• 1 oz. Queensborough Gin
• 1 teaspoon Elderflower Cordial
• 1 teaspoon Dry Vermouth
• Hopping Mad Apple Cider
• Thin green apple slices
QB Blackberry Zest Cocktail
• 1 oz. Queensborough Gin
• 1 teaspoon Sweet Red Vermouth
• 3 fresh blackberries
• Tonic water
• Orange zest
Local Negroni
• 0.25oz Sheringham Seaside Gin
• 0.5oz Odd Society Bittersweet Vermouth
• 0.5oz deVine Moderna Vermouth
• 0.75oz The Woods Amaro
Vancouver Cocktail
The Sylvia Hotel’s signature cocktail was created in 1954.
INGREDIENTS:
1.5 oz London Dry style gin such as Victoria Gin or Long Table Gin
0.75 oz sweet vermouth such as Punte E Mes or Odd Society Bittersweet Vermouth
0.25 oz or “a good splash” of Benedictine liqueur
2 dashes of orange bitters
METHOD:
Place all ingredients into a mixing glass with ice and stir well. Strain into a chilled Martini glass. Garnish with a twist of lemon peel.
Odd Society Spirits
This East Vancouver distillery’s three founding self-described “odd” owners are busy producing different expressions of gin, vodka and both white (unaged), and single malt whiskies.
1725 Powell St., Vancouver
604-559-6745
OddSocietySpirits.com
Read more about Odd Society Spirits
• Demystifying vermouth: The Alchemist tasting panel samples the fortified, aromatized elixir
• Bitter & sweet: Why you should be drinking vermouth made in B.C.
• Odd Society releases Elderflower Liqueur
• Recipe: Sea to Sky Rad-ler Beer Cocktail
• It’s G&T time: The Alchemist’s tasting panel searches for the best B.C. gin to enjoy with your tonic
• Recipe: Odd Society Gin & Tonic Sour
• Recipe: The Paper Plane, Updated
• Recipe: Main Street “Wide Eye”
• Come together: At Odd Society Spirits, innovation is all about collaboration
• Recipe: Tell Me What You Will
• Recipe: Chili Chocolate Manhattan
PRODUCTS:
• East Van Vodka
• Wallflower Gin
• Mongrel Unaged Spirit
• Oaken Wallflower Gin
• Elderflower Liqueur
• Crème de Cassis
• Bittersweet Vermouth
• Mia Amato Amaro
• Salal Gin
• Maple Canadian Whisky
• Commodore Canadian Single Malt Whisky
• Prospector Canadian Rye Whisky
• Canadian Single Malt Casks
TASTING NOTES:
Bittersweet Vermouth
FRAGRANCE: Gingerbread spice, bitter orange, vanilla.
FLAVOUR: Upfront viscous sweetness, making its way to the back of your palate with a lovely bitterness.
FEEL: Full and coating mouthfeel.
FINISH: Sweet orange and chocolate lift for an enjoyable bitter finish that goes on and on.
BEST ENJOYED: Serve at room temperature as a digestif; could shine in many different cocktails.
THE BOTTOM LINE: A must have! —Wendy McGuinness, April 2016
Wallflower Gin
FRAGRANCE: Lavender.
FLAVOUR: Surprisingly balanced.
FEEL: Lovely and fragrant.
FINISH: Sweet, long boozy finish.
BEST ENJOYED: As a boozy cocktail. Martinez or Pink Gin. Maybe even an Old Fashioned.
THE BOTTOM LINE: A really fun spirit. If you like floral notes then jump in — you won’t be disappointed. —Josh Pape, July 2016
Crème de Cassis
FRAGRANCE: Prunes, dried red fruit, berries.
FLAVOUR: Dried figs, raisins and currants.
FEEL: Rich. A bit cloying, but not overwhelmingly so.
FINISH: More balanced than expected.
BEST ENJOYED: In an El Diablo with Dickie’s ginger beer. Kir Royale (go easy, it’s quite concentrated).
THE BOTTOM LINE: The best cassis you’ll likely ever try. —Josh Pape, October 2016
Mia Amato Amaro
FRAGRANCE: Sweet, chocolate, with a musky background.
FLAVOUR: Semi-sweet bitterness, herbal.
FEEL: Viscous.
FINISH: Long with a great balance of bitter and sweet.
BEST ENJOYED: Cold neat, or try in a Paper Plane.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Packaging knocks it out of the park. Fun and engaging, with a fantastic auburn colour. —Trevor Kallies, February 2017
Mongrel Unaged Spirit
FRAGRANCE: Buttered bread and light malty notes.
FLAVOUR: Complex and refined, very nice for an unaged rye-based spirit. Very well balanced.
FEEL: Pleasant sweetness.
FINISH: Slightly hot, loads of spice, in a good way.
BEST ENJOYED: Makes a great White Whisky Sour. Begging to be shaken with citrus.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Makes a great White Whisky Sour. Begging to be shaken with citrus. —Shaun Layton, October 2017
DEVINE Spirits
This Saanich-based distillery is proud to use local fruits, honey and grains in their spirits. Also a winery, they use their own grapes as the base for their Vin Gin.
6181B Old West Saanich Rd., Saanichton
250-665-6983
DevineVineyards.ca
Read more about de Vine Spirits:
• Bitter & sweet: Why you should be drinking vermouth made in B.C.
• Vancouver Island at-whisky takes its place in Jim Murray’s whisky bible
• Through the grapevine: How a vintner became one of B.C.’s leading distillers
PRODUCTS:
• Genever Gin
• Dutch Courage Barrel-Aged Genever
• Vin Gin
• Sloe Gin
• Glen Saanich Single Malt Whisky
• Ancient Grains Alternative Whisky
• Honey Shine Silver
• Honey Shine Amber
• Black Bear Spiced Honey Rum
• Slivovitz Plum Brandy
• Bianca Vermouth
• Moderna Vermouth
TASTING NOTES:
Honey Shine Beekeeper’s Reserve
FRAGRANCE: Waxy, floral notes.
FLAVOUR: Vanilla, marzipan.
FEEL: Thinner than expected, still pleasant.
FINISH: Slightly bitter, spice, honey sweetness still comes through.
BEST ENJOYED: Bees Knees Cocktail.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Good buy for an interesting B.C. spirit. —Shaun Layton, April 2016
Vin Gin
FRAGRANCE: Citrus and spice.
FLAVOUR: Juniper forward, spice.
FEEL: Clean and crisp.
FINISH: Sweet lemon.
BEST ENJOYED: In a Pegu Club cocktail.
THE BOTTOM LINE: At 45 per cent ABV it allows the botanicals to shine in balance with a fruity sweet backbone of grape spirit made of Pinot Noir and Gruner Vetlinger. —Robyn Gray, July 2016
Moderna Vermouth
FRAGRANCE: Dark stone fruit, baked plums, vanilla.
FLAVOUR: Fruit forward up front, leading to bitter clove and citrus peels.
FEEL: A little thin for a vermouth of this complexity.
FINISH: Bitterness and clove stays around forever.
BEST ENJOYED: Makes a great Americano.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Not bad for a B.C. vermouth; the Italians have been doing it for hundreds of years. —Shaun Layton, February 2017
Genever Gin
FRAGRANCE: Pungent, green cardamom, toasted spice.
FLAVOUR: Fennel, cardamom, clove.
FEEL: Not subtle.
FINISH: Dry and hot.
BEST ENJOYED: As a bold Gin & Tonic. Or find a Rembrandt recipe with dry vermouth and Drambuie.
THE BOTTOM LINE: A fun cocktail ingredient. —Josh Pape, July 2017