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 is Cooper Tardivel, and I am the head bartender of Hawksworth Restaurant and Cocktail Bar.

My parents mixed

Growing up my mom only kept, and still only keeps, a bottle of California Zinfandel and a bottle of Jack Daniel’s on hand. She drank wine with dinner and Jack with a few cubes the rest of the time.

There were never many cocktails made in my house, but I do remember dipping into a Christmas rum punch one year when I was about nine years old. Then when my mom checked on me in bed I asked her why the room was spinning. She replied, “Put your foot on the floor.” By the way, that trick still works!

The creative process

I don’t really have a distinct process by which cocktails evolve. Food pairings, new products, seasons, cultural significance, all sorts of potential factors come into play.

One thing I maintain is a quick process. That is, if I have an idea, I work with it a handful of times, and if it is not turning out how I want, I move on.

It’s never worked out well for me when I focus on a singular cocktail for too long. You begin to get tunnel vision and question your own palate. When that happens you’re fucked, and there’s no recovery.

Not to say the best cocktails come easy, but if you make educated decisions early in the creative process, you will (hopefully) get to where you want to go.

Best drink I ever had

One of the best drinks I’ve ever had had nothing to do with the drink itself!

I was in Paris three years ago and went to the famous and historic Harry’s New York Bar. The 105-year-old room is basically unchanged (for better or worse) and is the birthplace of classics such as the Sidecar and Bloody Mary.

This was definitely a pilgrimage for my bartender’s soul, as this bar is so incredibly important in the annals of cocktail culture and history. I ordered a martini, and of course a Sidecar and a Bloody Mary.

They were all okay, but they tasted like heaven because of the room I was in and the hospitality I was shown. This is a pilgrimage I recommend every bartender make at some point or another.

World’s best bar

Longman & Eagle in Chicago is one of the greatest bars I have ever had the pleasure of visiting. Yes, they have a six-time Michelin-star kitchen, but make no mistake—this is a whiskey bar!

With an absolutely daunting whiskey menu, the incredibly hospitable and educated staff help navigate the menu with you by asking the greatest question ever posed to me in a bar or restaurant: “What mash bill are you comfortable with?”

If you are ever in Chicago, drop your bags at your hotel and go there immediately.

Signature creation

Not sure of my “signature cocktail”, as I believe that is for others to decide. I would rather be known for my service than a singular drink.

However, one cocktail I am proud of is the Incognito—is it a cocktail that tastes like a beer or a beer dressed up like a cocktail? Allow me to explain. Three years ago or so, I fell madly in love with West Coast Green Flash IPA. So I decided to create a tequila cocktail that tasted like Green Flash!

I infused a blanco tequila with a blend of hops and supported it with profile flavours found in the IPA. It turned out great—a cocktail that tasted like a beer—and was enjoyed by many. Also, the name was perfect!

I’d love a cocktail with

Mr. Robyn Gray! He’s the head bartender at Prohibition in Hotel Georgia. There are many bartenders in this bartender-saturated city who are passionate about the local cocktail culture, but few more than Robyn.

Wherever there is a tasting, competition, seminar, or simply a cocktail party, Robyn is there. He is a great bartender, a mentor, and remains a dutiful student of the craft.

And five years ago when I landed from Halifax, he was one of the first local bartenders to befriend me, and he has been a great, supportive friend ever since.