Sip and help Ukraine

At The Alchemist, we’ve watched the humanitarian crisis unfold in Ukraine with heartbreak and horror, and like many of you, have felt the urge to help in any way we can. As it turns out, some of our favourite distillers and bartenders are way ahead of us.

Odd Society Spirits

Odd Society Spirits is donating 20 per cent of its East Van Vodka proceeds to World Central Kitchen to help their humanitarian efforts for Ukraine.

World Central Kitchen is first to the frontlines, providing meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises. They build resilient food systems with locally led solutions and are currently serving thousands of fresh meals to Ukrainian families fleeing home as well as those who remain in the country.

The team at Odd Society Spirits has seen an uptick in sales of their vodka since the BCLDB pulled all Russian products from BC liquor stores, and they want to use those funds to support refugees fleeing Ukraine.

Okanagan Spirits

For the entire month of March, Okanagan Spirits is donating the proceeds from the sale of all their vodkas to help refugees fleeing the Russian invasion in Ukraine—and they hope to inspire the rest of the spirits community to help, too.

At the end of the month, they will tabulate the sales of all three vodka lines, in all size formats (1.75 L, 750 mL, 375 mL and 50 mL), and will donate 100 per cent of the proceeds to the Ukraine Emergency fund through Canada’s branch of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

Any bottles already purchased in March, or any bottles purchased through the end of the month, either for personal consumption or for a restaurant, lounge or liquor store, will be included in this effort to hopefully help make this horrific situation a little better for the families affected.

Order online at: okanaganspirits.com.

25 per cent of sales of the Another Love cocktail will be donated to the Canadian Red Cross’ efforts to provide assistance in Ukraine. Glowbal Restaurant photo

Glowbal restaurant

The bartending team at Vancouver’s Glowbal restaurant is inviting guests to join them this March in raising funds for the people of Ukraine.

For the duration of the month, Glowbal Bar Manager Martin Kovalcik is adding a feature cocktail called Another Love to the list ($18), with 25 per cent of the sales from each drink being donated directly to the Canadian Red Cross to support the charitable organization’s ongoing efforts to provide assistance for Ukraine.

Mingling Botanist Gin, Cocchi American Aperitivo, rose water, pistachio & almond orgeat, lime juice and egg white, the blue-and-yellow-accented libation takes its inspiration both from the colours of the Ukrainian flag and the Tom Odell song which has now become an anthem at protests being held around the world against the Russian invasion.

“We wanted to do something, anything, to show our support for and solidarity with Ukrainian people both there and living abroad,” says Glowbal’s president and CEO Emad Yacoub. “We hope our guests will stand shoulder to shoulder with us and help us provide whatever relief we can to people that are suffering daily with this growing humanitarian crisis.”

Note that until March 18, the Canadian government is also matching every donation made by individual Canadians to the Canadian Red Cross up to a maximum of $10 million.

—by Joanne Sasvari