The Alchemist • Issue 13 • Fall/Winter 2019

HEAD GAMES

Mental health behind the bar

VERMOUTH

Bitter, sweet and so delicious

VEGAN COCKTAILS

Drinks made with compassion

PACK A PUNCH

The key ingredient for all your parties

VANCOUVER’S NEWEST NEGRONI BAR

CHECK OUT OUR HAPPY HOUR

08 – BAR BITES

News from the world of cocktails and spirits

14 – A NIMAL INSTINCTS

Sip sustainably with these vegan cocktails

by Gail Johnson

20 – HEY, B A RTENDER

Who’s taking care of the people who take care of you? by Alex Black

24 – VERMOUT H

Aromatized wines to shake up your cocktail routine by Charlene

Rooke

28 – FRANK D EITER

Catching up with the father of B.C. craft spirits by Tim Pawsey

31 – HOME BAR

A step-by-step guide to the essentials of punch by Justin Taylor

36 – C LASSICS: K IR R OYALE

The swellegant cocktail of the resistance by Joanne Sasvari

40 – S TILL LI FE

Collaborations: the beginnings of a beautiful friendship by Charlene Rooke

photo

44 – T ASTING PANEL

A sampling of rye whiskies

50-57 – D ISTILLERY LISTINGS

Our guide to B.C. distilleries

58 – TH E L AST WORD

Chili Chocolate Manhattan

Dan Toulgoet photo

Dan Toulgoet

Contributors

Joanne Sasvari is the editor of The Alchemist and Vitis magazines. She is a WSET-certified writer-editor who covers food, drink and travel for a variety of publications, and is the author of the Wickaninnish and Vancouver Eats cookbooks.

Alex Black is a bartender and mental health advocate. He has spent over 15 years either standing behind or managing a bar in casual restaurants, pool halls, nightclubs, fine-dining restaurants and karaoke bars.

Gail Johnson is a Vancouverbased writer and broadcaster, fitness instructor, mom, and former longtime waiter and bartender.

Tim Pawsey (a.k.a. The Hired Belly) writes and shoots at hiredbelly.com as well as for Where Vancouver, Quench, TASTE and Montecristo. He’s an original judge for the BC Lieutenant Governor’s Awards for Excellence.

Charlene Rooke is a Certified Specialist of Spirits and a Moonshine University-trained craft distiller who writes for EnRoute, Taste and Food & Drink.

ON THE COV ER

UP TO DATE

Justin Taylor has been mixing it up behind the bars of Toronto and Vancouver for almost two decades. He is currently general manager of The Cascade Room in Vancouver.

Toulgoet

In this updated classic, Homer Street Café lead bartender Rob Scope uses Lot 40 rye whisky for its boldly spiced flavour. For more on rye, see page 44.

1.25 oz Lot 40 Single Copper Pot Still Rye Whisky

1.25 oz Manzanilla sherry

0.25 oz Grand Marnier

2 dashes Angostura bitters

Add all ingredients to a chilled mixing glass. Add ice and stir until well chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and zest with a lemon peel. Serves 1.

Dan

photo

As the days get colder and shorter, we turn to dark spirits, deep flavours and slow-sipping cocktails, the kinds of drinks best enjoyed over thoughtful conversation.

And so this issue of The Alchemist is filled not just with great cocktail ideas, but great ideas in general. In Hey, Bartender, Alex Black encourages us to take the mental health of our hospitality workers more seriously. Gail Johnson samples vegan cocktails that are as kind to our animal friends as they are enjoyable for us. Charlene Rooke looks at how producers are supporting each other through clever collaborations. And our tasting panel has a lively debate about the merits of American vs Canadian rye whisky.

Meanwhile, Tim Pawsey catches up with Frank Deiter, the craft distiller who kickstarted the B.C. industry, Justin Taylor explains how to build a great party punch and, whether your taste runs bitter or bubbly, we offer great drink ideas for all your holiday entertaining.

Plus we have a complete guide to B.C.’s distilleries, the latest spirited news and plenty of thirst-quenching recipes. For even 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: Kelsey Klassen

CONTRIBUTING

PHOTOGRAPHER: Dan Toulgoet TheAlchemistMagazine.ca

@TheAlchemistBC

@TheAlchemistMag

Published by: Glacier Media Group 303 West 5th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Y 1J6 604-742-8678

© The Alchemist 2019

This issue is complimentary.

Dan Toulgoet photo

This sweet-tart limoncello is easy to make with Justin Taylor’s oleo saccharum base (page 31). Find the recipe at thealchemistmagazine.ca

BAR BITES

NEWS A N D N OTES FROM BEHI N D THE BAR A N D AROU N D THE WORLD OF COCKTAILS A N D SPIRITS

C OMING IN JANUARY...

The Punch Brunch, a Vancouver Cocktail Week preview, presented by The Alchemist in collaboration with DineOut Vancouver. For info, follow along at dineoutvancouver.com and thealchemistmagazine.ca.

D RINK LIKE A CRITIC W IT H T H IS NE W TOUR

If you’re going to Dine Like A Critic, you’d better drink like one, too.

Alexandra Gill is perhaps best known as the long-time Vancouver restaurant critic for The Globe and Mail, but she is also the new editor of Canada’s Best Bars. So it’s no surprise that she has put cocktail pairings on the menu of her new luxury food tour company.

The Downtown Fine Dining Tour includes a one-hour stop at the Botanist in the Fairmont Pacific Rim—number 9 on the Top 50. After a tour of the cocktail laboratory, guests sit down to four courses (liquid and solid) including at least one of the bar’s high-concept lab drinks. “These are some of the most innovative cocktails in the country made by one of the best bars teams in the world,” says Gill. “It’s an honour to showcase them on my tours in this new way.”

The tours are $350, all inclusive. For more info or to book your own tour, visit dinelikeacritic.com.

Photo courtesy of Alexandra Gill

F LI P F OR TH IS F ROT HY H ALLO W EEN COCKTAIL

G RAVEYARD FLI P

Meringue:

3 egg whites

1 oz crème de cassis

Cocktail:

0.75 oz Evan Williams bourbon

0.25 oz Fernet Branca

2 tsp Laphroaig 10 Year Old single malt whisky

0.75 oz lemon juice

0.5 oz maple syrup

1 dash Angostura bitters

1 egg yolk

Garnish: Grated chocolate, granulated sugar, (optional) brandied cherries

Halloween is the most spooktacular night of the year for a party; it’s just too bad Halloween cocktails are almost universally frightful. Weird colours, creepy garnishes, far too much dry ice, dubious vessels—you might as well stick to the classic Zombies and Bloody Marys, right?

Not if Wyeth Maiers has his say. The bar manager at UVA Wine & Cocktail Bar has created a Halloween cocktail that is both clever and complicated and, most importantly, delicious.

“A while back a friend and myself were discussing contrasting methods of using the egg whites and the yolk differently in cocktails, and for it to come together nicely,” Maiers says. That led to the creation of the Graveyard Flip, in which he uses a reverse dry shake to make a torched meringue topping, then dry-shakes a frothy egg yolk cocktail base, and combines them to create two effects in one.

Make the cassis egg white meringue: Charge a whipped cream canister twice with a N20 charge to get that extra frothiness, then add the 3 egg whites and crème de cassis. Shake vigorously and put aside.

Place the cocktail ingredients into a shaker without ice. Dry shake vigorously to froth the egg yolk, then add ice and shake again. Fine strain into a Collins glass and add ice.

Very slowly top with the meringue—you want it to sit on top, not mix in with the cocktail. Sprinkle grated chocolate and sugar on top of the egg whites, then, using a blow torch, crisp the top of the egg whites. If you like, add two brandied cherries or any other garnish you prefer. Serves 1.

“When I was given the task to create a Halloween cocktail for UVA, I knew this would be perfect opportunity to use this method as the scorched-earth effect would tie in nicely with Halloween,” he says. “What I love about Halloween is quite simple: I love the creativity and how much effort people put into it.”

Created by Wyeth Maiers, bar manager at UVA Wine & Cocktail Bar.

Photo courtesy of Uva Wine & Cocktail Bar

C OOL C OGNAC: FELI P E PANTONE X HENNESSY V.S.

But what about the liquid in this very colourful bottle? This Very Special Cognac is a blend of distinctly expressive eaux-de-vie, with aromas of fresh fruit and pecans on the nose and, on the palate, flavours of toasted almonds, apples and grapes, and a medium finish. It’s as ideal for sipping over ice as it is a base for elegant cocktails.

The limited Felipe Pantone x Hennessy V.S. is available at both private and government retailers in B.C. for a suggested price of $66.99.

If you like someone very much (especially if it’s yourself), this holiday season consider gifting them the latest of Hennessy’s famed artist collaborations, the Felipe Pantone x Hennessy V.S.

The limited-edition Cognac release is the ninth in in the Hennessy artist series— previous installations featured works by Vhils, KAWS and Futura, among others.

It features the futuristic art of Pantone, an Argentinian-Spanish artist known for his Op-Art-influenced installations, graffiti and other designs featuring bold colours and geometrical patterns. The original artwork, entitled W-3 Dimensional Three Stars, was inspired by the historic advertising and packaging he found in the 250-year-old Cognac maison’s archives. Pantone calls it “Remixing the Present.”

INDUSTRY EVENTS

PORTLAND C OCKTAIL WEEK

This one is for bartenders only. From November 10 to 15, the brightest lights in the cocktail world will gather in PDX for a business-focused training curriculum that covers everything from anti-waste initiatives to bar ownership/management and consulting gigs.

portlandcocktailweek.com

FORTI F Y C ON F ERENCE

The second annual Artisan Fermenters and Distillers Business Conference and Tradeshow will be held November 19 at the Penticton Lakeside Resort & Conference Centre in Penticton. If you own a distillery, brewery or winery (or wish you did), be sure to attend this important session spearheaded by Elysian Projects’ Sandra Oldfield. fortifyconference.ca

C OSY UP WIT H A GOOD READ

Canadian Spirits: The Essential Cross-country Guide to Distilleries, Their Spirits and Where to Imbibe Them by Stephen Beaumont and Christine Sismondo (Nimbus Publishing, $29.95)

Two of Canada’s top spirits writers have compiled a comprehensive guide to the assortment of hooch produced from coast to coast to coast in this country. This is the essential book about the industry’s history and its future, covering more than 160 producers ranging from the behemoth Hiram-Walker in Windsor, Ontario, to Vancouver’s tiny Odd Society Spirits. Available October 31.

Great Northern Cocktails by Shawn Soole (Mixellany, $33)

The Victoria-based barman explores all that is shaken, stirred, muddled and mixed across Canada in more than 130 recipes from top bartenders from Victoria to Halifax. The book also includes bartending tips, a range of easy-to-follow homemade ingredients, and a glossary so even novice mixers can follow along. October 1.

Craft Cocktails: Seasonally Inspired Drinks and Snacks from Our Sipping Room by Geoff Dillon and Whitney Roroson (Penguin Canada, $26.95)

The founder of Dillon’s Small Batch Distillers and leader of Ontario’s craft distilling movement has gathered a collection of cocktails for every season and recipes for the perfect snacks to enjoy with them. Think: Royal Velvet cocktail with Roasted Cranberry Flatbreads and Blackberry-Topped Brie. October 1.

The Martini Cocktail: A Meditation on the World’s Greatest Drink, with Recipes, by Robert Simonson (Potter/Ten Speed/ Harmony/Rodale, $24.99)

The first book in decades to celebrate and explore the history of this iconic cocktail comes from one of the most prolific drinks writers around. It includes 50 recipes, including one for the first martini recipe published in 1888, as well as modern versions by the world’s best bartenders. Out now.

How to Be Sober and Keep Your Friends: A Helpful Guide by Flic Everett (Quadrille, $28.99)

Tackling the topical issue of sobriety with wit, humour and helpful tips, this is the book you need to navigate all those awkward social occasions when you’re not drinking, but everyone else is. December 17.

Whether you’re looking for a new recipe or a great gift, these boozy books have you covered GREAT NORTHERN COCKTAILS GREAT

COCKTAILSNORTHERN SHAWN SOOLE SHAWN SOOLE

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

With so many exciting events coming up, you won’t have a moment of boredom all winter long.

TORONTO C OCKTAIL WEEK

Get your kicks in the Six this fall: The six-day festival of all things boozy returns October 15 to 20, bringing together bars, brands and bartenders—as well as consumers, of course—to celebrate the city’s evolving cocktail scene. TCW will be shaking things up with a neighbourhood-focused bar guide, themed gala events, guided, seminars and pop-up bars featuring familiar faces from Vancouver. torontococktailweek.ca

A RT O F T H E COCKTAIL

The Alchemist is pleased to sponsor Western Canada’s most important cocktail festival October 19 in beautiful downtown Victoria. Some 900 attendees will gather at the Grand Tasting to sip and sample cocktails and products from 40 exhibitors pouring more than 60 spirits. Plus there will be masterclasses, guided tastings and more fun than you can shake a cobbler at during this fundraiser for the Victoria Film Festival. artofthecocktail.ca

D INE O UT VANCOUVER FESTIVAL

Beer halls, brunch crawls, plenty of dinners and more than a few cocktails—that’s what you can expect at this annual foodie fest, January 17 to February 2. Canada’s largest food and drink festival comprises 17 days of culinary tours, cooking competitions, workshops, debates, winemaker’s dinners and pop-up events, as well as prix fixe meals at hundreds of restaurants. dineoutvancouver.com

HO P SCOTC H FESTIVAL

If you love whisky—and beer, and spirits—you won’t want to miss this grand celebration of all the delicious thing you can make from fermented and distilled grains. The event kicks off on November 18 with master classes and dinners, but the main attraction is on Friday and Saturday, November 23 and 24, when the crowds descend on the PNE Forum to sample from thousands of craft and premium beers, scotch and other whiskies, and a selection of other spirits, wine and food. hospcotchfestival.com

S CIENCE O F C OCKTAILS

Think it’s too early to plan for February 6? Think again—tickets are already selling fast for this fifth annual celebration of the art of mixology, with the city’s top bartenders and chefs gathering at Telus World of Science to showcase all they can do using the magic of science. scienceworld.ca/cocktails

Science of Coctails photo

Art of the Cocktail photo

Very vegan

NO EGGS OR DAIRY? NO PROBLEM FOR THESE BARTENDERS

by Gail Johnson

COCONUT GRASSHOPPER

Recipe by Key Party’s Rachel Zottenburg.

1.5 oz coconut cream

1 oz crème de menthe

1 oz crème de cacao

Put everything into a shaker, add ice and shake vigorously. Double strain into small coupe. Garnish with mint leaf. Serves 1.

Berglind Hafsteinsdottir photo

The Pink Lady, Pisco Sour and Ramos Gin Fizz have at least one thing in common: their frothy, silky top. The luscious foam traditionally comes from shaken egg whites, the flavourless, foamy ingredient lending the drinks a smooth and creamy texture.

Bartenders’ use of albumen is nothing new. Alongside the rise of contemporary cocktail culture, however, has been the growing trend of veganism.

What are those who eschew animal products to do when craving a traditional Whisky Flip or Clover Club? The same question applies to drinks containing milk or cream. Grasshoppers may be green, but they certainly don’t cut it for proponents of a strictly plant-based diet.

W E DO N ’T USE A N Y EGGS I N OUR COCKTAILS, A N D AQUAFABA IS A VERY N ICE REPLACER THAT GIVES US VERY FLUFFY, FOAMY VEGA N DRI N KS.

To meet the dietary needs of more and more consumers, creative cocktail makers have come up with all sorts of vegan adaptations of drinks that typically call for eggs or dairy.

For Claire Wyrostok, offering vegan cocktails is essential at Vancouver’s Black Lodge, the Twin Peaks-themed restaurant and bar she co-owns with Brad Mackinnon.

“The restaurant is vegetarian, but we aim to make everything on menu possible to be vegan, and the whole cocktail menu is vegan,” says Wyrostok, who’s vegetarian herself. “We don’t use any eggs in our cocktails, and aquafaba is a very nice replacer that gives us very fluffy, foamy vegan drinks.”

“Aquafaba” is the name for the water that chickpeas and other legumes are cooked in and the liquid you drain after opening a can of such pulses. Like egg whites, the

EMP RESS

2 oz Mount Gay XO rum

0.75 oz lemon juice

0.75 oz turmeric honey

1 oz aquafaba

2 dashes Bittered Sling Arabica Co ee bitters

Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin and dry shake with one ice cube to aerate the aquafaba. Fill shaker with ice, and hard shake. Fine-strain into a chilled large coupe. Garnish with a dried flower. Serves 1.

Recipe by Katie Ingram, bar manager at Elisa Steakhouse.

Leila Kwok photo

brine acts as an emulsifier, changing the surface tension of a drink to create foam.

Wyrostok likes using aquafaba not just because it doesn’t come from an animal, but because it’s lower in calories than egg whites, has a lower risk of foodborne illness, is safe for people with egg allergies, and doesn’t have the odour that egg whites can emit. (Wyrostok says the substance can also replace eggs in other recipes too, from meringue to angel food cake to dressings.)

“As a restaurant owner, it’s a dream working with it,” she says. “It’s shelfstable. It’s an easier, safer product. Taste-wise, I find it undetectable. It’s an odourless, tasteless emulsifier.”

Elisa Steakhouse bar manager Katie Ingram uses aquafaba as a substitute for egg whites on request in cocktails like the Earl Grey Martini 2.0 and Divine Rabbits. She wanted to divert kitchen waste while at the same time create delicious

WONDERLUST

1.5 oz white rum (preferably Flor de Caña 4)

0.75 oz banana liqueur (preferably Gi ard Banane du Brésil)

0.5 oz smoky scotch (preferably Ardbeg 10 year)

0.75 oz lemon juice

0.5 oz coconut syrup (see note)

0.5 oz aquafaba

alternatives for diners with dietary preferences.

“We’re delighted to find that many of our guests really enjoy the aquafaba as a substitute in their cocktails,” Ingram says. “When I was competing in the [Diageo] World Class Canada national finals this year, we had a mini Amazing Race challenge where you and a partner would run around Whistler with clues to secure ingredients for a black-box challenge. One of the clues led us to a taste challenge, where they made us two Talisker 10 Sours: one with egg white and one with aquafaba. The judges were impressed at how many of us preferred the aquafaba to the egg white in our drinks.”

Coconut makes for an effective dairy replacement, depending on the drink. The Key Party’s Rachel Zottenburg

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and dry shake (without ice). Add ice to shaker and shake again. Strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with three sprigs cilantro. Serves 1.

Note: To make coconut syrup, combine one part sugar, one part water and one part dry coconut in a saucepan over medium heat; simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cool and then strain out coconut.

Recipe by YEW seafood + bar’s Todd Zimmerman.

YEW seafood + bar photo

makes the Mount Pleasant bar’s vegan Grasshopper with coconut cream, while YEW seafood + bar bartender Todd Zimmerman opts for coconut syrup in the tropical Wonderlust (which also contains aquafaba). At Pourhouse, bar manager Adam Domet reinvents a classic milk punch with coconut milk.

Angie Quaale, the owner of Langley’s Well Seasoned, A Gourmet Food Store, uses a combination of coconut milk, coconut cream and unsweetened chocolate almond milk for a vegan Irish cream. She says hemp or oat milk are other vegan alternatives to dairy, without the coconutty flavour.

P ERSO N ALLY, I HAVE N ’T USED A N EGG WHITE O N A BAR I N ABOUT FOUR YEARS.

Vancouver-based Ms. Better’s Bitters has been making its eggless Miraculous Foamer since 2016, after operating partner Philip Unger, a food scientist, crafted a plant-based formula for a friend with egg allergies. Brand ambassador Tarquin Melnyk, a local bartender, won’t divulge what makes up the shelf-stable, water-soluble vegan product, other than it consists of three organic botanicals macerated in a neutral spirit.

“It was readily apparent that whether someone had an allergy, is vegan, or is just simply unsure about using egg whites, that this product was sure to find an audience,” Melnyk says. “Bartenders love

C OCONUT M ILK PUNC H

1.5 oz coconut milk

1 oz Bu alo Trace Bourbon

1 oz Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva Rum

2 tsp simple syrup (see note)

1 drop vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and add ice. Shake until well chilled, about eight seconds. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a light dusting of cinnamon. Serves 1.

Note: To make simple syrup, bring 1 cup each sugar and water to a simmer, stirring frequently, until sugar is fully dissolved.

to be able to innovate. All of the drinks we serve at the Long Table [Distillery] Lounge are completely vegan. Personally, I haven’t used an egg white on a bar in about four years.”

Find more vegan cocktail recipes at thealchemistmagazine.ca.

Photo courtesy of Sheringham Distillery

The tropical vibes of this updated classic come from Adam Domet of Pourhouse.

Chris Giannakos photo

Vancouver’s Jeff Savage among top tier at Diageo World Class

A LTHOUGH SIN GAPORE TAKES THE TITLE, CAN ADA O N CE AGAI N SHAKES UP THE WORLD’S BIGGEST COCKTAIL COMPETITIO N

Note: This is the third in an Alchemist series following Diageo World Class 2019 from planning the competition to the National Final in Whistler and through to the Global Final in Scotland.

Hecame so close. Vancouver’s Jeff Savage made it to the final eight at the Diageo World Class Final. And he won the Singleton State of Mind award. But in the end, the diminutive Bannie Kang from Singapore took home the ultimate prize.

“Am I dreaming?” she asked the crowd as golden confetti rained down in Glasgow, Scotland.

At the September 26 final, Savage placed among the top tier, an impressive showing among the

talented pack of 53 finalists from all over the planet. (Some 10,000 bartenders entered this year, making it by far the planet’s biggest and most prestigious cocktail competition.)

“Jeff represented Canada extremely well from a professional and personal standpoint. And Canada should be very proud,” says Michael Armistead, who oversees the Diageo World Class Canada Bartending Competition as National On-premise, Reserve and Sponsorship Manager.

Earlier, Savage, who is the head bartender at Botanist Bar in the Fairmont Pacific Rim, won the national title in June. Remarkably, he was the third bartender from the Fairmont Pacific Rim

Jeff Savage, World Class Canada 2019 winner, was among the was among the top bartenders at the Global Finals. Photo courtesy of Diageo World Class

to win World Class Canada. (The other two are Grant Sceney, 2014, and Chris Enns, 2018.)

“Jeff winning the National Final proved that the Fairmont Pacific Rim has demonstrated a strong training program, and it’s got a brilliant bar program that produces high-quality cocktails in volume,” Armistead says.

The final leg of the renowned bartending competition began on September 21 in Schiedam, the Netherlands, home of Ketel One vodka. All 55 bartenders competed in the first challenge, then were seeded into four groups; from then on, they competed against the others in their group. “The key was doing well in the Ketel One challenge and being seeded well,” Armistead says.

From the Netherlands, it was over to the Isle of Skye for the Talisker whisky challenge, then to Glasgow for the remaining challenges featuring, respectively, Singleton single malt, Tanqueray No. Ten Gin and Johnnie Walker whisky. After the last competitive challenge, the top two bartenders in each group went on to the final speed round challenge.

Throughout the competition, the Canadians were a major presence.

“This year, the third biggest group of supporters was from Canada. We had a total of 15 people coming from Canada to cheer Jeff on,” Armistead says. That included Shane Beehan, 2019’s national runner-up from Halifax, as well as Diageo Global Cocktailian Lauren Mote (World Class Canada 2015) and global winner Kaitlyn Stewart (2017), who were among the judges.

“In the early years, Canada flew under the radar,” Armistead says. “But in the last three or four years, what we’ve realized is other competitors in other countries are asking, ‘What is Canada doing? I’ve got to watch

Canada compete.’ There’s a lot of expectation around the world.”

Throughout the competition, Armistead says, “Jeff was incredibly excited but very calm. He felt that all of Canada was behind him.” And, he adds, “Jeff’s journey as a national winner is just beginning.”

On October 23, Savage will be in Victoria to launch World Class Studios, the educational program that will be rolled out across Canada over the winter months. January sees the launch of World Class 2020 (the finals will be held in Sydney, Australia). That will be followed by Science of Cocktails in February and the World Class Canada final scheduled for some time in May.

“It is going to be completely different next year,” Armistead says. “It is going to be bigger and better. If Whistler 2019 was a brand-new experience, this is going to blow people’s minds. 2020 is going to take things to an entirely different level. Expect the unexpected.”

Singapore’s Bannie Kang edged out a competitive field to take the global title. Photo courtesy of Diageo World Class

Behind the smile

T HE HOSPITALITY I N DUSTRY IS N ’T ALWAYS GREAT FOR ME N TAL HEALTH. NOW WE’RE DOI N G SOMETHI N G ABOUT IT

by Alex Black

The conversation surrounding mental health in the hospitality industry is finally gaining momentum. Published studies are showing that hospitality employees are put under extremely high stress compared to most other industries. Statistics Canada shows we top all other industries when it comes to alcohol and illicit drug abuse. To quote celebrity chef Cat Cora: “We are dealing with an epidemic of mental illness in our industry.”

Community leaders around the globe are stepping forward to voice their concerns, and some have publicly acknowledged their own demons. We’ve seen icons like Anthony Bourdain and Sasha Petraske succumb to the perils of mental illness, while others, like chefs Sean Brock and David McMillan, have begun to promote a sober lifestyle.

All of that is moving the conversation surrounding self-care toward the forefront of industry discussion.

Now industry support and advocacy groups have begun to spring up. Among them are Toronto’s Not 9 to 5, London’s

Healthy Hospo and British Columbia’s Mind the Bar Foundation, of which I’m a founding director. Last November, Mind the Bar gained worldwide attention when we won $65,000+ in Altos Tequila’s Tahona Society competition by presenting a not-for-profit program intent on providing resources for those struggling with issues surrounding anxiety, depression, harassment and addiction.

The movement won’t come without its speedbumps, especially as many employers don’t have dedicated human resources departments or benefits to assist employees even if they do ask for help.

But perhaps most critically, the hospitality industry is built around a work culture where we are expected to take care of our guests before we take care of ourselves. We’re pressured to persist under any circumstances, personal health, whether physical or emotional, be damned. We’re told being or appearing weak is unacceptable.

It’s an attitude that’s deeply ingrained in our culture. It’s a systemic problem that self-care alone cannot change, especially

when even going to a yoga class or forgoing a post-shift drink might be more effort than one can muster.

If we’re surrounded by rhetoric that teaches us to not be burdensome to others, how feasible is it that someone might reach out and ask for help? It’s time to move beyond the idea that rugged, self-sufficient idealism is enough to change the tide in our industry. We must be willing to unify together in support of one another and normalize conversations around mental health with an open, ongoing dialogue.

At one point in time, the subject of cancer was taboo, but we were able to evolve from that. Today, if I mention I’ve participated in a cancer fundraiser I’ll

hear stories of how cancer has personally affected people. But when I tell people I helped found a mental health notfor-profit I’m rarely, if ever, met with a personal story about how mental illness has had an impact on someone’s life.

If we can change that attitude, those afflicted will feel less isolated and a system of support will be highlighted.

The ability to build a support network of empathetic peers and contemporaries will help us survive and thrive in a system that’s essentially been built against us. It’s time we educate ourselves on how to effectively communicate with someone who might be dealing with mental health problems. And we can show them there’s an entire industry willing to lend a hand as they work through it.

ABOUT M IND T H E BAR

Mind the Bar Foundation was started in January 2018 by Shoel Davidson, the coowner/operator of Dixie’s BBQ and Gringo. Its mandate is to help hospitality industry professionals deal with mental health issues, and to end the stigma around those same issues. If you are facing your own struggle, the website has links to 24-hour crisis lines and other resources. mindthebar.com

Bartender Alex Black is one of the founding directors of Mind the Bar, which works to destigmatize mental illness. Jonathan Norton photo

W E ARE DEALI N G WITH A N EPIDEMIC OF ME N TAL ILL N ESS IN OUR I N DUSTRY.

True blue cocktails

S HAKE UP YOUR DRI N KS WITH BLUEBERRIES

Who knows when the first blueberry found its way into a jigger of gin or a vodka martini?

Today more and more of these bright blue berries are finding their way into mixed drinks throughout the year. Fresh or frozen, whole or juiced, the sweet-tart taste of blueberries is unique and the infusion of blue is not only colourful, but good for you as well.

Not to worry if you don’t have fresh berries. The latest research says frozen berries might even have the edge over fresh when it comes to health benefits. Freezing blueberries makes their powerful antioxidants more available to the human body.

This is because anthocyanins, the antioxidant compounds that make blueberries blue, are found in the skin of the berry. Freezing the berries creates tiny ice crystals that disrupt the structure of the cells, which in turn makes it easier for our system to access the anthocyanins contained within the skin.

B.C. is the major grower of highbush blueberries in the country and most of the berries in the frozen foods section of your grocery store are from B.C. To be sure, look for the words “B.C. Grown,”

“Packaged in B.C.” or “Packaged in Canada” on the container.

The Western Family label of frozen blueberries is available at Save On Foods, Price Smart Foods or Urban Fare. Other frozen berries (with “Product of Canada” on the label) can be found at Loblaws (Real Canadian Superstore, Extra Foods, TNT, Independent) and Sobeys (Safeway, Thrifty, IGA).

With over 80 years of blueberry-growing experience, the BC Blueberry Council has a strong commitment to on-farm food safety. The Council works diligently with blueberry growers and collaborates with packers and processors to ensure that B.C. blueberries meet the highest standards for food safety and quality.

FIVE BLUEBERRY COCKTAIL RECI PES

5 mint leaves

5 blueberries

2 oz Rémy Martin VSOP Cognac

0.5 oz Demerera syrup (see note)

In a julep cup, gently muddle the mint and blueberries. Add the Cognac and sugar syrup and stir. Fill the glass with crushed ice, and garnish with a mint sprig and freeze-dried blueberries. Serves 1.

Note: To make the Demerara syrup, combine 1 cup brown sugar with 0.5 cup water and heat, stirring, until fully dissolved.

1.5 oz Beefeater London Dry Gin

0.75 oz blueberry and black pepper milk syrup (find it at thealchemistmagazine.ca)

0.75 oz lemon juice

0.25 oz Noe Pedro Ximenez Sherry

1 oz egg white

Topped with soda

Place all ingredients except soda in a shaker with ice and shake well. Strain into a Collins glass filled with ice, and top with soda. Garnish with a dried blueberry. Serves 1.

1.5 oz blueberry-infused Beefeater Pink (see note)

0.5 oz Alvear Medium Sherry

1 oz Campari

0.75 oz Martini sweet vermouth

2 drops saline solution

1 lemon zest

Place all ingredients (including the lemon peel) in a mixing glass and and stir. Strain into a coupe and garnish with the lemon zest. Serves 1.

Note: To infuse the gin, pour it into a 1L jar then add a handful of lightly mashed blueberries, and allow it to sit overnight.

1.5 oz Havana Club 3 rum

0.5 oz Cointreau

0.25 oz Green Chartreuse

0.75 oz blueberry, banana, basil orgeat (find it at thealchemistmagazine.ca)

0.75 oz lime juice

2 oz Seedlip Grove

0.25 oz Seedlip Garden

2 dashes non-alcoholic orange bitters

2 drops saline solution

0.75 oz blueberry, banana, basil orgeat (find it at thealchemistmagazine.ca)

0.75 oz lime juice

Place all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a rocks glass. Add crushed ice and garnish with freeze-dried blueberries, 2 halves of an orange wheel and a large basil leaf. Serves 1.

—Cocktails created by Cam Brown of Ballyhoo Public House

M YRTILLE J ULE P

PUR P LE RAIN

CUB AN BLUES

BITTER BERRY BABBLE

CUB AN BLUES (ZERO- P ROO F)

Bitter & sweet

WHY YOU SHOULD BE DRINKING VERMOUTH MADE IN B.C.

by Charlene Rooke

More than 200 years ago, wine drinkers in Turin and Marseille started adding bittering and flavouring botanicals to wine fortified with spirit, to make an entirely new drink. The styles they created—a sweeter, reddish-brown style in Italy and a drier white-wine version in France—are iconic today, and collectively known as vermouth, a term that comes from the root word for wormwood, which is synonymous in many languages with “bitter.”

Now enjoying a renaissance thanks to cocktail mixology and the Spanish-driven

trend for sipping them solo or as a spritz, vermouths should have a place on your back bar. (Actually, in your fridge, where a red vermouth will stay fresh for several months, and white vermouth for several weeks after opening.) Here are three new and three favourite B.C. bottlings to try.

MARKET AROMATIC WINES

At MARKET at the Shangri-la Hotel in Vancouver, head bartender Gianluigi Bosco makes his own house-aromatized and fortified wines. “I’m from Italy where vermouth is quite a big thing,” Bosco says. His versions deliberately leave out

FROM LEFT:

Marrow Vermouth from Penticton; Terra Dry Vermouth, a cider-based fortified created by Christos Kalaitzis at Central City Brewers; and the Ampersand Imperative Dry Vermouth from Vancouver Island.

the bitterness and keep the sugar levels low, for drinks that are lighter in texture but bursting with flavour. Lunessence B.C. wines form the base for MARKET’s house red and white bottlings, infused with vibrant flavours from hydrosols of single botanicals from rosemary and sage to cardamon and clove. The aromatic wines make versatile cocktail mixers or a complex base for lower-alcohol cocktails, like a killer sangria-style spritz from his citrus-aromatized rosé wine. marketkitchen. com/market_by_jean_georges_vancouver

Try it: In a Lost Horizon (find the recipe at thealchemistmagazine.ca) or Citrus Breeze cocktail (see page 27).

M ARRO W V ERMOUT H

Just like the pioneering French and Italian vermouth makers, Shawn Dalton believes vermouth is “all about using fresh, local ingredients.” Based in Penticton, he has access to the best: Okanagan wine, aromatized with more than two dozen botanicals, most of them local (save the citrus peel and some of the exotic spices common to sweet vermouth styles). His apricot-coloured aperitif is meant to zing

TH E D RIVE

Recipe from Odd Society Spirits.

1 oz Odd Society Prospector

Rye Whisky

0.75 oz Odd Society

Bittersweet Vermouth

0.25 oz Odd Society Crème de Cassis

Garnish: orange twist, brandied cherry

In a mixing glass, combine ingredients over ice and stir until drink is very cold. Strain it into a rocks (Old Fashioned) glass over fresh ice. Garnish with an orange twist and a brandied cherry. Serves 1.

on its own, over a bit of ice with a slice of citrus or a tuft of mint. “It’s still great in cocktails, but just needs a bit of a heavier pour than normal in the classics, to give it a good presence in the drink,” says Dalton of the lighter style of Marrow. Dalton plans new batch releases through winter and spring/summer 2020 “as ingredients come into season again.” marrowvermouth.com

Sip it: At L’Abattoir, Mackenzie Room, JuiceBar and Como in Vancouver; Micro and Raudz in Kelowna; and in Victoria at Olo, Agrius and Paul’s Diner.

T ERRA D RY V ERMOUT H

Though vermouth is traditionally built on a wine base, when Christos Kalaitzis at Central City Brewers + Distillers tasted the brand’s Imperial Cider, “It was sooo good and I decided to play with it and create a vermouth.” Uncarbonated and aromatized with botanicals like thyme, turmeric, bay leaf, rosebuds, pink peppercorn and bison grass, and lightly bittered with gentian root, it’s a “proper dry Mediterranean style of vermouth,” Kalaitzis says. He suggests trying it in a wine glass over ice, spritzed with tonic water and a lemon zest; in a

RD Cane photo

classic cocktail like a dry Manhattan or gin Martini or Gibson; or a rum-based El Presidente. centralcitybrewers.com

Try it: In a spritz.

O DD S OCIETY BITTERS W EET V ERMOUT H

An antique Italian sweet vermouth recipe informs this amber-coloured spice and botanical bomb, an award-winner (in 2016, for its barrel-aged iteration) that was Canada’s first craft vermouth. It’s made

from B.C. wine and Odd Society’s own malted barley distilled spirit, with a West Coast spin from more than two dozen spices, flowers, plants and roots (including arbutus bark). oddsocietyspirits.com

Try it: In The Drive cocktail (see page 25).

D E V INE BIANCA AND M ODERNA V ERMOUT HS

Bianca, the country’s first white craft vermouth, has floral jasmine and chamomile layered on a spicy, apricotscented base of De Vine’s clean, bright honey spirit. Its Turin-inspired cousin, Moderna, is a more robust style with over 30 botanicals, including clove and cardamon, rose and juniper, plus two bittering agents (wormwood and gentian). Bursting with local ingredients and flavours, both have been winners in the Canadian Artisan Spirit Competition. devinevineyards.ca

Try it: In the distillery’s Sloe & Sophistique cocktail (see this page).

AMP ERSAND IMP ERATIVE

D RY V ERMOUT H

S LOE & SO PHISTIQUE

Recipe from de Vine Wines & Spirits.

1 oz De Vine Sloe Gin

0.5 oz De Vine Bianca Vermouth

2 oz Fever Tree Classic Tonic Lemon peel, for garnish

Build ingredients in a chilled wine glass over ice. Garnish with lemon peel. Serves 1.

Ortega and Auxxerois wine from Vancouver Island’s farm-based Rathjen Cellars and wormwood grown on Ampersand Distilling’s own Duncan farm are just two of the ultra-local ingredients (many of them hand-harvested wild or organic plants) in this dry white vermouth, which debuted in 2018. Watch for a sweet vermouth from Ampersand, coming soon.

Try it: In a vermouth-heavy 50/50 Martini.

C ITRUS BREEZE

This refreshing spritz recipe by Gianluigi Bosco, head bartender at MARKET at the Shangri-la Hotel, uses a vermouth you can make yourself.

3 oz Citrus Wine (recipe below)

0.25 oz melissa and peppermint hydrosols (see note)

2 dashes citric acid, available at gourmet stores

Soda water, to taste

Orange zest and mint, for garnish

Combine wine, hydrosols, citric acid and soda water in a wine glass full of ice, stir and garnish with a slice of orange zest and a mint sprig. Serves 1.

Note: Hydrosols are also known as “flower waters,” and are produced by distilling fresh leaves, fruits, flowers and other plant materials. You can find them at herbal stores or online at botanicplanet.ca.

C ITRUS WINE

Make your own vermouth with this recipe from MARKET’s Gianluigi Bosco.

1 bottle (750 mL) dry rosé wine

2 oranges

1/4 of a lemon

1/4 of a pink grapefruit

1/4 of a vanilla pod

0.5 cup sugar

0.75 cup Okanagan Spirits Pinot Noir Marc

Cut the citruses in small pieces and muddle in a 2 L jar. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well. Let macerate for at least two weeks, shaking the jar daily. Filter through a strainer such as a chinois and bottle. Makes 3 cups.

Leila Kwok photo

Master distiller Frank Deiter has gone from founding Okanagan Spirits in Vernon to travelling the world as a consultant and instructor.

Photo courtesy of Frank Deiter

I LIKE MY MAN HATTA N STRAIGHT UP. E ITHER MADE FROM A REAL RYE OR A GOOD BOURBO N.

The spirit whisperer

B.C . CRAFT SPIRITS PIO N EER F RA N K D EITER IS TAKI N G O N THE WORLD

by Tim Pawsey

Deiter is a man on a mission.

As the founder of Okanagan Spirits in 2004, Deiter charted the pioneering distillery’s early successes before leaving in 2011 to pursue other ventures. These days he works with Mueller Pot Stills, representing what is widely recognized as one of Germany’s leading still manufacturers across North America. He also maintains a hands-on presence throughout the craft-distilling industry as an independent consultant and instructor.

The master distiller comes by his experience honestly.

When he established Okanagan Spirits, it was one of the province’s earliest artisanal distilleries. It wasn’t long before he caught people’s attention, winning medals at leading European competitions for craft spirits that at the time were a rarity to most Canadians. In short, the distillery’s early success became the catalyst for B.C.’s craft distillery revolution. Frank Deiter was leading the charge.

Ask him what he’s up to now and he’ll tell you he’s “travelling like a madman!” If there’s a trade show of note (such as the London Distilling Expo), chances are you’ll find him there—when he’s not busy working on a new commission, say, in Ireland.

Selling internationally, teaching distilling—it’s a life he loves. But he thrives in particular on setting up new ventures in craft distilling, the passion still closest to his heart. All that and “advising my customers correctly, so they’re not losing their shirt when opening a distillery,” he says, only half joking.

Though somewhat reluctant to single out success stories, he will point to a few distilleries with which he’s been involved. In Canada they range from Ironworks in Nova Scotia to Saskatoon’s Lucky Bastard and many, many more.

Deiter says he could name “a lot of people that are really good [such as Laurent Lafuente at Phillips Fermentorium in

WE N EED TO CALL IT WHAT’S ACTUALLY I N THE BOTTLE. AN D N OT SAY IT’S RYE WHISKY WHE N IT’S N EUTRAL GRAI N SPIRIT LADE N WITH AROMAS A N D ADDITIVES.

Victoria]. I’m proud of these guys. They want to do a good job, and that’s what they do.”

But ask him his overall impression of the Canadian distilling scene right now and he’ll tell you it’s “a mix of good news and bad news. For the most part it’s good. But a pretty great part of it is not so good,” he says.

Deiter suggests it’s commendable that the craft industry professes to be making superior products, mainly to separate themselves from the larger industry players. But a surprising number still “don’t have the right idea,” he says. “There are no shortcuts. But some people are taking shortcuts.”

And in some cases, he says, “It’s got to the point where the word ‘craft’ is almost a bad word. Because some people don’t have the right idea as to what they should be doing.”

Much of the problem is systemic, in that the large distilling industry has misled us for so long—basically “guided us by a nose ring around the corral.”

“‘Normal’ Canadian whisky is distilled as almost vodka. After three or four years they add artificial flavours. And somehow we have some craft distillers doing the same, which is going against the whole principal of things,” he says. “Basically, we need to call it what’s actually in the bottle. And not

say it’s rye whisky when it’s neutral grain spirit laden with aromas and additives.”

Ever since the genesis of the BC Craft Distilling Association, Deiter has felt there’s a need for a code of conduct. It needn’t be legislated. “It’s not that they are doing something that’s illegal or harmful,” he says, adding that it should be “one which we would abide by and follow, so we can make sure that we really are different.”

That said, Deiter has been pleased to witness the growth of the industry he was so instrumental in starting.

So what does this man who happily admits to being nothing less than a purist enjoy most in his own glass?

Of course, he says, different occasions call for different drinks, but he still likes the fruit spirits he began with.

“Distilling spirits from fermented fruit is by far the most complex undertaking when it comes to distilling,” he says, noting that his favourite eau de vie is Mirabelle plum. But, he cautions, “It needs to be made from Mirabelles de Nancy, not from the ones from Metz.”

When it comes to cocktails, he admits he’s a diehard traditionalist.

“I like my Manhattan straight up. Either made from a real rye (not Canadian whisky) or a good bourbon. Rather than Angostura, I prefer a good orange or grapefruit bitter. And forget those waxy cocktail cherries. I like Bada Bings from Washington State. I wish someone would produce similar ones in B.C.”

Punch it up with oleo saccharum

Holiday entertaining is right around the corner and having a couple of easy, bold and delicious punch recipes on hand will really help set any party off on the right foot. It all starts with oleo saccharum.

Now, you might be wondering: What the heck is oleo saccharum? It is the Latin term for “oil sugar,” an ingredient that will change your home bartending.

The process to make it has been used by bartenders for well over a century. It creates intense flavour by extracting the fragrant oils of citrus peels, most commonly lemon, although you can use a variety of different citrus fruits and even add fresh herbs and spices if you like.

The final product is an intensely sweet and sour mixture that adds a level of flavour to your drinks that you simply

cannot achieve with just sugar and lemon juice.

This technique can be used make a beautiful limoncello (find the recipe at thealchemistmagazine.ca). Or pour a little in a cup with a slice of ginger and some hot water for a wonderfully soothing elixir. It can be used in baking, and the left-over lemon peels that have essentially been candied can be dehydrated for a delicious edible garnish.

Here, I will teach you how to make a basic oleo saccharum and give you a couple of recipes, one classic and one of my own go-to cocktails, to use it in. They will surely impress any of your guests when entertaining at home. As always, I encourage you to experiment and come up with your own beautiful and inventive flavours.

Bottoms up!

T HIS A N CIE N T I N GREDIE N T ADDS ZEST TO YOUR PARTY DRI N KS

Story by Justin Taylor · Photos by Dan Toulgoet

HOW TO MAKE OLEO SACCHARUM

Gather the ingredients:

8 organic lemons (lemons should be free of any wax coatings)

1 cup granulated sugar

1 ziplock freezer bag

Variations: Replace some or all of the lemons with orange, lime or grapefruit; add fresh herbs such as rosemary, mint, lavender or thyme, or spices such as gingerroot or cinnamon bark.

1

ABOVE: Before you start, assemble your ingredients.

Wash lemons with warm water and use a clean towel to dry them o . Use a citrus peeler to remove the zest, avoiding any of the white pith, which will compromise your final product. Keep the remaining lemons for juicing (do not juice ahead of time).

Place the peels in the ziplock bag and add the sugar. Seal the bag and massage the sugar into the peels until all of them have been coated.

Use a straw to suck out as much air from the bag as possible before you seal it. Or use the water displacement method: Fill a large bowl with water and slowly submerge the bag. Just before the water goes over the top of the bag, seal it shut. The water should have forced all the air from the bag through the top.

Let the bag sit unrefrigerated for at least 12 hours. Gently massage the lemon peels a few times while it sits. You will notice the sugar will moisten with the oils. The oleo saccharum is ready for the next step once all the sugar has partially dissolved and no dry crystals remain. Empty the entire contents of the bag into a large bowl or pitcher.

3 4 5

Juice the peeled lemons until you have 1 cup of lemon juice. Add the lemon juice to the peels and sugar and stir until all the sugar is completely dissolved.

Use a fine mesh strainer to remove the peels and any pulp from your oleo saccharum. Bottle, seal and refrigerate until needed. Makes a little more than 1 cup.

CANDIED LEMON PEEL

Take the peels that are left over from making oleo saccharum and place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Place in a preheated oven at 225°F and bake for one hour or until dried and crispy. Store in a sealed container and use as needed as a garnish for cocktails or desserts.

S COTC H R OCKS PUNC H

This flavourful punch was created by Justin Taylor, general manager of The Cascade Room.

1 bottle (750 mL) blended scotch

1 cup Cynar amaro

1 cup apricot brandy

1 cup oleo saccharum

1 Tbsp Angostura bitters

4 cups cold water

FIS H H OUSE P UNC H

This classic punch dates back to circa 1744 Philadelphia.

1 bottle (750 mL) Jamaican amber rum

1.5 cups calvados

0.5 cup peach brandy

1 cup oleo saccharum

4 cups cold water

Combine ingredients in a large container and stir. Place container in the refrigerate to completely chill. Pour over an ice block in a large punch bowl (see note below). Ladle into cups or wineglasses. Serves a crowd.

Combine ingredients in a large container and stir. Place container in the refrigerate to completely chill. Pour over an ice block in a large punch bowl (see note to right). Ladle into cups or glasses. Serves a crowd.

N ICE ICE, BABY

To make a beautiful ice block, the day before you plan to serve your punch, line a Bundt pan with slices of lemon and orange, add ice cubes to hold the fruit down, then fill with water and freeze overnight.

Cocktails created by Justin Taylor

Dutil Denim

Ingredients

22 Brands

5000 Jeans

1 Certified Denim Repair Specialist

Garnished with quality hardware

Served by honest Denimologists

Come in for a taste at our flagship store, one of the most celebrated denim destinations in the world. Located in the heart of Gastown— just a short walk or bike ride from many of Vancouver’s finest craft distilleries. Once here, you can sample a flight of perfect-fitting jeans. Cheers!

K IR ROYALE

A Kir Royale made with non-Champagne sparkling wine is technically a “Kir Pétillant.” In either case, it’s a perfect drink for festive occasions.

0.25 to 0.5 oz crème de cassis

4 oz brut Champagne or other dry sparkling wine

Place liqueur in the bottom of a flute and top with sparkling wine. Serves 1.

The Kir Royale

C OCKTAIL OF THE RESISTA N CE

by Joanne Sasvari

The Kir Royale (or Royal, if you prefer) is the kind of swanky fizz that could have been conjured up by some posh hotel barkeep trying to impress a wellheeled customer. In fact, its backstory is much more thrilling than that.

A splash of crème de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur) topped with Champagne and served in a flute, the Kir Royale is an elegant drink, perfect for garden parties, festive occasions and recovering from shopping sprees along the Champs Elysées. It is the bubbly descendant of the Kir, a simple concoction of tart white wine, traditionally the bone-dry Aligoté de Bourgogne, mixed with the aforementioned crème de cassis.

Dan Toulgoet photo

The elegant but rebellious Kir Royale is an easy party staple.

T HE BUBBLES BRIGHTE N THE SWEET LIQUEUR A N D MAKE THE WHOLE A DELICIOUSLY CELEBRATORY BEVERAGE.

According to Difford’s Guide, the origins of the Kir date back to 1904 when a bartender in Dijon, France, mixed white wine and crème de cassis together and called it the “Cassis Blanc.” But it was during the Second World War, when Burgundy was occupied by the Nazis, that it became much more than that. It became, in fact, the cocktail of the resistance.

The way the story goes, in 1940, the Nazis marched into Dijon and seized most of Burgundy’s fabled red wines for their own enjoyment. Many of the local leaders fled, but one man, a Catholic priest named Canon Felix Kir, remained and became a fierce resistance fighter. It is said he helped some 4,000 prisoners of war escape from a nearby camp. At various times, he was arrested, condemned to death and seriously wounded, yet continued to organize resistance activities until the war ended in 1945.

One of those acts of resistance was to defiantly reclaim the red wine the Nazis had confiscated, or at least as close a facsimile as he could devise. According to the Wall Street Journal, he combined the sweet local liqueur with a tart white wine the occupiers seemed to disregard and proudly announced the rosy-hued drink as the official beverage of Dijon’s city hall.

As the war ended, Kir was awarded the French Honour Cross, made a member of the Legion d’honneur and elected Dijon’s mayor, a post he held until his death in 1968 at the age of 92. While in office, Kir used every opportunity to promote local products, especially the white wine and blackcurrant mixture that eventually, and

rightly, bore his name. He would serve it at all municipal functions, which must have made the job of governance much more pleasant than it so often is.

There’s no word on when someone thought to replace the still wine with Champagne and call it a Kir Royale, but it was a decidedly good idea. The bubbles brighten the sweet liqueur and make the whole a deliciously celebratory beverage. The blackcurrant liqueur, too, has at times been replaced with other flavours, but the classic remains a classic for good reason.

In this season of elections, polarization and toxic politics, the Kir Royale is at least one thing we can all agree on.

VARIATIONS ON A KIR

Want to kick up your Kir? Try these versions instead.

Cidre Royale, Kir Breton, Kir Normand: Apple cider instead of wine; optional shot of Calvados.

Communard or Cardinal: Red wine instead of white.

Kir Bianco: Sweet white vermouth instead of wine.

Kir Impérial: Chambord or other raspberry liqueur instead of crème de cassis.

Kir Pêche: Peach liqueur instead of crème de cassis.

Kir Bière: Lager instead of wine.

Pink Russian: Milk and bad choices instead of wine.

K IR

Ideally, a Kir should only be lightly tinted and not overly sweet, so don’t overdo the liqueur.

0.25 to 0.5 oz crème de cassis 3 oz dry white wine such as Aligoté or Chablis

Place the liqueur in a small wine glass and top with chilled white wine. Serves 1.

Dan Toulgoet photo

La Chispa

1.5 oz Old Forester Bourbon

0.75 oz Pacharán

0.3 oz Mia Amata Amaro

0.3 oz Lustau East India Solera

2 dashes Angostura Bitters

Ardbeg Mist

Orange Oils, Star Anise

Add first five ingredients to a mixing glass, stir for 15 seconds. Mist with 2 spritzes of Ardbeg 10Year Scotch. Strain the cocktail into a rocks glass with a large ice cube and mist with orange oils. Garnish with star anise.

Origami

Social photo

Collaboration nation

B.C .’S SMALL-BATCH DISTILLERS ARE GETTI N G CRAFTY WITH THEIR FOODIE, WI N E A N D BEER N EIGHBOURS

by Charlene Rooke

It was about two years ago when my love for Odd Society’s Wallflower Barrel-Aged Gin was uniquely reciprocated: the Ode to Wallflower pale ale mated Powell Street Craft Brewery’s Ode to Citra beer with the distillery’s former gin-aging barrels, created a summer love child of a beer. It was so popular, Odd Society barrel-sharing collaborations with Storm Brewing, Strange Fellows, Coal Harbour Brewing and Steamworks followed.

In my travels around B.C. distilleries, I started noticing the spirit of collaboration everywhere. At the Dubh Glas Distillery in the Okanagan, I tasted a wildly delicious young whisky being aged in Sons of Vancouver amaretto barrels. Traveling down the Sunshine Coast, I serendipitously tasted Bruinwood’s anise-tinged gin, then hours later sipped a bottle of Juniper at nearby Bricker Cider, an apple cider delicately infused with the distillery’s gin botanicals. And when Duncan’s Ampersand Distilling Co. released its crisply dry, aromatic vermouth last year, the organic Ortega and Auxerrois wine base came from island neighbours Rathjen Cellars.

That kind of collaborative creativity is part of a blurring of categories in the spirits, wine and beer industries. “That's hardly surprising given that so many distillers got their starts as brewers or… winemakers,” says Stephen Beaumont, co-author of Canadian Spirits: The Essential Cross-Country Guide to Distilleries, their Spirits and Where to Imbibe Them, a new guide to 160 Canadian craft distilleries released this fall by Nimbus Publishing. “But it’s still fascinating for me to see how beer can influence spirits can influence cider can influence wine,” Beaumont says. The book’s co-author, Christine Sismondo, says, “We’re seeing more and more hybrid and experimental spirits that are often the product of collaborations and distillers getting inspired by their pals in other parts of the industry.”

It’s not just drinks wizards collaborating with each other, though. Booze-soaked barrel wood from whisky mecca Shelter Point was used to cold-smoke crunchy flakes from their island neighbours, Vancouver Island Salt Co. The resulting Barrel Smoked Whisky Salt is a mélange of vanilla, spice and char that accents

everything from chocolate and caramel desserts to avocado toast or the rim of a cocktail glass.

The Drunken Cherries from Okanagan Spirits, meanwhile, soak the valley’s signature fruit in the distillery’s fruit spirit for boozy jars of sunshine to carry Manhattan and Old Fashioned drinkers (not to mention ice cream and cheesecake fanatics) through the winter. And its BRBN whisky and fruit liqueurs go into jellies and sauces and infuse a Whisky Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup.

Sismondo and Beaumont noticed spirited foodie collaborations from whisky barbeque sauce to maple syrup and even mustard. “Many of these collaborations are hyper-local and involve forged connections between distillers and farmers, brewers and winemakers within a 100-mile radius,” says Sismondo. “Which, I think, shows people working really hard to build up both community and specific denominations of origin, so to speak, in certain farm-to-table, food-centric regions.”

MAN Y OF THESE COLLABORATIO N S ARE HYPER-LOCAL AN D I N VOLVE FORGED CO NNECTIO N S BETWEE N DISTILLERS A N D FARMERS, BREWERS A N D WI N EMAKERS WITHI N A 100-MILE RADIUS.

Brands from other industries are getting into the collaborative act, too: the Douglas Autograph Collection Hotel at PARQ Vancouver commissioned its own Douglas Fir gin from Yaletown Distilling, which is used in a house cocktail at the hotel’s D/6 Bar and Lounge and available through inroom mini bars. Yaletown has also created custom collaborations like a blue, colourchanging Ocean Wise gin for KPMG. The limited-edition bottling was so popular, says tasting room manager Craig Harris, “People are coming in and asking for it, and we don’t have any more!”

In the end, that’s the mark of a successful collaboration: It keeps people supporting the distillery, and coming back for more.

Bricker Cider on the Sunshine Coast infuses its Juniper apple cider with gin botanicals from nearby Bruinwood distillery.

Shelter Point Distillery partnered with Vancouver Island Salt Co. to create this barrel-smoked sea salt. Supplied photo

B AR B ASICS

ESSENTIALS

Measurements: For the most part, our recipes are in imperial volume (fluid ounces, teaspoons and cups). We might occasionally use weight (for instance, an ounce of tea leaves for an infusion); in those cases, it will be noted.

Tools: The essentials are a cocktail shaker (cobbler or Boston), mixing glass, jigger, citrus juicer, Hawthorne and fine mesh strainers, muddler, bar spoon, sharp knife and vegetable peeler. Any special tools will be noted.

Glassware: You could fill your cupboards with different types of glassware, but you only really need three (aside from wine and beer): a stemmed “cocktail” glass, either the V-shaped martini or curved coupe; the short, stubby rocks or Old Fashioned; and the tall, narrow Collins.

SWEETENERS

Simple syrup: This is the basic sweetener in many cocktails; because the sugar is already dissolved, you won’t get a gritty, sandy sludge in the bottom of your glass. To make it: Bring equal amounts of sugar and water just to a boil in small pot over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until sugar is fully dissolved. Remove from heat, cool, and place in a clean jar or bottle. Will keep in the fridge for about two weeks.

Not-so-simple syrup: There are a couple of ways to add flavour to the basic simple syrup process. 1. Replace the water with another liquid, such as tea or juice. 2. Simmer the syrup with spices or hardy herbs such as cloves, cinnamon, ginger or rosemary and let them steep as the syrup cools. 3. Add soft herbs, such as mint or basil, to steep for a few minutes in the hot syrup after it is removed from the heat.

TERMINOLOGY

Double or fine strain: This means straining your cocktail through both a Hawthorne and fine-mesh strainer to remove ice, pulp, seeds and other small fragments that can muddy the texture of shaken drinks.

Dry shake: Shake without ice; this is often used to increase the froth in egg-based drinks like flips and sours.

Long, tall, lengthened: A drink with soda water and ice added to it, typically served in a Collins glass.

Rim: To rim a glass with salt, sugar or spice mixtures, run a lemon or lime wedge around the lip of the glass, then dip it into the seasoning.

Rocks: Served on ice. Straight, neat: Served without ice.

Twist: A slice of citrus peel, with no pith or flesh attached, used as garnish.

Up: A cocktail served without ice in a stemmed cocktail glass or coupe.

What you need to know for making the recipes in The Alchemist.

TASTING PANEL

Say hi to rye

Our bartender tasting panel is never short of opinions, but no other spirit has ignited passion the way rye whisky did. Maybe because it’s our national spirit (sort of). Or maybe it’s just because bold flavours inspire bold statements.

Seven of Vancouver’s top bartenders gathered on a rainy afternoon at Homer Street Café for the tasting panel: Alex Black, bartender and mental health advocate; J-S Dupuis, beverage director of Wentworth Hospitality; Robyn Gray of the Rosewood Hotel Georgia; Katie Ingram, bar manager at Elisa Steakhouse; Grant Sceney, Fairmont

Pacific Rim; and, from Homer Street Café, Rob Scope and David Wolowidnyk.

They loved the sweet spice and rich, bold flavour of the rye. But they differed on whether Canadian or American is better, and whether it has to be 100 per cent rye or can be a blend of grains. And they admitted that as much as they love rye, it’s a hard sell to consumers, many of whom are unfamiliar with it and prefer the simple sweetness of bourbon.

The panel tasted 12 rye-based spirits. Here’s what they had to say.

The warm, spicy notes of rye were a favourite among the bartenders.

Photos by Dan Toulgoet

R ESURRECTION SPIRITS WH ITE RYE, $57, 45% ABV

The only white spirit in the tasting, this is a versatile, unaged product made from organic rye grain.

“I actually helped to make this one. The intent was to make an eau de vie, but with grain,” said Wolowidnyk, who until recently worked at the distillery. The spirit is rectified to 93 per cent ABV, so it has the “pure clean unadulterated flavour of rye.”

“I get a definite floral aspect,” Sceney said. Dupuis agreed: “floral and fruity.”

Cocktail: “You can go in a ton of directions with this one,” said Black. “I’ve used it to make off-shoots of the Manhattan and Martinez. It’s very chameleon-like.” And, because it has no oak character at all, Wolowidnyk said, “It’s great in barrel-aged creations.”

R ESURRECTION SPIRITS PALE RYE, $57,

45% ABV

This is the same base spirit, but aged five months in American white oak ex-bourbon casks—not long enough to be called a whisky (that would require three years), but with some wood character.

“This one, you lose the floral in the nose, but the spice goes way up,” said Dupuis. “I got honey on the nose,” Black added.

Cocktail: “It makes a killer Manhattan because of that spice,” Wolowidnyk said. Black added: “Something is telling me an Old Pal (rye, vermouth, Campari).”

O KANAGAN SPIRITS B.C. R YE WH ISKY,

$60, 40% ABV

This craft rye from the Vernon-based distillery uses 51% Coldstream Valley rye, and 49 per cent locally malted B.C. barley, and is aged three years in American oak.

“It’s a legit rye, it’s a legit whisky,” Black said. “It’s a nice, light base spirit. I’d like to get more wood integration into it.” Sceney detected notes of apple crisp and granola, and said: “It’s good for someone just getting into whisky. A stepping-stone whisky.”

Cocktail: Thoughts turned to ginger. Sceney suggested a whisky mule (rye and ginger beer), while Dupuis said, “It’d be great in a Manitoba Martini. Lots of ice and ginger ale.”

J ACK DANIELS T ENNESSEE R YE, $30.99, 45% ABV

The first new whisky from the Tennessee distillery since before Prohibition is made with 70 per cent rye, 18 per cent corn and 12 per cent malted barley.

“For some reason, I get peanut butter,” Gray said. Dupuis agreed: “It doesn’t smell like Jack Daniels. I get fresh-roasted banana and peanut butter. Toasted flavours,

The lineup included both American and Canadian whiskies, as well as unaged rye spirit.

toasted coconut, toasted banana.” Black said: “I get something ashy on the palate. It does go through the Lynchburg process. I quite like it.”

Cocktail: “It would be great in tiki drinks,” Sceney said. “A banana Daiquiri.” “Banana Jackiri—I’m calling dibs on that,” Black suggested. “Rye Tai,” Scope added.

BULLEIT FRONTIER RYE, $38.99, 45% ABV

A straight rye whisky (95 per cent rye, five per cent malted barley), first released in 2011.

This was one of the first American rye whiskies that showed up on back bars, and one all the bartenders were familiar with, yet not all that excited by. “It’s a basic bitch whisky,” Dupuis said. “It was an American rye that was not 50 bucks, so it was something people could get.”

“I find that there’s something on the palate that’s a little waxy, a little cloying,” Wolowidnyk said. “I kind of wish it was spicier. I think people who have fallen in love with the Bulleit bourbon have fallen into this.”

“I think the fact that it’s not a super spicy rye makes it easy to use in a cocktail,” said Sceney. Black agreed: “It breadcrumbs people from vodka to whisky. It helps to have a well-recognized label behind the bar.”

Cocktail: “I do a Sidecar variation. Or a Crusta,” said Ingram.

ALB ERTA PREMIUM C ANADIAN RYE, $21.99, 40% ABV

The classic 100 per cent rye whisky from Alberta Distillers was for years whisky guru Jim Murray’s best in Canada. “One of the great, most wonderfully consistent whiskies of the world that is genuinely a Canadian rye,” he wrote.

The bartenders largely agreed. “I love this whisky,” Gray said. “I love it. I could drink this forever. It’s my go-to Manhattan whisky.” Wolowidnyk added: “If we were tasting blind, I would pick this out as a rye.”

It was also the whisky that started the big debate: “What does everyone define as a rye? Maybe we should have started with that,” Ingram said.

The tasting panel, from left: Grant Sceney, Katie Ingram, Alex Black, Rob Scope, Robyn Gray, David Wolowidnyk and J-S Dupuis.

S IX YEARS AGO, I HAD THIS K N EE-JERK REACTIO N THAT IT HAD TO BE 100 PER CE N T RYE, BUT I STOPPED. NOW IT JUST HAS TO BE LEGIT RYE, EVE N IF IT’S A BLE N D.

“You have the spice character and the fruit character, but Canadian and American ryes are so different.”

“It should have the spice character of the grain,” said Wolowidnyk. “If you taste the character of the rye, it’s rye.”

“To me, rye falls into the whisky world the way gin falls in the cocktail world,” Black said. “It’s cocktail specific.”

“Bourbon has that sweet character, but rye has spice,” Scope said. “Canadian whisky is always sweeter.”

“Canadian whisky is meant to be sweet,” Dupuis agreed. “Bourbon is bourbon; single malt is single malt. Canadian rye is really Canadian whisky, while American rye is rye.”

They pointed out that rye is still a tough sell for many consumers, who don’t understand what it is, which is, in fact, often a blend. “Six years ago, I had this knee-jerk reaction that it had to be 100 per cent rye, but I stopped,” Gray said. “Now it just has to be legit rye, even if it’s a blend.”

Regardless, the popularity of rye is growing fast. As Wolowidnyk pointed out: “Between 2009 and 2015, the popularity of rye increased 500 per cent internationally.”

Cocktail: All agreed that this would work in most classic whisky cocktails. “It’s a good home bartender whisky,” Dupuis said. “And the price is hilarious,” Black added.

J .P. WISER’S T RI P LE BARREL R YE, $27.49, 43.4% ABV

This bold Ontario whisky is made with 62 per cent rye (the rest is wheat and corn),

and matured in used Canadian whisky, firstfill bourbon and virgin oak casks.

“That’s tasty,” said Scope. Added Ingram: “I like the spice in the whisky, and the way it’s balanced with the sweetness.” The bartenders loved the robust spice and oak notes in this award-winning—and valuedriven—whisky. “At $27 a bottle, it tastes like profit,” said Black. “Word,” said Gray.

Cocktail: Wolowidnyk suggested a mulled cider, while Dupuis said, “I’d definitely play with spice, apple, pumpkin spice anything.”

S AZERAC

S TRAIG H T R YE WH ISKY, $54.99. 45% ABV

This whisky from Buffalo Trace traces its historic roots to the 1800s and the Sazerac Coffee House in New Orleans, although much about it is shrouded in mystery. It’s a popular brand with the bartenders for its big spice character.

“I like that American oak influence on the rye. I like the nose,” Ingram said. Black added: “It was a rye made to mimic brandy.”

The spicy, dried-fruit aromas of the rye filled the room.

Cocktails: “The Sazerac first and foremost,” Scope said. Aside from that, any cocktail that calls for rye. As Black said, “It’s the second most used rye whisky in cocktails.”

KNO B C REEK S TRAIG H T R YE, $55, 50% ABV

Just 51 per cent rye, but the high proof and barrel aging give it bold flavour, especially of dried fruits like prunes, sultanas and raisins.

Ingram noted “a bit more barrel influence. Tannic structure from the wood. It’s balanced, big and rich. I like the way it dries out your mouth. It’s what I think of when I think of rye.”

Cocktail: Dupuis suggested an “Old Fashioned with very little sugar,” while Scope was thinking of a Vieux Carré.

LOT 40 R YE WH ISKY, $37.99, 43% ABV

A legendary Canadian whisky given new life by Hiram Walker master blender Don Livermore in Ontario. Despite its reputation for big flavours, some of the bartenders felt that it needed more spice character. But they all agreed that it was mellow and well made, big and bold the way real rye should be.

“Everything is well integrated. Its’s well balanced,” Ingram said. Added Scope: “It’s approachable because it has the sweetness up front like Cognac.’

Cocktail: “I would make a Scofflaw,” Ingram said. “Rye, dry vermouth, grenadine, lemon and orange bitters. Or a Manhattan variation.” Added Dupuis: “I’d just sip on it.”

C ANADIAN C LU B 100% RYE, $23.99, 40%

ABV

This one had the bartenders puzzled—all were familiar with the same product with the Chairman’s Select label, which is a favourite among the group for its bold flavour and its

affordability, but this was just branded 100% rye. On checking with the distillery, CC says it’s the same product, but with a new label. However, the tasting panel felt it was slightly sweeter and less spicy than in the past, and not as well integrated.

“It’s just all over the place,” Black said. Added Dupuis: “On the nose, at the very end, you get that rye spice.”

Cocktail: The general consensus was that this is a good home bartender rye that would work in every style of whisky cocktail.

C ROWN R OYAL, $25.99, 40% ABV

At the last minute, we felt it would be remiss to do a rye tasting without including this classic of Canadian whisky, even though Crown has very little actual rye in the mash. But it was overshadowed by the big flavours of the last few whiskies, and came across as a very mild, sweet spirit. As Wolowidnyk quipped: “Did someone put coloured water in my glass?”

Cocktail: “Ginger ale and bitters,” Sceney said. “It’s perfect with it.”

Katie Ingram led the debate over what, exactly, rye should be.

B.C. DISTILLERY LISTINGS

YOUR GUIDE TO THE SPIRIT MAKERS

This province’s 65 artisan distilleries are producing everything from vodka to vermouth. Discover B.C.’s best spirits with our updated guide to the producers, tasting rooms and so much more.

VANCOUVER ISLAND & GULF ISLANDS

Ampersand Distilling

Products: Ampersand Gin, Per Se Vodka, Imperative Dry Vermouth, Nocino!

4077 Lanchaster Rd., Duncan 250-737-1880

AmpersandDistilling.com

Arbutus Distillery

Products: Coven Vodka, Owl’s Screech Vodka, Empiric Gin, Blue Gin, Forest Dweller Gin, Baba Yaga Absinthe, Grand Visco Brandy, Vanilla Liqueur, Birch

Liqueur, Lavender Liqueur, Elderflower Liqueur, Amaro, Canadian Single Malt Whisky

1890 Boxwood Rd., Nanaimo

250-714-0027

Arbutus-Distillery.com

D ISTILLER Y LE GEND

(on-site services offered)

Tasting roomCocktail lounge

On-site sales Food Tours

Many distilleries are small operations. We always recommend calling before your visit to confirm opening hours and product availability.

De Vine Spirits

Products: Genever Gin, Vin Gin, New Tom Barrel-Aged Gin, Sloe Gin, Glen Saanich Single Malt Whisky, Ancient Grains

Alternative Whisky, Honey Shine Silver, Honey Shine Amber, Black Bear Spiced Honey Rum, Bianca Vermouth, Moderna Vermouth, De Vine Kiss Strawberry Eau de Vie

6181B Old West Saanich Rd., Saanichton

250-665-6983

DeVineVineyards.ca

Fermentorium

Distilling Co.

Products: Stump Coastal Forest Gin, Hop Drop Elixir, handcrafted tonics

2010 Government St., Victoria

250-380-1912

Fermentorium.ca

Island Spirits Distillery

Products: Phrog Gin, Phrog

Vodka, Aquavit, Vanilla Vodka, Wicked Orange, Raspberry Eau de Vie, fruit brandies (seasonal), Holunderbluten (elderflower liqueur)

4605 Roburn Rd., Hornby Island 250-335-0630

IslandSpirits.ca

Merridale Craft Spirits

Products: Cowichan Gin, Cowichan Copper Gin, Cowichan Vodka, Cowichan XXO Brandy, Cowichan Rhumb, Cowichan

Spiced Rhumb, Whisky Jack’s, Cowichan Pear Brandy, Cowichan Cider Brandy

PO Box 358, 1230 Merridale Rd., Cobble Hill

250-743-4293

MerridaleCider.ca

Moon Distillery Ltd.

Products: Island Grown Pure Grain Vodka, Orange Vodka, Espresso Vodka, Lime Vodka, Moon Shaft Liqueur, Citrus Gin

350 A Bay St., Victoria

250-380-0706

MoonDistillery.ca

Pacific Rim Distillery

Products: Humpback Vodka, Lighthouse Gin

2-317 Forbes Rd., Ucluelet

@PacificRimDistilling

Salt Spring Shine Craft Distillery

Gin, Sunshine Liqueur

4650 Regent Rd., Campbell River 778-420-2200

ShelterPoint.ca

Sheringham Distillery

Products: Kazuki Gin, Akvavit, Seaside Gin, Vodka, Red Fife Whisky

252-6731 West Coast Rd., Sooke

778-528-1313

SheringhamDistillery.com

Stillhead Distillery

Products: Vodka, London Dry Gin, Wild Blackberry Infused Vodka, Kirsch, Aged Apple Brandy

105-5301 Chaster Rd., Duncan 250-748-6874

Stillhead.ca

Victoria Caledonian

Brewery and Distillery

Products: Mac Na Braiche Single Malt Spirit, whisky casks

761 Enterprise Cres., Victoria 778-401-0410

VictoriaCaledonian.com

Victoria Distillers

Products: Victoria Gin, Oaken Gin, Empress 1908 Gin, Left Coast Hemp Vodka, Sidney Spiced, Chocolate Liqueur, Craigdarroch Whisky, Twisted & Bitter bitters

9891 Seaport Pl., Sidney 250-544-8217

VictoriaDistillers.com

Products: Sting Gin, Hive Vodka, Honeycomb Moonshine, Apple Pie Moonshine

194 Kitchen Rd., Salt Spring Island

250-221-0728

@SaltSpringShine

Shelter Point Distillery

Products: Shelter Point Single Malt Artisanal Whisky, Shelter Point Cask Strength Whisky, Montfort District Lot 141 Single Grain Whisky, French Oak

Double Barreled Whisky, Single Cask Rye, Canada One Artisan Vodka, Hand-Foraged Botanical

Tofino Distillery

Products: Vodka, Jalapeño Vodka, Espresso Vodka, West Coast Gin, Old Growth Cedar Gin, Rose Hibiscus Gin, Beach Fire Cinnamon Spirit, Psychedelic Jellyfish Absinthe

Unit G & H, 681 Indutrial Way,

Tofino

250-725-2182

TofinoCraftDistillery.com

Wayward Distillation

House

Products: Unruly Vodka, Unruly Gin, Wayward Order – Krupnik

Spiced Honey Liqueur, Wayward Order – Depth Charge Espresso & Cacao Bean Liqueur, Wayward Order – Drunken Hive Rum, Wayward Order – Elixir 151, Raspberry & Ginger Vodka

Infusion, Wayward Order – Char

#3 Bourbon Barrel Aged Gin

2931 Moray Ave, Courtenay

250-871-0424

WaywardDistillationHouse.com

LOWER M AINL AN D, FRASER VALL EY & B.C. W EST COAST

Anderson Distilleries

Products: Mare Serenitatis Creme

d’ Cafe, Serenitatis Golden Gin, Serenitatis London Dry Gin, Serenitatis Silver Liquorice, Sweet Serenitatis Cinnamon, Sweet Serenitatis Muddled Mint, Sweet Serenitatis Limoncello, Sweet Serenitatis Lime’cello, Sweet Serenitatis Orangello, Montague Sunset, Serenitatis

Smoked Rosemary Gin

106-3011 Underhill Ave., Burnaby 604-961-0326

AndersonDistilleries.ca

Bruinwood Estate

Distillery

Products: Aquasen Vodka, Vanilla Vodka, Chocolate Vodka, Gin, Heavenly Honey Liqueur, Nucino

2040 Porter Rd., Roberts Creek 604-886-1371

Bruinwood.com

Central City Brewers & Distillers

Whiskies, Queensborough Gin, Queensborough Omakase

Japanese Gin, Queensborough

Wine Barrel Aged Gin, Queensborough Pink Raspberry Gin, Sparrow Rum, Peeled Orange Liqueur, Queensborough Gin TWST, Queensborough Gin

FZZZ, Bitters by Christos

11411 Bridgeview Dr., Surrey 604-588-2337

CentralCityBrewing.com

Crow’s Nest Distillery

Products: Crow’s Nest Vodka, Crow’s Nest White Rum, Crow’s Nest Spiced Rum

117-667 Sumas Way, Abbotsford 778-251-6002

CrowsNestDistillery.com

Deep Cove Brewers & Distillers

213-19138 26th Ave., Surrey 604-803-2226

DragonMistDistillery.com

Gillespie’s Fine Spirits

Products: Sin Gin, Raspberry Gin, VTwin Rye Vodka, Gastown Shine Wheat Vodka, Lemoncello, Café Crema, Booze Witch Shurbs & Elixirs

8-38918 Progress Way, Squamish 604-390-1122

GillespiesFineSpirits.com

Goodridge & Williams

Craft Distillers

Products: Nütrl Vodka, Tempo Renovo Gin, Tempo

Fresa Strawberry Gin, Tempo

Arándano Blueberry Gin, Sid

Products: Rosemary and Olive Gin, Deep Cove Vodka, Barrel Aged Akvavit (limited), Red Fife Whisky (limited)

2270 Dollarton Hwy., North Vancouver 604-770-1136

DeepCoveCraft.com

Dragon Mist Distillery

The Handcrafted Vodka, Sid Made Some Root Beer Schnapps, Western Grains Whisky, Northern Grains Whisky, Bitterhouse

Aperitifs, Nütrl Vodka Soda, Highball Whisky Soda, Tempo Gin Smash, Tempo Gin Soda

Lime, Sid Made Something Else, Bitterhouse Spritz

8-7167 Vantage Way, Delta 604-376-0630

gwdistilling.com

The Liberty Distillery

Products: Lohin McKinnon

Products: Dragon Mist Vodka, Dragon Mist Baijiu, Dragon Mist Gin, Cranberry Liqueur, Coffee Liqueur, Blueberry Liqueur, Limoncello

Products: Truth Vodka, Truth

Oat Vodka (Distiller’s Reserve), Endeavour Gin, Endeavour

Old Tom Gin, Endeavour

Cowichan Valley with in the Pacific Gold)

Celebrating 5 years of craft distilling in the Cowichan Valley with family, friends, and our most recent award:

BEST IN THE PACIFIC N ORTHWEST

(Nocino! SIP Awards 2019, Double Gold) @ampdistillingco

Gin Origins, Endeavour Pink, Railspur No. 1 – White, Railspur No. 2 – Wildflower Honey, Railspur No. 3 – Switch, Trust Whiskey – Single Grain, Trust Whiskey – Canadian Rye, Trust

Whiskey – Southern, Trust Whisky – Single Cask

1494 Old Bridge St., Vancouver

604-558-1998

TheLibertyDistillery.com

Long Table Distillery

Products: London Dry Gin, Cucumber Gin, Bourbon Barrel Aged Gin, Texada Vodka, Långbord Akvavit, Barrel Aged Akvavit, VSOP Reserve ‘Pairs Of Pears’ Brandy, Amaro No. 1 – Linnaeus, Tradizionale Limoncello, Marc Du Soleil

1451 Hornby St., Vancouver

604-266-0177

LongTableDistillery.com

Lucid Spirits

Products: Northern Vodka, Northern Gin, Apple Spirit, B.C. Rye Whisky

105B-8257 92nd St., Delta 604-349-3316

LucidSpirits.ca

Mad Laboratory

Distilling

Dog Single Malt White Spirit, Kombucha Cordial, Viking Vodka

119-618 East Kent Ave., Vancouver MadLabDistilling.com

Montis Distilling

Products: Alpine Gin, North Vodka

1062 Millar Creek Rd., Whistler MontisDistilling.com

New Wave Distilling

Products: Illusion Spirit, Rexford Rum, Disillusion Gin, Cliffhanger Spiced Apple Cinnamon Spirit, Alpenglow Honey Cacao Nib Spirit, Summit Fever Blueberry Spirit, Dawn Patrol Honey Pecan Spirit

3387 Tolmie Rd., Abbotsford

604-864-1033

@NewWaveDistilling

North West Distilling Co.

Crème de Cassis, Bittersweet

Vermouth, Mia Amata Amaro, Commodore Canadian Single Malt Whisky, Prospector

Canadian Rye Whisky, Canadian single malt casks

1725 Powell St., Vancouver 604-559-6745

OddSocietySpirits.com

One Foot Crow

Products: Mineral-Infused Vodka, Vodka, Mineral-Infused Gunpowder Gin, Lavender Gin

1050 Venture Way, Gibsons

OneFootCrow.com

Pemberton Distillery

Products: Schramm Organic Gin, Schramm Organic Potato Vodka, Pemberton Valley Organic Single Malt Whisky, The Devil’s Club – Organic Absinthe, Organic Hemp Vodka, Organic Kartoffelschnaps, Organic Coffee Liqueur, Barrel Aged Apple Brandy, Elderflower Liqueur

Products: North West Vodka

104-20120 Stewart Cres., Maple Ridge 604-818-6972

NorthWestDistillingCo.ca

Odd Society Spirits

Products: ULKERaki, Mad Lab Vodka, Mad Lab Gin6, Mad

Products: East Van Vodka, Wallflower Gin, Mongrel Unaged Spirit, Oaken Wallflower Gin,

1954 Venture Pl., Pemberton 604-894-0222

PembertonDistillery.ca

Resurrection Spirits

Products: White Rye, Pale Rye, Gin, Rosé Gin

1672 Franklin St., Vancouver 604-253-0059

ResurrectionSpirits.ca

Roots and Wings

Distillery

Products: Vital Vodka, Double Vice Coffee Infused Vodka, Renegade (horseradish-infused vodka), Jackknife Gin, Rebel, Sidekick

7897 240th St., Langley

778-246-5247

RootsAndWingsDistillery.ca

Sons of Vancouver

Products: No. 82 Amaretto, Vodka Vodka Vodka, Chili Vodka, Coffee Liqueur Sucks, Craft Blue Curacao

1431 Crown St., North Vancouver 778-340-5388

SonsOfVancouver.ca

Stealth Distilleries

Products: Stealth Corn Vodka, Stealth Wheat Vodka

#3-20 Orwell St., North Vancouver 604-916-4103

StealthVodka.com

Tailored Spirits

The 101 Brewhouse & Distillery

O KA NAGAN, KOOTE NAYS & INTERIOR

Products: 101 Gin, 101 Vodka

1009 Gibsons Way, Gibsons

778-462-2011

The101.ca

The Woods Spirit Co.

Products: Amaro, Cascadian Dry Gin, Limoncello, Barrel Aged Amaro

1450 Rupert St., North Vancouver

778-996-7637

TheWoodsSpiritCo.com

Yaletown Distilling Company

Products: Yaletown Small Batch Craft Vodka, Cranberry Vodka, Mandarin Vodka, Tequila Barrel

Aged Vodka, Espresso Vodka, Artisan Honey Spirit, Yaletown Small Batch BC Gin, Cucumber Gin, Hopped Gin, Tequila Barrel

Aged Hopped Gin, Yaletown

Single Malt Canadian Whisky

1132 Hamilton St., Vancouver

604-669-2266

YTDistilling.com

After Dark Distillery

Products: Copper Island Gin, Monashee Mountain Vodka, After Dark Burner Vodka, Monashee Mountain Whiskey, Monashee Mountain Moonshines

1201 Shuswap Ave., Sicamous

250-836-5187

AfterDarkDistillery.com

Alchemist Distiller

Products: Libellule Gin, Nectar Apple Liqueur, Green Frog

Absynthe

101-18006 Bentley Rd, Summerland

250-317-6454

AlchemistDistiller.ca

Bohemian Spirits

Products: Vagabond Vodka, Limited Gin, Colossal Gin, Eclipse Coffee Liqueur, Forester

Single Malt Oak Aged Gin

417A 304 St., Kimberley

BohemianSpirits.com

Products: Gin, Vodka

Vancouver 604-619-9615

TailoredSpirits.com

Dubh Glas Distillery

Products: Noteworthy Gin – New Western Dry, Noteworthy Gin –

Barrel Rested, Noteworthy Gin

Navy Strength, Virgin Spirits

Barley

8486 Gallagher Lake Frontage Rd., Oliver

778-439-3580

TheDubhGlasDistillery.com

Elder Bros Farm

Distillery

Products: Elderflower & Honey

Schnapps, Elderflower & Cherry Schnapps, Cherry & Honey

Schnapps

3121 Mission Wycliffe Rd.,

Cranbrook

250-581-2300

ElderBrosFarms.com

Endless Summer

Distillery

Products: Skaha Vodka, Okanagan Apple Pie Moonshine, Okanagan Peach Pie Moonshine

Kelowna

EndlessSummerDistillery.com

Fernie Distillers

Forbidden Spirits

Distilling

Products: Rebel Vodka, Forbidden Vodka

4400 Wallace Hill Rd., Kelowna 250-764-6011

ForbiddenSpirits.ca

Jones Distilling

Products: Mr. Jones Vodka, The Revelstoke Series – Gin No. 1, Sweet Spot Alcoholic Cordial

616 Third St. West, Revelstoke JonesDistilling.com

Kootenay Country Craft

Distillery

Products: Valhalla Vodka, Kootenay Country Gin, Kootenay Country Honey Vodka

7263 Gustafson Rd., Slocan 250-355-2702

kootenaycountry.ca

Legend Distilling

3005 Naramata Rd., Naramata 778-514-1010

LegendDistilling.com

Maple Leaf Spirits

Products: Lady of the Cask Wine Brandy, Canadian Kirsch, Pear Williams, Skinny Pinot Noir, Skinny Gewürztraminer, Maple Liqueur, Cherry Liqueur

948 Naramata Rd., Penticton 250-493-0180

MapleLeafSpirits.ca

Monashee Spirits

Products: Vodka, Vulcan’s Fire Cinnamon Liqueur, Big Mountain Creamer

307 Mackenzie Ave., Revelstoke 250-463-5678

MonasheeSpirits.com

Okanagan Crush Pad

Products: Narrative 12 Botanical Gin, Narrative Spirit of the Vineyard, Narrative Fortified

16576 Fosbery Rd., Summerland 250-494-4445

okanagancrushpad.com

Products: No. 9 Mine Vodka, Fernie Fog (Earl Grey Liqueur), Prospector Gin

531 1st Ave., Fernie FernieDistillers.com

Products: Doctor’s Orders Gin, Shadow in the Lake Vodka, Blasted Brew Spiked Coffee Liqueur, Manitou Orange and Sumac Liqueur, Naramaro, Wyatt Whisky, Black Moon Gin, Silver Moon Gin, Harvest Moon Gin, Slowpoke Farmberry Vodka, Slowpoke Sour Cherry Vodka

Okanagan Spirits

Products: Essential Vodka, Family Reserve Vodka, Essential Gin, Evolve Gin, Family Reserve Gin, BC Rye Whisky, BRBN

Bourbon-Style Corn Whisky, Final Proof BC Hopped Whisky, Laird of Fintry Single Malk

Whisky, Okanagan Shine Unaged BRBN Whisky, Taboo Genuine Absinthe, Aquavitus, fruit liqueurs, Bartlett Pear (Poire Williams), Bradshaw Plum (Old Italian Prune), Canados, Kirsch

Danube, Raspberry Framboise, Gewürztraminer Marc

5204 24th St., Vernon

267 Bernard Ave., Kelowna

250-549-3120 | 778-484-5174

OkanaganSpirits.com

Old Order Distilling Company

Products: Heritage Vodka, Legacy Gin, Black Goat Vodka, Blessed Bean Coffee Vanilla

Liqueur, Wicked Brew Chocolate

Coffee Liqueur, Harvest Raspberry Liqueur, Limited Release Canadian Whisky

270 Martin St., Penticton

778-476-2210

OldOrderDistilling.ca

Taynton Bay Distillers

True North Distilleries

D

ISTILLERIES

Products: Dominion Rye, Black Dog – After Dark, Hecate Spice Rum, Hulda Rum, Red Plum Brandy, Muscat

1460 Central Ave., Grand Forks 778-879-4420

TrueNorthDistilleries.com

Tumbleweed Spirits

C OMI NG SOO N

VANCOUVER ISLAND & GULF ISLANDS

Copper Kettle Spirits (Ladysmith)

James Bay Distillers (Victoria)

Western Red Distilling Company (Victoria) Wild Coast Distilling (Cobble Hill)

Products: Gin, Rock Creek Rye, Fireweed Whiskey, Mindnite Brandy, Nine Mile Creek “Shine,” Sophia Esprit de Vin, Vodka, moonshine

#7-6001 Lakeshore Dr., Osoyoos 778-437-2221

TumbleweedSpirits.com

Vernon Craft Distillery

Products: Vodka

Vernon, 250-306-4455

VernonCraftDistilleries.com

Wynndel Craft Distilleries

LOWER M AINL AN D, FRASER VALL EY & B.C. WEST COAST

Copper Spirit Distillery (Snug Cove)

Tallant Distillery (Vancouver)

OKA N AG AN, KOOTE NAYS & INTERIOR Distillery 95 (Radium Hot Springs)

Lost Boys Distillery (Fernie) Mount 7 Spirits Craft Distillery (Golden)

Trench Brewing & Distilling (Prince George)

Wiseacre Farm Distillery (Kelowna)

Products: Vodka, Gin, Pickled

Vodka, Raspberry Vodka, Gringo’s Revenge, Sinferno

Cinnamon Spirit, Tea-Infused

Cocktails, Bitters

1701B 6th Ave., Invermere

250-342-5271

TayntonBaySpirits.com

Products: Fruit brandies, fruit liqueurs, schnapps, Chili Cherry Vodka, Spicy Peach Vodka, Floral Gin, Old Tom Apple Gin, Butterfly Blue Gin

1331 Channel Rd., Wynndel WynndelCraftDistilleries.ca

THE LAST WORD

WARMING UP A CLASSIC

John Keats’ “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness” is upon us, bringing with it dark, cold, rainy weather—and a craving for sophisticated cocktails that are both warming and comforting. Just like this one.

CHILI CHOCOLATE MANHATTAN

“Nibbling dark chocolate and sipping on a fruit-forward, spicy whisky is one of my most favourite things to do when fall settles into winter,” says Ryan Johnson, the bar manager at Tuc Craft Kitchen. To capture that feeling in a cocktail, he combined the rich spice of Odd Society’s Prospector Rye with the chili- and ginger-spiked Ancho Reyes liqueur and a rounded bittersweet note from the Cynar amaro. As Johnson says, “Time to get cosy.”

Rinse of Mezcal

2 oz Odd Society Prospector Rye

0.5 oz Ancho Reyes Chili liqueur

0.5 oz Cynar amaro

2 dashes Bittermens Xocolatl Molé bitters

Chill a coupe glass and give it a quick rinse with mezcal. Combine remaining ingredients in a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir until chilled and strain into the coupe. Garnish with an orange twist. Serves 1.

Photo courtesy of Tuc Craft Kitchen