SO your Christmas goodwill is steadily draining away thanks to the granny who stole the parking spot you patiently signalled for (then flipped you the bird), the dearth of Lego Harry Potter sets within Metro Vancouver limits, and your husband, who asked if you were wearing a medium or a large these days?
Maybe it's only me. Regardless, I know just the thing to recharge that spirit of generosity, to top up your store of seasonal love and joy.
No, I'm not talking about volunteering or donating to charity (though I know acts of kindness work too).
I'm talking about booze. Herewith are a few of my favourite watering holes - conveniently located near excellent shopping centres or neighbourhoods. You can stop in to refuel with a festive concoction, then head out again to brave the city sidewalks and bustling crowds.
If you are downtown doing your shopping at Pacific Centre, then a pitstop at the polished bar of Yew at Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver is a no-brainer. Head bartender Justin Taylor represented Canada at the Giffard International Cocktail Challenge in France in October. He placed third. His Copenhagen Sour is just the thing to refresh flagging generosity. Want to try making it at home? He provided us with his recipe.
COPENHAGEN SOUR
2 oz. Aquavit
½ oz. Galiano
½ oz. St. Germain
½ oz. lemon juice
½ oz. lime juice
½ oz. pasturized egg whites
Shake ingredients with ice, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass; add a few drops of Peychaud's Bitters to create a flower effect.
Across Howe Street, you'll find the sparkling new Hawksworth Bar and Lounge in the beautifully restored Rosewood Hotel Georgia.
Spend half an hour enjoying manager Brad Stanton's take on a gin sour, the silky Hotel Georgia. In no time, you'll be back at full shopping throttle.
HOTEL GEORGIA COCKTAIL CIRCA 1945
1 egg white
1¾ oz. plymouth gin
½ oz. orgeat
¾ oz. lemon juice
6 drops orange blossom water
Beginning with the egg white, combine all ingredients in a mixing vessel. Shake mixture briefly (without ice).
Add ice and shake vigorously for around 20 seconds.
Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a chilled cocktail glass. Grate a little fresh nutmeg onto the surface of the drink. Enjoy!
If you're on the hunt for the hippest gifts, perhaps you'll be in Gastown when you run out of steam - and no, the clock can't help you. But Shaun Layton might be able to. He's the bar wizard at L'Abattoir who created the Autumn Flip, a tasty blend of beer and whisky that will help you get your list ticked off in triple time.
AUTUMN FLIP
2 oz. Brooklyn Pumpkin Ale
1 oz. Glenfarclas Eight-year whisky
1 oz. Cynar amaro
1 whole egg
Pinch Nutmeg
Add beer to mixing glass, swirl to release carbonation, incorporate all other ingredients. Dry shake without ice and then add ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass; grate nutmeg over top.
Finally, for the most unusual and impressive gifts, you may have headed for Chinatown. If so, this is also where you'll find "apothecary" cocktails made with beneficial ingredients at The Keefer Bar. For the fall and winter season, bar manager Danielle Tatarin created the Som-ai - Som is a word from Sanskrit that means "nectar of immortality" and Ai, in Chinese, stands for love or loving. Definitely sounds like the right prescription to get your holiday joy back on track.
Som-ai
2 oz. Wild Turkey Bourbon ¾ oz. Pear Nectar
¼ oz. Lemon Juice
½ oz. Simple Syrup
1-inch Vanilla Bean Sliced
2 dashes House made bitters *can substitute Fee Bros Old Fashioned Whiskey Bitters available at Gourmet Warehouse
Shake all ingredients on ice and strain over fresh ice into a rocks glass. Garnish with a pear fan.
Enjoy your spirited interludes, and get back out there. Merry Christmas!
