Vancouverites have been hankering for a fun night out, and we got one by way of this immersive cocktail experience. Take a trip into Wonderland, where theatre and play meets the bar.
From the same show runners that brought you Tinseltown, the elaborate Christmas themed bar last winter, comes “The Alice”.
Alice’s adventure in wonderland was my favourite fairy tale growing up. No love story, no princes, just a girl getting high on life and psychedelics, the curious cast she meets. Each character better than the last, each with their own quirks. So to be able to see them live and in person was a trip (intentional pun). Note this event is intended for adults so the dialogue gets fairly risqué, but there are family friendly seatings as well.
Tickets are $46.50 and given the amount of entertainment, fun, whimsy, and cocktails they pack into each 90 minute seating, this fee is well worth it. When you go to a regular bar, cocktails range from $10-15, here you get 3 with your admission, and a cookie! And considering the theatrics here, you are definitely getting your money’s worth.
Themed around the Mad Hatter’s tea party, the experience comes alive with hosts and a slew of familiar characters. I won’t be going into specific as to not ruin the performance or excitement of not knowing what to expect. But guests meet the March Hare, the White Rabbit who is also infamously late, the Hatter who is madder than ever, and the Queen who was trying to off all of our heads.
I really have to note the caliber of the actors here. Not all those attending were as keen as I was. I dressed the part (a punk version of Alice) and was fully engaged. But for those who weren’t, the actors did their best to pull them into this world that was so fabulously crafted.
The set director really did an amazing job. It was wall to wall decorations. Plenty to see and even more details to hone in on. Every corner was a photo op and there was no way to not want to immerse yourself in its spectacle.
From when you enter through to every passage way. A gallery of clocks and the bottom half of Alice dangling from the ceiling. A chessboard bar with checkered floor and playing cards decked out on ceiling (another clever pun). A glowing neon forest bathed in black light. A library and tea parlour all in one. Plenty of lounging space and nooks to explore. I won’t go into specifics over each, but will just leave you with the photos.
The experience starts once everyone is seated. You are greeted with a mango shooter at your designated table. Each clothed and preset with tea pot, cups, and saucers.
Each guest is “suited” with a new playing card identity. I asked for the King for David and went with the Ace for myself, when the Queen wasn’t available. We pinned this to our lapels and were part of team clubs.
You have to earn your second cocktail by solving puzzles and collecting ingredients to mix up your own pot of spiked tea. Find out who is lying, help Alice cross the river, and answer the Cheshire cat’s punny riddle. Then back to your table to pour your collected vials into you teapot and it all stir up with dry ice for a smokey and sparkly tea.
Your next challenge is painting the foam of your next cocktail. Using fine tipped paint brushes and a chocolate sauce, attendees compete to see who creates the best design. The winner earning a prize. I put full effort and strategy into painting the Queen of Hearts, who was judging the competition. As a result my extra work was rewarded with the win and a cherry tart shot. Thus, making my drink count 4 with admission.
From here the theatre portion of your night ends. You can linger a little longer in the parlour, but with the next time slot fast approaching, are encouraged to gather downstairs in the bar/lounge area.
At the bar there are more cocktails for purchase. Given our visit coinciding with St. Patrick’s day there was a green martini that billowed with smoke and green shots to be had.
We went off of their regular drink menu, ordering a couple of 2oz cocktails and paid the extra to have them in their souvenir “drink me” bottles. Where you get to choose your only receptacle from a collection of glass bottles on display. I wanted it to look like a potion so went with a circular one.
Turtle Soup with iridescent silver sparkles. Tequila, pineapple, coconut, and blue curaçao for a strong piña colada of sorts. Finished off with a maraschino cherry. The Jabbawocky Sour was whisky, citrus, sugar, and egg whites. A stiff drink made sweeter.
In short, this is a well conceived and amazingly fun event. I highly recommend getting your tickets sooner than later and experiencing something a little different. Tickets only available until April 24, 2022.
The Alice at Alpen Club
4875 Victoria Dr, Vancouver, BC V5N 4P3
https://explorehidden.com/event/details/the-alice-an-immersive-cocktail-experience-vancouver-1553742
We got there to the Vancouver venue last night for the Alice show but it got cancelled again without any notification! The first time was my wife’s birthday and the second time was for our wedding anniversary. We spent much time, effort, and money making arrangements and traveling there to celebrate our special day only to be greeted by a shut door… two times in a row!? This is ridiculous beyond unacceptable. I’m ok with them canceling the event in advance but not notifying us is completely unprofessional and full-on negligent. We are usually quite understanding but this is more than just disappointment; it’s insulting.