Sourced from the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver
The iconic Fairmont Hotel Vancouver has seen this city through considerable change over its eight decades of existence. Opening May 1939, the Hotel (the third incarnation of the “Hotel Vancouver”) opened after construction began eleven years previously.
Now in 2019, the Hotel has much to fête: an impressive legacy and the recent completion of a multi-phase $75 million renovation. Mixologists at Notch8 Bar have come up with an inventive and spirited way to toast the Hotel’s and the city’s journey through time.
Notch8 Bar at Fairmont Hotel Vancouver (900 West Georgia Street) has just launched their “Tippling through the Decades” program, available now until September 1, 2019. Each drink is $16, with a very affordable price of $8 during Happy Hour (3pm to 6pm daily). They’re guaranteed to get you nostalgic, as well as thirsty for more!
There are nine cocktails on offer, moving from 1939 to 2019, with a cocktail marking each ten years (the ingredients listed are for the Hotel’s versions of these classic drinks).
Bee’s Knees (1939): It all begins with this classic cocktail, containing Botanist gin, lemon juice, and honey. The lemon is purported to mask the taste of the gin (wink wink) from the days of Prohibition when alcohol was banned.
Photo Credit: Tara Lee
The Mai Tai (1949): This drink is tons of fun and steeped in post World War II history when the South Pacific became trendy. It’s made of Mount Gay Black Barrel rum, lime juice, Angostura bitters, Cointreau, orgeat syrup, and Bacardi Black.
Photo Credit: Tara Lee
The Harvey Wallbanger (1959). Using Grey Goose vodka, Galliano, and orange juice, the cocktail was named after a surfer, Tom Harvey, and created by bartender Duke Anton after Harvey crashed into the walls one night after getting a little too tipsy.
The Manhattan (1969): This drink involves a combination of Rittenhouse rye, red vermouth, and angostura bitters and was first made at the Manhattan Club in New York City.
Long Island Iced Tea (1979): Invoking fun and laid back drinking, the Long Island consists of Bombay Sapphire gin, Grey Goose vodka, Cointreau, Bacardi White, Cazadores Blanco, and lemon juice–all topped with Coke and garnished with a lemon wheel and mint (no tea, in actuality!). It emerged from a cocktail contest at the Oak Beach Inn in Hampton Bays, Long Island.
The Cosmopolitan (1989): There’s something so late 80s/early 90s chic about the Cosmopolitan. It’s a concoction of Grey Goose vodka, Cointreau, and cranberry juice. Its pink hue makes it a darling drink to sip (bolstered by its prominent place in Sex and the City).
Photo Credit: Tara Lee
The Cable Car (1999): Bacardi Oakheart, Cointreau, lemon juice, and cinnamon sugar are shaken and strained into a cinnamon sugar-rimmed glass. This cocktail hails from San Fran, the home of many a cable car; more specifically, it was invented by Tony Abou-Ganim in the Starlight Room in the Drake Hotel.
The Penicillin (2009): There’s no tonic like the Penicillin, with Dewars Blended Scotch, lemon juice, honey ginger syrup, and Port Charlotte single malt Scotch. It was invented by Sam Ross in New York City.
Photo Credit: Tara Lee
The Copper Griffin (2019): Part of the Hotel’s 80th anniversary celebrations is paying tribute to its rich history in this city, as well as recognizing its enduring and vibrant presence. This cocktail features Victoria gin, Dubonnet, Lillet, lemon juice, and simple syrup–topped with lemon meringue foam. The name refers to the copper roof of the building and its griffin gargoyles (there was a restaurant at one point in the Hotel named Griffins), and was inspired by King George VI and Queen Victoria who opened the hotel.
So, take many sips through the decades at Notch8 Bar at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. Meet you there at Happy Hour!
