VANCOUVER — Botanist Bar at the Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver has unveiled its latest sensory experience: The Water of Life (Eau de Vie). The new experiential menu explores the relationship between nature and alchemy. The selection of four chemist-like cocktails is complimented by a prepared accompaniment.
“My team and I are very excited to present the second iteration of our experiential cocktails offering,” says Grant Sceney, Creative Beverage director. “The collection is inspired by water, the essential element of life, and explore its profound impact on botany through its many forms, from oceans and volcanoes to evaporation, clouds and rain.”
Pale Blue Dot captures the essence of all water on Earth. The cocktail features blue algae from the Pacific Ocean, oyster shell gin from North Vancouver’s Copperpenny and an oyster leaf distillate and lacto-fermented cucumber-pineapple syrup.
The Ring of Fire embodies the influence of water vapour on tropical botany around the Pacific Rim. The drink features a tropical blend of 12-year-old rum, Canadian rye whiskey and melon liqueur, complemented by passionfruit distillate, vanilla and lemon cordial.
Raincouver is a nod to Vancouver’s climate. The cocktail is light in style, with vodka at the base and hints of yuzu, pine, aperitif wine and citrus, topped with a splash of Perrier and served with an edible cherry blossom cloud.
Earths Energy celebrates the role water plays in nourishing the earth’s flora and fauna. The drink features a mix of blanco tequila, local vermouth from Esquimalt, Woods Distillery amara chiaro and chamomile elderflower.
Since its creation in 2018, the Cocktail Lab at Botanist has integrated culinary-forward techniques into the bar’s cocktail design and production. Equipped with industrial kitchen tools like a rotary evaporator (Rotovap) and centrifuges for ingredient separation, the lab is a cornerstone of Botanist’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and the creative use of locally-sourced ingredients.
