MEET THE MAKER: WISDOM IN A GLASS
Jake Hewitt knows that a bartender should be all ears. Fortunately for the patrons of Candela Lounge, he also knows what to do with his hands.
Jake Hewitt knows that a bartender should be all ears. Fortunately for the patrons of Candela Lounge, he also knows what to do with his hands.
the way Jake Hewitt sees it, there are two people you can trust in this world: “Your barber and your bartender.” We’re not sure who cuts his hair, but having spent the past six months behind the wood at Candela Lounge, arguably Mission’s top pick for creative cocktails, Hewitt is known to be pretty trustworthy. “I love to romanticize the whole idea of the bartender,” he says. “For people like me, who live this lifestyle, it’s a passion, and I always thought listening came as part of the job.”
After myriad entry- level serving and bartending jobs took him through high school and university, Hewitt found himself craving new challenges. Opportunity presented itself in the form of a bartending role at Candela’s sister restaurant, Alloy, where Hewitt had to step up his skills. He dove in head first, studying wines and elaborate cocktail recipes. His goal was to learn something new every day under the tutelage of bar manager Darren Fabian. “His knowledge of the art of the cocktail is unmatched,” Hewitt says of his mentor.
In October, with Fabian’s blessing, Hewitt made the leap to Candela where he now takes centre stage ( the bar is right in the middle of the chic 4th Street space) five nights a week, crafting cocktails and just being a genuinely likeable old- school barman. His attitude is as refreshing as one of his rhubarb mojitos.
The proof, though, is in the pudding— or the martini glass. If you sidle up to Candela’s bar and have a quick chat about your libational likes and dislikes, this well- versed tender ( don’t call him a mixologist; he likes to keep it simple) can and will whip you up an off- menu beverage from his little black book. In need of a pick- me- up? Look no further than The Liam Neeson, Hewitt’s clever and irresistible mix of Jameson’s Irish whiskey, dark crème de cacao and a shot of espresso, shaken on ice with a half-rimmed cinnamon garnish. Smooth enough for non- whiskey drinkers, with bold and sweet aspects, it’s the perfect replacement for your après- dinner latte.
Film critics might say that Hewitt’s skills do not extend to naming his cocktails, but he has a simple— and enthusiastic— explanation for the name. “Who’s everyone’s favourite Irishman?” he asks. “Who kicks butt, day or night, and we never get tired of watching it? That’s right: Liam Neeson.”
Likening a good cocktail to a good story, Hewitt believes the perfect drink needs a beginning, a middle and an end. The beginning is the presentation and aroma. “It captures the person’s attention and intrigue,” Hewitt says. The middle arrives when you hold the flavours in your mouth, and enjoy the different levels of each ingredient and how they interact. Finally, the end is created by those notes that linger. “The effect could be anything from heat on your tongue to being completely refreshed on a hot summer day, but either way, complete satisfaction.” He certainly wasn’t kidding about romanticizing the job.