Do you have an interest in turn-of-the-century history? Then Pourhouse would like to make you a drink. A throwback to the golden age of bartending, this pre-prohibition-inspired restaurant transports you back to a different time, when the drinks were strong and Red Bull wasn’t stocked at the bar.
That feeling of old fashioned-ness permeates the room, helped by the fact that the building was first erected in 1910 and that many pieces, including the 38-foot bar handcrafted from 120-year-old Douglas fir, are custom created to pay homage to an era more than a century old.
But nowhere does this classic attitude shine through more than in the cocktail selection. The drinks are strong, simple and devoid of any infusions, herbs, fruits (aside from citrus) or flavoured spirits.
Bar manager Rhett Williams says the philosophy of the cocktail menu is to keep things uncomplicated. “The more simple your dish or drink is, the more important becomes the quality of every ingredient. Everything is as fresh and as handmade as possible, and ingredients that don’t hold up in simple drinks should never be used at all. Our style of drink is ‘spirit forward,’ meaning the main flavour should be the spirit and all other components should complement it while maintaining dryness, never being sweet or cloying. There is never an excuse for a sweet drink.”
This pursuit of quality in the name of simplicity is admirable. There’s a certain sense of pride in doing something simple, really, really well. You’ll find that Pourhouse has it down to a science.
Order this: The Old Fashioned
Raw cane sugar cube, bitters, distilled water, spirit (brandy, gin, rum, bourbon, rye, tequila or mescal, for example), lemon twist, orange slice, Amarena cherries
“The Old Fashioned is not specifically one drink but rather a huge range of them, employing any type of spirit (even mezcal and akvavit work well) and any type of bitters. Structurally, the combination of alcohol, sweet, bitter and dilution is the basis upon which we build all stirred drinks. What better choice for a bar program based on quality, simplicity and history, than the most simple and old of all cocktails?” –Williams
Where to Drink in Vancouver
Michael is a graduate from the BCIT Broadcast Journalism program and the former associate editor of BCLiving. When he’s not gaming, he’s watching sports, practicing yoga or enjoying a potent potable.
Tags
Categories
Trending / Food & Drink
Promoted Content