Bagheera, Chinatown’s opulent secret lounge — hidden behind a betting shop and inspired by the 19th century Indian subcontinent — has launched a Tuesday-only Martini Guide that traces both the history and global reach of the classic cocktail.
“The martini’s last big cultural moment was really at the end of the 1990s,” says Bagheera Cocktail Director, Alex Black, on the eve of International Martini Day this Saturday, June 17.
“We wanted to offer patrons something they might not have seen in a long time but is making a comeback: a classic martini menu that puts international-calibre ingredients front and centre.”
Bagheera’s Tuesday Martini Guide opens with modern recreations of six historical cocktails, carefully curated from bartenders guides of their respective eras, such as the 1884 Turf Club, the 1900 Marguerite, the 1943 Kangaroo Kicker (the only vodka-based martini on the list), and the 1888 Martini, the cocktail that started it all.
Should guests wish to sip on their own creation, they’re invited to travel the world with Bagheera’s list of 45+ international gins, featuring homegrown and far-flung spirits such as Sheringham Seaside (Langford, British Columbia), Tobermory (Isle of Mull, Scotland), Boomsma Jonge Genever (Leeuwarden, Netherlands), Langley’s Old Tom Gin (Manchester, U.K.), Jodhpur Mandore (Jodhpur, India), Saigon Baigur (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam), and Roku Gin (Osaka, Japan).
Guests can also choose their martini’s dryness level (vermouth content), presentation style (up, on the rocks), and even transform their Martini to a Gibson with the addition of a house-made pickled onion.
All this in one of the city’s most opulent and theatrical spaces, with a thousand glittering coins and bangles festooning the Pullman-style walls and a dramatic 42-foot-long bar of vintage teak with a countertop of backlit semi-precious tiger onyx.
Tuesday nights at Bagheera promise to shake things up and create a stir.
Bagheera: We hide. You seek.
Located behind Happy Valley Turf Club, Bagheera is open 6 days a week,
Tuesday to Sunday, with service beginning at 5pm.
The Martini Guide is currently only available on Tuesdays.Bagheera does not take reservations. Maximum of six people per group.
Patrons are welcomed on a first come, first-seated basis.
Place your bet on “King Louie.”
Behind Happy Valley Turf Club
518 Main St
Chinatown, Vancouver
Place your bet on “King Louie.”
Hours of operation:
Tuesday to Sunday, 5pm ‘til late
