• ¼ Anjou pear
• 0.5 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 0.75 oz blended scotch whisky
• 0.75 oz amontillado sherry
• 0.5 oz Sons of Vancouver amaretto
• 3 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
Chuzzlewit’s Pear
Bourbon Sour
“This is one of my favourite cocktails to make,” says James Lester, co-owner of the Sons of Vancouver Distillery in North Vancouver. His method of shaking the egg white with a single ice cube makes the froth impressively thick and rich.
Sons of Vancouver’s amaretto earns global amore
North Van distillery wins worldwide attention thanks to Kaitlyn Stewart — but many have already fallen in love with its nutty liqueur
What might just be Vancouver’s coolest cocktail lounge isn’t in a fancy hotel or a downtown hipster hangout. Heck, it isn’t even in Vancouver and it isn’t, for that matter, actually a bar.
Vancouver’s Brooklyn
A take on the defunct classic cocktail, The Brooklyn, and an homage to the relationship between North Vancouver and the big city over the bridge.
• 1.5 oz. rye whisky
• 0.3 oz. amaretto
• 0.3 oz. Cocchi Americano
• 0.3 oz. maraschino liqueur
• 3 dashes of bitters
• 1 maraschino cherry
Prodigal sons
How Sons of Vancouver is riding the big boom in small spirits
It will be just two short years in February since Sons of Vancouver opened for business—with a 700-litre still repurposed from a dairy pasteurizer. And, like so many of the distilleries around B.C., owners James Lester and Richard Klaus have barely had time to pause for breath.
Take the past few months of 2016 as an example: Sons ran a successful crowdfunding campaign to upgrade to a proper—and much bigger—still, opened a tasting room, and will release a special barrel-aged edition of their signature No. 82 Amaretto in time for the holidays.
It wasn’t meant to happen this fast.
Spirited gifts
We asked some top B.C. bartenders which bottle of local spirits they would put on their Christmas list
Katie Ingram
Lead Bartender, L’Abattoir Restaurant
I’d pick Okanagan Spirits Laird of Fintry Single Malt Whisky. It is a Scotch-style single malt made with 100 per cent B.C. malted barley using French and American oak, and finished in Okanagan wine barrels. The nose is unbelievable with plum, vanilla, raisins, berries, poached pears, nuts, and classic oak characteristics that continue on the palate. It has a dry finish with a hint of sweet vanilla and baking spices. I would make a twist on a Rob Roy — a Rodney’s Roy — with 2 oz. Laird of Fintry,
0.3 oz. Noilly Prat Rouge,
0.3 oz. Noilly Prat Ambre and two dashes Bittered Sling Cascade Celery Bitters.
Sons of Vancouver
James Lester and Richard Klaus now have a lounge licence at their North Vancouver distillery, meaning cocktail service is in
full effect.
1431 Crown St., North Vancouver
778-340-5388
SonsOfVancouver.ca
Read more about Sons of Vancouver
• Some like it hot: Canada’s artisan distillers are bringing their own spiced heat to the party
• Sons of Vancouver’s Amaretto earns global amore
• Recipe: Vancouver’s Brooklyn
• Prodigal sons: How Sons of Vancouver is riding the big boom in small spirits
PRODUCTS:
• No. 82 Amaretto
• Barrel-aged No. 82 Amaretto
• Vodka Vodka Vodka
• Chili Vodka
• Coffee Liqueur Sucks
• Craft Clue Curacao
• Craft Tiki Creamer
• Craft Coconut Liqueur
TASTING NOTES:
Chili Vodka
FRAGRANCE: Peppers. Red bell and chillies.
FLAVOUR: Fire. All chillies all the time.
FEEL: Hot. Spicy.
FINISH: Lingering heat.
BEST ENJOYED: Sipped neat or in a Caesar.
THE BOTTOM LINE: A fun one to try if you like it hot. Very hot. —Josh Pape, July 2016
Barrel Aged No. 82 Amaretto
FRAGRANCE: Kalamata olives and vanilla. In a good way.
FLAVOUR: Marzipan, vanilla, with a touch of stone fruits.
FEEL: Velvety, lingering.
FINISH: Lingering heat.
BEST ENJOYED: Go old school: Godfather would be cool (with Scotch) — add a lemon twist to balance it.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Delicious. More complex than the original version. —Josh Pape, October 2016
No. 82 Amaretto
FRAGRANCE: Way more apricot jam than the more traditional apricot pits.
FLAVOUR: More dried apricot flavour, raisin, caramelized fruit and honey.
FEEL: Sweet and sticky.
FINISH: Honey on toast.
BEST ENJOYED: On ice or over ice cream. Seriously: Enjoy this.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Not your typical amaretto and better for it. Delicious. —Trevor Kallies, October 2017