Now you can make tropical cocktails at home almost as good as the ones at The Shameful Tiki Room, which was recently named the 2020 Nightclub & Bar Awards’ Best Tiki Bar in North America.
Sugar and spice and all things tiki
Mixing it up
Fever-Tree lifts mixers to premium levels, adds a new Refreshingly Light Cucumber Tonic Water to its artisanal collection
Whether you like to sip on a classic cocktail like a Manhattan or prefer to experiment with new, unconventional concoctions, the spirits world has never been more sophisticated or exciting. Yet for the longest time, mixers were overlooked, an afterthought rather than being considered a crucial ingredient in an extraordinary drink.
Shhhh…
Peek inside Vancouver’s secret (and not-so-secret) bars within bars
Vancouver is home to countless cool bars, some dive-y, some hip, some themed—and some full of surprises. A few house separate, completely different rooms that you might not even be aware exist. Here’s a handful of the city’s best bars within bars.
Thai One On
Southeast Asian flavours and a pretty purple hue make this cocktail from The Diamond (and Elk Room) irresistible.
• 1.5 oz yuzu sake
• 0.5 oz Wray & Nephew overproof rum
• 0.5 oz butterfly pea flower syrup
• 0.75 oz lime juice
• Tonic water
• Garnish: sprig of mint
Sangria
The classic—and sessionable—red wine punch from Bodega on Main
• 1 lemon
• 1 orange
• 1/2 apple
• Handful blackberries
• 1 bottle (750 mL) Spanish red wine
• 1.5 oz Triple Sec or Grand Marnier
• 1.5 oz brandy
• 2 oz lemonade
• 2 oz orange juice
• 6 to 8 oz soda water or 7Up
Forgotten Temple
At Camp Up, smoky and bitter flavours combine in an appealingly dark sipper.
• 0.75 oz Los Siete Misterios Doba Yej mezcal
• 0.75 oz Cazadores blanco tequila
• 0.75 oz El Bandarra vermouth
• 0.3 oz Legend Naramaro
• 0.3 oz Odd Society Mia Amata amaro
• Dash Apothecary Bitters Darkness Coffee and Cacao Bitters
• Garnish: orange twist
La Granada Cocktail
At D/6 Bar & Lounge, manager Tianna Brammer combines her appreciation for tequila and lemonade in this elegant drink.
Campari-pomegranate ice cube:
• 0.5 oz Campari
• 0.5 oz pomegranate juice
• 3 oz water
Cocktail:
• 1 oz Volcan blanco tequila
• 0.25 oz pisco
• 0.5 oz orgeat
• 0.5 oz citric acid
• Garnish: dehydrated lemon slice, pomegranate seeds
Pantone Colour of 2020 distilled into a true blue cocktail
Each year, the experts at the Pantone Color Institute pick a hue that they believe will best represent the year ahead; for 2020, the Colour of the Year is PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue, a deep blue that is at once classic, comforting and contemporary, evocative of both the dusk sky and the deep sea.
B.C. beverage producers join forces to rally support for local businesses with Time to Buy BC campaign
B.C. alcoholic beverage producers are joining forces to encourage British Columbians to support local businesses in an effort to mitigate the economic devastation wrought by COVID-19. The “Time to Buy BC” campaign was launched on Tuesday in a joint effort between the B.C. Craft Brewers Guild, the B.C. Farm Crafted Cider Association, the Craft Distillers Guild of B.C. and the B.C. Wine Institute, together representing more than 500 breweries, cideries, distilleries, wineries and alcoholic beverage producers across the province.
The campaign’s website, TimeToBuyBC.ca has a complete list of local B.C. craft breweries, cideries, wineries, distilleries and refreshment beverage companies you can support.
Twilight Blooming: The Sky at Dusk
Recipe by Premium Bartender Andrew Kong at H Tasting Lounge at The Westin Bayshore, in partnership with Tealeaves. The cocktail comes in two parts, an infused-gin-and-tea base and a citrus-soda side. As you pour the citrus into the infused gin, the acidity transforms the deep blue to bright purple. Magic.
• 2 oz Star of Bombay Gin infused with Tealeaves Classic Blue Blend (see note)
• 0.5 oz steeped Tealeaves Classic Blue Blend tea
• 0.75 oz lemon juice
• 0.75 oz elderflower cordial
• 2 oz ume (plum wine)
• 0.5 oz soda water