Clives Classic Lounge

Tidbits: news from the spirits world in Canada and beyond

May 29, 2023 No Comments

The Aperol Spritz is one of Google’s 10 trendiest drinks for 2022. Getty Images photo

Barrels of Awards

Spring is awards season, and B.C. bars and distilleries have been picking up shiny gold trinkets all over the place. Just a few of the honours: Botanist Bar won the prestigious Michter’s Art of Hospitality Award from North America’s 50 Best Bars and at #19 was the only B.C. bar to make the list. Clive’s Classic Lounge in Victoria was named World Whisky Hotel Bar at the World Whiskies Awards, which also recognized Macaloney’s Island Distillery with a trio of top prizes. The Keefer Bar was nominated Best Canadian Bar by the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards. And Okanagan Spirits was named Artisanal Distillery of the Year at the 2022 Canadian Whisky Awards.

The Alchemist

Clive’s Classic Lounge named world’s best whisky hotel bar

April 3, 2023 No Comments

Dreaming of a dram? Then you may want to hop a ferry over to Victoria, where Clive’s Classic Lounge has just been named Whisky Hotel Bar of the Year in the prestigious Icons of Whisky Awards, presented by U.K.-based Whisky magazine.

Bar Bites

Five great cocktail bars to visit in Victoria

July 4, 2022 No Comments

Enjoy the Last Train to Paris at the Q Bar in Victoria. Photo courtesy of Q Bar at the Fairmont Empress

We love hopping over to Victoria for the great food, beautiful gardens and charming vibe. But most of all we love visiting B.C.’s capital city for its great cocktail scene.

Guides, Have Glass Will Travel

Spirit of Victoria

December 14, 2018 No Comments

12 great places to get a drink in the Vancouver Island city

The B.C. Parliament Buildings are the centrepiece of Victoria’s vibrant Inner Harbour. Tourism Victoria photo

You could say that Matt Cooke has distilled the spirit of Victoria into his cocktails. The general manager at OLO Restaurant transforms Vancouver Island spirits and local produce into the kind of creatively food-friendly sippers that complement chef-owner Brad Holmes’ fresh comfort food so well. There’s often whisky or gin—Victorians love the smoky and botanical flavours of the British Isles—and a subtle nod to the classics. At the same time, Cooke conjures flavours that are completely new, and often made from scratch.

And he’s not alone. Despite its relatively small size, with a population about an eighth of Vancouver’s, Victoria has a vibrant cocktail scene that makes it truly a great place to get a drink, especially at these 12 watering holes.

Recipes

All Black Everything

November 3, 2018 No Comments

• 2 oz Hornitos Black Barrel Reposado Anejo Tequila
• 0.25 oz Squid Ink Simple Syrup
• 2 Dashes J.T. Own Decanter Bitters
• 5 Drops Saline

Recipes

Trëve De Noël

November 2, 2018 No Comments

• 1 oz Brandy
• 1 oz Glühwein
• 0.5oz Grand Marnier
• 0.5oz Blandy’s Madeira
• 0.5oz Orange Juice
• 0.5oz Lemon Juice
• Dash Angostura Bitters

Features

Liquid lore

October 14, 2016 No Comments

At Clive’s Classic Lounge, every cocktail tells a story

Photo courtesy of Clives Classic Lounge.

Stepping outside of the box has become old hat to bar manager Jayce Kadyschuk of Clive’s Classic Lounge in Victoria, who, along with his team, is driven by his passion to tell a story through every cocktail served.

“We want to create a unique experience with every drink,” he explains. “People are always curious about what goes into a cocktail, how we came up with the recipe — and that desire for a story forces us to be innovative.”