FEAST | Global Flavours x Bar Asra x South Granville

"We want to celebrate the connection between cultures, ingredients, and people."

Tokyo Silk (sake, Calpico, pomegranate, and vodka) + Nigata Paper Plane (bourbon, spritz, grappa, and lemon)

South Granville—(May 9, 2025) Bar Asra, the brand new cocktail bar and restaurant, comes from seasoned Sirka chefs Kanwardeep Ahluwalia and Baldeep Singh (also co-owners) and occupies the original hundred-year-old location of the legendary Vij's and later its sister restaurant Rangoli.

GETAWAY | The Library by The Macallan x Four Seasons x Whistler

Whistler—(November 26, 2024) Late last month, press were invited up to the Four Seasons Resort Whistler for a quick but refreshing day trip to visit the 4-star luxury hotel's many amenities while also checking out the newly reopened The Library by The Macallan, an intimate whisky and cocktail pop-up bar, back for its second year.

IMBIBE | Good Thief x Rebellious Vietnamese x Riley Park

"It's a venture into the unexplored territories of flavour and design."

Riley Park–Little Mountain—(July 25, 2024) From co-founders/siblings Vincent and Amélie Thuy Nguyễn, the same "older brother and sister" duo behind the award-winning, authentic Vietnamese restaurant slyly named after themselves, Anh and Chi (since 2016), comes their hotly anticipated, recently opened next door culinary side project, the cheekily named Good Thief—a name purposely evoking a modern day Robin Hood.

IMBIBE | Science of Cocktails 2024 x Science World x False Creek

aromatized gin & tonic (Sheringham Seaside gin, tonic water, and aromatic smoke bubble)

False Creek—(April 11, 2024) In its second year back in action, Science of Cocktails, the seventh annual signature charitable fundraiser, transformed Science World once again into another giant adults-only cocktail lab in support of its Bursary Program.

IMBIBE | Zarak x ¿CóMO? x Tocador x Vancouver Cocktail Week 2024

Mount Pleasant—(March 5, 2024) In its third year, the annual Vancouver Cocktail Week continued its libatious celebration of the art of the cocktail through a variety of bartender-forward events, tastings, and dinner pairings across the city. Among many of the thirsty day trips offered, I was invited to one of VCW's neighbourhood jaunts, the Main Street Cocktail Crawl, visiting three of the hottest restaurants for a drink and snack at each stop.

IMBIBE | Flamingo Room x Havana Restaurant x Commercial Drive

Commercial Drive—(December 6, 2023) East Van's new Miami-inspired backroom cocktail lounge and performance venue, The Flamingo Room, adjoined to the Cuban-themed Havana Restaurant, has taken over the old Havana Theatre (originally "Little Mountain Theatre") space after officially opening its doors last week.

IMBIBE | Please! Beverage Co. x Tasting House x Mount Pleasant

"Our goal is to elevate the ready-to-drink category by adding some narrative."

Mount Pleasant—(June 26, 2023) Local premium ready-to-drink bottled cocktail distillery Please! Beverage Co. has moved beyond its retail offerings with the recent opening of its bright and expansive Tasting House—taking over a space previously occupied by an auto repair shop at 5th and Alberta.

IMBIBE | Science of Cocktails 2023 x Science World x False Creek

smoked old fashioned (Choya 23 plum wine, plum bitters, sugar, and cherry wood smoke)

False Creek—(April 27, 2023) Science of Cocktails, the sixth annual sold-out signature charitable gala fundraiser, finally made its libatious return after a three-year hiatus to once again transform Science World into the world's largest cocktail laboratory—all in support of its Bursary Program.

FEAST | Smokehouse BBQ x H2 Kitchen & Bar x Westin Bayshore

Coal Harbour—(July 20, 2022) The newly revamped and renamed H2 Kitchen & Bar (formerly "H2 Rotisserie") family restaurant located inside The West Bayshore hotel recently refocused its dining offerings from a primarily rotisserie chicken-based array (still available) to an exciting all-new southern-style smokehouse barbecue menu.

FEAST | Alimentaria Mexicana x Cantina & Mercado x Granville Island

"We're proud to present a truly authentic Mexican taste of place here."

Granville Island—(September 28, 2021) From the team behind Chancho and Nuba restaurants and spearheaded by Mexican-Canadian chef/restaurateur Ernesto Gomez, Alimentaria Mexicana opened its authentic cantina eatery over the summer in the former Edible Canada location to much delight and early acclaim.

GRUB | Trendy Dining x Haven Kitchen + Bar x Langley

Langley—Haven Kitchen + Bar markets itself as "modern casual dining", whatever that means to you. Located just off a seemingly random car park somewhere in the suburban depths of the Fraser Valley, the trendy spot feels intimately hip and vibrant with a nice array of dishes and beverages to enjoy.

IMBIBE | Patio Season x The Boxcar x Tacofino x Strathcona

Strathcona—(July 5, 2021) The Boxcar is already well on its way to having a fine summer thanks to its narrow but awesome carriageway space—sandwiched in between the old Cobalt venue and Pizzeria Farina—leading into a pretty vibrant outdoor backlot patio tucked away off a back alley near the gates to Chinatown on Main Street.

WEEKENDER | Cocktail Hour x H Tasting Lounge x Westin Bayshore

Coal Harbour—Over the course of its short four years of existence, the fanciful H Tasting Lounge (inexplicably known as "HJU:Z" when it originally opened) has become one of my preferred cocktail bars in the city with its somewhat hidden oasis quality despite a very much prime location inside the legendary Westin Bayshore hotel near the tail end of the Vancouver Waterfront strip just before the entrance to Stanley Park.

BEERFEST | Superflux Beer x Between 2 Buns x Strathcona

"Let's do something cool and kind of f*cked up!" ¹

Strathcona—Local craft favourite Superflux Beer Company opened a tasting room of their very own last year in the thick of the pandemic after initially operating out at Callister Brewing before moving into their own permanent digs on Clark Drive.

BEERFEST | New in Town x Studio Brewing x South Burnaby

Burnaby—Studio Brewing's brand new tasting room, located near the Rumble Street and Kingsway corridors, situated by the Royal Oak SkyTrain Station, beneath its backdrop just below the elevated Expo Line, opened up recently in its equally industrial meets cozy South Burnaby neighbourhood.

KAFFE | Pastificio di Luigi x Giovane Café x Fairmont Pacific Rim

Coal Harbour—(September 28, 2020) After ten years, the Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel transferred operations of their street-level Giovane Café + Eatery + Market over to Kitchen Table Restaurants of Ask for Luigi, Di Beppe, and Pizzeria Farina fame over the summer.

IMBIBE | Chickadee Room x Juke Fried Chicken x Chinatown

Chinatown—(July 12, 2020) As a result of BC's Phase 2 reopening COVID-19 protocols, the team behind Juke Fried Chicken established The Chickadee Room run by bar manager Sabrine Dhaliwal—you can usually spot her safely behind the plexiglass-protected bar in a full face shield—as a separated cocktail spot and cozy dining room offshoot to their takeout counter located in the adjacent space (now separated by a spiffy new black and pink wall).

BEERFEST | Shipyards x North Point Brewing Co. x North Van

North Shore—One of North Vancouver's newest craft microbreweries, North Point Brewing Co., founded by a trio of friends, opened up late last year, located around the Lower Lonsdale area, smack dab in the middle of the burgeoning new Shipyards Brewery District.

GRUB | TV Beer Dinner x Brassneck Brewery x Mount Pleasant

"Grab a tray. Settle in, you're all set."

Mount Pleasant—As a byproduct of the now weeks-long coronavirus (COVID-19) shutdown, Brassneck Brewery had the fun idea to sell their own various prepackaged takeout TV Beer Dinners in the meantime, while their tasting room is closed.

GRUB | Takeout Tacos x Four Winds Brewing Co. x Delta

Delta—Like many other Lower Mainland bars and BC craft breweries, Four Winds Brewing Co.'s tasting room has radically transformed itself into a purely takeout/delivery joint and beer-to-go operation for the time being due to physical distancing protocols to prevent further impact from the coronavirus (COVID–19) pandemic.