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Wildebeest Packs Bar With Wintry Whiskies, New Cocktails, And Atypical Beers

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The GOODS from Wildebeest

Vancouver, BC | Fall and winter signal more than just fantastic braised and seared meats and vegetables to Wildebeest. The cold seasons also bring a packed bar with excellent new whiskies, cocktails, and rare beers – some of which are as rare as they are delicious. A grand, generous, beautiful bar; Vancouver’s best bar snacks; an excellent daily happy hour; and the city’s finest selection of American whiskeys (among others) make this the bar at which to be.

Let’s start with beers, as so many good things do…

Cascade Barrel House ‘Apricot’ Wild Ale
Anchorage Brewing ‘Mosiac’ Saison
Four Winds Brewing ‘Pequen?o Cabo’ Barrel-Aged Berliner Weisse
Trou du Diable ‘Dulcis Succubus’ Wine Barrel-Aged Ale
Cantillon ‘Iris’ Lambic
Trou du Diable ‘L’Herrisson’ Sour Ale
Upright ‘Flora Rustica’ Barrel-Aged Saison
Pfriem Flanders Red Ale
Double Mountain ‘Devil’s Kriek’ Cherry Lambic

Now we’re ready for cocktails, and Josh, Drew, and Micky have you covered with the classics, our signatures, and these new winter gems, described in lovingly nerdish detail…

The Mucho Verde builds off of the strong, smoky profile of mezcal by combining it with freshly juiced celery. Lime adds acidity and agave syrup lends a rich sweetness. All of this is shaken with fresh tarragon, a classic flavour pairing with celery. The result is a herbaceous, balanced drink that truly is “a lot of green”, living up to its name.

A perfect, boozy drink for the winter months, the Bourbon Decay is a twist on the modern classic, the Black Manhattan (a Manhattan made with an amaro in place of the vermouth). Bourbon is stirred with Amaro Lucano, a rich, sweet, viscous amaro with a strong bitter finish. To this we add a splash of small batch cold brew coffee made by Notch Coffee in the heart of Vancouver. Honey adds sweetness and black walnut bitters add a nutty complexity. This drink is served on the rocks and is garnished with flamed orange oil.

In Cuba, a Havana-Milano is a simple drink made of white Cuban rum, Campari, and fresh pineapple juice. Like many countries in Central and South America, palates run sweet and this was one of the only cocktails that broke that mold and contained a bitter component. Upon returning from a trip there, one of our bartenders took inspiration from this drink to made an adaptation with the same name. The Havana-Milano is a stirred Negroni variation. White cuban rum, Cocchi Americano rossa (a quinine-forward Italian vermouth), and Campari find harmony with fresh pineapple juice. Verjus adds a soft acidity that brightens the drink and rounds out its bold flavours. A burst of lime oil on top adds a pleasant aromatic element.

Our updated Mamacita is floral, delicate and fruity. Lillet Rose, Aperol, and grapefruit are stirred with two dashes of the gentian-and-grapefruit-based Citron Sauvage liqueur from Bittermen’s. This is topped with sparkling wine and garnished with a candied hibiscus flower. Hibiscus water is then spritzed on the side and stem of the flute lending a lovely floral bouquet.

The Ugly Sweater is autumn and winter in a glass: cocoa nib-infused scotch, orange juice, lemon, and amaro are balanced with a clove and allspice-forward mulled cider. This is about as seasonal as it gets.

A rich, stiff rye libation, the Guillotine is a twist on the classic Boulevardier. Grassy, aromatic American rye is matched with Cocchi’s Vermouth Amaro, a product that blends the line between those two spirit category by taking their regular vermouth recipe and doubling the amount of botanicals used in its production. Our house cherry liqueur adds sweetness and fruit and Scrappy’s orange bitters add a warm citrus note.

St. Germain elderflower liqueur and white wine are a match made in heaven. Combine them with lightly muddled cucumber, sweet bianco vermouth, and a dash of Aphrodite bitters (think chocolate, spice, and everything nice) and you have the Petit Versailles.

See you at the bar.

Details

120 West Hastings Street | Vancouver, BC
Telephone: 604-687-6880
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.wildebeest.ca | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Open for dinner service nightly from 5pm to midnight (including 5-6pm Happy Hour)
Weekend brunch from 10am to 2pm

Gallery

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The People

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Josh Pape: Owner/Operator
James Iranzad: Owner/Operator
Pekka Tavela: Executive Chef

About Wildebeest

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Wildebeest invites you to experience unabashedly adventurous, yet simple cooking at its finest set against the history of the Vancouver neighbourhood of Gastown. Explore whole-animal cookery paired with a diverse selection of Old and New World wines and a carefully crafted cocktail list. Set in a refurbished 19th century building, the multi-level space offers a front house cocktail bar & lounge, open-concept kitchen complete with large kitchen tables, an inviting dining room with banquette seating, and an intimately-set underground wine bar.

The gastronomically daring menu focuses on whole-animal cookery prepared with the utmost integrity. Each and every component has been thoughtfully nurtured by the restaurant’s executive chef, Pekka Tavela, from field to finish.  Working closely with surrounding farms and farmers to raise animals and grow custom produce, the team at Wildebeest has crafted a menu unlike anything yet explored in Vancouver.

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