Fets Whisky Kitchen to close permanently at the end of this year

Sep 7 2022, 5:58 pm

The home to Canada’s largest whisky collection is closing up shop after a whopping 36 years.

Fets Whisky Kitchen – which, over the years has changed names from Fettucini’s Café in 1986 to Fets Bar & Grill in 1996 and eventually to its current name in 2013 – will officially be closing at the end of this year.

In a note posted to the bar’s website on September 1, owners Allura and Eric Fergie explained that they have submitted their resignation.

“This past Monday we called our staff together and presented them with our letter of resignation,” it said.

“Our lease is up early next year, and we have decided not to renew. We feel it’s best to resign while we are on top of our game and will proudly work with our staff to make everyone’s final visits as memorable as their first,” the note continued.

The last day of dinner service will be December 23, with many whisky dinners planned over its last few months, the first of which will take place this Sunday, September 11.

 

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“This last dinner service will mark over 36 years of continuous operation, well except for that little Covid thingy a couple years back,” the note said.

Not only has Fets changed names and addresses over its long operation, but it’s also been the target of some government-led “whisky raids” – a very prohibition-era experience that is emblematic of Vancouver’s strict liquor laws.

Back in 2018, Fets had 242 bottles of whisky seized by the BC Ministry of Attorney General. Three agents had entered the bar, asking for receipts for all bottles from the BC Liquor Distribution Branch for the few hundred bottles that were from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society.

Despite the fact that these bottles were registered with the BC Liquor Distribution Branch and the government had received tax for the products, they were still taken due to a gray area legally – they had been purchased via private liquor stores, not government stores, which is not allowed.

Seizures took place in three other BC bars at the same time, one in Nanaimo and two in Victoria.

“It’s so surreal and it’s something out of a Prohibition movie,” Fergie told Daily Hive at the time. “It’s a little heavy handed for people that are operating a legal business in my opinion.”

In its resignation note, Fets commented on the raids, the legal ramifications of which are still ongoing. “We went before The Honourable Mr. Juctice N. Smith last December and received his ruling in March. In his ruling he stated that we were denied procedural fairness and that the government is required to hand over all documents related to the investigation, raid along with subsequent correspondence post raid.”

The whisky pairing dinner this Sunday will feature five Waterford Whiskies along with five unique dishes.

You can get tickets online for this and future Fets Whisky Kitchen dinners before it closes its doors and ends an epic era in this city.

With files from Daily Hive staff

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