Take yourself on cocktail safari in Gastown

With its award-winning, internationally renowned bartenders and reputation for innovative drinks, Vancouver is blessed with a vibrant cocktail culture. The beating heart of its shaken-and-stirred empire is in Gastown, where you’ll find any number of excellent bars to enjoy some seriously delicious and thoughtfully crafted cocktails. Although it’s hard to play favourites, here are a few of my can’t-miss cocktail spots.

By Nikki Bayley

More from Nikki Bayley

Nikki Bayley is an award-winning UK journalist and guidebook author based in Vancouver. Nikki’s latest Canadian adventures have taken her ice fishing in -40 degree weather in Quebec, and snorkeling with beluga whales in Manitoba. When she’s not diving into Canada’s natural beauty you can find her eating and drinking her way across the country writing about her culinary and cocktail discoveries for various publications.

• My Twitter
• My Blog

Swanky hotel bars for dressed-up drinks

Vancouver is a super-casual place, which is great when all you want to do is slob around in yoga pants but not so good when you want to get dressed up a little and feel fancy. However, there is an easy fix to that sartorial problem – a night out at a hotel bar. I adore the glamorous ambiance of a ritzy hotel bar. Slip into your finery and enjoy a cocktail at my fave spots in town. [Photo courtesy of Hawksworth Restaurant]