Recently, a group of us were privileged to get an inside look behind the scenes at what goes into creating some of the cocktails at GRAIN Tasting Bar, one of my favourite newer spots in the city. Brian (@br_webb) won the chance for 5 of us to take part in the experience so Billy (@billyforce), Mary (@maryinvancity), Josh (@joshrimer) and I spent the afternoon learning how to make 4 cocktails and sampling some of GRAIN’s fine foods.
Mitchell Kerr, Bar Manager at GRAIN, who created most of the cocktails on their extensive menu, welcomed us and would be our guide for the afternoon. Mitchell, and GRAIN itself, has a philosophy of keeping it local when it comes to the ingredients in his drinks, luckily Vancouver has fast become a mecca for locally produced spirits. Long Table Distillery is one of these great new local producers and would be the key ingredient in the 4 cocktails we were mixing:
Urban Farmer: created by Mark Saxauer, blends the tastes of fresh, muddled tomatoes, basil, a hint of spice and Long Table Gin to create a fresher, cleaner take on a classic Caesar or Bloody Mary.
Sea To Sky: like a lot of Mitchell’s cocktails is named after a local landmark, a martini using Long Table Gin, St Germaine, basil and citrus flavours it evokes the crisp, fresh feeling one would get as they drove the Sea To Sky Highway.
Zen Martini: named after the Zen Tea that infuses the Vodka used in the cocktail, also combines Drambuie and fruit juices to create a sweet, wholesome feeling martini.
Vancouver Vesper: a local modification on the classic James Bond created Vesper, using Long Table Vodka and Gin with a hint of citrus bitters to make it a local and unique sip.
Each of our cocktails was intermingled with course of GRAIN Tasting Bar‘s great bites. Charcuterie with cheeses and house-made spreads and breads, pulled pork sliders and GRAIN’s renowned pizzas all topped off our afternoon to make it a great experience in a great location.
While you may not have the chance to get the behind the scenes experience that we did, you are guaranteed that whichever drinks and bites you choose you’ll be getting beautiful, creative and locally-sourced tastes.
GRAIN Tasting Lounge is located at 655 Burrard Street, within the Hyatt Regency Vancouver lobby.
Find them online, on Twitter @GRAIN_Bar, or on Facebook
Phone: 604.639.4768