The Courtney Room Debuts Volume 5 of its Signature Cocktail Menu: “An Exploration of the Pacific Northwest”
The Courtney Room reveals the latest edition (Vol. 5) of its signature cocktail menu, titled An Exploration of the Pacific Northwest. This latest iteration continues the bar team’s commitment to innovation and refined cocktail craftsmanship, with eight Exploration Cocktails, six Low or No ABV creations, a list of house cocktails, beer and cider, aperitifs and digestifs.
Setting the tone for the menu’s visual identity is a return collaboration with the artistic team from Victoria’s Black Cat Tattoo, featuring illustrations by Robin Graves, a talented tattoo artist and former team member at The Courtney Room. Graves’ hand-drawn illustrations, inspired by each cocktail creation, are featured throughout the printed menu, echoing the natural textures, botanicals and maritime character that define the Pacific Northwest.
“Our goal with each new volume is to dive deeper into our region’s unique offerings,” says Anton Wilson, Bar Director at The Courtney Room. “It has been incredibly rewarding to witness how this menu has grown over time, not only in complexity but also in its ability to tell a truly local story, within delicious and elegant cocktails for our guests to enjoy.”
In this latest volume, guests can expect a thoughtful take on local botanicals, artisanal distillation, and traditional and time-honoured techniques. The menu features housemade elements including The Courtney Room’s own Dry Vermouth crafted in-house using Averill Creek Pinot Gris and aromatized with wormwood, Bilston Creek lavender, Dakini Tidal Wilds kelp and warm spices. The vermouth is fortified with Ampersand Vodka, resulting in a nuanced and elegant base for several menu items.
Notable drinks from the menu include:
- Breakwater ($24) features Woods Chiaro Amaro, green Chartreuse, locally sourced blue winged kelp from Dakini Tidal Wilds, sea salt and Silk Road’s Angelwater tea. Salty, fresh and revitalizing.
- Harbour Fog ($26) an elegant homage to Vancouver Island’s cooler months; rosehip and house-spiced honey rum blend with Smith + Cross rum, Esquimalt Vermouth Company Bitter Red and Rosso Vermouth and a winter spice foam.
- Passages & Alleyways ($28) – Inspired by Victoria’s Chinatown – the oldest in Canada – and the city’s most storied district; a beetroot tincture, Esquimalt Vermouth Company Smoked Cascadia Aperitif, Cassis and Sichuan Peppercorn. Vegetal, savoury and herbaceous.
- Mineral ($18) features Copper Penny Distilling’s Fanny Bay Oyster Gin, paired with housemade vermouth and garnished with local winged kelp from Dakini Tidal Wilds. The gin incorporates oyster shells suspended in the distillation process, lending a unique salinity and minerality to the drink and a crisp, terroir-driven expression of the coastal landscape.
An Exploration of the Pacific Northwest Vol. 5 also features a selection of Low and No-ABV options, including the refreshing Canadiana ($15), made with Esquimalt Rosso Vermouth and Bitter Red and Tofino Sparkling Hopped Water — a light, flavourful serve perfect for relaxed sipping, and Spruce Highball ($14) featuring locally foraged spruce tips.
Expanding the beverage program further is a new Special Pours section curated by Senior Bartender Eric Josephs, which showcases select lambic beers, Belgian beers and wild ferments under Coravin preservation. Featured breweries include acclaimed B.C. producers such as Twin Island, Dageraad Brewing and Temporal Artisan Ales, served from 750ml bottles and available in limited quantities.
The menu represents the collaborative work of The Courtney Room’s bar team, driven by Bar Director Anton Wilson, with Senior Bartenders Eric Josephs and Mackenzie Irving contributing extensively to both development and execution.
An Exploration of the Pacific Northwest Vol. 5 is now available at The Courtney Room.
To learn more about The Courtney Room or to make a reservation, visit www.thecourtneyroom.com.
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