Sip Around
Treat yourself to special cocktail and appetizer pairings, crafted especially for the Sip Around event. For the three weeks leading up to Art of The Cocktail, visit the finest cocktail lounges in Victoria, to enjoy a tasty cocktail, savour a delectable appetizer and collect a recipe card. Participating lounges: The Office, LURE, Marina Restaurant, Sips Artisan Bistro, Veneto, Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub, Ric's Grill, Sauce, Clives Classic Lounge and Paprika

12:00PM – 1:30PM
Meeting Room
Chateau Victoria

The Long & Mysterious History of Cocktail Bitters & Liqueurs
Recently,  there has been a resurgence in the popularity of cocktail bitters on an international level. The Bitter Truth has been doing its share to contribute to this development.

2:00PM – 3:00PM
Clive’s Classic Lounge

Liquid Lounge Tasting: Ryan Cherverie of Brown-Forman samples whiskeys

2:00PM – 3:30PM
Hotel Rialto,
653 Pandora Ave.

Introduction to Boutique Distilleries

2:30PM – 4:00PM
Meeting Room
Chateau Victoria

Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Gin
An introduction to the world of dry gin and gin based cocktails. Learn how to make a basic gin cocktail, how to mix a real martini and contemporary favourites.
– Solomon Siegel

3:30PM – 5:00PM
Clive’s Classic Lounge

Liguid Lounge Session: The Science of Citrus
A fascinating interactive seminar that will have you blindfolded, nose-clipped and bamboozled as you smell, taste, see and touch citrus in all it's many guises."
– Philip Duff

4:00PM - 5:30PM
Crystal Garden

Special Event: Home Bartender’s Competition
Watch and cheer as non-professional cocktail enthusiasts and home bartenders dazzle the judges with their creations and win prizes.

6:00PM - 7:00PM
Crystal Garden

VIP Grand Tasting
The main event. An evening of cocktail sampling introducing nearly 50 different flavours from the world of elegant spirits.  Along with the big players, the Tasting will also highlight artisan, small and regional distillers who will present cocktail demonstrations and samples of the most exciting and colourful cocktails from around the world. While on your cocktail journey, snack on delicious complimentary appetizers from some of the most innovative chefs on the West Coast.

The Grand Tasting
The main event. An evening of cocktail sampling introducing nearly 50 different flavours from the world of elegant spirits.  Along with the big players, the Tasting will also highlight artisan, small and regional distillers who will present cocktail demonstrations and samples of the most exciting and colourful cocktails from around the world. While on your cocktail journey, snack on delicious complimentary appetizers from some of the most innovative chefs on the West Coast.

10:00AM - 2:00PM
Harbour Room,
Chateau Victoria

Industry Registration
Touch base at the industry kick off registration with the Canadian Professional Bartenders Association. Meet your fellow bartenders and pick up your Industry Pass and welcome bag.

12:00PM – 1:30PM
Meeting Room
Chateau Victoria

How the American Bar Spread the Cocktail Across theGlobe*
The American bar was the nation’s ambassador and cultural attaché in the 19th century. It was a pioneer in the innovation of the cocktail and it was revered and mimicked across the globe. Until prohibition.– Christine Sismondo

12:30PM – 1:30PM
Clive’s Classic Lounge

Liquid Lounge Tasting: Black Magic, White Spirits and Manuel Barreira

1:00PM – 2:30PM
Meeting Room
Chateau Victoria

Going Against The Grain: Crafting Spirits & Flavours Around Grain Distillates*
Join Irishman Philip Duff for a rollicking mega-tasting ride through the history, flavours, laws and practises of grain based spirits, from genever in the Low Countries to English gin to whiskey, liqueurs and the most international spirit around, vodka– Philip Duff

2:00PM – 3:00PM
Clive’s Classic Lounge

Liquid Lounge Tasting: Corby's Ryan Powell

2:30PM – 4:00PM
Meeting Room
Chateau Victoria

The Science of Taste*
Join chemist and mixologist Darcy O'Neil and better understand how flavours are perceived and influence each other.- Darcy O’Neil

3:00PM – 4:30PM
Meeting Room
Chateau Victoria

The Great Debate Continues*
Four industry professionals examine the benefits and draw backs of making ingredients in house versus purchasing high quality manufactured products in three different environments: Boutique Cocktail Bar, Local Chef Driven Concepts, and National Multi-Unit Chains.

Featuring: Danielle Tatarin – Keefer Bar, Trevor Kallies – DHM, Cameron Bogue – Earl’s, Craig James – Fentiman’s

Sample cocktails by these Vancouver based mixologists as they illustrate their points of view and hook you into a rousing discussion on the merits of all things cocktail.

3:30PM – 5:00PM
Clive’s Classic Lounge

Liquid Lounge Session: Creating a Home Bar
Are you tired of looking at that lone bottle of vodka in your liquor cabinet?  Have you been interested in making cocktails at home but don’t really know where to start? How to set up a Home Bar (and what to do with it!) will walk you through the basics of setting up a home bar, including what spirits to buy (where to go budget and where to splurge!), what basic bar supplies to invest in, and most importantly, what cocktails you can make up with your basic home bar. We’ll take things one step further, and talk about the basics of mixing up classic cocktails, getting hands-on mixing up three different styles of cocktail. - Janice Mansfield

This event is open to all.

4:00PM – 5:30PM

The Whole Beast*
Port with Stilton, sherry with prosciutto. Traditionally, fortified wines have been paired with meats and cheeses, but we're turning tradition on its head by pairing fortified wine cocktails with delicious meats from The Whole Beast Artisan Salumeria and gourmet cheeses from Charelli's Cheese Shop. Sip and savour exquisite flavours. - The Whole Beast

7:00PM - 11:59PM
Canoe, Sauce, Veneto, Ric’s & Clive’s, LURE

Tour de Cocktailia
Here's an opportunity to get access to the Midnight Bartenders Brunch. Your passport for entry needs to bear the stamps (available on the evening of October 3 only) from each of the participating cocktail lounges.

12:00AM - 2:00AM

Midnight Bartender’s Brunch  
Only available to participants of the Tour De Cocktailia, Enjoy a spread of delicious food after your Tour.

11:00AM – 1:00PM
Lawn bowling club

Fentimans Libations & Lawn Bowling  
Bartenders will put down their shakers, stow away their jiggers, bring out their whites and test their throwing arms in a lively competitive game of lawn bowling. Tantalizing barmaids will provide tasty sustenance to bolster the courage of our competitors as they duke it out on the green!
White clothing is mandatory for participation.

12:00PM – 1:30PM
Meeting Room
Chateau Victoria

Barrel Aged Cocktails*
Barrel aged cocktails have become a world-wide trend over the past year. Learn about the history of barrel aged cocktails from two leaders of the industry, Shawn Soole and Jeffrey Morgenthaler as they share their successes and failures, insights and suggestions. – Jeffrey Morgenthaler & Shawn Soole

1:00PM – 2:30PM
Meeting Room
Chateau Victoria

Somewhereness*
Terroir and Spirits Join for an open discussion on the idea of the prevalence of terroir in spirits, and a guided tasting through examples of the concept in the brands we work with behind the bar, and how this can be applied to crafting cocktails that highlight the origins of each particular spirit.
– Nick Nemeth

2:00PM – 3:00PM
Clive’s Classic Lounge

Liquid Lounge Tasting: Disarronno with Mark Hamilton

2:00PM – 3:30PM
Victoria Spirits

Distillery Tour*
Catch the shuttle to the Victoria Spirits distillery and join Distiller Peter Hunt as you tour the distillery, check out their steampunk still and sample the spirits that this local artisan produces.   A shuttle leaves from the Chateau Vic at 1:30 PM  

2:30PM – 4:00PM
Meeting Room
Chateau Victoria

The Spirituality of Mezcal*
In this seminar we taste pure organic mezcal made by farmer producers from different regions and learn some of the influences of Terruño ...Terroir, on these plants and their flavors and a few great cocktails made with mezcal! 
– Ron Cooper

3:00PM – 4:30PM
Meeting Room
Chateau Victoria

Crafting Carbonated Cocktails*
ABSOLUT Brand Ambassador Casey McKay and Evan Wallace, President and Founder of Perlage Systems, conduct a hands on seminar that will cover the science behind carbonating cocktails and demonstrate how to use the system, cover the science behind carbonation and explain the affects it has on ingredients when crafting your next cocktail. You will leave this seminar inspired with a new and exciting technique to add to the ever evolving craft of bartending.
– Casey McKay & Evan Wallace

3:30PM – 5:00PM
Clive’s Classic Lounge

Liquid Lounge Session: Sometimes a Cosmo is Just a Cosmo: The Psychology of Bartending
"This is a discussion centered around a distinguished panel of bartenders, who will contribute and share their ideas based on their encounters, observations, and knowledge gained throughout their careers. We will look at how people experience their drinks in our workplace, and how their taste can be shaped/formed through their interactions with the barkeep or service staff.  Throughout history, bartending has morphed with the demands of society, and through this bartenders have become somewhat like chamaeleons.  We will be unraveling the concept of “it’s not about us (staff), it’s about them (guest),” and how this is maintained with the growing trend and cult-like following of alcohol in society.  A few topics that will be discussed include: commodity culture, ordering an experience in a drink, and who is the modern bartender?" - Katie McDonald, Simon Ogden, David Wolowidnyk, Philip Duff

6:00PM - 8:00PM
Veneto

Professional Bartender’s Competition
Watch as top mixologists dazzle with their elixirs. See how the pros mix, muddle, shake, and zest their way to the top.

8:30PM
Various suites,
Chateau Victoria

Industry Brand Tastings