The Alchemist BC • Issue 23 • Fall/Winter 2024

GO FOR THE MAX

It’s all about drama and glorious excess

HAPPIEST HOUR

Our favourite time of day

HOME BAR

DIY the best boozy garnish

WHISKY SEASON

Bourbon cocktails and other drams

Editor’s letter

Aswe were putting this issue of The Alchemist together, an atmospheric river came roaring through town. It was dark, cold and gloomy, with raging torrents of water pouring outside. It was, in other words, whisky weather.

It’s no secret that we love whisky over here at The Alchemist, whether it’s a refined single malt with plenty of age and a touch of peaty smoke in its lineage or a spicy rye, corn-sweet bourbon or the latest elegant expression from Japan. We love whisky neat, on ice and in cocktails; most of all, we love that it’s a thoughtful spirit, one we can linger over while enjoying a good conversation.

So you will not be surprised to hear that we have plenty of whisky in this issue. In Tasting Panel, Reece Sims checks in with bartenders in Vancouver and Toronto, who share their favourite bourbons and the cocktails they’d make with them. And in Home Bar, Matt Benevoli demonstrates how to make boozy cherries to garnish all your Old Fashioneds, Manhattans and other whisky cocktails.

Also in this issue: In her piece “Maximalist Drinking,” writer Kate Dingwall explains why the really cool cocktails right now are the really over-the-top ones. And Christine Sismondo discovers that pretty much every hour is happy hour these days, which really does make us happy.

In Still Life, Charlene Rooke looks into the trend of bespoke spirits created for restaurants in collaborations between their bar teams and local distilleries. We check out cool bars near and far, following the Good Thief on a journey around Southeast Asia and taking the elevator to the Art Deco chic of Le 9e in Montreal, among others.

Plus we look ahead to the fourth annual Vancouver Cocktail Week (March 2 to 9; put it in your calendar now!), share some great recipes, cover the latest spirited news from here and around the world, and, yes, have even more tastes of whisky throughout. Sláinte! For more, visit thealchemistmagazine.ca.

—Joanne Sasvari, Editor

PUBLISHER: Gail Nugent gnugent@glaciermedia.ca

EDITOR: Joanne Sasvari jsasvari@glaciermedia.ca

DESIGN & PRODUCTION

MANAGER: Tara Rafiq

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR: Valeria Remizova

TheAlchemistMagazine.ca

@TheAlchemistBC

@TheAlchemistMag

Published by: Glacier Media Group 303 West 5th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Y 1J6 778-240-4010

© The Alchemist 2024

This issue is complimentary.

Fettercairn Tropical Highball. Living Room Creative photo

Good

Allie Turner

Bespoke bottles for discerning bartenders by Charlene Rooke

The

Cocktails for when too much is just enough by Kate Dingwall

It seems like every hour is happy hour (and we’re good with that) by Christine Sismondo

Join our tour of cocktail bars in this scenic mountain town by Alexandra Gill

by Joanne Sasvari

Juno Kim photo

Photo courtesy of Lucie

Contributors

Joanne Sasvari is the editor of The Alchemist, Vitis and YAM magazines. She is a WSET-certified writer-editor who covers food, drink and travel for a variety of publications, and is the author of several cookbooks, including 2023’s Okanagan Eats.

Matthew Benevoli is an awardwinning mixologist, industry veteran and mentor. He has a passion for creating custom and unique cocktails and loves storytelling through them.

Kate Dingwall is a WSET-trained wine professional and a writer, editor and photographer covering spirits, food, culture and travel for publications such as Food & Wine and Serious Eats.

Charlene Rooke is a WSET Spirits instructor, Certified Specialist of Spirits and the Academy Chair, Canada West, for World’s 50 Best Bars. A trained craft distiller, she also writes for Food & Drink, Taste and other drinks publications.

Reece Sims is a retired awardwinning bartender, avid destination distillery-goer and the owner of SIP Spirits, an agency that works with beverage brands. Follow her on Instagram @reecesims.

Christine Sismondo is a National Magazine Award-winning writer who covers spirits, wine, bars and cultural history for numerous publications, and is the author of America Walks into a Bar.

Allie Turner is a lifestyle journalist specializing in beauty and fashion, but a serious love for the people in Vancouver’s hospitality industry keeps her coming back to food and cocktail writing.

ON THE COVER: A special drink for the festive season, Minami Toronto’s Crimson Kuro Martini features matcha-infused Ketel One vodka, Dillon’s chocolate liqueur, tart cherry juice, demerara, orange bitters and a raspberry mist. “I wanted to create something that felt familiar yet unexpected, drawing on ingredients like matcha to contrast the richness of chocolate and the tartness of cherry,” says Nick Meyer, regional beverage manager for Aburi Restaurants. Photo courtesy of Aburi Restaurants

BAR BITES

NEWS AND NOTES FROM BEHIND THE BAR AND AROUND THE WORLD OF COCKTAILS AND SPIRITS

MICHELIN HONOURS KISSA TANTO’S FRASER CRAWFORD

Congratulations to Fraser Crawford!

The bar manager at Kissa Tanto has just been named the winner of the 2024 Michelin Guide Vancouver Exceptional Cocktails Award, adding even more lustre to the Chinatown restaurant’s glittering star.

The awards, announced on October 3 at The Commodore Ballroom, also added one new star (to Sushi Masuda), bringing Vancouver’s constellation to 10, one Bib Gourmand (Gary’s) and two recommended restaurants (Bar Brave and Zab Bit). Also announced were three other special awards: the Michelin Sommelier Award for Reverie Beall of AnnaLena; the Outstanding Service Award for Bailey Hayward of Gary’s; and the Young Chef / Culinary Professional Award for Yoji Masuda of Sushi Masuda.

But for cocktail lovers, this was the big one. Previously, it was won by Max Curzon-Price of Suyo in 2023 and, in 2022, Michelin’s inaugural year in Vancouver, by Jeff Savage and Grant Sceney of Botanist/Fairmont Pacific Rim.

Of Crawford, the judges wrote: “He delivers a breathtaking experience with unique, compelling cocktails rooted in the classics, but embodying the restaurant's blending of Japanese and Italian esthetics, all in a way that feels familiar and friendly.”

Fraser Crawford captures Kissa Tanto's Tokyo jazz lounge vibe in a glass. Hakan Burcuoglu photo

For his part, Crawford offers this advice to anyone considering a career in bartending: “People are the most important thing. Treat them right, be easy to work with, be easy to work for. Let your work ethic do the talking.”

For more info, visit guide.michelin.com/ ca/en/british-columbia/ca-vancouver/ restaurants

SUNNY SIPS FOR RAINY DAYS

At the new Ombré Restaurant in Tofino, the vibe is sunny Mediterranean, but that doesn’t mean the team doesn’t know how to deal with rainy days. After all, this charming village on Vancouver Island’s west coast sees over 300 centimetres of rain each year even without an atmospheric river.

When the fog rolls in and the rain is falling in torrents, it’s tempting to dream of sun-soaked destinations like Marseille, Santorini, Marrakesh or Tangier—which just happen to be the names of the original cocktails on assistant GM Jonathan Carlile’s wanderlust-y list.

Mediterranean flavours shine here: spices like sumac, bay leaves or mint; spirits washed with olive oil or infused with walnuts; regional ingredients like dates, honey and Turkish tobacco. They pair beautifully with chef David Provençal’s tapas-meets-mezze style of share

The Cinque Terre from Ombré Restaurant in Tofino is a richer, cold weather twist on a classic spritz, thanks to the autumnal orange and rosemary syrup. Find the recipe at thealchemistmagazine.ca

plates, the lentil hummus, for instance, or the focaccia with wild mushrooms, marinated calamari with white beans or the tender pastas made in house.

And for those days you want to keep the summer mood going but warmed up just a little bit for fall’s cooler, stormier days, there’s this refreshing sipper named for the five fishing villages on Italy’s Ligurian coast. Salute!

VANCOUVER COCKTAIL WEEK 2025

It’s never too soon to start planning for Vancouver Cocktail Week presented by The Alchemist! The fourth annual fest is planned for March 2 to 9, 2025, with all the seminars, cinq à septs, pop-ups, guest shifts, dinners and parties you love, plus of course, the gala, featuring dozens of spirit brands, signature cocktails and all your favourite bartenders.

This is a destination event, eight days that celebrate this city’s vibrant culture of food and drink and the multi-award-winning bartenders and ambassadors who make it so delicious. Plus you can meet celebrated bartenders from around the world and be among the first to discover the next big cocktail trends.

Tickets go on sale December 1. For more info or to sign up for notifications, go to: thealchemistmagazine.ca/vcw.

LUXE AND LIMITED

If it’s fall it must be whisky, and if it’s whisky, it must be time for some exciting new releases. Here are three decadent drams we’re dreaming of this fall.

The Dalmore is releasing its Cask Curation Series II: The Port Edition. It features three single cask single malts celebrating The Dalmore's long-standing partnership with the Grahams Port: a 27-yearold, 30-year-old and 43-year-old, each finished in a single harvest tawny port cask. The release is limited to 150 sets worldwide; as for the price, well, if you have to ask … dalmore.com

Fettercairn Highland Single Malt Distillery is releasing the even more limited edition 200th Anniversary Collection to mark its bicentenary. Only 10 sets are available around the world, at a price of $160,000 CAD. Each comprises six remarkable bottles of single malt packaged in handcrafted oak cabinet. They range from a very rare 60-year-old to a three-year-old that marks the launch of the distillery’s awardwinning Scottish Oak Project, for a combined age of 200 years. The Canadian exclusive set will be available at BC Liquor Stores’ premium spirit release November 7 at 39th and Cambie. fettercairnwhisky.com

At a somewhat less stratospheric price point is Forty Creek's 18th annual limitededition whisky, Maplewood Select. It’s a collectible smallbatch whisky finished with sugar maple wood for a smooth, complex flavour with lingering spice notes. It retails for about $90, but will only be available for a short while. fortycreekwhisky.com

FINDING COMMON GROUND ON THE FARM

Muchhas been written about the challenges facing farmers in North America; less has been done to solve them. Now a new initiative in the United States, with big names and big money behind it, aims to change that. And who knows? It might inspire action on this side of the 49th parallel, too.

The 100 Million Acres initiative is a US$10 million commitment to move 100 million acres of U.S. farmland to regenerative farming by 2025. To do so, it is building a coalition of farmers, ranchers, non-governmental organizations and for-profit companies, including the bourbon distillery Maker’s Mark, which has pledged to transform 100 per cent of its agricultural supply chain to regenerative practices.

Rob Samuels, eighth generation whisky maker and grandson of the founders at Maker's Mark, has said: “Protecting, preserving and realizing the potential

Makers Mark has committed to making its entire supply chain follow regenerative practices. Photo courtesy of Maker's Mark

of our land has been a cornerstone of our vision for the past 70 years. I am proud that we can lead by example and contribute to a greater understanding of regenerative agriculture, as well as use these practices ourselves to create a more sustainable and flavourful whisky.”

The initiative comes from Josh and Rebecca Tickell of Picture Ranch, the film company behind the recently released documentary Common Ground They announced it at the Clinton Global Initiative in September; it already has the support of everyone from US Senator Cory Booker to the actor Jason Momoa. 100MillionAcres.org

WHISKY HEAVEN (IF YOU CAN GET IN)

One of the world’s best whisky festivals is just a short ferry ride away, but you’ll have to act fast if you plan to get tickets. The Victoria Whisky Festival returns for its 19th year January 16 through 19 at the Hotel Grand Pacific. These four days of all things whisky kick off with the Canadian Whisky Awards and continue with masterclasses, whisky dinners and consumer tastings, featuring more than 200 whiskies from 50 distilleries. Out-of-town attendees can purchase festival packages on November 15 when they book a hotel room at the Hotel Grand Pacific, 1-800-663-7550. In-town attendees must purchase tickets in person starting at 9 a.m. on November 17 at Strath Liquor Merchants. victoriawhiskyfestival.com

5 GREAT GADGETS

The season of entertaining is upon us and that means it’s a good time to stock up on cocktail gear and glassware. Here’s what's on our list right now.

BUCKET LIST

Yeti is known for making coolers that keep ice cold for days. But their Rambler beverage buckets are just as handy. They’re big enough to hold three bottles of wine, with a handle that makes them easy to carry and double-wall vacuum insulation that keeps ice frozen and drinks well chilled. Available in an array of designer-friendly colours. Now that’s, well, cool. Yeti.ca

BETTER BITTERS

love these colourful ones made in Poland for U.S.-based Estelle Colored Glass. The Heritage decanter comes in eye-catching hues like emerald, fuchsia, amethyst and sophisticated grey smoke. The hard part is deciding which one to choose. estellecoloredglass.com

GROOVY GLASSWARE

We could spend hours going down the rabbit hole that is handmade Japanese whisky glassware—it can look crumpled, pleated, etched, organic, geometric, asymmetrical, like nothing you’ve ever seen. The Crumple by Kori Whiskey, for instance, is meant to represent the sea waves off the East Coast of Japan. koriwhiskey.com/en-ca

If you’re going to go to the trouble of making your own bitters, you should put them in a worthy vessel like the Elliott collection glass bitters bottle from Crate & Barrel. It’s etched with an argyle pattern and topped with stainless steel and cork stopper, but what we really love is the elegant vintage shape. crateandbarrel.ca

FIZZ PROTECTOR

A proper champagne stopper like this one from The Cross Décor & Design means you can pour yourself a glass of bubble and not worry about having to finish the bottle. Just snap the stopper on, pop the cava or brut back in the fridge and it will still be fizzy two to three days later. If you can wait that long. thecrossdesign.com

DANDY DECANTERS

We love a decanter, not just for wine, but for serving premixed cocktails, and we especially

A hero’s journey

GOOD THIEF IS A COCKTAIL ODYSSEY ACROSS SOUTHEAST ASIA

by Allie Turner

The rain on the pavement reflects the red, green and orange of the Main Street traffic lights through the floor-to-ceiling windows and into the dim of Good Thief. In the summertime, the windows open completely to blend the divide between inside and out, but on a wet autumn evening, Good Thief beckons the curious and adventurous into its modern yet cozy space, promising not just drinks but a journey through the flavours of Southeast Asia and cutting-edge mixology techniques.

The Good Thief concept is inspired by Nhâ ˙ u, the communal culture of eating and drinking in Vietnam. Guests are greeted with complimentary bar snacks and bartender Kabir Sehgal’s winning smile. Ask him what you should order and he’ll immediately suggest the Six-Inch Yellow, a rectified starfruit and guanabana (soursop) Martini with yellow Chartreuse, salted honey, galangal, pineapple and spicy super foam made with house Thai chili tincture. The refreshing drink is a flavour explosion (we don’t say that lightly) that will make your lips tingle in the best way—but be warned that it may dye your lips and fingers orange.

Owners Amelie and Vincent Nguyê ˜ n envisioned Good Thief as a “rebellious little brother” to their Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant Anh and Chi next door. Under the expert guidance of beverage director Ben Kingstone, the siblings have offered up a mischievous addition to the Mount Pleasant cocktail scene that pushes boundaries and

The spicy, fruity, complex Six-Inch Yellow is an excellent way to start your cocktail journey at Good Thief. Juno Kim photos courtesy of Good Thief

elevates the experience for patrons. Kingstone was given free rein to develop the menu and he brings a playful yet sophisticated approach with a tremendous amount of unseen labour going into each drink.

The menu at Good Thief tells a story, tracing the journey of Trang Quynh, a trickster god sent to Earth to explore the art of cocktails. It’s as much a narrative as it is a drink list. The opening pages detail the backstory: “The gods were preparing a celestial feast to celebrate the union of heaven and earth and they realized

a vital element was missing: the refined art of cocktails,” it reads. “Trang Quynh, renowned for his intellect and love of earthly delights, was sent to earth to explore culture and cocktails. Realizing he knew nothing about cocktails and afraid to let down his fellow gods, Quynh travels through Southeast Asia, where he absorbs regional flavors and techniques from master bartenders.”

At each stop along the way he discovers a unique hero ingredient and innovative technique, which in turn become a drink on the Good Thief menu. For instance, the Hero’s Hành Trình combines ceramics (the hero ingredient and an important cultural export) and amphora aging (a technique) to infuse overproof rum with red clay, giving the overall drink a note of minerality.

“Everyone can relate to feeling over their head,” says Kingstone of the concept, which he feels lends itself to infinite creative possibilities. Kingstone lives to push the boundaries of what cocktail ingredients can do so the storytelling concept isn’t just decorative; it invites guests to engage with their drinks on a deeper level.

When Good Thief was in development, Kingstone approached Vincent to tell him he planned to create a pho cocktail. “He said every bar manager has tried,” Kingston recalls, waving Sehgal over to make the must-try drink. “The OG!” says Sehgal knowingly.

Pho Dac Biet, was born out of the origin story of Anh and Chi. The cocktail features phospiced, fat-washed bourbon made using Anh and Chi’s aromatic stock, a recipe passed down from Amelie and Vincent’s parents, Hoàng and Lý Nguyen, who arrived in Canada as refugees from Vietnam in 1980 and opened Pho Hoàng, the first and longest-standing pho specialty house in Vancouver.

The process of infusing bourbon with pho flavours captures the essence of the bar’s

mission: to create drinks that resonate with culture and memory. The resulting drink is comforting and lightly sweet thanks to the Anh and Chi rice noodles that are prepared sous vide with amylase (the enzyme that breaks starch into sugar) and mixed with toasted milk powder to create a milk punch that’s then clarified to create a clear, complex sipper. “It’s the cocktail I’m most proud of in my career,” says Kingstone.

The single ice cube in the glass is ridged with a tri-pattern design that is also present on the sign welcoming you to Good Thief and on the metal grate that divides the marble bar between patrons and bartenders. Each drink is served in its own unique glassware, ensuring no two cocktails look alike. But the tri-pattern ties them all together to mirror the diversity, esthetic and ethos of Good Thief: to create a space that balances Instagram-worthy moments with authentic, refined artistry.

“The way that we’ve designed the space and the program lends itself to be technique driven,” says Kingstone. “It’s a cool environment to let our team showcase what they’re passionate about to anyone who walks in.”

Good Thief is at once cozy and chic, a welcoming new cocktail destination on Main Street.

SPIRITED GIFT GUIDE

OKANAGAN SPIRITS CRAFT DISTILLERY

COCKTAIL COLLECTION BOX SET

3 x 375 ml, $100

Three premium readyto-drink cocktails. All natural. 100% BC.

The Manhattan Project – The perfect Manhattan, every time. 36% ABV.

The Flying Fortress – a play on the Old Fashioned like you’ve never tasted. 38% ABV.

The Orchard Negroni – 100% Elegant Craft. The way it should be. 36% ABV.

Shipped direct to your door from our online store at www.oks.ca

DRIFTWOOD SPIRITS

“GIN BASKET” GIFT PACK

46% ABV, 2 x 375 ml

Dive into a flavour experience with the Driftwood Spirits "Gin Basket" 2-Pack.

Sitting at two distinct spots on the flavour wheel: individually explore the delicate floral bouquet of Parabola, and the bright citrus notes of Contact. Contact Gin: Bright, citrus-forward and refreshing.

Parabola Gin: Complex, floral and smooth

Enjoy Driftwood Spirits gins neat, or on the rocks, with a splash of soda, or in your favourite modern cocktails!

Available at Legacy Liquor Store (legacyliquorstore.com) and driftwoodspirits.ca

STEALTH CRAFT DISTILLERS

ESPRESSO VODKA

40% ABV, $25.97 (750 ml)

Our Espresso Vodka is made from local organic wheat and 100% Arabica coffee, with no flavouring, additives or sweetener added. It's delicious on the rocks or as an Espresso Martini.

Currently available directly from the distillery while being introduced to our 150 private liquor store clients throughout B.C.

stealthcraftdistillers.com

COPPER SPIRIT DISTILLERY

VERITY RYE SPIRIT

40% ABV, $55 (750 ml)

Our unaged rye spirit is an aromatic and flavourful expression made with 100% organic B.C. rye grain. A perfect gift for the curious spirits collector.

World's Best Grain Spirit (2024)

“Cleanly distilled with a fine grain character that is both complex and enticing. Berries with a touch of stone fruit join on the palate, along with a little amaretto nuttiness. A lovely, balanced digestif.”

MOON DISTILLING CO.

THE SHAFT

30% ABV, $40 (750ml)

Victoria's original late night cocktail.

We blended our gold medal winning Vodka with fresh pulled espresso, cacao nibs, vanilla and almonds.

Enjoy it neat or over ice with equal parts cream.

BUY BC-certified and made from 100% Vancouver Island-grown barley and wheat

Available at our distillery, select private liquor stores, and at copperspirit.ca

SHELTER POINT DISTILLERY

SINGLE MALT WHISKY

46% ABV, $78.25 (750 ml)

Winner of Double Gold at the 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, our Single Malt Whisky is a classic expression benefiting from our coastal location and terroir. Aged in a selection of different casks the Single Malt shows a balanced yet complex palette with the sweet leathery mouthfeel of a high-quality single malt.

Available at shelterpoint.ca

Available Canada-wide at MoonDistillery.ca and select private liquor stores in B.C.

COPPERPENNY DISTILLING

FIGGY PUDDIN’ SPICED LIQUEUR

34% ABV, from $55 (750 ml)

Get the perfect accompaniment for the whisky lover on your list. From the makers of Vancouver’s No. 005 Social Gin, this new liqueur helps create the perfect ‘Not so Old Fashioned’ cocktail, adds a hint of Christmas joy to your melted brie cheese, and spices up a fireside eggnog. Sure to impress any cellar dweller.

Available at our bespoke 50-seat North Shore distillery cocktail bar, select liquor stores, or get next day shipping at copperpennydistilling.com

Nikka Whisky upholds the rich heritage established by Masataka Taketsuru, the father of Japanese whisky, by carrying on his pioneering spirit and commitment to craft.

A tasteful journey with Nikka Whisky

SAVOURING NINE DECADES OF HISTORY

Celebrating 90 years of craftsmanship, Nikka Whisky offers a diverse range of whiskies. Gather your friends, raise a glass and enjoy the unexpected journey of taste and discovery that awaits.

Ispent 25 years in the hospitality business and during this time, I had the opportunity to taste thousands of wines from many different countries. Tasting so many styles and varieties allowed me to decipher nuances of quality in every type of wine. It was those years of tasting experience that worked in my favour when I was introduced to Japanese whisky for the very first time.

My curiosity was piqued in 2009 when I attended yet another wine event put on by my friend Pascal from Montreal. Mixed into this wine event was a table with Japanese whisky. I was intrigued, but didn’t expect much to come out of this. After all, what is Japanese

whisky? I’d never heard of whisky coming out of Japan and I’d been in the hospitality business for 25 years. I thought I'd be polite and at least taste it.

The young woman at the table was Geraldine Landier, export director from La Maison du Whisky in Paris. Well, that sounded impressive, so let’s see what she has for me. She spoke about the whisky and the story behind the product, but I was more interested in tasting the whisky than talking about it. The first whisky she poured for me was Nikka From the Barrel. I smelled the whisky and my senses perked. I smelled it a second time and my intrigue was triggered much more than I

had expected. My mind said, “Wow.” I tasted the whisky and I’d never tasted anything like this before. My senses were in overdrive, but I needed to keep calm and collected. I wrote my notes. I was excited, but still reserved.

The next whisky was the Miyagikyo 12 Year Old. I nosed it and again the incredible aromas of red fruits and malt invaded my senses without mercy. I absolutely had to taste this

whisky. The wow factor was no longer a wow but reality. This whisky was even better than the first. Is that possible? Something special was happening here and it was getting scary.

The third dram was Yoichi 10 Year Old. I nosed it and I couldn’t believe what I was experiencing at this table. It was a revelation and a sensory overload. The amazing aromas of ripe fruits, spices and smoke complemented by refined power, balance and deep complexity. These whiskies spoke of identity and a sense of place. I was overwhelmed by the consistent quality of these whiskies. I had stumbled upon something special. Nikka Whisky filled my soul and I was determined to make everyone discover and experience what I had experienced that first day I tasted their whiskies.

I now appreciate the fascinating story of Japanese whisky, which began with a courageous and dedicated young man, Masataka Taketsuru, who made the arduous trip to Scotland and became the very first Japanese person ever to learn the art of making whisky from the Scotch masters of that time. He brought this knowledge back to Japan and became known as the father of Japanese whisky. He opened the first Nikka distillery in 1934 in Yoichi and this year marks Nikka’s 90th anniversary. Congratulations!

We are very proud to have brought Nikka into Western Canada and share our excitement with all the Nikka fans out there. We have to thank all the enthusiasts, retailers and bars/restaurants that have given Nikka an important presence here. I’m happy to know that many whisky fans share the same excitement and interest in Nikka Whisky as I do. I did not lie when I said, “Wow.”

Kampai!

Natino Bellantoni, President, Enoteca Bacco

Natino Bellantoni, president and founder of Enoteca Bacco Importers, savouring a fine dram.

The crowning glory of 90 years of Nikka Whisky, The Nikka Nine Decades is a blend of whiskies from six distilleries dating back to the 1940s.

At the top of World Class

NOW A FOUR-TIME GLOBAL WINNER, CANADA PREPARES TO HOST THE BIG EVENT

As Canadians, we don’t like to boast, but even so, Michael Armistead can’t help but be a little bit pleased.

A Canadian bartender, Keegan McGregor of Halifax’s Highwaymen Restaurant & Bar, has just won the World Class Global Bartender of the Year 2024 competition in Shanghai. That’s the fourth time Canada has won the planet’s biggest and most prestigious cocktail competition since this country started competing in 2013.

“It’s very exciting, yeah,” says Armistead, who oversees the World Class Canada Bartending Competition as the National Onpremise, Reserve and Sponsorship Manager at Diageo Canada. “Canada is the best performing country in the competition. We’ve got back-to-back wins in 2023 and 2024. That’s never happened before. And we’ve won three of the last four years.”

That alone would be cause for excitement and some modest self-congratulation. But

World Class Global bartender of the Year 2024, Keegan McGregor of Halifax (second from left), is flanked by Canada's other global winners: Kaitlyn Stewart, James Grant and Jacob Martin.

Photos courtesy of World Class Canada

even more thrillingly, in 2025, Armistead will see a long-held dream become reality: The global finals will be coming to Canada sometime late next summer.

“It’s going to be big,” he says.

Not just a competition, the World Class Global Final, sponsored by Diageo and its reserve brands (including Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky, Don Julio tequila, Tanqueray No. Ten Gin and Ketel One Vodka) since 2009, will be a full-on cocktail festival held all across the city of Toronto. In Shanghai, Armistead points out, there were over 100 events. He envisions something similar in Toronto, with seminars, parties, pop-ups, guest shifts and all sorts of activations at venues across the city, in addition to the challenges for the competing bartenders.

“It’s going to be all about the city, experiencing the city,” he says. “The key for me is to introduce the rest of the world to Canada and Toronto and the bartending community here. It’s going to be a citywide experience. It’s going to be a national experience if all plays out the way we want it to.”

A big part of the plan is to attract the attention of the world’s star bartenders, renowned judges, big publications and prestigious competitions like World’s 50 Best.

“We want to shine a spotlight on Canada and the bartending community,” he says. “It’s time that Canada got recognized for the really great venues that we have. We’re excited to welcome the world.”

But first, McGregor gets to enjoy the title of Global Bartender of the Year, joining his

Diageo's starring lineup of reserve brands is at the heart of World Class competition. From left: Tanqueray No. Ten, Bulleit, Ron Zacapa, Singleton, Johnnie Walker, Ketel One Vodka, Don Julio and Cîroc.

fellow Canadian winners Kaitlyn Stewart (2017), James Grant (2021) and Jacob Martin (2023). They are all now judges and ambassadors for the competition.

Meanwhile, the next round of World Class Canada starts in earnest this fall. This is more than a competition, Armistead points out. World Class Canada is a uniting platform that connects bartenders coast to coast. And the scale of it is huge — there are studios and events planned from Halifax to Victoria, culminating in two regional finals (one in the east and one in the west), the national final next spring and the Global Final in Toronto next summer.

Armistead says to expect plenty of updates over the next 10 months, with some big announcements coming soon.

“The scale of it is so big,” he says. “I think it’s a great thing for the whole industry, whether it’s brands or bars or bartenders.”

Bespoke bottles

HOW RESTAURANTS AND BARS COLLABORATE WITH CRAFT DISTILLERS TO CREATE CUSTOM SIPS

by Charlene Rooke

The Banda Volpi amaro was created in partnership with Arbutus Distillery. Ian Lanterman photo

Vancouver

hotspots like Osteria

Elio Volpe and Caffè La Tana are authentically Italian, down to the tomatoes in the sugo. Yet your after-dinner limoncello might come from Esquimalt and your dark, bitter amaro from Nanaimo. The Banda Volpi restaurant group collaborates with B.C. distillers to create bespoke bottlings for its restaurants, and its “passion for creating and growing with our community is reflected in every bottle,” says group cofounder Paul Grundberg.

Group beverage director Amar Gill worked closely with Arbutus Distillery’s Michael Pizzitelli, “testing and making adjustments to sugar levels, flavour profiles and bitterness in order to achieve our vision of the amaro.” It’s flavoured with orange, vanilla and coffee to pair with signature desserts at each restaurant, and with Caffè La Tana’s renowned brews.

For a Sicilian-style limoncello, Gill partnered with Esquimalt Vermouth & Apéritifs, combining honey and almond notes with fig leaves from Michela and Quinn Palmer’s property. The award-winning makers are

WE BELIEVE UNIQUE COLLABORATIONS

WITH LOCAL PRODUCERS AND INGREDIENTS CREATE A DEEPER CONNECTION WITH OUR GUESTS, STAFF AND OUR COMMUNITY.

“the perfect partner to create a fun, seasonal and completely out-of-the-box limoncello,” says Gill, who notices that even customers unfamiliar with the digestivo tradition are “blown away” by the bespoke Banda Volpi bottlings. That’s the goal, he says. “We believe unique collaborations with local producers and ingredients create a deeper connection with our guests, staff and our community.”

Hospitality collabs with distillers can boost awareness and revenues for craft spirt brands, while creating unique local tastes for restaurants and bars. One of the first things award-winning bartender James Grant did, after becoming director of mixology at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto, is collaborate with Dillon’s Small Batch Distillers on custom Quill Gin and Vodka bottlings. Quill Gin “brings exactly the flavour profile, proof and texture we want our signature Birdbath Martini to have. It stands up to dilution, maintains a powerful botanical profile, and just works so perfectly,” says Grant. His team specified an ABV range “and some principal flavour and aroma notes we wanted,” with the Dillon’s team bringing the expertise on “blending botanicals, but also balancing them within different spirit bases and ABV distillates to different effect.”

For the bright, Sicilian-style limoncello, the Banda Volpi team worked with the team at Esquimalt Vermouth & Apéritifs. Hakan Burcuoglu photo

At the Pacific Northwest-focused Courtney Room in Victoria, bar lead Anton Wilson sought a like-minded collaborator in Stillhead Distillery founder Brennan Colebank. Together, they created The Courtney Room Bartenders Cask, a whisky bottling so bespoke it echoes the bar’s address (619 Courtney Street) in its overproof strength of 61.9 per cent ABV.

Wilson and colleague Eric Josephs visited the Duncan distillery, tasted from an array of whisky casks and “after a couple of weeks of blending, blind tasting and gathering opinions, we finally decided on our blend,” Wilson says. Island-grown rye whisky aged in Vancouver Island red wine barrels was blended with B.C. corn and malt whisky aged in ex-bourbon barrels, and finished in fresh Hungarian oak.

It’s a spicy sipper over ice, and punches through as a versatile “bou-rye” for many cocktails. Wilson uses it in an Old Fashionedish Maple Bay, with Canadian maple water. Half-size bottles sold out quickly to hotel guests, and bar visitors love the story of the whisky’s creation. Also adding to the hype:

FAR LEFT: Fairmont Royal York beverage director James Grant worked with Dillon's Small Batch Distillers to create the custom Quill Gin for the Birdbath Martini. Rick O'Brien photo

LEFT: In Victoria, The Courtney Room bar lead Anton Wilson collaborated with Stillhead Distillery founder Brennan Colebank on this cask whisky.

“This is a limited release whisky, so once it's gone, it’s gone for good!” Wilson says. “Until batch #2 is made, that is.”

Stillhead’s Colebank was already running a flourishing private-cask program when he was approached by Victoria’s Wind Cries Mary and Clive’s Classic Lounge for custom spirits.

“Your hard work pays off when a bar commits to buying a whole cask of something you’ve made,” says Colebank, who counts The Courtney Room as his “special occasion” spot of choice. “We have a lot in common, the bartenders really understand flavour, and I can send customers there knowing they’ll have a 10-out-of-10 experience. I was happy to partner with them.”

It also helps Stillhead attract new fans. “I get people who have had such a great time at The Courtney Room making a pilgrimage up to Duncan to visit us,” says Colebank. “For other visitors, it’s a nice conversation to ask if they’re going to Victoria, and to send them to The Courtney Room to try a special cocktail.”

Maximalist drinking

THE MOST FASHIONABLE COCKTAILS

PROVE THAT MORE IS MORE

by Kate Dingwall

At Minami in Toronto, cocktails like the Buena Vista are served with presentation as luxe as the ingredients. Photo courtesy of Minami

Something has shifted in drinks lately. Indulgence and excess have been the operative trends, shown off in drinks that are over-the-top, party-starting and a little bit naughty.

Martinis, icy, high-ABV and garnished with an olive, are on every cocktail menu in the country. They’re unavoidable on Instagram—perched in influencers’ hands like a new Fendi bag.

Espresso Martinis have also made a comeback, as have hard-partying ’80s drinks like Cosmopolitans, Lychee Martinis and Long Island Iced Teas. Drinks are purple, blue, pink, lit aflame or served in an ostentatious vessel. Oh, and caviar is on everything.

In 2024? The hottest drinks have offered the biggest vibes.

CAVIAR DREAMS

This new lean into maximalism is playing out in a manner of ways. At the justopened General Public in Toronto—Jen Agg’s newest restaurant—guests can start off their meal with a shot and a bump (that’s a shooter of Champagne and a spoonful of caviar). At Martiny’s in New York, caviar “bumps” are served on wooden mannequin hands. Don Alfonso 1890 in Toronto has a Martini with four different caviars served alongside it—lush.

Civil Works, a just-opened bar by the guys behind Civil Liberties, has a Martini menu

At Toronto's Hong Shing, bottle service comes complete with dragon dancers. Photo courtesy of Hong Shing

(The Executive Lunch) and a gin fountain behind the bar. Hosting a party at stalwart Chinese restaurant Hong Shing? Your guests can sip baijiu Piña Coladas from fountains or a three-litre cocktail tower. Alternatively, you can order bottle service, but be warned it’ll be ushered out via a Chinese dragon parade.

“The guests come in not really expecting anything—it’s a 27-year-old Chinese restaurant,” says owner Colin Li. “But the cocktails are balanced and well thought out, and customers are ecstatic that they are able to indulge in a pretty unique experience.”

1 Hotel Toronto likes to show off by lighting drinks like the Solstice (Tromba tequila blanco, Grand Marnier, tri-pepper juice, passionfruit) ablaze tableside.

THE COCKTAILS ARE BALANCED AND WELL THOUGHT OUT, AND CUSTOMERS ARE ECSTATIC THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO INDULGE IN A PRETTY UNIQUE EXPERIENCE.

At Vancouver's new Prophecy, the Washoku cocktail features Wagyu-tallow-washed Japanese whisky and is served with a side of seared steak. SMC Communications photo

Beverage director Clement Bondois finds they’re a popular party starter. “It’s the perfect way to kick an evening off,” he says.

Other venues lean into indulgence via ingredients. At Aburi Restaurants Canada (including Miku and Minami in Toronto and Vancouver), regional beverage director Nick Meyer amps up the appeal by slipping truffles and other elegant ingredients into his beverage program. To pair with a recent Wagyu black truffle feature on the food menu? A cocktail made with scotch, Don Julio 1942, lemon oil and black truffle.

The brand-new Prophecy in Vancouver offers a $150 Cavalier Martini, a luxury sip highlighting high-end vodka and chive

SOMETIMES TOO MUCH IS JUST ENOUGH.

and white pepper distillate that’s served tableside alongside a tin of caviar.

Beverage director Jeff Savage also serves drinks like the Northern Lights, a concoction of gin and Labrador tea served in a glowing glass cloche with aromatic fog, and the Washoku, high-end Japanese whisky washed with A5 Wagyu tallow, mixed with a distillate of seared steak, shiitake and black garlic, and amped up with peated scotch. On the side? Skewers of A5 Wagyu. “Sometimes too much is just enough,” says Savage.

RETURN OF THE ROARING ’20S

What’s with our sudden need to go big or go home?

“I mean, look at the last couple years we’ve gone through—we’ve kind of been dealt a rough hand,” says Savage. “Lockdowns, restrictions, unrest and a global pandemic have reminded people that life is to be enjoyed and joy is to be shared. Look at what happened after the Spanish flu of the 20th century. The Roaring ’20s came immediately after.”

People are craving drinks that put a smile on your face; drinks that pep up a party and cater to a crowd.

“Many restaurants are booked full and most nightclubs are pretty occupied throughout the weekends,” says Li. “The drinking vibe in Toronto is at an all-time high.”

“Our clubs, like Paris Texas, are so full every night it’s unbelievable,” says James Peden, director of operations and

WE HAVE SOME PRETTY GREY, COLD WINTERS, SO WHEN THE SUN COMES OUT AND IT'S TIME TO GET OUTSIDE, WE REALLY LET OUR PARTY ENERGY SHINE.

sommelier at Liberty Entertainment Group (including Danico, Don Alfonso 1890 and Blue Blood Steakhouse).

Meyer blames Canada’s generally glum weather for our need for revelry. “We have some pretty grey, cold winters, so when the sun comes out and it's time to get outside, we really let our party energy shine,” he says. “On the flip side, when it is winter, we look for those experiences to take our minds off of it.”

Raimey Bristowe, resident bartender at Lucie, an elegant French restaurant in Toronto’s financial district, thinks social media is helping spark a wave of

LEFT: At Lucie, a French restaurant in Toronto, cocktails are as Instagrammable as they are delicious. Photo courtesy of Lucie

TOP: At 1 Hotel Toronto, bartenders like to set cocktails like the tequila- based Solstice aflame tableside. JP Pav photo

maximalist drinks. People see a cocktail tower or a flaming drink and get on board (even if it’s just for the ’gram).

“Social media plays a major role in how we view each other,” Bristowe says. “Creating a party image or energy translates so much more when people are posting about their experience. Everyone wants to show what they’re doing is simply the best and nothing says that more than showing yourself immersed in a lively, party-like atmosphere. Social media sells. The hospitality industry has understood this and is creating the vibe to make it happen.”

TODAY'S GUESTS ALWAYS DRINK WITH THEIR EYES AND PHONES FIRST.

year—non-alcoholic drinks like Barbet, Proxies and Nonny are selling well yearround, and celebrities are making nonalcoholic drinks cool.

If we’re in the midst of a zero-proof renaissance, what’s with all the Martinis?

The thing is, over-the-top drinking doesn’t need to equate to excessive alcohol consumption. Hong Shing offers their fountains in zero-proof options for abstainer or designated drivers. 1 Hotel has a series of thoughtful non-alcoholic cocktails, as will any Canadian bar worth its weight.

Peden agrees. “Today's guests always drink with their eyes and phones first,” he says. “It’s helpful to us from a marketing perspective—visually stunning cocktails are frequently photographed and shared on social media. And from a financial standpoint, it means guests are also willing to pay more for a premium product.”

MORE THAN THE ABV

But what about the no-alcohol movement? The sober-curious boom? New nonalcoholic bottle shops and bars have been popping up across the country as Canadians are increasingly considering their relationship with alcohol. Sober October and Dry January are more popular than ever, and these sensibilities now seem to extend to the rest of the

“I think people are leaning into drinking less volume, but focusing on higher quality,” Savage says. “If Prophecy is a place that people only come to for alcohol, then we are missing the mark. Vibe, community, music, artwork and craft are all things that we can offer regardless of whether your drink has alcohol in it or not.”

Mauricio Gonzalez, resident bartender at Ficoa (a tasting menu-focused restaurant on College Street in Toronto, which offers a creative cocktail pairing) agrees. He finds that guests are more interested in spending their money on one or two great cocktails than “getting more value for your buck through cheap booze in higher quantities.”

Canada is also in the midst of a cost-ofliving crisis—a showy, over-the-top drink makes your money go further than a few G&Ts. If you can only afford a drink or two, why not get a drink?

At Prophecy, the $150 Cavalier Martini is served with a tin of caviar alongside. SMC Communications photo

We know when to shake and when to stir

The happiest of times

AFTERNOON, BRUNCH, LATE NIGHT— WHY IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY HOUR IS HAPPY HOUR

by Christine Sismondo

It’s happy hour somewhere? These days, it feels a lot more like happy hour is everywhere, especially in Vancouver.

Hard to believe that, just a little over a decade ago, discounted day-drinking was still illegal in British Columbia, the only province in Canada that still maintained seemingly arcane regulations that banned these happiest of times. That changed in the summer of 2014, when B.C.’s liquor laws were revised to loosen up or eliminate a number of restrictions that prohibited things like alcohol sales at farmer’s

markets and, of course, bars and restaurants offering time-specific drink specials.

Many lost no time offering deals on cocktails, wine and spirits. The Donnelly Group (now the Freehouse Collective), which immediately started offering $3 beers, wines and highballs from 3 to 6 p.m. as part of its new promotion, Happy Hour Prohibition is Over. Another notable early adopter was Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House, which launched a buck-a-shuck and $5 drinks program that would evolve into a local institution that’s still thriving 10 years later.

IF YOU DON’T HAVE A GOOD HAPPY HOUR, IT’S KIND OF LIKE, ‘WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?’

Despite the demonstrable enthusiasm in some spots, happy hour wasn’t an overnight success when the laws first changed in 2014. As part of the change, the province also implemented minimum pricing laws (there was a $3 floor), which meant prices actually went up at a few bars. Other bars didn’t want to wade into the “cheap drinks” universe for fear that it might tarnish their image.

A decade later, these concerns no longer exist. Not only is happy hour ubiquitous, it’s stylish.

“When I moved back here a few years ago, it was pretty basic, like people selling a house wine or rail liquor at a cheaper price and that’s it,” says Tabytha Towe, who works at Brix & Mortar in Vancouver’s Yaletown. “Now, it’s really elevated and kind of competitive and a lot of places have a whole separate menu with special cocktails and snacks. If you don’t have a good happy hour, it’s kind of like, ‘What the hell are you doing?’ ”

Modern day-drinking includes everything from washing down buttermilk-fried chicken with a $10-ish cocktail at Nightingale (3 to 5 p.m.) to enjoying free tapas at the bar at Como Taperia with any drink purchase, including the only excellent three-ounce pour of house vermouth for $8. Pinch me. Wait, this is real life? In that case, I’ll have another pintxo and a fresh glass of vermut, please.

Best of all, happiness is no longer on a strict afternoon schedule. Bar Corso on Commercial Drive offers all-day happy hour Negronis on Tuesdays, West Van’s Beach

If it's Tuesday, it must mean deals on Negronis at Bar Corso in Vancouver's Little Italy. Facebook.com/barcorsovancouver photo

House has a weekend brunch happy hour for early birds (10 to 11 a.m.) and there’s no shortage of late-night happy hours, from Bodega on Main to some Earls outlets, which offer a range of drinks, starting at $5 well highballs, Sunday to Thursday, 9 pm to close.

A NATIONAL MOMENT

Vancouver has finally found its happy hour groove. It’s hardly alone, though, since happy hour is having a moment across Canada. From fancy cocktail bars that used to pride themselves on a single menu (or no menu at all) to wine bars with half-price bottles, everyone is launching creative promotions and special treats to lure people in on slow days and off-hours.

Why has it suddenly taken off? (Not that we’re complaining!) At the end of the day, the reason happy hour is everywhere has everything to do with the fact that many of

At Toronto's Bar Mordecai, happy hour comes with a side of “value-added programming.” Instagram.com/barmordecai photo

Canada’s bars are still reeling from the pandemic. And not only is business slower, the flow is wildly unpredictable.

“When I used to work in the financial district, you were full at 5:15,” says Christina Veira, part-owner of Toronto’s Bar Mordecai. “With remote and hybrid work, that’s not happening there anymore.”

As we all know, the office towers downtown are pretty much empty. In addition, though, anyone who has the flexibility to do so is personalizing their hours, which makes it harder for people in the food and beverage industry to predict “rush” hour, whether it’s in the downtown core or in mixed commercial residential hoods like Little Portugal, which Bar Mordecai calls home.

“I haven’t been able to figure out when people are working in any meaningful

way,” says Veira. “I’m like, ‘Are you working remotely?’ ‘When do you stop work?’ ‘When are you going out?’ ‘What does this all look like?’ ”

To deal with this problem, Bar Mordecai was well ahead of the curve when it came to offering what we’re going to call “valueadded programming”—charity bingo nights, all-you-can-eat spaghetti nights (with discounted Prosecco) and, of course, an excellent happy hour from 6 to 8 p.m. Every day. Even Fridays and Saturdays when the bar is usually full, with or without drink specials.

“We started doing the happy hour after the Omicron lockdown and I remember it being very popular,” recalls Veira. “I think it was partly because we had deals on cocktails that weren’t on our regular menu. And they were true deals.”

One early menu included Negronis for $9 and a deal on oysters, which helped to buffer them while coming out of what she calls “arguably the fourth lockdown” and into mid-winter, a season that, historically, has low sales. Since it was a success, they’re still running happy hour, as well as all the other special promos. “People are more budget conscious, and rightfully so,” she says. “Because for everyone who saved money because of the lockdown, there’s another person who had the very opposite experience.”

ADDED BENEFITS

In addition to bringing in people who want to splash out a little and not break the bank, Veira has found happy hour is a great way to train new staff on classic cocktails, test out new cocktails and get feedback from guests. She says it also brings in a wider range of people and makes Mordecai a little more accessible to folks who feel like they can’t

afford to go out as much as they used to. Best of all, though, happy hour is a way to manage the traffic flow and impose a little structure in this brave new world of freefloating schedules.

“At the end of the day, late night is almost always busy, but if we can have a busier early night, that helps cover costs and is better for us overall,” she says.

According to conventional restaurant wisdom, the most expensive thing in any bar or restaurant is an empty seat. And full rooms have other dividends, too, because people are drawn to busy places.

“One thing that’s great about our happy hour is that, when people come in for dinner resos, the room already has a vibe,” says Towe about the promo at Brix & Mortar. “You're not walking into an empty place.”

Happy hour is one of those rare things in life that seems to be a win for everyone. The only real mystery is why it took so long for bar managers and owners to catch on. It’s finally happy hour everywhere and, from the looks of it, this institution isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

FIND YOUR HAPPY PLACE

Looking for a happy hour? The website ultimatehappyhours.com, created by Victoriabased digital marketer Jordan Caron, is an easily searchable database of happy hours in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Nova Scotia, complete with time, food and drink specials, and everything else you need to know.

HOW TO GET HAPPY by The Alchemist Staff

Whether you work in a bar or are hosting friends at your home, here are the things to keep in mind when planning a happy hour.

• Make it quick. Set a time limit—two to three hours is plenty.

• Make it easy. People want their drinks fast, so this is not the time for anything complicated, especially if you’ve got a full house. Consider pre-batched or on-tap cocktails.

• Make it approachable. Think highballs and classics such as Negronis, Martinis, Manhattans and G&Ts. .

• Make it fun. “Happy,” after all, is in the name.

• If you run the cocktail program at a bar or restaurant, make it lucrative. Happy hour drinks should be relatively low effort and low cost for high return.

One good way to make happy hour your own is by putting a light twist on a popular classic. For instance, you can add a lively lick of heat to a Paloma or Margarita by replacing regular tequila with the chili-infused variation below.

CHILI-INFUSED TEQUILA

1 (750 mL) bottle blanco tequila, preferably good quality but not too expensive

3 medium-sized fresh chili peppers, washed, seeded and sliced (see note)

Pour the tequila into a sealable, litre-sized glass jar and add the sliced chili peppers. Seal and store in a cool, dark place for at least 24 hours and up to three weeks, shaking and tasting occasionally. When it reaches your ideal flavour, strain out the chilies and transfer tequila to a clean glass bottle. Will keep for at least a month. Makes about 3 cups.

Note: You can use almost any kind of chili pepper you like, depending on how much heat you want. Use jalapeño peppers for mild heat; serrano peppers for mid-level heat; habaneros for high heat; or ghost peppers for sizzling hot spice. You can also use dried chilis, such as smoky chipotles, though they may take longer to impart their flavour.

BreathtakingBanff

NOT JUST A PRETTY PLACE, THE MOUNTAIN TOWN IS ALSO A COCKTAIL HAVEN

by Alexandra Gill

Visit the majestic Rundle Bar for the quintessential Banff experience. Photo courtesy of Rundle Bar

Banff is world renowned for its majestic mountains, glacier-fed lakes and natural splendour. The town’s food and drink scene has long been trapped by those tall shadows—until recently. From cozy izakayas to groovy karaoke bars, Canada’s mostvisited national park boasts a cool cocktail scene that’s on the rise.

RUNDLE BAR

The grande dame of the Banff cocktail scene is a lobby bar—with distinctions. When the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel, a.k.a. The Castle in the Rockies, was renovated in the late 1990s, the original lobby was moved to the other side of the building, making way for the Rundle

Bar. The majestic, two-storey lounge is appointed with a grand staircase, glass atrium, intimate nooks including a plush speakeasy hidden behind a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf and an expansive patio recently named Canada’s best by Canada’s 50 Best Bars. If you can tear yourself away from the jaw-dropping views, the drinks are equally impressive. Creative Director of Beverage Sam Clark, a three-time Diageo World Class Canada top three finalist, works closely with local distilleries. The signature drinks are all expertly crafted, but the Wild Flower, a citrusy Martini made with butterfly pea flower-infused house gin, makes an exquisite opening sip.

BLUEBIRD WOOD-FIRED STEAKHOUSE

With its crackling fireplace, heady whiffs of smoke and vaulted ceilings, this is the comfy embodiment of your mid-century, Alpine-chalet dreams. Slow-roasted prime

LEFT: Sharing a fondue alongside tropical cocktails at the Bluebird Steakhouse is a must.

TOP: Japanese-inspired cocktails like the Matcha Colada are on the menu at Hello Sunshine.

rib is the right move any time of day (on brioche for breakfast and dipped in fondue at happy hour). In the luxe, retrochic lounge, cocktails (oddly) lean fruity and tropical, which seems to be a trend across town. Sink into a more appropriate Mad Men-esque classic with a clarified New York Sour or a warming Old Fashioned featuring a house bourbon blend.

SHOKU IZAKAYA

Irrasshaimase! Before settling in Banff, chef Stephane Prevost (Block Kitchen + Bar) spent six years in Tokyo, where he fell in love with the convivial energy of its casual, after-work izakayas. When creating his own, he kept it traditional. The downtown pub is dark and cozy, with charred yakisugi walls and an undulating beam ceiling. A cheerfully priced snacking menu runs the gamut from yakitori to tataki. It all goes down swell with hardto-find sakes (including one on tap) and creative Japanese-inspired cocktails like the sesame-washed-bourbon Seedy Fashioned.

The Park Distillery Sawback is made with pineapple, lime, triple sec, agave nectar and a chili vodka from local Park Distillery. Photos courtesy of Banff Collective.

HELLO SUNSHINE

As groovy as the name suggests, this retro-chic karaoke bar channels a 1970s ski lodge with communal fire tables, wood panelling and orange accents galore. Pull up to the long sushi bar or reserve the six-seat Tiny Bar in the back for the new four-course omakase experience. Pair it all with a full range of Japanese tipples that include sake flights, creamy coconut-matcha coladas and an original twist on the town’s unofficial drink—the ubiquitous hard-coffee Shaft, available here on tap with a chocolate-sake bomb.

SKY BISTRO

A bucket-list peak experience, the transcendent journey to Sky Bistro begins with a stunning eight-minute gondola ride to the top of Sulphur Mountain. At the summit, work up a thirst by exploring the boardwalk trails and taking in the sweeping views of six mountain ranges.

Retreat to the glass-walled bistro, also known as The Sanctuary in the Sky, to unwind with a taste of local spirits on the near horizon: a Mountain Mule with Trail Blazer Vodka from Calgary’s Eau Claire Distillery or an Alpine Martini stirred with Rundle Gin from Wild Life Distillery in Canmore.

PARK DISTILLERY

Canada’s only working distillery located inside a national park, this backcountry lodge-inspired lair is where the smallbatch, glacier-to-glass, toast-of-Banff spirits are born. Take a tour, book a blend-yourown gin experience or sidle up to the log-lined central bar for a rare dram of the latest release in the limited-edition Exploratory Whisky series, all made with 100 per cent Alberta rye. Tip: The bottled barrel-aged Negroni blended with hand-picked spruce tip gin makes a great souvenir.

TOP: Cocktails with a spectacular view at Sky Bistro. Photo courtesy of Banff Lake Louise Tourism.

RIGHT:

Lupo serves up a taste of Italy in the mountains, including an excellent Negroni. Photo courtesy of Banff Collective.

AÑEJO RESTAURANT

It’s always tequila time at the local offshoot of the Calgary-based Añejo, known for its authentic Mexican food and drink. Boasting a massive selection of tequila and mezcal, Añejo’s deep back bar also includes cristalino, raicilla, sotol and other up-and-coming curiosities. Go for the Patrón Perfect or Mezcalarita with a grasshopper salt rim.

LUPO

Bringing that Italian marketplace magic to the mountains, this second-storey trattoria in the heart of town has an airy Eataly vibe with its open kitchen and central antipasti station. The cocktail card is bright with Mediterranean spritzes and bitter sippers. The complex Sicilian Sour mixes Park Flora & Fauna Gin with amaro, orange liqueur, fennel, fig and hibiscus.

An inspired spirit-free selection includes the Naples Negroni with house-made, nonalcoholic red aperitivo. Snag a catbird seat by the window to watch the passeggiata stroll by.

BANFF LEGION

If you want to spot locals in the wild, head straight to the Royal Canadian Legion #26, Colonel Moore Branch. It boasts great views with its outdoor patio on the banks of the Bow River. And culture: This is where the Opera Pub originated, before the rousing evening of beer-fuelled arias and ensembles was transported to Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver. Then, of course, there are all the usual meat draws, bingo nights and cheap drinks ($6 double Margs on tap every Wednesday) that make Legion-hopping a great Canadian pastime.

Gran Reserva has everything you need and more!

● Private or semi-private spaces with a separate entrance

● 3 private restrooms, convenient street parking, and free Wi-Fi

● DJ booth, built-in audio system, and acoustic enhancements

● Ideal for birthdays, holiday parties, corporate events, weddings, brunches, and more

● Fully-stocked dedicated bar

● Cocktail party or family-style menus available

If you are interested in learning more about our o erings, please visit the Gran Reserva page on our website for the event request form, copies of the floor plan, additional photos, and menu options. For inquiries or to discuss bookings, please email us at info@bodegaonmain.ca.

1014 Main Street • bodegaonmain.ca

Open Monday-Sunday 11am-midnight • Brunch Saturday & Sunday 11am-3pm Happy Hour Daily 3pm-6pm • Sunday-Thursday 10pm-late @bodegaonmain @bodegaonmainVan #bodeganights

The cherry on top

THESE GARNISHES ADD A GRACE NOTE TO COCKTAILS— AND MAKE AN EXCELLENT GIFT, TOO

Story,

photos and recipes

by Matthew Benevoli

Garnishes can be beautiful, vibrant, eyecatching additions to what we eat and drink. The more appealing, the more they add to our enjoyment. Though usually small in size, garnishes can have a large impact on our overall experience; just because they’re small doesn’t mean they’re not integral to the flavours and finish.

Enter the cocktail cherry.

Cherries have long been part of cocktails in many forms. Many may visualize sweet, candyred maraschino cherries lanced by a plastic sword atop a Shirley Temple or in the bottom of a Manhattan. Those cherries have their place in some situations, but they are NOT your only cherry option.

Years ago, a mentor of mine said, “Your cocktail is only as good as your weakest ingredient.” This wisdom stayed with me, urging me to find more flavourful and thoughtful pieces to my everevolving cocktail puzzles, including garnishes.

Using dark sweet cherries (or sour), it’s easy to create your own garnish and truly elevate your cocktail experience, without the cloying sweetness of a maraschino. Fresh cherries are preferred, but frozen also work well (especially when fresh cherries are out of season). They are then combined with spirit(s), spices,

While fresh cherries are best, frozen will work just fine to create a complex and just-boozy-enough garnish.

herbs, citrus, sweeteners, heck, even espresso if desired, to create a wonderfully complex cocktail cherry.

Bonus: The syrup they soak in can be used as a liqueur to add even more deliciousness to your cocktail or ice cream.

For any questions or additional tips, please reach out to @m.benevoli on Instagram.

HOW TO MAKE BOOZY COCKTAIL CHERRIES

YOU WILL NEED

Ingredients:

1 (600 g) bag frozen pitted dark sweet cherries, thawed for about 30 minutes and divided

1 2/3 cups (400 mL) bourbon, such as Basil Hayden, plus additional if needed

0.5 cup cane sugar

1 oz brewed espresso

0.5 tsp fine sea salt

10 whole black peppercorns

5 whole cloves

2 tsp vanilla extract

12 dashes aromatic bitters

2 oz lemon juice

METHOD

Equipment:

A large stock pot fitted with a canning rack

5 (250 mL) canning jars with lids

A small pot

A medium pot

Tools: tongs, ladle, wide-mouth funnel; optional magnetized canning-lid lifter, canning jar lifter

3 4 6

1. Fill a large stock or canning pot fitted with a canning rack ¾ full of water, cover with a lid and bring to a rolling boil. (You will need the canning rack so the jars do not sit directly on the bottom of the pot, where the glass may break.)

2. Meanwhile, prepare the jars. Wash canning jars with soap and warm water; set aside to air dry. Fill a small pot half full of water, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and add canning (snap) lids for 10 minutes.

3. In a medium pot, add 3 to 4 cherries, bourbon, sugar, espresso, salt, peppercorns, cloves, vanilla and bitters. Bring to a simmer for 10 minutes, then strain into a large measuring cup and set aside.

4. Divide the remaining cherries between the jars, filling them to just below the base of the neck. Pour prepared mixture over the cherries so they are just covered, then add 2 tsp lemon juice to each jar. There should be about 0.5 inch of headspace between the lip of the jar and the top of the contents. Top with additional bourbon if necessary.

5. Wipe clean the neck of the filled jars. Using tongs or a

8

magnetized lid lifter, and working one at a time, remove the canning (snap) lids from the simmering water. Place one on each jar, then carefully tighten canning neck rings (screw bands) until secured.

6. Once the water in the large pot has come to a rolling boil, place jars in it using tongs or a canning jar lifter. Cover the pot with its lid and process for 25 minutes. Don't over-process or cherries can get mushy.

7. Once boiling process has completed, remove jars from pot and place on a kitchen towel. Wipe lids dry, then cool to room temperature. (See note.) Tighten screw bands if needed.

8. Voilà! You should have enough cherries for your cocktails and to gift to loved ones during the holidays.

Note: To create a proper seal, the slight mound on top of the snap lip should go from convex to concave, making a popping sound and creating a slight dimple. If it doesn’t, the preserves are not shelf-stable; keep them in the refrigerator and use them within two months.

LAST WORD

Boozy Cocktail Cherries add a personal note to this herbaceous classic.

0.75 oz London Dry Style Gin (such as Sipsmith)

0.75 oz green Chartreuse

0.75 oz maraschino cherry liqueur

0.75 oz lime juice

Garnish: Boozy Cocktail Cherry

Place all ingredients (except garnish) into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a cherry placed in the bottom of the glass. Serves 1.

PRESTON

The cherry garnish complements the tannic note of this original cocktail by Matthew Benevoli.

1.5 oz bourbon (such as Basil Hayden)

1 oz Japanese plum liqueur

0.5 oz cherry liqueur (from canning)

2 oz steeped and chilled Earl Grey tea

Optional: a dash of lemon juice

Garnish: Boozy Cocktail Cherries

In a short glass, build all ingredients (expect garnish) over ice, then stir to combine. Garnish with three cherries on a cocktail pick/skewer. Serves 1.

Bold and balanced

OUR EXPERT PANEL CHOOSES THEIR FAVOURITE BOURBONS — AND THE COCKTAILS THEY MAKE WITH THEM

Compiled by Reece Sims

Its name might be shrouded in mystery, but bourbon’s unmistakable flavour is anything but uncertain. Some believe it was named after Bourbon County in Kentucky, where early settlers first distilled whiskey using local corn, while others trace it to Bourbon Street in New Orleans, a key market for the spirit. Regardless of its name, what’s undeniable is bourbon’s distinctive taste thanks to the strict regulations that define it. By law, bourbon must be made from at least 51 per cent corn, distilled to no more than 160 proof, aged in new charred oak barrels, and bottled at no less than 80 proof. These standards, combined with time-honoured

traditions, give bourbon its rich, complex flavour that continues to captivate whisk(e)y lovers worldwide.

We caught up with a panel of industry experts from B.C. and Ontario to uncover their go-to bourbons and the cocktails they love crafting with them. From tried-and-true classics like the Old Fashioned to inventive new creations, these cocktails reflect the versatility and character of bourbon, proving there’s a perfect tipple for every palate. So, grab your glass, and get ready to explore the bourbon picks and cocktails these pros can’t stop sipping.

SAZERAC

This variation on the classic is from Jessica Toews, bar manager at PiDGiN in Vancouver.

1 bar spoon absinthe

1 sugar cube

3 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters

2 oz Uncle Nearest 1856 bourbon

Garnish: lemon twist

Pour absinthe into a chilled small rocks glass and swirl it around, then discard. Set glass aside. In a separate mixing glass, muddle together the sugar cube with the bitters. Add the bourbon and ice, then stir to dilute for 15 seconds. Strain cocktail into the prepared glass and zest a lemon peel twist over top. Serves 1.

Reece Sims photo

LACEY ROBERTS

MICHTER’S US*1 SMALL BATCH BOURBON

45.6% ABV, $95.99 (BC LIQUOR STORES); $89.95 (LCBO), 750ML

It must be Michter’s US*1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon for award-winning bartender Lacey Roberts (@ZommiZelda), who works at Published on Main in Vancouver. “It has those rich caramel notes, but with hints of stone fruits that are perfect for my go-to bourbon cocktail,” she says. Roberts is also fascinated by the “six philosophies” that makeup the unique craftsmanship behind Michter’s, led by Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson. She goes on to note: “The stone fruit presence lends itself to so many variations of my favourite cocktail, allowing you to either amplify or complement its unique flavours.”

OLD FASHIONED

This variation on the classic is by Lacey Roberts, bartender at Published on Main in Vancouver.

2 oz Mitcher’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon

0.5 oz demerara syrup (see note)

2 dashes Bark & Bitter Overtly Orange Bitters

4 drops The Japanese Bitters – Umami Garnish: expressed orange peel, cherry wood smoke (see note)

Suggested Cocktail: Her go-to bourbon cocktail is the classic Old Fashioned. “I used to work at a ‘Build Your Own Old Fashioned’ bar and fell in love with how switching one ingredient, like a sweetener or bourbon, creates a whole new expression,” she says. For Roberts, the Old Fashioned is the perfect cocktail for introducing newcomers to bourbon, as it’s a versatile classic that can be tailored to any taste.

BETH HAVERS

MICHTER’S US*1 SMALL BATCH BOURBON

45.6% ABV, $95.99 (BC LIQUOR STORES); $89.95 (LCBO), 750ML

Beth Havers (@whiskybeth), the owner and self-proclaimed “Dramtastic Innovator” at Kinda Whisky Inc. in Toronto, shares Roberts’s enthusiasm for Michter’s. “I recently had the pleasure of tasting their Small Batch Kentucky

In a mixing glass add bourbon, syrup and bitters with ice. Stir until chilled and diluted then strain over a large king cube in a rocks/ Old Fashioned glass. Smoke the glass with cherrywood smoke and then garnish with expressed orange oils and a twist.

Notes: Demerara is a less processed form of cane sugar with large, light brown crystals and a rich toffee flavour. To make demerara syrup, combine 1 cup each demerara sugar and water in small pot over medium heat, stirring, until sugar is completely dissolved. Cool and transfer to a glass jar or bottle; will keep for at least two weeks in the fridge.

If you do not have a smoking gun or similar device, get a cherry wood plank and char a section with a kitchen torch for a few seconds. Place your Old Fashioned glass upside down on the charred area to capture the smoke.

Lacey Roberst photo

APPLE SPICED OLD FASHIONED

Recipe by Beth Havers, owner of Kinda Whisky Inc. in Toronto.

2 oz bourbon or rye whisky

0.5 oz Apple Spiced Syrup (recipe below)

2 to 3 dashes Angostura bitters

Garnish: apple slice

Add all the ingredients (except garnish) with ice in a cocktail pitcher; stir until chilled.

Strain and serve in a rocks glass over a large ice cube. Garnish with an apple slice. Serves 1.

APPLE SPICED SYRUP

1 cup apple juice (ideally fresh pressed)

0.5 cup sugar

1 cinnamon stick

3 to 4 whole cloves

Place all ingredients in a small pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Simmer for 10 minutes. Strain, cool and transfer to a glass jar or bottle. Keep stored in the fridge for up to 1 week. Makes about 1 cup.

Bourbon and Original Small Batch Sour Mash, and they both stood out as exceptional,” she says. Havers appreciates the craftsmanship behind Michter’s, noting how the sour mash process enhances complexity. “It showcases delightful notes of maple and a rich, crème brûlée-like creaminess, with layers of dark, stewed fruits.”

Suggested Cocktail: Like Roberts, Havers’s favourite bourbon-based cocktail to make with Michter’s Bourbon is the Old Fashioned, but with a twist. “It’s simple yet versatile, allowing for endless variations based on seasonal sweetening syrups,” she explains. In the fall, Havers loves crafting an Apple Spiced Old Fashioned, infusing the classic cocktail with warm, autumnal flavours. “I often serve it alongside a piece of Aunt Beth’s famous apple crumble with bourbon caramel,” she adds, creating a delightful pairing that captures the essence of the harvest season.

JESSICA TOEWS

UNCLE NEAREST 1856 BOURBON

50% ABV, $140+ (B.C., PRIVATE LIQUOR STORES); $138.95 (LCBO), 750ML

Jessica Toews (@TheChickNextDoor), bar manager at PiDGiN in Vancouver, is passionate about Uncle Nearest 1856, a blend of premium aged whiskies between eight and 14 years old. “This beautiful whisky is an homage to Nathan ‘Nearest’ Green, the unsung godfather of Tennessee whiskey,” she says. She’s inspired by the rich history behind the brand, as Nearest, a former slave, perfected the whiskey-making process still used today and notably taught Jack Daniels how to distill. As Toews explains, “Uncle Nearest 1856 offers bold caramel and baking spice notes, with touches of orchard fruit and hay bales, making it a nostalgic nod to the countryside.”

Beth Havers photo

Suggested Cocktail: Toews’ favourite way to enjoy Uncle Nearest is in a Sazerac. “Originally made with Cognac, the Sazerac evolved to whiskey, and I love using Uncle Nearest 1856 for its spice and raisin notes, which add a natural sweetness to this classic sipper,” she says. The cocktail delivers a flavourful mix of cinnamon, vanilla and subtle herbal notes, with a touch of anise for an elegant, spirit-forward experience.

TABYTHA TOWE

BASIL HAYDEN'S KENTUCKY STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKY

40% ABV, $57.99 (BC LIQUOR STORES), $63.65 (LCBO), 750ML

Tabytha Towe (@tabybooboo), a bartender/ server at Brix & Mortar Restaurant in Vancouver, is currently enjoying Basil Hayden. “It’s smooth yet still rich in flavour, making it a great intro whiskey for new tasters,” she says. “I love the charred oak elements along with notes of vanilla and a hint of black pepper and the dried apricot alongside the classic bourbon sweetness. Plus, there is a higher percentage of rye mixed in the mash—the Canadian in me is excited about that.”

THE BOREALIS

Recipe by Tabytha Towe, bartender/server at Brix & Mortar Restaurant in Vancouver.

1.25 oz Basil Hayden bourbon

0.25 oz Mia Amata or similar amaro

0.25 oz Bénédictine

1 barspoon yellow Chartreuse

5 drops Ms. Better’s Cypress Bitters

Garnish: lemon peel (oils), fir pine or berry leaf, clip

In a mixing glass, add all ingredients with ice. Stir until chilled and diluted. Strain into a chilled coupe. Express the oils from a slice of lemon peel over top of the drink and garnish with either a fir pine or berry leaf clipped to the glass. Serves 1.

Suggested Cocktail: For Towe, the classic Old Fashioned is a go to, but she also loves a Manhattan or Bobby Burns. “You really taste the spirit shine through in a straight stirred cocktail,” she explains. However, she’s particularly excited to share her original creation, The Borealis, inspired by Canada’s North. This cocktail beautifully captures the essence of the bourbon’s signature notes while adding a Canadian forest twist. “It’s savoury, herbaceous and has slight piney and woody essences, well rounded with our star spirit.”

OLIVER LEUNG

BASIL HAYDEN'S KENTUCKY STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKY 40% ABV, $57.99 (BC LIQUOR STORES), $63.65 (LCBO), 750ML Oliver Leung, co-owner of Suite115 Cocktail Bar in Toronto (@oliver_ leung_ @suite115.to), has a deep love for both Basil Hayden and Michter’s bourbon. “Basil Hayden is my favourite bourbon to mix or sip on; it holds a special place in my heart as it was the first bourbon I ever tried,” he says. Leung particularly enjoys the apricot

Tabytha Towe photo

THE ORCHARDIST

Recipe by Oliver Leung, co-owner of Suite115 Cocktail Bar in Toronto.

0.75 oz Basil Hayden bourbon

0.75 oz Calvados

0.5 oz sweet vermouth

0.25 oz Bénédictine

0.25 oz chai syrup (see recipe)

2 dashes peach bitters

Garnish: orange peel (oils and twist)

In a mixing glass add all ingredients (except garnish) with ice. Stir until chilled and diluted, then strain into a chilled Nick and Nora glass. Express the oils from a slice of orange peel over top of the drink and garnish with the orange twist. Serves 1.

CHAI SYRUP

2 cups water

2 purchased chai tea bags

2 cups brown sugar

Place water and tea bags in a small pot over medium-high heat. Bring water to a boil, then lower to a simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove teabags and stir in sugar until fully dissolved. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Transfer to a glass jar or bottle and keep chilled for up to 2 weeks. Makes about 2 cups.

and warming caramel notes in Basil Hayden, which shine through and complement various cocktails beautifully. “Michter’s Bourbon also resonates with me, as I love its complexity and how well it works in cocktails.”

Suggested cocktail: His current go-to bourbon cocktail is The Orchardist, an original on Suite115’s menu that pays homage to the Vieux Carré. “It’s spirit forward and bittersweet, with a touch of chai and herbal flavours,” he says. This cocktail is designed to highlight the bourbon’s characteristics while offering a complex yet approachable experience for guests.

JOSH F. LINDLEY

WILD TURKEY 101

50.5% ABV, ABOUT $42, 750ML

MAKER’S MARK

45% ABV, ABOUT $47, 750ML

Co-founder of Bartender Atlas and a bartender in various projects, Josh F. Lindley (@ bartenderatlas @josh.f.lindley) has a soft spot for both Wild Turkey 101 and Maker’s Mark bourbon. “Wild Turkey is the bottle that I reach for when I am looking for a neat pour. Some of their rare bottlings are very exciting, but the 101 never leaves my reach,” he says.

“On the other hand, Maker’s Mark has always been my go-to for cocktails. The wheat

Oliver Leung photo

influence means it plays better with a lot more flavours than some of the wood-forward or rye-spice expressions of bourbon out there.”

Lindley particularly loves how Maker’s Mark functions as an introductory bourbon for newcomers, yet still carries a distinct personality that shines in classic cocktails. He notes: “It can fit into almost any classic cocktail and hold its own while fitting in nicely with some more delicate flavours that you might not associate with bourbon off the top of your head.”

Suggested cocktail: Lindley’s current favourite is a twist on the Bourbon Sour, which he has tailored over the years. “It’s a drink I’ve continuously refined to fit the venue and the guest,” he says. Recently, he’s been excited about his original cocktail called The Thief’s Journal, named after the once-banned book by Jean Genet. This drink is a perfect blend of rich flavours and showcases his expertise in creating unique bourbon experiences.

THE THIEF'S JOURNAL

Recipe by Josh F. Lindley, Toronto-based cofounder of Bartender Atlas.

1.5 oz Maker’s Mark bourbon

1.0 oz lemon juice

0.5 oz ginger syrup (see note)

0.25 oz Liquore Strega

1 dash Angostura bitters

Garnish: mint leaf

Combine all ingredients (except garnish) in a shaker tin. Fill with ice and shake hard for 8 to 10 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail coupe. Wake up that mint leaf by giving it a little tap and let it float like a boat on top of that drink. Serves 1.

GINGER SYRUP

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 cup peeled and sliced fresh gingerroot

Combine sugar and water in a small pot over medium heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Add the ginger and turn the heat to medium high, until the syrup reaches a light boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, leaving the ginger in the syrup for at least an hour while it cools. Strain and transfer to a glass jar or bottle. Will keep in the fridge for up to two weeks. Makes about 1 cup.

Jessica Blaine Smith photo

LAST CALL

GREAT WORLD BARS WE LOVE: LE 9 e MONTREAL

Step through the glass doors and let the elevator whisk you back to another, more gracious time. Welcome to Le 9e, a perfectly restored Art Deco masterpiece on the ninth floor of the Eaton Building in downtown Montreal.

Back in 1927, Lady Flora Eaton, whose family owned the Eaton’s department stores, commissioned the French architect Jacque Carlu to design a restaurant inspired by the dining room in the Île-de-France transatlantic ocean liner. It became one of the finest examples of Art Deco design in Canada, and the place for ladies to lunch after their shopping sprees. But in 1999 the company filed for bankruptcy and the restaurant closed, a bagpiper mournfully playing Amazing Grace to mark its passing.

It stayed closed for 25 long years.

ABOVE: The perfectly restored French Line bar at Le 9e, the ninth floor of the Eaton Building in Montreal. BELOW: Le 9e's “Cocktail au Whiskey.”

Now it has been lovingly and flawlessly refurbished, with some of Montreal’s top food and drink people dishing out the goods: Celebrated chefs Liam Hopkins and Derek Damman are behind the English-inspired food in the Ile de France dining room and rock star bartender Andrew Whibley (of Cloakroom, No. 3 on Canada’s Best Bars) has crafted the bar list of updated classics.

Few things can beat sitting at the bar in the centre of the dining room, sipping a cocktail and looking out at that spectacular view. Well, maybe ducking into the petit French Line bar off to the side. This intimate space, with its striking black-and-white décor, gorgeous deco mural, live music and an oyster program led by master shucker Daniel Notkin, is among the most elegant cocktail experiences in the country. le9montreal.com

—Joanne Sasvari

Presented by

March 2-9, 2025

Follow along at thealchemistmagazine.ca/vcw for festival news and the latest updates on event information.

WANT TO BE PART OF VANCOUVER COCKTAIL WEEK 2025?

To enquire about sponsoring Vancouver’s largest spirit festival, the Cinq à Sept bar series, the main tasting gala or to hold a VCW seminar or event contact event producer Gail Nugent at gnugent@glaciermedia.ca.