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Straight, No Chaser turns to Vancouver’s talented bartenders to get backroom stories. We find out how they create, what they love, where their favourite bar is and what they watched their parents drink growing up.
Who are you?
My name is Nathan Moran and I am the head bartender at Laowai in Chinatown! My preferred means of creative expression is cocktail design, but in my free time I also like to try my hand at pencil and paper animation, video games, or whatever new hobby I’ve come up with for the week. I spend a lot of time with my partner Olivia and frequently visit many of the local shops and restaurants in our Chinatown area.
My parents mixed
My mom and dad weren’t big on mixed drinks, aside from the occasional Long Island iced tea at dinner. My mom stuck to wine, usually California reds, and my dad would often drink a fair amount of beer after work, usually something cloudy and local. Ironically, I didn’t actually start drinking until I moved out and discovered Vancouver’s cocktail scene.
The creative process
Cocktail design for me is often linked to external inspiration. Taking stories, characters or themes and extracting ingredients or flavours from them is my preferred approach. One of my favourite examples of this was a pop-up I recently made on the theme of the Cartoon Network show. Adventure Time. It was a pleasure to figure out how to represent characters like Finn, Jake and the Ice King in a glass, both through flavours and presentation. For example, the Ice King became a milk punch with toasted sesame seeds, crème de menthe, strawberries and bitter melon, with each ingredient and process representing an aspect of his character (and of course pairing quite well with it too). My goal is for you to taste the story I want to tell with each cocktail.
The best drink I’ve ever had
During a recent trip to Singapore, I tried a drink called simply Tea Milk Punch at a bar called Offtrack that has stuck with me ever since. Botanist Gin, Remy Martin Cognac, cocoa, matcha and milk, clarified with a light vanilla cream on top. If I ever go back there, I’ll have to get their recipe!
The best bar in the world
The bars I liked the most were both in Asia. Honestly, it’s a neck and neck between Dead Poets in Hong Kong and Cat Bite Club in Singapore. If I had to choose, I’d easily go with Cat Bite. The owners are gems, the team is outstanding, the drinks and concept are phenomenal, and they even have a great cafe during the day – a huge encouragement to the coffee nerd in me.
Signature creation
I think I have to go with the first cocktail I ever had on a menu, called the Dance Monkey. Somewhere between an Old Fashioned and a Manhattan with hints of masala chai and caramelized peaches, the drink was made with Angel’s Envy, a house-made masala chai/poached peach/Scotch liqueur, house-fermented Angel’s Envy whiskey vinegar, and a blend of Ms. Better’s Mt Fuji and Bittermen’s Krupnik Herbal Honey Bitters.
I would like a cocktail with
Zak Markens of Per Se Social Corner! One of the most charming people this city’s hospitality industry has to offer and certainly one of the most entertaining to have a drink with. Just don’t ask him about Godzilla this time of year.
Try it at home
Frida Kahlo
- 1.5 ounces Mezcal
- 0.75 ounces Campari
- 0.75 oz sweet vermouth
- 0.25 ounces Aperol
- 2 dashes of orange bitters
Stir and serve over the biggest rock you have with a piece of candied ginger. My favorite post-shift drink, by far. Thanks to Uva for giving me the idea! (Works great if you put larger quantities in a bottle and store in the freezer too!)
