Vancouver’s Most Notable Seasonal Cocktails

First off, check out Maenam’s (pictured above) craft cocktail selection that will have you all-but feeling transported to a South East Asian hot spot. Not only does this award-winning restaurant boast incredible Thai cuisine, but bartenders Kristi Linneboe and Tanya Roussy have teamed up to create some tasty Thai flavour-infused liquors for their drinks. Tamarind, pomelo and salty plum are incorporated into classic cocktails for a uniquely Thai twist.

For fall sipping, order their Golden Buddah and enjoy the warming flavours of smoky scotch melded with subtle chocolate bitters.

The Golden Buddah – created by Tanya Roussy

1.5 oz. scotch
1.0 oz. tamarind water, fine-strained until clear
0.25 oz. homemade vanilla syrup
1 dash chocolate bitters (available wherever high-quality cocktail ingredients are sold)

Stir the cocktail gently and briefly. You do not want to over-dilute the drink or chill it too much. The Golden Buddah is best served cool but not cold. Strain into a coupe and serve straight up — no garnish needed. Makes 1.

Cool fall nights call for getting cozy and pretending we’re somewhere hot, so we sourced a Mediterranean-inspired cocktail that more than fit the bill at the recently opened Tappo Restobar (owned by the Q4 Restaurant Group and located where Q4 al centro used to be). La Vita in Rosa (Life in Pink) is perfect for sipping before a night on the town, cozied up at the bar and taking in the scene of this centrally-located casual new wine bar.

La Vita in Rosa – created by Ian Christie

1 oz. Brut Rose Champagne
1 oz. Raspberry Vodka
1 oz. Peach Schnapps
Splash of maraschino cherry juice

Assemble Vodka and Peach Schnapps martini glass; add a hint of maraschino cherry juice, top with Brut Rose and garnish with a cherry.

Another cozy venue that we always head to on a rainy night when the atmosphere beckons has to be either Killjoy or Clough Club (located in Yaletown and Gastown respectively). One our go-to favourite cocktails is created by none other than Vancity’s own Jay Jones, and it’s aptly called the Smokehouse.

For this tasty sipper, Jones uses the liquor-of-the-moment mezcal to bring an earthiness and smoke to this simply assembled autumn-hued cocktail. The addition of gin and a twist of lemon add just the right amount of brightness to finish.