SCENE | HEARD
Gillespie’s Fine Spirits is the newest craft distillery to pop onto the Lower Mainland craft spirit scene. The Squamish tasting room opens to the public on Sept. 19. The product portfolio includes Gastown Shine vodka, Sin Gin, Lemoncello and a rye-based vodka. Whiskeys are planned for down the road.
Cannery Brewing has released their limited edition Wildfire IPA, a dark pale ale with subtle malts. Cannery has partnered with the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation, to which a portion of all proceeds will be donated.
Vancouver’s own Mink Chocolates has won the award for Top Chocolate Bar at the 2014 International Chocolate Salon in San Francisco with their Mermaid’s Choice, a ganache-filled bar with burnt caramel, fleur de sel, and rosemary.
DRINK | DINE
On Sept. 24, Campagnolo Roma will be hosting Tutto, a dinner celebrating the simplicity of whole ingredients. Menu includes freshwater smelts, wild sockeye, crispy local chicken, Sloping Hill Farm porchetta, Stoney Paradise tomatoes, Chilliwack corn, Okanagan peaches and cherries, and more. $74 per person for the family-style dinner, paired with beer from Bomber Brewing.
From the creators of Dîner en Blanc comes a new event, Harvest Haus. From Thursday Oct. 2 through Sunday, Oct. 5, the Queen Elizabeth Theatre plaza will be transformed into a German halle featuring live music, German bier, and lots and lots of good German dishes like schtnizel, späetzle, sausage, and sauerkraut.
Lovers of mystery and sustainable seafood, take note. On Sept. 27, the inaugural Slow Fish Canada Mystery Chefs Dinner takes place at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts. Evening includes reception with canapes from PICA students, wine, and beer from R&B Brewing, followed by a grazing dinner with guests moving through eight of the school’s professional teaching kitchens to meet the mystery chefs and try each sustainable seafood dish. Tickets are $79.
Tickets for the Vancouver Aquarium’s Toast to the Coast on Oct. 17 are still available. Join 14 top Ocean Wise restaurants, including Secret Location, Fable, Minami, and others, as well as BC wineries, bakeries, and chocolateries. Tickets $120.
Big Lou’s Butcher Shop will offer Sunday butchery classes starting Sept. 21, including whole hog butchery and sausage making. Learn the secrets of whole animal butchery and leave with a few pounds of meat to play with at home. Classes are $175 per person and are limited to six people per class. http://BigLousButcherShop.com
Older is better…Running now through Aug. 31, 2015 is Market’s Flash Your Age promotion. Come in on your birthday and receive an age-equivalent discount on your food bill. Reservations required.
