Sip Your Way Through Vancouver Cocktail Week this March!

March is right around the corner, which means we can look forward to warmer weather, blooming flowers, hiking season, spring break, St. Patrick's Day, and more.

For those in western Canada, March also means the first-ever Vancouver, BC Cocktail Week, a week of festivities centered around all things food and, of course, cocktails. Some of the city's hottest chefs, bartenders, restaurants, and bars will be featured throughout Cocktail Week, highlighting just how vibrant Vancouver BC's food and cocktail scenes really are.

The event host, The Alchemist magazine, says, "VCW 2022 is for the consumer who wants to drink in the city’s cocktail culture, but it’s also designed for the hospitality professionals who make it possible."

If you agree that it's well past time to enjoy some hard-earned fun (and libations!), this guide will give you all the details to start planning your visit to Vancouver, British Columbia.

Vancouver, BC Cocktail Week Overview

• Event dates: March 6-10, 2022
• Presented by The Alchemist magazine, in partnership with the BC Hospitality Foundation
• Vancouver Cocktail Week is split up between signature events, industry seminars, special events, and Cinq à Sept happy hours
• Tickets are required for seminars and special events, but not required for Cinq à Sept happy hour events

Vancouver Cocktail Week Seminars

It's fitting that "B.C.'s only magazine dedicated to local distilleries and cocktail culture" would host a series of educational industry seminars during Vancouver Cocktail Week.

For those who don't necessarily work in the food and beverage or service industries, but instead identify more as self-proclaimed cocktail enthusiasts, not to worry — there are VCW seminars for you, too.

Seminars take place from Sunday, March 6 through Wednesday, March 9, 2022. They range in topics from cocktail making techniques to the history of different spirits, and just about everything in between, all led by some of Vancouver's best and brightest experts. Please note that advance ticket purchase is required for all seminars, and some seminars are open strictly to industry professionals.

Here's a small sampling of the seminars offered during Vancouver Cocktail Week.

• Canadian Whiskey Master Class by Lot 40 at Clough Club - This industry-only event highlights the history of Canadian whiskey, plus features whiskey tastings.
• Better With Belvedere at The Chickadee Room - This tasty and interactive seminar demonstrates how the type of vodka you use makes a difference. It's also a charitable event, with all proceeds going to Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre.
• Diageo World Class Seminar at Published on Main - Learn tips and techniques over small bites and cocktails from some of the world's best competition bartenders.

Vancouver Cocktail Week Events

Vancouver Cocktail Week's events are incredibly diverse, perfectly highlighting the city's melting pot-style culture and global influences. There's truly something for every taste and interest!

Events take place in the evenings from Sunday, March 6 through Wednesday, March 9. They range from Prohibition-themed walking tours to cocktail-paired dinners and even a "tipsy tea." Please note that advance ticket purchase is required for all events.

Here are some of the Vancouver, BC Cocktail Week events we're most looking forward to.

• West Coast BBQ Dinner at Whiskey Six BBQ - In partnership with BC Distilled, this five-course, west coast-style BBQ dinner pairs each course with a cocktail made from a different local distillery.
• Spirited Walking Tour Through Gastown - During Prohibition, Gastown was full of underground speakeasies. This walking tour, hosted by Forbidden Vancouver, lets you experience a couple of these once-illegal bars, plus try some of their signature cocktails.
• Under the Sea With Mount Gay at Vancouver Aquarium - This "immersive under-the-sea happy hour" includes two rum cocktails from Mount Gay, the oldest rum distillery in the world, as well as sustainable snacks. Tickets also include admission to the aquarium, with access to all 30 exhibits.

Cinq À Sept at Vancouver Cocktail Week

Playing on the French concept of cinq à sept, the "playful hours" after work and before returning home to family, these VCW events center around "elevated happy hours." And who doesn't love a good happy hour?!

Cinq à sept events are held every day of Vancouver Cocktail Week, spread out across 22 locations including some of the city's best restaurants, bars, and pubs. Please note that while tickets are not required for cinq à sept events, some host locations recommend making advance reservations.

We've highlighted a few interesting events here, but you can find the complete list at the link above, with detailed information on locations and event times.

• Bar Corso - In the heart of Commercial Drive you can indulge in flights of grappa and amaro, plus nosh on Charcuterie boards.
• Gotham Steakhouse & Cocktail Bar - Sip on upscale cocktails and snack on small bites in the award-winning, Art Deco-inspired Gotham Lounge in downtown Vancouver.
• Havana Vancouver - Enjoy three signature Cuban-style cocktails in a flight: a Cuban Old Fashioned, a Governor, and a Santiago.
• Queens Cross Pub - This unique event  located on the North Shore focuses on molecular technology and other avant garde cocktail techniques using Ms. Better's Bitters, and paired up with classic pub food. The cocktails served during this cinq à sept are created exclusively for VCW.

Where to Stay for Vancouver Cocktail Week

With a prime location in downtown Vancouver, walking distance from popular attractions including Stanley Park and the Vancouver Convention Centre, the Coast Coal Harbour Hotel and Conference Centre by APA is the perfect place to stay for Vancouver Cocktail Week. You'll have quick, easy access to all the hottest seminars and events you want to attend throughout the week, including being able to walk to some of them if you so choose!

In addition to its unbeatable location, the Coast Coal Harbour Hotel and Conference Centre by APA has a long list of top-notch amenities you'll want to take advantage of.

• Fitness centre
• Heated outdoor pool and whirlpool, open year-round
• Prestons Restaurant + Lounge offers a casual atmosphere with seriously good food and serves beautiful, crafted cocktails that will take you around the world
• Onsite Sanatio Spa, with a focus on the Japanese holistic concept of Omotenashi
• Electric vehicle charging stations