Shaun Layton, bar manager at Vancouver’s Juniper Kitchen and Bar, chats gin and juice. —Aleeza Khan
How long have you been bartending?
About 15 years. My first job was at The Keg!
How long have you worked at Juniper? Where were you before that?
I’ve been on the project at Juniper for almost a year. Before that I was at L’Abattoir.
What drew you to the restaurant?
I liked the idea of focusing on gin and using local products. Meeting all the local brewers and distillers has been really cool.
What are some milestones or awards you’ve received?
I’ve been Vancouver Magazine’s Bartender of the Year, in Western Living’s 40 under 40 and The Georgia Straight and Westender’s Bartender of the Year.
What was the person, place or thing that inspired your career?
I would say not a person or place in particular, but travelling is what inspires me most—Europe specifically. Places like Spain, France and Italy are my favourite.
Best piece of bartending advice you’ve received?
Don’t forget about your guests! You can make the most amazing drinks in the world, but if you can’t put a smile on someone’s face, none of the other things matter.
Strangest request from a patron?
I once had someone ask to remake a cocktail because they thought the gin was corked…
If you were a cocktail ingredient what would you be?
GIN! It’s the best thing for mixing.
At the end of the night you pour yourself?
After making cocktails all night, I enjoy a refreshing cold beer.
Person you’d most like to take a seat at your bar?
Larry David. He’s so awkward, it would be hilarious!
Bartending pump-up song?
"Gin and Juice."
Proudest accomplishment behind the bar?
I opened a bar and went on a no broken glass streak for three years.
Coolest ingredient you’re playing with this summer?
Ancho Reyes just came on the market here. It’s an ancho chile liqueur from Mexico.
Your secret bartending weapon?
A quality jigger.
What is your signature? What makes something one of your specialties?
Presentation. I feel I always make great looking drinks. Very Instagram-able, haha. And hopefully they taste good, too!
Tell us a pro tip about enjoying a night at Juniper.
Start with a G&T, order charcuterie, then explore the big format beer list. Finish with a vintage Martini, made with a bottle of gin from 1960! Also, Happy Hour is daily from 4pm to 6pm—all draft is $5!! Our beer list kicks butt.
What’s the best thing about being a bartender?
You meet awesome people every day, and if you play your cards right you can travel to some pretty cool places and visit awesome distilleries.
If you weren’t a mixologist, what would you be?
I’m not a mixologist, lol. I hate that word. But If I wasn’t a bartender, either a pro baseball player, or something in the tourism industry.
Tell us the story behind the Seaside G&T…
Sheringham gin is a really cool gin from Vancouver Island. They use kelp in the process, so the gin is floral, fruity and aromatic. It goes very well with fresh berries. If it were legal, the Seaside would be best drank on the beach!
For Juniper’s Seaside G&T recipe, click here.
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