The Alchemist • Issue 11 • Spring 2019

TIKI-RIFIC

The taste of the tropics in falernum and fl ames

COOL ICE

Shaking things up with artisanal ice

HOT STUFF

Bringing the heat to B.C. craft spirits

SUGAR AND SPICE

Our tasting panel samples aged rums

The Dark ‘n Stormy originated in Bermuda, where it was discovered that a splash of black rum was the perfect addition to the local ginger beer drink.

Fill a highball glass with ice, Pour 6 oz ginger beer over ice, top with 1 ½ oz Goslings Black Seal Rum to create the authentic Dark ‘n Stormy ® . Garnish with lime.

08 – BAR BITES

News from the world of cocktails and spirits

14 – S OME LIKE IT HOT

The Canadian spirits lighting a match under Fireball by Tim

Pawsey

20 – H EY, B A RTENDER

Thoughts on service vs. social media from behind the bar by Alex Black

24 – T ROPICAL D REAMS

Forget its tacky past—tiki culture is making a comeback by

Joanne Sasvari

30 – N ICE ICE, BA BY

How the boom in artisanal ice is shaking up cocktail culture by Charlene Rooke

35 – H OME BAR

A step-by-step guide to making falernum by Justin Taylor

40 – C LASSICS: BAR B ADOS RUM PUNCH

The rum cocktail we’d drink all day if we could by Joanne Sasvari

44 – S TILL LIFE

Buy a cask; invest in your favourite distillery by Charlene Rooke

33–

48 – T ASTING P ANEL Yo-ho-ho and a sampling of rum

54-61 – D ISTILLERY LISTINGS

Our guide to B.C. distilleries

62 – T HE L AST WORD

The simple appeal of the classic Mojito

62–

Joanne Sasvari photo Dan Toulgoet photo

Contributors

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

Alex Black is bar manager at Wildebeest. He has spent over 15 years either standing behind or managing a bar in concert venues, casual restaurants, pool halls, nightclubs, fine-dining restaurants and karaoke bars.

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.

ON THE COV ER

M AI TA I

Charlene Rooke is a Certified Specialist of Spirits, a Moonshine University-trained craft distiller and an editor at Food & Drink. She is also a WSET Spirits Educator at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts.

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.

1.5 oz aged rum such as Mount Gay Eclipse

0.5 oz Cointreau

1.5 oz orgeat

1 oz lime juice

Place all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously for 12 to 15 seconds. Strain into rocks glass or tiki mug. Add crushed ice and garnish with fresh mint, and if you like, a brandied cherry and edible flower. Serves 1.

Jennifer Gauthier photo

— Photographed at TIKI BAR at The Waldorf

A classic from the tiki-culture pantheon.

Therewas rain, and more rain. Dark skies. Heavy clouds. Cold, miserable days. And then, just when spring was in sight, snow, and lots of it. Is it any wonder we’re craving a taste of the tropics?

In this issue of The Alchemist, we indulge our taste for all things tiki and tropical. We celebrate the rebirth of Vancouver’s favourite tiki bar. Our Tasting Panel offers their expert opinion on rums. In Home Bar, Justin Taylor demonstrates how to make falernum, the essential tiki syrup. And we have a Last Word on the Mojito.

Meanwhile, Charlene Rooke looks into the artisan ice trend and discovers the frosty blocks and cubes, spheres and pebbles that make cocktails so cool. Tim Pawsey samples the spicy craft spirits and liqueurs that are turning the heat up on Fireball. And in our new feature, Hey, Bartender, Wildebeest’s Alex Black shares his thoughts on the meaning of service from his side of the wood.

Plus we have a complete guide to BC’s distilleries, the latest spirited news and plenty of tiki-rific recipes to quench your thirst until summer. 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

PHOTOGRAPHERS: Jennifer Gauthier, 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.

Cole Hofstra photo

The A-Star cocktail is made with Monashee Spirits peaflower-infused Ethos Gin. 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

M ONASHEE’S E THOS G IN NAMED CASC S PIRIT OF THE Y EAR

help them spread the word about the great sprits they’re producing,” says Alex Hamer, the founder of the Artisan Distillers Canada, which operates CASC.

In addition to Monashee Ethos Gin’s win, B.C.’s whisky nerds have a lot to brag about, too. Sheringham Distillery took best-in-class honours for its Red Fife Whisky, while the best young whisky was de Vine Spirits’ Glen Saanich single malt and the best-in-class white spirit was Vancouver’s Resurrection Spirits White Rye.

Find complete results at artisandistillers.ca/2019-results.

For the second year in a row, a small-batch spirit from British Columbia is the Canadian Artisan Spirit of the Year. Last year, it was Sheringham Distillery’s Akvavit. This year Monashee Spirits Ethos Gin from Revelstoke was not only the best-in-class Canadian gin, but scored highest of any entry in the entire competition.

This was the second year for the Canadian Artisan Spirit Competition, the country’s only spirits awards for small distilleries. Independent judges from across the country sampled more than 200 spirits hailing from Vancouver Island to Nova Scotia.

Submissions were up 50 per cent over last year, growth that shows “a competition like this is welcome among artisan distillers to

BC D ISTILLED

If you love local spirits, mark your calendar for the most important event of the year: the sixth annual BC Distilled festival, which will be held April 6 at Vancouver’s Croatian Cultural Centre.

Meet the makers and sample products from B.C.’s 60-plus artisan distilleries at the main tasting—it’s an incredible opportunity to taste all that’s new and exciting in the world of B.C. artisan spirits. The festival also features a distillers’ dinner at Forage on April 5 and whisky master classes on March 31 and April 1.

Tickets for the main tasting are $69.99; to purchase them or for more information about Canada’s largest spirits event reserved exclusively for local distillers, visit bcdistilled.ca.

Eliisa Meaghan photo

SHERINGHAM TAKES ON THE WORLD

While Sheringham Distillery’s new Red Fife Whisky is winning prizes in Canada, its original Seaside Gin is picking them up across the pond. The seaweed-infused spirit just took home the prize for Best Contemporary Gin at the World Gin Awards in London, UK.

Of the gin the judges said: “Spicy, floral, citrus aroma with a hint of white pepper and anise on the palate. Olive, candied fennel seed, light bodied, mild herbal. Slightly longer finish.”

The World Drinks Awards are presented by TheDrinksReport.com, the world’s top online resource for drinks professionals. They recognize the best in all internationally recognized styles of drinks. For more info, visit worldginawards.com.

Among the other winners in the gin awards were Ireland’s Dingle Distillery, whose Original Gin was named best London Dry, and Australia’s Never Never Distilling Co., whose Southern Strength gin was named best classic gin.

BEARFACE TRIPLE OAK NAMED CANADA’S BEST

The wood wowed them. It seems the judges at the ninth annual Canadian Whisky Awards were impressed by what a little extra barrel-aging can accomplish, naming Bearface Triple Oak Best New Whisky, and awarding it a gold medal for excellence as well.

“We created Bearface to challenge perceptions and elevate the craft of Canadian whisky,” says Anthony von Mandl, founder and chairman of Mark Anthony. Mission accomplished: Bearface is a cornbased whisky that is aged at least seven years in ex-bourbon American oak barrels in Ontario, then travels to B.C. to spend time in former wine

barrels from Mission Hill Family Estate Winery, and is finished in Hungarian oak, which adds spicy rye-like notes.

And speaking of rye…at the January event, Ontario’s Forty Creek took home the title of Whisky of the Year for its 22-year-old Rye.

The Canadian Whisky Awards are held each year in conjunction with the Victoria Whisky Festival; this year 10 independent judges blindtasted more than 100 Canadian whiskies to select the country’s best. The full list of winners can be found at canadianwhisky.org.

A COCKTAIL GLASS FULL OF LIGHT

When Devin McKeigan created her cocktail for the Bacardi Legacy cocktail competition, inspiration shone around her like a bright beam of light.

“Within the industry I’ve met so many people…everybody fuels my light, not just in the hospitality industry, but everyone I’ve met. It’s all of us working together,” says the bartender for the Toptable Group’s newly opened Elisa Steakhouse.

And so she created Mi Luz, which means “My Light” in Spanish and pays homage to the light within that burns strong when everyone stands tall and together. It also pays homage to a landmark she loves: “I spent a lot of summers growing up in Nova Scotia on the East Coast and I took my inspiration form Peggy’s Cove, from the lighthouse.”

Nova Scotia is justly famous for its apples and, she says, “I started thinking of flavour profiles of what would go with the apples and I thought of the sea crashing on every side of the lighthouse.” She created an apple-and-demerara syrup as sweetener, and then added earthy, salty notes from a caraway seed saline solution.

“You get these flavours hitting together and playing together as they do around the lighthouse,” she says. “The biggest thing is simplicity. Making sure this cocktail can be made by anyone.”

2 oz Bacardi Añejo Cuatro rum

0.75 oz Martini Bianco vermouth

0.25 oz rich apple demerara syrup (see note)

2 dashes Scrappy’s Seville Orange Bitters

2 to 3 spritzes of salted caraway solution (see note)

Add rum, vermouth, syrup and bitters into a mixing glass. Add ice and stir to dilution. Strain into tulip, snifter or desired glassware. Using an atomizer, spritz with salted caraway solution. Serves 1.

Note: To make the rich apple demerara syrup, bring 1 cup apple juice and 1 cup demerara sugar to a simmer, stirring, until sugar is fully dissolved. Will keep, chilled, for about a week.

To make the salted caraway solution, bring 4 cups water to a boil, then stir in 1 cup salt and remove from heat. Stir in 1 Tbsp caraway seeds. Cool, then transfer into a mason jar and keep chilled until ready to use. Will keep for at least a month.

M I L UZ

Talia Kleinplatz photo

—Recipe by Devin McKeigan of Elisa Steakhouse

M AKING SCIENCE B OTH DELICIOUS AND ACCESSI B LE

There was ice and fire, CO2 and NO2, test tubes and copper tubing and all sorts of mysterious gadgets. Most of all, there was great food and drink in support of an even greater cause.

The city’s top bartenders gathered in February at Telus World of Science for the fourth annual Science of Cocktails event, where they demonstrated the myriad ways science contributes to cocktail culture.

The centrepiece of the evening was the cocktail competition, which was won by the Keefer Bar’s senior bartender, Amber Bruce, for her riff on a Manhattan: Bruichladdich the Classic Laddie, sweet vermouth, Bénédictine, bitters and aromatized sesame oil were nitro frozen then thawed in a glove, garnished with nitro-frozen brandied cherries and finished with Bruichladdich Port Charlotte vapour.

The sold-out event raised a total of $280,000 for the Class Field Trip Bursary program, which will allow over 9,000 kids from underserved schools to visit the iconic geodesic dome in 2019/2020. For more information, visit scienceworld.ca/cocktails.

Photo by Isabella Sarmiento for Science of Cocktails

T HE O LD FASHIONED MAY B E TOPS, B UT B RING ON THE BAM B OO!

In January, Drinks International, a trade publication for the alcohol industry, released its annual list of the 50 best cocktails—or at least the best-selling ones—around the world. It’s perhaps no big surprise that the top drink, for the fifth year running, was that classic whisky-based bittered sling, the Old Fashioned.

More intriguing were the new entries to the list: the Irish Coffee at No. 47, its deliciousness winning out over its lack of perceived coolness; and the sherry-based Bamboo at 46, which finally acknowledges our growing love of the fortified wine from Spain.

To create the list, DI surveyed 127 of the best bars around the globe and asked them to rank the 10 best-selling classic cocktails at their establishments. Rounding out the top 10 overall were: 2. Negroni; 3. Whisky Sour; 4. Daiquiri; 5. Manhattan; 6. Dry Martini; 7. Espresso Martini; 8. Margarita; 9. Aperol Spritz; 10. Moscow Mule.

For the full list, go to drinksint.com.

BAM B OO

Nobody really knows the back story of this sherry-based cocktail from the 19th century, but we do know that it quenches our thirst for all things low-proof and lightly bittered.

1.5 oz dry sherry

1.5 oz dry vermouth

1 dash Angostura bitters

1 dash orange bitters

Place all the ingredients in a mixing glass with ice, and stir until chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe and garnish with a lemon twist. Serves 1.

Negroni Blanco

—Junior Alexander, bar manager

CRAFT SpiRiTS

Some like it hot

c a N ada’s artisa N distillers are bri N gi N g their ow N spiced heat to the party

by Tim Pawsey

Don’t look now, but Canada’s distillers have been gently plotting to spice things up for all you unsuspecting folks out there.

For instance, did you know that Fireball Cinnamon Whisky—which has taken off in a big way in the U.S.—has replaced Jägermeister as the masochistic shot of choice? it just doesn’t seem to be what you’d expect from a laid-back kind of land like Canada. But it turns out we Canucks were dabbling in pyrotechnic tippling well before its propulsion into pop-shot culture.

The cinnamon-flavoured whisky first appeared under the Seagram’s banner as Dr. McGillicuddy’s schnapps, most likely conceived in a lab down a dark corridor in Waterloo, Ontario, sometime in the mid-1980s. it is now made by New Orleans’ Sazerac company, whose precursor purchased the brand in 1989.

Also worth noting, the inspiration for McGillicuddy’s “original” persona may have been a victim of revisionist history. Seagram’s doctor was one Aloysius McGillicuddy, a fictitious saloon owner whose dispensing skills earned him his quasi-medical shingle. The true-life Valentine McGillicuddy, born in 1849, was indeed a doctor, or, more accurately, a field surgeon with the United States Army. He comforted and treated the Lakota warrior Crazy Horse in his dying moments, and became an early advocate for indigenous peoples.

Sazerac extinguished Fireball’s Canadian origins and ignited a craze for the spicy spirit in places like Nashville, where it became popular with shot-slinging C&W fans and immortalized in song. “Dance in the dust, turn the radio up / And that fireball whiskey [sic] whispers / Temptation in my ear,” crooned Florida Georgia Line. Critics weren’t so kind, though: Bloomberg has called it “a syrupy incarnation of Wrigley’s Big Red gum.”

All of which might explain why, up here in the Trump-free zone where it originated, we’re so over Fireball shots. And have been for a while.

But we still have a taste for spice. The good news? A slew of craft distilleries have created some truly tasty alternatives to Fireball, most of which actually leave your sinuses intact and play nicely with a wide range of cocktail options.

Put it down to ingenuity with a healthy dose of social responsibility (sorry, it’s a Canadian trait). Distillers have found ways to make spiced liquors more subtle

G REAT B ALLS OF FIRE

In 2015, Fireball Cinnamon Whisky was the fastest growing big brand of liquor in the U.S., with retail sales more than doubling in a year, according to CNN. In 2018, it was number four, according to the Beverage Information and Insights Group, with a growth of 6.5 per cent between 2017 and 2016. How did it get so popular so fast? Its social media presence helped: Fireball Whisky has more than 93,000 followers on Instagram and 99,000 on Twitter.

W HE N WE WROTE THE BUSI N ESS

PLA N , OUR IDEAL CUSTOMER CARRIED A BOTTLE OF HOT SAUCE ON THEIR BELT LOOP

and less fiery, even appealingly nuanced. Here in cool-climate Canuckistan, we enjoy a long history of doing things differently. Remember, we’re the ones who actually discovered a palatable use for clam juice.

Speaking of all things Caesar-ish, some intrepid distillers have been busy tweaking their vodka to the wild side. Sons of Vancouver Chili Vodka may indeed be among “the hottest out there” with a healthy kick of “Scovilles upon Scovilles” of heat. Yet it’s still smooth—and decidedly local, infused with aquaponic chilies. Sons of Vancouver’s James Lester says while they’ve been making Chili Vodka for a while, it wasn’t until they sampled it in a Bloody Caesar that people latched on. Now Chili Vodka far outsells their regular vodka. In fact, says Lester, “People drive in from Chilliwack to pick up bottles. When we wrote the business plan, our ideal customer carried a bottle of hot sauce on their belt loop.”

One reason for its success is that people drink Caesars year-round. But because Chili Vodka isn’t exactly a common category, it seemed a good idea to invent some other cocktails, too. Once people taste it in a Caesar, they often move on to a Moscow Mule or a Forbidden Spicy Pineapple (made with pineapple juice and mint).

“It’s about getting people to adjust their habits. Get them to do one thing differently,”

Lester says. “If they already drink Caesars, get them to try a new vodka, then when they come back, give them a new recipe.”

Up in the hills a few hundred kilometres east of Vancouver, Revelstoke’s Monashee Spirits is all about focusing on the mountain lifestyle, where skiers and snowboarders appreciate a drop of something to take the chill off. That’s one reason distiller Josh McLafferty decided to spice things up with Vulcan’s Fire, a spicy liqueur named for the ancient Roman god of fire.

I T’S PERFECT FOR THE FLASK UP O N THE HILL SKII N G OR BIKI NG

An infusion of certified organic apples, cinnamon, honey (from their rooftop apiary), maple syrup and red Thai chili peppers, at only 30 per cent ABV the blend is well-balanced and far more complex than purely heat driven. The process starts with macerating the apples for four weeks, then adding cinnamon to infuse for another week. The chilis follow and the maple syrup and honey go in at the end.

It’s been a hit since day one. “It’s perfect for the flask up on the hill skiing or biking,” says McLafferty. “Or paired with a chai tea or in one of our cocktails in

Want to know just how fiery that chili is? Look to the Scoville scale, which measures spiciness based on the concentration of capsaicinoids in peppers and other foods. Peppers can range from 0 Scoville Heat Units for a bell pepper to a toasty 5,000 SHU for a jalapeño to a scorching 1.5 million SHU for the Carolina Reaper, which is, according to Guinness, the hottest chili in the world, described as like “eating molten lava.”

the bar.”

An appreciation for the spicier things in life can also be found on the Prairies, where folks know a thing or two about keeping warm. Saskatoon’s Lucky Bastard Distillers pays tribute to the region’s early Ukrainian influx with Horilka. It’s a riff on Ukrainian spiced vodka, which has traditionally been popular as a toasting drink.

Lucky Bastard infuses its regular vodka with Saskatchewan honey and Mexican chili peppers. They call it “the kiss and the slap” because it starts off with a sweet kiss from the honey, before a playful slap of heat from the chili peppers. Considering the scarcity of ski hills, you’ll be more likely to find it neat in the bleachers at a football game, in a Caesar or in a souped-up “Ukrainian Screwdriver.”

And who knows? Maybe it’s already made its way across the line to instill Canadian good taste, nuance—and a whole new take on heat—in our neighbours to the south.

Monashee Distilling’s Vulcan’s Fire gets its heat from red Thai chili peppers.

S PICY M OSCO W M ULE

1 oz Vodka Vodka Vodka

0.5 oz Spicy Chili Vodka

5 oz Dickie’s Ginger Beer

Put the vodkas in a shaker with ice and shake until condensation forms on the shaker. Strain into a rocks glass or copper mule mug filled with fresh ice. Top with ginger beer. If you like, garnish with a mint sprig.

Serves 1.

—Recipe from Sons of Vancouver Distillery

Photo courtesy of Sons of Vancouver

Front of the class

Since the beginning of January, Canada’s bartenders have been perfecting their recipes, practising their techniques and preparing for their moment in the spotlight at the Diageo World Class Canada cocktail competition.

On March 1, 13 bartenders from Eastern Canada and 13 from the West made it through to the Regional Finals, which will be held in Toronto and Calgary in late March. From there, five winners

from East and West will go on to the National Final in June. The winner of that event will compete in the global final of the world’s biggest, most prestigious bartending competition, which will be held in Glasgow at the end of September.

“The idea of each step of the competition is to set the competitors up for the next level,” says Michael Armistead, who oversees the Diageo World Class Canada Bartending Competition as the

Chris Enns, bartender at Vancouver’s Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel, is the World Class Canada Bartender of the Year 2018.

“The submissions to this year’s competition were a really high standard and it’s amazing to see places like Halifax, Edmonton, Calgary and Saskatoon be represented in the Regional Finals,” he adds. “The level of creativity is high and there are some really interesting ideas coming through. The focus seems to be on Bulleit Bourbon, Tanqueray No. Ten Gin, Don Julio Tequila and Ron Zacapa Rum.”

When Diageo World Class was first held in 2009, it was a UK bartending competition featuring the spirits company’s Reserve Brands: Ketel One Vodka, Cîroc Ultra Premium Vodka, Tanqueray No. Ten Gin, Don Julio Tequila, Johnnie Walker Scotch Whisky, Bulleit Bourbon and Ron Zacapa Rum. In the 11 years since, the Reserve Portfolio spirits have remained the backbone of World Class, but the competition has grown dramatically. Last year, thousands of bartenders from 58 countries competed, making the winner truly the global Bartender of the Year.

“World Class tests every aspect of bartending skill,” Armistead says. And, he notes, “At the Global Final, Canada has consistently placed in the top 10 or 12 in the world. People have noticed and are now saying, ‘What’s going on in Canada?’ And they’re making a point of coming to see the Canadian compete.”

Part of the reason for Canada’s strength on the world stage is that all the previous

winners are still working with World Class. Vancouver’s Lauren Mote, who won World Class Canada in 2016, is now Diageo’s Global Cocktailian, but Halifax’s Jenner Cormier, Toronto’s Shane Mulvany and Vancouver’s Grant Sceney, Chris Enns and Kaitlyn Stewart (2017’s global winner), are also actively involved in coaching, mentoring as well as judging during the competition.

“I spend all year trying to figure out how we can do it bigger and better next year and somehow we seem to manage that,” Armistead says. “This year we are taking the competition to a new level. The National Final, in particular, is going to be a lot of fun.” You can find out more about how the 2019 Competition goes, including the National Final, in the next issue of The Alchemist!

See the full list of Diageo World Class Canada regional finalists at thealchemistmagazine.ca.

National On-Premise, Reserve and Sponsorship Manager for Diageo.

Diageo Reserve World Class Canada winners since 2013, from left: Lauren Mote, Jenner Cormier, Grant Sceney, Kaitlyn Stewart (Global Bartender of the Year 2017), Chris Enns and Shane Mulvany.

HEY, BARTENDER!

T HOUGHTS FROM BEHI N D THE WOOD: W HY BARTE N DI N G SHOULD BE SOCIAL, N OT SOCIAL MEDIA

by Alex Black

Bartenders are not in the business of making drinks. We are in the business of servicing the needs of human beings. Full stop.

It’s been said that we trained bartenders in the art of mixology and along the way we lost the art of bartending. But in the debate of bartender vs. mixologist, the end goal of both was essentially the same: Be better, be more knowledgeable, provide better experiences, work in better places. I believe both sides would agree that it is unbecoming of a barkeep to seek prestige by any other means than hard work and education.

Now, unfortunately, there is a new subculture that is neither pure bartender nor mixologist, and it’s one that doesn’t care about service at all. I’m talking about the bartending influencer, the “Insta-tender,” the social media bar star who chases “likes” the way others chase regulars. They’ve forgone the time-honoured route of cutting their teeth in low-standard venues, finding a mentor, earning credible certification

and working their way up. They’re not part of the co-operative bartending community that supports, trains and holds one another accountable.

Instead, they hire a photographer and spend innumerable hours curating their social media feeds. For the sake of social media prestige they have found a way to digitally fabricate the idea that they’re capable of more than they truly are. They are not service providers. They are charlatans.

This isn’t a case of “Stop following bartender X online and start following bartender Y.” Bartenders who invest their time and efforts into building their skill sets, programs and communities don’t get the same sense of satisfaction knowing they’ve reached 1,000-plus likes as the Insta-tender does. Their ROI exists in watching guests leave happy, content and feeling their hard-earned dollar was well spent.

As a community, we should realize that a good picture may be pretty, but it’s

fabricated and fleeting. We must stop idolizing those with a tiny blue checkmark next to their online handle (it amounts to nothing) and, instead, support those who have progressed the community.

Our industry relies on human interaction and genuine experiences more than almost any other in the world. Unfortunately, we can’t convince the public to pay less attention to their phones and more attention to individuals better worth their time and money. Or can we?

Next time you’re at your local, ask the bartender where they drink on their days

off. Then go check that place out. Or find out who your favourite bartender’s mentor was. Then go sit at their bar. Visit bartenders who genuinely care about their job and community, those who spend their time offering sincere quality service. And then encourage those around you to do the same.

Now that’s how to build an audience for the true influencers of the bartender world.

Alex Black is bar manager at Wildebeest as well as communications director for Mind the Bar and the B.C. chapter of the Canadian Professional Bartenders Association.

Jonathan Norton/Wildebeest photo

Speed Rack

WORDS BY TREVOR KALLIES

My rst experience with Speed Rack was the July of 2012, it was day three or four my second CAP year at Tales of the Cocktail. I didn’t get to see the actual competition, but was given an opportunity to hear the co-founders of the program (Ivy Mix & Lyne e Marero) talk about its inception, its importance and its impression on the cocktail community in the United States. That 45 minutes a er a ten-hour day of cocktail batching and seminar service at Tales was beyond inspirational.

As a Cocktail Apprentice at Tales of the Cocktail you rub shoulders with some very important people in the cocktail and beverage world. These people range from Master Distillers to Global Brand Ambassadors, Cocktail Competition World champions to owners of the world’s

best bars. 2012 was just the second year into the Speed Rack legacy, it was four years before Ivy Mix opened Leyenda, ve years before she was named American Bartender of the Year at the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards. They were young, passionate bartenders with a vision.

The idea of Speed Rack was born from struggle. Ivy had just returned from travels through Central America returning to New York looking for bar work. Most interviews ended in the o er of a waitress job. New York was very much a Boy’s Club behind the bar. A struggle still found everywhere to this day. The original idea of Speed Rack was to elevate the woman bartender, to dispel the myth that boys bartend and girls serve tables. Their goal was to show the world the badassery of the female bartender. It was a Speed Competition where the drinks aren’t shit. Through friends and industry connections they gathered competitors and industry famous judges to take part. They put the structure of the competition together with one main rule –no boys allowed.

The competition itself is built on speed, but each cocktail made (four at a time, ordered by the

Their goal was to show the badassery of the woman bartender.

judges from a list of y potential drinks) must be made as if it could be sold in a high-end cocktail bar. The judging is ruthless with no critique le on the table. Too sour, poor garnish, low wash line, all are noted to crowds of hundreds. The competitors put all of themselves in their performance and wear their hearts on their sleeves. Each mistake adds valuable seconds to their times, sometimes taking them from just over a minute to over a minute and a half.

This competition is not just about winning Speed Rack. It is about community, it is about sexism, about favouritism, about mansplaining, about prejudice. It is something that once you see it for the rst time, you can’t help but want to be involved. I cornered Ivy and Lyne e a er their talk to the CAPs that day. I explained my role in the Canadian Professional Bartenders Association, about the cocktail scene in Canada that we had some kick ass female bartenders and room for many more. They weren’t quite ready to expand across borders, but de nitely were aware of the prowess of the Canadian cocktail community.

Just a few short years later Vancouver bartenders were invited to compete in Speed Rack NW in Sea le. A handful of girls entered and did very well. They put on a show and were welcomed with open arms. I wasn’t able to a end that year in Sea le but I can assure you, the Vancouver girls put on a great show.

I spent the years between 2012 and 2016 pestering Ivy and Lyne e each and every time we crossed paths about bringing the program to Canada. I can only imagine their thoughts: me, being a straight, white cis-gender male (AKA: Privilege) looking to host and execute an allgirl, pro-women, anti-breast cancer competition where most of the branded shirts are either I Heart Boobs or Bourbon, Sugar, Bi ers, Water, Boobs. Thankfully, our community was strong enough to be able to connect some serious bar-

tending ladies in Vancouver and Toronto to the Speed Rack Crew. At the end of the day, Speed Rack has nothing to do with me as a person, I value it for what it does for our industry. I value it for what it does for women, and I value it for how it takes the horri c industry habit of splitting roles by gender and pu ing talent, heart and passion rst.

I’ve been honoured these past few years to be able to watch, host, judge, barback, facilitate and more than anything else ENJOY Speed Rack Canada. It is a program that more people need to know about, not just so they can wear pink and black and “back the rack,” but so they can appreciate what two women in New York have done for now hundreds of females in our industry. They’ve raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Breast Cancer research and awareness, they’ve put small market bartenders on a stage to showcase their talents, and they’ve created a community that is supportive, passionate and driven. Why wouldn’t you support a program like this? Why wouldn’t you put time in and #BackTheRack.

Speed Rack Canadian Finals are May 13 in Montreal. Tickets are moving fast, you should nd a reason to be there.

Trevor Kallies is the Bar & Beverage Director for Donnelly Group. He helped to host Speed Rack at The Blackbird Public House in February of 2019.

...one main rule –no boys allowed.

Tropicaldreams

T IKI IS BACK I N VAN COUVER. W HY DID IT EVER GO AWAY?

by Joanne Sasvari

Tiki culture is a liquid ticket to an imaginary tropical island where the breeze is always warm, the music sways like the branches of a palm tree, and the rum flows as easily as the waves that wash up on a sandy beach.

Tiki originated in California in 1933, but exploded in popularity after the Second World War. It was inspired by the romance of the South Pacific, the culture of Polynesia, the flavours of Asia and the rum punches of the Caribbean, making it the ultimate

fusion cocktail experience, served in a kitschy-cool Hollywood-ready vessel to a market that was weary of war and ready to party.

It found a happy home in mid-century Vancouver, where throughout the 1960s, ’70s and even the ’80s, swish sophisticates sipped Mai Tais and Scorpions at The Waldorf Hotel and Trader Vic’s at the Bayshore.

By the late 1980s, though, the winds of liquid fashion had shifted to boldly

H ISTORY IN A TIKI MUG

In 1933, a former rum-runner named Ernest Raymond Beaumont-Gant (who later changed his name to Donn Beach) opened a Polynesian-themed bar in Hollywood called Don the Beachcomber. It featured Cantonese cuisine, fruity rum drinks and tiki torches, and it kicked o an all-American kitsch phenomenon.

In 1936, Victor Bergeron (aka Trader Vic) opened his own South Seas-inspired restaurant in Oakland, which was followed by others in California and across North America, including, in 1961, Vancouver.

The tiki craze was fueled in part by post-Second World War service men returning with souvenirs and stories from the South Pacific, as well as cultural events such as the 1947 Kon-Tiki Expedition and James Michener’s Pulitzer Prize-winning collection of short stories that became the basis of the 1949 musical South Pacific

S CORPION

Originally a blender drink from Beachbum Berry, and traditionally served as a bowl for six with a gardenia garnish at Trader Vic’s, the Scorpion makes a terrific single-serving shaken drink, too. Just beware of its lethal sting.

2 oz light rum

1 oz brandy

1.5 oz orange juice

0.5 oz lemon juice

0.75 oz orgeat

Put all ingredients, along with a cup of crushed ice, in a blender and blend for 10 seconds. Pour unstrained into the glassware of your choice and garnish as desired.

Alternatively, place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a wide, shallow coupe or goblet, add a handful of crushed ice and garnish with a gardenia or orchid. Serves 1.

—Adapted from Beachbum Berry’s Grog Log

Joanne Sasvari photo

oaked wines and spirit-forward martinis. By the 1990s, tiki’s flickering flame had largely died out. Trader Vic’s closed in 1996, its Polynesian-longhouse-inspired building hauled away to Vancouver Island, and The Waldorf became for the most part a special-event space.

But as cocktail culture emerged in the 2000s, bartenders would wistfully speak of relighting that bamboo torch. Even as they stirred their bittered bourbon drinks and reverse-spherified gelatinous pearls, they’d dream of making boozy bowls of punch and setting things on fire.

And now they can, because tiki is back in town.

Not in a big way, to be sure. But still, it’s following in the sandaled footsteps of popular American joints like Smuggler’s Cove in San Francisco, Three Dots and a Dash in Chicago and Latitude 29 in New Orleans.

In 2013, the Shameful Tiki Room opened on Vancouver’s Main Street to serve up “mystery bowls” and classic, well-made tiki cocktails in a sultry beach hut ambience. The room is filled with

T HREE D OTS AND A D ASH

The garnish says it all. The three cherries are the dots, the pineapple wedge the dash, representing the letter “V” in Morse code, which was the symbol for “victory” during the Second World War.

1.5 oz rhum agricole or demerara rum

0.5 oz aged blended rum

0.5 oz orange juice

0.5 oz lime juice

0.5 oz honey syrup (see note)

0.25 oz falernum (recipe p. 36)

0.25 oz pimento dram (see recipe below)

1 dash angostura bitters

Garnish: 3 cherries and 1 wedge of fresh pineapple

Place all ingredients (except the garnish) along with a handful of crushed ice into a blender and blend on high for 5 seconds. Pour, unstrained, into a tall glass.

Alternatively, place all the ingredients (except the garnish) in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a tall glass and fill with crushed ice.

Garnish with three cocktail cherries speared together on a wooden pick and a pineapple spear, balanced on top of the glass. Serves 1.

Note: To make honey syrup, stir together equal amounts of honey and water until the honey is fully dissolved.

Joanne Sasvari photo

—Adapted from Beachbum Berry’s Grog Log

B ARTE N DERS WOULD DREAM OF MAKI N G BOOZY BOWLS OF PU N CH AN D SETTI N G THI N GS O N FIRE

TIKI B AR P UNCH BO W L

5 oz aged rum

2 oz cognac

6 oz falernum

6 oz oleo saccharum (see note)

3 oz pineapple juice

8 oz sparkling wine

Build all ingredients in punch bowl and add king cubes. Garnish with fresh mint and slices of orange or lemon. To ignite: Pour overproof rum on a dehydrated orange slice or into a hollowed-out half lime shell and place on top of the punch. Light with a match and sprinkle cinnamon over flame. When flame goes out, serve in punch cups. Serves 6.

Note: Oleo saccharum means “sweet oil” and is a powerful flavour enhancer for cocktails. To make it, zest 6 lemons and 6 oranges with a vegetable peeler, making sure to avoid the pith, and place the strips of zest in a bowl. Toss with 0.75 cup sugar and let sit for up to 1 day then strain. You should have about 0.75 cup (6 oz) of oil.

—Recipe from TIKI BAR at The Waldorf

Jennifer Gauthier photo

tiki touches ranging from oceanic light fixtures to grimacing mugs to midcentury memorabilia to the paintings that were reportedly smuggled decades ago out of The Waldorf. It is a trip to a faraway place, borne on rum-fueled wings.

Late last summer, Sneeki Tiki opened in the Best Western Plus on Granville Street to serve up big, boozy cocktails such as Hurricanes, Piña Coladas and the epic Skull Punch in a tropical nightclub atmosphere with a live DJ.

Meanwhile, those who love Vancouver history as much as they appreciate a well-made Mai Tai will be thrilled to know that TIKI BAR at The Waldorf is back in business with an injection of life from owners Viaggio Hospitality Group. At first glance, not much has changed: Stars still twinkle in the room’s midnight-blue sky; the fake palm trees still tower over the bar; the exotic Tahitian paintings still adorn the walls; and yes, that is indeed the original cane furniture.

The bar serves a selection of contemporary tiki cocktails and

JUST O N E SIP OF A FRUITY RUM PU N CH UN DER THE SPREADI N G BRA N CHES OF A FAKE PALM TREE, A N D YOU’RE WHISKED AWAY TO A ROMA N TIC DREAM OF ISLA N D LIFE

Time has moved on, but the TIKI BAR at The Waldorf has remained largely unchanged since the 1950s, with its cane furniture, velvet paintings of tropical beauties and the ghosts of good times past.

shareable punch bowls as well as the traditional Mai Tais, Zombies, Navy Grogs and other favourites. The punch bowls, which serve groups of six, are a crowd favourite, especially when they’re set ablaze to bursts of applause.

Just walking past the scowling tiki statue and into the room is like stepping

N AKED P OLYNESIAN B EAUTIES

The American Gaugin, they called him. Edgar William Leeteg is considered the father of American velvet painting. Born in St Louis in 1904, he moved to French Polynesia in 1933, and spent the rest of his short life there capturing the local scenery (mainly the scantily clad women).

In 1953, the same year Leeteg died, Vancouver hotelier Bob Mills travelled to Tahiti, where he bought eight somewhat erotic Leeteg paintings for $275 apiece. His wife wouldn’t have them in the house, so he created a Tahitian lounge in his hotel to give them a home.

TIKI BAR at The Waldorf opened in 1955 and the paintings have hung on its walls ever since, although today they are facsimiles as the originals are too valuable to risk being damaged or stolen.

Photo courtesy of the TIKI BAR at The Waldorf

back into a slice of Vancouver history. Rumour has it that the place is haunted; certainly, the ghosts of good times past linger here in the memories of romances, parties and celebrations.

Now word is that H Tasting Lounge is bringing tiki back to The Westin Bayshore, where Trader Vic once plied his Polynesian cocktails. When the new patio opens later this spring, tropical cocktails will be on the menu.

To be sure, tiki is kitsch. It’s culturally dubious. It’s not, perhaps, for every day. But just one sip of a fruity rum punch under the spreading branches of a fake palm tree, and you’re whisked away to a romantic dream of island life. And some days, isn’t that just what we all need?

A PPROPRIATION OR APPROVAL?

Despite its Hollywood-Caribbean-Hawaiian-Chinese pop-cultural mashup, the history of tiki does actually date back to ancient Polynesia. The original stone or wooden tiki carvings were religious in nature and appear throughout the southern Pacific islands; more specifically, in Maori mythology, “Tiki” refers to the first man.

So what’s it doing on a mug of boozy rum punch? Some argue that it’s simply a 20th century American social construct, and because tiki bars don’t feign authenticity, they don’t count as cultural appropriation. Others say tiki is cultural appropriation at its most blatant and suggest replacing the word “tiki” with “tropical.” What do you think? Is it cultural appropriation or homage?

P IMENTO D RAM

This is a simple spice-flavoured liqueur that makes a great addition to tiki and other cocktails. Note that it will take about a week to infuse, so plan accordingly.

2 Tbsp whole allspice berries

0.5 cup light or dark rum

(whichever you prefer)

1 cinnamon stick

0.5 cup water

0.5 cup brown sugar

Using a mortar and pestle, crush the allspice berries into large, coarse pieces. Alternatively, use a spice grinder or smash them with a mallet, but take care not to grind them to a powder.

Place in a sealable 500 mL glass jar and pour the rum on top. Seal the jar and shake well. Steep for 24 to 48 hours, shaking every once in a while.

Break up the cinnamon stick and add it to the mixture. Infuse for at least another 48 hours and up to a week.

Strain, using a fine-mesh strainer, then strain again through a co ee filter. Pour into an immaculately clean sealable jar or bottle.

Place water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring just to a boil, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Cool, then add it to the allspice infusion. Shake, then let it rest for a few hours or up to two days before using. The dram will keep for two months in a cool, dark place. Makes about 1.5 cups.

—Adapted from Serious Eats

Joanne Sasvari photo

The New Ice Age

O VERSIZE CUBES, SPHERES, STICKS, FLAKES A N D PEBBLES: I T’S N OT J UST FROZE N WATER A N YMORE—ARTISA N AL ICE IS A FULL-FLEDGED COCKTAIL I N GREDIE NT

by Charlene Rooke

The artisanal iceman cometh, and he’s not at all cold. With a short reddish beard, bright blue eyes and a friendly face, Dex James is downright warm, as he performs what looks like a magic trick. In the Dang Good Ice storefront in the Fraserhood, he pours water on a mammoth, crystal-clear, square-sided stick of ice in a highball glass and…it disappears.

Artisan ice can be the nearly invisible ingredient that helps deliver cocktail perfection—including king cubes so beautifully clear, one of the tenders behind the Fairmont Pacific Rim lobby bar tells me that imbibers of its white Lucky Negroni frequently ask, “Where’s the ice?” Juleps with flakes or pebbles

from a Scotsman ice machine, rocks drinks over chunky Kold Draft cubes or cocktails crowned with a flawless diamond or sphere are just a few of the signs of the new ice age in B.C. bars.

James explains that immaculate technique and timing produce ice that stays very cold and melts very slowly, keeping your $18 cocktail correctly chilled “for the entire duration.” Lesser ice can quash a drink’s more delicate floral, herbal and citrus notes, he adds.

BLONDE N EGRONI

There are numerous recipes for a white or blonde Negroni, but this is the variation preferred by A ndrew K ong, bartender at H Tasting Lounge. What makes it stand out is the perfectly clear king ice cube.

1.25 oz Long Table Distillery Dry Gin

1 oz Luxardo Bianco Bitters

1 oz Lillet Blanc or Cocchi Americano

Place ingredients in a mixing glass with standard ice cubes and stir until chilled and diluted. Strain into a rocks glass over a king ice cube (see Ice Advice below). Garnish with a lemon swath. Serves 1.

Though making ice sounds as simple as freezing water, it isn’t—not if you want to avoid bubbles, cloudiness or cracks. James’s commercial ice shop in Langley is full of equipment, including a Clinebell machine that produces 300-pound slabs of ice, as well as chainsaws and band saws for cutting. Even though it costs bartenders a couple bucks a cube to buy ice from him, they “can’t afford not to,” he says. Not only is cool ice a sustainable “garnish,” it can make a drink a social-media star, and “in these days of tagging everything, guests expect it, and it’s becoming a standard.”

I CE ADVICE

To make a clear king cube at home, start by buying a small cooler that fits inside your freezer. Fill cooler to top with water and place in the freezer for 24 to 30 hours (depending on freezer temperature), until the water is frozen. Remove ice block from cooler; the top 1 to 1.5 inches will be a clear ice sheet. Carve sheet into desired shapes and sizes.

Or visit alcademics.com for more information on the directional-freezing method for getting clear ice at home.

Labour-intensive ice creations can become signature drinks, like the Inception Negroni at Prohibition at the Rosewood Hotel Georgia (a classic Negroni inside an ice sphere floating in a white Negroni) or H Tasting Lounge’s House of Fabergé (a cocktail that changes colour when its frozen sphere cracks).

At The Westin Bayshore’s H Tasting Lounge, manager David Vo’s team also hand-shapes the iceberg that floats in an Alaska #2. “The actual art and spectacle of carving the ice elevates the experience (for guests),” says Vo. Arty flourishes, such as copper-stamping the lounge’s logo into cubes, are in keeping with the Art Deco era of aviator Howard Hughes, onetime Bayshore resident and inspiration behind the lounge’s exploration-themed cocktails. Vo is also inspired by Frederic Tudor, known as New England’s “Ice King” in the early 19th century, who harvested natural ice blocks in winter for year-round use, creating a cocktail staple.

But modern ice machines break down, massive blocks and saws can be dangerous, and if a bar runs out? Well, a Clinebell block takes three days to freeze.

H Tasting Lounge photo

P AINKILLER

This tiki-style cocktail is Earls restaurants’ version of the classic originally created by Pusser’s R um. I t uses two different styles of ice regular cubes and crushed.

0.75 oz coconut milk

0.75 oz passion fruit syrup

1 oz Bacardi Superior white rum

1 oz Mount Gay Eclipse Rum

1 oz pineapple juice

1 oz orange juice

0.25 oz lime juice

Dash Bittered Sling Kensington bitters

Place all ingredients into a shaker with standard ice cubes. Shake 20 times and strain over crushed ice in a tiki mug. Garnish with a mint sprig and freshly grated nutmeg. Serves 1.

Enter Cameron Bogue, the corporate beverage director for Earls and an artisanal ice pioneer.

“I’ve been a bartender for 20 years,” says the onetime bar star at Daniel Boulud’s Lumiere in Vancouver. “I’ve always been geeked out about ice.” He’s developed a small, wheeled stainless-steel dream machine that in just 24 hours can make food-safe bar ice in four blocks that are 13 inches square, five inches high, and a heftable 25 pounds.

“We improved both the usability and the speed,” says Bogue, as he uses a toothy arm-length knife, a sword-like carver, a mallet and a chisel to cleave and slice one of his crystalline blocks into

I CE SCULPTURE

Get torture-worthy ice tools like Anvil and Pitchfork ice picks, ice tappers or the Schmallet from Cocktail Kingdom (cocktailkingdomcanada.com).

Find silicone ice moulds in shapes such as spheres, king cubes and sticks at Chapters Indigo (chapters. indigo.ca), Amazon (amazon.ca), various kitchen supply stores and Vancouver’s The Modern Bartender (themodernbartender.com).

W E LIVE I N A PLACE THAT’S ICO N IC FOR CLEA N, FRESH WATER. I T O N LY MAKES SE N SE WE SHOULD HAVE THE BEST ICE.

Earls Restaurants photo

Cocktail Kingdon photos

T REE B EARD

“The drink is intended to be a Canadian highball, that is, a drink that is spirit forward, but is also balanced and refreshing,” says Jeff Savage, Botanist’s head bartender, who created the cocktail. The large, crystalclear ice cubes are precisely measured to fit the glassware and are cut with a band saw. They are also adorned with the Botanist logo: The custom metal stamp is placed on top of the cube and gravity does the rest.

1.5 oz Canadian Club Rye Whisky

0.5 oz gin, preferably St. George Terroir Gin

1.5 oz birch water

1 oz Smoked Tea Syrup (recipe follows)

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice; stir until chilled and diluted. Strain into a Collins glass with a clear ice spear. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary. Serves 1.

Smoked Tea Syrup

8 cups (2 L) water

3 oz (100 g) food-safe cedar (broken into pieces)

1.5 oz (40 g) BC Forestea from Vancouver’s Tealeaves

2.2 lb (1 kg) superfine sugar (or as needed)

3 oz (90 g) citric acid

Heat water to a boil. Pour boiling water over cedar and tea leaves and cover. Steep 20 minutes. Strain out cedar and tea leaves. Weigh the steeped tea and combine with an equal amount (in weight) of sugar. Stir until fully dissolved; heat a little if needed. Add citric acid and stir. Makes 8 cups (2L).

glittering cubes. The key, he says, is letting the block temper for at least 40 minutes: “Like chocolate, it makes it easier to work with. Then it carves like butter.” Earls’ Ambleside location in West Vancouver has one of the bespoke ice-making machines, and an ice-prep station behind the bar for cutting specialty ice.

Exactly why is having the perfect type of ice such an enhancement to enjoying a cocktail? Devon Dooling, the proprietor of ice company On the Rocks, ascribes it to “mindful drinking,” a trend she describes as knowing exactly what’s in your drink and taking the time to savour it. She’s provided her clients with everything from

cubes custom-frozen with fruit or flowers inside to ice shot glasses for the wow factor at special events or parties.

Or maybe, as iceman Dex James says, artistic ice is a trend made for B.C. “We live in a place that’s iconic for clean, fresh water. It only makes sense we should have the best ice.”

I CE SUPPLY

Order cubes, blocks, slabs and other ice products from vendors such as Polar Bear (pbice.ca), Dang Good Ice (danggoodice.com) or On the Rocks (ontherocksice.com).

Botanist photo

Falling for falernum

S TEP BY STEP: H OW TO MAKE THE SECRET I N GREDIE N T THAT PUTS THE TERRIFIC I N TO TIKI

DRI N KS

Inbartending, there’s a simple rule called the Golden Ratio: two parts spirit, one part sweet, one part sour. If you apply this rule to your drink making, you can quickly learn dozens of cocktails.

If you dissect a Daquiri for example, it is simply two parts rum, one part lime juice, one part simple syrup. Sometimes you can use a sweet liqueur to replace the simple syrup, like Curaçao in the case of a Margarita. Depending on your palate, you can increase or decrease the sour and sweet elements or adjust the amount of spirits to create the right balance. In fact, herein lies one of the secrets of fine cocktail making: Bartenders often create one-of-a-kind cocktails by transforming classics simply by using different spirits, sours and sweets.

It is within the “sweet” part of the ratio where I believe the most creative freedom exists. Any good cocktail program goes beyond just simple syrup. It’s what you put inside

this “sweet” that can drastically change your cocktail to something unforgettable.

And that brings us to a century-old syrup called falernum.

This famous syrup, used extensively in tiki drinks, has experienced a resurgence in the last decade. Falernum combines almonds, cloves, lime peels, high-proof rum and sugar for a syrup that adds a depth of flavour and viscosity to boozy, punchy, tropical drinks. Bartenders are experimenting with the classic, making their own falernum based on the original recipe, and some are boldly creating their own styles, too.

Here is a quick and simple recipe for falernum, and two amazing cocktails to make with it. As always, I urge you to use my recipes as a starting point and once you master them, try changing things up. A pistachio and grapefruit peel falernum can be amazing, too.

Story by Justin Taylor · Photos by Dan Toulgoet

ABOVE: Before you start, assemble your ingredients.

HOW TO MAKE FALER N UM

Gather the ingredients:

1 cup sliced almonds

12 whole cloves

Zest of 5 limes, julienned (no white pith)

5 slices ginger (about the size of a toonie)

7 oz high-proof rum (such as Lamb’s Navy 151)

2 cups filtered water

2 cups light brown sugar

1In a saucepan over low to medium heat, add almonds and cloves. Stirring constantly, lightly toast until the almonds are golden brown. Remove from heat and cool.

2

Make the simple syrup: In a container add 2 cups of boiling water and 2 cups of light brown sugar. Stir to dissolve.

3

Strain liquid and discard solids

Once cooled, add infused rum to simple sugar. Bottle, seal and refrigerate until needed—it will last up to six months. Makes about 2.5 cups.

Z OM B IE PUNCH

This tiki punch recipe serves a crowd—so find some friends to help you out!

6 oz añejo rum

6 oz dark Jamaican rum

4 oz high-proof rum

(such as Lamb’s Navy 151)

3 oz freshly squeezed lime juice

1.5 oz freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice

3 oz falernum

1 oz pomegranate juice

2 tsp Pernod

10 oz filtered water

Garnish:

5 sprigs mint

3 cinnamon sticks, snapped in half

6 wheels grapefruit

Combine all the cocktail ingredients except those for the garnish in a large container such as a mason jar and mix well. Keep chilled until ready to serve. (You can make the punch base a day ahead to this point.)

Pour the punch into a large bowl, add ample amounts of ice, then garnish with the mint, cinnamon sticks and grapefruit. Ladle into cocktail glasses, tiki mugs or punch cups and enjoy. Serves 6 to 8.

E L M OCAM BO

Named after the legendary live-music venue in Toronto, this tiki-style cocktail takes on a Canadian twist.

1.5 oz Canadian 100 percent rye whisky

0.75 oz falernum

2 oz coconut water

1 oz freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice

0.5 oz freshly squeezed lime juice

3 dashes Bittered Sling Kensington bitters

Garnish:

5 mint leaves

1 mint sprig

2 whole almonds

Combine cocktail ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously for 15 seconds. Strain over fresh ice in a highball or Collins glass.

Gently slap the mint leaves in the palm of your hands to express oils. Using a bar spoon, push the leaves through the ice cubes. Gently slap the mint sprig and place on top of the cocktail. Place almonds around the mint leaves to mimic a coconut tree. Serves 1.

Cocktails created by Justin Taylor

lavender rosemary gin and tonic

Rum island

IN BARBADOS, RUM DEFINES A WELL-BALANCED THIRST QUENCHER

by Joanne Sasvari

Itwon’t take long, once you’ve landed in Barbados, before someone presses a glass, sparkling with condensation and filled with an amber elixir, into your hand. Welcome to the famous Barbados rum punch and the taste of island life.

In Barbados, rum punch is enjoyed by everyone from farm workers to property tycoons to pallid newcomers from wintry climes. And it’s enjoyed everywhere from the verandas of grand plantation houses to the tailgate of a jeep in the jungle.

How rum punch came to be the national drink is unknown, but not exactly surprising.

For one thing, Barbados is widely considered the birthplace of rum. The

Mount Gay Distillery possesses the first legal document referring to rum, dated 1703, although plantation records suggest that it was being made there at least as far back as 1667. An even earlier letter from Barbados, dated 1651, reports: “The chief fuddling they make in the island is Rumbullion, alias Kill-Divil, and this is made of sugar canes distilled, a hot, hellish, and terrible liquor.”

It’s believed that slaves who worked on plantations discovered that fermenting molasses, the byproduct of sugar production, made for a tasty and intoxicating beverage. European ex-pats distilled that mash according to the whiskyor brandy-making skills they brought from home. Barrel aging smoothed out the rough edges and rum became more and

Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. photo

A POETIC PUNCH

No need to remember the recipe. Just remember this rhyme, and you can always whip up an easy, refreshing Barbados rum punch.

One of sour, two of sweet, three of strong and four of weak, a dash of bitters and a sprinkle of spice, serve well chilled with plenty of ice.

more popular, spreading from Barbados throughout the Caribbean and beyond. By the mid-18th century, rum was the biggest manufacturing industry in the colonies.

Meanwhile, across the globe, the 17th century also saw the popularization of another boozy beverage. It was inevitable that the two would come together.

In the Far East, the British sailors of the East India Company had been drinking the local sugar cane spirit known as arak in a thirst-quenching mixture they called punch. (The word “punch” evolved from the Sanskrit word “panch,” meaning “five” and referring to the five essential ingredients of punch: liquor, citrus, sweetener, spices and water, tea or juice.)

“The best guess we can muster is that it was a 17th-century English sailor on his way to India who first mixed medicinal brandy from the ship’s store with water and a few simple ingredients obtained along the way,” writes drinks historian David Wondrich. “By the 1660s, English sailors had spread punch from its origins in the Indian Ocean to the Caribbean, where it’s been the characteristic drink of the region ever since.”

Indeed, wherever you travel in the Caribbean, you are sure to encounter some form of punch, usually a sweet, fruity concoction like Planters Punch (dark rum, pineapple or passionfruit juice, grenadine, soda).

But the most classic of the Caribbean punches is the Barbados version. It is simplicity personified: aged rum, sugar, lime juice, water, a dash of bitters, a sprinkle of nutmeg. Clean, refreshing, well-balanced, sweet and tart in equal measure, it’s boozy enough to have a kick, but light enough to be sessionable.

Little wonder then, that it’s become the favourite sipper of this island nation, capturing in a glass the essence of its sunny skies, sandy beaches, swaying palm trees and ocean breezes.

P ASSION FOR P UNCH

An alternative version of Barbados rum punch sees the water being replaced with passionfruit juice—if you do this, be sure to reduce the amount of simple syrup so it’s not overly sweet.

Rum—especially in rum punch—is always on the menu at the annual Barbados Food and Rum Festival.

BTMI photo

BAR B ADOS R UM P UNCH

0.5 oz freshly squeezed lime juice

1 oz simple syrup (see note)

1.5 oz dark rum (such as Barbados’ own Mount Gay Eclipse, or older)

2 oz water

1 dash Angostura bitters

Freshly grated nutmeg

Mix lime juice, simple syrup, rum, water and bitters in a mixing glass with ice; strain into a rocks glass filled with a few cubes of fresh ice. Grate nutmeg on top. Serves 1.

If you want to serve a crowd, increase measures to: 0.5 cup lime juice, 1 cup simple syrup, 1.5 cups rum, 2 cups water and about 8 dashes of bitters. Mix in a pitcher with ice and grate fresh nutmeg on top. Serves 6 to 8.

Note: To make simple syrup, mix 1 cup sugar with 1 cup water and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently, until sugar is dissolved. Keep, covered and chilled, for up to two weeks. Makes about 1 cup.

The classic the way it is made on the island.

BTMI photo

A barrel of fun

P RIVATE-CASK WHISKY SALES ARE A “FUTURES” I N VESTME N T IN B.C .’S SMALL-BATCH DISTILLERS. H ERE’S HOW A N D WHY THEY DO IT.

by Charlene Rooke

They’relined up like Papa, Mama and Baby Rye: 20-, 10- and five-litre mini-barrels, their ends embossed with the names of proud owners who, in eight weeks or so, get a crash course in craft spirits aging—and their own one-of-a-kind bottles of Custom Rye.

“We were kind of inspired by beer growlers,” says Brian Grant. He and Resurrection Spirits partner David Wolowidnyk charge customers once for the barrel ($150 to $350 depending on size), which they can pay the distillery to fill with white rye (or even gin) multiple times, at the bargain price of $37.50 a bottle. Vancouver’s Homer Street Grill and Unwind are among bar clients already serving their own private batches.

When B.C. distilleries sell private casks, they’re generating investment in their futures and developing a brigade of civilian brand ambassadors. Customers get a glimpse of distillery life, while the pesky details (like insurance, bonding, excise, tax and bottling) are handled by the distillery during the minimum threeyear period that a Canadian whisky must age there.

The owners’ perks include the bragging rights of a labelled cask on display and tasting visits at the distillery. Kelowna’s Urban Spirits even throws in a bottle of whisky and a drinking jacket.

Some distilleries use private casks to grow their whisky libraries. Preferring the aging properties of full-size casks (10

options, from standard-size American oak to massive Madeira or Port vessels), Victoria Caledonian sells 30-litre portions to customers who consult with whisky ambassador Andrew Campbell Walls to customize their batch. The distillery is “so confident in the quality of your final product,” they pledge to use the balance of each barrel in their tasting room or special releases. Owners can even arrange to swap bottles at annual parties.

The Okanagan’s Dubh Glas Distillery offers two “cask futures” options: casks can be partially sold to private owners, with the balance of liquid assets used by the distillery. Investment-minded customers can put their custom bottles up for sale and enjoy a share of profits. “It’s a win-win scenario,” says distiller Grant Stevely, whose annual insider offering has grown into a year-round program. Like Stillhead Distillery in Duncan (which will age 30 litres of your own corn, rye or malt whisky for three years), Dubh Glas also sells miniature barrels and bottles of new-make spirit for a micro experiment in home aging.

Since 2014, Vancouver’s Odd Society Spirits has found that an annual privatecask sale helps “weather the lean, dry months of January and February,” says W HE N

B.C . DISTILLERIES SELL PRIVATE CASKS, THEY’RE GE N ERATI N G

distiller Gordon Glanz, whose 2019 offering featured four-year aging in 113-litre barrels, of which clients can buy a quarter-share. “We learned a lot about barrels,” Glanz adds. As in: They sometimes leak and allow more “angel’s share” evaporation than originally thought. “From my experience, small barrels can be remarkable, but you have to learn to work with them.”

The program has fostered bonds between Odd Society and its community, says general manager Miriam Karp. Owners “feel a connection to the distillery and are very supportive.” Among the 100 or so casks they’ve sold, at least nine of them involved Bill Macaulay, a Vancouver accountant who calls his single-cask

experiments “kind of a combination personal interest and business networking play,” since he organizes regular group dinners and tastings for his crew of coinvestor colleagues and friends. Already the proud owner of three- and fouryear-old single-cask bottlings, he’s even thinking about making a personal blend. “The goal was not just to buy cheap whisky, at least from my point of view,” says Macaulay.

Yet at prices that work out to around $50 per 750-millilitre bottle (depending on yield, bottling strength and fees), investing in a single cask is a relative bargain for unique whisky that throws some serious market confidence behind B.C.’s artisan distilling industry.

F ROM MY EXPERIE N CE, SMALL BARRELS CA N BE REMARKABLE, BUT YOU HAVE TO LEAR N TO WORK WITH THEM.

A few of the custom casks of craft spirits on display at Vancouver’s Resurrection Spirits. Once the casks are empty, customers can pay to have them refilled with rye or gin.

Resurrection Spirits photos

TASTING PANEL

Sugar and spice

T HE A LCHEMIST TASTI N G PA N EL GATHERS FOR A ROU N D OF C ARIBBEA N AGED RUMS

Nothing says “tropical getaway” like the sweetly spiced flavour of rum. Although it is made all over the world, the sugar-cane spirit originated in the Caribbean islands, where we’re seeing a surge of richly complex aged rums. So when The Alchemist decided to dive into tiki culture, it made sense for our tasting panel to sample as many aged rums as possible.

Just how sweet can rum be? To find out, we gathered at Tableau Bar Bistro with some of the city’s top barkeeps: Alex Black, bar manager of Wildebeest; Max

Borrowman, bar manager at Juniper Kitchen; Amber Bruce of The Keefer Bar; Sabrine Dhaliwal, cocktail consultant and Pourhouse bartender; Adam Doment, bar manager of Pourhouse; J-S Dupuis, beverage director of Wentworth Hospitality; Robyn Gray of the Rosewood Hotel Georgia; Ryan Johnson, bar manager of Tuc Craft Kitchen; and Olivia Povarchook, bar manager of Juke Fried Chicken.

The panel tasted 10 different rums; here’s what they had to say about them.

As the tasters were poured, the sweet, spicy, nutty and fruity aromas of rum filled the tasting room.

Dan Toulgoet photo

APPLETON ESTATE SIGNATURE

BLEND RUM, $23.99, 40% ABV

Like all the rums from this Jamaican distillery, Appleton Estate’s original blend is a blend of pot- and columndistilled rums, aged for a variety of years; in this case, it comprises 15 select rums that have been aged for an average of four years.

“She does a great job,” Dupuis said, referring to Appleton’s legendary master blender Joy Spence. “And you can trust their laws,” Black added, referring to the fact that Jamaica is

one of the few rum-producing nations to clearly define its rules around age statements. That said, this is the entry level of the brand’s lineup, with a bit of heat, a touch of fruit and a dash of spice. “It’s a bit rustic,” said Borrowman.

Cocktail: The panel felt that this would work well in a Mai Tai or rum and Coke. But Doment also felt it would be good in a Hotel Nacional, while Johnson suggested: “What about a Three Dots and Dash, with the fruitiness of it?”

APPLETON ESTATE RESERVE BLEND

RUM, $30.49, 40% ABV

The Appleton Reserve is a blend of 20 select pot- and column-distilled rums, aged for an average of six years. “It’s so good,” said Borrowman. “It’s like molasses. I know that’s a weird thing to say,” added Black. “Candied orange

The lineup featured aged and some spiced rums from Jamaica, Nicaragua, Cuba, Guyana, Bermuda and the United States.

Dan Toulgoet photo

Sabrine Dhaliwal inhales the toffee and spice aromas of aged rum.

Dan Toulgoet photo

peel,” Dhaliwal chimed in. “That fruitiness is very Appleton,” agreed Johnson.

Cocktail: Most felt that this would be a perfect rum for classic tiki drinks such as the Mai Tai. Povarchook suggested a rum Manhattan, while Bruce said: “If I were to put this in a cocktail, it would be a rum punch.”

APPLETON ESTATE RARE BLEND 12 YEAR OLD, $41.49, 43% ABV

The Rare Blend is a “minimum age” rum: the number 12 on the bottle means every rum in the blend has been matured at least 12 years.

“It’s got way more aromas coming off it right away,” said Bruce. Added Dupuis: “It goes from the immature world to the more aged.” The panel detected

a huge range of flavours in this rum. Black sensed “dried fruit, pineapple and that smell when you open a Ziploc bag of brown sugar.” For Johnson, it was fresh figs and “a nice long pepper finish.” Dhaliwal detected “toasted coconut, nice and dry on the finish.” Doment noted: “The fruit is quite stewed and rich like a cognac, but it finishes quite dry like an American rye.”

T HE FRUIT IS QUITE STEWED A N D RICH LIKE A COG N AC, BUT IT FI N ISHES QUITE DRY LIKE A N A MERICA N RYE.

Cocktail: “I think a Sazerac with this,” said Doment. Gray agreed: “Mmm, yes, a Sazerac.”

The tasting panel gathered at Tableau Bar Bistro: standing, from left, Robyn Gray, J-S Dupuis, Amber Bruce, Max Borrowman, Sabrine Dhaliwal and Ryan Johnson; seated, from left, Adam Doment, Olivia Povarchook and Alex Black.

Dan Toulgoet photo

I SMELL THE ALCOHOL, BUT O N THE PALATE, IT’S REALLY SMOOTH.

APPLETON ESTATE 15 YEAR OLD

RUM, $64.99, 43% ABV

This is a limited-release rum that is exclusive to Canada, which is Appleton’s largest export market. That is too bad for the rest of the world as this was the overall favourite of the tasting. Like the rest of the Appleton lineup, it is a blend of column and potdistilled rums, with a slightly heavier emphasis on the column distillate for a lighter rum despite the additional age.

There were murmurs of “Different.” “Totally different.” “I smell the alcohol, but on the palate, it’s really smooth,” said Gray. “The 15 is pretty. It’s really pretty,” said Dhaliwal. “It’s pretty delicious,” Dupuis agreed.

Cocktails: “This would be a great Daiquiri, though it would be an expensive Daiquiri,” said Borrowman, adding, “If you want to be mixological with this, you could mix it with a fino sherry. Or you could just drink it by itself.” Black agreed: “I wouldn’t mess around with it.”

FLOR DE CANA 5 AÑEJO CLASSICO, $26.49,

40% ABV

This is a classic, medium-bodied mixing rum from the 125-year-old Nicaraguan rum distillery.

“That’s a nice, light rum. It’s perfect for what it’s supposed to be,” said Black. “It’s very linear. It’s a well rum,”

TOP: Wentworth Hospitality’s J-S Dupuis demonstrates the proper way to nose a spirit without being overwhelmed by its alcohol burn.

ABOVE: Max Borrowman offers his take on “mixological” suggestions for rum cocktails.

added Dhaliwal. “Super versatile,” Gray agreed. However, Doment pointed out, “It’s not a spirit lovers rum.”

Cocktail: The bartenders agreed that this was an ideal rum for classic Cuban cocktails such as the Cuba Libre, Hotel

Dan Toulgoet photo

Dan Toulgoet photo

Nacional, Mojito and, as Black said, “This is going to make the truest-tasting Daiquiri of anything we’re going to taste today.”

BACARDI GRAN RESERVA DIEZ, $39.99, 40% ABV

Cuba’s Bacardi, the largest privately held, family-owned spirits company in the world, is a behemoth when it comes to rum. It’s best known for its ubiquitous white rum. But here the panel tasted its premium blend of rums that have been barrel-aged for a minimum of 10 years.

Despite its age, the panel found this rum to be sweet rather than complex. “It tastes like honey,” Dhaliwal said. “There’s fresh apple and pineapple in the nose. It’s a lighter, sweeter style,” said Dupuis, adding, “We’re drinking

this and thinking it’s really sweet, but the consumer might just think its’s really smooth.” Gray concurred: “It’s very Bacardi.”

Cocktail: “If you put some bitters with this on ice, it’s like a sugar-free Old Fashioned,” Dupuis said, adding, “It would work in any rum cocktail, but just dial back the sugar and balance it out.” Bruce agreed: “Anything that would dry it out: bitters, dry sherry dry vermouth, tonic.”

LEMON

HART 1804 ORIGINAL

, $26.99, 40% ABV

A British-style, single-estate rum distilled, blended and aged in Guyana, Lemon Hart doesn’t have an age statement, but its rich complexity suggests substantial time spent in the barrel.

The panel detected loads of caramel, butterscotch and toffee in this rum. “This is like Werther’s Original on the nose,” said Johnson. “You can smell the texture,” said Doment. Dhaliwal agreed: “It kind of has that Werther’s texture, mouth-coating and rich.”

Cocktail: The bartenders could think of myriad uses for this rum, from a rum and Coke to a heavily bittered Old fashioned. “Bananas Foster,” suggested Bruce. “A banana Daiquiri or a milk punch,” said Doment. “Or a rum sour,” Borrowman said. “It would be a great dessert cocktail,” added Dupuis.

GOSLINGS BLACK SEAL, $31.99, 40%

ABV

This dark rum from Bermuda is a blend of distillates from both pot

Olivia Povarchook enjoys the baking spice notes of the rums.

Dan Toulgoet photo

and column stills. It is best known as the foundation of the classic cocktail created for it, the Dark ‘n’ Stormy.

“It tastes gingery. It has a lot of ginger in it,” said Dupuis. Povarchook agreed: “Clove and ginger. It’s like when you’re baking and you’re using cloves and the lid falls off and your kitchen smells like cloves.” Despite its dark colour, the rum was surprisingly light. “It’s a super light finish. It drops right off,” Doment said. “It’s never as good as I think it’s going to be.” “But,” Dhaliwal noted, “with ginger beer…”

Cocktail: The Dark ‘n’ Stormy, of course.

SAILOR JERRY’S SPICED RUM, $29.99, 46% ABV

Paying homage to a storied history is this sweetly spiced, high-proof, madein-America blend of Caribbean rums named for a legendary tattoo artist.

For the bartenders, this rum tasted of vanilla and nostalgia, its sweet baking-spice notes whisking them back to childhood treats. (And perhaps even further back: Gray pointed out that vanilla is said to remind us of mother’s milk.) They also noted that it is targeted at a younger market. As Doment said, “It does what it’s supposed to.”

Cocktail: They agreed that this would be ideal in hot drinks like apple cider, hot chocolate or a toddy. “Eggnog hands on,” Povarchook suggested. “It’s a great shot,” Borrowman added.

“I know everyone here does Jameson shots, but this is a great shot. Boom.”

LEMON HART BLACKPOOL SPICED, $29.99,

43% ABV

This spiced rum is a new release from Lemon Hart. Like the original, it is made from single-estate rums aged in Guyana, then infused with natural spices. It was perhaps the biggest surprise of the tasting.

“It’s spicy. It’s nutty. It’s vanilla-y. It’s delicious,” said Dupuis. It reminded several of the bartenders of creamy, rich pudding. “This is rum-and-raisin ice cream,” said Dhaliwal. “I’m not mad at it,” added Bruce. “I think it would be delicious in lots of applications. It’s not a cool bartender’s rum, but fuck it, it’s good, I like it.”

Cocktail: Suggestions ranged from “tiki all the way” to sours to a classic Old Fashioned to simply drinking it on its own with just a bit of ice. As Dupuis said, “It’s the first spiced rum I’ve tried that didn’t taste like stripper’s sweat.”

Tasters of rum provide inspiration for myriad cocktails.

Dan Toulgoet photo

B.C. DISTILLERY LISTINGS

YOUR GUIDE TO THE SPIRIT MAKERS

This province’s 64 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, Empiric Gin, Baba Yaga Absinthe, Grand Visco Brandy, Blue Gin, Forest Dweller Gin, Vanilla Liqueur, Owl’s Screech Vodka, Birch

Liqueur, Amaro, Lavender

Liqueur, Elderflower Liqueur, 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.

Island Spirits Distillery

De Vine Spirits

Products: Glen Saanich Single Malt Whisky, Ancient Grains

Alternative Whisky, Genever Gin, Vin Gin, New Tom Barrel-Aged Gin, Honey Shine Silver, Honey Shine Amber, Black Bear Spiced Honey Rum, Bianca Vermouth, Moderna Vermouth, De Vine Kiss

Strawberry Vodka, Sloe Gin

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

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, Oaked Harvest Cider, Apple Dessert Cider

PO Box 358, 1230 Merridale Rd., Cobble Hill

250-743-4293

MerridaleCider.ca

Moon Distillery Ltd.

Products: Espresso Vodka, Shaft Liqueur, Blackberry Liqueur, Loganberry Liqueur, Strawberry Liqueur, Orange Vodka, Lime Vodka, Island Grown Pure Grain

Vodka, 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

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

194 Kitchen Rd., Salt Spring Island

250-221-0728

@SaltSpringShine

Shelter Point Distillery

One Artisanal Vodka, 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

Tofino Distillery

Products: Vodka, Jalapeño Vodka, Espresso Vodka, West Coast Gin, Old Growth Cedar Gin, Rose Hibiscus Gin & Psychedelic Jellyfish Absinthe

Unit G & H, 681 Indutrial Way,

Tofino

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

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

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

250-725-2182

TofinoCraftDistillery.com

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

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

Products: Mare Serenitatis Creme d’ Cafe, Serenitatis Golden Gin, Serenitatis Silver Liquorice, 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: Vodka, Gin

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

Bruinwood.com

Central City Brewers &

Distillers

Products: Lohin McKinnon

Single Malt Whisky, Queensborough Gin, Sparrow Rum, Peeled Orange Liqueur, Queensborough Gin Twist, Queensborough Gin Fizz, Bitters by Christos

CrowsNestDistillery.com

Deep Cove Brewers & Distillers

Gillespie’s Fine Spirits

Products: Sin Gin, Raspberry Gin, VTwin Rye Vodka, Gastown

Shine Wheat Vodka, Lemoncello, Aphro, Café Crema

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

GillespiesFineSpirits.com

Goodridge & Williams

Craft Distillers

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

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

DeepCoveCraft.com

Dragon Mist Distillery

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

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

DragonMistDistillery.com

Products: Nütrl Vodka, Northern Grains Whisky, Tempo Renovo Gin, Sid The Handcrafted Vodka, Western Grains Whisky, Bitterhouse Aperitifs, Nütrl Vodka Soda, Highball Whisky

Soda, Tempo Gin Smash, Sid Made Something Else, Nütrl Vodka 7, Tempo Gin Soda Lime

8-7167 Vantage Way, 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 – Switch, Trust Whiskey – Single Grain, Trust Whiskey – Single Cask – Madeira, Trust Whiskey – Single Cask –Burgundy

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

Distillery

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

Kombucha Cordial

119-618 East Kent Ave., Vancouver

MadLabDistilling.com

North West Distilling Co.

Products: North West Vodka

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

NorthWestDistillingCo.ca

Odd Society Spirits

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

1050 Venture Way, Gibsons OneFootCrow.com

Pemberton Distillery

Liqueur, Barrel Aged Apple Brandy, Elderflower Liqueur (seasonal)

1954 Venture Pl., Pemberton 604-894-0222

PembertonDistillery.ca

Resurrection Spirits

Products: White 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, Jackknife Gin, Rebel, Sidekick

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

RootsAndWingsDistillery.ca

Sons of Vancouver

Products: No. 82 Amaretto, Barrel Aged Amaretto, Vodka Vodka Vodka, Chili Vodka

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

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

SonsOfVancouver.ca

Stealth Distilleries

The Woods Spirit Co.

Products: Stealth Corn Vodka, Stealth Wheat Vodka

#3-20 Orwell St. North Vancouver

604-916-4103

StealthVodka.com

Tailored Spirits

Products: Gin, Vodka

Vancouver 604-619-9615

TailoredSpirits.com

The 101 Brewhouse & Distillery

Products: 101 Gin, 101 Vodka

1009 Gibsons Way, Gibsons

778-462-2011

The101.ca

Von Albrecht & Associates

Products: XFour Vodka, XFour Chocolate Cocktail, XFour Blueberry, XFour Lemonade, XFour Xoxolat, Percy’s Old Fashioned Lemonade Vodka

Cooler, Percy’s Punch Vodka

Cooler

2220 Vauxhall Pl., Richmond

604-249-0003

VonAlbrecht.com

Products: Amaro, Cascadian Dry Gin

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

KA NAGAN, KOOTE NAYS & INTERIOR After Dark Distillery

Products: Copper Island Gin, Monashee Mountain Vodka, After Dark Burner Vodka, Monashee Mountain Whiskey, Monashee Mountain Cherry Moonshine, Loud Mouth Soup, Monashee Mountain Espresso Moonshine, 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

1201 Shuswap Ave., Sicamous 250-836-5187

AfterDarkDistillery.com

Alchemist Distiller

Products: Libellule Gin, Nectar

Apple Liqueur, Green Frog

Absinthe

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

Dubh Glas Distillery

Products: Noteworthy Gin – New Western Dry, Noteworth Gin –Barrel Rested, Noteworthy Gin

Navy Strength, Virgin Spirits

Barley

O

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

Estate Thurn Distillery

531 1st Ave., Fernie FernieDistillers.com

Forbidden Spirits Distilling

Products: Rebel Vodka

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

ForbiddenSpirits.ca

Jones Distilling

Products: Mr. Jones Vodka, Revelstoke Gin

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

Slowpoke Sour Cherry Vodka

3005 Naramata Rd., Naramata

778-514-1010

LegendDistilling.com

Maple Leaf Spirits

Products: Lady of the Cask Wine

Brandy, Kirsch, Pear Williams, Skinny Pinot Noir, Skinny Gewürztraminer, Maple Liqueur, Cherry Liqueur

948 Naramata Rd., Penticton 250-493-0180

MapleLeafSpirits.ca

@MapleLeafSpirits

@Maple_Leaf_Spirits_Inc

@MapleLeafSpirit

Monashee Spirits

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

307 Mackenzie Ave., Revelstoke

250-463-5678

MonasheeSpirits.com

Okanagan Crush Pad

Products: Gin, fruit eaux de vie

5214 Monro Ave., Summerland

250-809-2077

Bodega1117.com

Fernie Distillers

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

Legend Distilling

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,

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

16576 Fosbery Rd., Summerland

250-494-4445

okanagancrushpad.com

Okanagan Spirits

Taynton Bay Distillers

Products: Essential Vodka, Family Reserve Vodka, Essential Gin, Family Reserve Gin, BC Rye

Whisky, BRBN Bourbon-Style

Corn Whisky, Laird of Fintry

Single Malk Whisky, Okanagan

Shine Unaged BRBN Whisky, Taboo Genuine Absinthe, Taboo

“Gold” Genuine Absinthe, Aquavitus, Blackcurrant Liqueur, Blueberry Liqueur, Cherry

Liqueur, Cranberry Liqueur, Haskap Liqueur, Huckleberry

Liqueur, Maraschino Liqueur, Raspberry Liqueur, Rhubarb

Liqueur, Sea Buckthorn Liqueur, Bartlett Pear (Poire Williams), Bradshaw Plum (Old Italian

Prune), Canados, Kirsch Danube, Kirsch Virginiana, Raspberry

Framboise

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

Products: Vodka, Gin, Pickled Vodka, Gringo’s Revenge, Sinferno Cinnamon Honey

Liqueur

1701B 6th Ave., Invermere 250-342-5271

TayntonBaySpirits.com

True North Distilleries

Blackberry Liqueur, Blackcurrant Liqueur, Blueberry Liqueur, Calvados, Cherry Liqueur, Kirsch, Sweet Mead Honey Wine, Oaked Mead Honey Wine, Okanagan Muscat Grappa, Peach Liqueur, Raspberry Liqueur, Urban Burban – Bourbon Style Whiskey 6-325 Bay Ave., Kelowna 778-478-0939

UrbanDistilleries.ca

Vernon Craft Distillery

Products: Plum Brandy, Hulda Rum, Cherry Muscat

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

TrueNorthDistilleries.com

Tumbleweed Spirits

Products: Cherry Moonshine, Gin, Rock Creek Rye, Buckie’s Apple Pie Moonshine, Fireweed Whiskey, Nine Mile Creek “Shine,” Apricot Moonshine, Maple Moonshine, Vodka

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

TumbleweedSpirits.com

Urban Distilleries

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,

Products: Vodka

Vernon 250-306-4455

VernonCraftDistilleries.com

Wynndel Craft Distilleries

Products: Aged Peach Brandy, Apple Brandy, Peach Liqueur, Honey Berry Liqueur, Mixed Berry Liqueur, Saskatoon Brandy, Apricot Schnapps, Apricot Brandy, Cherry Brandy, Apple Liqueur, Cape Brandy, Saskatoon Schnapps, Cherry Liqueur, Cherry Schnapps, Apricot Liqueur, Saskatoon Liqueur

1331 Channel Rd., Wynndel

WynndelCraftDistilleries.com

D ISTILLERIES 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)

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

Distillery 95 (Radium Hot Springs)

Lost Boys Distillery (Fernie)

Mount 7 Spirits Craft Distillery (Golden)

Trench Brewing & Distilling (Prince George)

Wiseacre Farm Distillery (Kelowna)

THE LAST WORD

OUR LOVE FOR THE MOJITO WILL NEVER DIE

Mint, rum, soda, lime, ahhh: Cuba’s classic highball makes us think of Caribbean breezes and sandy beaches. Forget the naysayers; the Mojito will always be the quintessential drink for sunny days.

HIBISCUS MOJITO

Head to Commercial Drive for Havana Vancouver’s floral twist on the classic five-ingredient cocktail.

2 oz white rum

1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice

1 oz hibiscus syrup (recipe below)

8 to 10 mint leaves Soda water to taste

Measure white rum, lime juice, hibiscus syrup and mint leaves into a tall glass. Muddle, fill glass with ice, then top with soda. Using a bar spoon, stir the drink, pulling the mint leaves throughout the ice cubes. Serves 1.

+ + +

HIBISCUS SYRUP

4 cups sugar

4 cups water

1 cup dried hibiscus flowers

Place sugar and water in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the dried hibiscus. Steep overnight. Strain. Cover and keep chilled for up to a month. Makes about 4 cups.

Jennifer Gauthier photo

MAKE YOUR DRINKS WORLD CLASS

MAKE YOUR DRINKS WORLD CLASS

PLEASE ENJOY RESPONSIBLY.

PLEASE ENJOY RESPONSIBLY.