These Vancouver Bars Serve Up Unique Riffs on Classic Cocktails
Reflections The Garden Terrace at The Rosewood Hotel Georgia
There are times when a classic cocktail is exactly what the occasion calls for. A manhattan, a martini, a margarita—these drinks have stood the test of time, beloved around the world for their excellent use of ingredients and flavours. They are hardly ever the wrong choice.
Purists will insist on not messing with a good thing. But it can be fun—exciting, even—to experiment. To step outside the comfort zone of a traditional cocktail and to play with pushing its boundaries. Or at least, to let the experts do it, and to reap the benefits.
Unique, inventive riffs on classic cocktails are their own kind of pleasure, offering familiarity mixed with a touch of adventure. Here are seven places in Vancouver to get them.
Fig Manhattan at Reflections The Garden Terrace
The Rosewood Hotel Georgia’s tasteful upgrades continue with the newly renovated Reflections The Garden Terrace. Now, its fully retractable roof means the cocktail bar can be open year round, allowing guests to enjoy the plush cabanas, gorgeous marble bar, and surrounding greenery while sipping on a selection of craft drinks. A standout? The Fig Manhattan, which sees this traditional combination of rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters given a fruity, decadent twist with port and fig. It’s rich, smooth, and just the right amount of sweet.
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Kobe Caesar at Kobe Japanese Steakhouse
The caesar—a distinctly Canadian invention—might be one of the most riffed-on classics of them all. For those who like something spicy, salty, and savoury, there may be no better drink than the one known as the evening mixer and the morning fixer. At Kobe Japanese Steakhouse, the typical clamato juice, worcestershire, and vodka are mixed with sriracha and soy sauce for a Japanese twist. It’s salty, briny, and bursting with umami.
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Bengal Martini at Desi Indian Lounge
This isn’t James Bond’s martini, but maybe it should be. One of the world’s classiest cocktails gets a South Asian spin at Desi Indian Lounge, where Tanqueray 10 gin and vermouth are paired with bay leaf for a burst of herbaceousness and an Indian five-spice blend called panch phoron for depth of flavour. Served with spice-coated green olives, it’s briny, subtly sweet, and complex—and pairs perfectly with Desi’s stuffed naan.
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Nigata Paper Plane at Bar Asra
New-to-the-scene South Granville restaurant Bar Asra has a cocktail menu that’s equal parts intriguing and charming. Of particular note is the Nigata Paper Plane. Whereas a classic version of the paper plane uses American bourbon, Bar Asra’s version brings in the flavours of Nigata, Japan, thanks to Shinobu whisky. Aperol, amaro, and freshly squeezed lemon juice round out the drink, which is boozy thanks to the whisky, tart thanks to the lemon juice, and bright thanks to the Aperol.
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The beauty of a standard negroni is its simplicity: equal parts gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth. But every once in a while, a twist comes along that’s worth a try—even among the traditionalists. The Chef’s Negroni at Elem fits the bill, with gin washed with cacao left over from the kitchen, Campari infused with spent mulberries, and vermouth infused with local tomato vines. It’s chocolatey, full of depth, and complicated in all the ways that a classic negroni isn’t. But that’s half the fun. This cocktail can also be made entirely non-alcoholic for the teetotallers and designated drivers.
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Rosemarina Bloom at Italian Kitchen
Come for the food, but stay for the drinks. Italian Kitchen might be most beloved for its pasta, but the bar menu has plenty to get excited about, too—even in the zero-proof realm. Take, for example, the Rosemarina Bloom. Made with rosemary and rose syrup, soda, and lemon, it’s refreshing, tart, and highly drinkable. Made as a riff on the classic Italian cocktail known as the rosmarino—typically made with mezcal, lemon, agave syrup, and rosemary—this mocktail is so bursting with flavour that you won’t even miss the alcohol.
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Coconut Mint Margarita at Barra Gitano
Barra Gitano’s classic margarita is always a nice option, but the real winner of this restaurant’s cocktail list is the coconut mint version. Made with Jose Cuervo Tradicional Plata (a smooth silver tequila made from blue agave), triple sec, and lime, this creamy easy-drinker is enhanced with a coconut-mint syrup that gives it a slightly sweet and herbal undertone. The coconut in particular adds a beautiful velvety quality, but the cocktail remains light and refreshing thanks to the mint and the lime. It’s ideal for washing down Gitano’s pork belly tacos and tuna tostadas, and it’s giving the regular margarita a serious run for its money.
