“No Fun City”? Nah, not anymore. It’s time to celebrate.
Spring is right around the corner, and with restrictions easing up in B.C. the mood is starting to feel downright celebratory. If you’re ready to get back in the groove of going out and raising a glass (or two), this year’s inaugural Vancouver Cocktail Week offers plenty of ways to celebrate the good times.
This first-ever week-long celebration of libations in Vancouver includes an array of tantalizing events, from seminars to up your sipping savvy to special pairing dinners, happy hours, and two signature gatherings that bookend the exciting festival.
Kicking VCW off on Sunday, March 6 is The Garden Club: A Botany of Brunch at the elegant Botanist Restaurant at the Fairmont Pacific Rim. Sit down to a five-course feast prepared by Botanist’s acclaimed Executive Chef Hector Laguna paired with cocktails made by some of Vancouver’s top bartenders.
But this is no ordinary brunch: The drink pros are being tasked with sourcing ingredients for their creations by foraging locally, which means Vancouver-grown components in every glass to really shake things up. For example, you will be enjoying a drink called “Down the Charente” by award-winning bartender Sabrine Dhaliwal (Chickadee Room), which features Hennessy VS Cognac, Cynar, Lillet, Tamarind, Coffee Bitters, and Crabapple Bitters paired with a course of housemade duck prosciutto tatin with charred sourdough and watercress – so this is not your usual eggs Benny and mimosa situation.
For those who prefer to “party like it’s 1999” and toast to fun times into the evening, VCW’s epic closing party, called the Fun City Gala might be more your speed.
Take the elevator up to one of the most storied—and newly renovated—party venues in Vancouver, The Roof at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, and prepare to forget anything you’ve heard about this being “No Fun City.”
The Fun City Gala is the marquee event of the week. It takes you on a glamorous journey through Vancouver’s tipsy traditions. Stations featuring local bar stars and global brand ambassadors will offer drinks representing different eras in Vancouver’s cocktail-culture past and present.
Plus there will be food stations and passed canapés, as well as a VIP hour, live entertainment, live music, DJ and a silent auction with proceeds going to the BC Hospitality Foundation and its scholarship program. PS: If you want to make a night of it, the hotel is offering special room rates for the evening.
The Garden Club: A Botany of Brunch
When: Sunday, March 6 from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
Where: Botanist Restaurant at the Fairmont Pacific Rim – 1028 Canada Place
View menu and get tickets; A portion of sales from each reservation will be donated to the Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House.
Fun City Gala
When: Thurs. March 10 from 7-11 p.m.
Where: The Roof at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver – 900 W. Georgia St.
