Joanne Sasvari (left) and Gail Nugent toast a successful celebration of the cocktail.

by Joy Metcalfe

A TASTY, TIPSY BRUNCH AT THE FAIRMONT …

Congratulations to two very gutsy and creative entrepreneurs who deftly managed to bring back some fun and excitement to COVID-weary Vancouverites with their inaugural “Toast to the Art of the Cocktail”.

The Alchemist magazine’s Gail Nugent and Joanne Sasvari brought life to downtown Vancouver with the official launch of the first Vancouver Cocktail Week. Their timing couldn’t have been better. The first event of the cocktail week was held on Sunday, March 6. The day was sunny and mild and everyone was out and about.

At Fairmont’s Pacific Rim’s Botanist restaurant, they were offering “A Botany of Brunch” with their award-winning chef Hector Laguna and five top bartenders. First cocktail of the day began with Jamie Mah’s “A Midsummer’s Day”, a delightful concoction of Campari and grapefruit, lime, strawberry puree and soda which paired so well with Hector’s Savory Beignet.

Next up was Grant Sceney’s “Dainichi”, composed of Tanqueray 10 Gin, green tea, ginger cordial, grapefruit, lime and basil – perfect for Hector’s Egg Yolk Raviolo.

Sabrine Dhaliwal’s “Down The Charente” (Hennessy VS Cognac, cynet, lillet, tamerind, coffee bitters and crabapple bitters) was well-matched with the delectable Homemade Duck Prosciutto Tartin.

Number four on the extensive cocktail menu started with Max Curzon-Price’s cocktail, “Float like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee”, with Mount Gay rum, Grappa, Calvados, tea and lemon, which went perfectly with the chef’s yummy Lamb Belly Poutine.

Wrapping up the Sunday repast, was the very uncommon French toast, caramelized apple, brown butter, bacon syrup and shaved foie torchon, coupled with “The Lowland Grasshopper” (vodka, green chartreuse, mint liqueur cream and chocolate bitters).

What a way to start your day!

Nice to see CTV’s early morning anchor, Kerry Adams, enjoying her very different Sunday morning boozy brunch …

Harpreet Singh and Brandt Rolfe at Notch 8.

FOLLOWED BY TIPSY TEA AT NOTCH 8 …

Then it was a stroll in the sunshine up to Fairmont’s Hotel Vancouver also known as “The Castle in the City” for their “Tipsy Tea” in Notch 8, also part of The Alchemist’s Cocktail Week. Even the title had guests giggling.

Bartender Brandt Rolfe created two signature cocktails to sip – “Gin and Fever-Tree”, (gin, tonic and strawberry garnish) and “Hot Tea Punch” with Jameson’s, lemon, honey, and a hot pot of Pisco Tea.

Culinary taste treats included Sultana Scones, Buttermilk Scones, Tequila & Lime Roasted Chicken Salad, Waldorf Salad, Emperor Ham Salad, Salmon Rillettes and a host of sweets including Limoncello Lemon Curd, Macaron with Bailey’s Irish Cream, Crepe Mille-Feuille with Grand Marnier, Crème De Menthe Cheesecake and Salted Caramel Squares.

What an extra pleasure it was to meet Notch 8’s new manager, Harpreet Singh, who recently arrived from Fairmont’s Jasper Park Lodge In the Canadian Rockies. Harpreet is a hospitality professional with more than 12 years of international experience in food and beverage operations in India, Dubai and Canada. He holds a degree in International Hospitality Management from Queen Margaret University. Originally from Mumbai, he moved to Canada with his wife, Pooja (a human resource business partner with Amazon), and in October of 2020, they welcomed their first child, Ivana.

Harpreet enjoys curling, cross country skiing, and ping pong, and has lately picked up golf. They are all looking forward to spending their first summer on the West Coast.

As restaurant general manager, Harpreet and bartender Brandt Rolfe made a wonderful afternoon of tasting, sampling, sipping, and supping for the attendees, one of whom was Cassandra Anderton, publisher and editor of Good Life Vancouver and president of Les Dames d’Escoffier, who was very impressed with the whole afternoon event …

THEN ON TO THE BAYSHORE …

Then it was a quick run down to the Westin Bayshore and their H2 Rotisserie restaurant where Gail and Joanne had organized a special event called “Mixing It Up With Fever-Tree”, an interesting part of the cocktail culture and very well presented by Fever-Tree’s regional manager, Thomas Grimoin and the winning Best Bartender in the World, Kaitlyn Stewart.

Fever-Tree high-end mixers use real ingredients like their Ginger Ale uses real ginger, which makes a vast taste difference in cocktails. Guests attending were given three full-sized cocktails to taste test including a “Salty Dog” and a “Moscow Mule” but of course, one couldn’t possibly drink them all in an hour and remain upright.

But they generously gave three bottles of their premium mixers to the attending guests to try them out at home …

AND THEN CAME TUESDAY …

Tuesday evening started at Boulevard in the Sutton Place Hotel where J.P. Potters is the executive general manager and bar manager Peter Johanson was mixing up some creative libations with the help of Johnnie Walker, beginning with JW Black Label highballs to pair with the poached sunseeker oysters.

That was followed by foie gras terrine and JW Gold Label, smoked salmon pastrami with JW Green Label and Chef Roger’s delightful main course, braised wagyu beef bourguignon accompanied by Johnnie Walker’s smooth 18-year-old Scotch. Ice Cream and petit fours with JW Blue Label wound up this very enjoyable evening…

ON TO HY’S FAMOUS STEAKHOUSE …

Then a quick dash down to our town's original steakhouse, Hy’s Encore, now Hy’s Steakhouse and Cocktail Bar, for “Whiskey & Prime” and their welcoming cocktail, “Setting Sun” with Dewar’s Scotch, Cointreau, orange bitters, and lemon juice.

That was followed by “The Golden Dram” (Aberfeldy’s Scotch and Cointreau) and foie gras torchon, Prime Beef Tenderloin with a Cherry Maple Manhatten (I love Manhattens!) and finished the gala evening with Pomme Tarte Tatin and Irish Coffee…WOW!

And all the stuffed and woozy smart guests had cabs or ubers waiting …

Becky Wilkinson and Brett Parker at The Roof.

AND THURSDAY’S FINALE

Thursday evening’s grand wind-up Fun City Gala was held in the Hotel Vancouver‘s famed and newly renovated The Roof where dozens of talented bartenders magically brought to life the lure of the cocktail, measuring, shaking. stirring and pouring as hundreds of happy partiers sipped, supped, and danced the night away.

This first-time event was so successful that Joanne and Gail have already expanded next year’s Vancouver Cocktail Week into an entire week of planned bubbly, boozy events…Can’t wait…

LUNCHEON FOR AN IMPORTANT RANCH

Yet another interesting fundraiser, this time for Mel Zajac’s Zajac Ranch, a place of peace and contentment for ill and handicapped children.

Once again, it’s a three-course luncheon at Fairmont’s Waterfront Hotel with Global TV anchor Chris Gailus and a celebrity guest. The last fundraising luncheon was a huge success with gazillionaire and all-round nice guy, Jimmy Pattison, who, at 93 ½ years of age, is still going strong. Business agrees with Jim And his taste in fashion has grown immensely!

This time the guest of honour was a different business icon, the much-lauded Sultan of Stock, the founder of Canaccord Investments now Canaccord Genuity, and, at one time, the largest independent investment dealer in Canada - the one, the only, Peter Brown!!

Oh, the stories and the people that could tell them! If only they dared! Wow! ...

In the last “Joy’s Journal”, I mentioned the time that Academy Award-winning actor, Ray Millland, was here in Vancouver. He was part of the cast of the TV series The Love Boat with Lorne Green and Eleanor Parker and they had sailed into Vancouver onboard the Pacific Princess, aka The Love Boat.

Lorne and Eleanor were having a great time while Ray was very subdued and no one seemed to recognize him from his Oscar winning “Lost Weekend” role. The media members in attendance were too young.

But I saw him right away. So we chatted. I asked him about his reported romance with his Dial M for Murder co-star Grace Kelly and he actually jumped up and punched the air!

He positively bristled with indignation saying, “Complete and upper nonsense! Absolute fabrication! I have been happily married to the same woman for 47 years – and she doesn’t deserve this degrading gossip! Oh, it makes me angry!”

Did he have a favorite onscreen actress? “Oh yes, Claudette Colbert. She was such fun. I made five films with her.”

The other thing he’ll never do is commercials. As he said with a wide grin, “There would be no credibility to them.” …

OUR SCOOPS FOR THE MONTH

DAFFODIL BALL … For the first time ever, the much anticipated Canadian Cancer Society’s annual fund-raising Daffodil Ball will be held on the North Shore at the elegant Polygon Gallery on April 23 …

CHANGES AT R+D KITCHEN … And watch for some exciting news from BC’s most iconic restaurant brand, the White Spot. It’s R+D Kitchen, an entirely new concept that will be launched by the 94- year old legendary White Spot this month as part of the newly renovated and quite amazing Brentwood Mall. Wait for it! …

UNTIL NEXT MONTH …
Cheers!
Joy