linens, as well as a common area for patients intellectual stimulation and entertainment.