Vancouver Magazine
Eaters Gotta Eat: Café Medina Owner Robbie Kane’s Fave Meals in the City
Giveaway: Tickets to The Victor’s Rooftop Oasis Event
8 Dog-Friendly Vancouver Patios (Paired with Dog Breeds, Obviously)
Breaking: The Team Behind Published and Bar Susu Bring New Snack Bar to Main St.
Breaking: The Keefer Bar Team Is Bringing New Concept to Cambie Street
3 Very Nice Wines to Drink at the Park
Your Vancouver 2SLGBTQ+ Resource Directory
6 Things to Do in Vancouver for Pride
5 Things to Do in Vancouver This Week (July 22- 28)
The Outsider’s Guide: The Best Places to Rock Climb Outside of Vancouver
The Outsider’s Guide: You’ve Conquered the Chief… Now What?
These Are the Best Swimming Holes Near Vancouver
Personal Space: Inside Illustrator Carson Ting’s Art-Filled Home Studio
7 Straw Bags Perfect for Bringing the Picnic Vibes Everywhere You Go
On the Rise: Pamela Card Makes Jewellery Inspired by Bygone Eras
You're very welcome.
The BC Liquor Store’s recent summer spirits release was a big hit, judging by me getting jacked out of all my selections in the ballot process. But, there’s a silver lining—what may be the coolest bottle of spirits I’ve heard of in a while quietly hit the shelves a few weeks before the spirit release and is hiding in plain sight for anyone with a taste for adventure. And smoke. And friendship.
But first, let me get my prejudices out of the way. #1, Scotch is the greatest drink in the world. #2, Scotch from Islay is the greatest expression of Scotch. #3, Lagavulin is arguably the greatest Islay Scotch.
But here’s #4. Notwithstanding all of the above…I love good tequila. I love it’s freshness. I love how it works when it’s blazing hot outside or freezing cold. I love that, pyscho-somatic or not, I get less of a hangover when I drink tequila. All of which are a problem when you’ve spent 20 years as the Scotch guy. Until now.
Everyone wants to wax on about craft distillers, but you know what’s also awesome? Conglomerates. Conglomerates can say: Hey, don’t we have an elite Scotch distillery and an elite tequila distillery? Let’s have them do something awesome together. In this case the conglomerate is Diageo and the distilleries are the aforementioned Lagavulin and Mexico’s Don Julio (their 1942 is probably the most lauded tequila in history). The result is a Don Julio Reposado that’s been finished in the casks that held the smoke bomb that is Lagavulin.
Let’s be clear—notwithstanding the partnership, this is all tequila. It’s just a tequila that channels some of Lagavulin’s traits like cold smoke and baking spice instead of the greener, crunchier notes in a “normal” reposado. I love it. And the good news? It’s $10 cheaper than Lagavulin 16. And it’s easily $50 less expensive than Don Julio 1942.
So let’s recap.
I’ve saved you over $60 and allowed you to celebrate two made-up days with one bottle. And maybe saved you from a hangover. Wow.