The Alchemist

It all comes out in the wash

November 26, 2018 No Comments

Brewer-distillers have unique advantages over their still-only colleagues

Early visitors to Yaletown Distillery on Vancouver’s Hamilton Street may have tripped to—or rather, over—its connection to Yaletown Brewing, a block away. Originally, the fermented base for the spirits came through a hose in the sidewalk. “The wash comes through this pipe now,” says brewer-distiller Tariq Khan, pointing toward the ceiling.

That supply chain of fermented-grain wash is a key advantage of local businesses that make both beer and spirits, including relative newbies The 101 Brewhouse + Distillery in Gibsons and Moon Under Water in Victoria, as well as veterans like Deep Cove Brewers and Distillers in North Vancouver. Brewing on site guarantees a pipeline to so-called distiller’s beer, the essential raw material for making spirits.

Bar Bites

Sweet launch for bitters line

November 23, 2018 No Comments

Bitters by Christos took home three double gold awards at the San Diego Spirits Festival. Central City Brewers and Distillers photo

It’s not even available for sale yet, but already Christos Kalaitzis’ new bitters line is reaping the kind of recognition a crafty bartender could only dream of.

Bitters by Christos, created by the spirits brand ambassador and mixologist for Central City Brewers & Distillers, just took home not one, not two, but three double gold awards at the prestigious San Diego Spirits Festival, the premiere West Coast celebration of spirits and cocktails. (Central City’s Lohin McKinnon Peated Whisky also won double gold.)

Recipes

Scotch Coffee

November 19, 2018 No Comments

• 30ml The Glenlivet Founders Reserve
• 10ml rich demerara syrup (2:1)*
• 120ml coffee
• 15ml coconut whip*
• Toasted coconut shavings

Bar Bites

Spirited sips at the Hotel Vancouver

November 16, 2018 No Comments

This cocktail from the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver was inspired by the Lady in Red, a gracious spirit said to haunt the halls of this grand dame of a hotel. Fairmont Hotel Vancouver cocktail.

Glance up at the sloping green roof of the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, and you might just catch a flash of scarlet at one of the windows. Wave hello to the Lady in Red, a gracious spirit said to haunt the halls of this grand dame of a hotel.

Bar Bites, Recipes

The lady in Red

November 15, 2018 No Comments

This recipe, courtesy of the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, is inspired by a gracious spirit said to haunt the halls of this grand dame of a hotel.

• 1 oz Hendricks Gin
• 0.75 oz St. Germain elderflower liqueur
• 1.5 oz cranberry juice
• 0.25 oz lemon juice
• Sparkling wine

Tasting Panel

Amour for amaro

November 9, 2018 No Comments

The Alchemist’s tasting panel revels in the complexities of made-in-B.C. amaros, vermouths and aperitifs

The lineup (l to r): Long Table Distillery’s Linnaeus Amaro No. 1, de Vine’s Moderna Vermouth, The Woods Spirit Co’s Pacific Northwest Amaro, Goodrich and Williams’ Bitterhouse Rubato, Bitterhouse DaMan and Bitterhouse LaDame aperitifs, Legend Distilling’s Naramaro amaro, Odd Society’s Mia Amata amaro and Bittersweet Vermouth. Dan Toulgoet photo

Consider them the supporting actors of the cocktail world: complex, helpful and a little bitter. Vermouths, aperitifs and amaros are typically fortified wines—though some are sweet enough to be considered liqueurs—flavoured with botanicals such as citrus peel, spices, roots and herbs. They typically have a somewhat bitter profile, hence the name “amaro,” which means bitter in Italian.

It takes a sophisticated palate to appreciate a good bitter drink, so not too surprisingly, Vancouver bartenders were eager to sample the best of B.C. amaros. We sat down with Alex Black of Tableau Bar Bistro, Amber Bruce of The Keefer Bar, cocktail consultant Sabrine Dhaliwal, Robyn Gray of the Rosewood Hotel Georgia and The Botanist’s Jeff Savage to get at the bitter truth.

The Alchemist

Hopscotch Fest brings serious sips to Vancouver this month

November 8, 2018 No Comments

Sometimes we think November might actually be our favourite month. Unpopular opinion, we know! But think about it… In this dark and dreary month alone there’s returning faves like Whistler Cornucopia, EAT! Vancouver and Hawkers Market, as well as a caviar festival, a dumpling fest and something called Swine Out Vancouver, just to name a few. It’s a smorgasbord of food and drink par-tays. But the granddaddy of them all might have to be Hopscotch Festival.

The Alchemist

Vancouver Island alt-whisky takes its place in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible

November 6, 2018 No Comments

It’s back to the future with de Vine’s Ancient Grains

De Vine’s Ancient Grains recently scored a 91.5 in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible. Tulle & Tweed Commercial Photography

It’s been a minute since we’ve had to worry about those pesky little things called grades, but for distillers like Saanichton’s de Vine Wines & Spirits, report card day still comes around each year with the release of Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible and the reviews and scores therein.

Bar Bites

Vancouver’s winning cocktail

November 5, 2018 No Comments

Another day, another competition under the belts of Vancouver’s extraordinary bartenders.

To chants of “Back to back!” on Thanksgiving weekend, Chris Enns of the Lobby Bar at the Fairmont Pacific Rim made it into the top-20 round at the Diageo Reserve World Class competition in Berlin. Australia’s Orlando Marzo took home the overall title this year, but Enns made it all the way to number eight in the world, with a trio of Vancouverites cheering him on—last year’s global winner, Kaitlyn Stewart of Royal Dinette, as well as previous World Class Canada winners Lauren Mote and Grant Sceney. “Until next time, friends,” Enns said on Facebook. “May your hearts be filled with love and your glasses filled with World Class cocktails.”

Bar Bites, Recipes

Hay, Hoe, Let’s Grow

November 4, 2018 No Comments

Created by Max Curzon-Price of the Botanist at Fairmont Pacific Rim.

• 2 oz Bombay Sapphire gin
• 1 oz acidified parsnip juice
• 0.75 oz bee pollen syrup
• 3 dashes Hay and Burdock Root Bitters
• 1 egg white