“Dirty Hooker” drink disgusts Vancouver bistro patron

Update (July 18): Vancouver bistro renames "Dirty Hooker" drink, launches "PC shooters"

When Jesse Kendall stopped for a drink at the Mill Marine Bistro in Coal Harbour, he was surprised to see that the waterfront pub serves a drink called the "Dirty Hooker".

Indeed, the Vancouver resident found the name of the shooter in such poor taste that he sent us this letter over the past weekend:

To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing this letter to express my complete disgust with the name choice of one of the menu items at The Mill Marine Bistro, a restaurant and bar in Vancouver's Coal Harbour. Yesterday, we were walking along the seawall after attending the free concert at Brocton Point, in celebration of Vancouver's 125th birthday, when we decided to stop in at a nearby bar for a quick drink. Prior to ordering, we noticed that one of the drinks was named the "dirty hooker".

On The Mill's website, they claim to be proud of their location's history, going so far as to comment on the fact that "the site was originally inhabited by the Coast Salish Indians". I find it absolutely deplorable that, in the city of Vancouver, a city that is home to a large population of sex workers (many of them First Nations), which has seen dozens - if not hundreds - of these sex workers brutally murdered over the past several years, no one at The Mill found it in poor taste to use this name, so blatantly, on their menu.

Coal Harbour is, for many tourists, the first stop when they arrive in Vancouver (what with its proximity to the cruise ships, trains, and float planes). I sincerely doubt that new visitors to our city would find such a callous, crass, and insensitive decision to be humorous. These sentiments are intensified when one realizes that the location of The Mill is a mere 15 minute walk to the neighbourhood where many of these sex workers' were preyed upon.

Vancouver is an amazing place to live. Its challenges are known internationally, and to Vancouverites alike. I am awestruck that this business decision was not automatically filtered out by management as being completely offensive, if not malicious.

Sure enough, a quick look at the menu on the bistro's website confirms that the Mill Marine offers a $3 "Dirty Hooker", made with banana liqueur, raspberry Sour Puss, and cranberry juice.

Of course, the bistro didn't come up with the name of that drink, but it is responsible for putting it on the menu.

Also in the maybe-you-should-rename-that department is the "Red Headed Slut" shooter on the menu. That drink has Jagermeister, raspberry Sour Puss, and cranberry juice.

You can follow Stephen Hui on Twitter at twitter.com/stephenhui.