The Green Hour

 Cocktail Correspondent: Weldon Gardner Hunter

For the last two weeks, I've been plant-sitting for a friend on vacation. I agreed to water her plants while she jet-sets around Europe because I am trying to acquire a green thumb, and also because I liked pretending to have a pied-a-terre for a fortnight.

Before I dropped in on the plants for a final time this Saturday, I decided to spend Happy Hour at Bartholomew (1026 Mainland Street, Vancouver). On Saturday, it's a literal happy hour - from 5-6pm. Oh, and the selected cocktails are 11 bucks. Of course, I had two, in order to make a wish...

1.  Pandan Sour

Flor de Cana 7 year, Coconut, Pandan, Lime, Egg White, Cinnamon

Pandan, also known as Annapurna, is a fragrant tropical plant used in South and Southeast Asian cooking. It's making inroads into the Western beverage world, and that world is better for it.

Vanilla flavours abound.  Aromatic, and slightly nutty. The lime adds such a nice undercurrent. I keep thinking about it, like a spy in the house of love. The drink is desserty,  and might remind some of a Brandy Alexander - probably not the hip younger clientele of Bartholomew, though.

The room is reminiscent of Bar Corso on the Drive – a very long bar, with small, intimate booths on the other side of the aisle. It also has a spectacular, industrial wine-rack straight out of German Expressionist design (please correct me of the correct school in the comments):

The crowd is a mix of upscale and casual. The bar is in Yaletown, so expect a tonier atmosphere. A very cool feature of the menu is that it informs you of what glass your cocktail will come in: Coupe, Rocks, Nick and Nora, etc.  

Service is friendly and flash – just as I was about to put my second drink down, a bartender flung a cocktail napkin right underneath it before it touched the counter. 

Drink 2 was a Barrel-Aged Boulevardier

Bearface Triple Oak, Amaro Montenegro, Campari, Sweet Vermouth

The Canuck Bourbon boycott means many Paper Planes and Boulevardiers are subbed with Bearface whisky, which is a single grain variety that is aged in old Kentucky bourbon barrels. It works just fine in this variation-on-a-variation of a Negroni. At my favourite Happy Hour spot - Novo (2118 Burrard Street, Vancouver), they still have a large stash of Maker's Mark and their Boulevardier has cherry notes which I cherish. Here, the Amaro Montenegro gives it an earthy, rich bittersweet flavour.

All that for $22, plus tax and tip. I emerged from the dark bar into the late Spring afternoon sun, towards my appointment with a West End watering can and about twenty plants.