Canada's only magazine dedicated to distillers, spirits and cocktail culture.
After a few short months of being dark, the Fraser Street address that was home to the beloved Ubuntu Canteen has seen a flurry of activity recently, as new operators have taken over the business and are prepping to open a seafood and oyster bar with cocktails in the space.
There’s just something about bringing people together for brunch that captures hearts and palates. Perhaps it’s the enticing blend of savoury and sweet flavours, endless beverage options, and a leisurely atmosphere that creates undeniable allure.
I was especially inspired by the brunches I enjoyed on a recent visit to Scottsdale, Arizona, for a bachelorette party weekend. Mostly I was inspired by one particular brunch at the W Scottsdale’s Cottontail Lounge. The hotel is situated in the heart of the city, with the Fashion District a few minutes west, Old Town a few minutes south, and the Entertainment District at its doorstep.
Best of all? The brunch cocktail pairings. Here are four to try.
In a heartfelt and reflective Instagram post, The Diamond, one of Vancouver’s most well-loved cocktail bars, announced that it is closing.
“After 14 years of last calls, we’ve finally reached ours,” reads the post.
Old Portland favourites and on-point new bars are rocking some Canadian-friendly values, and prices (drinks from USD$12-16 are typical, but no tax!). Because Oregon bars must serve food, delicious bites from bar snacks to elevated meals complement your cocktails. Always on the cutting edge of alternative, plenty of Portland places feature mocktails as refreshing and inventive as their boozy siblings, too.
In the Spring/Summer 2023 issue of The Alchemist, we have everything you need to enjoy the warm and sunny days ahead.
There was a lot of jostling for position and some surprise inclusions in this year’s just-released list of Canada’s 50 Best Bars.
Usual suspects from past lists such as Botanist, The Keefer Bar, and Laowai made the cut yet again, though they’ve been bumped down a few places by bars in Toronto and Montreal. Civil Liberties in Toronto is returning champion and took home the title of Canada’s Best Bar for the second year in a row.
Botanist came in fourth place, and The Keefer Bar was eighth, with Laowai rounding out the top 10.
North America’s 50 Best Bars were revealed on May 4 in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico—a list that included seven Canadian entries, including one bar from B.C. New York’s innovative foodie-cocktail hotspot Double Chicken Please was named North America’s Best Bar.
Keen-eyed Vancouverites have been watching the West End space at 961 Denman St since late 2021, when signs went up for a “health bar and cocktail lounge” called The Jungle Room moving in where the Dover Arms pub stood for many a year.
After three years of cancelled and modified events, BC Distilled, the massive artisanal spirits festival, is returning to Vancouver.
Forty distilleries and hundreds of locally produced spirits, several of which are new additions to the festival, will take over two rooms at the Croatian Cultural Centre on Commercial Drive this May.
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.