Maraschino March: "The Blood Lust" from Bourbon & Branch

In the current growing and exciting boom of cocktail culture there are many bars trying to jump on the band wagon and not really taking the time to either find knowledgeable and skilled staff, or at least taking the time to learn and train to at least grasp the concept of classic bartending or modern mixology. Some try to appeal to cocktail aficionados and sports pubbers alike by covering the bar in TV's broadcasting sports highlights and orange-tanned servers in tiny dresses, yet cover the menu in classic and respectable cocktails like the Vieux Carre, Last Word, Aviation, the rare Old Pal, and even some more current concoctions from big names like Pegu Club and Death & Co. The problem with bars such as these is the drinks are often dummed down to appeal to the typical audience (I have particular places in mind); eg. drop the Maraschino to 1/4oz instead of a 1/2 because not everyone likes the taste, add soda to The Last Word to blunt the flavours, shake the Manhattan's because you don't know what you're doing, etc.
Some establishments use a more modern mindset to creating a cocktail, using carbonation, creative infusions, self-made bitters and vermouths, all manners of fire, and even barrel-aging mixtures to come up with new and exciting ways to push "mixology."
Amidst everything that's happening now, and as more and more cities are building up their cocktail-destination repetoirs, there are still names that come up again and again as inspirations, trend-setters, the meccas of mixology, and the ultimate hangouts for connoisseurs of cocktaildom. There are two major cities in the history of the American cocktail: New York, with its PDT, Pegu Club, Death & Co., Milk & Honey (and the list goes on), and San Francisco with its Rickhouse and Bourbon & Branch (this list goes on as well). I am honoured to have Jayson Wilde, the general manager of Bourbon & Branch, contribute a Maraschino cocktail this month (and he will be returning next month with an Averna cocktail as well).
B&B is a cocktail destination (they actually don't serve food) with a focus on Prohibition and the speakeasy culture. The location was a bar since 1867 and an actual speakeasy from 1921 to 1933, and was operated for a time as "JJ Russell's Cigar Shop," during which time John J. Russell the owner brought in booze from none other than Vancouver. The current incarnation of the bar takes its name from the term "branch water," used in the 1800s for pure, clean water (called a "branch"), and of course its brother-in-drink-arms at the time, bourbon (bourbon and water being a typical drink). B&B, like several bars in New York and Tavern Law in Seattle, attempts to retain its speakeasy atmosphere by using passwords to gain entry, and by having a second, secret bar called Wilson & Wilson (Private Detective Agency), where you need a further password to enter, and when you do you taste flights of three cocktails that change every night. B&B also has "house rules" that state, amongst some expected requests (such as that to "please speak-easy"), "no standing at the bar," "please exit quietly," and "don't even think of asking for a 'Cosmo.'" Pretentious? Definitely, but tons of fun, and something I'm sure that the true cocktail-hunters out there will appreciate now that more and more crappy bars are catching on and trying to fake it, or that we'll appreciate just to weed out the appreciative bunch out of the typical Saturday night crowds.
The crew here is skilled, and the cocktail list has had some seriously interesting stuff, like the "Autoroute Alpine," with a Dolin Blanc Vermouth base, Campari, lemon, honey, pepper, basil, and soda, or the "Winny De Puh," with reposado Tequila, lemon, honey, Mezcal, peach bitters, and cardamom, which you can enjoy while sitting in their very classic, warm, and red "library room," or in their maintained/recreated "Russell's Cigar Shop." This skilled crew will even teach you some of their craft in their "Beverage Academy." All in all, B&B is a must for any cocktail aficionado or anyone who cares about the craft.

On to the recipe...
Jayson is combining Maraschino with Tequila, as we have seen a couple times in this series, but aside from the very special pepper and blood orange touches, he's also doing something kind of crazy - infusing the Maraschino with Meyer lemons. If you've gotten into the cocktail world, you've probably seen a lot of infusions, particularly those of gin and maybe bourbon (there are a lot of infused vodkas too, but those are really just tinctures since vodka is flavourless), and maybe you've seen an infused Cointreau or something of that sort, but I for one have never seen an infused Maraschino. The Meyer lemon is a really interesting idea, as they're a little more sweet and soft than regular lemons.
As for the choice of Tequila, Jayson had this to say:
"I chose the Espolon Reposado for a couple of reasons. One is that I wanted something with a little bit of oak flavor to compliment the Cinnamon and Black Pepper. Also, I wanted to use something that wouldn't break the bank. I tried this recipe with a few other Reposado's (Siete Leguas, Partida, etc) and the Espolon actually worked the best with the flavor combinations."
This is all in all a big collection of fruits and spices and just looks delicious. Thank you Jayson and B&B for the contribution!
Cheers!

The Blood Lust

1.5 oz. Espolon Reposado Tequila
0.75 oz. Lemon Juice
0.5 oz. Blood Orange Syrup
0.25 oz. Meyer Lemon Infused Maraschino
1 dash of Black Pepper Tincture

Shake ingredients and strain into a large cocktail glass. Grate cinnamon over top to garnish.

To make the Blood Orange Syrup combine 3 parts Turbinado sugar to 2 parts fresh squeezed blood orange juice.
To make the Meyer Lemon Infused Maraschino infuse 3 thinly sliced Meyer Lemons and 2 full peels per one bottle of Luxardo Maraschino.
To make the Black Pepper Tincture infuse 2 oz. of whole black peppercorns with 6 oz. of Everclear 


[[ see "Oden's Muse" from Tavern Law here ]]
[[ see "The Hemingway Solution" from Vessel here ]]
[[ see "The Division Bell" from Mayahuel here ]]
[[ see "The Shibuya Crusta" from L'Abattoir here ]]
[[ see "The Unforgiven" from Russell Davis of Rickhouse here ]]
[[ see "Cherry Bob-omb" from Veneto here ]]
[[ see "Primer Beso" from The Refinery here ]]
[[ see the Maraschino March introduction here ]]
[[ see the "Rubicon" from Jamie Boudreau at Canon here ]]

Maraschino March: "The Division Bell" from Mayahuel

I just have to include this cocktail because it's one of my favourites right now (I seem to have somewhat of an addiction to smoke). It is a variation on The Last Word (you can see my full historical post on this cocktail here), but switches up gin for the very hard-to-find Mezcal, and Green Chartreuse for Aperol, giving a totally new complexion adding more fruit, bitter, and tons of smoke, and removing a lot of herbal flavours. It also makes for a very pretty, deep orange cocktail in darkened bar-light. Creator Phil Ward at Mayahuel in the East Village, New York, named it "The Division Bell," after the Pink Floyd album.

Mayahuel is entirely devoted to 'paying homage to the wonderful history of Mexico and honouring her spirit with the finest Mezcals and Tequilas, and the honest labours of their kitchen.' The very serious and obviously passionate mission statement on their website reminds us to "bear in mind some simple truths: Tequila should be sipped not shot, most certainly salt and lime; Mezcal need not encase a worm, or any larvae for that matter; and mixtos are missing the point altogether." The same sentiments I tried to instill through all of my Tequila posts so far. While they lay it on a little thick, I'm actually glad they do, as I appreciate the passion and dedication the team there so obviously has for Mexican culture, cuisine, and the "Agave Goddess." I think a warning like that might still be necessary too, because at some point "drinking Tequila" translated to "doing shots of Jose Cuervo," and I've known so many people who "don't drink Tequila anymore" because they've gotten sick from the aforementioned mixto crap. The more I learned about the Mexican spirits, the more I enjoyed them, and the more I realized what an exciting treat places like Mayahuel or Tommy's in San Francisco are because whiskey knowledge and appreciation, for example, is so much more commonplace, and so much easier to accomplish than that of Tequila or Mezcal. I especially get excited having a very interesting and creative cocktail like the Division Bell, considering how incredibly difficult it is to get Mezcal in Canada, and how limited and over-priced the selection of Tequila is.
Alright, I'm digressing big-time, so let's move on.

The only place I've ever had this cocktail is Pourhouse in Vancouver, but more and more places are getting bottles of Mezcal, so I'm sure you could hit up L'Abattoir or Clough Club (where'd they get all those bottles from?!) and have this made as well. The guys at Pourhouse tell me they make this drink with a 3:1 Mezcal:everything else, but I've also seen a recipe online for 3:2:1 for Mezcal:lime and Aperol:Maraschino. That doesn't sound like it would balance as well, but supposedly that one came FROM Pourhouse, and it tasted pretty awesome to me. I'm going to post the recipe from Mr. Ward himself.

The Division Bell

1.5 oz Mezcal (Del Maguey San Luis Del Rio or Chichicapa preferred)
0.75 oz Aperol
0.75 oz lime juice
0.75 oz Maraska Maraschino (OR 0.5oz Luxardo Maraschino)

Shake all ingredients with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, garnish with grapefruit zest (be sure to get the oils on the drink and around the rim).

For the Maraschino, I've seen both Maraska and Luxardo listed. Yes, there is more than one type. Luxardo is the most common, and the only one I've seen in real life. Maraska, which is made in Zara in the original Maraschino factory, is reviewed as having a more pronounced cherry flavour with a hint of almond. It's much less dense overall and has a shorter finish, stopping it from overpowering other flavours so easily. Changing the type will change the cocktail, which can easily explain why other recipes for this cocktail have popped up. Try all the recipes and see what you like, but again, the one I've listed in bold above is the one actually from Mayahuel.  
 
Thanks to Mayahuel and Phil Ward for an awesome cocktail, and for being so passionate about Mexican food and drink.

If you're reading this and you're in New York, Mayahuel looks amazing from the menu to the decor to the spirit list, and I envy you getting to go there before the next time I'm in New York. So go do it.
Also check out some more fun recipes from their "Magic of Mezcal" event.


[[ see "Oden's Muse" from Tavern Law here ]]
[[ see "The Hemingway Solution" from Vessel here ]]
[[ see the Maraschino March introduction here ]]
[[ see "The Shibuya Crusta" from L'Abattoir here ]]
[[ see "The Unforgiven" from Russell Davis of Rickhouse here ]]
[[ see "Cherry Bob-omb" from Veneto here ]]
[[ see "Primer Beso" from The Refinery here ]]
[[ see "The Rubicon" from Jamie Boudreau at Canon here ]]

[[ photography by Adrian Salonga, Loungerati, and Justin Goodman ]] 

Maraschino March: "Oden's Muse" from Tavern Law

The next cocktail for our month of Maraschino hails from a widely respected bar from Seattle by the name of Tavern Law. It's a winner of many honours, including being named one of the Top 25 Bars In America from GQ Magazine, and is often mentioned, even in the New York Times, in the same sentence as such infamous names as Milk & Honey in New York and Bourbon & Branch in San Francisco. The chef pairing of Brian McCracken and Dana Tough are multiple award-winners as well, even being named in the Top 5 New Chefs by Gayot. Needless to say, it's a pretty amazing establishment. 

Being somewhat easy to miss from the outside in Prohibition speakeasy fashion, but also having a secret second bar upstairs behind a black metal door called "Needle & Thread," really sets the perfect mood for imbibing, and the cocktail menu has a generally more traditional focus to match. To even get upstairs to the Needle, you need to call from the on-site telephone (similar to PDT in New York), and if one of the 25 seats are available, or more importantly, if you sound like you deserve a great drink, the bartender will buzz you up. There's no menu up there, so the incredibly skilled staff will create libations based on your mood and spirit preference. 

I feel the mission statement on their website says more than I could about this place:

"In 1832 the Pioneer Inn and Tavern Law legalized drinking in public bars and saloons. The Golden Age of cocktails thrived for nearly a century until the 1919 Volstead Act almost destroyed the craft of the American bartender by outlawing the production and pleasure of alcoholic beverages. However, in hidden rooms and dark basements, thirsty patrons still sought spirits. And so the Speakeasy was born, booming until the repeal of Prohibition in 1933. Neatly another century after Prohibitions repeal, left with only the fond memories and old bar manuals, the art of mixing drinks is alive today thanks to the efforts of dedicated bartenders, historians and drinkers alike. It's because of their diligence and passion that the pleasures of artfully crafted cocktails, fine wine, and masterfully prepared food has kept the spirits of the night dancing on our tongues and in our hearts. Welcome to the celebration of our history."

Sounds like the kind of place I'd want to get a drink. You?

It's an honour to have a contribution this month from Tavern Law, courtesy of event coordinator / bartender, Monica Buntha. To continue a sub-theme here, she uses Aquavit (like "The Hemingway Solution" from Vessel), but this time going for a stirred drink, using the fantastic (and impossible to get in Canada) Dolin dry vermouth, along with Cynar amaro and Fee Brother's Whiskey Barrel-Aged Bitters. Cynar is an amaro (Italian bitter liqueur) made with artichokes, and is one of the more bitter of its ilk, opposed to Averna or Ramazzotti. You can very rarely find it in the government liquor stores, but Legacy will have it for just under $40. The bitters are the Fee Brothers Old-Fashioned Bitters (which have a heavy cinnamon flavour) that have literally been aged in whiskey barrels for a period of time to add a subtle layer of complexity, and to smooth the flavours out. These you can pick up at Gourmet Warehouse, but not all the time, as they're aged and therefore supply is somewhat limited. 

Thank you so much to Monica and Tavern Law for contributing, and I implore all of you to head there for a drink if you're in Seattle, and hope that you're lucky enough to make it up to Needle & Thread as well. 

Cheers!

Oden's Muse

1.5 oz Linie Aquavit
0.75 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth
0.5 oz Cynar
0.25 oz Maraschino Liqueur
1 dash of Fee Brother's Whiskey Barrel Bitters

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass, add ice and stir, strain into a coupe. 

[[ see "The Hemingway Solution" from Vessel here ]]
[[ see the Maraschino March introduction here ]]
[[ see "The Division Bell" from Mayahuel here ]]

[[ see "The Shibuya Crusta" from L'Abattoir here ]]
[[ see "The Unforgiven" from Russell Davis of Rickhouse here ]]
[[ see "Cherry Bob-omb" from Veneto here ]]
[[ see "Primer Beso" from The Refinery here ]]
[[ see "The Rubicon" from Jamie Boudreau at Canon here ]]

[[ photography courtesy of Seattle Weekly (sign), and Bob Peterson (roulette/bar) ]]

Fernet February: "The Dark And Fernet-y" From Rob Roy

So this is the final Fernet February cocktail recipe from a local bar. I will be doing a small piece on 1940's New York where we will discover the Toronto Cocktail to finish off the month, but this is the final recipe submission.
Tonight we head south again to Seattle to visit one of the more fun, interesting, and renowned bars in the city. As more and more bars start to attempt to jump on the (slowly growing) bandwagon of classic cocktails, it becomes harder in good food and drink cities to find reliable and skilled bars. That sounds strange to say, because so much of the last 20-30 years has been a treasure hunt for anyone who gives a crap at all about cocktails, let alone good-quality spirits. Up until recently it's seemed impossible to find somewhere to get a good drink, and now it's becoming even more confusing because there are bad bars misleading you by offering classic cocktails then making them poorly. San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Seattle, and yes, Vancouver, are all great destinations for food and drink, but it's always good to make sure you check the reviews, menus, and word-of-mouth to make sure you know where to go. Seattle has a great selection, from Canon and Zig Zag, to Tavern Law and Bathtub Gin & Co., to Hideout and Vessel, and of course, Rob Roy.
Tonight's bar was recently named one of the top 50 bars in the U.S. for 2011 by Food and Drink Magazine, and it's a pleasure to get a recipe from owner and bartender Anu Apte - even if it's the simplest of their selection. First of all let's take a look at Rob Roy's aesthetic, which is awesome. There is a 1970's vibe, with padded leather walls, stacks of books, washrooms dressed in graffiti, interesting art, and vintage tape recorders. Easily the coolest thing about Rob Roy is Tuesday "analog nights," during which all music is played either on vinyl or cassette and you are encouraged to bring your own selections in. If they approve, you even get a cocktail on the house. Awesome idea.
You can check out a short interview on the Small Screen Network on "Hanging With Harris" here, and see Anu talk a little about the place and make their namesake cocktail. (My favourite quote here is definitely "we do have a small selection of vodka, even though we're a cocktail bar - we still have the weekend crowd," after showing off the impressive amount of rye, bourbon, mezcal, and Cognac).
P.S. is it me, or does Harris sound just like Patton Oswalt? (one who interrupts way too much)...

Other Fernet originals at Rob Roy include the "Owl's Clover," using Cocchi Americano, Fernet Branca, lemon juice, honey, and lavender bitters, and the "Ginslinger," using Old Tom gin, Fernet Branca, cane sugar, and Regan's orange bitters. There's definitely some interesting modern mixology at play here, but you can also tell that there's a genuine appreciation for classic cocktails too. Their "classic cocktails" menu alone shows a vast knowledge, as none of the drinks are easily recognizable, such as the "Duke of Norfolk Punch," "The Ancient Mariner," "Delores," and "Warday's Cocktail." I know, I haven't heard of these either.

It being a super busy month for cocktailia, Anu couldn't get me a new original, but was kind enough to pass on a popular choice at Rob Roy - a simple and well-matched drink (we've seen this month that Fernet pairs well with ginger beer and almost any fruit juice). It's just a "Dark and Stormy" with Fernet in place of rum, and is a great way to enjoy the amaro.

Dark and Fernet-y

1.5oz Fernet Branca
4-5 Lime Wedges
Ginger beer
Muddle wedges in collins glass, add ice, Fernet, and ginger beer, and stir lightly.



If you're in Seattle, Rob Roy should definitely be on your list of top cocktail destinations, and I'm sure you'll be excited by both their creative originals and obscure classics on the menu. Thanks to Anu for contributing!

[[ see the "Gastown Swizzle" from L'Abattoir here ]]
[[ see the "Chinatown Sour" from The Keefer here ]]
[[ see "Pandemonium" from Veneto Tapa Lounge here ]]
[[ see "The Bittercup" from Pourhouse here ]]
[[ see "The Vested Bartender" from Boneta here ]]
[[ see "The Parliament" from The Diamond here ]]
[[ see "Parliament Hill" from The Hideout here ]]
[[ see "The Lucky Lady" from The Refinery here ]]
[[ see "The Denny Triangle" from Jamie Boudreau / Canon here ]]

Review: L'Abattoir (plus Fernet February cocktails!)

In the interest of keeping things interesting for the reader, and saving myself a little time and a little redundancy, tonight I'm going to combine the Fernet February cocktails with a review of the same establishment - L'Abattoir.

Gastown has a surprising number of great destinations for food and drink considering the size of the area. Once you're on Water Street, it seems like you can't walk 50 feet in any direction without bumping into a good-looking menu, and once you're greeted by Gassy Jack himself at Carrall Street the options are overwhelming. However, now that I've been to dinner a few times, I can easily say that L'Abattoir has some of the best food in Vancouver, and that should always be at the top of your list for an amazing meal if you're in the area.
Situated adjacent to Blood Alley, and aptly named (meaning "slaughterhouse"), the history of the building is palpable when you step inside. Blood Alley has numerous colourful histories (most of which have been disproved), including public hangings, murders, slaughterhouses, and hangings. The alley is so renowned for its creepy ambience and supposed hauntings that the crew from "Paranormal State" even spent the night there. 
The brick road has sunken gutters that were supposedly used for collecting blood from the slaughterhouse, but of course could have also just been built for rain. The colourful histories are much more exciting, so I like to pretend they haven't been completely disproved. The L'Abattoir building itself is the self-proclaimed site of Vancouver's first prison, and while refurbished with very cool modern touches, it has a dark, decrepid, and jail-like feel. White paint (intentionally) peels off brick walls, and a huge lattice-work of antlers hangs overhead in the downstairs dining area as you sit in wood-design chairs over tile flooring. The whole place is a strange juxtaposition of new decor with warm wood and soft light, and old, harsh brick and tile.
As mentioned, the food is fantastic, and the menu changes often so each time you go you'll have new options. I wouldn't suggest coming if you're vegatarian, however, as every menu option uses meat - but what do you expect going to a restaurant in Blood Alley named "Slaughterhouse." My dinner there this evening alone is making my mouth water all over again - fillet of Pacific cod wrapped in bacon and pork sausage covered in a lobster sauce froth and served with a fricassee of white beans (see photo to the right). Mmmmm...
They have rarities as well, such as sweetbread and escargots.


Now the bar, while very small, is worth the seat you'll wait for. The angled shelves completely covered in interesting glassware, bitters, liqueurs, and a huge selection of whiskey/whisky are almost disorienting (in a good way). The menu, designed by head barman Shaun Layton, has a very classy selection of classic cocktails, including some rarer selections such as The Fourth Regiment and the Hanky Panky (Shaun even sent me an article he wrote on the latter, which I hope to utilize soon), and continues on to some very well-crafted and diverse originals. I've tried almost every original currently on the menu now, and there is definitely something here for everyone. While ones like the Commercial Drive (Cinzano Orancio, Ramazzotti, grapefruit liqueur, lemon, sparkling wine) and the Gastown Swizzle (Plymouth gin, Aperol, passionfruit, lime, Fernet float) lack balls, as I like to say, they are still interesting and balanced. Others, such as the Slaughterhouse (Cognac, Elixer Vegital, sugar, aromatic bitters, orange oil, Chartreuse mist) are well-crafted, deep and complex, and very enjoyable. Other notables include the Meat Hook - a variation on the Red Hook - made with Sazerac Rye, maraschino, Punt e Mes, and Ardbeg 10-year, the last of which adds a very smokey complexion, and my favourite on the menu, the Butchertown Cocktail, which contains bourbon, Banks rum, Beckerovka, Cynar amaro, french vermouth, and tobacco bitters.
The bar has a very different approach than others like The Keefer or The Refinery in that there aren't any outlandish ingredients scattered throughout and there seemingly aren't any house bitters or syrups or tinctures. Like Pourhouse, the focus is very much on classic cocktails, and simplicity in ingredients but diversity in flavour. While I very much enjoy visiting the aforementioned bars and even dabble at home in making my own ingredients (I'm even stock-piling ingredients to make my own bitters right now), this philosophy is much closer to my heart and I appreciate it. For example, I asked Shaun if they make their own Boker's bitters or if he tracked some down somewhere, and his response was "I let the experts who have access to all the right equipment, time, and ingredients make bitters - I'll gladly use them in my cocktails." Again, as much fun as crazy infusions and creative ingredients are in mixology right now, there's all of a sudden something refreshing about that attitude.

On to the Fernet drinks.

First is on the menu. It's very light and fruity, but gets more complex as you stir the Fernet into the drink and more flavours start to play off each other. It's another great example of how well Fernet can pair with fruit.

Gastown Swizzle

45ml Plymouth gin
15ml Aperol
25ml fresh lime
dash simple syrup
10ml passionfruit puree
Fernet float
Build in a collins glass over crushed ice, insert swizzle straw, garnish with lime zest, float Fernet over top of ice.

The second drink I haven't even had a chance to try yet, but don't worry - I'll be back soon for a verdict ;)
At a glance it seems a little insane, mostly because of the banana syrup, but Rittenhouse is one of my favourite ryes and any drink with Boker's bitters is rare.

Improved king Kong

40ml Rittenhouse 100-proof rye
25ml Noilly Prat dry vermouth
10ml Giffard Banana
12ml Fernet Branca
2 dashes Bokers bitters
Stir over ice, strain into a cocktail glass, garnish with a lemon twist

So, like Diamond and Boneta, these recipes use mL rather than oz. I won't put a translation this time, but just remember that 1oz = about 30 mL (29.6 to be exact). These recipes in particular are so precise, I suggest you just make your way to Gastown and try them out. In fact, make a night of it and have a nice dinner too - you won't regret it. It's expensive compared to the average, yes, but you usually get what you pay for, and L'Abattoir in particular it's worth every penny and more.

Thank you to Shaun for his contribution to this series and thanks to everyone at L'Abattoir for running an excellent bar and restaurant in this beautiful city of ours.

[[ see the Fernet February introduction here ]]
[[ see the "Chinatown Sour" from The Keefer here ]]
[[ see "Pandemonium" from Veneto Tapa Lounge here ]]
[[ see "The Bittercup" from Pourhouse here ]]
[[ see "The Vested Bartender" from Boneta here ]]
[[ see "The Parliament" from The Diamond here ]]
[[ see "Parliament Hill" from The Hideout here ]]
[[ see "The Lucky Lady" from The Refinery here ]]
[[ see "The Denny Triangle" from Jamie Boudreau / Canon here ]]
[[ see the "Dark and Fernet-y" from Rob Roy here ]]

Review: The Refinery

Upon arriving home from our Dine Out Vancouver visit to The Refinery on Granville, I felt I had to write a review. The Refinery is definitely one of the important names in the Vancouver cocktail scene, they've given my lady and I some great nights out, and deserve the praise.

The Refinery is an interesting place for several reasons, one of which being its location. The downtown Granville area is not exactly a great place to go for food or drink (unless you love hair-gel, buttoning-down your brightly-coloured satin shirt, pounding back Jager-bombs, and calling people "bro"), and in the middle of it all is a fantastic cocktail bar. It's hidden away upstairs - very easy to walk-by if you're not paying attention - in between the typical cheap, greasy pizza that litters downtown, boring pub food, and entertainment district dance clubs. "Redefining Granville" seems to be their tagline, and I hope they prove to be an influence. The place just looks cool (see their website), and you get the immediate feeling upon walking in that you're in for some interesting and tasty treats.

Another interesting thing about The Refinery is the fact that they makes tons of syrups and bitters in-house. Nowadays, this isn't as unique as it would have been even 5 years ago, as there are a lot of bars doing this, but the difference for me is that The Refinery really makes it work. I've been to a bar or two (with-holding names pending further judgement) that infuse, distill, etc, house-bitters, house-syrups, and even house-vermouth, but make cocktails that taste kind of boring. Too many flavours and you end up with essentially nothing, or just a Tiki-cocktail gone wrong. Too many buzz-words in a drink can turn me off. At The Refinery, however, they're using some really interesting ingredients to make ultimately very simple drinks, which is something I really appreciate. A great example is the "Miss-is-sippin'," containing Jim Beam bourbon, black currant tea syrup, lime juice, egg white, apple bitters, and topped with cracked pepper. At a glance, that looks outlandish, but it's just a Whiskey Sour with some fun embellishments, and that's exactly how it tastes. None of the creative ingredients over-power anything, and it basically tastes like a Whiskey Sour, but with touches of fruit and the a switch of lemon to lime.

Other cocktails follow a similar pattern of embellishing the classics (even including a variation on the Last Word using house-made "Chartreuse pop"), and everything we tried worked well. Some were as simple as a rum old-fashioned, but using mocha tea syrup, apricot bitters, and lime oil (rather than the usual simple syrup, Angostura, and orange oil). The only downside for us was that some of the cocktails lacked balls, as we tend to enjoy bold flavours and spirit-forward drinks, but all of them tasted great and I didn't feel like any ingredients got lost. Another very fun aspect of the cocktail menu is the "Impromtu Punch," for which you specify your choice of spirit, and the bartender will make a punch-style drink for you on the spot.

In the end, between us (and our company of two) we tried 8 cocktails, voted on them as a group to see who came out the winner, and it turned out to be the "Quarter French" with Collingwood Rye, Yellow Chartreuse, house bitters, absinthe, and chai tea syrup. It had more balls than all others we tried, by far the most interesting flavours, and remained balanced. There is also a short list of dessert-style cocktails, from thick, sweet, cream and tea drinks, to a very simple bourbon old-fashioned with coffee bitters. Both the bartenders I've had there (general manager Graham Racich, who created "The Lucky Lady" for Fernet February, which you can see here, and house 'mixologist' Joel Virginillo) are creative, quick, and skilled. While the menu is good, I suggest asking for something new and different, as they will make something up you won't expect and it will taste great.

The food, courtesy of the skilled and versatile Kirk Morrison, was delicious and diverse as well, and the servings were perfectly sized. Each dish on the Dine-Out menu had both a suggested cocktail and wine pairing - including a perfect choice of a Cynar Negroni with the spaghetti main. The Beef Carpaccio and Cinnamon Cheesecake definitely stood out for me out of everything we tried.

Possibly the thing I love most about The Refinery is something that may not happen again - Cocktail Kitchen. This is essentially a competition between guest bartenders, as voted and rated by you, the guest. Each month has a cuisine theme and a spirit or cocktail theme to pair. So, for example, the one I had the pleasure of trying was Flor de Cana rum vs. Tiki, and others included Chuck-Wagon Stampede vs. Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Morocco vs. Cointreau, Italy vs. Ramazzotti, etc. You get 3 (very affordable) courses of food in the chosen style, then three paired cocktails as designed and made by that week's guest bartender. After each course, you vote on the cocktails, how they paired with the food, presentation, taste, etc, and at the end of the "season" the top voted bartenders face off in a final showdown. It was a truly exciting and very fun event, and I will be very sad if it doesn't come back!

The Refinery often has special events happening, so be sure to keep an eye on their website. Currently, Wednesday nights are "Mad Hatter Tea Party" nights, where you get your choice of Beefeater 24 tea cocktails (actually served in a teapot), and 4 different bruschettes for only $30 for 2 people. That leads me to my final point: price. The Refinery is very affordable, particularly for what you get. In fact, it's possibly the best quality per dollar I've found in the city. Drinks are a little cheaper than most cocktail bars (meaning not pubs, clubs, and typical restaurants), and food is very reasonable. I find I spend $20-30 less than at other places my lady and I like to go for the same number of drinks and dishes that we usually get on a full night out, but I'm always happy with everything. It is a much more casual experience than going to, say, The West or Boneta, but that's part of its charm. 

So, if you're ever looking for a place with great drinks and food that's casual and affordable, looking for a new place to see some creative mixology, or you're stuck on Granville and need some solace, definitely try The Refinery. Also don't forget to check their website for events, and especially Cocktail Kitchen in case it comes back - it's one of the most fun events I've been to food and drink-wise in Vancouver.

Thanks to Graham Racich, Kirk Morrison, Joel Virginillo, Lauren Mote (the original mastermind), and The Refinery team for a fabulous night out for Dine Out and for running a fabulous destination in Vancouver!

[[ see "The Lucky Lady" from The Refinery for Fernet February here ]]

Fernet February: "The Chinatown Sour" from The Keefer

We've seen Fernet with a range of spirits, juice, fruit, fortified wines, bitters, amari, and liqueurs, in a wide array of styles. We've even seen Fernet coming in at over an ounce but not being totally overpowering. What we haven't seen yet are some crazy infusions, and that's where The Keefer comes in.

The Keefer is a fairly new establishment (as a lot of our great bars in Vancouver seem to be) located in Chinatown in the midst of the night markets. The decor is amazing, with a long, dark, black and red space sprinkled with backlit pictures of anatomy between jars of bitters and infusions containing ingredients that look like failed Area 51 experiments preserved in fermaldehyde. (Check out these great photos)
Like The Refinery, they make a range of house-bitters, syrups, and infusions, but what makes The Keefer unique is what ingredients they use. There are syrups infused with traditional Chinese medicinal herbs and roots like Yunzhi and astragalus, tea and ginger make numerous appearances, and fruit flavours like pear, apricot, and muroise show up as well. There's even a section at the end of the menu to add herbal health shots to your cocktails like you would at a juice bar.
I must admit that this creative and outlandish use of ingredients turned me off my first visit, but my second visit showed me that not only are the people running the bar skilled, but most of the drinks are variations on classics with creative embellishments, which is how mixology and bartending evolved in the first place, so what am I worried about? If it tastes good, that's what matters, right?

I strategically showed up early in the evening and was lucky to have not only Danielle Tatarin, the bar manager, but also the assistant bar manager, Keenan Hood make me the Chinatown Sour listed below, a new and impromptu Fernet cocktail using ginger and cassis, and a more traditional style original libation using tequila called the Diablo Blanco. I even got to see how they serve their group shots, which is using an old hospital IV drip. I'll get more into The Keefer soon when I post my review. In the meantime, check out these originals:

The Chinatown Sour is a variation on the Trinidad Sour (which uses a whole ounce of Angostura bitters with orgeat syrup to balance) but uses Fernet as the bitters and infuses the orgeat with astragalus root, which has a very earthy, nutty flavour that gives the drink a fuller taste. The Storm Chaser is a spicy, bitter-sweet storm of flavours, which I must repeat was an improvised cocktail by Danielle for my Fernet adventure. I was shocked to hear how much Fernet was actually in there; the lime really cuts through, the ginger spice takes a lot of focus away from the Fernet, and the cassis really calms things down. It's not my usual style, but I was impressed and it was very interesting and refreshing.

Check out The Keefer if you feel like something very different, or just check them out in general. They even have burlesque on thursday nights. I should really finish that review. Or maybe I should just drop by for another drink...


Chinatown Sour
By Keenan Hood

1 oz Overproof Whiskey
3/4 oz Fernet Branca
3/4 oz Astragalus & Orgeat Syrup
1 oz Lemon Juice
Shake all ingredients for 10 seconds then fine strain into a cocktail glass.

Storm Chaser
By Danielle Tatarin

1 1/2 oz Fernet Branca

1 oz Lime Juice

3/4 oz Ginger Syrup

Top Soda

1/2 oz Cassis

Build first three ingredients on ice in Collins glass. Top with soda & crushed ice.

Drizzle Cassis over crushed ice to finish.

Garnish with grated lime zest.

Photo from www.thekeeferbar.com

[[ see the Fernet February introduction here ]]
[[ see the "Gastown Swizzle" from L'Abattoir here ]]
[[ see the "Dark and Fernet-y" from Rob Roy here ]]
[[ see "Pandemonium" from Veneto Tapa Lounge here ]]
[[ see "The Bittercup" from Pourhouse here ]]
[[ see "The Vested Bartender" from Boneta here ]]
[[ see "The Parliament" from The Diamond here ]]
[[ see "Parliament Hill" from The Hideout here ]]
[[ see "The Lucky Lady" from The Refinery here ]]
[[ see "The Denny Triangle" from Jamie Boudreau / Canon here ]]

Fernet February: "The Parliament" from The Diamond

Tonight's recipe is a change of pace from what we've seen so far, and a big change of pace for me because of the base: Cachaça. I've never owned a bottle, and I've had very few drinks with it at all. While similar to rum (it's distilled from sugarcane juice, whereas rum is distilled from molasses which is a by-product of extracting sugar from sugarcane), it has a much more raw flavour, and I would describe it as more harsh. It's actually the third most consumed spirit in the world, but a big reason for that is the fact that it's almost all that Brazil drinks (with its national drink being the Caipirinha), and Brazil happens to have a huge population. In fact, only about 1% of Cachaça made in Brazil is exported out of Brazil.

What's not different about tonight's recipe is that it comes from another bar in Vancouver's Gastown. This area does happen to have most of the best food and drink in the city, so that's not really surprising. Hidden, like so many amazing places are here, The Diamond is on the most famous corner in Gastown, across the street from the statue of Gassy Jack. Now, if you're not very observant, you might have trouble finding it because it's above you. The entrance to The Diamond is just a single doorway leading upstairs to what feels like a secret hideout only you and anyone else who has the password knows about. While this speakeasy sort of feel is exciting as you head up there, enjoy a cocktail and look down on the lights and brick streets of Gastown, it does unfortunately also seem to extend to the service, which has been less friendly than I'd like the times I've been there.
However, the drinks are delicious, the menu is smart and full of great choices (including an "Overlooked" section with such gems as The Chrysanthemum), they're open late, and they even offer weekly bartending classes.

My last visit there was exciting for a few reasons - first, it was really late and everything else was closed which lent itself nicely to the ambience, second, I got to try the The Parliament cocktail featured below, and lastly I also got to try a different, off-the-menu Fernet cocktail created by my bartender for the evening, Patrick. He was kind enough to not only make the cocktail for me very near closing time, but also write me out a recipe, which I will also include below.
The Parliament, created by Diamond co-owner, Josh Pape, is harsh on my tongue - again because I don't have a real taste for Cachaça - is complexified by the Fernet, softened by the honey, and tied together with the lime. It is definitely a well-crafted drink. The "Irish Cabana Boy," as Patrick called it, is kind of a variation on The Trinidad Sour, which features a whole ounce of Angostura bitters balanced by orgeat syrup and lemon. It comes off tasting similar, but much less complicated simply because the two amari, while dense themselves, just don't cut through the way Angostura does (as to be expected). It was delicious and exciting, and the first Fernet drink I had tried of this kind (though I moved on to taste a similar idea at The Keefer the following night, but more on that later). It's an excellent post-dinner cocktail. Both the selections tonight are worth a trip to Gastown, but so is most of The Diamond's menu.
If you feel like a late-night, secretive sort of evening of impressive cocktails while looking down on beautiful Gastown, hit up The Diamond - just make sure you don't miss the entrance or forget the password ;)


(the mL measurements are the indended measurements for these drinks, and the oz listed are approximations for home experimentation. Head to Diamond to ensure these are made properly!)

The Parliament

45mL blanco Cachaça                      (1.5oz)
15mL Fernet Branca                        (0.5oz)
25mL fresh lime juice                       (a little more than 0.75oz)
20mL runny honey                           (2/3oz)

Shake hard and fine strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Spray with grapefruit oil. Enjoy.


The Irish Cabana Boy

30mL Fernet Branca                       (1oz)
25mL Amaro Montenegro              (a little more than 0.75oz)
20mL lemon juice                            (2/3oz)
15mL orgeat syrup                          (0.5oz)
2 dashes absinthe

Shake and fine strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

[[ see the Fernet February introduction here ]]
[[ see the "Gastown Swizzle" from L'Abattoir here ]]
[[ see the "Dark and Fernet-y" from Rob Roy here ]]
[[ see the "Chinatown Sour" from The Keefer here ]]
[[ see "Pandemonium" from Veneto Tapa Lounge here ]]
[[ see "The Bittercup" from Pourhouse here ]]
[[ see "The Vested Bartender" from Boneta here ]]
[[ see "Parliament Hill" from The Hideout here ]]
[[ see "The Lucky Lady" from The Refinery here ]]
[[ see "The Denny Triangle" from Jamie Boudreau / Canon here ]]

Photography from Scout Magazine

Review: Boneta Restaurant

So I can easily say that Boneta is one of my favourite restaurants and bars in Vancouver. Recently changing locations from the edge of Gastown to the heart of Gastown (as most good food and drink in Vancouver seems to be), the ambience is great. Walking on the Gastown brick into alleys and hidden doorways leading to fantastic cuisine and treasure troves of fantastic bartenders is part of what I feel is the Vancouver cocktail experience (see also L'Abbatoir, Pourhouse, and The Diamond). While the bar is small, it's well-worth the wait on a busy night for some of the best service and best cocktails I've had in my adventures. The lighting is perfect for imbibing some classics, the windows show you the old Vancouver brick, and like all my favourites, I feel classy here. I really think that's one of the keys to a great bar, along with excellent service, and of course cocktail quality (see again Pourhouse, and also The West).

Boneta was discovered in its original location ("discovered" for me, that is) by my brother while he was visiting from San Francisco. After taking him to Pourhouse he decided to grab some food and another drink (sadly, after I had left) and stopped at Boneta after eyeing the menu. He left raving about the food, the drink, and the service, so of course I had to come see it for myself. The first time I visited, I was impressed by the food, but even moreso by both the interesting cocktail menu and the great bartending service. I had the pleasure of meeting Jess Nichol, who made me not only some great Boneta originals, but also pulled out a hidden bottle of American rye for a finely made Sazerac. Jess passed away last summer, and Vancouver and its cocktail culture will miss him and his skill. I am very lucky to have had the pleasure of being served by him.

Each time I've visited Boneta since I've been even further impressed by the food, the drink, and moreso the service (particularly by Mathieu Faure, who has served us in some capacity each time we've visited). Aside from one bad experience with one bartender in particular, I feel the service has been above and beyond (including both my lady and I receiving sparkling wine on the house, delivered by Mathieu himself upon noticing us at the door, because of the wait we had to endure for a seat at the bar on a busy night).
The menu always has interesting modern cocktails both from Boneta itself, and from the best bars in the world, like Milk & Honey, Death & Co., Rickhouse, French 75, etc. All the drinks tend to be simple and classic in mindset, which is usually what catches more of my interest. This is not as much of a place to find crazy house-bitters or infused spirits, though they do have some interesting tea and fruit syrups in their originals. As creative as those practices are, I always find myself drawn to more classic tastes.
I have to thank Boneta in particular for serving me the only true Brooklyn cocktail I've ever had (because of the impossibility of finding Picon Amer anywhere near where I live). Mr. Faure had his father send some over from France, and I'm sure there are a lot of thankful people in Vancouver.

Some current libations that stand out for me are the Vested Bartender, featuring Beefeater gin, Cynar amaro, Maraschino liqueur, and Fernet Branca, and the Gastown Proud - a variation on a Perfect Manhattan - featuring Buffalo Trace bourbon, Martini Bianco, Punt e Mes, Maraschino liqueur, and Peychaud's bitters. Overall, what I've enjoyed the most here are the 'bartenders choice' cocktails, which have never disappointed and shown us some amazing drinks for the first time, like the aforementioned Brooklyn, and also the Trinidad Sour - which is still a completely insane cocktail you must try if you have the balls.
Speaking of balls, actually, I should mention that one visit, after a very long, cold, and wet walk around the city for a history of crime in Vancouver tour, my lady and I stopped in for a drink at Boneta. My lady asked for "something with balls," which prompted Mathieu to make her a Brooklyn with Buffalo Trace, and I'm not sure anything else would have suited the mood more perfectly. That is one of the most exciting things about going to a great bar - trusting the bartender's judgement based on your mood. Boneta is definitely a place you can trust in that respect.

If you ever find yourself in Gastown - and you better, because that's where most of our great food and drink is - I definitely recommend Boneta Restaurant, particularly if you feel like having a few drinks. Thank you to Mathieu and the late Jess for their great service and cocktails!

[[ Check out "The Vested Bartender" cocktail here ]]

Review: Veneto Tapa Lounge

So, I always used to say that Victoria is boring. Could just be my Vancouver genes or something, I'm not really sure, because I had only been there maybe twice in my life. I love cities, and Victoria just doesn't feel like a city to me - it's too small... but maybe that's just a weird thing I have. I need tall buildings, big downtowns, noise, people, lots of places to go and things to do. My lady and I did find a few really fun things to do, like the miniature museum, a ghost walk, and some vintage shopping, but ultimately there is one major reason why I'd like to visit Victoria again soon - Veneto.

I was at the Art of the Cocktail festival last October, where I learned some really interesting stuff in a couple seminars, and tried a long list of cocktails made and/or presented by both spirit/liqueur companies and local restaurants (it was a seriously cool and affordable event, and totally worth the trip even just for the main tasting party - I highly recommend it next year). We were so impressed by one cocktail in particular from a fun-looking place called Veneto that we decided that's where we should have dinner the following evening. (The drink was the Rialto Cocktail by Solomon Siegel, featuring delicious and unique Victoria Gin, lemon juice, Silk Road Lapsang Souchong tea, chocolate bitters, and a "hint of lychee." At first I was apprehensive due to the addition of tea - which I find to be risky business in cocktails - but the very smokey taste worked very nicely with everything else).

Due to the upcoming (and super fun) ghost walk we had to get to later on, we arrived early at Veneto, which I feel almost always leads to a better experience at a good bar. There's not much of any waiting, and you get to really chat with the bartenders and they get the chance to focus on your drinks a little more. Veneto's menu is great, with a lot of options that all looked delicious. Probably the coolest thing about both the cocktail and food menus are the trios.
Veneto offers dishes with three separate food items using one common ingredient (veggies, duck, lamb, crab, beef, etc). The portions are smaller than food courses, but large enough to be suitable for dinner. Even cooler are the cocktail trios. They offered the option of ordering a trio of small cocktails showing the evolution of a classic drink, such as the Martini or the Brandy Cocktail, with its original recipe, later alterations, and then the way it's typically served now. I think that's an awesome and educational idea, and regret not ordering at least one, but we were just too busy with their original cocktails.

We were served by "one of B.C.'s leading mixologists" (according to the Art of the Cocktail festival, in which she was listed as one of the important guests), Katie MacDonald, who was not only great company, but also made some fantastic drinks, including some of her own very creative and delicious originals on their menu. The one that stuck out for me was the "Harmony Cocktail" - a variation on the Negroni - using G'Vine floraison gin, Vya sweet vermouth, and Amaro Montenegro. It was very exciting because I had never before tried Vya or Montenegro, and it was only that morning at a seminar that I had tasted G'Vine gin for the first time. The three pair perfectly together and really are a creative play on the classic Negroni.
My lady tried the "Serenity" by Simon Ogden, with Cognac, Philosopher's Brew, elderflower, mint, and a splash of Blue Mountain brut, which was light but complex and balanced. I asked Katie to make me something of hers, or something she felt would show her own touches and skill, and she explained that every bartender at Veneto prides him or herself on how they make an Old-Fashioned (which was probably the best response I've ever heard to that request), and she made me what I would say was a perfect bourbon Old-Fashioned with a hand-cut sphere of ice (the way it should be). Very impressive.

All in all, I highly recommend Veneto for both food and drink (especially drink) if you ever find yourself in Victoria. If you're lucky like me you'll be served by the very professional, charming, and excellently skilled Katie, who made our trip to Victoria that much more enjoyable.
Thanks, Veneto! Be back soon enough...

[[ Check out Veneto's "Pandemonium" cocktail here ]]

Review: The Hideout

My lady and I made a trip to Seattle in November for the horror exhibit at the EMP (which was amazing), some vintage clothes shopping, some good food and theater, cheap booze (notably Martin Miller's gin, American rye, Carpano Antica, and a beautiful liqueur de violettes), and of course, some cocktails. I knew I had to visit the Zig Zag Cafe because of Murray Stenson's legacy there and the award-winning cocktail menu, but our other night was a wildcard. So, I used Yelp to find the best reviewed bars anywhere near our location in Seattle, as well as Jamie Boudreau's list of Seattle watering holes, and came up with a short list. We checked out websites, cocktail menus where applicable, and of course, pictures. We ultimately decided on The Hideout based mostly on the look and the general description on their website.

Walking into the Hideout we were immediately excited to see a bar with a very different look than what you usually see. The ceilings were sky-high, the lighting was dark, the mood very casual, and the walls were completely covered in local artwork. According to their site, there are over 70 paintings on the walls, staying for weeks to years, and most of the pieces are for sale.
This art continued in some really interesting ways: there is a vending machine near the washroom that sells only small, quirky art pieces, and there is a book on the bar filled with impromptu drawings and writings done by patrons. (I say vending machine, but it's actually a self-proclaimed robot - the Robotic Art Dispenser named Earl 3.0).
While all of this could impart an heir of pretension and hipster-ism, we didn't get that feeling once we sat down for our drinks. The bartenders were very friendly and skilled, and flipping through the art journal we got a good couple hours of entertainment before reaching our unfortunate alcoholic limit.

While the food menu is very limited, the cocktail menu is excellent. The selection of spirits is large and diverse, and the cocktails are modern but not over-complicated with some really interesting ideas. It includes a new classic, the Trident, and an obscure classic from the Savoy Cocktail Book, the Champs Elysees. On top of this they have the following selections that I feel really show how great this bar is:

The Andy Warhol
A Cosmopolitan and a polaroid picture of yourself
(and there was a collection of these pictures for viewing at the bar)

The Hemmingway
A shot of Hornitos, bottle of Carta Blanca, and a Nat Sherman cigarette

Every drink on the menu looked great, and the last drink we tried seemed like a combination you'd only come up with by being really creative, or really crazy (probably both): The Profanity Hill with Blackstrap rum, Fernet Branca, blackberry preserves, and Gosling's ginger beer. This is one of a very small handful of Fernet cocktails that I don't feel are overpowered by the extremely potent Fernet flavours.
We had the pleasure of being served by the lovely and talented bar manager, Kristen, who actually came up with the Profanity Hill cocktail, as well as one I'm going to share below, the Swan. She was very friendly, made some excellent drinks, and was happy to give me the below recipe, which has become a regular addition to my home menu.

All in all, we didn't really have anything negative to say about our experience at the Hideout, other than our disappointment we couldn't drink more (after drinking too much the night before). Great menu, great bartenders, unique decor, and interesting art in all directions. I highly recommend you stop by if you find yourself in Seattle - but for drinks, not for food, as that's just not their thing.
(Their website doesn't seem to have their cocktail menu for you to peruse yourself, but I'm hoping they'll change that soon! If I was deciding on where to go for drinks, their menu would definitely keep them at the top of my list)

The Swan Cocktail
(not to be confused with another couple cocktails online with the same name that feature either very different proportions with Abbott's bitters, or *shudder* stawberry vodka, stawberry liqueur, and creme liqueur. Did I say *shudder* already?)
1&1/2 oz gin
1&1/2 oz dry vermouth
3/4 oz fresh lime juice
3/4 oz simple syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
2 dashes absinthe
Combine all ingredients, add ice and shake, strain into a cocktail glass. 

This is a very well balanced cocktail that very interestingly uses a whole 1 and 1/2 oz of dry vermouth - but don't let that scare you if you don't like vermouth. It doesn't taste vermouth heavy at all, but the herbal notes are still present and play well with the gin and absinthe. This is definitely one you must make for anyone who says "I hate vermouth!"
For gin, Kristen used Gordon's. This confused me because Gordon's in my opinion is really not a good gin at all, but perhaps this is a Seattle thing as the bartenders at Zig Zag were using it as well, even on more delicate cocktails. I suggest using something with more interesting herbal character, like Tanqueray, or Hendrick's or Martin Miller's if you have them.

Enjoy! Thanks to Kristen for her skill and hospitality, and thanks to the Hideout for being a great bar.

[[ Check out "Profanity Hill" cocktail here ]]