Baby, it’s cold outside.
This means it’s time to warm up with some delicious seasonal bespoke cocktails. And if you’re looking for a place to curl up on a brisk winter evening, remember there are dozens of bars and restaurants in the city with stocked bars, talented bar staff, and empty seats waiting for you.
Cozy up to the fire and sip on these 36 must-try holiday cocktails in Vancouver.
1. Word Of Mouth from Nightingale
A blend of Absolut Vodka, Averna, honey, and apple cider vinegar. A tart yet refreshing cocktail served in a single glass.
2. Smokey Chili Chocolate from Lobby Lounge RawBar
Photo courtesy of Fairmont Pacific Rim
Combining chocolate milk, LSM Mezcal Doba Yej, Taylor Tawny Port, and root beer syrup creates an exciting flavour for this winter drink. Find this drink at the Lobby Lounge RawBar in the Fairmont Pacific Rim.
3. Spiked Apple Cider from Lobby Lounge RawBar
Photo courtesy of Fairmont Pacific Rim
A twist on a classic winter beverage, the Spiced Apple Cider is a combination of aged rum, spiced Demerara syrup, and fresh apple slices. Find this drink at the Lobby Lounge RawBar in the Fairmont Pacific Rim.
Holiday Cocktails from UVA Wine & Cocktail Bar
Photo courtesy of UVA Wine & Cocktail Bar
UVA Bar Manager Sabrine Dhaliwal has created an exciting collection of ‘Cool Weather Cocktails’ to try this year.
4. Fallen Angel
The Fallen Angel is made with a cutty sark ‘prohibition’ whisky, falernum, lemon and finished with denman bitters.
5. Rum Pa-Pa Pomme
Festive in name and in taste, this concoction is a delightful mix of Appleton VX rum, manzana verde, cinnamon, lemon, plum and root beer bitters, and a whole egg.
6. Madame Colet
Madame Colet is a combination of 5-year aged rum, amaretto, sweet vermouth, orange and juniper bitters, and absinthe rinse.
7. Las Frutas Blancas
This cocktail is a delicious combo of exotic-el gobernador pisco, noilly pratt amber, cherry heering, and lem-merrakech bitters.
8. What’s Haskap’in?
This aromatic, berry-forward consists of white port, beefeater gin, haskap liquer, lemon, autumn bog cranberry bitters, and tonic.
Holiday Cocktails from YEW seafood + bar
Photo courtesy of YEW Seafood + Bar
9. Finnish Cobbler
Made with Finlandia Vodka, plum wine and apple honey, Dry Vermouth, and Zingiber Crabapple Bitters, the Finnish Cobbler created by Lauren Mote is one of the many winter cocktails at the YEW that you should try this season.
10. Northwinds
The Northwinds is a mix of Collingwood Canadian Whisky, Haskap Berry Liqueur, Sherry and Spiced-Black Tea, and Western Haskap Aromatic Bitters. A great drink made from spirits that are native to Canada.
11. Jefferson Ginger Tea
This cocktail is reminiscent of down-home Kentucky bourbon with its combo of Woodford Reserve Bourbon, Aperol and Sherry, lemon, hibiscus spice and French Quarter bitters, and ginger beer.
12. Silver Bells from Boulevard Kitchen + Oyster Bar
Photo courtesy of Boulevard Kitchen + Oyster Bar
This cocktail from J-S Dupuis tastes like After Eight chocolates. Silver Bells is mix of gin, Giffard Menthe Pastille, Creme de Cacao, lemon juice, and finished with a salted orange dust rim.
13. Donner & Blitzen from L’Abattoir
Photo courtesy of L’Abattoir
14. Pomme de Moluccas from Café Medina
Photo courtesy of Café Medina
15. Wannabe from Royal Dinette
Photo courtesy of Royal Dinette
A cocktail the Spice Girls themselves would be excited to drink, Royal Dinette’s Bar Manager Kaitlyn Stewart created the Wannabe which consists of rum and sake shaken up with house ginger beer and local cider.
16. Lumberjack from The Salted Vine
Photo courtesy of The Salted Vine
The Salted Vine Bar Manager Dave Warren has created the Lumberjack for the holiday season. This cocktail is a combo of infused rye, Cinzano Rosso, French Quarter Bittered Sling Bitters, Fee Brothers cherry bitters, and a vile of a house-made smoked black cardamom tincture.
17. Pressed Apple Flip from Mamie Taylor’s
Photo courtesy of Mamie Taylor’s.
18. Holiday Cobbler from Juniper
Photo courtesy of Juniper
Holiday Cocktails from Vancouver Theatresports
These holiday cocktails are available only through the run of Christmas Queen 3 ending December 23. The fully-licensed Neil Macrae Bar & Lounge and Improv Centre is a convenient place for theatre patrons to meet for pre or post-show drinks. Patrons can also take their beverages into the theatre with them to enjoy during the performance
19. All The Queen’s Men
All the King’s Men is a cocktail that refers to all the Christmas Queen’s suitors. This butterscotch-flavoured beverage consists of Zubrowka Vodka, organic apple juice, and a splash of butterscotch liqueur.
20. After Eight Elf
Named after our favourite after-dinner chocolate, this frothy cocktail is a combo of Baileys Irish Cream, Dark Crème de Cacao, and a splash of Crème de Menthe.
21. Christmas Romance
This cocktail is a nod to the romance in the show, a mixture of spiced rum, Amaretto, and cranberry juice.
The Emerald’s Holiday Cocktails
Photo: Victoria Black
22. Hot Ginger Toddy
The Emerald’s holiday cocktails this season include the Hot Ginger Toddy, which is a mix of Jameson Irish Whiskey, honey ginger syrup, lemon juice, and hot water.
23. The Blueberry Tea
A refreshing mix of Amaretto, Grand Marnier, and orange pekoe tea for the holiday season.
24. Kahlua and Coffee
The old school supper club also boasts a delicious housemade Kahlua and coffee.
25. Baileys and Coffee
Who could turn down a classic Baileys and coffee during the holidays? A perfect combo to get you into the festive spirit in this chilly weather.
26. Hot Buttered Rum from The Cascade Room
Photo courtesy of The Cascade Room.
Justin Taylor, General Manager of The Cascade Room, has created a Hot Buttered Rum Compound that he uses in the restaurant’s specialty cocktail. Comprised of brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, ginger, and salt, you can head to the Cascade Room to try this or buy the compound and make it at home.
27. Saint Lawrence from Prohibition
Created by Head Bartenders Robyn Gray and Brand Stanton, this drink made with Forty Creek Barrel Select Canadian Whisky, fresh lemon, cinnamon syrup, and walnut bitters is a nutty and sweet refreshment.
Holiday Cocktails from Market by Jean-Georges
28. Upper Canada
Photo courtesy of Market by Jean-Georges
Head to Market in the Shangri-La Hotel to taste the Upper Canada, a mix of sweet and sour housemade spiced cranberry sauce, whiskey, Moondog Bitters, egg white, lime, orange, and cinnamon.
29. Winter White Sangria
Photo courtesy of Market by Jean-Georges
This cocktail is made with a Shaya Bodegas white from the vineyards of Verdejo, and it has notes of baking spices, marzipan, pit fruits, and nutmeg. Combine this with brandy, Lillet, apple cider, and cherry bitters, and you get the perfect winter sangria.
30. Yule Mule
Photo courtesy of Market by Jean-Georges
The classic Yule Mule from Market is infused with spiced hibiscus syrup and served in a copper mug.
31. Sweater Weather from Bauhaus Restaurant
Photo courtesy of Bauhaus Restaurant
This winter cocktail from Bauhaus is a mix of Cognac, Sweet Vermouth, Cynar and cacao coffee bitters shaken on ice, and finally served with crispy sun-chokes filled with sun-choke puree.
Holiday Cocktails from Odd Society Spirits
These beverages are available in Odd Society’s tasting lounge.
32. Bees & Velvet
Photo: RD Cane
Created by Odd Society Spirits bartender Mia Glanz, this drink is made with Salal Gin (Odd Society’s interpretation of sloe gin made with locally sourced salal berries), Wallflower Gin, elderberry honey, a dash of Crème de Violette, Angostura Bitters, and lemon.
33. Westcoast 75
Photo: RD Cane
This take on a French 75 uses Odd Society floral Wallflower Gin and combines it with BC Bubbles, a pinch of lemon and simple syrup for the perfect refreshing cocktail. Switch it up and go for a Salal 75 by swapping Wallflower Gin for Odd Society’s 2016 Salal Gin.
34. Mother Ginger’s Hot Apple Cider from CinCin Ristorante
Photo courtesy of Robson Street Business Association
CinCin has created their own take on Mother Ginger’s Hot Apple Cider – a cocktail inspired by The Nutcracker. This drink includes 100% organic apple juice (non gmo verified), Lemon Hart Demerara Rum, orange and lemon peel, and Christmas spices.
35. Hot BC Toddy from Forage
Forage’s Hot BC Toddy uses a rum from Courtenay, BC – Wayward Distillation’s Drunken Hive rum made from caramelized honey and aged in a Bourbon cask for a year. This drink is then mixed with maple syrup, a hint of lemon, and served with a cinnamon stick.
36. Sparkling Star from West Restaurant
West’s Bar Manager Stacey Ackerman has created this cocktail perfect for celebrating the holiday season. The Sparkling Star is a combination of Banff Ice vodka, Giffard vanilla, cinnamon syrup, grapefruit reduction (vanilla, star anise), and sparkling wine.
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