Canada's only magazine dedicated to distillers, spirits and cocktail culture.
The Kentucky Derby is just around the corner—May 4th to be exact—and every year at this time the Mint Julep takes first place as the cocktail of choice. We have compiled three cocktails worth considering for your Kentucky Derby party—cocktails with a twist on the classic go-to.
When North Shore native Maddy Amisano began working with Nude, the new B.C. startup focusing on canned, carbonated soda alternatives to beer and coolers, they had sales of a hundred grand. Two years later the young company is now at just under 10 million.
Amisano grew up on the North Shore attending Windridge Park Preschool, Plymouth Elementary and Windsor Secondary schools, as well as playing team sports with the North Shore Girls Soccer Club and Mount Seymour Little League.
At Nude, she started out in operations as the company’s first employee.
They came, they sipped, they chose their favourites, ranging from a delicately herbal absinthe to a boldly spiced rye whisky.
Some 600 people descended on the Croatian Cultural Centre on April 6 for the sixth annual BC Distilled festival, highlighting the best of the province’s artisan spirits. Some 180 spirits from 39 distilleries were poured over two tastings, and at the end of it all, the audience voted for their favourites in 13 categories.
Since Canada entered the Diageo World Class competition in 2013, our bartenders have punched far above their weight, consistently place in the top 12 worldwide.
Moreover, Lauren Mote, who won the national title in 2015, is now Diageo’s Global Cocktailian, and in 2017,
Vancouver’s Kaitlyn Stewart won the whole thing, beating bartenders from nearly 60 countries to become Global Bartender of the Year.
So there’s no pressure at all on this year’s regional winners, who are heading to the National Final in June (details to be announced later).
Amaro. Akvavit. Absinthe. Amaretto. And that’s just the As of B.C. artisan distilling. Just imagine what the rest of the alphabet can produce.
Actually, you don’t have to, because you can try them all for yourself at BC Distilled this weekend.
The 11th edition of B.C.’s only magazine dedicated to cocktail and spirits culture brightens the season with a taste of the tropics.
Whisky & Words takes place this Friday, March 8 on International Women’s Day, and the event will feature some of the finest spirits from across the globe.
The Vancouver Writers Fest hosts the annual whisky tasting event, previously called A Dram Come True, in order to raise funds for youth education programming. Guests enjoy unlimited drams of whisky from distilleries around the world, as well as local craft spirits and beer. They also get to eat delicious food, enjoy live music, and partake in a silent auction that features rare and unique whiskies as well as experiences.
Sometimes, what separates brunch from breakfast is the addition of some adult beverages. While not everyone digs AM drinks, a Caesar or a Mimosa does spark joy for many Vancouver brunch-goers.
Happy hour, on the other hand, is a construct in its infancy in B.C., where the practice of offering and promoting discounted drinks during off-peak hours has only been allowed by the powers that be since mid-2014. Restaurants have largely embraced the trend, using it as a way to add on service hours ahead of dinner, or bridge the gap to offset lulls.
Over three dozen of the province’s artisan distilleries will be pouring it on this April at the sixth-annual BC Distilled.
Taking place on April 6, this premiere spirits event brings together B.C.’s craft spirits creators for a fantastic tasting event, where enjoying each and every sip is wholly encouraged.
For the second year in a row, a B.C. small-batch spirit is the Canadian Artisan Spirit of the Year. Monashee Spirits Ethos Gin from Revelstoke was not only the best-in-class Canadian gin, but scored highest of any entry in the entire competition. (Last year, Sheringham Distillery’s Akvavit from Vancouver Island claimed that honour.) And B.C. distilleries swept bragging rights in the whisky categories, showing promising maturity in our young industry.