Bartender of the Year: Nick Devine

By Andrew Morrison

IT WAS A GOOD YEAR to have a drink in B.C. In Victoria, Brasserie L’École coolly flaunted its absinthe stylings and Temple gave us fauxtinis galore. On the urban peripheries, the bars at West Vancouver’s Ocean Club and Whistler’s Mountain Club dazzled under the guidance of bar manager Darryl McDonald. In Vancouver proper, the bar was raised on many fronts. Robson’s Zin birthed a new list of “chef-inspired” cocktails and made instant waves; Mark Brand bounced around, dispensing benedictions as a bar consultant (have a drink at Baru Latino tonight and taste the fruits of his most recent labours); the bar at West made phenomenal mid-summer refreshers courtesy of David Wolowidnyk; Bar None improved immensely under the guidance of Jay Jones; Davie’s 1181—our most gorgeous gay bar—wowed us with their seasonal berry mojitos; Josh Pape brought new game to Chambar; and the well-travelled Ron Oliver schooled and charmed us at Blue Water Cafe.
But despite a talented field, there was surprisingly quick consensus among the judges as to who should be recognized above all others.

In the September 2005 issue of this magazine, I wrote that the arrival of Yaletown’s George Lounge had “pushed the business of booze to the lofty level of haute and eclipsed every contender in the city.” That was true then and it is still true almost two years later. The root of George’s promise remains the soul of its operation: bar manager and this year’s Bartender of the Year, Nick Devine, 29. Throughout 2006, he continued to tinker, muddle, shake and pour the best list of cocktails the city has ever seen. His passion for fresh ingredients, his ability to match them like a chef, and his ebullient nature has ensured a nightly procession of repeat customers who come just as much for him as they do for his Juleps, Caipirinhas and Crustas.

Last year’s winner, Mark Brand, agrees: “Nick loves the art of his craft and cares about every single drink that goes out.” Not just the exotic ones either; he’s as meticulous about serving a good old-fashioned Old Fashioned as he is in preparing something more elaborate. Test him on it: visit George on a slow day, order a Fuji-San, and watch him painstakingly “smash” Granny Smith apples, fresh basil leaves and honeycomb. Served with premium Shochu and a red apple garnish shaped like a geisha’s fan, the cocktail is a fine example of our winner’s prowess.

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