Beached Botanics

MALARD LOUNGE AND TERACE

AT FAIRM ONT CHATEAU WHISTLER 604-938-8000 | fairmont.com/whistler/dining

At the Fairmont Chateau Whistler’s Mallard Lounge, Bartender Ross Watson is getting used to the “new normal” with service in masks and physical distancing in place. “It’s a big adjustment for everyone, but it’s becoming second nature now and great to welcome the guests back,” he says. The Mallard Lounge has always offered an excellent selection of zero-proof drinks, and the team makes good use of Seedlip, produced in the U.K. (like Ross!) and the first-ever distilled, no-alcohol spirit.

“Seedlip comes in three flavour profiles: garden, citrus and spiced. You can use them as a great substitute for any alcohol,” Ross explains. “I think when it comes to noalcohol drinks, it’s all about the presentation; that means using the same glassware, and the same garnishes as our spirited cocktails. When you see a zero-proof drink, it should still look sexy!”

“My ‘Beached Botanics’ is a reference to the botanicals used in the Seedlip’s ‘Grove 42,’ and also the beach for the flavour profile of a piña colada! It’s [really] a simple drink; I use coconut syrup, lime juice, the citrus variety of Seedlip, which is distilled with three types of orange and spices, and a dash of soda water, which gives it the beautiful foamy top.

“More places in the world are moving to zero tolerance when it comes to drinking and driving, so it’s great that we can offer elevated alternatives to the designated driver as well as others, who just don’t want alcohol,” says Watson.