As we were putting this issue of The Alchemist together, an atmospheric river came roaring through town. It was dark, cold and gloomy, with raging torrents of water pouring outside. It was, in other words, whisky weather.

It’s no secret that we love whisky over here at The Alchemist, whether it’s a refined single malt with plenty of age and a touch of peaty smoke in its lineage or a spicy rye, corn-sweet bourbon or the latest elegant expression from Japan. We love whisky neat, on ice and in cocktails; most of all, we love that it’s a thoughtful spirit, one we can linger over while enjoying a good conversation.

So you will not be surprised to hear that we have plenty of whisky in this issue. In Tasting Panel, Reece Sims checks in with bartenders in Vancouver and Toronto, who share their favourite bourbons and the cocktails they’d make with them. And in Home Bar, Matt Benevoli demonstrates how to make boozy cherries to garnish all your Old Fashioneds, Manhattans and other whisky cocktails.

Also in this issue: In her piece “Maximalist Drinking,” writer Kate Dingwall explains why the really cool cocktails right now are the really over-the-top ones. And Christine Sismondo discovers that pretty much every hour is happy hour these days, which really does make us happy.

In Still Life, Charlene Rooke looks into the trend of bespoke spirits created for restaurants in collaborations between their bar teams and local distilleries. We check out cool bars near and far, following Alex Gill on a cocktail tour of Banff and taking the elevator to the Art Deco chic of Le 9e in Montreal.

Plus we look ahead to the fourth annual Vancouver Cocktail Week (March 2 to 9; put it in your calendar now!), share some great recipes, cover the latest spirited news from here and around the world, and, yes, have even more tastes of whisky throughout. Sláinte! Find The Alchemist in select distilleries and independent liquor stores across B.C. and Ontario. Or make sure you never miss an issue, and subscribe right here.

—Joanne Sasvari, Editor