Straight, No Chaser looks to Vancouver’s talented mixologists for stories from behind the stick. We find out how they create, what they love, where their favourite bar is, and what they grew up watching their parents drink.

Who are you

My name’s Amanda MacMullin and I am a bartender. If I were a cocktail, I would be bold, bitter, and herbaceous. I don’t have a favourite drink to make, but my favourite to drink is whisky on the rocks.

My parents mixed

I grew up with my parents making punches and boozy slush. The punch was Sangria-esque: we had this ornate punch bowl we would serve out of. The boozy slush was rum-based, with concentrated cans of Minute Maid juice and Sprite, if memory serves. It always ended up being served out of a four-litre ice cream container.

The creative process

I like simplicity when I create. I don’t use fancy machines or any of the new-school science techniques. I give myself some kind of parameter to build a drink from: a specific spirit to work with, a riff on a classic, a theme. I focus on depth and complexity in particular: my favourite drinks express different flavours each time you have a sip. I only garnish if it adds to the drink. Cynar is my secret weapon.

Best drink I ever had

A blended piña colada made at Rumba in Seattle. Perfect texture, beautifully balanced.

World’s best bar

The living room bar in my apartment. An intimate spot for a quiet drink.

Signature creation

I created a drink called Truthsayers, Lovers, and Warriors. A kind of rum sazerac variation. It’s a blend of rums, Fernet Branca, Averna, and salted vanilla honey with an absinthe-rinsed glass. This drink is in its fullest expression thanks to the guidance of Emily Vey, my bar manager at the time.

I’d love a cocktail with

Jenna Gillespie at L’Abbatoir. Her drinks are incredible, but what I love most about her is her barside manner. An absolute professional. 

Try this at home

The Layover