A savoury variation on the classic
2.5 oz gin or vodka
0.5 oz dry vermouth
0.25 to 0.5 oz olive brine
Garnish: 1 or 3 olives on a skewer
Dirty Martini
The Vesper
Recipe courtesy of Zack Lavoie, Wild Blue Restaurant + Bar.
1.5 oz Botanist gin
0.75 oz Belvedere vodka
0.25 oz Cocchi Americano Bianco
Garnish: lemon twist
Rosemary Bee’s Knees
2 oz London Dry-style gin
1 oz lemon juice
1 oz honey syrup (see note)
1 small rosemary sprig
Garnish: charred rosemary sprig
The Arbutus Cove
A cocktail with locally sourced ingredients created by Nic VanBergen for Eliza at the Naramata Inn.
• 1 oz Arbutus Distillery Blue Gin
• 0.5 oz Arbutus Lavender Liquor
• 0.75 oz Cane Sugar Syrup
• 0.5 oz Grape Acid (see note)
• Lunessence Riesling Brut
• Garnish: Flower from the garden
Rose Grapefruit Spritz
Garden party in a glass
This is the season of celebrations, of graduations, weddings, reunions, garden parties and festive brunches. It’s also the season of light, fresh drinks best enjoyed outdoors.
Bringing all that together is a new rose-flavoured gin from Ireland’s Glendalough Distillery. Head distiller Rowdy Rooney created it to honour his late mother, Rose—and used rose petals she planted herself, along with wild roses, mountain herbs and other botanicals. It’s beautifully floral and complex, perfect with tonic or citrus in a spritz. Find Glendalough Rose Gin at private retailers for a suggested price of $58.
Check In
Recipe by Grant Sceney, Fairmont Pacific Rim.
• 1 oz Tanqueray gin
• 0.67 oz Blueberry Lavender Oleo (see note)
• 0.67 oz lemon juice
• 0.25 oz Luxardo Bitter Bianco
• 3 oz Blue Mountain Brut (or other sparkling wine)
• Garnish: Thyme flower
Mint Cucumber French 75
Recipe courtesy of Phil Tapping, general manager, The Gull.
Pair with: Fresh spring greens.
• 1 oz mint-infused gin (see note)
• 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice
• 0.25 oz simple syrup (see note)
• 2 dashes cucumber bitters (such as Bitter Truth)
• Sparkling wine to top
• Garnish: Cucumber slice
Citadelle Gibson
Partnered with lightly cured seafood during VCW, Tableau Bar Bistro‘s briny Gibson proved that cocktails are as perfect for pairing as wine.
• 2 oz Citadelle Gin
• 1 oz Dolin dry vermouth
• 0.5 tsp salty cocktail onion brine
• Garnish: 3 cocktail onions
Gin Paloma
This easy, patio-ready cocktail comes from the tasting lounge at North Vancouver’s Copperpenny Distilling. The fresh citrus and rosemary accentuate the notes of Egyptian coriander and Moroccan grains of paradise in their Social Project Gin 005.
• 2 oz Copperpenny Social Project Gin 005
• 2 oz freshly squeezed grapefruit juice (strained)
• 0.5 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
• 0.5 oz rosemary-infused simple syrup (see note)
• Garnish: Himalayan pink salt rim, dehydrated grapefruit and/or sprig of rosemary
Negroni Secco
Recipe courtesy of Carlino Restaurant & Lounge
• 1 oz Esquimalt Wine Company dry vermouth
• 0.75 oz Tanqueray gin
• 0.25 oz Dubh Glass Noteworthy Navy Strength gin
• 0.5 oz Suze
• 2 dashes Sichuan peppercorn tincture (see recipe)
• Garnish: lemon zest