Canada's only magazine dedicated to distillers, spirits and cocktail culture.
Fa-la-la-la! It’s beginning to taste a lot like Christmas at The Cascade Room, where the holiday cocktails are merrily flowing.
The Giffard Menthe-Pastille, which is similar to a white crème de menthe, is available at Legacy Liquor and other select private retailers.
• 1 oz (30 mL) cachaça
• 1 oz (30 mL) Giffard Menthe-Pastille
• 2 oz (60 mL) heavy cream
• 1 egg white
• 2 oz (60 mL) soda water or as needed
• ¼ bar spoon (2 mL) crushed candy canes
Mark your calendars for June 14, National Bourbon Day. Not that we need a special day to enjoy the rich, sweet taste of this all-American whiskey, but hey, any excuse will do just fine.
Family brought Yonah Sweetapple from his native Australia to Canada in 2012. He followed his brother Jacob (also a noted mixologist) to Vancouver, looking forward to being a proper uncle to Jacob’s kids. His own bartending career was well underway, from working his way through university everywhere from nightclubs to cocktail bars and restaurants. But it was in the two years before his move to Canada that, he says, his real passion for cocktails developed. “I really enjoy creating craft drinks, and I take a lot of pride in my work,” he smiles.
• 2 oz. Basil Hayden’s Bourbon
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• 0.4 oz. maple syrup
• 0.4 oz. cinnamon syrup
• 1 oz. egg white
Brrrr – it’s chilly out there. Must be toddy time. With the mercury plunging below zero these past few weeks, Vancouver’s bartenders have been brewing up pots and pots of toddies, mulled ciders and other steamy beverages. Open the door to just about any drinking establishment – from the pop-up Winter Terrace at Reflections (in the Rosewood Hotel Georgia) to Juniper Kitchen & Bar in Gastown – and you’ll be greeted by the seasonal aroma of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. And this is especially true at the Cascade Room on Main Street.
• 0.25oz Sheringham Seaside Gin
• 0.5oz Odd Society Bittersweet Vermouth
• 0.5oz deVine Moderna Vermouth
• 0.75oz The Woods Amaro
Rob Scope knows his way around a bar. After being introduced to the trade in England, Scope has had a hand in creating some of Vancouver’s most sought-after cocktails at establishments such as Campagnolo, ReFuel, Calabash, Cassis Bistro and now, as bar manager, at The Cascade Room on Main.
“Our cocktail list is pretty aggressive,” he says of the 60-drink strong menu of classics he oversees. “Working with this back bar is a dream come true.”
In the mood for a Sazerac? How about a Negroni punch bowl mixed with local gin and vermouth, or a playful spin on Arctic Ungava with a dash of citric acid and spritz of Laphroaig perfume? Whatever your poison, it can be found in Vancouver, home to one of the most vibrant cocktail scenes in North America.