Clockwork Ohranj, Tequila Mockingbird, and Kamakuzi are the names of a few of the martinis you may find on the ever-evolving martini menu at Delilah’s 70-seat restaurant and bar (1789 Comox Street, West End, 604-687-3424).
Two-ounce martinis are said to have made Delilah’s, although the food is very good, too. Beverage managers and bartenders routinely turn up from around the us, even Puerto Rico and Europe, to study its infusions. The beverage people use foods such as apples, berries, citrus (lemon peel marinated for eighty days), and fresh vanilla beans for the bases; unusual blends such as papaya and habaflero pepper for both sweetness and heat; and frosted glasses trimmed with cocoa powder for a classic chocolate martini, or a purple flower for the blueberry-infused Purple Haze.
I prefer a classic gin and vermouth martini that I associate with — romantic that I am — the era of, say, Noel Coward and Somerset Maugham. To complete this fantasy, I’ll slip into the wood-paneled glory ofthe Gerard Lounge of the Sutton Place Hotel (845 Burrard Street, Downtown, 604-682-5511), which is said to attract visiting celebrities.
Other spots known for their martinis are the Urban Well (888 Nelson Street, Downtown, 604-638-6070; also 1516 Yew Street, Kitsilano, 604-737-7770); and the Lumiere Tasting Bar (2551 West Broadway, Kitsilano, 604-739-8185).
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