I know it’s summer and a patio romp would be ideal for this time of year but then it had to go and rain. So, in we went to The Guild to explore their cocktail offerings. I don’t think of The Guild as a cocktail establishment but then to my surprise there behind the bar was Mike, ex of the now defunct Prime and more recently having finished a stint at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel.
Back to the task at hand and which cocktail was calling my name. The Bartender’s Choice seemingly would make up my mind for me. The description on the menu for this item was ‘roll the dice and have our bartender craft a masterpiece specifically for you’ and so I was surprised when presented with an Old Fashioned but then totally delighted because it was well made, delicious and really what I wanted after all.
The menu at The Guild leans heavily on the craft bar classics including The Last Word, The 20th Century, and the Boulevardier. I was now desiring something refreshing and while The Last Word is lighter and very herbal I went for The Guild Cup, a take on the Pimm’s Cup. The drink has many variations in terms of the fizz – ginger ale, ginger beer, soda water – but the mainstays are cucumber and, of course, Pimm’s No. 1. The Guild variation settled on Fever Tree gingerale and added in Broker’s Gin and Cointreau. Fabulous! Life at The Guild is full of surprises including a creative list of bar snacks.