Veterans Affairs Canada states that Remembrance Day (Jour du Souvenir) is intended for “remembrance for the men and women who have served, and continue to serve our country during times of war, conflict and peace”; particularly the First and Second World Wars, the Korean War, and all conflicts since then in which members of the Canadian Armed Forces have participated. The department runs a program called Canada Remembers, with the mission of helping young and new Canadians, most of whom have never known war, “come to understand and appreciate what those who have served Canada in times of war, armed conflict, and peace stand for and what they have sacrificed for their country.”

Remembrance Day is observed on 11 November to recall the end of First World War. Hostilities formally ended “at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month” of 1918, in accordance with the armistice signed by representatives of Germany and the Entente between 5:12 and 5:20 that morning. (“At the 11th hour” refers to the passing of the 11th hour, or 11:00 am.)

The first Armistice Day was observed at Buckingham Palace and the practice spread to the Commonwealth of Nations states, the U.S., and others. At the time everyone thought that WWI was the war to end all wars, but that proved wrong because once World War II came along all bets were off.

Most member states of the Commonwealth broadened the name of the observation to Remembrance Day during or shortly after WWII . In Europe, Great Britain, Canada and the Commonwealth the general practice is to observe two minutes of silence at 11 AM every November 11.

Cenotaph ceremony in Ottawa, Canada

In Flanders Fields

BY JOHN MCCRAE

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie,

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

The Armistice Cocktail

According to The Drunkard’s Almanac, The Armistice Cocktail was the brain child of Erik Hakkinen at the Zig Zag Café in Seattle. That’s not a place likely on the tip of your tongue, but it has been a strong influence in resurrecting classic cocktails. Particularly once Murray Stenson, a bartending legend, started working there.

They focused on classic cocktails and the Aviation was one of Zig Zag’s signature drinks, but then Murray found the recipe for the Prohibition-era Last Word in an old cocktail book. That classic drink was suddenly resurrected when people realized how good it is and word spread around the world.

Erik Hakkinen went to work at Zig Zag in 2007 and along the way he created the Armistice Cocktail. Using rye whiskey as its base spirit, it’s a bit like a Brooklyn cocktail with Green Chartreuse replacing Amer Picon. Or a dry Manhattan with herbs added. The herbal element added by the Chartreuse plays well against the rye whiskey.