by Tara Rafiq | May 8, 2020 | Features
Don’t call them mocktails: #spiritfree and #placebo drinks are a growing wellness trend It gathered speed last year with Sober October before the holiday rush. After ringing in 2020, the trend was undeniable: #Dryuary was in full swing on social media and in the bars...
by Tara Rafiq | Apr 24, 2020 | Features
Peek inside Vancouver’s secret (and not-so-secret) bars within bars Vancouver is home to countless cool bars, some dive-y, some hip, some themed—and some full of surprises. A few house separate, completely different rooms that you might not even be aware exist. Here’s...
by Tara Rafiq | Jan 24, 2020 | Features
B.C. craft spirits pioneer Frank Deiter is taking on the world Frank Deiter is a man on a mission. As the founder of Okanagan Spirits in 2004, Deiter charted the pioneering distillery’s early successes before leaving in 2011 to pursue other ventures. These days he...
by Tara Rafiq | Jan 17, 2020 | Features
Why you should be drinking vermouth made in B.C. More than 200 years ago, wine drinkers in Turin and Marseille started adding bittering and flavouring botanicals to wine fortified with spirit, to make an entirely new drink. The styles they created—a sweeter,...
by Tara Rafiq | Nov 8, 2019 | Features
No eggs or dairy? No problem for these bartenders The Pink Lady, Pisco Sour and Ramos Gin Fizz have at least one thing in common: their frothy, silky top. The luscious foam traditionally comes from shaken egg whites, the flavourless, foamy ingredient lending the...
by Tara Rafiq | Oct 18, 2019 | Features
Shake up your drinks with blueberries Who knows when the first blueberry found its way into a jigger of gin or a vodka martini? Today more and more of these bright blue berries are finding their way into mixed drinks throughout the year. Fresh or frozen, whole or...
