While a blizzard on the first day of spring threatened to keep all of Calgary inside, it was no match for Bulleit Bourbon and Notable’s first party of the year. After weeks of anticipation, a notable crowd of young professionals converged at the fashionable Bourbon Room to have a few after-work drinks and conversation. For many guests, it was their first time experiencing the room’s subtle charm complete with beautiful large-scale black and white nude photographs, warm lighting and a soundtrack of soul hits that made it all the easier to slide into the leather banquettes.
Stephen “Hound Dog” Phipps, who runs the Bourbon Room, gave everyone a warm welcome with one of his signature strawberry lemonades. He then kicked off the evening by giving everyone a rundown on the space as well as mentioning a few must-attend events that are coming up. If you still haven’t made your way down to the little bar that resides in the top mezzanine of the National on 10th, movie nights on Wednesdays are a must. This Wednesday, for example, you can kick back and watch Dazed and Confused with a nice Manhattan in hand.
While YPs were busy catching up with old friends and making a few new ones, the three bartenders, and stars of the show, pulled off an absolutely magical feat by swiftly but lovingly pouring off close to 18-dozen handcrafted cocktails in a seamless sequence of stirring, shaking and pouring. First up was Alex Newman’s Dizzy Sour, which had a nice lemon touch and a punch of Flor de Cana 7-year-old rum. Phipp’s Brown Derby followed the Dizzy and was an easy-drinking, well-received cocktail with fresh grapefruit juice and a healthy helping of honey. According to the pros, the Derby is one that you can enjoy for breakfast or after dinner. The grand finale was Joel Virginillo’s Smoked Praline Special, which incorporated ingredients flown in from Vancouver, where he currently works as a brand ambassador for Diageo. This talented West Coast mixologist prepared his very own special Apricot Shrub and finished his drink of choice off with a touch of praline dust.
We were pleased to have such a great crowd come out for the event and want to extend a big thank you to everyone who joined. To notable our readers, you’ll be happy to know that we’re already discussing ideas for our next party. Keep an eye out for details over the next few months; until then, stay connected to other notable must-attend events by following our Weekender and Notable Now listings (Thursday and Friday, respectively).
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#LYNL | (Live Your Notable Life)
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