Dreaming of a dram? Then you may want to hop a ferry over to Victoria, where Clive’s Classic Lounge has just been named Whisky Hotel Bar of the Year in the prestigious Icons of Whisky Awards, presented by U.K.-based Whisky magazine.
The elegant but cosy bar located at the Chateau Victoria Hotel & Suites is led by bar manager/executive barkeep Shawn Soole, who picked up the award at Merchant Taylors’ Hall in London. Soole also took home the personal recognition of Bar Manager of the Year – Highly Commended.
“Thank you to the hotel for letting me continue to be a maniac, my team for working so hard on the training I give them and for the guests who come and partake on the selection,” he posted on Facebook, and promised, “Way way way more to come!”
The Clive’s Classic Lounge team have curated a world class whisky program, showcasing more than 250 whiskies from around the world, from classic scotch to unique whiskies distilled here in B.C. Previously, it received five top 10 nominations for “Best International Hotel Bar” at the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards (2011, 2012, 2014, 2019, 2022), and has accumulated more nominations and awards than any other cocktail bar in Canada.
The Icons of Whisky awards aim to celebrate the best and brightest people and places in the sector—not just the distilleries and the teams that work in them, but also the individuals and businesses that work to support and promote them and their products. For more information, visit worldwhiskiesawards.com/icons.
—by Joanne Sasvari
