The Alchemist • Issue 8 • Spring 2018

COCKTAIL

HAPPY HOUR

DAILY 5-7PM | SUN-THU 12-1PM

7 Cocktails - 4 Fernet Branca

Better vodka makes better vodka soda

08 – BAR BITES

A taste of what’s happening in the cocktail world

12 – WHISKY R AID

How B.C. cracked down on single-malt scofflaws by Tim Pawsey

15 – T ASTING R OOMS

A tour of Vancouver’s distillery tasting rooms by Charlene Rooke

20 – T HE BON VI V ANT

Our man at the bar contemplates class and cocktails by Michael White

22 – O RDER U P

How to order a drink and get what you want by Joanne Sasvari

27 – H OME BAR

Britannia rules these right royal cocktails by Justin Taylor

30 – PI P-PIP FOR PIMM’S

The digestive aid that became a garden party classic by Joanne Sasvari

34 – S TILL LIFE

38 – T ASTING PANEL

Our expert tasters pick the right B.C. gins for your tonic needs by Joanne

Sasvari

42-50 – D ISTILLERY LISTINGS

Our guide to B.C. distilleries

52 – ON THE TO WN

Speed Rack and Science of Cocktails

54 – T HE L AST WORD

In the pink with the Clover Club

Following the taste of terroir from farm to flask by Charlene Rooke

Duncan Joseph photo

Jennifer Gauthier photo

Contributors

Joanne Sasvari is the editor of The Alchemist. She is a Vancouver-based, WSET-certified writer-editor who covers food, drink and travel for a variety of publications including TASTE, the Vancouver Sun, Westcoast Homes & Design, Destination BC and WestJet magazine. She is also the author of the forthcoming Wickaninnish and Vancouver Eats cookbooks.

Tim Pawsey (a.k.a. The Hired Belly) writes and shoots at hiredbelly.com as well as for print publications including Where Vancouver, Quench, TASTE and Montecristo. He also judges a number of wine awards.

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.

Charlene Rooke is a certified Specialist of Spirits and a Moonshine University-trained craft distiller who writes for enRoute, TASTE and Food & Drink. She drinks stirred rye Manhattans on the rocks.

Michael White writes about popular culture and dining. He is formerly a senior editor at Vancouver, FASHION and Glow magazines. One of his perfect life moments was drinking a Manhattan at the Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan.

Odd Society’s G&T Sour. Find the recipe at thealchemistmagazine.ca

Nowthat spring is here, we’re craving lighter spirits, brighter cocktails and new adventures. This issue of The Alchemist will quench your thirst for all of that and much more.

For starters, we take you on a tour of Vancouver’s cool distillery tasting lounges. Then, in Order Up, bartenders offer tips on how to get a good drink every time—or at least have fun trying. Our Bon Vivant, Michael White, mulls class differences at the bar. The Alchemist tasting panel selects their favourite B.C. gins to go with your tonic. And speaking of gin, we offer a selection of jolly good cocktails to pair with a royal wedding or any celebratory occasion.

On a more serious note, Tim Pawsey investigates what was behind a Prohibition-style whisky raid earlier this year and learns that this is a story that has just begun to unfold.

For more recipes and features, 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

PHOTOGRAPHERS: Jennifer Gauthier, Dan Toulgoet

ILLUSTRATOR: Ryan Mitson

TheAlchemistMagazine.ca @TheAlchemistBC @TheAlchemistMag

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

© The Alchemist 2018

This issue is complimentary.

RD Cane photo

BAR BITES

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

WINNER, WINNER

with regional challenges being held in March and the Canadian finals scheduled for May 7 to 10. Good luck to all who dare enter. diageoworldclasscanada.com

Meanwhile, congrats to the Granville Room’s Bonnie Stewart who won the Speed Rack Vancouver competition on February 25 with a lightning-fast time of 54 seconds, no penalties. speed-rack.com

Cocktail competition season is in full swing, and it’s exciting to see so many B.C. bartenders competing both on the local and world stage.

After Royal Dinette’s Kaitlyn Stewart won Diageo World Class in 2017, all eyes are on the global competition whose winner is considered best bartender in the world. The 2018 round kicked off in January,

ORIGINAL SIN

1.5 oz Bacardi Ocho

0.5 oz Averna amaro

0.25 oz amaretto

8 dashes Angostura bitters

1 dash citric acid solution

And earlier this year, Vij’s bartender Olivia Povarchook made it to the semifinals of the prestigious 2018 Bacardi Legacy cocktail competition with her update on the classic Cuba Libre called the Original Sin. While she didn’t make it to the finals—representing Canada on May 1 in Mexico City is Sabrina Mailhot of Montreal—Povarchook’s drink still is cause for celebration. bacardilegacy.com

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir. Strain into a chilled coupe and garnish with a flamed lime peel. Serves 1.

—created by Olivia Povarchook, Vij’s Restaurant.

Diageo World Class photo

Bacardi Legacy photo

ZERO P ROOF S P IRITS

you’re not drinking.” Using a 1651 book called The Art of Distillation, he taught himself how to distill an alcohol-free herbal remedy that he called Seedlip. The first 1,000 bottles sold out at London’s Selfridge’s store in three weeks; the second batch was gone in three days. Now you’re seeing it behind the bar at tony establishments throughout the UK and here in B.C. as well.

Designated drivers and pregnant ladies, rejoice! The alcohol-free are no longer relegated to boring old cran-and-soda, not now that that Seedlip is available in our market.

Seedlip is an alcohol-free spirit invented in England by Ben Branson, who was keen to create something “to drink when

B.C.’S MOST S P IRITED FESTI VAL

Clear your schedule for the BC Distilled festival.

BC Distilled is the biggest artisan and micro-distillery event in Canada and a must for anyone interested in spirits and cocktails. It is April 14 at the Croatian Cultural Centre, with a trade tasting from 2 to 4:30 pm followed by the public event, 6 to 9 pm.

It is also a fundraiser for the Pacific Assistance Dogs Society, with a silent auction on site as well as guest appearances by some of the assistance dogs and puppies.

Early bird tickets start at $59.99 and are now on sale at bcdistilled.ca/tickets.

There are two varieties of Seedlip: the warm, toasty Spice 94; and bright, grassy Garden 108. These are not meant to be enjoyed on their own like, say, a nice single malt, but are excellent mixed with soda, citrus and other fruit juices.

Seedlip is available for $49.95 for a 700 mL bottle through Mikuni Wild Harvest, mikuniwildharvest.com.

This year’s fest features 12 brand-new distilleries that have opened in the last year.

It will also feature a number of the top winners of the recent Canadian Artisan Spirits Competition, both to sample and to purchase at the on-site Legacy Liquor pop-up store. They include gold medalists Odd Society Mia Amata, Victoria Distillers Empress 1908 Gin, Merridale Cidery and Distillery Cowichan Copper Gin, Wayward Distillation House Depth Charge and, the spirit of the year, Sheringham Distillery Akvavit.

To see the complete list of winners, or to learn more about CASC, please visit artisanspirit.ca.

For over a decade, Chambar has been known as not only a destination restaurant famous for its Belgian and Moroccan-in uenced cuisine, but also as a cocktail mecca that has attracted and nurtured some of the city’s top talent.

With a fantastic kitchen that produces bold avoured dishes, the bar program works collaboratively to uphold these avours, while being rooted in storytelling. The classic cocktail world is extremely dynamic; there are beverages that have outlasted multiple wars, multiple countries. The stories of the cocktails add interesting complexity to Chambar’s well considered list. Every cocktail is perishable art.

Photo credit: Ema Peters

Whisky Raid

WHY DID BC LCLB AGENTS SEIZE AN ESTIMATED $150,000 IN W HISKY?

A ND C OU L D IT HAPPEN TO YOUR FAVOURITE TIPP L E, TOO?

by Tim Pawsey

It was a scene that might have been straight out of Prohibition—were this not 2018.

On the morning of January 19, 2018, plainclothes teams of B.C. Liquor Control and Licensing Branch agents descended upon two licensed establishments in Vancouver and Nanaimo: Fets Whisky Kitchen and The Grand Hotel. Later that day, in Victoria, they visited The Union Club and Little Jumbo Cocktail Bar. What were they after? Illicit booze, grey market goods being sold as the real thing, or maybe something even more heinous?

None of the above, as it turns out. The agents (accompanied by armed police) methodically seized every bottle they could find of Scotch Malt Whisky Society product. Each bottle was duly noted and removed in a rented van. In Vancouver the agents produced no warrant, but said the 242 bottles in question—worth at least $40,000 and as much as $150,000— were being seized as evidence in an ongoing investigation.

The problem, it appears, was that the SMWS bottles had not been purchased through “proper” channels, i.e. the B.C.

Liquor Distribution Branch, at least not directly. All of the bottles seized had been procured through private liquor stores, either Legacy Liquor Store in Vancouver or The Strathcona in Victoria, which are the SMWS’ partner stores and exclusive retailers in B.C. The whisky was still taxed at both wholesale and retail levels, but technically purchased illegally, according to the B.C. Liquor Control Act.

Eventually, the licensees were given a 30-day deadline to furnish their proofs of purchase. At press time the investigation remains ongoing, hearings have not yet been scheduled, and LCLB has not elaborated on their action, other than to suggest that it was complaint driven. The branch says it’s not at liberty to disclose the complainant, and never does.

The possible ramifications for the affected licensees are serious. They range from fines up to $75,000 per deemed infraction to 12 months’ jail time or outright loss of licence.

To say that the targeted licensees were surprised would be an understatement. No prior warning or notice of infraction was served in any instance.

M ANY B.C. LIC ENSEES TURN TO THE PRIVATE SYSTEM W HEN PRODU C TS ARE NOT AVAI LA BL E THROUGH REGU L AR C HANNE L S.

So why would a licensee risk all this just to stock their shelves with products from private retailers? Within the industry, it’s well known: Many B.C. licensees turn to the private system when products are not available through regular channels, whether due to lack of selection or challenges with a system that doesn’t always meet their needs. Licensees are reluctant to speak out for fear of reprisal, but anecdotal complaints abound— about lost orders, incorrect shipments, slow delivery times, or orders that just simply vanish.

Among the products that are not available through the LDB are the SMWS whiskies.

SMWS is a highly respected organization with some 25,000 members worldwide

and has been active in Canada for over five years. The society is, in effect, a worldwide “negociant” for rare whiskies and, perhaps not surprisingly, the largest independent bottler of single malts in the world. SMWS deals only in single barrels, which are numbered and labeled with some of the most tonguein-cheek tasting notes ever seen—such as “Chestnut purée & new hiking boots” or “Quince jelly baby.” They appeal to whisky aficionados and work with a handful of partner retailers and bars to bring the product to market. Because of the low volumes involved, case lots number in the single digits.

When Rob and Kelly Carpenter explored bringing SMWS Canada to B.C. some six years ago, they were careful to discuss the

Archives of Ontario photo

TOP: Provincial liquor inspectors remove bottles of whisky from Fets Whisky Kitchen in Vancouver.

LEFT: Government enforcers dump barrels of illegal liquor during Prohibition in Ontario circa 1925.

Fets Whisky Kitchen photo

business model with the LDB to make sure it was all above board. The main spirits buyer gave them their blessing, says Rob Carpenter.

The question most asked at the time of the raids is: Why SMWS and why now? If there was a problem with SMWS, why did it take LCLB five years to act? And why in this manner?

SM WS DEA L S ON L Y IN SING L E B ARRE LS, W HI C H ARE NUM B ERED AND LABEL ED W ITH SOME OF THE MOST TONGUE-INC HEEK TASTING NOTES EVER SEEN— SU C H AS “CHESTNUT PURÉE & NE W HIKING B OOTS” OR “QUIN C E JE LL Y BAB Y.”

In a period when the sirens of progress had finally begun to lure BC’s archaic liquor culture into the 21st century, such an aggressive response seems curious, especially given the amount of other specialty products well beyond SMWS that adorn local licensee shelves.

Changes to how and where licensees might more easily purchase specialty and hard-to-find items were up for discussion during the Liquor Policy Review stakeholder hearings process that preceded the 2016 update to Liquor Control and Licensing. But that item has since been redacted from the original list of submissions.

The biggest irony? The tony Union Club is located just down the promenade from the BC Legislature. It is a favoured watering hole of many MLAs, who may well have enjoyed a nip of SMWS whisky

now and again. Not any more, though—at least not until somebody comes up with a smart solution and changes the law.

While SMWS Canada co-founder Rob Carpenter is genuinely concerned for the well-being of the bars affected, he’s also philosophical about this being a turning point for more sophisticated tastes.

“For me it’s all about B.C. consumers. They have a choice to make as to whether they speak up about this. If they want to be limited to the choice of (whisky in) government stores, that’s fine. But if they want to go the private route with low volume and spec products, they’ll need to go to the private stores,” Carpenter says.

“We’re just trying to put a product into B.C. that gives whisky consumers a real choice. It’s a shame it can’t be put into bars and restaurants. But it’s really about freedom of choice.”

C ANADA DRY

The government liquor raids earlier this year have evoked the ghost of Prohibition, which most people consider an American thing (1920 to 1933), without realizing Canada went dry for a number of years, too.

During the First World War, every province except Quebec banned the sale and consumption of beverage alcohol. Prohibition lasted from 1917 to 1921 in B.C., which became the first province to introduce government liquor stores. Then again, because post-war laws were so strict, bootlegging and speakeasies continued here well into the 1950s.

Business in the back, party in the front

D ISTILLERY TASTING ROOMS ARE SOME OF THE HOTTEST COC KTAI L B ARS IN B.C. H ERE ARE A FE W TO TRY IN THE V AN C OUVER AREA

by Charlene Rooke

Distillery visits aren’t just for spirits geeks—although staff (even the distillers) are usually keen to tour guests through the production line. Even micro-distilleries now offer flights, cocktails and tastings, some spiked with snacks or entertainment. More reasons to visit: You can buy bottles right from the source, including seasonal and

limited releases, only-at-the-distillery products (such as collaborations with local brewers or food producers) and even cocktail accoutrements. Since many distillery tasting rooms are small, family-run affairs, call ahead or check social media for hours, especially if your group is more than a few or would like a tour.

The tasting room at Surrey’s Central City Brewers & Distillers is a welcoming space to sample spirits and enjoy a cocktail or two.

Duncan Joseph photo

CENTRAL CITY BRE WERS & D ISTILLERS

Vibe: Thrill of discovering an elite, cosmopolitan distillery inside a cavernous suburban brewery.

What’s new: Curvy new bottle for Queensborough Gin plus Gin Twst and Gin Fizz can cocktails.

Single malt whisky starts its life as beer: get the whole birthto-barrel cycle at Central City, two-time winner of Canadian Brewery of the Year, and a medal-winning distillery for its Lohin McKinnon whiskies and Queensborough Gin. A pubby tasting room features beer pints and flights, and a clubby tasting lounge offers concoctions from brand ambassador Christos Kalaitzis (an award-winning mixologist in Greece and the UK). Cocktails are $8, and spirits tastings are $2 for a half-ounce or $6 for a two-ounce pour.

11411 Bridgeview Dr., Surrey centralcitybrewing.com, 604-588-2337

Monday to Friday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m to 9 p.m. (tours S/S at 1, 3 and 5 p.m., book at ext. 131)

S

ALTED CARAMEL ROB R OY

The Rob Roy was created in 1894 at Manhattan’s Waldorf Astoria; at Central City, bartender Christos Kalaitzis created this salty-sweet version that won the Canadian Art of the Cocktail competition in 2017.

1 oz Lohin Mckinnon single malt

1 oz sweet vermouth

0.5 oz salted caramel sauce (see recipe)

2 dashes rosemary bitters

Garnish: Orange zest

Place all ingredients except garnish in a mixing glass with ice and stir to your preferred level of dilution. Strain into a rocks glass with more ice. Garnish with a slice of orange zest. Serves 1.

SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE: This sauce from Central City’s Christos Kalaitzis will keep in the fridge for up to two weeks. To use it, either warm up slightly, adding a little water to thin if required, or spoon it into a hot liquid.

⅓ cup water

1 cup golden sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ cup heavy cream (35%)

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

Pinch sea salt

Put a medium, non-stick pan over a high heat and pour in the water. Carefully pour in the sugar and bring it to the boil. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, swirling the pan occasionally, until the sugar starts to turn golden brown. Once the sugar has dissolved and bubbles form all over the surface, remove the pan from the heat. Mix the vanilla into the heavy cream and carefully pour it into the pan. Whisk in the butter and add a good pinch of sea salt. Leave the salted caramel to cool, then transfer into a sterilized jar and refrigerate. Makes about 1 cup.

—by Christos Kalaitzis for Central City Distillers

Duncan Joseph photo

O DD SOC IETY SPIRITS

Vibe: East Van motorcycle garage turned steampunk Victorian speakeasy.

What’s new: House ginger beer and more award-winning whisky releases this spring.

While sampling, you might spot the vintage Italian recipe book behind the bar that inspired the complex Bittersweet Vermouth. Select it as part of a tasting range including vodka, white or aged gin, Crème de Cassis, Mongrel (white dog) or Mia Amata amaro ($7 for three spirits). Cocktails like the Wallflower Gin and Tonic Sour are around $10; light snacks available. Watch social media for Thursday music nights and special spirit/cocktail event announcements.

1725 Powell St., Vancouver oddsocietyspirits.com, 604-559-6745

Thursday 1 to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 1 to 11 p.m., Sunday 1 to 6 p.m. (happy hour 4 to 6 p.m. T/F)

AM B ROSIA

1.5 oz Odd Society Wallflower Gin

0.5 oz Sheringham Akvavit

0.4 oz Martini Bianco

Vermouth infused with vanilla (see note)

0.25 oz Rose Wintergreen syrup

0.5 oz citric acid

4 dashes Dillon’s ginseng bitters

Garnish: Lemon zest

Place all ingredients except garnish in a mixing glass with ice and stir for 20 seconds. Strain into a rocks glass over one large cube of ice and garnish with a lemon zest. Serves 1.

NOTE: To infuse the vermouth, add one or two vanilla beans to a 1L bottle of white vermouth and leave it to sit for 48 hours in a cool dark place, then strain.

—by Mia Glanz for Odd Society Spirits

A funky vintage vibe infuses the tasting room at Odd Society Spirits.

Cause and Affect photo

RD Cane photo

R ES U RRE C TION SPIRITS

Vibe: Hip, airy east-side cocktail bar with killer mixology.

What’s new: Sustainability rules here, with glass straws and other low-waste bar/distillery practices.

A nondescript exterior masks this lofty manufacturing space (stills in the back, aging barrels upstairs) with glass-decanter light fixtures twinkling over a vast lounge, animated by local hipsters and wall-projected films. Former Pourhouse ’tender Briant Grant is a co-owner, and bar legend David Wolowidnyk lends his sharp palate to the distillery. The cocktail menu features the signature White Rye in an apple-thyme Old Fashioned and an elevated Rye and Ginger. Inventive snacks include crispy chicharrones and spicy pumpkin seeds.

1672 Franklin St., Vancouver resurrectionspirits.ca, info@ resurrectionspirits.ca (tour bookings) Thursday to Saturday, 6 p.m. to 12 a.m.

The tiny, industrial-chic tasting room at North Vancouver’s Sons of Vancouver offers a secret

S ONS OF VAN CO UV ER D ISTILLERY

Vibe: North Shore quirky, with a soundtrack of vintage piano and eclectic vinyl.

What’s new: Spring cocktail menu of drinks by local bartenders “way more talented than us.”

As if generous sample pours and two-ounce cocktails (up to $12) don’t make for enough fun here, there’s a secret tiki cocktail list hidden in your gold-embossed vintage leather menu cover, made by nearby Old English Bindery. If co-owners James Lester or Richard Kraus aren’t behind the bar, their tiki-mug visages are always there in spirit. SOV’s amaretto and vodka stand out in everything from a Cocchiupgraded martini to a Forbidden Spicy Pineapple spiked with dangerous Chili Vodka.

1431 Crown St., North Vancouver sonsofvancouver.ca, 778-340-5388 Friday 5 to 9 p.m., Saturday 1 to 9 p.m., Sunday 1 to 5 p.m.

T HE WOODS SPIRIT COM PANY

Vibe: Nouveau-Italian designer, with rose-gold wire light fixtures matching a cool carved-wood ceiling.

What’s new: The tasting room debuts this spring, along with a fresh Cascade Gin.

The Woods Spirit Co. is just a short stumble through the back alley from SOV (its signature Pacific Northwest amaro was actually initially produced there). The tasting counter in The Woods’ new home base will showcase the nicely bitter-edged amaro in cocktails, with more spirits (gin, whisky and perhaps a barrel-aged amaro) to come. Owner Fabio Martini hopes to make the tasting room a “hub or base for community activities,” like the local foraging tours he used to lead, pre-spiritual life.

1450 Rupert St., North Vancouver thewoodsspiritco.com, 604-209-1438

Scheduled to open sometime in April; Friday, Saturday and Sunday 1 to 6 p.m.

cocktail list.

Lucy-kate Armstrong photo

LONG TAB LE D ISTILLERY

Vibe: False Creek industrial chic, a quick ferry hop from Granville Island.

What’s new: Rye-barrel-aged akvavit, a fifthanniversary rum later this year.

Pull up a stool around the eponymous 14-foot sequoia slab to sip spirits like the cleverly named Långbord (Long Table in Norwegian) Akvavit, savoury Linnaeus Amaro No. 1 or lemongrasstinged Texada Vodka in flights or creative cocktails (around $10). Signature G&Ts with a range of gins are happy-hour hits, along with small snacks. Shop for cocktail equipment, mixers, bitters, books and bottles (including cute mini-bottles of spirits).

1451 Hornby St., Vancouver longtabledistillery.com, 604-266-0177

Wednesday/Thursday (tastings and bottle sales only) 1 to 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday 1 to 9 p.m. (cocktails after 3 p.m., happy hour 3 to 5 p.m. F/Sat)

T HE JOY CE

1.5 oz Long Table London Dry Gin

1 oz fresh lemon juice

0.75 oz rhubarb syrup (see note)

1 dash Ms. Better’s Green Strawberry Mah Kwan bitters

Combine all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker and add ice. Give it a hard shake, then fine-strain into a chilled coupe. If you like, garnish with a dried citrus wheel, preferably blood orange. Serves 1.

NOTE: To make rhubarb syrup, combine 4 cups chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb with 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, until fruit is soft and liquid has thickened. Strain into a clean glass jar or bottle and refrigerate. Should keep for several weeks chilled. Makes about 1 cup.

—by Tarquin Melnyk for Long Table Distillery

The focal point at Long Table Distillery is indeed a long table—and the gleaming copper still behind it.

Jennifer Gauthier photo

Jennifer Gauthier photo

THE BON VIVANT

CO C KTAI L S, OUR MAN-A B OUT-TO W N DIS C OVERS, ARE NOT JUST FOR THE RI C H, OR EVEN THE PRETEND RI CH

by Michael White

Ididn’t pull up a stool to a proper bar—by which I mean one whose stock-in-trade is cocktails, and whose staff is formally schooled in the art of same— until my early 30s. A variety of reasons contributed to this delayed milestone, including having been raised in a nearteetotal household, in a small city whose population overwhelmingly prefers beer, coupled with early teenage drinking experiences (usually at a suburban house party or in some miserable pitch-black field) of the sort that seem contrived to ensure one never wants to drink again.

But mostly, it was because I spent my 20s dirt poor. Food and rent were much higher priorities than what I perceived to be the rarefied luxury of a Negroni or a Boulevardier or, God forbid, a basic gin martini.

So, when the sudden onset of an abovethe-poverty-threshold salary led to me requesting my first Manhattan (I’d heard they were good), the result was revelatory—and not only because I learned in that moment that Manhattans are, in fact, very good. I’d also unwittingly

initiated my awareness of how class distinction would play a role in my professional life.

Journalists who write about lifestyle and entertainment, as I do, eventually come to realize that they are, essentially, interlopers—at best, politely tolerated gatecrashers. Our profession grants us access to people and environments that otherwise would be closed to us. We’re tidied-up working stiffs dispatched to report from the playgrounds of the rich and beautiful.

Having always been cripplingly selfconscious, my awakening to this dynamic was immediate and, figuratively if not literally, sobering. Consequently, I found myself repeatedly cultivating a rapport with the other person in the room I recognized as being of similar socioeconomic stock: the bartender. Partly because I have limitless admiration for what they do, but also because I assumed, rightly or wrongly, that we would get each other.

J-S (Jean-Sebastien) Dupuis chuckles when I tell him this. The product of a

LOOK SEMI-PRESENTABLE, SET DOWN A $20 BILL, AND YOU, TOO, CAN FEEL LIKE AN ARISTOCRAT FOR HOWEVER LONG IT TAKES TO DRAIN YOUR GLASS.

middle-class family in a town in Quebec that “you never would know about if you weren’t from there,” his current position as beverage director for Wentworth Hospitality Group (Tableau Bar Bistro, Homer St. Cafe and Bar) was preceded by spells behind the wood at the luxe likes of Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar and Whistler’s Bearfoot Bistro.

At the latter, he would often pour by night for the same people who, by day, he taught to ski, including a woman who wore ski gloves that were too large for her hands so they could accommodate her enormous diamond rings. A one-time Bearfoot patron who “didn’t blink” when he ordered a $10,000 bottle of 1966 Dom Perignon wasn’t an anomaly.

But, Dupuis hastens to add, I shouldn’t conflate self-made multimillionaires, who, in his experience, tend to be humble and gracious and are happiest in jeans, with Vancouver’s proliferation of “$50,000 millionaires”—people of average means who wear affluence like a Halloween costume and tend to be the worst.

In any case, he assures me, class rage has no place at the bar, which is ultimately a model of democracy. Look semipresentable, set down a $20 bill, and you, too, can feel like an aristocrat for however long it takes to drain your glass. “I could’ve studied to become a doctor or a lawyer,” he says. “That’s not what I wanted to do. I fell in love with the food and beverage industry.”

I order another Manhattan and shut up.

Illustration by Ryan Mitson

Order up

HOW TO GET THE RIGHT DRINK IN A B AR

by Joanne Sasvari

You’re thirsty. There’s a bar full of things to drink. You’d think nothing would be simpler than quenching your thirst, right? Not so fast.

We’ve all had those disappointing cocktails that left us wondering what went wrong. That’s because there’s an art to

ordering a drink, a good drink at least, and it’s both simple and complex.

It starts by being aware of your surroundings.

“I’ll usually order according to where I am. It’s what I want, but also where I

At Coquille Fine Seafood, Shaun Layton has created a light, bright, classic-based bar list. Order accordingly.

Dan Toulgoet photo

LOOK AT THE MENU, L OOK AT THE BAC K B AR, L OOK AT THE B ARTENDER. HOW ARE THEY PRESENTING THEMSE LVES? WHAT’S THE MUSI C L IKE? WHAT’S THE ATMOSPHERE? E VEN IF THE DRINKS AREN’T MY STY LE, I C AN FIND SOMETHING I ’D B E HAPPY W ITH.

am,” says Shaun Layton, who has just created the bar program at the newly opened Coquille Fine Seafood. “If I’m at La Mezcaleria, I’ll order a Margarita. If I’m at a French restaurant, it’ll be a classic aperitif. And if it’s a place that’s known for the bar program, I’ll definitely order a cocktail,” he says. “I’ll get with the program at the place because it’s a part of the experience.”

In other words, play to the establishment’s strengths and not its weaknesses. “If you’re going into a pub, don’t order a Manhattan,” says Sabrine Dhaliwal, bar manager of Uva Wine & Cocktail Bar. Adds Amber Bruce of The Keefer Bar, “Don’t go in with your preconceived notions and ask for something you’re not going to get.”

Sometimes, though, it’s not so easy to tell what kind of joint it is. A bar may look classy, but still shake its Manhattans and make its Margaritas with bottled sour mix. That’s when you have to look for other clues.

Check out the decor, the menu and especially the back bar. Is it filled with a jumble of dusty Sour Puss and Fireball bottles? Or a neatly arranged selection of gleaming mezcals and amaros?

“Generally, if it’s lots of sweet liqueurs and vodkas, it’s for a less experienced palate. A back bar that has a lot of whiskies is for a more developed palate,” says Dhaliwal. “Look at the menu, look at the back bar, look at the bartender. How are they presenting themselves? What’s the music like? What’s the atmosphere? Even if the drinks aren’t my style, I can find something I’d be happy with.”

The Upstairs at Campagnolo back bar suggests bittered whisky drinks are a good choice here.

Lou Lou Childs photo

“If you see yellow and green Chartreuse, you know they have a good cocktail program,” says Max Borrowman, bar manager of Juniper Kitchen & Bar. “And if I look at the menu and they have nothing but Blue Hawaii and five different Mojitos, then I’ll order a beer.”

Little things like dirty cleaning rags left on the counter, withered lime wedges in the condiment tray or even the way the room smells are an indication that there will be as little care going into the drinks.

“If you walk in and you have that stale bar-mat smell, then I’d have a bottled beer,” Dhaliwal says.

“If you see them shaking drinks that are supposed to be stirred, stay away from Martinis and Manhattans and stick with a highball,” Layton says. “If they’re not using fresh juice, stay away from anything that needs juice. If it’s a dirty bar, stay away from anything fresh.”

But your best information will come right from the source: the bartender.

“Talk to us. We’re a lot of fun,” says J-S Dupuis, beverage director of Wentworth Hospitality Group. “To me, anywhere in the world I go, I’d sit at the bar and order a beer, then look at the cocktail list and talk to the bartender. Go out to have a good time. Open your mind a little. And trust your bartender.”

Dhaliwal agrees: “Do talk to the bartender. Ask them what they do. Tell them what you like and what you don’t like. Be honest. The bartender should be able to help guide you.”

“Always give them something to work with,” Layton says. “And if it’s really busy and backed up, I might start with a sherry or a beer and say, ‘When you have a minute, I’ll have a cocktail.’”

Sometimes, though, it’s clear you’re not going to get the cocktail you want and you even have doubts about the draught beer. In that case, it’s best to turn to the bartenders’ backup: a bottle of beer and a shot of whisky, a.k.a., a Boilermaker.

“It’s easy drinking and a great conversation starter,” Dhaliwal says. Bruce adds, “And hopefully the shot glass is clean.”

I F YOU SEE YELL OW AND GREEN CHARTREUSE, YOU KNO W THEY HAVE A GOOD COC KTAI L PROGRAM.

At Hawksworth, high-end spirits are the order of the day.

Lou Lou Childs photo

H ARRY’S B AR F REN C H 75

At Coquille Fine Seafood, Shaun Layton’s bar program focuses on “light, crushable drinks” that pair well with the menu. This variation on the classic French 75 comes from Harry’s Bar in Paris: “Until I went to Harry’s Bar, I never knew they served it long on the rocks with a bit of Ricard,” Layton says.

1 oz London Dry gin

1 oz fresh lemon juice

0.5 oz simple syrup

Sparkling wine

Float of Ricard pastis

Place the gin, lemon and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake. Fine strain into a chilled coupe and top with sparkling wine, then drizzle a float of pastis on top. Serves 1.

NOTE: To make simple syrup, bring 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water just to a boil, stirring, until sugar is fully dissolved.

—by Shaun Layton

Dan Toulgoet photo

As an aspiring newcomer in the cocktail scene, Jason Cheung, born and raised in Vancouver, draws on his extensive training with mentors in some of the industry’s top bars.

His bar style is young and fresh, while still bringing you the traditional cocktails you know and love.

Currently at Boulevard as the assistant bar manager, he hopes to shake up the paradigm of traditional mixology and start a new generation in the industry.

“HAVELIN”

1.5oz novo fogo cachaca

0.75oz amaro montenegró

0.25oz yellow chartreuse

0.5oz lime juice

1.5oz apple juice

1 sprig of rosemary

1 dash rewater bitters

1 egg white

Combine all ingredients. Dry shake then shake with ice. Double strain into chilled coupe glass. Garnish with rosemary leaves.

HOME BAR Rule Britannia!

THESE BRITISH COCKTAILS ARE WORTHY OF A ROYAL CELEBRATION

by Justin Taylor

Wedding bells will be ringing this spring at Windsor Castle and you are going to need some cocktails to celebrate, too. With this as inspiration, let’s take a glance at some iconic British tipples and learn how to make them.

First, let’s step inside The American Bar at London’s Savoy Hotel, home to two of the world’s most influential bartenders, Ada Coleman and Harry Craddock. Coleman, the Savoy’s first and only female head bartender, gave us the pleasantly bitter Hanky Panky cocktail in the early 1900s. A couple decades later, Craddock, who authored

The Savoy Cocktail Book that’s found on every self-respecting bartender’s bookshelf, created the Corpse Reviver #2, a bright citrus cocktail with a hint of absinthe.

Fast forward a few decades to the 1980s and the Bramble, a new classic created by legendary barman Dick Bradsell. It is a simple gin libation topped with French blackberry liqueur, perfect for any spring fling. Allow me to humbly throw in a Brit-inspired cocktail of my own with these iconic classics and you will have everything you need for a truly royal celebration.

CORPSE REVIVER #2

Harry Craddock, 1930, London

1 oz gin

1 oz Cointreau

1 oz Cocchi Americano

1 oz fresh-squeezed lemon juice

1 dash Taboo Absinthe

Chill a Nick & Nora glass with ice. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 20 seconds. Fine strain cocktail into the chilled cocktail glass. Serves 1.

NOTE: Both simple syrup and honey syrup are made by combining equal parts boiling hot water and sugar or honey. Stir to dissolve. Please experiment responsibly!

1 oz Odd Society Wallflower Gin

1 oz sloe gin

0.75 oz fresh lemon juice

0.25 oz honey syrup (see note)

0.75 oz pasteurized egg whites

3 dashes Bittered Sling

Kensington Bitters

3 drops rose water

Chill a coupe glass with ice. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 20 seconds. Fine strain cocktail into the chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with dehydrated rose petals. Serves 1.

Jennifer Gauthier photo Cocktails created by Justin Taylor, The Cascade Room

GINS & ROSES

Justin Taylor, 2017, Vancouver

BRAMBLE

1.5 oz London Dry gin

0.75 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice

0.5 oz simple syrup (see note)

0.5 oz Okanagan Spirits

Blackberry Liqueur

Combine gin, lemon and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake. Strain over fresh ice in a double old-fashioned glass. Cap cocktail with crushed ice. Drizzle blackberry liqueur over the top of the cocktail. Garnish with fresh organic blackberries. Serves 1.

Chill a coupe glass with water and ice. In a mixing glass, add ingredients with ice and stir gently for about 20 seconds. Strain into the coupe and garnish with a slice of orange peel. Serves 1.

HANKY PANKY

1 oz Beefeater London Dry Gin

1 oz Cocchi Vermouth di Torino (or other sweet vermouth)

2 dashes Fernet Branca

Ada Coleman, circa 1903, London Dick Bradsell, 1984, London

Pip-pip for Pimm’s

THE TRADITIONAL BRITISH COCKTAIL TO SERVE AT YOUR NEXT GARDEN PARTY OR ROYAL WEDDING DO

by Joanne Sasvari

The first time I had Pimm’s Cup, I was in the Costwolds, visiting friends of friends, and I was baffled. Why, I wondered, were these nice strangers handing me what appeared to be a glass filled with fruit salad and cola?

Little did I know that Pimm’s is a grand British tradition like double decker buses, cream teas and cricket whites. And as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle head to the altar on May 19 for the first of this year’s two royal weddings (the other is Princess Eugenie’s nuptials on Oct. 12),

it seemed like a good time to revisit this classic English cocktail.

A “cup” is essentially a punch, though typically lower in alcohol than most punches and based on wine or cider rather than spirits. Cups were once all the rage, especially for drinks enjoyed early in the day when, say, riding to the hounds. But today, the most famous, if not the only, cup we know of is the Pimm’s Cup.

It is typically a mix of Pimm’s No. 1 and fizzy lemonade garnished with slices of

orange, lemon, apple and/or cucumber, and a sprig of borage or mint. It is traditionally served at such posh English social events as polo matches and garden parties; indeed, it is one of only two official drinks served at the Wimbledon tennis tournament, Chelsea Flower Show, Henley Royal Regatta and Glyndebourne Festival Opera. The other is Champagne.

IT’S YO U R SER VE

Just as the Kentucky Derby has its Mint Julep and the Preakness has the Black Eyed Susan, the signature drink of the Wimbeldon Tennis Tournament is the Pimm’s Cup. The competition’s first Pimm’s bar opened in 1971, and today some 200,000 fruit-garnished glasses (about 80,000 pints) are served each year.

But what, you may be wondering, is this mysterious elixir known as Pimm’s?

It’s a sort of mildly bittersweet, ginbased herbal liqueur that’s fairly low in alcohol—25 per cent ABV—and in price, about $25 for a 750 mL bottle. It’s brownish in hue, with flavours of orange zest, chamomile, cinnamon and licorice, a little like a syrupy, watered-down cola. And, a little confusingly, both the product and the drink made with it are called a “cup.”

It was invented back in 1823 by the owner of an oyster bar near the Bank of England in London. James Pimm whisked up a concoction of gin, herbs and liqueurs as a digestive tonic for his

A converted London double decker bus selling Pimm’s attracts customers at Guards Polo Club, UK.

IT IS ONE OF ON L Y T W O OFFI C IA L DRINKS SERVED AT THE WIMBLEDON TENNIS TOURNAMENT, CHE L SEA FL OW ER S HO W , H EN L EY R OYA L R EGATTA AND GLYNDE B OURNE F ESTIVA L O PERA

F INE-T U NING THE FIZZ

In the UK, Pimm’s Cup is properly made with fizzy lemonade, which is a rarity on this side of the pond. You could replace it with Sprite, 7 Up or ginger ale, or seek out the San Pellegrino limonata, the closest thing we have to English lemonade.

customers and served it in small tankards known as No. 1 cups. It was rapidly taken up by the upwardly mobile classes, and has rarely been out of fashion since. One can imagine a dyspeptic Mr. Banks turning in relief to Pimm’s after another trying exchange with Mary Poppins or a behatted Lady Violet sipping it after judging the roses.

In 1851, Pimm’s No. 2 and No. 3 Cups arrived on the scene—the first made with a Scotch whisky base, the second with brandy. Since then there have been several other cups including versions made with rum, rye and vodka, as well as a seasonal Winter Cup made with brandy and spices. All have been phased out except the classic No.1, the vodka version

and the Winter Cup; in British Columbia, only Pimm’s No. 1 is available.

Although James Pimm’s oyster bar is long gone, the drink he created lingers on like a nostalgic dream of an idyllic Britain that may, in truth, never have existed. Think of it as the Brideshead Revisited of cocktails.

Still, it may be just what you’re craving should you be planning a garden soirée this spring, or perhaps a royal wedding viewing party, fruit salad garnish and all.

FROM LONDON TO NOLA

If you want a proper Pimm’s, head to London, where it was invented, or strangely, New Orleans, where it’s found a home away from home. In 1940, Nola’s Napoleon House Bar started serving the digestive drink, and it’s since become a city staple. The British version is made with fizzy lemonade and a garden of greenery to garnish, while the Louisiana one is made with lemonade, lemon-lime soda and a relatively minimalist spear of cucumber.

At the Cascade Room, manager Justin Taylor mixes up a Pimm’s Cup.

Jennifer Gauthier photo

PIMM’S CUP

At The Cascade Room, manager and bartender Justin Taylor makes this vibrant version of Pimm’s Cup with added zing from ginger beer rather than traditional sparkling lemonade. You could also use Sprite or ginger ale if you prefer.

6 oz Pimm’s No. 1

9 oz soda water

6 oz Dickie’s ginger beer

2.5 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice

9 dashes Angostura bitters

12 mint leaves, gently slapped

12 cucumber slices, ¼-inch thick

6 apple slices, ¼-inch thick

6 orange slices, ¼-inch thick

Combine all ingredients in a 60-oz. pitcher. Add ice to fill. Stir gently to incorporate. Makes 3 to 4 servings; for a single serving, divide by 3.

—by Justin Taylor

Jennifer Gauthier photo

STILL LIFE

Farm to Flask

ARTISAN DISTILLING STARTED A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE TERROIR OF SPIRITS. BUT CAN YOU TASTE THOSE UBER-LOCAL INGREDIENTS IN THE BOTTLE?

by Charlene Rooke

Onthe drive up to Saanichton from Victoria, hand-lettered signs for honey and free-range eggs compete with honour-system farm stands exchanging wildflowers, produce or jam for money stuffed in a can. When I arrive on an oceanside hilltop, Ken Winchester points out 25 acres of certified organic vineyards, maple and fruit trees and, farther in the distance, barley being farmed to his specs before it’s malted at Phillips Brewery in Victoria. “I’m also a beekeeper, among other things,” says the deVine winemaker and Bruichladdich-trained distiller, gesturing to the hives. He’s more than that: he’s a farm-to-flask disciple.

A winery tour, anywhere in the world, includes a stroll past “show vines,” and the earthy insight that wine is made in the vineyard. Yet the notion of terroir—that a product tastes of where it’s grown—is a new-old notion in distilling. Over the decades, as small-batch distilleries were acquired by corporations, global grain might have replaced local crops on the

mash bill. Despite all the Scots’ talk about the alchemy of the local bog/river/ aquifer—and the fervour for B.C. gins with botanicals foraged right under your nose—for decades, the character of spirits has been defined more in the distillery and barrel than on the farm.

Today, distilleries such as Seattle’s Westland (making unique Pacific Northwest whiskey) or Alberta’s Eau Claire (growing grain on its own horse-plowed fields) are injecting terroir into their spirits.

Back at deVine, Winchester’s distillery is the scratch-kitchen of spirits. He makes a richly herbaceous Vin Gin and vermouths from the property’s grapes, rum from ultra-local honey, single malt from Saanich barley and a nutty Ancient Grains whisky from B.C. kamut, spelt, emmer and “what might be the entire province’s production of einkorn,” he jokes. “If we can grow it locally, our spirit is going to be different so we can tell that story—and people love it.”

Similarly, Okanagan Spirits collaborated with a Coldstream Valley family farm to grow the heritage seed corn for its smooth BRBN whisky. “We had three years of crop failures to even get it to grow,” says CEO Tyler Dyck. “We feel like the field and the sun in that area are going to give it special characteristics over grains grown elsewhere.”

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with the high-quality grain most distillers

source from Gambrinus, CMG or other B.C. suppliers. Yet, when your distillery is located on an actual farm, like Shelter Point, the draw to explore terroir is irresistible. “There are very few distilleries in the New World that grow and use their own grain,” says distiller and operations manager James Marinus. He and owner Patrick Evans intend to build one of them.

Barley thrives in the well-drained, gravelly soil of the Island’s northeast coast, where Evans’ family has tilled for decades. Marinus’ truck rolls past crops that may eventually become the distillery’s Canada One vodka, or, if plans to turn an empty shed into a malting plant come true, the molten gold of Shelter Point’s single malt whisky. “We could grow enough barley on the farm to supply our own production, easy,” he says. Shipping it to a malting plant and back is the only thing preventing them from closing the loop.

A few hours later in Victoria, I watch a 20-tonne batch of Saanich barley roast in the malting plant at Phillips Fermentorium, opened within the famed brewery in late 2015. “If we’re making our own spirits with grain from our own malt plant on site … that way, we can control our product better,” echoes brewer-turneddistiller Damon Bell. A deliciously heady, toasty smell fills the warm dusty air: that’s the smell of terroir, coming soon to your glass of artisan spirits.

At deVine Spirits in Saanichton, local grains are distilled into uber-local spirits.

I F W E C AN GRO W IT LOCA LLY, OUR SPIRIT IS GOING TO B E DIFFERENT SO W E C AN TELL THAT STORY—AND PEOP L E L OVE IT

deVine Spirits photo

El Boujee

1.5oz Toasted Coconut Fat

Washed Flor de Caña 4

1oz Bumbu Caribbean Rum

1oz Lime Juice

0.5oz Simple Syrup

Shake, serve neat in a coupe.

- THE WAIT IS OVER

BC SINGLE MALT WHISKY IS HERE

BOASTING BC’S LARGEST SELECTION OF CRAFT SPIRITS

—Junior Alexander, bar manager

TASTING PANEL

It’s G&T time

T HE ALC HEMIST’S TASTING PANE L SEAR C HES FOR THE B EST B.C. GIN TO ENJOY W ITH YOUR TONI C

Nowthat spring has finally sprung, we’re craving lighter sprits and fresher flavours. In other words, we’re craving gin, especially when it’s mixed with tonic water.

Our tasting panel comprising some of Vancouver’s top bartenders—Max Borrowman of Juniper Kitchen & Bar; Amber Bruce of The Keefer Bar; J-S Dupuis of Wentworth Hospitality (Tableau Bar Bistro, Homer St. Café); and Josh Pape of Gooseneck Hospitality (Wildebeest, Bells and Whistles, Bufala, Lucky Taco)—sampled nine B.C. artisanal gins, suggested the best cocktails to make with them, and then mixed them with tonic water to determine which worked best.

Here’s what they had to say.

AMPERS AND GIN, 43.8% ABV

The panel detected well-balanced notes of black licorice, lemon peel, sweet anise, juniper, flowers and loads of pepper in this gin from the Cowichan Valley. “I think it’s a well-made spirit,” Pape said. “It drinks nicely. It travels nice.” “It’s got a nice long finish,” said Borrowman. “You can tell they paid attention to the cuts.”

Cocktail: “Keep it simple,” Pape said. “A martini.”

CENTR A L CITY D ISTILLERS QUEENS B OROU GH GIN, 43% ABV

The Surrey distiller’s gin impressed with its smoothness, balance and distinct juniper notes. “That is definitely coniferous,” Dupuis said. “I find it a lot softer than you would expect with the high ABV.” Borrowman added, “You

can really smell the spruce tips. I think it’s a really good gin, a really quaffable gin.” Or, as Bruce said, “It’s smooth and slippery.”

Cocktail: “This is something that would go well with tonic,” Pape said. “Something simple and clean.”

FERMENTORIUM S TUMP GIN, 42% ABV

This is a big, powerhouse Vancouver Island gin the bartenders described as savoury, earthy and fruity on the nose with a powerful whiff of pine on the finish.

“You can taste the juniper, like the branch of a fir tree,” Borrowman said. “It really reminds me of a rainforest,” said Dupuis.

Cocktails: “I bet it would make a really good French 75,” said Pape.

GILLESPIE’S GIN, 43% ABV

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the bunch, this gin from Squamish exhibited little of the traditional juniper and citrus notes of most gins, but had a sweet, dessert-like profile. “It smells sweet, like caramel or butterscotch,” Dupuis said. “Shortbread,” said Bruce. “And it’s got a little saltiness.” “It’s well distilled, but it doesn’t taste like gin,” Borrowman said. “It’s a really nice dessert gin.”

Cocktail: Clover Club, French 75 or 20th Century.

LIB ERTY E NDE AV OUR GIN, 45% ABV

This Granville Island gin impressed with its smoothness, especially given the high alcohol, but tasters noted that the botanicals were less prominent than in some gins. “It is extremely soft for 45%,” Dupuis said. “But I feel like the botanicals are very subtle.” Added Pape: “It feels like the botanicals are not as up front. I feel like a lot of what we’re tasting is the base spirit.” “It’s pretty floral, with some hibiscus notes in there,” said Borrowman.

Cocktail: Hanky Panky, Pink Gin, Martinez or Gimlet.

The G&T is a warmweather classic. But which B.C. gin is the best choice?

O DD SOC IETY WA LL F LOWER, 44% ABV

The East Vancouver spirit was the most floral of the gins, with notes of lavender, violet, elderflower, and a strong hint of juniper. “This one smells like the Pac Rim lobby,” joked Dupuis. “But it’s the ginniest gin we’ve tasted so far.” “There’s something like lime leaf, a Southeast Asian note,” said Pape. “It’s floral, tropical. I could see it in a gin Piña Colada,” said Bruce. “It’s one of the few gins that would go really well in an Aviation, with the crème de violette,” added Borrowman.

Cocktail: Aviation or Bramble. “Bramble all the way,” said Borrowman.

R OOTS A ND WIN G S J AC KKNI F E GIN, 40% ABV

With its unique potato-and-corn base, this gin from Langley was the second big surprise of the tasting, with lots of floral notes and not a lot of juniper. As Borrowman said, “That nose is insane.” “I sense tapioca,” said Bruce. “It’s not bad, but it doesn’t taste like gin.” “I would call this herbal-infused vodka,” added Dupuis.

Cocktail: “I might make a gin Daiquiri with it,” said Borrowman.

SHERINGHAM SEASIDE GIN, 43%

From Shirley on Vancouver Island comes this intriguing gin, which includes local winged kelp among the botanicals in the mix. At first, the tasters noted the saline character of the gin. “It’s salty. Everyone at the bar says it’s salty,” said Borrowman. “We made a salty martini with this,” said Pape. After that, it was the herbal notes that came through. “The mint sauce you get with lamb,” said Bruce. “It’s almost like a handful of lavender,” said Dupuis. “It’s floral, but in a completely different way than the Wallflower,” added Borrowman.

Cocktail: Wet martini, wet Gibson, horseradish sour.

VICTORIA DISTILLERS EMPRESS 1908

The tasters were at first distracted by the distinctive blue hue that comes from butterfly pea flower in this Victoria gin. But they found that beyond the colour lay a well-made, if subtly flavoured, spirit.

“It is super gimmicky, but it’s also really good. There’s a blueberry, floral note that runs through it,” said Borrowman.

“It would be good with elderflower. St. Germain and soda.

It’s a great party gin.”

Cocktail: “A Vesper,” suggested Bruce.

“A clean, stirred Vesper.”

TONIC TIME

But which gin is best for a G&T? After tasting the gins straight, the panel tried them with tonic water: Canada Dry, no ice, no garnish. Opinions varied, but the overall favourites were Ampersand, Central City’s Queensborough, Odd Society’s Wallflower and Sheringham’s Seaside Gin.

Dupuis: “For me, I like the Ampersand. I like the gin on its own and when you mix it with the tonic, it’s the only one that becomes a new drink. And it’s super tasty.” His second choice: Queensborough. Third: a tie between Sheringham and Wallflower.

Pape: “I think my favourite one is the Wallflower. It tastes like a gin and tonic, but with a contemporary twist.” His second choice is the Ampersand. “It brings everything to the table. It’s got some oomph.” Third: Queensborough.

Borrowman: “My first choice is Sheringham by far. I think that gin stands up to the tonic so well. It’s really wellbalanced. You taste the gin. His second choice: Wallflower. “I think it’s floral and lovely, and a contemporary twist on a gin and tonic.” Third: Ampersand.

Bruce: “To me a gin and tonic should be classic. It was my grandmother’s drink and it’s my drink. For me, the Ampersand stood out as very classic, the bright lemony notes and the pepper coming through. I’d be happy to sit on a patio and crush one after another. Second: Liberty Endeavour. “It’s simple and delicious. I wanted to drink it and not think about it.” Third: Sheringham. “The Sheringham really had an interesting note, like a savoury herb garden. It would be great with some savoury garnishes.”

NACHO MEDICINE

a down south cure to whatever ails you

• 1.5oz Viejo Indecente Espadin mezcal

• 0.75oz amontillado sherry

• 0.5oz ginger shrub (1:1 on sherry vinegar)

• dash Ms. Betters Smoke and Oak bitters

• spray of smoky mezcal of choice

Stir all ingredients and strain into a double Old Fashioned glass with a large ice cube or sphere.

Garnish with candied ginger.

—by Philipp Karatsyupa, bar manager

Philipp is an advocate of better imbibing, a champagne sabering a cionado, a lover of all “mis t” spirits such as akvavit and mezcal, and a self-proclaimed Lord of Fernet.

B.C. DISTILLERY LISTINGS

YOUR GUIDE TO THE SPIRIT MAKERS

This province’s 52 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.

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.

VANCOUVER ISLAND & GULF ISLANDS

Ampersand Distilling

Father and son Stephen and Jeremy Schacht hand craft their spirits on five acres of organic farmland in the Cowichan Valley, distilling their gin and vodka from B.C. wheat.

Products: Ampersand Gin, Per Se Vodka

4077 Lanchaster Rd., Duncan, 250-737-1880

AmpersandDistilling.com

@AmpDistillingCo

Arbutus Distillery

Head distiller Michael Pizzitelli brings both a background in science and his experience in brewing to Arbutus Distillery’s ever-growing range of botanicalforward spirits.

Products: Coven Vodka, Empiric Gin, Juniperus Lupulus, Baba Yaga Absinthe, Grand Visco Brandy, Espresso Vodka

1890 Boxwood Rd., Nanaimo 250-714-0027

Arbutus-Distillery.com

@ArbutusDistillery

@ArbutusDistill

deVine Spirits

This Saanich-based distillery is proud to use local fruits, honey and grains in their spirits. Also a winery, they use their own grapes as the base for their Vin Gin.

Products: Sitka Vodka, Vin Gin, New Tom Barrel-Aged Gin, Genever Gin, Honey Shine Beekeeper’s Reserve, Pomme Barrel-Aged Apple Brandy, Black Ram Blackberry Brandy, Moderna Vermouth

6181B Old West Saanich Rd., Saanichton, 250-665-6983

DevineVineyards.ca

@deVineVineyards

Island Spirits Distillery

At this Hornby Island distillery, icebreaker Capt. Peter Kimmerly has joined forces with organic chemist Dr. Naz Abdurahman to craft quality spirits, notably gin, using classic and creative botanicals.

Products: Phrog Gin

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

IslandSpirits.ca

Fermentorium Distilling Co.

Fermentorium, created by Phillips Brewing Company, uses a 1920s British still named Old George to help make its West Coast gin. Its collection of tonic waters elevates even the most basic of highballs.

Products: Stump Coastal Forest Gin, Hop Drop Elixir,

Handcrafted Tonics

2010 Government St., Victoria

250-380-1912

Fermentorium.ca

@PhillipsBreweryCo

@PhillipsBeer

Merridale Craft Spirits

This Vancouver Island cider business applied their traditional fruit focus to distilling, creating a range that includes gin, fruit brandies, a rested whisky and even a carbonated vodka.

Products: Cowichan Gin, Cowichan Copper Gin, Cowichan Vodka, Cowichan XXO Brandy, Whisky Jack’s, Stair’s Pear Brandy, Cowichan Brandy, Pomme Oh! Fortified Cider, Winter Apple Fortified Cider

PO Box 358, 1230 Merridale Rd., Cobble Hill

250-743-4293

MerridaleCider.ca

@MerridaleCider

Salt Spring Shine Craft Distillery

In January 2017, after managing the Garry Oaks Winery, Cordon Bleu-trained chefs Michael and Rie Rapp opened the Gulf Island’s first distillery, where they produce white spirits and are working on mead and whisky.

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

194 Kitchen Rd., Salt Spring Island

250-221-0728

@SaltSpringShine

Shelter Point Distillery

Self-described “farmpreneur” Patrick Evans and family established a distillery on their 380-acre farm near Campbell River, growing their own barley for their single-malt whisky and vodka.

Products: Shelter Point Single Malt Artisanal Whisky, Shelter Point Cask Strength Whisky, Double Barrelled Single Malt Whisky, Canada One Artisanal Vodka, Sunshine Liqueur

4650 Regent Rd., Campbell River

778-420-2200, ShelterPoint.ca

@ShelterPointDistillery

@ShelterPoint_Distillery

@ShelterPoint

Sheringham Distillery

Jason MacIsaac was a successful chef before he turned distiller, and he brings his local, sustainable attitude toward food to his small-batch spirits.

Products: Akvavit, Seaside Gin, Barrel Aged Seaside Gin, Vodka, William’s White

2631 Seaside Dr., Shirley 778-528-1313

SheringhamDistillery.com

@SheringhamDistillery

@SheringhamBC

Stillhead Distillery

Owned by the Colebank family— Brennan and Erica, and his parents Ron and Christal—this craft distillery in the Cowichan Valley ferments and distills all their spirits from B.C.-grown fruits and grains.

Products: Prime 1 Vodka, Prime 23 London Dry Gin, whisky casks

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

Stillhead.ca

@StillheadDistillery

Victoria Caledonian Brewery and Distillery

Back in his native Scotland, Graeme Macaloney fell in love with whisky, but it was here in Canada that he realized his dream to make it. While it ages, guests can enjoy his gin and vodka.

Products: Prime 1 Vodka, Prime 23 London Dry Gin, whisky casks

761 Enterprise Crescent, Victoria, 778-401-0410

VCaledonian.com

@VictoriaCaledonian

@VCaledonian

Victoria Distillers

Launched in 2008, Victoria Gin graces bars across the country. The distillery has since released two more expressions of gin, as

well as the Twisted & Bitter range of cocktail bitters.

Products: Victoria Gin, Oaken Gin, Empress 1908 Gin, Left Coast Hemp Vodka, Sidney Spiced, Chocolate Liqueur

9891 Seaport Pl., Sidney 250-544-8217

VictoriaDistillers.com

@VicDistillers

@DrinkVicGin

Wayward Distillation House

Harking bark to the earliest recorded alcohols, Comox-based Wayward starts all its products by first creating mead to form the base, and add a touch of sweetness on the nose.

Products: Drunken Hive Rum, Unruly Vodka, Unruly Gin, Wayward Order – Depth Charge

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

Anderson Distilleries

Ian Anderson had planned to pursue a PhD in physics. Instead, he makes craft vodka, gin, liqueurs and intriguing products such as soju at his Burnaby distillery.

Products: Montague Sunrise, Montague Sunshine, Montague Sunset, Montague Mint, Montague Cinnamon, Crème

D’Cassis, Crème D’Menthe, Crème D’Cafe, Limoncello, Lime’cello, Orangecello, Cinnamon Liqueur, London Dry Gin, Golden Gin, Tequila, Soju

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

AndersonDistilleries.ca

@AndersonDistilleries

@AndersonDistill

Central City Brewers & Distillers

The successful B.C. brewer of the popular Red Racer beers, Central City began distilling after it moved into a giant new facility in North Surrey in 2013.

Products: Lohin McKinnon

Single Malt Whisky, Lohin McKinnon Barley & Rye Lightly Peated Whisky, Seraph Vodka, Queensborough Gin, Spirit of IPA, Spirit of Merlot

11411 Bridgeview Dr., Surrey 604-588-2337

CentralCityBrewing.com

@CentralCityBrewing

@CentralCityBrew

Espresso & Cacao Bean Liqueur, Wayward Order – Krupnik, Wayward Order – Elixir, Wayward Order – Bourbon Barrelled Gin

2931 Moray Ave, Courtenay 250-871-0424

WaywardDistillationHouse.com

@WaywardDistillation

@WaywardDH

Crow’s Nest Distillery

Rekindling the tradition of his Italian ancestors, Daniel Paolone, along with friend Ian Jarvis, is distilling spirits with local ingredients, starting with vodka and rum.

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

117-667 Sumas Way, Abbotsford 78-251-6002, CrowsNestDistillery.com

@CrowsNestDistillery

@Crows.Nest.Distillery

@AHigherSpirit

Deep Cove Brewers & Distillers

This North Shore distillery augments its rosemary-and-oliveinfused gin and award-winning vodka with a variety of smallbatch seasonal releases.

Products: Rosemary and Olive Gin, Deep Cove Vodka, Barrel Aged Mediterranean Gin (Limited)

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

DeepCoveCraft.com

@DeepCoveBrewers

@DeepCoveCraft

Dragon Mist Distillery

Using wheat from Dawson Creek, Surrey-based Sherry Jiang is producing Canada’s only expressions of traditional Chinese spirit, baijiu.

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

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

DragonMistDistillery.com

@DragonMistDistillery

@DragonMistVodka

Gillespie’s Fine Spirits

a shared love of booze inspired Kelly Woods and John McLellan to start their Squamish-based distillery. Their spirits are designed to be cocktail friendly.

Products: Aphro Chocolate Chili Elixir, Gastown Shine Wheat Vodka, Lemoncello, Sin Gin

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

GillespiesFineSpirits.com

@GillespiesFineSpirits

@Gillespies

Goodridge & Williams

Craft Distillers

Goodridge & Williams is quickly becoming a national player in craft distilling, led by the bestselling Sid’s Handcrafted Vodka and award-winning Nütrl Vodka.

Products: Sid’s Handcrafted Vodka, Nütrl Vodka, Tempo Renovo Dry Gin, Bitterhouse Aperitifs, Mapleshade Repose, Silverdawn Vodka, Sid’s Something Else!, Nütrl Vodka Soda

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

gwdistilling.com

The Liberty Distillery

Products: Truth Vodka, Truth Oat Vodka (Distiller’s Reserve), Endeavour Gin, Endeavour Old Tom Gin, Endeavour Gin Origins, Endeavour Pink, Railspur No. 1 – White, Railspur No. 2 – Wildflower Honey, Railspur No. 3 – Spike, Trust Whiskey – Single Grain, Trust Whiskey – Single Cask – Madeira

1494 Old Bridge St., Vancouver 604-558-1998

TheLibertyDistillery.com @TLDistillery

Long Table Distillery

Gin is at the heart of Long Table, with London dry-style, cucumber and barrel-aged varieties fuelling its many awards. This downtown Vancouver distillery also produces vodka, as well as seasonal liqueurs.

Products: London Dry Gin, Cucumber Gin, Barrel Aged Gin, Texada Vodka, Långbord Akvavit, Amaro No. 1 – Linnaeus, Small Batch Limoncello

1451 Hornby St., Vancouver 604-266-0177

LongTableDistillery.com @LongTableDistillery @LT_Distillery

Lucid Spirits

Friendship, a fun attitude, and

With prime real estate on Granville Island, Liberty is open for tours, tastings and daily cocktails showcasing their vodka, different expressions of gin, and various whiskies.

This Delta-based distillery uses only local agricultural products in its spirits, which include a wheat-based whisky.

Products: Northern Vodka, Autonomy Whisky

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

LucidSpirits.ca

@Lucid-Spirits

@LucidSpiritHouse

Mad Laboratory

Distillery

Truly handmade using a small homebrew mill and a pump, Mad Laboratory’s vodka is triple distilled and carbon filtered from Armstrong barley and Champagne yeast.

Products: Mad Lab Vodka, Mad Lab Gin, Mad Dog Single Malt White Spirit

119-618 East Kent Ave., Vancouver

@MadLabDistilling

@MadLabSpirits

North West Distilling Co.

Using winter wheat, Maple Ridge-based North West creates its signature vodka by distilling it 10 times and cold-filtering eight times through charcoal.

Products: North West Vodka

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

NorthWestDistillingCo.ca

@NWDistilling

@NW_Distilling

Odd Society Spirits

three founding self-described “odd” owners are busy producing different expressions of gin, vodka and both white (unaged) and single malt whiskies.

Products: East Van Vodka, Wallflower Gin, Mongrel Unaged Spirit, Oaken Wallflower Gin, Crème de Cassis, Bittersweet Vermouth, Mia Amato Amaro, Canadian Single Malt Casks

1725 Powell St., Vancouver 604-559-6745

OddSocietySpirits.com

@OddSocietySpirits

@OddSpirits

Pemberton Distillery

Master distiller Tyler Schramm uses local organic Pemberton potatoes as the base for his extensive range of spirits and liqueurs.

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, Byron’s Organic Coffee Liqueur, Barrel

Aged Apple Brandy, Elderflower Liqueur, Blueberry Liqueur, Cherry Liqueur, Strawberry Liqueur, Whisky & Wild Honey Liqueur

1954 Venture Pl., Pemberton 604-894-0222

PembertonDistillery.ca

@Pemberton.Distillery

@PembyDistillery

Resurrection Spirits

Created by bartenders for bartenders. At this stylish East Van distillery, a team led by bartender-turned-distiller Brian Grant crafts rye-based spirits and other cocktail-friendly products.

Products: White Rye

1672 Franklin St., Vancouver

ResurrectionSpirits.ca

@ResurrectionSpiritsInc

@ResurrectionSpirits

Roots and Wings

Distillery

Rebekah Crowley and Rob Rindt built a distillery and tasting room on their Fraser Valley farm where they crop 30 acres of potatoes and corn.

Products: Vital Vodka, Double Vice Coffee Infused Vodka, Rebel, Jackknife Gin

7897 240th St., Langley 778-246-5247

RootsAndWingsDistillery.ca

@RawStillHouse

Sons of Vancouver

James Lester and Richard Klaus are basking in the glow of global attention, following Kaitlyn Stewart’s use of their amaretto during the 2017 Diageo World Class Final.

This East Vancouver distillery’s

Products: No. 82 Amaretto,

Vodka Vodka Vodka, Chili Vodka

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

SonsOfVancouver.ca

@SonsOfVancouver

SR Winery & Distillery

For 10 years, this Surrey company has been producing the cloudy Korean rice wine called makgeoli; now they are also making a high-quality, handcrafted version of the Korean spirit known as soju.

Products: MáQ Clean, MáQ

Unique Soju, MáQ Classic Soju, MáQ Smooth Soju, Jangter Unpasteurized Makgeolli

10320 152 A St., Surrey 778-873-3776

@MAQSoju

@MAQ_LocalSoju

Stealth Distilleries

Master distiller Randy Poulin and Stealth president John Pocekovic specialize in vodka made from field-dried Okanagan corn.

Products: Stealth Vodka, Stealth Vodka No. 9

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

StealthVodka.com

@StealthDistilleries

Tailored Spirits

The team of Christopher Konarski, Max Smith and Taylor Dewar left careers in food, drink and hospitality to open this Vancouver distillery where they produce handcrafted spirits.

Products: Gin, Vodka

Vancouver 604-619-9615

TailoredSpirits.com

@TailoredSpirits

Von Albrecht & Associates

The XFour vodka range is distilled from rye and corn in Vernon; the lemonade base for their coolers is made from founder Marcus Von Albrecht’s great-grandfather’s recipe.

Products: XFour Handcrafted Vodka, XFour Bremner’s Blueberry Infused Vodka, XFour Xoxolat Chocolate Martini, Percy’s Old Fashioned Lemonade Infused Vodka, Percy’s Old Fashioned Lemonade Vodka

Cooler, Percy’s Punch Vodka Cooler

2220 Vauxhall Pl., Richmond 604-249-0003

VonAlbrecht.com

@XFourVodka

@XFour_

@XFour_Vodka

The Woods Spirit Co.

At last, Joel Myers and Fabio Martini have begun distilling at their own space and a lounge is soon to follow. Their new gin takes a similar West Coast spin on a classic as their amaro does.

Products: Amaro, Cascadian Dry Gin

1450 Rupert Street, North Vancouver 778-996-7637

TheWoodsSpiritCo.com

@WoodsSpiritCo

Yaletown Distilling Company

A successful brewpub in the heart of the city, Yaletown moved into spirits in 2013, distilling gin and vodka from B.C. barley. Tours and tastings are available.

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

1132 Hamilton St., Vancouver 604-669-2266

YTDistilling.com

@Yaletown-Distilling-Company

@YTDistilling

O KA NAGAN, KOOTE NAYS & INTERIOR

After Dark Distillery

Dean and Louise Perry moved from Alberta to the Shuswap to begin their distilling adventure. They focus on flavoured moonshine, vodkas and whisky, but gin is also in the works.

Products: Monashee Mountain

Mango Peach Moonshine, Monashee Mountain Maple

Moonshine, Monashee Mountain

Peach Moonshine, Monashee

Mountain Mountain Dew

Moonshine, Monashee Mountain

Ginger & Honey Moonshine, Monashee Mountain Lemonade

Moonshine, Monashee Mountain

Iced Tea Moonshine, Monashee

Mountain Apple Pie Moonshine, After Dark Burner Vodka, Monashee Mountain Vodka, Monashee Mountain Whiskey

1201 Shuswap Ave., Sicamous 250-836-5187,

AfterDarkDistillery.com

@AfterDarkDistilleryLtd

@After_Dark_Distillery

@After_Dark_Dist

Bohemian Spirits

Using botanicals foraged in the mountains around Kimberley, Bohemian produces small-batch hand-crafted vodka and gin.

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

Single Malt Oak Aged Gin

417A 304 St., Kimberley BohemianSpirits.com

@GoodCheerHere

Dubh Glas Distillery

Though whisky is owner Grant Stevely’s true passion, the first signature release from this Oliverbased operation was the smallbatch Noteworthy Gin, distilled from B.C. barley.

Products: Noteworthy Gin, Virgin Spirits Barley, Age-Your-Own Spirits Kits

8486 Gallagher Lake Frontage Rd., Oliver, 778-439-3580

TheDubhGlasDistillery.com

@TheDubhGlasD

Endless Summer Distillery

Located in sunny Kelowna, this distillery triple-distills its small-batch vodka, which is then filtered six times for a pure, clean spirit.

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

Kelowna

EndlessSummerDistillery.com

Estate Thurn Distillery

A farm winery, vinegary and craft distillery producing fruit brandies and other handmade spirits, located on Summerland’s Bottleneck Drive.

Products: Gin, fruit eaux de vie

5214 Monro Ave. Summerland 250-809-2077

Bodega1117.com

Kootenay Country Craft Distillery

Lora and Kevin Goodwin strive to keep to the100-mile philosophy in their spirit production, using organic heirloom wheat, seasonal flowers and fruits, and spring water from the Selkirk Mountains.

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

7263 Gustafson Rd., Slocan 250-355-2702

kootenaycountry.ca

@Kootenay-Country-CraftDistillery-Ltd

Legend Distilling

In a former doctor’s office on the Naramata Bench, Dawn and Doug Lennie created Legend together, drawing on the local bounty of

the Okanagan for the base and flavours of their gin and vodkas.

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

3005 Naramata Rd., Naramata 778-514-1010

LegendDistilling.com

@LegendNaramata

Maple Leaf Spirits

Originally from Germany and now based in the Okanagan, Jorg Engel has created a range of fruit-based liqueurs, brandies and grappas, produced from distilling 100-per-cent B.C. fruit.

Products: Maple Liqueur, Pear Liqueur, Cherry Liqueur, Peach Liqueur, Canadian Kirsch, Pear Williams, Italian Prune, Aged Italian Prune, Skinny Gewürztraminer, Aged Skinny

Syrah, Lady of the Cask Brandy

948 Naramata Rd., Penticton 250-493-0180, MapleLeafSpirits.ca

@MapleLeafSpirits

@Maple_Leaf_Spirits_Inc

@MapleLeafSpirit

Monashee Spirits

After Josh McLafferty shattered two legs, he had to give up his career as an underwater welder. Naturally, he turned to distilling

instead, making craft vodka and liqueurs on Revelstoke’s main strip.

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

307 Mackenzie Ave., Revelstoke 250-463-5678, MonasheeSpirits.com

@MonasheeSpirits

@Monashee_Spirit

Okanagan Crush Pad

The Summerland winery makes two expressions of gin (one of them for Vij’s restaurant), and a grappa-style spirit.

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

16576 Fosbery Rd., Summerland 250-494-4445

okanagancrushpad.com

@OKCrushPad

Okanagan Spirits

A family-owned, award-winning distillery with a wide range of products to its name, including an absinthe and both rye and single malt whiskies. Tours and tastings are available in both its locations.

Products: Essential Vodka, Family Reserve Vodka, Essential Gin, Family Reserve Gin, BRBN Bourbon-Style Corn Whisky, Rye Whisky, Okanagan Shine, Taboo Genuine Absinthe, Canados, Kirsch Danube, Old

Italian Prune, Poire Williams, Raspberry Framboise, Aquavitus, Gewurztraminer Marc, Pinot

Noir Marc, Blackberry Liqueur, Blackcurrant Liqueur, Blueberry Liqueur, Cherry Liqueur, Cranberry Liqueur, Haskap Liqueur, Raspberry Liqueur, Rhubarb Liqueur, Sea Buckthorn Liqueur

5204 24th St., Vernon

267 Bernard Ave., Kelowna 250-549-3120 | 778-484-5174

OkanaganSpirits.com

@OkanaganSpirits

Old Order Distilling Company

At their Penticton distillery, Graham Martens and Naomi Gabriel take barley from Vanderhoof, malt it in Armstrong, then distill it with spring water from Anarchist Mountain.

Products: Heritage Vodka, Legacy Gin, Genesis Whisky, Blessed Bean Coffee Vanilla Liqueur

270 Martin St., Penticton 778-476-2210 , OldOrderDistilling.ca

@OldOrderDistilling

@Old_Order_Distilling

@OldOrder_Spirit

Taynton Bay Distillers

Using grains from Peace River country and Armstrong barley, this distillery based in Invermere creates clean, well-made spirits

including a cheeky Canadian take on tequila.

Products: Vodka, Gin, Tekila-Eh, Pickled Vodka, Raspberry Vodka

1701B 6th Avenue, Invermere 250-342-5271, TayntonBaySpirits.com

@TayntonBaySpirits

@TayntonBay

True North Distilleries

This carbon-neutral distillery based in Grand Forks produces vodka, gin and other products, much of it flavoured with local organic fruit.

Products: Djinnnneh Elderberry Gin, Plum Brandy, Crescent Vodka, Hulda Rum, Cherry Muscat, Hecate Spice Rum, Astarte Espresso Vodka, Area D 54-40 Irish

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

TrueNorthDistilleries.com

@TNDistillery

Tumbleweed Spirits

Based in Osoyoos, this craft distillery makes a wide range of products including whisky, brandy, vodka and fruit-based moonshine.

Products: Buckie’s Apple Pie

Moonshine, Cherry Moonshine, Fireweed Whiskey, Gin, Maple Moonshine, Midnite Brandy, Rock Creek Rye, Sophia Espritde-Vin, Vodka

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

TumbleweedSpirits.com

@TWCraftSpirits

@TumbleweedSpirits

Urban Distilleries

C OMI NG SOO N

A trip to France and an unplanned tour of a Cognac distillery put Mike Urban on the path to making his own liquor. He now owns the largest craft whisky distillery in the province.

Products: Paul’s Tomb Gin, Spirit Bear Espresso Vodka, Spirit Bear Gin, Spirit Bear Naturally Infused Vodkas, Spirit Bear Vodka, Urban Single Malt Whisky, White Bear Spirit, Apricot Schnapps, Blackberry Liqueur, Blackcurrant Liqueur, Blueberry Liqueur, Calvados, Cherry Liqueur, Kirsch, Okanagan Muscat Grappa, Sweet Mead Honey Wine

325 Bay Ave., #6, Kelowna 778-478-0939

UrbanDistilleries.ca

@UrbanDistilleries

@SpiritBearVodka

VANCOUVER ISLAND

& GULF ISLANDS

Copper Kettle Spirits

Ladysmith

Western Red Distilling Company

Victoria

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

Copper Spirit Distillery

Snug Cove

New Wave Distilling

Abbotsford

Tallant Distillery

Vancouver

OKA N AG AN, KOOTE NAYS & INTERIOR

Alchemist Distiller

Summerland

Distillery 95

Radium Hot Springs

Fernie Distillers

Fernie

Forbidden Spirits

Kelowna

Jones Distilling

Revelstoke

Lost Boys Distillery

Fernie

Trench Brewing & Distilling

Prince George

Vernon Craft Distilleries

Vernon

ON THE TOWN

WOMEN BARTENDERS SH OW O FF SP E ED AND SKILL FO R BREAST CANCER CHARITIES AT SPEED RACK .

C HEMISTRY, PHYSICS AND BI OLO GY W ERE O N DISPLAY F O R CHARITY AT SCIENCE OF COCKTAILS .

3 Bartender Colin MacDougall demonstrated the effects of gravity. 4 J-S Dupuis chilled out with some liquid nitrogen. 5 Diageo World Class Canada 2014 winner Grant Sceney at the VIP Lounge. 6 The Clough Club’s Andrea Civettini won the cocktail competition. Photos: Joanne Sasvari. Photo 6: Science of Cocktails

1 From left to right, Sabrine Dhaliwal, Uva Wine & Cocktail Bar; Reece Sims, Brix+Mortar/The Diamond; Liana Madera, The Diamond; Jasmine Radu, Tocador; Amber Bruce, The Keefer Bar 2 Bonnie Stewart of The Granville Room was the fastest qualifier and is going to nationals. Cathy Browne photos.

THE LAST WORD

MILLENNIAL

PALE DOGWOOD. BLUSH. ROSE GOLD. ROSE QUARTZ. ROSÉ. FROSÉ. CALL IT WHAT YOU WILL, THE SOFT, SWEET, NEARLY-NEUTRAL HUE OF A GENERATION IS ALL AROUND AND HERE TO STAY. WE PREFER IT IN A COCKTAIL. HOW ABOUT YOU?

CLOVER CLUB

A pink drink that’s no wimp, this classic cocktail dates back to 1896 when it was first shaken up for the Clover Club, a gentlemen’s club that met at Philadelphia’s Bellevue-Stratford Hotel. You can replace the raspberry syrup with grenadine or red currant syrup.

1.5 oz gin

0.75 oz fresh lemon juice

2 tsp raspberry syrup

1 fresh egg white

Combine ingredients in a shaker and shake without ice for 10 seconds. Add ice and shake vigorously for at least 10 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe. Serves 1.

Jennifer Gauthier photo. Cocktail created by Justin Taylor at The Cascade Room.

PINK. TUMBLR PINK. SCANDI PINK. CANDY PINK.

MAKE YOUR DRINKS WORLD CLASS

PLEASE ENJOY RESPONSIBLY.