Discover cocktails for any mood at perrier.ca ANYTIME.
East
Indy bottler Bira! travels
Charlene Rooke
MENUS THAT TELL A STORY
It’s not just a list of drinks; it’s a narrative of place by Christine Sismondo
Patriotism + the dirty soda trend = a perfect recipe for Simps by Joanne Sasvari
How to make hot buttered rum and hot toddies this winter by Matthew Benevoli
RECIPES
Our bartenders select their
mezcals and cocktails to make with them
Roxanne Mailloux photo
Andréa Conforti photo
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.
Sara Harowitz is a freelance writer and editor with bylines in publications such as Condé Nast Traveler, Maclean’s, The Globe and Mail, Canada’s National Observer and The Tyee.
Viranlly Liemena is a Vancouverbased creator with deep love for travels, cocktails and travelling for cocktails. He is a big fan of Martinis and Champagne, preferably on the plane.
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.
ON THE COVER: The Angel’s Share cocktail from Vancouver’s Prophecy Bar, Canada’s first bar to earn two pins from The Pinnacle Guide. This zero-proof cocktail is a dreamy concoction of Seedlip Spice, toasted oak, verjus, tonka bean and jasmine. Eduardo Abarca photo
Editor’s letter
There’s a whole lotta shakin’ goin’ on across Canada this fall, and stirring, building, infusing and maybe even a little throwing, too. The global finals of World Class just wrapped up in Toronto, and the city is getting ready to host the inaugural Toronto Cocktail Festival, from October 22 to 26. It’s brought to you by The Alchemist magazine team behind Vancouver Cocktail Week, which celebrates its fifth anniversary in March. But big events aside, every night is cocktail night in Canada, with bars from coast to coast celebrating cocktail culture and, more importantly, connection.
Here at The Alchemist, we love the craft of cocktail culture, but mostly we love its conviviality. In an era of loneliness and division, when we spend more time on our screens than talking to each other, cocktails give us a reason to slow down and connect.
Cocktails are also a great vehicle for storytelling. That’s what Christine Sismondo found in her story on narrative-driven cocktail menus, whether they follow the exploits of a 19th-century explorer/ geographer/naturalist/general polymath, dive into the history of Chinatown or capture a community’s unique vibe. And no one says cocktails even have to contain alcohol—in our story on the “10-year overnight success story” of a Kelowna-based syrup maker, we also look at the massive popularity of “dirty sodas” and offer tips for making your own.
In this issue we also take a deep dive into the smoky deliciousness of mezcal, learn how to make hot buttered rum, celebrate some big wins and check out new spirits and cool bars both near and far. Mostly, though, we’ll be raising a glass to spending good times with good friends, preferably over a glass of something delicious and thoughtfully crafted.
Find The Alchemist in select distilleries, cocktail bars and independent liquor stores across B.C. and Ontario.
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PUBLISHER: Gail Nugent gnugent@lodestarmedia.ca
EDITOR: Joanne Sasvari
jsasvari@glaciermedia.ca
DESIGN & PRODUCTION
MANAGER: Tara Rafiq
SOCIAL MEDIA
EDITOR: Valeria Remizova
TheAlchemistMagazine.ca
@TheAlchemistMag
@TheAlchemistMag
Published by: Lodestar Media
303 West 5th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Y 1J6 778-240-4010
NEWS AND NOTES FROM BEHIND THE BAR AND AROUND THE WORLD OF COCKTAILS AND SPIRITS
VANCOUVER COCKTAIL WEEK RETURNS MARCH 1 TO 8
Start planing now for Vancouver Cocktail Week, presented by The Alchemist magazine, a celebration of the city’s immense and internationally awardwinning cocktail talent. In March 2026, VCW celebrates its fifth anniversary with all the fabulous, cocktail-focused events Vancouver has grown to love—and some exciting brand-new ones, too.
From March 1 to 8, top local, national and international bartenders and ambassadors representing dozens of spirit brands will hit town to lead seminars, tastings, cocktail-paired dinners, neighbourhood cocktail crawls, cinq à sept happy hours and signature events. Among those, the ever-popular opening cocktail brunch and the party that you will definitely not want to miss, the closing gala, which promises to be the most glamourous event on the 2026 social calendar.
With eight days of events designed to appeal to industry, consumers, visitors and media alike, Vancouver Cocktail Week is a toast to the art of the cocktail, a destination event that celebrates the vibrant culture of food and drink in a city that is a hub of cocktail creativity.
Celebrating its fifth anniversary in March, VCW has become a “must” on the city’s social calendar. Living Room Creative photo
Tickets for VCW26 go on sale December 1. For information, or to sign up for news, go to thealchemistmagazine.ca/vcw.
A LOCAL LIQUEUR TO GO NUTS FOR
Justin time for the cooler weather and all your après ski special coffee needs, The Woods Spirit Co. is releasing its alllocal, award-winning Crema Nocciola. This hazelnut cream liqueur, a gold medal winner at Sip Magazine’s Best of the Northwest Awards 2024, is crafted in small batches from sustainably grown Abbotsford hazelnuts, freshly roasted Moja Coffee distillate and Canadian non-GMO oat milk.
This seasonal release marks the comeback of Fraser Valley hazelnuts, which were all but wiped out in the early 2010s by Eastern Filbert Blight. The vulnerability of B.C. produce to disease and climate change is highlighted by the loss of another nut variety, Okanagan green walnuts—the devastating freezes of 2022/23 and 2024 meant no harvest in those years, which means 2025 will be the last year for The Woods’s Barrel-Aged Nocino.
That’s even more reason to cherish local products like the Crema Nocciola. Sip it chilled or use it in dessert cocktails, affogatos or tropical drinks. Just beware that these liqueurs are available in limited quanities and for a limited time. thewoodsspiritco.com
CREMA MARTINI
This creamy, nutty riff on an Espresso Martini comes courtesy of North Vancvouer’s
The Woods Spirit Co.
1.5 oz Crema Nocciola
1 oz vodka
¾ oz Kahlúa or other coffee liqueur
Double espresso
Garnish: cocoa powder or coffee beans
Place all ingredients (except garnish) in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well, then strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a dusting of cocoa powder and/or three dried coffee beans. Serves 1.
Photos courtesy of The Woods Spirit Co.
A REALLY LIKEABLE READ
Wecan’t wait to read 2017 World Class champion Kaitlyn Stewart’s new book, Three Cheers: Cocktails Three Ways: Classics, Riffs, and Zero-Proof Sips (Penguin). Stewart, the Vancouver bartender also known as Likeable Cocktails, takes 55 classics and offers a modern version and a non-alcoholic one for each, for an impressive total of 165 recipes for every mood—and everybody.
Take, for instance the classic Jungle Bird tropical cocktail (blackstrap rum, Campari, pineapple juice, lime juice, demerara syrup). In the updated City Pigeon, the original’s blackstrap rum is replaced by white rum and gin, while the spirit-free Free Bird is based on spiritfree gin. Meanwhile the classic Tom Collins (gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, club soda), becomes a modern Tom Cat Collins (Aperol, Peychaud’s bitters, milk
liqueur, acid-adjusted grapefruit juice) or a n/a Joan Collins with zero-proof gin and lemon oleo-saccharum.
This love letter to cocktails will become essential reading for any for any home or professional bartender who wants to expand their repertoire.
Also playing with the idea of low- or noalcohol cocktails and inclusivity are two other books out this fall:
Both Sides of the Glass: Paired Cocktails and Mocktails to Toast Any Taste by Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka (Plume)
This married couple— Harris is an actor and cocktail enthusiast; Burtka, a chef who celebrated eight years sober in 2024— twin boozy cocktails with non-alcoholic ones.
In Session: Low-Proof Cocktails for High-Quality Occasions by Steven Grasse and Adam Erace with Lee Noble and Charlie Hall (Running Press)
This ensemble cast comprising a distiller (Grasse), food and travel writer (Erace), cocktail specialist (Noble) and drummer (Hall) envisions eight themed meetups complete with lowproof drinks, food and playlists.
PROPHECY
PINNED AT THE PINNACLE
For the first time, some of Canada’s greatest watering holes have been recognized by The Pinnacle Guide, a new recognition system for cocktail bars. Think of it as Michelin, but for the stirred-and-shaken set, offering one, two or three “pins” rather than stars; one pin means “excellent,” two “outstanding” and three “exceptional.”
Vancouver’s Prophecy Bar is the country’s first to earn two pins, while six others earned one: Bagheera and Mount Pleasant Vintage & Provisions in Vancouver; Bar Pompette, Library Bar and Suite 115 in Toronto; and in Montreal, Cloakroom Bar.
Congratulations to a worthy lineup of establishments and the talented barkeeps behind their drinks programs!
The Pinnacle Guide was created by London Cocktail Week co-founders Hannah SharmanCox and Siobhan Payne, along with Dan Dove, founder/director of the Global Bartending agency, and announced its first pins in May 2024.
It recognizes excellence in drinks, ambience and hospitality, as well as operators who make a positive social impact. And, unlike some awards programs, it promises a fair and transparent evaluation process that begins with an application and includes rigorous assessment modules, spotcheck interviews and anonymous in-bar reviews.
The deadline for the next round of applications is November 2025. thepinnacleguide.com
BAR POMPETTE AMONG THE WORLD’S BEST
As the cocktail world breathlessly awaits the announcement of The World’s 50 Best Bars 2025, organizers have dropped a tasty teaser: the extended 51-100 list.
Only one Canadian bar made it onto the list: Toronto’s Bar Pompette, which earlier this year placed No. 7 on North America’s 50 Best Bars.
Over the 17 years since the list was first announced (nine since the extended list was
added), it has become a benchmark for cocktail excellence and a roadmap for cocktail lovers as they travel around the world. More than 800 independent experts, including acclaimed bartenders, educators, cocktail authorities and award-winning drinks writers, contribute their votes on the bars in 34 cities around the world.
This year’s top 50 bars will be announced on October 8 in Hong Kong. theworlds50best. com/bars/
Eduardo Abarca photo
Spirits, spice everythingandnice
AT THE INDIAN-FRENCH FUSION PEYA, CHRIS ENNS MIXES UP AN IRRESISTIBLE COCKTAIL
by Sara Harowitz
Onan unassuming corner of East Hastings Street near Victoria Drive sits one of Vancouver’s most exciting and underrated cocktail lists.
It’s here, at the Indian-French restaurant Peya, that award-winning bartender Chris Enns works his singular magic. Peya, which debuted in the base of a brand-new East Vancouver housing development, has been quietly and humbly serving the neighbourhood since it first opened its doors in March. But Vancouverites from other neighbourhoods should take note: This cocktail menu is worth a pilgrimage.
“I genuinely feel this is like the ’92 American Olympic team,” Enns says, standing behind Peya’s bar on a rainy Friday afternoon before the dinner rush. “It’s the all-star team. There’s nothing on here that isn’t a heavy hitter.”
Dreamed up by Ashwani Dabas and Kevin Day (who met at Kitsilano’s The Ellis, founded by Day and cheffed by Dabas), Peya is an amalgamation of cultures both on the plate and in the glass. Take, for example, the Fig & Goat Cheese Samosa, which uses thin, flaky filo pastry instead of the thicker traditional Indian dough and is served with mint chutney and crème fraîche: creamy, fragrant, decadent.
At Peya, influences from France and India flavour both the food and cocktails like this Curry Gibson, garnished with a masala-inflused pearl onion.
Roxanne Mailloux photo
INFLUENCE FROM INDIA
But back to the drinks.
“The cocktails draw a lot of influence from India, with some French flavours and influence as well,” Enns explains. “But certainly, India is the centre of the cocktail page. A lot of fruits, a lot of teas, and a lot of spices make their way onto it.”
An excellent example of this is the Sassy Lassi: a boozy, bespoke take on the mango lassi. Made with mezcal, St-Germain elderflower liqueur, Alphonso mango, passionfruit and yogurt, it’s shaken and poured over ice—in a whimsical elephant glass—and topped with shaved nutmeg and a skewer of mango fruit leather. It took Enns five months of experimentation to get the recipe just right, but the labour was worth it: In its final form, it’s tropical, layered and luscious.
“It has more of a richer feel and respects the lassi, but it’s still very thoughtful and approachable,” Enns says. “It’s not a yogurt drink—it’s a drink with yogurt.”
Or there’s the Curry Gibson, Enns’s version of a classic 50/50 Martini. Orange and curry bitters are dropped right into a chilled Martini glass, then Grey Goose vodka and a house-made white vermouth blend are mixed and poured over top; a masala-infused pearl onion is served as a garnish. Herbaceous, gently spiced and delicate, it’s a must try for any Martini fan.
A LIFE IN HOSPITALITY
Enns is originally from Saskatoon, where he developed an early affinity for raiding the pantry and creating drinks with his findings.
“I was mixing virgin Caesars when I was a little kid,” he recalls. “That was really something that I thought was fun: getting to create your own potions.”
He started working in hospitality before he even had a driver’s licence and essentially never left. A move to Vancouver more than a decade ago saw him working at local watering holes including the Revel Room, The Diamond (RIP), Botanist and Bartholomew. Over the years, he’s also racked up national and international accolades, including being named World Class Canada’s 2018 Bartender
of the Year, Woodford Reserve’s 2018 Master of the Manhattan and Canada’s 100 Best’s 2019 Bartender of the Year.
Which is all to say that there’s a lot of hard-earned skill behind Peya’s bar, further solidifying its worthy place on Vancouver’s cocktail map.
“Everything has something interesting behind it, something a little unique,” Enns says. “We’re not just making a classic Negroni or Old Fashioned—which are very lovely and great to order, and certainly we make one of the best in town. But everything has an intention.”
Peya is located at 2101 East Hastings Street, Vancouver. peya.ca
At Peya, tucked into a new housing development in East Vancouver, everything is done with intention. Roxanne Mailloux photo
event space?
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.
These distilleries in B.C. produce everything from vodka to vermouth. Start exploring them here—and find a complete list of Canada’s distilleries at thealchemistmagazine.ca.
After Dark Distillery afterdarkdistillery.com
Alchemist Distiller alchemistdistiller.ca
Ampersand Distilling Co. ampersanddistilling.com
Antidote Distilling Co. antidotedistillingco.com
Arbutus Distillery arbutusdistillery.com
Best Coast Distillers bestcoastdistillers.com
Bohemian Spirits bohemianspirits.com
Bruinwood Estate Distillery bruinwood.com
Central City Brewing and Distillery centralcitybrewing.com
Warm hearts and fill glasses with these locally-crafted products this winter.
THE WOODS SPIRIT CO.
CREMA NOCCIOLA
18% ABV, $36 (500 ml)
Our artisanal Hazelnut Cream Liqueur is crafted in small batches for a smooth, velvety experience. It delivers notes of buttery chocolate, vanilla, and locally roasted coffee beans, adding depth and richness.
Perfectly enjoyed as a chilled digestif, this liqueur also complements classic cocktails. Try it in an espresso martini, mai tai, affogato, or colada for a unique twist. Comparable to Frangelico or Baileys, yet with a focus on 100% Canadian ingredients.
Available at the distillery and at thewoodsspiritco.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.”
Available at our distillery, select private liquor stores, and at copperspirit.ca
BEST COAST DISTILLERS
WILDFIRE WHISKY
35% ABV, $45 (750 ml)
WildFire Whisky blends bold cinnamon with smooth Madagascar vanilla in a clean, additive-free spirit crafted from local grains. With every bottle, we support Canadian wildfire fighters through donations to charities like the Victoria Firefighters Foundation. Raise a glass to a whisky that warms the heart, delights the palate, and gives back—available at our distillery, select private liquor stores, and online at bestcoastdistillers.com.
STEALTH CRAFT DISTILLERS
Stealth Craft Distillers is a reliable supplier of local spirits recognized for quality nationally and internationally. Our portfolio is growing with delicious popular new offerings ... check out our website and ask us for more details.
stealthcraftdistillers.com
MERRIDALE CRAFT DISTILLERY
COWICHAN WHISKY JACK
43% ABV, $49 (375 ml)
COPPERPENNY DISTILLING CO.
2025 LIMITED RELEASE FIGGY PUDDIN’
32% ABV, $55 (375 ml)
Crafted from B.C.-grown barley, this small-batch single malt whisky is fermented and single distilled in our German pot still, then aged three years in French oak that once held our apple brandy. Bold malt depth layered with orchard fruit, honey, spice, and crème brûlée creates a warm, complex whisky and a proud successor to our gold medal winner at the 2025 World Whiskies Awards.
Join our Speakeasy Club to guarantee your bottle in the November 15 release. Public release December 1 at the Merridale Farmhouse and select restaurants. Merridale.ca
DRIFTWOOD SPIRITS SHUCK TAYLOR'S OYSTER SPIRIT
43% ABV, $44.99 (750 ml)
Crafted in collaboration with Shuck Taylors and distilled with the freshest Vancouver Island oysters, this one-of-a-kind spirit captures the essence of the West Coast. Its character is shaped by the sea itself—briny and mineral-driven, yet refined. On the nose, a whisper of ocean breeze; sip and you’ll find hints of almond and buttery sweetness riding the current. Available at driftwoodspirits.ca
From the makers of the Canada's Best Contemporary Gin, our Figgy Puddin' Seasonal Spiced Liqueur tastes like Christmas baking in a bottle. This makes the perfect Old Fashioned and also is a treat with your favourite eggnog during the holidays.
Get yours before it sells out this year.
Available online at copperpenny.co, or visit our distillery cocktail bar in person. WHISKY'S NEW BEST FRIEND
MACALONEY�S ISLAND DISTILLERY CATH-NAH-AVEN
46% ABV, $104.99 (700 ml)
Cath-nah-aven pays homage to the great sherried whiskies from the banks of the river Spey. Our award-winning Vancouver Island distilled classic single malt is carefully crafted in premium Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez casks from Andalucía in Spain. Married by our Whiskymaker, this whisky reveals a complex red-berry, plum, and oak nose, enhancing the fruit, floral, and sea-breeze notes.
Available at our distillery, select private liquor stores, and at macaloneydistillers.com
Indie spirit
INDEPENDENT BOTTLER BIRA! IS PUTTING VANCOUVER ON THE RUM MAP WITH ITS LIMITED RELEASES OF RARE GLOBAL SUGAR-CANE SPIRITS
by Charlene Rooke
As an independent bottler, Bira! brings rare rums to market. Photo courtesy of Bira!
The taste of a 15-year-old spirit from a historic distillery in Guyana woke Karl Mudzamba’s tastebuds up to rum. The Zimbabwe native was playing pro rugby in New Zealand when a friend brought him the bottle. One sip and he thought, “Wow, I wonder what else is out there,” he recalls. “So I got curious, and started trying as many rums from around the world as possible.” Among them were some unusual regional, small-batch artisanal bottlings.
Now based in Vancouver, Mudzamba has continued to chase his passion for unique, flavourful global rums by starting Bira! Rum. When it launched four years ago, it was the only so-called independent bottler (IB) of rum in Canada.
Bira! bottles stand out on a bar or liquor store shelf. Clean, modern labels, featuring the outline of a dancer from Mudzamba’s Shona culture, describe production details about each rum and its origins. “At the
beginning I actually tried to find the ugliest bottles I could,” Mudzamba laughs, noting that his wife and business partner, Natasha, pushed for the attractive, modern packaging. “To show that it’s not about the bottle, but what’s inside.”
TRUE CRAFT SPIRIT
Long established in the world of Scotch whisky, independent bottlers are key in bringing rare drams and offerings from small or defunct distilleries to market. IBs typically bottle spirits in an authentic, unadultered state: very small-batch or even single-cask expressions, no colouring or additives (common and legal in much of the spirits world) and frequently at a higher alcohol by volume (ABV) to showcase signature flavours and aromas. Like many IBs, Bira! does not chill-filter its spirits (a common industry practice to ensure spirits don’t go cloudy when chilled, but one that many believe strips some flavour and texture from the liquid).
Bira! is a brand that wants to reach beyond the Caribbean and West Indies to find rarer rum styles, including those distilled from fresh sugar-cane juice or syrup, as well as stellar molasses-based rums. Bira! rums defy the misconception that rum should be sweet, fruity and served in umbrella-garnished cocktails. “When I pour a taste, people say, ‘This is not rum.’ People think rum is like the wild cousin of the spirits world, but it can sit at the table with the most elegant Scotch or Cognac.”
The first Bira! release was from Fiji; Mudzamba is casting his eye to Asian producers and recently did a tasting of the Mexican sugar-cane spirit charanda. As an African, Mudzamba takes particular pride in two releases from South Africa’s Mhoba Rum, a sugar-cane-juice distillery near Kruger National Park that he recently visited. “That’s the fun part of this whole business for me: going to a distillery and meeting the people,” Mudzamba raves. “The distiller there is a genius. He grows the sugar cane, cuts it by hand, built all his own equipment … craft is an overused word in spirits, but this is as craft as you get.”
PEOPLE THINK RUM IS LIKE THE WILD COUSIN OF THE SPIRITS WORLD, BUT IT CAN SIT AT THE TABLE WITH THE MOST ELEGANT SCOTCH OR COGNAC.
A former pro rugby player originally from Zimbabwe, Karl Mudzamba has been enthralled by the potential of sugar-cane spirits. Photo courtesy of Bira!
RUM IS ABOUT CONNECTION. RUM IS ABOUT COMMUNITY.
Mudzamba’s explorations lead him around the world, including to South Africa, wher he discovered Mhoba Rum.
CULTURAL SPIRIT
Canadian imbibers are unlikely to sample such spirits without an IB as middleman. With a current day job and professional background in international container shipping, Mudzamba has the required savvy to bring them to market. The Mudzambas and a small cadre of trusted tasters sip global samples to select future Bira! releases. They import small batches of around 1,000 litres that are tested and bottled in Canada. Nothing is added except perhaps a bit of water, once the Mudzambas target an ideal ABV for neat sipping.
Rave reviews on influential global blogs have helped put Bira! on the rum map. In Vancouver, The Keefer Bar, The Shameful Tiki Room and Calabash Bistro are spots with Bira! behind the bar, and half a dozen private liquor stores in B.C. plus several
in Alberta stock its bottlings. (Find a listing at birarum.com.)
When Mudzamba guides tasting and educational sessions for the drinks industry and the public, he returns to the meaning of that Shona figure on the label. Bira, the cultural ceremony from which the brand takes its name, is a family gathering for Zimbabwe community. Generations eat, drink and dance from dusk to dawn, with elders acting as spiritual guides to relay messages between the living and ancestors.
Evoking Bira means “that when we share a drink, have a conversation, we can get deep and spiritual,” Mudzamba says. “Rum is about connection. Rum is about community.”
Find Bira! at the first-ever Global Rum Festival in Vancouver on September 27 (globalrumfestival.com).
LEFT:
RIGHT: The Bira! packaging offers a nod to his African heritage. Photos courtesy of Bira!
A World Class welcome to Canada
NORWAY’S FELICE CAPASSO NAMED GLOBAL BARTENDER OF THE YEAR
Canada’s bartenders have long been stars at the prestigious World Class cocktail competition. But this year, Canada itself was the star, hosting 51 finalists from around the world and wrapping the event up with a thrilling final at Toronto’s historic Casa Loma.
The winner, who proudly claims the careerdefining title of World Class Global Bartender of the Year 2025, is Felice Capasso of Nedre Løkka Cocktailbar in Oslo, Norway, and also the founder of Sesto Senso Academy, a centre for wine and spirits education. Throughout the week, Capasso wowed the judges across every challenge he faced.
“Winning World Class is not just a dream come true. It is a goal I have worked tirelessly to achieve. It’s living proof that if you want something and you work for it, and you never, ever give up, no matter what—you can achieve it,” Capasso said. “By winning I know that I am taking on a responsibility, which I plan to take seriously, promoting education in spirits and inspiring other bartenders who want to progress in the industry.”
Despite winning more World Class titles than any other nation in the competition’s 16-year run, this was the first time Canada hosted the big event. And this country proved it knows how to throw a party. From September 24 to October 3, the World Class
The World Class Global Bartender of the Year 2025 is Felice Capasso of Norway. Photos courtesy of World Class Canada
Festival Roadshow saw international talent team up with top Canadian bartenders to host unforgettable nights in Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary and Halifax.
Meanwhile, the epicentre of the final rounds of competition was Toronto, where the city’s best bars hosted cocktail labs, curated tasting events and exclusive guest shifts by top international bartenders.
“Hosting the World Class Global Final in Toronto is a true milestone moment for Canada's cocktail community,” says Michael Armistead, National On Premise, Reserve & Sponsorship Manager at Diageo Canada. “This is our chance to show the world the calibre of talent, innovation, and hospitality that defines our country. With its worldrenowned hospitality scene and rich, multicultural culinary landscape, Toronto offers the perfect stage to spotlight the craft, creativity and culture of modern bartending and hospitality. We’re excited to bring the World Class experience to Canadians nationwide.”
The competition itself was held at venues around Toronto and centred at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel from September 30 to October 2. It featured two days of challenges designed to test the five pillars of a World Class bartender: hosting, craft, flavour analysis, knowledge and World Class advocacy. Competitors were also pushed to demonstrate precision, creativity and storytelling in challenged such as The Sensory Sessions with The Singleton, in which they had to design a custom record sleeve press a track and pair it with a signature Singleton cocktail.
By end of day Wednesday, the top 10 finalists were announced; sadly, World Class Canada winner Kate Chernoff sadly did not make the cut. In Thursday’s semi-final, those were winnowed to three, who competed on stage at Casa Loma for for ultimate title.
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.
Becoming World Class Global Bartender of the Year is no easy feat. Each year, some 10,000 bartenders from more than 50 countries enter the competition—more than 400,000 of them since World Class launched in 2009. Four Global Bartenders of the Year have come from Canada, the most of any country: Kaitlyn Stewart (2017), James Grant (2021), Jacob Martin (2023) and Keegan McGregor (2024).
And while World Class is a showcase for Diageo’s Reserve brands—Johnnie Walker, Don Julio, Ketel One Vodka, Tanqueray No. TEN, Singleton single malt—it has also become a force for education, training and mentorship. It has forged partnerships with gurus, members of the media and other partners, and is widely recognized as a mark of sophistication and fine drinking culture.
Winning World Class changes lives and careers. Hosting it confirms Canada as a world leader in cocktail culture. As Kevin Delaney, Global Head of World Class, said: “World Class is the ultimate toast to the people who are the beating heart of the hospitality industry.”
Storied drinks
NARRATIVE-DRIVEN COCKTAIL MENUS DON’T JUST LIST DRINKS, THEY TELL A STORY OF PLACE
by Christine Sismondo
Thissummer at Cry Baby Gallery, a cocktail bar hidden behind a small art gallery in Toronto’s Little Portugal, the menu took a new direction—from minimalism to maximalism.
Once a sparse and straightforward list with a dozen cocktails, the menu at Cry Baby is now a 22-page nostalgia trip rooted in analogera Toronto. It borrows its format from the Yellow Pages, an artifact that is described on the menu as sort of a pre-digital influencer. Each drink is tied to a fictional business of days gone by—psychics, martial arts studios, modelling agencies and others—to build out an imagined community and history.
The transition towards this storytelling menu, according to owner Rob Granicolo, actually began six months earlier, when Cry Baby launched The Art Auction, a menu illustrated with images of works of art from the gallery side of the operation.
“Everything changed when we turned five and, for whatever reason, decided our next menu
At Vancouver’s Prophecy Bar, the menu includes cocktails like the Souvenir, which comes with a personal story that has universal relevance. Maggie Lam photo
had to be a statement piece,” he says, noting that the next step was telling a story about their hood. “We knew we had to one-up The Art Auction with the summer menu, so we decided to create a Yellow Pages menu, because it’s both hilarious and visually striking.”
It’s also likely a sign of things to come, given that so many notable bars have turned away from skimpy lists and opted for narrativedriven menus.
ABOUT CONNECTION
Vancouver’s Prophecy Bar boasts an ambitious and lovingly illustrated menu divided into seven chapters devoted to telling stories like “Our Shared History” and the “Legends Among Us.” The menu at the Fairmont Royal York’s Library Bar is a leather-bound love letter to CanLit and, at Victoria’s Humboldt Bar, the concept driving the plot revolves around German philosopher, geographer and naturalist Alexander von Humboldt (17691859).
The arguably obscure choice for a menu’s central character might sound random at first, but, once you learn the bar’s address—722 Humboldt Street—everything starts to make a lot more sense.
The cocktail menu at Cry Baby Gallery takes a nostalgic journey through old Toronto, and features cocktails like the Old Daytona. Danielle Levasseur photos
“I realized the street was named after Alexander von Humboldt and I very quickly realized that this is an incredible person from history who has touched so many parts of our lives,” says bar manager Brant Porter. “From a storytelling point of view, it was the perfect fold.”
A renaissance man if there ever was one, Humboldt was an explorer, geologist, botanist and abolitionist, as well as one of the first scientists to draw attention to the negative impact humanity had on nature. His work is considered a keystone in modern climate science.
“It’s really about connection,” Porter says. “Humboldt’s great gift to the world was showcasing that all of nature, including humans, was interconnected. And that’s what bars are for, too. So, it all fell into place pretty easily.”
The concept might have been a cinch, but tailoring the cocktail program to “reflect Humboldt’s vision of the natural world” involved some heavy lifting. Each of the
HUMBOLDT ’ S GREAT GIFT TO THE WORLD WAS SHOWCASING THAT ALL OF NATURE, INCLUDING HUMANS, WAS INTERCONNECTED. AND THAT’S WHAT BARS ARE FOR, TOO. SO, IT ALL FELL INTO PLACE PRETTY EASILY.
15 signature cocktails has a direct line to Humboldt and, to make that happen, Porter had to delve into his biography, as well as a healthy dose of German scientific and cultural history.
One saving grace, he says, was that having a very specific theme for each cocktail can actually make recipe creation easier because it often eliminates the “paradox of choice.” For example, when he decided to make a drink named after the cyanometer Humboldt used to measure the blueness of the sky, he knew the drink had to be blue.
“It forces you to be creative and, at the same time, it kind of boxes you in,” Porter explains. “And the best part, the most fun part, is that these drinks are very much more than the sum of the parts.”
BUILDING A STORY
Indeed, these menus tell a story and, often as not, become conversation pieces in and of themselves.
“It’s a big ice breaker for sure,” Élise Hanson says of the narrative-driven menu. She’s bar manager at Toronto’s Civil Works and cocreator of the bar’s award-winning menu, A Manual for Laying Pipe.
Hanson adds: “But it can also be a lot to digest, so, on the first page of the menu we open with bold red box that says there’s a quick reference page at the back of the book for folks who might be ‘on a date and too nervous to read this to read a bunch.’”
In Victoria, the Humboldt Bar cocktail menu is crafted around the fascinating life of explorer Alexander von Humboldt. Andréa Conforti photo
Or, for that matter, just want a cheat sheet, given that not everyone wants to feel like they’re studying for a test before they put in their drink order. Bar and history nerds aside, a lot of people just want a smart cocktail.
These menus do more than simply entertain guests and list the drinks, though. Almost all the narrative-driven menus in this current wave also help to build a sense of place for the bars. Laowai, for example, opened with an illustrated tribute to Vancouver’s Chinatown in 2021, making it a leader in this menu movement. The literary-themed menu at the Library Bar is a nod to the fact that the physical space the bar occupies was once the hotel’s library for guests. Cry Baby’s menu flicks at the grittier side of an imagined west end.
At Civil Works, the Manual is an exploration of the Waterworks building (in which it’s located) and its architect, JJ Woolnough. This summer, its patio extension, Civil Parks, celebrated St. Andrew’s Playground Park, an adjacent green space that was Toronto’s first purpose-built playground, with a new menu based in the history as well as nostalgia for the carefree summers of our youth.
And what’s next for the team at Civil Works? A menu that honours the Garment District, the area bordered by Spadina, Bathurst, King and Queen that was once the centre of textile and fabric manufacturing in the city and now is home to the Waterworks Food Hall.
“You can’t really control the space so, instead of trying to fight against it, you have to just embrace it and build your story from that,”
says Hanson. “I think it’s really important to honour the space you’re in.”
And she thinks it’s a key to their bar’s success as well.
“Toronto’s got so much talent, so many places and so many bartenders that make amazing drinks these days,” Hanson says. “So I think, at this point, it’s about doing something unexpected for the guests and then seeing the guest reaction. That’s why we’re doing this. That’s what makes it fun and worth it.”
YOU CAN ’ T REALLY CONTROL THE SPACE SO, INSTEAD OF TRYING TO FIGHT AGAINST IT, YOU HAVE TO JUST EMBRACE IT AND BUILD YOUR STORY FROM THAT. I THINK IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT TO HONOUR THE SPACE YOU’RE IN.
The award-winning bar menu at Toronto’s Civil Works is an homage to the historic Waterworks building where it is located. Jessica Blaine Smith photo
Dirtycleansodas,profits
LIFE IS SWEET THESE DAYS FOR A KELOWNA-BASED SYRUP MAKER
by Joanne Sasvari
The day I stop by Simps Modern Beverage, located in an industrial part of Kelowna, everything is in cheerful chaos. Customers mill around the tiny shop, which is in the process of a makeover; behind the scenes, a small team is furiously packing boxes, answering calls, taking deliveries and sending even more of them out the door, everyone apparently doing at least three things at once.
That was in May; since then, things have only become even busier.
“We just got hit by the whole Buy Canadian thing,” says Gerry Jobe, one of the two founders; the other is Dave Simpson, the “Simps” in the company name. “This has been 10 years of two guys sweating it out and then have the whole country discover you.”
On March 4, the threatened 25 per cent U.S. tariff on Canadian goods went into effect. In return, a deeply offended nation turned its sights and dollars to homegrown products. And Simps was right there waiting.
At the Simps Modern Beverage shop in Kelowna, customers can find more than 70 syrups and other products—and they can craft their own dirty sodas just for fun, too. Photo courtesy of Simps Modern Beverage
With business booming, the Simps team keeps growing well beyond its original founders, Dave Simpson (in sunglasses at back) and Gerry Jobe (in the middle, wearing a black T-shirt).
Photo courtesy of Simps Modern Beverage
“Since March we’re at 6,100-per-cent growth as a company,” Jobe says. They’ve added 11 staff, all industry veterans, and have been adding new café and bar customers at a rate of seven a day. “It’s absolutely insane.”
And then, on top of all of that, there’s the whole dirty soda thing.
HOW IT BEGAN …
For years, Jobe and Simpson worked behind the bar. Simpson was a pioneer of flair bartending in Canada and along the way owned Kelowna’s Avenue bar, founded Flairfest and co-founded The Bartenders Guild. Jobe is probably best known for his years making farm-to-glass cocktails at RauDz Regional Table, but he’s also been a consultant, educator and brand ambassador.
A decade or so ago, they’d started a sideline making cocktail syrups for other bartenders, using the Okanagan Valley’s micro-seasonal products. “We would buy up everything and do three months of big batching in about two weeks,” Jobe says. “We got really good at making syrup in big formats.”
One day, when they were repping Jack Daniels whiskey, they ended up at a golf tournament for a chain restaurant, hanging with a couple of the managers.
“We were on the 17th hole and they started to get into business, going into their pain points,” he recalls. One of those pain points: paying Red Seal chefs to stir pots of flavoured sugar water at every restaurant in the chain.
Simpson and Jobe crunched the numbers and figured the chain was spending $2 million a year to make cocktail syrups. And, Jobe notes, “That’s just labour costs before you buy sugar and fruit and spices.”
They knew they could make the syrups themselves, easily and profitably. And so Simps Syrups was born.
They didn’t actually start with cocktail syrups, though. They started with the world’s first vegan Caesar mix. Within two months, it was available in 650 locations and Simpson quit his day job to focus on the business full time.
Then they started making coffee syrups. They got a couple of investors and bought them out a few years later. They sold their products to grocery stores, cafés, diners, cocktail bars and the JOEY restaurant chain, which picked up their mint syrup for Mojitos.
Still, every penny went back into the company and researching the next product, and it was still just Jobe and Simpson, up at “the crack of dawn,” doing the best they could.
And then 2025 came along.
THE DIRTY SODA THING
Just as the “Buy Canadian” bomb was about to hit, so was a massive pop-culture one: the explosive popularity of the dirty soda.
A combination of soda, coffee creamer, flavoured syrup and other add-ins, sort of
The coconut-based C.R.E.A..M. creamer is among Simps’s newest products and is designed especially for dirty sodas.
milk-based creamer, and are designing kits for making dirty sodas at home.
Most significantly, perhaps, they’ve transformed their entire storefront into a dirty soda bar, where customers can experiment with different combinations of syrup and addins. “People love to come by to pick up their orders and grab a dirty soda for the road,”
Jobe says. “It’s been a lot of fun.”
… WHERE IT’S GOING
Today, Simps offers more than 70 products and is constantly coming up with more, including a new line planned for next spring that Jobe describes as “off the beaten path and super fun.”
like a melted root beer float, the dirty soda was invented around 2010 in Utah. It was designed as a special treat for the state’s large population of Mormons, who traditionally abstain from alcohol and coffee. Dirty sodas quickly became as much a part of Utah culture as espresso in Italy or pints of ale in the U.K. And then they went viral, thanks to TikTok and the TV show Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
Today the Utah-based soda chain Swig, founded in 2010, has 124 locations with plans to open hundreds more. Coffee Mate has launched a dirty soda creamer. McDonald’s is working on a dirty soda to appeal to Gen Z customers.
Here in Canada, Simps is all in on the trend. They’ve catered dry grads with dirty sodas and adult events with boozy versions of the same. “Just add your favourite spirit,” Jobe advises.
With literally dozens of syrups to choose from, Simps is already paradise for dirty soda fans. They’ve also launched products specifically for dirty sodas, specifically, C.R.E.A.M., a coconut-
They use cane sugar, not corn syrup, and a generous ratio of natural flavours. “We don’t want generic stuff,” Jobe says. “We want a 5:1 ratio instead of the 1:1 ratio of most syrups.”
Vanilla, salted caramel and English toffee are among their most popular flavours, especially with dedicated Old Fashioned drinkers.
They’ve expanded into Alberta grocery stores and have a growing fan base among bakers and home cooks, who are often excited to share their successes. “We’ve had people glaze a ham with our caramel syrup and call to tell us how good it was,” Jobe says, adding that it’s those interactions that give him the greatest joy.
They’re good at responding to what the public wants and, more importantly, to what their growing list of clients do. “I’ve worked for other beverage companies before and we’re very solutions based,” Simpson says.
And after a decade, it seems that success has come at last.
“We like to say it’s a grand 10-year overnight success story,” Jobe says. “With Canadians backing us, we’re just so grateful.”
Photo courtesy of Simps Modern Beverage
HOW TO MAKE A DIRTY SODA
Making a dirty soda is less about following a recipe than it is about assembling the soda, syrup, cream (or creamer) and other add-ins to your own taste. But this is a good place to start. And if you do feel like breaking the rules and adding a shot of vodka or other spirits, we promise not to tell.
CLASSIC DIRTY SODA
Although its history is lost to time, this is believed to be the original dirty soda, and the model for all to come.
8 oz Diet or Regular Coca Cola
1.5 tsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp coconut syrup
1 to 2 Tbsp cream (heavy or light, as you prefer) or non-dairy creamer
Optional garnish: lime wheel
Pour soda into a glass filled with ice (preferably nugget ice), then add the rest of the ingredients and stir. If you like, garnish with a lime wheel and serve with a straw. Serves 1.
VARIATIONS:
Orange Creamsicle:
• Orange soda
• Orange syrup
• Vanilla syrup
• Cream or creamer
• Optional garnish: ½ orange wheel
Strawberries and Cream:
• Cream soda
• Strawberry syrup
• Cream or creamer
• Optional garnish: fresh strawberry slices
Raspberry Lemon Fizz:
• Sprite
• Raspberry syrup
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Cream or creamer
• Optional garnish: lemon slice
Coconut Cream Pie:
• Root beer
• Coconut syrup
• Cream or creamer
• Garnish: whipped cream, shredded coconut
Chocolate Cherry
• Cherry cola
• Chocolate syrup
• Cream or creamer
• Optional garnish: maraschino cherry
iStock / Getty Images Plus / MurzikNata photo
Hot buttered rum
THE PERFECT SIPPER FOR SWEATER WEATHER
Asthe weather shifts from warm to cold and dewy mornings turn frosty, we all look for ways to stay warm and cozy. Sometimes we grab a sweater or fuzzy blanket, but this year why not try hot buttered rum?
I normally gravitate towards drinks in my comfort zone, like a hot toddy, mulled wine or hot apple cider; however, it’s fun to branch out, venture into new territory and explore other options. Often associated with the winter holidays, hot buttered rum can easily be enjoyed throughout the year. Its blend of baking spices, brown sugar, vanilla, hot water, rum and (you guessed it) butter creates a rich, velvety and whimsical cocktail to warm you to the core and bring a smile to your face.
With the ever-growing selection of recipes for hot buttered rum, it’s hard to decide where to start. There is a plethora of classic and modern approaches to this centuries-old colonial drink, some calling for long lists of spices, hand-whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or even black tea in place of hot water. I felt something simple was a great place to start. Not only is the batter mix easy to make, but it will also keep for quite a while and,
Hot toddies and hot buttered rum are the warming drinks we crave in cool weather—and easier to make than you might think.
depending how much you prepare, you’ll be ready for hosting family and friends on the fly.
For any questions or additional tips, please reach out to @m.benevoli on Instagram.
Story, photos and recipes by Matthew Benevoli
1
HOW TO MAKE HOT BUTTERED RUM
To make this classic warmer for body and soul, start with a buttery spiced batter, then add spirits and hot water.
What you will need:
To prepare the base: A mixing bowl, dry and liquid measuring cups and spoons, spatula.
To make the cocktails: A heatproof glass mug with a handle, a kettle for boiling the water.
HOT BUTTERED RUM BATTER MIX
Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 cup firmly packed Demerara sugar (see note)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
0.5 tsp ground nutmeg
2
Method
0.5 tsp ground allspice
2 pinches ground ginger
2 pinches ground cloves
2 pinches sea salt
1. In a large bowl, combine butter, sugar and vanilla, mixing well with a spatula until combined.
2. Add all the spices and continue mixing until everything is thoroughly blended and you have a smooth, buttery paste.
3. Transfer to a clean (preferably sterilized) sealable 500 mL jar or other container—see pro tip.
4. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months or in the freezer up to 1 year.
3
Pro tip: For future convenience, pack butter mix into small ice cube trays, move trays into a sealable freezer bag, remove as much air as possible, and freeze for easy portioning for individual cocktails as needed.
Note: Demerara is a less-processed type of brown sugar, with larger crystals and a flavour that complements most rums, especially dark rums, but dark brown sugar will also work well.
HOT TODDY
1.5oz Scotch whisky (preferably a blended or Highland whisky.)
1 Tbsp honey
0.5 oz fresh lemon juice
4 oz hot boiled water (allow a few minutes to rest after boiling)
Garnish: Lemon wheel, star anise (optional) and/or cinnamon stick.
Place whisky in a heatproof mug, preferably glass, and add the honey and lemon juice. Stir well until honey is fully dissolved. Top with hot water, adding more if you like. Garnish with a lemon wheel, star anise pod and/or cinnamon stick. Serves 1.
According to cocktail historian David Wondrich: “The hot toddy was the original way single-malt scotches were consumed as they were considered to be ‘lesser quality’ whisky in contrast to the art of blended scotch.”
HOT BUTTERED RUM (COCKTAIL)
1.5 oz dark rum (see note)
2 tsp Hot Buttered Rum Batter Mix (best at room temperature)
4 oz hot boiled water (allow a few minutes to rest after boiling)
Place rum into a heatproof mug, preferably glass, and add the batter. Carefully pour water on top and stir mixture until batter mix is fully dissolved. Top with additional hot water as preferred or, if you like a richer texture, a splash of heavy cream. If you like, spoon a dollop of whipped cream on top. Garnish with a sprinkle of freshly grated nutmeg and/or a cinnamon stick. Serves 1.
Note: Feel free to experiment with white, gold or spiced rum, and to tweak the overall recipe to taste.
Shaken, stirred & smoked
FROM NEAT POURS TO CRAFTED COCKTAILS, BARTENDERS REVEAL MEZCAL’S MANY MOODS
Compiled by Reece Sims
Mezcal has always had a way of sparking conversation at the bar. From its smoky, earthy backbone to the wild diversity of agave varietals, this spirit has become a favourite canvas for bartenders eager to showcase both tradition and innovation.
For this edition of Tasting Panel, we asked six
bartenders across Canada to share the bottles that excite them most and the cocktails that best show off their chosen mezcal.
This issue’s panel features Chris Enns, Andrew Kong, Taylor Kare and Chey Haima from British Columbia as well as Matt Sinagoga and Emma Osmond from Ontario.
BLANCO MEZCAL NEGRONI
Recipe by Chris Enns of Peya, Vancouver.
1 oz Solmano Mezcal Espadín con Mango
1 oz Martini Bianco
1 oz Suze (or, for a local option, try Woods Amaro Chario or Victoria Distillers Bitter Bianca)
Garnish: Grapefruit twist
Combine all ingredients (except garnish) in a mixing glass. Fill with ice and stir until you reach your desired dilution. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Express the grapefruit zest over the cocktail and drop it in the glass. Serves 1.
Photo courtesy of Peya
MEZCAL SOUR WITH MANGO & PARSNIP
Recipe created by Andrew Kong of Bar Supernova, Vancouver.
1.25 oz Solmano Mezcal Espadín (either regular or mango)
0.75 oz Meletti Amaro (Montenegro is a good alternative)
1 oz Acidified Parsnip (see recipe below)
15 ml (0.5oz) Mango Coconut Syrup (see recipe below)
Place all ingredients in a shaker tin, add ice, and shake well. (Shake it like you actually mean it.) Double-strain into a coupe glass. Serves 1.
ACIDIFIED PARSNIP
Parsnips
Citric acid
Peel and rough chop parsnips, then soak overnight in water. Juice the next day. Weigh the juice and add 5% citric acid in weight (for instance, 500 g parsnip juice + 25 g citric acid). Mix well, transfer to a sealable, non-reactive container such as a Mason jar, and store in fridge for up to a week.
MANGO COCONUT SYRUP
Mango juice (such as the one produced by Del Monte)
Aroy-D coconut milk
Sugar
Mix together equal amounts (by volume) of mango juice and coconut milk. Weigh the mixture and add same amount in sugar. (For instance, 1 cup of mango juice plus 1 cup coconut milk equals about 500 grams, so add 500 g sugar.) Blend and store in fridge.
CHRIS ENNS
SOLMANO MEZCAL ESPADÍN CON MANGO
44% ABV, BC: $98, 750 ML
For Chris Enns, the beverage manager of Peya in Vancouver (@chrisenns), running an Indian-French-inspired bar means balancing bold, layered flavours. Solmano’s Espadín con Mango fits seamlessly into this world, bringing roasted agave, tropical mango, pineapple, caramel and vanilla into play. He finds it a natural fit for Peya’s cuisine, pairing the smokiness of mezcal with vibrant fruit.
Suggested cocktail: His cocktail of choice is the Blanco Mezcal Negroni, a twist on the early-2000s classic White Negroni. By swapping gin for Solmano, he amplifies aromatics and stretches the finish into something long, dry and bitter with notes of gentian, vanilla, citrus and red fruit roaring through each sip. “It’s all gas, no brakes, to flavour country,” he says.
Photo courtesy of Andrew Kong
ANDREW KONG
SOLMANO MEZCAL ESPADÍN CON MANGO
44% ABV, BC: $98, 750 ML
At Vancouver’s Bar Supernova, Andrew Kong (@amkong20) has also fallen for Solmano’s mango-distilled Espadín. He calls it “a mezcal that marries the sipping and mixing worlds,” where tropical fruit meets roasted agave and earth. Notes of vanilla, pineapple and even a cheeky “sunscreen on the beach” quality make it memorable.
Suggested cocktail: His creation, a Mezcal Sour with Mango & Parsnip, leans into unusual flavour pairings. Using acidified parsnip juice and a mango-coconut syrup, Kong builds a cocktail that’s as playful as it is precise. The result is tropical and creamy with a vegetal edge—a true testament to what happens when bartenders experiment with mezcal beyond the usual lime and smoke.
TAYLOR KARE
DERRUMBES SAN LUIS POTOSÍ
44.1% ABV, BC: $117, 750 ML
At H Tasting Lounge in Vancouver, bar manager Taylor Kare (@ taylorkare) finds inspiration in Derrumbes San Luis Potosí. Made from salmiana agave, a varietal that can take up to 25 years to mature, it’s a mezcal he loves for its vegetal, lactic funk. “It’s the bottle I use to show guests how diverse mezcal can be,” he says.
Suggested Cocktail: Taylor’s favourite cocktail is what he calls the M&M&M or Mezcal & Maíz & Montenegro. By infusing mezcal with charred tortillas and corn silk, and Montenegro with blistered poblano peppers, he creates a spirit-forward cocktail that’s
Recipe by Taylor Kare of H Tasting Lounge, Vancouver. M&M&M
1.5 oz Derrumbes San Lois Potosi infused with corn tortilla (see note below)
1.5 oz Amaro Montenegro infused with charred poblanos (see note below)
Combine in a mixing glass with ice. Strain into a chilled rocks glass with ice. Serves 1.
To make the tortilla-infused mezcal: Char 200 g corn tortillas with a kitchen torch or on a stove top and combine with 100 g corn silk and 750 mL Derrumbes mezcal. Rest at room temperature for 48 to 72 hours before straining out solids.
To make the poblano-infused amaro: Char 200 g of fresh poblano peppers with a kitchen torch or on a stove top until blistered. Remove seeds and chop into smaller pieces, then combine with 750 mL of Amaro Montenegro. Rest at room temperature for 48 hours before straining out solids.
Photo courtesy of H Tasting Lounge
vegetal, bitter, smoky and complex. For him, it’s proof that simplicity and nuance can coexist beautifully in a glass.
CHEY HAIMA
BRIJ3 MEZCAL ESPADÍN
43% ABV, BC: $145, 750 ML
Tabytha Towe photo
At El Gato Gab Gab and Rosewood Hotel Georgia’s Reflections in Vancouver, bartender Chey Haima (@cheymonet101) champions Brij3 Espadín. The mezcal’s hand-painted bottles are as eye-catching as the liquid inside. Its profile, according to her, is lightly smoked, citrusy and herbaceous, with a smoothness that makes it easy to sip neat. “It’s incredibly balanced,” she says. “None of the flavours overwhelm.”
Suggested cocktail: Haima’s cocktail inspiration comes from the Vesper Martini. Her riff, called the Vesperado, pairs Brij3 Espadín with a citrus sake, Lillet Blanc and
vermouth, creating a clean, crisp drink that showcases mezcal’s brighter, citrus-driven side. The result is refreshing, elegant and a testament to how mezcal can elevate even the most classic of cocktails.
EMMA OSMOND DEL MAGUEY PUEBLA SINGLE VILLAGE
60% ABV, BC: $68 / ON: $66, 750ML
At Odd Duck Wine & Provisions in Kitchener, Ontario, bar manager Emma Osmond (@emmathebarwitch) often reaches for Del Maguey Puebla. She praises it as approachable for newcomers yet complex enough for seasoned drinkers. With flavours of roasted agave, citrus, pine, earth and gentle smoke, it carries a mineral-rich terroir. “This single-village mezcal comes from Puebla, near the Popocatépetl volcano, which lends both a sense of place and a touch of mystique to the spirit,” she says.
VESPERADO
Recipe by Chey Haima of El Gato Gab Gab and Reflections, Vancouver.
1.5 oz Brij3 Espadin Mezcal
0.5 oz Nakano Shuzo Co’s Citrus Mix Sake
0.75 oz Lillet Blanc
2 tsp Noilly Extra Dry Vermouth Garnish: Lemon twist
Stir ingredients (except garnish) in a mixing glass with ice until chilled and diluted. Strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass and garnish with a lemon twist. Serves 1.
Photo courtesy of Chey Haima
Suggested cocktail: Her favourite serve, the Frequent Flyer, is a mezcal twist on the Paper Plane. Built with amaro, a bitter aperitif, lemon and a salted honey syrup, it’s bittersweet and bright, with just enough salinity to highlight the mezcal’s minerality. To Osmond, it feels both familiar and adventurous, like a classic that’s taken a detour through Mexico.
MATT SINAGOGA
ILEGAL MEZCAL JOVEN
40% ABV, BC: $78 / ON: $66, 750 ML
For Toronto’s Matt Sinagoga (@mixology_matt), the man behind Mixology Matt bartending services, mezcal discovery is about finding spirits that stand out in the glass. “I like a mezcal that is the star of the show in a cocktail, and enhances the drinking experience,” he notes. That’s why his current pick is Ilegal Mezcal Joven, an unaged Espadín with eucalyptus and mineral aromatics, notes of green apple and bright citrus. This mezcal gives cocktails both structure and depth, while remaining dynamic enough to also sip neat.
FREQUENT FLYER
Recipe by Emma Osmond of Odd Duck Wine & Provisions, Kitchener.
0.75 oz Del Maguey Puebla Single Village Mezcal
0.75 oz amaro
0.75 oz bitter red aperitif
0.75 oz fresh lemon juice
1.5 tsp Sea Salted Honey Syrup (3:1) (see recipe below)
Garnish: Lemon zest, a tiny paper plane
Suggested cocktail: Sinagoga’s cocktail, the Huatulco Passion, blends passionfruit, lime, cinnamon and mezcal for a drink that evokes the tropical spice combinations he encountered in Mexico. Balanced yet bold, it’s a Daiquiri-meets-Daisy riff where mezcal shines as both anchor and highlight. The mezcal’s fresh, vegetal brightness anchors passionfruit and spice without overpowering the drink.
Add all ingredients (except garnish) into a cocktail shaker, add ice and shake well for 15 seconds. Double-strain into a coupe glass. Express lemon oil from the zest over the surface of the drink, discard, and garnish with the best paper plane you can make. Serves 1.
SEA SALTED HONEY SYRUP
(3:1)
1 cup honey
0.33 cup hot water
1 tsp sea salt
Stir all ingredients until thoroughly incorporated and dissolved. Add more salt if needed.
Photo courtesy of Emma Osmond
HUATULCO PASSION
Recipe by Matt Sinagoga, a.k.a. Mixology Matt, of Toronto.
1.5 oz Ilegal Mezcal Joven
1 oz passionfruit liqueur
1.0 oz fresh lime juice
0.75 oz Cinnamon Syrup (see recipe below)
1 dash Ms. Betters Vegan Foamer (or egg white)
Garnish: Cacao Bitters
Combine all ingredients (except garnish) in a cocktail shaker. Dry shake (without ice) until foamy, then add ice and shake for an additional 10 to15 seconds, until chilled. Double-strain into a chilled coupe glass. Add a few drops of the Cacao Bitters on top of the foam and run a cocktail pick through them to create a “bitter heart” garnish. Serves 1.
CINNAMON SYRUP
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
4 cinnamon sticks
2 tsp vanilla extract
Place all the ingredients in a small pot over medium heat. Bring mixture to a simmer theh turn heat to medium-low and keep cooking, stirring frequently, for approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat and rest for an additional 10 minutes before straining out cinnamon sticks. Pour syrup into a glass jar and keep refrigerated for up to two weeks.
Photo courtesy of Matt Sinagoga
LAST CALL
GREAT WORLD BARS WE LOVE: COSMO PONY JAKARTA
Tucked inside the iconic Grand Hyatt Jakarta, Cosmo Pony is more than a bar—it’s a destination, where the city’s vibrant energy and warm hospitality are distilled into an elevated cocktail experience. Brought to you by hospitality powerhouses Union Group of Jarkarta and the team behind Asia’s No. 3 bar, Singapore’s Jigger & Pony, it has quickly established itself as one of the region’s most compelling addresses, landing at No. 38 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2025 within its first year.
The room is a cocktail of textures and moods: vintage Italian furniture mingling with custom woodwork, soft leather brushing against lush velvet, all glowing under a warm, golden light. Two bars hum with energy, framing a charming view of Jakarta’s ever-moving traffic—romantic, almost cinematic, especially when admired with a Martini in hand.
At the heart of Cosmo Pony is its debut menu, Rising City, a poetic love letter to Jakarta and
ABOVE: GM Sylvio Daniele prepares an Ugly Banana cocktail at Cosmo Pony. BELOW: The Jakarta cocktail bar captures the city’s romantic, energetic vibe.
Indonesia’s people and bounty. Curated by general manager Silvio Daniele, the drinks balance creativity with approachability, celebrating local ingredients without overcomplication. Highlights include: the Tequila Cosmo, a playful nod to the Cosmopolitan’s ’90s heyday; the Ugly Banana, a tropical riff on the whisky sour; and the bold Black Pepper Sazerac. Large-format punch bowls and reserve premium cocktails are also on the menu if you fancy.
What makes Cosmo Pony remarkable is not only the craftsmanship of its cocktails, but the sense of place it captures. It is at once cosmopolitan and unmistakably Jakarta— sophisticated, dynamic and unafraid to charm. cosmopony.com
