Diced Pineapple Cocktail

Kaitlyn Stewart’s Diced Pineapple Cocktail — a zero-waste, eco-friendly drink — was a winner in the Mex ECO challenge at Diageo World Class. Fred Fung photo for Royal Dinette

This zero-waste cocktail created by Royal Dinette’s bar manager Kaitlyn Stewart helped her win Diageo World Class Bartender of the Year 2017. It uses all parts of the pineapple, including the skin, pulp and tops.

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Hotel Georgia

The recipe for the Hotel Georgia cocktail was discovered by Hawksworth Restaurant’s bar manager, Brad Stanton, in the hotel archives in 2011.

INGREDIENTS:
1.75 oz (52 mL) Plymouth gin
0.75 oz (22 mL) fresh lemon juice
0.5 oz (15 mL) orgeat (almond syrup)
6 drops orange blossom water
1 egg white

METHOD:
Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and “dry shake” (without ice) vigorously until quite frothy. Add ice and shake again until well chilled, then double-strain into a chilled cocktail glass. If you like, garnish with freshly grated nutmeg. Serves 1.

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Avocado Gimlet

Shaun Layton’s Avocado Gimlet. Contributed photo

Inspired by a visit to Mexico, Shaun Layton infused gin with olives and rosemary, mixed it with avocado and created a West Coast classic.

INGREDIENTS: 
1.5 oz (45 mL) olive and rosemary-infused Beefeater Gin (see note)
0.5 oz (15 mL) Lillet Blanc
1 oz (30 mL) fresh lime juice
0.75 oz (22 mL) simple syrup
1/4 fresh avocado, flesh only

METHOD:
Combine all ingredients into a shaker tin and fill with ice. Give it a good, long, hard shake to make sure the avocado blends into the cocktail. Double-strain with a slightly bigger mesh strainer into a large coupe glass. Serves 1.

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Horseradish Sour

Wildebeest’s Horseradish Sour. Contributed photo

Josh Pape’s Horseradish Sour features a crisp tartness balanced with an umami-rich profile that goes exceptionally well with oysters and steak.

INGREDIENTS:
1 tsp (5 mL) creamed horseradish
2 oz (60 mL) Beefeater London Dry Gin
1 oz (30 mL) lemon juice
0.5 oz (15 mL) honey syrup  (1:1; see note)
1 egg white

METHOD:
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail tin and shake vigorously. Fine strain into a chilled cocktail coupe glass.  Garnish with finely cracked black pepper. Serves 1.

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Chartreuse Milkshake

Lauren Mote’s Chartreuse Milkshake. Issha Marie photo

Crushable, complex and refreshing.

INGREDIENTS:
1.5 oz (45 mL) Tanqueray No. TEN Gin
0.5 oz (15 mL) Green Chartreuse
0.5 oz (15 mL) crème de cacao (chocolate liqueur)
0.75 oz (22 mL) orange juice
0.75 oz (22 mL) lime juice
0.25 oz (bar spoon) simple syrup (see note)
2 dashes Bittered Sling Malagasy Chocolate bitters
1 egg white

METHOD:
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail and dry shake (without ice) to emulsify egg white. Add ice to the shaker and shake vigorously for 10 to 15 seconds until well chilled and diluted. Pour into a tall Collins glass over fresh ice and garnish with crushed cacao nibs. Serves 1.

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B.C.’s gold medal gin: Central City strikes award-winning balance with Queensborough

Here’s a local spirit to add a tonic to your liquor cabinet

Christos Kalaitzis, mixologist and spirits brand ambassador (left), and Stuart McKinnon, head distiller at Surrey’s Central City Brewers + Distillers, showcase their award-winning Queensborough Gin and Double Gold Gin cocktail. Central City Brewers & Distillers photo

British Columbia’s artisan gins are in a tricky place.

Some are interesting, but not exactly delicious. Some taste good, but aren’t exciting enough to warrant the high price tag that the difficulty of making local hooch demands. Some have such powerful cereal notes you know the distiller really wants to be making whisky instead. Some taste like perfume, others like vodka.

And then there’s Queensborough gin from Surrey’s Central City Brewers + Distillers.

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Queensborough Gin “Double Gold” Cocktail

The Queensborough Double Gold Gin cocktail. Central City Brewers & Distillers photo

Christos Kalaitzis, brand ambassador and mixologist for Central City Brewers + Distillers, created this cocktail to celebrate their gin winning double gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

INGREDIENTS:
1.5 oz (45 mL) Queensborough gin
0.5 oz (15 mL) dry vermouth
1 oz (30 mL) maple syrup
3 dashes aromatic bitters
3 mint leaves
Ginger ale

METHOD:
Place all ingredients except ginger ale in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake well. Double strain into a wine glass, add fresh ice and top up with ginger ale. Garnish with cinnamon stick and mint sprig. Serves 1.

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Smoking Dog

The Smoking Dog cocktail at Vij’s. Dan Toulgoet photo

This cocktail created by bartender Olivia Povarchook of Vij’s updates the classic Salty Dog, but instead of rimming the glass with salt, flakes of smoked Maldon sea salt sit on top of the ice, giving the drinker a taste of smoky salt with each sip.

INGREDIENTS:
1.5 oz (45 mL) Bombay Sapphire East London Dry Gin
0.5 oz (15 mL) Yellow Chartreuse
2 oz (60 mL) fresh grapefruit juice
1 tsp (5 mL) Maldon smoked sea salt

METHOD:
Combine gin, liqueur and juice in a Collins glass or (preferably) a beautiful crystal tumbler with 12 oz (350 mL) capacity. Fill with ice cubes and stir. Top to overfilled with more ice cubes. Sprinkle salt flakes on the ice cube surfaces. Serves 1.

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Burrard Gimlet

The Burrard Gimlet cocktail, made with salt water, created by Justin Taylor, general manager of The Cascade Room in Vancouver. Cascade Room photo

Justin Taylor of The Cascade Room makes his own salt water for this refreshing update on a classic cocktail.

INGREDIENTS:
1.5 oz (45 mL) Long Table Cucumber gin
0.5 oz (15 mL) Green Chartreuse
0.5 oz (15 mL) chamomile cordial (see note)
0.75 oz (22 mL) lime juice
3 dashes Bittered Sling Lem Marrakesh bitters
1 tsp (5 mL) salt water (see note)
Pinch of sea salt
Garnish: Taboo absinthe mist; lime twist

METHOD:
Rim half of a coupe glass with sea salt. Place all ingredients except garnish into a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake for 15 seconds. Double strain into coupe. Spritz surface with a mist of absinthe and garnish with a lime twist. Serves 1.

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Candy Girl

Gotham’s Candy Girl—a lavender-infused variation on the French 75. Dan Toulgoet photo

Created by Barry Jackson, bar manager at Gotham Steakhouse, this lavender-infused variation on the French 75 is an ideal cocktail to enjoy on the patio.

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