Do you know there is a gin bar in East Vancouver, one that houses over 100 different bottles of gins?
The bar is easy to spot with its black awning and eye catching dapper rabbit logo with its high collar and corncob pipe.
The bar itself is rustic with worn brick decorated in antique mirrors. Seating is available in a living room style lounge, booths with two person tables, as well as high tops by the bar. The latter is where the full collection of their gin is shelved on display. Staggered across wood boards with piping brackets and LED lights.
The menu is an accordian fold out and lists all the gin options by country of origin including Canada, America, Ireland, Holland, Scotland, France, Italy, Germany, Japan, Vietnam, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and Spain. The prices vary from $7.25 on the lower end for a pour, up to $25 for “Forest English” from the UK. Prices are dependant on scarcity and the need to import.
You can either enjoy the gin as is, or have it mixed into a gin and tonic with your choice to flavoured soda waters, citrus, and botanicals for a customized cocktail your way.
Choose between their house tonic and/or branded tonics in flavours like mediterranean, elderflower, cucumber and mint, pink grapefruit, rose and cucumber, and honey bush orange; to name a few.
For garnish there is lime, lemon, grapefruit, orange, cucumber, ginger, time, basil, sage, hibiscus, juniper, pink, peppercorn, dill, olives, jasmine flower, rosemary, rose petals, mint, and calendula petals.
The also offer other spirits listed under their “types”. Dcotch, vodka, rum, rye, and bourbon. However I would stick with what they specialize in, as I can get the others else where.
I visited with a group and we each made our choices with the help of our bartender, pulling out our preferences in taste.
From France we got the Citadelle Cornichon gin and made it into a pickle martini. You need to really swish this around in the mouth to be able to taste the brininess. Although, the vermouth masks a lot of the pickle essence.
From Australia we went with the Never Never, unique for its triple the amount of distilled juniper, making it surprisingly refreshing.
I wanted a savoury cocktails so was recommended the Bruinwood feast au jus for its meaty finish. It was lovely mixed with red vermouth.
We also got a whiff of a truffle gin that smelled like the umami fungus, but with none of the taste. And noted local Odd Society’s Salal gin that tastes like currants.
In short, this is a unique spot to grab an uniquely drink at. No other bar specializes in gin that I know of.
Blind Rabbit
2531 E Hastings St, Vancouver, BC V5K 1Z2
(604) 423-9463
blindrabbit.ca
