| The Alchemist

Mmmargaritas

June 23, 2023 No Comments

Our favourite summer cocktail offers the perfect canvas for artful variations

The Coconut and Mint Margarita from Monarca. Nora Hamade photo

The Margarita is a splash of happiness, the quintessential summer cocktail and one of the most popular drinks in the world. Whether you like it frozen or on the rocks, in a pre-dinner coupette, a plastic cup poolside or poured from a pitcher, it’s a classic that hits all the right notes with the bitterness of tequila, the tartness of fresh lime, the sweetness of orange liqueur and the salt, which heightens all the flavours.

Features, Guides

Sipping Whistler

January 13, 2023 No Comments

Wild Blue is just the latest establishment to offer exceptional cocktails at the mountain resort

The new Wild Blue Restaurant + Bar serves Pacific Northwest fare and globally inspired cocktails. Photo courtesy of Wild Blue

Mention Whistler, and powder-packed bowls, emerald glades and sweeping vistas likely pop to mind. But these days the resort town’s dining scene is just as much of a draw as its stunning scenery—and alongside it is a cocktail culture snowballing as fast as the 7th Heaven Express.

From Bearfoot Bistro’s nitro-infused Martinis and Araxi’s Firecracker Margarita to Il Caminetto’s Negroni vault and Alta Bistro’s oak-barrel-aged cocktails, Whistler takes its drink-making seriously. Now the ante has just gone up with the recent opening of Wild Blue Restaurant + Bar.

Features

Perfect Pairings

July 15, 2022 No Comments

Why cocktails might just make a better partner for food than wine

Vancouver Cocktail Week opened with a perfectly paired brunch at Botanist Restaurant. Here an egg yolk raviolo and crisp serrano ham partner with a cocktail of gin, citrus and a green tea ginger cordial. Jana Bizzarri photo

Move over Pinot, Tempranillo and Albariño. Wine pairings are fine, but cocktails are increasingly gaining recognition for the role they can play in taking a dining experience to the next level.

The growing trend was on full, tantalizing display during Vancouver Cocktail Week 2022, with cocktail-paired brunches and dinners at spots like Botanist, Tableau Bar Bistro and Carlino proving to be particularly popular.

Features

Spirits of compassion

June 24, 2022 No Comments

Bartenders and distillers step up to help those in need

Putt for philanthropy at The Keefer Yard mini golf course. Facebook.com/TheKeeferYard photo

What’s better than sipping a finely crafted cocktail? Saying cheers to charity. Several bars and distilleries throughout B.C. are adding a dash of do-good to their drinks; here are just a few.

Features

Have you met…?

January 7, 2022 No Comments

Introducing Vancouver’s next generation of bar stars

As a hotbed of cocktail culture, Vancouver is home to seasoned bartenders who have wowed on the world stage—and to those who are now stepping up their careers. Here’s an introduction to the next generation of local bar stars, five up-and-coming mixologists to seek out the next time your thirst needs quenching.