In the oldest quarter of the City of Glass, a cocktail revival is underway. Follow the rush along rainy brick streets to Gastown, where young men with serious moustache street cred and women channeling Dorothy Parker, are concocting some of the most exciting drinks in the Pacific Northwest, all within stumbling distance of each other.

Pourhouse

162 Water Street, Open Daily

Seat yourself at the long bar to get the full gold rush revival experience, and to see close up all the work that goes into handcrafting each unique drink, such as slapping mint leaves and selecting bitters. Bartenders are happy to custom mix based on your preferences. Order the Don’t Give Up The Ship, with trendy acquired taste Fernet Branca tempered with gin and curaçao, or go for a classic Sidecar. Mixologist Rhett Williams has recently been experimenting with shrubs, a vinegar-based fruit syrup that can be spiced up with liquor. Make sure to watch out for his weekly roster of shrubs featuring finds like watermelon, bourbon, and wine vinegar, or the appealing dark cherry, balsamic, and peaty scotch.

The Diamond

2nd Floor, 6 Powell Street, Open Tues-Sun

Head upstairs to the second floor, where you’re greeted by fantastic stag’s head crystal chandeliers and a view of Gastown’s main square from the many tall antique windows. There’s a small bar stacked to the gills with all kinds of potions and bottles that fills up fast. Try the New Orleans Sour, a concoction of bourbon, cognac, egg white, bitters, and absinthe, or a Penicillin, a blend of scotch, ginger, lemon, and honey. The cocktail menu is generously populated with vermouths, hard to find Creme de Violette and maraschino, and members of the bitter liqueur society such as Amaro and Cynar.

Clough Club

212 Abbott Street, Open Daily

With its red-lit chesterfield banquettes, worn pressed-tin walls, and glowing wall sconces, you’ll have no trouble imagining yourself in prohibition era New York. Order the popular Apiary, a bourbon and honey cocktail spiced with walnut bitters and topped with egg white foam. Cocktails here are dark-spirit heavy, so rye, bourbon and whisky enthusiasts take note. They’re experimenting with in-house barrel aging, if this appeals try their house Negroni (Beefeater gin, Campari, sweet vermouth). Live music wednesday to sunday.