I joined Global BC to talk about Science of Cocktails 2020, the powers that be thought it to be a great idea to do the segment alongside a robotic bartender that, of course, failed to work once the camera started rolling…
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You’ve found yourself in front of a wall of hooch and you’ve got no idea which way is up or down. You’re wondering what the difference between the $200 bottle and the $40 bottle is and can’t make heads or tails of any of the words written on any of them. We’ve all been there, but for me knowing every word on those bottles? That became a challenge, as did how they were made, and the histories behind each one.
Read MoreSummer is the season for refreshing gin cocktails, so it was only natural to think juniper for this issue’s tasting panel. Juniper, of course, is the signature flavour that defines gin, which is typically a grain spirit (though there are some fruit-based ones) that has been infused with botanicals that can include citrus peel, flowers, herbs, spices, stems, roots, seeds and fruits.
Think gin and you tend to think London Dry, the crisp, juniper-forward style developed in London in the 1830s. But there are a wide range of styles from all over the world. To sample a selection of them, we gathered at Tableau Bar Bistro with some of the city’s top barkeeps: Alex Black, bar manager of Wildebeest; Sabrine Dhaliwal, cocktail consultant and Pourhouse bartender; Adam Domet, bar manager of Pourhouse; J-S Dupuis, beverage director of Wentworth Hospitality; Robyn Gray of the Rosewood Hotel Georgia; and Ryan Johnson, bar manager of Tuc Craft Kitchen.
The panel blind-tasted 12 international gins. Here’s what they had to say.
Read MoreUnfortunately, there is a new subculture that is neither pure bartender nor mixologist, and it’s one that doesn’t care about service at all…
Read MoreEarlier this year I had the chance to sit down with Nicole at Bar & Beverage to talk about continuing education, mental health, and my first shift ever behind the stick.
Read MoreNothing says “tropical getaway” like the sweetly spiced flavour of rum. Although it is made all over the world, the sugar-cane spirit originated in the Caribbean islands, where we’re seeing a surge of richly complex aged rums. So when The Alchemist decided to dive into tiki culture, it made sense for our tasting panel to sample as many aged rums as possible.
Just how sweet can rum be? To find out, we gathered at Tableau Bar Bistro with some of the city’s top barkeeps: Alex Black, bar manager of Wildebeest; Max Borrowman, bar manager at Juniper Kitchen; Amber Bruce of The Keefer Bar; Sabrine Dhaliwal, cocktail consultant and Pourhouse bartender; Adam Domet, bar manager of Pourhouse; J-S Dupuis, beverage director of Wentworth Hospitality; Robyn Gray of the Rosewood Hotel Georgia; Ryan Johnson, bar manager of Tuc Craft Kitchen; and Olivia Povarchook, bar manager of Juke Fried Chicken.
The panel tasted 10 different rums; here’s what they had to say about them…
Read MoreThe judges at the Golden Owl Awards along with public input, have recognized me as Vancouver’s Best Bar Personality for 2018
Read MoreAt the end of one of the most intense and rewarding experiences in my life myself (along with Makenzie Chilton) represented Mind The Bar and Canada in the Tahona Society Collective Spirit Competition and won. Below is some coverage of the event. I have no words to describe how much this means to me and the team at Mind The Bar.
Read More“It takes a sophisticated palate to appreciate a good bitter drink, so not too surprisingly, Vancouver bartenders were eager to sample the best of B.C. amaros…”
It’s the 10th anniversary of the popular Deighton Cup. Chris Andraza, Fanny Bay Oysters Executive Chef, and Alex Black, Cocktail Jockey Director, give us a preview of what we can expect — including a rum cocktail recipe and oyster shucking.
Read MoreLast week I had the esteemed privilege of being one of ten selected from a field of hundreds to join the Thirst Boston Scholar program. A hard few days work but a ton of fun and some amazing educational opportunities…
Read MoreThe alcohol and medical worlds have a long and storied history of being intertwined with one another. Did you know that for the majority of human history alcohol has been safer than water to consume? That the ancient Greeks and Romans believed that the best tasting wine provided the greatest medical benefits? Or that soda and bitters merchants had more in common with modern-day pharmacists than bartenders?
Read MoreI'll be heading to Edmonton and Calgary next week hosting three educational events, check out the Eventbrite pages below for more information.
Edmonton - Sun March 25th - Spirited Sessions: Bananas for Ananas (A celebration of the pineapple)
Edmonton - Tues March 27th - Spring Cocktails with Bittermens Bitters
Calgary - Wed March 28th - Spring Cocktails with Bittermens Bitters
Bringing together over 35 of the city's top mixologists and chefs under one roof, Science World's marquee Science of Cocktails event has quickly become one of the hottest soirees in the city. Now in its third year, the charitable function aims to collect funds for the museum's class-field-trip program, which gives underserved kids in the Lower Mainland the chance to visit Science World throughout the year.
Read MoreCan Cognac producers appeal to a variety of tastes while keeping the drink's essence intact? Christine Sismondo reports that, thanks to the beverage's shape-shifting history, they might just pull it off
Read MoreThe waste produced feeding the world's foodies can be staggering.Christine Sismondo talks to the creative chefs and bartenders pushing the industry to clean up its act
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