Mocktails are just as delectable as cocktails (just ask our inspectors) and the bar team at Vancouver's Botanist proves this with their Heartwood recipe. Jeff Savage (head bartender), Grant Sceney (director of beverage for the bar and the hotel, Fairmont Pacific Rim), and the rest of the mixology team at Botanist were awarded as the 2022 MICHELIN Guide Vancouver Exceptional Cocktails Award winners, so you know you're in good (or rather talented) hands. Whether you're jumping into Dry January, or you're always team mocktail, break out all your mixology gear to tackle this tipple.
Heartwood
Ingredients (recipes below)
- 3 oz birch water
- 1 oz smoked tea syrup
Smoked Tea Syrup
- 1,000g water
- 50g untreated western red cedar (broken into pieces)
- 20g smoked tea (head bartender Jeff Savage uses Tealeaves Forestea, but lapsang souchong will do in a pinch).
- 1,000g superfine sugar
- 45g citric acid
Directions
- Heat water to a near-boil
- Add cedar and tea leaves to water and cover. Turn heat to low and steep for 20 minutes.
- Strain out cedar and tea leaves, and weigh the liquid.
- Add equal amounts of sugar to the liquid and add citric acid. Stir to combine.
- Cool and store in fridge for up to 6 weeks
Method
Stir ingredients together with ice. Strain into chilled rocks glass with large clear ice cube and garnish with a sprig of rosemary.
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay on top of the MICHELIN Guide's best restaurants and hotels, recipes, travel stories, and more.
Find the best restaurants and hotels around the globe with the MICHELIN Guide app. Sign up, make a list of your favorites, and make a reservation with our booking partners Resy, OpenTable, and SevenRooms.
Hero image: Botanist's Heartwood
All photos © Fairmont Pacific Rim
