The Alchemist Magazine BC | B.C. Distilleries | Cocktail Bars Vancouver

Recipes

Cinnamon-Cardamom Crème Cocktail

January 20, 2022 No Comments

Cinnamon Cardamom Creme Cocktail. Photo courtesy of Mainland Whisky

This recipe from Mainland Whisky was inspired by the Surrey Spice Trail—and made possible by an unexpected gift of cardamom pods. Note that using oat milk makes it creamy, but still approachable for those who can’t consume lactose.

• 1.5 oz Mainland Cinnamon Whisky

• 0.5 oz cardamom simple syrup (see note)

• 2 oz oat milk

• 2 drops bergamot bitters.

• Optional garnish: Cinnamon stick

Recipes

Century Mule

January 19, 2022 No Comments

At Dominion Bar + Kitchen, the food is “New Canadian,” or classics with a twist, and this cocktail is no exception. A tropical take on the classic Moscow Mule, it was meant to be an in-house “secret” drink named for the restaurant’s parent company (Century Group). Turned out the secret was too good not to share, and it has become a customer favourite.

• 1.5 oz vodka

• 0.5 oz Giffard Caribbean Pineapple liqueur

• 0.5 oz ginger simple syrup (see note)

• 0.5 oz passionfruit syrup

• 1 oz lime juice

• 4 oz ginger beer

• 3 dashes angostura bitters

• Garnish: Lime wedge

Recipes

Badam da Naasha (High on Almonds)

January 14, 2022 No Comments

Badam Da Naasha. Photo courtesy of My Shanti

This recipe from Vikram Vij’s restaurant My Shanti in South Surrey is delicate and sophisticated with the subtle taste of almonds and saffron. It is also beautiful, thanks to its silver leaf garnish.

• 1 oz vodka

• 0.75 oz saffron simple syrup (see note)

• Pinch of cardamom powder

• 1 to 2 oz chilled almond milk

• Garnish: Silver leaf, crushed pistachios

Recipes

Band-e-Amir

January 13, 2022 No Comments

The blue hue of this cocktail from Afghan Kitchen comes from Victoria Distillers Empress 1908 gin and is inspired by the six deep blue lakes in Afghanistan.

• 2 oz Empress 1908 Gin

• 1 oz fresh lemon juice

• 1 oz Giffard passionfruit syrup

• 1 egg white or 1 dropper of vegan foamer

• Optional garnish: Dried butterfly pea flower

Recipes

Shaam Masti (Night Party)

January 12, 2022 No Comments

This cocktail from My Shanti is just one of many to enjoy along Discover Surrey’s Culinary Spice Trail.

• 1 oz vodka

• 3 to 4 sprigs fresh mint

• 0.5 oz lime juice

• 1 oz blueberry or (preferably) blueberry-cardamom jam

• Soda water to top

• Garnish: Fresh mint sprig

Features

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.

The Alchemist

London Calling

January 5, 2022 No Comments

An on-trend bar crawl during World’s 50 Best Bars week recaps some top watering holes of the year, and what leading bartenders are mixing up for the coming year.

The legendary martini cart at The Connaught Bar. Charlene Rooke photo

Pandemic be damned, I went to London for the World’s 50 Best Bars event in December 2021. Here’s a curated crawl of award winners, bars to watch and insider hangouts that hints at what the bar world might deliver in 2022.

Features

Top 10 cocktail trends for 2022

December 30, 2021 No Comments

Our experts weigh in on what—and how—you will be drinking this winter

The Espresso Martini is the retro drink we’re craving right now.
Getty Images photos

What’s new? What’s next? In some ways, the pandemic has changed everything about how we drink. In others, it’s only accelerated trends that were already in the works. We checked in with experts both local and global, and here’s what they had to say about the way we’re drinking now and in the months to come.

Recipes