One of our favourite (for obvious reasons, as you’ll soon see) summertime happenings, presented by Bombay Sapphire Gin, is the annual Most Imaginative Bartender competition. The event, now in its 11th year, took place in June in Toronto and featured semi-finalists from Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary and Toronto. Their thirst-quenching task: to showcase an imaginative cocktail recipe in front of an esteemed panel of judges. While the ultimate winner from Canada was Timo Salimaki from Calgary’s The Living Room, we asked the talented competitors from Vancouver to share the ingredients for and inspiration behind their creations exclusively with us (now that’s something to raise a glass to)!
Rod Redford, Bartender, The Diamond. "My cocktail the Rockaway is inspired by the classic club cocktails—the Southside, Pegu Club and Clover Club—and the iconic stories behind them. Having spent some time at North America’s oldest country club located in Lawrence, New York, I was inspired by the heritage of the club and the heritage of Bombay." The Diamond, 6 Powell Street, di6mond.com
The Rockaway
3 oz Bombay Sapphire
1/2 oz simple syrup
8 drops lemon extract
4 drops mint extract
1/4 oz citric acid
Matthew "Benny" Benevoli, Bar Manager, Nomad Restaurant. "The Rolling Thunder was inspired by my desire to capture a single moment in my cocktail—the moment just after the lightning has struck, as the sound and rumble of the thunder surrounds the atmosphere and the electricity in the air makes the hairs on your body stand on end." Nomad Restaurant, 3950 Main Street, nomad-vancouver.ca
Rolling Thunder
1 1/2 oz Bombay Sapphire-Star of Bombay
1/2 oz Lapsang Dry Blue Curaçao
1/2 oz Scandinavian shrub
1/4 oz organic unsweetened cranberry juice
4 drops corriander-caraway-grapefruit tincture
Lemon twist
Mist of Bombay Essence of Thunder
Olivia Povarchook, Bartender, Vij’s. "Named after the patron saint of bartenders, the Spirit of Amand pays tribute to the hospitality industry, putting special emphasis on the symbol of hospitality: the pineapple. It is a playful, balanced and refreshing drink that is perfect for summer." Vij’s, 3106 Cambie Street, vijs.ca
Spirit of Amand
1 1/2 oz Bombay Sapphire
1/2 oz Coriander infused Martini Bianco (add 2 tbsp coriander seeds to 8 oz Lillet Blanc, cover, and let sit for 6 hours; strain)
3/4 oz raw pineapple cordial (wash one pineapple, cut bark and top off (reserve bark) and juice the flesh of the pineapple. Add sugar (an equal amount of sugar to the juice that the pineapple yields) and stir until fully dissolved. Add pineapple bark, stir, cover and refrigerate for 24 hours. Strain. Keep refrigerated)
1/2 oz lemon juice
Stay tuned for results from the Most Imaginative Bartender world finals, taking place at the home of Bombay Sapphore Gin at Laverstoke Mill, England, this month! Go Canada! —Vita Daily
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