We likely won’t be gathering on a crowded patio any time soon, but that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate the return of spring. And this issue of The Alchemist has got plenty of seasonal sips and stories to enjoy wherever you are.

For starters, we have more than a dozen great recipes you can make at home, from zero-proof cocktails (in Charlene Rooke’s story on the “sober-curious” trend) to your own homemade bitters (courtesy of Justin Taylor, in Home Bar) to Gail Johnson’s roundup of signature drinks from Vancouver’s secret bars. Feeling lazy? Vermouth is already a cocktail, and our tasting panel has some suggestions for you to try.

We also meet fascinating people including B.C.’s small sorority of female distillers and Kelowna bartender Harry Dosanj, who shares his “Moment of Proof” with writer Michael White. In Last Call, we take a peek into one of our favourite global bars, the Beaufort Bar at London’s Savoy Hotel. And we take a nostalgic look back at 2010, the year that transformed Vancouver’s cocktail culture.

The world is an uncertain place right now. Why not greet it with a smile and a glass of something delicious?

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—The Alchemist Magazine