Camping Cocktails
for BC Living
July 2026

When it comes to camping, most people will likely reach for a ready-made cocktail in a can, but sometimes it’s fun to get a little fancy.

Here are three cocktails worth making from scratch at the campsite.
(Each recipe makes one serving.)

Maple Syrup Whisky Sour

You’re already among the trees, so why not put some maple flavor in your glass while you’re at it. I used Sortilège, a whisky from Quebec that incorporates maple syrup into the distilling process, and instead of just plain simple syrup, I used a “Plum & Smoke” flavored one from Odd Society here in Vancouver.

- 2 ounces Sortilège (Canadian Whisky and Maple Syrup liqueur)
- 3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 ounce simple syrup
- 1/2 ounce egg white *
- Ice
- Angostura bitters, for garnish

Add the whisky, lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white to a cocktail shaker, and dry-shake for 30 seconds. Then add ice and shake for another 20 seconds until the shaker is chilled.

Strain into a glass, add a few drops of bitters and drag a toothpick (or skewer of some kind) through the drops for garnish.

*Note: Consuming raw or lightly cooked eggs poses a risk, and you can totally skip it if you prefer.

Marshmallow Mule

The kids won't be the only ones enjoying toasted marshmallows on your next trip as this take on a whisky mule is sure to warm you up.
Best enjoyed on a spring or fall camping trip or at the end of the day on the lake, you can even toast the marshmallows without a campfire if you bring a kitchen torch with you.

I managed to get a bottle of the limited-edition Burns Bog Peat Smoked Malt Whisky from Odd Society and its smoky character pairs beautifully with the toasted (homemade) marshmallows!

- ice
- 1.5 ounces smoked whisky
- ½ ounce fresh lemon juice
- ¼ ounce maple syrup
- ginger beer
- toasted marshmallows for garnish

Place ice in a rocks glass (or whatever you have at the campsite) and add in the whisky, lemon juice, maple syrup. Give the glass a stir to combine and then top the rest of the glass with ginger beer, giving it one more gentle stir.

Garnish with toasted marshmallows.

Cedar Cardinale

One of my favorite kinds of gin is Tofino Distillery’s Old Growth Cedar Gin and they just so happen to have a negroni recipe on their website. I brought Esquimalt Dry Vermouth with me so instead of a negroni, I ended up making a “Cardinale”, which lets the gin's botanicals shine even more. And if you take out the Campari and add a splash of olive brine, you’ve got a camping martini in your hands.

- ice
- 1 ounce gin
- 1 ounce Campari
- 1 ounce dry vermouth

Mix the gin, Campari, and vermouth in a cocktail shaker or mixing glass with some ice, stirring for 10-15 seconds until chilled.
Strain into a glass with a single large ice cube, or whatever you have at the campsite!