B.C. Spirits Shine
By Nikki Bayley | Images by Joern Rohde
Flag of British Columbia
Official floral emblem of British Columbia (BC), Canada - the Pacific dogwood
BEARFOOT BISTRO
604-932-3433 | bearfootbistro.com
Bartender Stacey Lynn Parker
Basil Blush
Not to be mistaken for the mischievous British TV fox puppet, Basil Brush — Boom, BOOM! — the Basil Blush is foamy, fresh, and fruity with a sophisticated herbaceous note. “The inspiration for this drink was Whistler summers; those hot, dry days when all you want is something light and refreshing, and not too sweet,” says Bartender Stacey Lynn Parker. “I built it around local ingredients that feel summery and seasonal: vibrant, fresh watermelon, and basil from Brew Creek Farm, honey from Lillooet, and Montis [Distilling] Alpine Gin, made just down the road in [Function Junction] Whistler.”
Bright pink with a creamy top, garnished with fresh basil, it’s a clean balance of juicy fruit, garden herbs, and bright botanicals, and it really hits the spot! Earlier that day, Parker had stopped by the Montis Distilling location for a visit. “I was surprised by how small it is there; they really get a lot done. You can do a tasting tour; it’s so neat to see the still in action.”
Focussing more on B.C. ingredients and products, Parker says, “I’m excited to open my horizons a little more to what we have in our province. I’ve been trying new things. It’s been great having our food [locally produced] from our soil.” Cheers to that!
QUATTRO
604-905-4844 | quattrorestaurants.com
Pare Restaurant Group
Beverage Manager Jamie Cornwell
Negroni Delicato
For a Negroni that tears up the rule book, head to Bar Oso for their Smoke & Mirrors, which uses not three, but seven different ingredients and switches up the traditional gin for a blend of agave spirits. “It still respects all the bitter and sweet criteria,” insists Bar Supervisor Eddy Lim. “It’s not just about the trio of ingredients; it’s the flavour profile, the sensation on your palate when you drink the drink, and for me, this absolutely does that.”
Keeping with a Latin American vibe, the cocktail blends equal parts of tequila and mezcal infused with cacao nibs and shishito peppers. A little sweet, a little spicy, this plays off the blend of Campari, Aperol, and, of course, Spanish vermouth. “We did a lot of R&D to find the right balance between sweetness, bitterness and the smokiness of the mezcal,” Lim says.
Green on the nose from the blistered pepper resting on the brand-stamped ice cube, this drink dances between bitterness, booziness, a tiny hit of sweetness and a kiss of heat on the finish. “I love Negronis for all the twists that you can do with them,” Lim says with a smile. “Switch vermouth for sherry, change the spirit, making twists to give this cocktail complexity and unlimited possibilities!”
CARAMBA
604-938-1879 | carambarestaurant.com
Bartender Merinah Buller
Bear Country
The ancient Greeks would burn thyme as a symbol of courage and devotion, and in the Middle Ages, a sprig was often used in ceremony to ensure safe passage to the afterlife. So, it’s fitting that this beautiful jewel-pink concoction that arrives with wafting plumes of aromatic torched thyme was created as a tribute to Bartender Merinah Buller’s late father, who loved his Bearface Canadian Whisky. “Bear Country is a twist on a whisky sour using the Bearface Whisky and Odd Society Spirits’ Crème de Cassis,” says Buller. “It’s a smokier, more herbaceous take and an ode to my dad. Berries and maple syrup bring that Canadian sweetness.”
Dangerously drinkable, this beautiful cocktail is creamy, smooth and sweet, flipping the script on whisky as a traditionally fall or winter drink, turning it into something light, foamy, summery, and approachable. “Summer is my favourite season in Whistler,” Buller says. “It’s the reason I live here; if I had to pick teams between snowboarding and paddleboarding, the paddleboard wins! It brings in such a different influx of visitors from around the world, [who] maybe aren’t just here to ski; they’re here to mountain bike, hike — you get a much more diverse group than [in] wintertime.”
MEKONG
604-902-1694 | 88mekong.ca
Bar Manager Michael Sherriff-Scott
The B.C. Box
In Creekside Village, at local favourite Thai restaurant Mekong, there’s something special waiting for you in its own forested box adorned with microgreens and herbs from nearby Brew Creek Farm. Prepare to be amazed by the stunning presentation of the B.C. Box, an ultra-locavore milk-punch-style cocktail, and a particularly B.C. take on the classic Bees Knees from Michael Sherriff-Scott.“ I wanted the Sea to Sky in a glass, sitting in the old-growth forest.” Objective achieved!
“I love Japanese spirits and bourbons, but since the start of the year, we’ve been talking to so many B.C. craft distilleries to explore what’s here in our own backyard,” says Sherriff-Scott. “We’re a Thai restaurant, but we’re here in Whistler and we want to represent that too.” The B.C. Box is crafted using local dairy to add a smoother, more layered complexity, along with rhubarb and blueberries from nearby Pemberton, local honey, and Empress 1908 Cocktail Gin from Vancouver Island. The salty, briny pop of sea foam (a saltwater-and-oyster-brine foam) provides a counterpoint to the softness of the mouthfeel and the silky fruity foam atop the drink. Not too sweet, not too spirit forward, truly a treat to be treasured — after you’ve captured its beauty for your socials!