The Vancouver Foodster Martini Challenge was a success featuring unique martini creations at restaurants around greater Vancouver. Each restaurant featured their creation on their menu from April 6 – 30, 2023, and their customers voted for their favourites daily throughout the challenge.
The Winners are:
1st Place: {108 points}
1927 Lobby Lounge
Java Drop
Price: $19
Created by: Ian Collins
Description: Kick start your evening or end your night with a tantalizing version of this timeless classic adding a splash of chocolate liqueur, bitters in your chilled vodka enriched with coffee caviar, sure to delight your palate with every sip.
Ingredients: vodka, espresso vodka, chocolate liquor, chocolate bitters, cinnamon bitters, espresso caviar, espresso, sugars, agar
1927 Lobby Lounge (inside the Rosewood Hotel Georgia)
801 West Georgia Street, Vancouver
Tel:(604) 682-5566
Web:https://www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/hotel-georgia-vancouver/dining/1927-lobby-lounge
Instagram @rosewoodhotelgeorgia
2nd Place: {105 points}
Diva at the Met
Botanist’s Confection Martini
Price: $18
Created by: Karolina Sliwinska
Description: If the botanist had a favorite confection this would be it! The rose infused gin, citrus lemon rose vodka, floral elderflower liqueur, herbal essence of 130 herbs, hibiscus cane sugar syrup topped with glitter cotton candy.
Ingredients: 0.75 rose infused gin, 0.75 lemon rose vodka, 1 oz elederflower liquire, 0.5 oz hibiscus simple syrup, 1 tsp of green chartuse, Juice of half lime, Garnish, Edible Rose candy, Glitter mist and Cotton candy skewer.
Diva at the Met
(inside the Metropolitan Hotel)
645 Howe St, Vancouver
Tel: (604) 602-7788
Web: https://www.opentable.ca/r/diva-at-the-met-metropolitan-hotel-vancouver
Instagram @diva_met
3rd Place: {104 points}
Stock and Supply
This Side of the Coast
Price: $18 (Happy Hour 3-6pm, daily $14)
Created by Josh Malinoski
Description: A salute to the flavors of Spring and Summer. Coconut Wash Vodka from Sons of Vancouver – Smooth, Bold and Delicate.
Ingredients: 2 oz Coconut Wash Sons of Vancouver Vodka, 0.5 oz Dry Vermouth, 0.25 oz Vanilla Syrup, Pineapple Bitters, Maraschino Spritz, Garnish: Lime Twist, Stir & Pour into Chilled Coupe.
Stock & Supply
(inside the Delta by Marriott Vancouver Suites Hotel)
550 W. Hastings St., Vancouver
Tel: (604) 899-3049
Web: https://stockandsupplyvancouver.com/
Instagram @stockandsupplyvan
In the People’s Choice Awards category, the public who tried the Martini creations were the ones who had the opportunity to cast their vote throughout the challenge.
The Winners are:
1st Place People’s Choice:
Diva at the Met
Botanist’s Confection Martini
Price: $18
Created by: Karolina Sliwinska
Description: If the botanist had a favorite confection this would be it! The rose infused gin, citrus lemon rose vodka, floral elderflower liqueur, herbal essence of 130 herbs, hibiscus cane sugar syrup topped with glitter cotton candy.
Ingredients: 0.75 rose infused gin, 0.75 lemon rose vodka, 1 oz elederflower liquire, 0.5 oz hibiscus simple syrup, 1 tsp of green chartuse, Juice of half lime, Garnish, Edible Rose candy, Glitter mist and Cotton candy skewer.
Diva at the Met
(inside the Metropolitan Hotel)
645 Howe St, Vancouver
Tel: (604) 602-7788
Web: https://www.opentable.ca/r/diva-at-the-met-metropolitan-hotel-vancouver
Instagram @diva_met
2nd Place People’s Choice:
Stock and Supply
This Side of the Coast
Price: $18 (Happy Hour 3-6pm, daily $14)
Created by Josh Malinoski
Description: A salute to the flavors of Spring and Summer. Coconut Wash Vodka from Sons of Vancouver – Smooth, Bold and Delicate.
Ingredients: 2 oz Coconut Wash Sons of Vancouver Vodka, 0.5 oz Dry Vermouth, 0.25 oz Vanilla Syrup, Pineapple Bitters, Maraschino Spritz, Garnish: Lime Twist, Stir & Pour into Chilled Coupe.
Stock & Supply
(inside the Delta by Marriott Vancouver Suites Hotel)
550 W. Hastings St., Vancouver
Tel: (604) 899-3049
Web: https://stockandsupplyvancouver.com/
Instagram @stockandsupplyvan
3rd Place People’s Choice:
1927 Lobby Lounge
Java Drop
Price: $19
Created by: Ian Collins
Description: Kick start your evening or end your night with a tantalizing version of this timeless classic adding a splash of chocolate liqueur, bitters in your chilled vodka enriched with coffee caviar, sure to delight your palate with every sip.
Ingredients: vodka, espresso vodka, chocolate liquor, chocolate bitters, cinnamon bitters, espresso caviar, espresso, sugars, agar
1927 Lobby Lounge (inside the Rosewood Hotel Georgia)
801 West Georgia Street, Vancouver
Tel:(604) 682-5566
Web:https://www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/hotel-georgia-vancouver/dining/1927-lobby-lounge
Instagram @rosewoodhotelgeorgia
Our media judging panel determined the ultimate winners of the challenge, and this was quite the task as each judge who tasted each creation with a rigorous process based on taste, originality/uniqueness and presentation/appearance.
Each media judge scored each creation with a maximum of 40 points as follows: Overall Taste 20 points, Originality and Uniqueness 10 points, Presentation and Appearance 10 points. The highest number of points a challenge creation could have been awarded is 120 points.
Our Media judges for this challenge were: David Grange, Maggi Mei, and Shelley Hayashi
Thank you to the bartenders and restaurants that accepted my invitation and featured their martini creations on the menu for the past few weeks during this challenge.
I encourage you to visit the winning restaurants to try their martini creations! See all the Challenge entries here.
By: Richard Wolak