It has been years since I attended Hopscotch, then it was the inaugural year and solely focused on whisky, scotch, and bourbon. As its name suggested this was a showcase where you “hopped” from one vendor/booth to another, trying the selections.
It still has the above, but a lot less scotch and a lot more beers, coolers, and spirits; as it is now advertised as a “whisky, beer, and spirits“ festival. A disappointment for those looking to solely expand their whisky repertoire. However, for those looking for a good time and to discover new brands, this was the ticket; with the ability to sample over 250+ products.
We attended the industry showing 2 hours earlier so were able to avoid the crowds. Although the popular booths still saw lines.
Majority of the vendors were pouring mixed cocktails on top of straight shots. However I was more interested in trying the spirits in their natural state, especially seeing as there were new and limited releases, in time for the holidays.
Unfortunately we were not able to get to everything, so this is a compilation of all that we did try. I always hit up my local favourites to see what is new and what is happening with them.
At the Woods Distillery they were showcasing their newest Italian inspired nut liquor. I appreciate that they offer an alternative to grains and agave, with walnut, herbs, and roots. Their Crema Nocciola is a Hazelnut Cream Liqueur in time for the holiday cocktail mixing. A creamy sipping beverage or one ideal for mixing with coffee.
Copperpenny was sampling their seasonal figgy pudding gin with flavours of honey, fruit, and nuts. We also got to try their first collaboration with Shangri-la, a black tea gin prepared with Shangri-la’s own blend of teas. Each hotel room will include a complimentary sample sized bottle for all overnight guests.
We got to try Patrón’s first Cristalino Tequila. A crystal-clear tequila made from the finest patrón añejo and filtered through wood charcoal, aged in four distinct oak cask types. They were also pouring Palomas mixed with their other tequilas.
We were enamoured with Shinobu’s Shogun packaging. A bottle showcased at last week’s BCL premium whisky release. It is $99.99 per bottle and sold out within four hours on initial release. 15 more cases were shipped out aa of Friday. The Cambie & 39th location is still waiting for theirs, but it will be 1 bottle per person, first come, first serve with no holds. This is a blend of carefully selected whiskies, aged for three years in both Bourbon and Mizunara casks. The Bourbon casks impart a rich, vanilla sweetness, while the Mizunara casks (unique to Japan), adds a layer of complexity with notes of sandalwood and exotic spices.
The unexpected was the new Chica-chida peanut butter flavoured tequila from Mexico. A sweet and buttery spirit further sweetened with agave. A delicious sipper, and one that I would like to see in a peanut-butter and jelly themed cocktail or shot.
We are a fan of Nikka whisky so made sure to stop by for a few of our favourite sips
Heritage Acres Distillery from Abbotsford brought their prospecting themed collection, including saddle photo op.
From the same folks responsible for Bumbu rum comes The Deacon, another unconventional spirit to add to their portfolio. A blend of both smoky Speyside and peaty Islay malt whiskies.We didn’t get a chance to try it neat, but did enjoy it in a Nitro Espresso Martini with coffee liqueur and espresso
The ready to drink canned coolers offered breaks from the hard stuff. Like Matt & Steve’s, known for their pickled beans popular in caesars; they now have their own full Caesar cocktails in a can.
There were also several soju options, two of which included mascot costumes, left empty.
Even Bai Jiu, China’s rice spirits made in vodka and tequila style made an appearance. The oldest age statement being 30 years.
For those looking for a respite Camel had a lounge and the ability to have your own drink cozy personalized thrifty engraving. There was corn hole and hopscotch to play, and live music to dance to.
Then when in need of some food there were several vendors available to choose from. This included Hello Nori with their own cooler collaboration with Please! Beverage Co (who were also present and sampling their natural fruit cocktails).
We stopped at the Vennie’s Sub booth, surprised that they did pop ups. The owner himself was there and we got to ask who “Vennie” was? This is short of Venables. Here, we tried their Vennie’s Steak Sun, a Charcoal-grilled 60z Bavette steak, cooked to medium-rare, served on a garlic-buttered sub bun with chimichurri and their house-made Gruyère cheese sauce. A very rich and sumptuous meaty sandwich, ideal to end our day of drinking on.
