When talking about one of Victoria’s newest bars, Superflux {Cabana}, perched at 804 Broughton Street, we might as well get right to it: the motto of the place is “Do Cool Shit and Bring Happyiness.” (“Happyness” is spelled with a Y at Superflux, in case you were about to point out the error of our ways.)
With an introduction like that, how could you go wrong?! You can’t.
Located across from the Royal Theatre, Superflux welcomes patrons, first with its trendy oversize balcony, destined to be a warmer-weather go-to spot for down-towners. Inside, it’s warm and inviting, rather like a large living room.
Between its cool design, full kitchen and unique beverages, it’s like nothing you’ve seen in Victoria before. The menu offers lots of great food choices, plus familiar local wines, so you’re covered there.
The Superflux difference becomes evident in the experimental brews that Kris Przednowek, an enthusiastic partner, claims will “make a beer lover out of anyone.” Take the “Fountainbier.” It’s a specialty beer blended with grape soda flavours, a collaboration with Willibald Farm Distillery & Brewery, that is surprising easy to drink especially for non-beer types.
There are house brand lagers and IPAs with specialty hops for more discerning beer drinkers, plus a nice selection of Superflux cans-to-go.
First up for the tasters, from the Dessert Bar series, was the “Creamery Lemon Meringue,” a fruit beer with flavours of lemon, vanilla, graham crackers and lemon meringue pie. Talk about an unapologetic approach to beer.
From the cocktail list, manager Isaac Bell recommends the Cabana Margarita, featuring El Tequileno Resposado, triple sec, lime, smoked salt and orange. If you’re new to tequila, this one will spoil you for good!
Next up was the Cabana Shaft with a more traditional base of spiced rum, to which Isaac added RumChata, liqueur and cold brew from Discovery Coffee, which happens to be located next door. A mouthful of sweet, good-natured fun!
So, be bold and adventurous at Superflux, and read on for Kris’ take on what’s happening in the bartending world.
Your claim to fame with the beer industry? Since Superflux began, we’ve always been known for our IPAs; in fact, for the first few years of Superflux’s existence we only made IPAs. That’s changed a bit now since we opened our new brewery in Vancouver in 2020 and our Victoria {Cabana} location last year. We now make a variety of beers, like lagers or strong pastry-inspired stouts. Our fruit beers are really popular too, like our Creamery and Fountainbier series. But our claim to fame is our IPAs and we’re really proud of the hoppy offerings our brewery is producing.
What’s hot right now? For the last few years, hazy, juicy IPAs with big citrus and tropical fruit notes have been really popular and that’s been a focus at Superflux since it’s inception—to make balanced IPAs that are easy drinking. We’ve also seen our fruited ales really explode in popularity. With our Creamery series for example, we’ve done a series of beers based on fruit pies; sounds weird, I know, but we’ve done a bunch of different versions now, including blueberry, strawberry, passionate fruit custard, key lime and lemon meringue. They’re so tasty and have been really hot!
What traits make a good bartender? A great bartender can execute high-volume drink service quickly and efficiently, all while keeping quality standards consistently at a high level. They can make this look effortless and, at the same time, make sure every customer sitting at the wood has everything they need for a great night out. A great bartender doesn’t have to be a “mixologist” or show off with a bunch of flare to deliver a great guest experience. What’s more important is nailing all the basics and being attentive to the needs of their guests.
What’s your signature drink? The beers, of course! But we do offer more than beer. We have a small simple selection of wines and cocktails. Our horchata-inspired take on Victoria’s famous shaft cocktail is one of our most popular drinks.
