Canada's only magazine dedicated to distillers, spirits and cocktail culture.
1.5 oz Sumac-infused blanco tequila (see note)
0.75 oz amontillado sherry
0.5 oz Cynar
2 dashes Bittered Sling Lem-Marrakech bitters
Garnish: lemon peel
• 2 oz Altos Blanco Tequila
• 0.5 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
• 1 tsp St. George absinthe
• 2 tsp lime juice
• 0.5 oz Five Alive Cordial (see below)
1.5 oz Sheringham Distillery Akvavit
1 oz freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tsp maraschino syrup
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp simple syrup
Garnish: thinly sliced orange wheel
We couldn’t love this more. Beetbox, the plant-based casual eatery in the West End, has introduced a new “Beet the Heat” slushie bucket that is just what we want for all our backyard gatherings this summer. The four-litre bucket is filled with a cantaloupe-apple slushie mix, ladle, four cups and garnishes ($29). Plus you can add on 375 mL mickeys of Cazadores Tequila Reposado ($20) or Bombay Sapphire gin ($17) or a 200 mL bottle of St-Germain elderflower liqueur ($17). Slushies are also available by the glass (16 oz) for $5, with mini 50 mL bottles of vodka or gin available as add-ons for $5 each.
Cocktail competitions are not just about the winning drinks. They are about community, creativity and exploration, discovering new flavours and learning new techniques. Only a handful worldwide truly raise the bar for the industry. Among those, there is Patrón Perfectionists, the world’s premier tequila competition.
After the challenges of the past year, Patrón felt it was important to make the competition as inclusive as possible. So it has opened the competition to all bartenders across Canada, regardless of where (or if) they are working.
• 1.5 oz Patrón Silver
• 0.5 oz B.C. apple-infused Bénédictine (see note)
• 0.25 oz 1:1 simple syrup
• 1 oz B.C. organic white verjus
• 0.75 oz dry B.C. apple cider
• Garnish: grapefruit peel
…You better start swimmin’ or you’ll sink like a stone
For the times they are a -changin’ —Bob Dylan.
If Covid-19 has yielded one major positive, it’s the way in which government and the hospitality industry now interact.
It’s improved. Considerably.
The first pandemic summer introduced the “walk-tail” and propelled the already booming RTD market to new heights. This summer promises to offer even more exciting portable pops to go. Here are three new products to toss in your backpack.
Don’t you think it’s time to have some fun? We sure do! And that’s why we’re hard at work planning the first ever Vancouver Cocktail Week, presented by The Alchemist magazine, to be held March 6 through 9, 2022.
The festivities will kick off with the Punch Brunch, a reprise of the successful event held in January 2020 at Botanist at the Fairmont Pacific Rim. It featured a gourmet five-course brunch created by chef Hector Laguna and paired with cocktails crafted by five of Vancouver’s top bartenders: Sean McGuigan, Sabrine Dhaliwal, Katie Ingram, Jeff Savage, and Amber Bruce.
Even before the pandemic devastated bars, restaurants and the people who work in them, the BC Hospitality Foundation was there to help with scholarships and financial aid for those dealing with medical issues.
Now the BCHF has partnered with Univins and Spirits on a fundraiser that will quench both thirsts and financial needs.