Bar Gobo’s vinyl vibe

The Chinatown wine bar rebrands as a hi-fi joint, and we are so there for it

At Bar Gobo, chef Ralph Cavallo’s menu features Filipino-inspired bites like these butsi with chicken liver and guava jam. Hakan Burcuoglu photo

For Paul McCloskey, running what might be Vancouver’s first dedicated vinyl-only hi-fi wine bar is something of a full-circle moment.

Continue Reading

B.C. summer distillery guide

Enjoy summer with these Canadian-distilled spirits

Copper Spirit Distillery

Verity Rye Spirit

40% ABV, $55 (750 ml)

Our unaged rye spirit is an aromatic and flavourful expression made with 100% organic B.C. rye grain. A perfect gift for the curious spirits collector.

World’s Best Grain Spirit (2024)
“Cleanly distilled with a fine grain character that is both complex and enticing. Berries with a touch of stone fruit join on the palate, along with a little amaretto nuttiness. A lovely, balanced digestif.”

Available at our distillery, select private liquor stores, and at copperspirit.ca

Continue Reading

Aw, shucks for this umami moment

Copperpenny Distilling photo

Umami, the savoury so-called fifth taste after sweet, sour, salty and bitter, is having a moment in the world of drink. Think Dirty Martinis, whisky made with mushrooms, gin with savoury herbs and olives, or cocktails shaken with miso, saline or soy sauce.

Now distillers are turning to the sea for what might be our favourite umami-rich ingredient yet: the oyster.

Continue Reading

Ontario summer distillery guide

Taste these Canadian-distilled spirits and explore distilleries around the province this summer

John Sleeman & Sons

Rye Whisky

40% ABV, $44.95 (750 ml)

Our Rye Whisky is a masterfully crafted blended spirit that highlights the characteristics of classic Canadian rye. Comprised of corn whisky aged in mature American oak as well as rye whisky aged in first fill American oak, this blend also features Rye Whisky matured in new Canadian oak, which lends to a layered sipping experience rich in character from start to finish.

Available in the LCBO, Manitoba, select stores in B.C., and for delivery online any time at johnsleemanandsons.com

Continue Reading

Spritz up your summer

Photo courtesy of Lillet

Summertime and the living is lazy, or at least it should be. So when it comes to our favourite cocktails of the season, we not only crave something light and thirst-quenching, we also want it to take as little effort as possible, but maybe just a bit more effort than cracking open an RTD.

Enter the spritz. The Aperol spritz has been ubiquitous for more years than we like to count; last year, summer was all about the Hugo spritz, which is made with elderflower liqueur rather than Aperol.

Continue Reading

Behind the curtain

Cry Baby Gallery is a locals hangout that really is all about the art of the cocktail

At Cry Baby Gallery, the Zombie returns from near-death with an elevated twist. Rick O’Brien photo

“Locals only” is a phrase invented specifically for places like Toronto’s Cry Baby Gallery. An urban hangout that embodies the metropolitan culture of its city, just far enough from the hustle and bustle that the average tourist is likely not to venture. Here’s a place that has grown from the streets up, like a flower through a crack in the sidewalk. Passersby might think Cry Baby is no more than an art gallery, but tucked behind a curtain in the gallery’s far left is a gritty, dim, yet warmly lit cocktail den with exposed brick and a bar-top long enough to accommodate a sizable chunk of Toronto’s drinking population.

Continue Reading

B.C. craft distillers seize the moment

 

In April, B.C.’s craft distillers launched a petition on change.org to get the province’s craft sprits into government liquor stores, with a plea to: “Join the movement to demand fairness, fuel B.C.’s economy, and give authentic local spirits the respect they deserve. Raise your voice, raise your elbows, and let’s make some noise!”

Continue Reading

Elbows Up!

How Canadian barkeeps and distillers are handling the trade war troubles

“Joe Canadian” responds to Trump’s threats: 25 years after recording the original “I Am Canadian” ad for Molson beer, actor Jeff Douglas recorded a new patriotic rant that has garnered over 1.2 million views on YouTube. YouTube.com/@AverageJoes1867 screenshot.

Last month at the “knowhere public house,” a locavore bar and community hub in Sudbury, Daniel Cronin hosted a five-course storytelling dinner billed as “The Night the White House Burned.”

The event had been inspired by the (possibly apocryphal) story of a lavish supper planned by then First Lady Dolley Madison, which was meant to be a victory feast for United States forces during the War of 1812. Instead, it was enjoyed by invading Brits—right before they burned down the White House.

Continue Reading
1 2 3 108