Vancouver, BC (March X, 2025) – Botanist Bar, Vancouver, Canada’s award-winning cocktail destination announces its latest sensory experience: The Water of Life (Eau de Vie). The new experiential menu,
created in Botanist’s innovative Cocktail Lab, blurs the lines between art and science, and explores theprofound relationship between nature and alchemy, where water serves as the foundation of both life and libations. The selection of four chemist-like cocktails is complimented by a delicately prepared accompaniment.
Guided by the vision of Creative Beverage Director Grant Sceney and the culinary artistry of Executive Chef Hector Laguna, Eau de Vie is a curated exploration of flavour, technique, and storytelling. Each cocktail is masterfully paired with an accompanying bite that enhances and elevates the tasting experience. This seamless pairing invites guests to uncover the nuances of each element, with flavours unfolding and evolving with every sip and bite. While each element is complete on its own, and together they create an immersive, multi-dimensional experience that lingers long after the final taste.
“My team and I are very excited to present the second iteration of our experiential cocktails offering.” says Grant Sceney, Creative Beverage Director. “The collection is inspired by water, the essential element of life, and explores its profound impact on botany through its many forms, from oceans and volcanoes to evaporation, clouds and rain.”
The four unique cocktail pairings highlight the best of the Pacific Northwest, featuring locally-sourced ingredients and spirits from regional distilleries, paired with contemporary techniques. Pale Blue Dot captures the essence of all the water on Earth. Featuring blue algae from the Pacific Ocean, this vibrant blue cocktail blends oyster shell gin from North Vancouver’s Copperpenny, with an oyster leaf distillate and lacto-fermented cucumber pineapple syrup.
The Ring of Fire embodies the influence of water vapour on tropical botany around the Pacific Rim. A tropical blend of 12-year-old rum, Canadian Rye Whiskey, and melon liqueur is yogurt-washed and clarified in the centrifuge, complemented by passionfruit distillate, vanilla, and lemon cordial. Raincouver is a nod to Vancouver’s climate and the flavours that are inspired by it; from the beautiful cherry blossoms to the vast pine trees. The drink is light in style; vodka at the base with hints of yuzu, pine, aperitif wine and citrus topped with a slash of Perrier, then served with an edible cherry blossom cloud that floats above the cocktail.
Earths Energy celebrates the vital role water plays in nourishing the earth’s flora and fauna. A bright and energizing mix of blanco tequila, local vermouth from Esquimalt, Woods Distillery amaro chiaro, and
chamomile elderflower. This cocktail evolves in flavour as it warms, akin to flowers blossoming in the Spring. Since its creation in 2018, the Cocktail Lab at Botanist has integrated culinary-forward techniques into the bar’s cocktail design and production. Equipped with industrial kitchen tools like a rotary evaporator (Rotovap) and centrifuges for ingredient separation, the lab is a cornerstone of Botanist’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and the creative use of locally-sourced ingredients. This new menu is a testament to the bar’s dedication to pushing the boundaries of modern mixology.
