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Botanist Bar

Vancouver

Science meets nature at the Botanist Bar and cocktail lab at the Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel in downtown Vancouver. In a sophisticated space that feels as bright and airy as the surrounding restaurant, the tight-knit bar team led by beverage director Grant Sceney, draws inspiration from the natural bounty of the Pacific Northwest, sourcing and foraging local ingredients to mix into drinks that are equal parts showpiece and storytelling. Take the What the Flower cocktail, for example. Made with gin, cherry blossom tea, lemon, ginger, cardamom and ‘electric daisies’, it exists to elicit images of sun-soaked flowers on a spring day. Thanks to its superlative service programme, Botanist Bar was recognised as the winner of the Michter’s Art of Hospitality Award 2023.

As the seasons change, so does the cocktail menu, and the featured spirit-free options are just as inventive as the booze-fuelled ones, employing some of the same technologies (think rotary evaporator and centrifuge) to extract the best flavour from ingredients like apple, candy cap mushrooms and fennel pollen. If cocktails aren’t the plan, stop by the Champagne lounge for an engaging selection of sparkling wines from around the world, and don’t miss out on the highly seasonal cuisine at the restaurant, which has been awarded its own array of accolades.

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