Sidecut Bar at Four Seasons Resort & Residences Whistler 604-966-5280 | sidecutwhistler.com

THE LEFT HOOK

This liquid tour of Canadian cocktail history wouldn’t be complete without an ode to the Chinese labourers who built the Canadian Pacific Railway and were often delegated to the most dangerous jobs. More than 17,000 Chinese workers came to Canada from 1881 through 1884. And without them, there would be no transport of corn, rye and barley — without which, Canadian whisky would never have been possible.

The Left Hook, named after a local ski run (as is the bar), is mixed with Forty Creek Canadian Rye Whisky and maple syrup infused with lapsang souchong (a Chinese black tea). It’s been a favourite on the Sidecut Bar menu for several years, created by a bartender who is long gone. Lead Bartender Oliver Scott Knight isn’t sure if his predecessor had the Chinese railway workers in mind when he came up with the recipe. But it’s a good yarn, one befitting such an intriguing drink.

The mild smokiness of the tea-infused maple syrup and smooth heat of the whisky is balanced with a few sharply spicy dashes of house-made allspice peppercorn, steeped in Knob Creek bourbon. Served on a big chunk of ice with two brandy-soaked cherries and orange zest, it will keep you chugging along until the next stop.