The Alchemist Ontario • 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 Alex Gill on a cocktail tour of Banff and taking the elevator to the Art Deco chic of Le 9e in Montreal.

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

for when too much is just enough

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

in the mountain town by Alexandra Gill

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.

Evelyn Chick is the Torontobased founder of the event space Ahma, snack bar SIMPL THINGS and cocktail consultancy Love of Cocktails. She is also author of the book For the Love of Cocktails.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Photo courtesy of Aburi Restaurants

BAR BITES

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

MICHELIN RECOGNIZES TORONTO’S SHAYNE HERBERT

Congratulations to Shayne Herbert of Azura, who was recently named the 2024 Michelin Guide Toronto Exceptional Cocktails Award winner. He leads the bar program at Azura, an ambitious, Mediterranean-Canadian restaurant on the Danforth.

There Herbert crafts cocktails inspired by the restaurant’s seasonal tasting menu, pushing the boundaries of creativity and hewing to the principles of sustainability. He especially loves playing with unusual ingredients, such as the Turkish olive oil that goes into his signature Olive Branch cocktail.

His advice to anyone getting into the industry: “Do everything 100 per cent if you're going to do it. Go all in for sure. If you really enjoy it and you really love it, don't shy away from it, lean into that, because that's when the magic happens.”

For 2024, its third year in Canada, the Michelin Guide expanded its Ontario reach to Toronto & Region. The full selection, including Bib Gourmands and recommended eateries, now comprises 100 restaurants, representing 30 different types of cuisine.

Four new restaurants were each awarded one star: DaNico (Toronto), Hexagon (Oakville), Restaurant Pearl Morissette (Jordan Station) and The Pine (Creemore), with Restaurant Pearl Morissette also being the newest Green Star restaurant in the selection. Toronto & Region now holds 15 one Michelin-starred restaurants, two

Shayne Herbert behind the bar at Azura. Michelin.com photo

Green Stars and a single two-star restaurant, Sushi Masaki Saito.

Unfortunately, two restaurants lost their stars— Alobar Yorkville and Yukashi—while the onceacclaimed Nordic eatery Frilu closed in July.

And in addition to the Exceptional Cocktails Award, three other special awards were announced:

• Michelin Sommelier Award: Ashleigh Forster of DaNico.

• Michelin Outstanding Service Award: Lamine Martindale of Conejo Negro.

• Michelin Young Chef / Culinary Professional Award: Rafael Covarrubias of Hexagon.

For more, visit michelin.com.

MAKE IT UMAMI

The Dirty Martini is just the start. These days we love our savoury cocktails and the unexpected ingredients that add those rich umami flavours. Here are just five we’ve sampled recently in Toronto bars.

Seaweed: Bar manager Elise Hanson, winner of the 2024 Bombay Sapphire Most Imaginative Bartender Award, loves savoury cocktails. At Civil Works on Queen West, she adds a wakame seaweed distillate to The Finished Pipe, her boozy take on tom yum soup make with sake and house tom yum cordial.

Parmesan cheese: At Slice of Life in Kensington Market, Parm is grated over a Martini made with mezcal, strawberry liqueur and house-made bitter-chocolate liqueur, and the whole drink garnished with pink peppercorns.

Compton Ave's Umami Old Fashioned. Instagram.com/barcomptonave photo

Soy sauce: At Compton Ave., the new Britishthemed bar in Little Portugal from Bar Chef’s Frankie Solarik, a soy reduction adds a deep savoury note to the Umami Old Fashioned (bourbon, pandan syrup, maple syrup, a soy reduction and lapsang souchong bitters).

Olive oil: At Azura on Danforth Avenue, Shayne Herbert emulsifies Turkish olive oil with gin, lemon and basil, in a drink called the Olive Branch.

Pickles: The team at World’s Best Barsanointed Bar Pompette loves playing with unexpected ingredients, such as hay, beeswax, whey and the pickle distillate in their popular Cornichon Martini.

Bar Pompette's Cornichon Martini. Instagram.com/ barpompette_to photo

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 award-winning 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. 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

Much has 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 U.S. Senator Cory Booker to the actor Jason Momoa. 100MillionAcres.org

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, go to: thealchemistmagazine.ca/vcw

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

Insights from inside

A VERY PERSONAL LOOK AT WHAT IT TAKES TO OPEN A SUCCESSFUL BAR

by Evelyn Chick

Opening a bar in Toronto, where every corner of the city seems to be filled with vibrant and eclectic spots, can be as challenging, intimidating and thrilling. It poses even more challenges when you are a self-funded solo entrepreneur, especially when you are known not for your business acumen, your operational skills or your taste in food and wine, but for something as specific as cocktails. In a city celebrated for its diverse culinary and drinkscape, making a mark requires more than just good food and drinks. It demands a vision.

So when I decided to open a bar after the pandemic, I knew that it would have to be something exciting, new and out of the box. It would also have to be authentically me.

The inception of SIMPL THINGS was serendipitous. I was initially on the hunt for another event space to complement my existing venue, Ahma (named after my grandma, the most passionate and driven person I know), when I stumbled upon what would soon transform into a dynamic, all-day cocktail and snack bar.

SIMPL was previously a wine bar, sharing a wall with a burger joint. It came with a patio (which was very desirable at the time) and the rent wasn’t overly unaffordable. The

The Savana Bananas is a Daiquiri-style cocktail made with SIMPL rum blend, sherry, lemon and caramelized banana. Jessica Blaine Smith photos

wheels started turning. From all the popups, incubations and collaborations I did at Ahma when all the restaurants and bars were shuttered, surely I could pull together a culinary team to do something quite unique. Besides, I had a solid cocktail concept— nostalgic, familiar ingredients, but put together in a “what the heck is this” way.

My vision was crystal clear: to forge a welcoming space where, no matter the time of day, people could enjoy excellent drinks, delicious food and even better company. Two rooms, a duo kitchen concept, one very very good bar. Italian during the day; neo Chinese at night. Spritzes and fizzes and quick bottled cocktails during the day; by night, well-thought-out cocktails that are incredibly complex in flavour, but simple in execution. A diverse, fun and approachable wine list and a good amount of zero proofs. We got this.

In late 2022, SIMPL THINGS opened its doors.

A HAPPY SPACE

Step inside and you’ll find a space that is intentionally warm and inviting, with rounded corners and a warm colour palette of orange, yellow and purples. You literally can’t not be happy here.

Located in the up-and-coming yet still rougharound-the-edges neighbourhood of Parkdale, SIMPL THINGS has an esthetic that is deeply personal, paying homage to the feel-good moments of my life. For instance, the back bar is stacked with brightly coloured shaker sets and vintage glassware I’ve collected through the years.

The open-kitchen concept is designed to make you feel like you’re in someone else’s home, cooking and conversing freely, while the bar area mimics a living room, fostering a sense of community. And the service plays a part in that, too.

In service training, the language welcoming guests to the bar was important. It wasn’t necessarily about the skill level anyone had for mixing a cocktail or picking the perfect wine. It was about their passion for hospitality and the desire to become better as a whole. I am blessed to have an all-female bar team who absolutely adore taking care of guests, and that makes SIMPL THINGS the special place it is for our guests.

The room is designed to be bright, cheerful and very personal.

The structure of the business is daring. Our resident chefs own their respective backof-house kitchens as if they were renting a chair at a barbershop. I believe that this unique arrangement speaks to a modern-day partnership, where you allow each individual to do what they do best.

As an owner/operator I take care of front of house, while the chefs have the autonomy, responsibility and creative freedom to simply make delicious food.

In its first two years, SIMPL has weathered its fair share of challenges, including a massive flood, several kitchen revamps, power outages and all the complexities of establishing a new concept in a competitive market. Yet, despite these hurdles, the bar has garnered a handful of accolades such as making Canada’s 100 Best, North America’s 50 Best Bars One to Watch, Toronto Life’s Best Restaurants 2023 and the long list for Air Canada enRoute Best New Restaurants 2023.

Is it a bar? Is it a restaurant? In the end, does it really matter? SIMPL THINGS transcends these labels, offering a space that everyone can call home. It’s about creating an atmosphere that stands out not just for its food and drink, but for the memories and moments it creates for anyone, anytime.

Where to drink right now in Hong Kong

by Charlene Rooke

Asia is one of the world’s hottest bar scenes, and Hong Kong is one of its hotspots—and home to the recently named No. 1 in Asia’s Best Bars 2024. If you’re lucky enough to be staying at a hotel in the waterside Central ’hood, here’s what an epic cocktail crawl up the city’s escalators, stairs and levels might look like.

The Aubrey, named No.10 in Asia’s Best Bars 2024, has expansive 25th-floor views of the harbour. Photo courtesy of Hong Kong Tourist Board

THE AUBREY

The Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong houses leafy, 25th-floor The Aubrey (No. 10 bar in Asia), with drool-worthy 25th-floor views of the harbour. It looks traditional but functions as a Japanese izakaya spotlighting edgy shochu cocktails and dining. Sip Cheek to Cheek (an evolved Painkiller with reams of coconut

and pineapple plus rum, sherry and shochu) or a drink made with the locally distilled Mandarin 60 botanical spirit.

At Mostly Harmless, they not only know your name, but they write it on the white-tiled walls. Photo courtesy Hong Kong Tourism Board

ARTIFACT

In the basement of Jardin House, beyond the BaseHall food hall and hidden behind iridescent windows and unmarked white doors, find Artifact. It’s a posh hideaway for spirits nerds, led by VenezuelanAmerican bartender Ezra Star. (For more modest vibes, try her charmingly hospitable Mostly Harmless, a homey “farm-to-glass” bar where they not only know your name, they write it in marker on the white-tiled walls.) The interior resembles a Gaudi building and the drinks, in a subway-themed menu, will similarly

wow. You’re trying Star’s signature drink: the 1910, a bitter, dark, complex nightcap for the ages.

ARGO

At the Four Seasons Hong Kong, Argo is a glassy, glittery room with an unexpectedly wild, innovative heart. Try a Martini diluted not with ice but with chilled citrus or savoury hydrosols for good-to-the-lastdrop flavour, or the GOAT Evolution flight of mini-Manhattan riffs. The adventurous will pick their cocktail base spirit from

the Argo Field Guide list, like Monker’s Garkel, the world’s first AI-created gin, or Glyph, a molecular-aged whisky.

THE GREEN DOOR

The speakeasy-like entrance here is, you guessed it, an unmarked Green Door. This sexy, dim bar gives all its perfectly executed cocktails women’s names. Summery Diane is a pandan-infused gin and ginger beef highball, with a hint of cardamon and a heap of crushed ice.

THE OPPOSITES

Two Diageo World Class cocktail champs gently rival it out at newly opened The Opposites. The concept is fraternal-twin drinks riffing on the same ingredients

Try the GOAT Evolution flight of mini Manhattans at Argo. Photo courtesy Hong Kong Tourism Board

The Left Bank cocktail at Lockdown. Instagram.com/ Lockdown_HK photo

Selling Seashells is a Pimm’s-inspired cocktail in a charming shell-shaped glass. Photo courtesy of Hong Kong Tourism Board

with crazy-different results. For instance, Selling Seashells explores the savoury side of Pimm’s in a shell-shaped vessel topped with cucumber seafoam, while Son of Pimm’s is fruity and creamy. If you’re a molecular mixology fan, this place is your jam.

LOCKDOWN AND PENICILLIN

There are perpetual lineups for Penicillin (No. 24 among Asia’s Best Bars), so think of Lockdown as a chill, steampunk-ish waiting room. Look for the toilet and ladder in the window: That’s the bar team’s cheeky way of signalling they’ve climbed out of the crappy pandemic era. Try a fennel-pollen-dusted Left Bank (Port, absinthe and elderflower) or splurge on a drink made from an intriguing vintage spirits collection. Watch out for the (literally) turning tables!

COA

Named for the agave-harvesting

implement, COA is a three-time former winner of Asia’s Best Bar and was No. 4 this year. It’s a warm, casual tequila and mezcal den with a 40-plus page spirits list

through which proprietor Jay Khan and his team will happily guide. Once you’ve tasted a flight from this back bar of fine 100 per cent agave, additive-free spirits, you’ll never go back to any other. The same team runs The Savory Project nearby (No. 19 on Asia’s Best Bars 2024), home of a stunning Thai Beef Salad & Gari Gari drink complete with beefy garnish, and other culinary cocktails from the upstairs drink lab.

KINSMAN

Canadian-born journalist Gavin Yeung has created an exciting new bar that, like him, has a foot in both West and East; that’s young (opened last winter) but feels like it’s been of this place forever. Think traditional Hong Kong diner crossed with an American soda fountain, as realized by Wes Anderson movie set designers. Unique Cantonese spirits that Yeung discovered

COA is a tequila and mezcal bar with a 40-page plus spirits list. Photo courtesy of Hong Kong Tourism Board

Try the Kowloon Dairy at Kinsman. Photo courtesy of Hong Kong Tourism Board

during pandemic-era personal mixology create entirely new and unique drinks at Kinsman, like a Papaya Van Winkle made with papaya-wine and garnished with edible snow fungus; or a creamy-topped Kowloon Dairy made with roselle and magnolia liqueurs.

THE OLD MAN

Named the Best Bar in Asia 2019, this still-rocking spot (named for a Hemingway novel, as all the drinks are) is now “The Old Man” in bar-years, but still delivers. Up a steep road and down some steep stairs, this tiny and always-packed space levels any barriers between bar guest and ’tender (no-back-bar is the world’s hottest trend right now), churning out an impossible volume of great drinks from a low, flat counter at the centre of a U-shaped bar.

BAR LEONE

Have you just wandered into a local, circa1960s bar in Rome’s Trastavere ’hood (think: girlie calendars, mid-century Italian film and pop-culture memorabilia) — or

are you in Asia’s Best Bar 2024 and Tales of the Cocktail’s Best New International Bar 2024, Bar Leone? Storming into the top spot in its first year of business, this “cocktail popolari” bar offers laid-back, tweaked classics: Get the dark-hued Negroni alongside a crispy, fatty, irresistible mortadella sammy. Don’t forget to visit the restroom-adjacent photo booth and pick up the coolest bar T-shirt of the moment before you leave!

GOKAN

Following his Japanese-style bars Sober Company in Shanghai and SG (stands for Sip and Guzzle) Club in Tokyo and New York, founder Shingo Gokan has launched namesake bar Gokan, meaning “five senses” in Japanese. Aptly, the bar concentrates on great food to match memorable pan-Asian drinks like a Khun Tommy’s, a fresh Margarita riff made tropical with lemongrass, coconut and pineapple.

Pair the Negroni with a mortadella sandwich at Bar Leone. Photo courtesy of Hong Kong Tourism Board

At Gokan, Khum Tommy’s is a fresh and tropical riff on the Margarita. Photo courtesy of Hong Kong Tourism Board

The secret is out

MEXICO CITY’S HANDSHAKE SPEAKEASY

TOPS THE WORLD’S 50 BEST BARS

by Alchemist staff

If you think the speakeasy trend is over, well, think again. When The World’s 50 Best Bars 2024 were announced on October 22, a Mexican City speakeasy took the No. 1 spot—the second time in recent years that a speakeasy has won. (The Barcelona speakeasy Paradiso, which is accessed through a pastrami shop, won in 2022.)

It’s the first time CDMX has topped this global chart, but anyone who has visited knows it is a terrific city for cocktails. The winning Handshake Speakeasy is a terrific example of what makes it so great. Secreted behind a black door marked with a silver number 13, it is a Prohibition-themed enclave where bar director and co-owner Eric Van Beek has built a shrine to molecular mixology. It’s a must on any cocktail-loving traveller’s list.

Canada once again did not make the top 50 list; however, Toronto’s Bar Pompette was recognized at No. 70 and Calliope Draper, a bartender at Edmonton’s Partake, received The 50 Best Bars Roku Scholarship, in recognition for her role as a transgender leader creating safer spaces for all in the hospitality realm.

Overall, the 2024 list features bars from 28 cities with 16 new entries spread across Bangkok, Bogotá, Guadalajara, Hong Kong, Lima, Melbourne, Mexico City, Milan, New York, Paris, São Paulo, Singapore and Tokyo.

The team from Mexico's Handshake Speakeasy is named No. 1 in The World’s 50 Best Bars. Photo courtesy of World’s 50 Best

In addition:

• Monica Berg of London’s Taye¯r + Elementary won the Roku Industry Icon Award.

• Singapore’s Cat Bite Club received the Campari One to Watch Award.

• Zest in Seoul won the Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award.

• Buenos Aires’ Florería Atlántico claimed the title of Rémy Martin Legend of the List.

• Superbueno, in New York, was named London Essence Best New Opening.

• Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu Award was awarded to Lyaness in London.

• The winner of the Bareksten Best Bar Design Award is Himkok in Oslo.

For more details and the full list of winners, visit the worlds50best.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.

ONTARIO DISTILLERY LISTINGS

YOUR GUIDE TO THE SPIRIT MAKERS

These distilleries in Ontario produce everything from vodka to vermouth. Start exploring them here— and find a complete list of Canada's distilleries at thealchemistmagazine.ca.

Beattie's Distillers

Alliston beattiesdistillers.com

Black's Distillery Peterborough blacksdistillery.com

Canadian Mist Distillers Collingwood canadianmist.com

Collective Arts Distilling Hamilton collectiveartsbrewing.com

Copper Rose Distillery Windsor collectiveartsbrewing.com/ distilling

Copperhead Distillery and Spirits Sundridge copperhead-distillery.com

Crosscut Distillery Sudbury crosscutdistillery.ca

Dairy Distillery Almonte dairydistillery.com

Dillon’s Small Batch Distillers Beamsville dillons.ca

Dixon's Distilled Spirits Guelph dixonsdistilledspirits.com

Dunrobin Distilleries

Dunrobin dunrobindistilleries.com

Elora Distilling Company

Elora eloradistillingcompany.com

Forty Creek Distillery Grimsby fortycreekwhisky.com

Georgian Bay Spirit Co. North York georgianbayspiritco.com

Heretic Spirits Collingwood hereticspirits.com

Hiram Walker & Sons Distillery Windsor jpwisers.com

Junction 56 Distillery Stratford junction56.ca

Kings Lock Craft Distillery Johnstown klcraftdistillery.ca

Kinsip House of Fine Spirits Bloomfield kinsip.ca

Laneway Distillers Niagara lanewaygin.com

Last Straw Distillery Concord laststrawdistillery.com

Limited Distilling Niagara-on-the-Lake limiteddistillery.com

Magnotta Distillery Woodbridge magnotta.com

Manns Distillery Brantford mannsdistillery.com

Maverick Distillery Toronto maverickdirect.ca

Murphy's Law Distillery Elmira murphyslawmoonshine.com

Niagara College Distillery Niagara-on-the-Lake ncteachingdistillery.ca

Niagara Falls Craft Distillers

Niagara Falls niagarafallscraftdistillers.ca

Nickel 9 Distillery Toronto nickel9distillery.com

North of 7 Distillery Ottawa northof7distillery.ca

O’Kenny Craft Spirits Pembroke okenny.ca

Old Son’s Distillery oldsonsdistillery.ca

Paradigm Spirits Co. London paradigmspirits.com

Polonée Disillery St. Catharines polonee.ca

Reid's Distillery Toronto reidsdistillery.com

Rheault Distillery Hearst rheaultdistillery.ca

Silver Fox Distillery Arthur silverfoxdistillery.ca

Spirit of York Distillery Toronto spiritofyork.com

Spring Mill Distillery Guelph springmilldistillery.com

Stalk and Barrel Distillery stalkandbarrel.com

Still Waters Distillery Concord stillwatersdistillery.com

Strati Spirits Tyendinaga stratispirits.ca

Tawse Winery & Distillery Vineland tawsewinery.ca

Top Shelf Distillers Perth topshelfdistillers.com

Vieni Estates Wine and Spirits Beamsville vieni.ca

Wayne Gretzky Estate Winery & Distillery Niagara-on-the-Lake waynegretzkyestates.com

Willibald Farm Distillery Ayr drinkwillibald.com

Wolfhead Distillery McGregor drinkwolfhead.com

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.