Jesus Don't Want Me For A Sunbeam

 Cocktail Correspondent: Weldon Gardner Hunter

Thursday, July 18: The summer gets hotter. The need to stay away from my stuffy apartment until sundown is paramount. Luckily, there are bars.

This week it's Tocador (2610 Main Street, Vancouver). It's a Cuban restaurant and bar that I often pass by on the way to Friendlie's or Uncle Abe's. Cuban or not, it looked like a good place to hide from el sol intimidante ...

Raspberry Daiquiri – 

Appleton Estate Signature Blend, fresh muddled raspberries, lime juice, simple syrup

I like the Rasdaq much better than the Nasdaq. Less ups and downs. Just a simple, boozy, and fruity drink. I nursed it while eating some Patatas Bravas- spicy Spanish potatoes. It's hot outside, but the daiquiri is icy and the bar ambience is an octave lower than the sun. The high ceilings and open space provide natural airflow with no need for AC or fans. 

Tocador, on this day, is very busy outside, with its packed pandemic patio of picnic tables in the erstwhile street parking space on the street and the rambunctious row of seats parallel to the sidewalk. The long table by the window inside is also fully occupied. I ventured into the deeper interior of the space, expecting a more clandestine clientele. But I’m the only patron at the bar. About 12 seats there, then 6 tables and a booth in the back. This is, literally, where the cool kids hang out.

But now a sunbeam has appeared. I’m the opposite of a cat, trying to find my way out of this patch of sunlight. Meanwhile, I’m having a Bird Conspiracy:

Coconut oil washed Tanqueray Gin, Martini Bianco Vermouth, Lavender Syrup, House made cardamom bitters, lemon.

This drink is tasty & has an oatmeal mouthfeel, which I think is because of the coconut and the cardamom. Remember Dare Coconut cookies, Canucks? 

The drink (not the cookie) is spicy, floral, and acidic and I really like it. The bitters really elevate the flavour profile and adds a subtle, piquant aroma as well. It also is the cheapest cocktail on the menu, coming in at $14. It came in a goblet, which earns it extra points. 

When the sun started to sink, I settled my tab and prepared for the journey back. Tocador has a notable washroom:

It rivals Friendlie's and Maxine's for clean, spacious commodes, but it wins for the flamingo motif. 

On my walk to King Edward Station, I looked for the locally famous Follow Cat, a four-legged furball that has tagged along with me and my friend Max down 20th Avenue as we return from a night out on Main Street. But he or she didn't appear - I think they only come out at night, a rare cat who shuns the sunbeams like me.