Quickly now. You only have three days left to take advantage of this awesome event that’s happening in downtown Victoria. An event based around cocktails, and socializing, and drinking, and eating. It’s all my favourite things all wrapped up into one perfect little package, and I have the privilege of trying several of the locations. Being put on by Art of the Cocktail, Sip Around is happening until September 30th, followed by the main event on October 1st.

On Friday, because it was Mr. Guilty’s 30th birthday, we went for a night on the town. This was not your average husband and wife on the town kind of thing, no. We haven’t been out, alone for a night on the town since well before we had children. Possibly almost a full five years ago. How sad is that? I’m only 28! I do not regret one thing, but I do miss being able to just grabmy jacket and purse, throw on a cute outfit and head out for drinks after work. Now, there is no “after work”, there is only making dinner, kissing plump cheeks, reading silly books and quickly gulping a glass of wine between stirring pots of noodles, tossing salads and wiping teary cheeks.

To start our epic evening of drinking and walking around downtown, we headed to Veneto Tapas Lounge in the ground floor lobby of the newly renovated Rialto Hotel (aka the Douglas Hotel). We started early (come on, we have kids!) at 4pm. We actually arrived at about 3:40pm, so we sat in the lobby cafe and had shots of espresso. They were delicious and got me off to a high energy start.

We then headed into the lounge as soon as the cafe closed at 4pm, and there were already several patrons in the lounge. Apparently we weren’t the only ones waiting to get our drink on. We sidled up to the bar and were attended to immediately by one Simon Ogden. If ever you were to imagine a magnificent bartender, so impassioned with honing his craft that his face is wrinkled in concentration with every effortless step of cocktail creation, then this is the place you should go. Simon has a passion for cocktails and spirits that I would liken to my own feelings for the food world. He cares about the ingredients, he cares about the presentation, but most importantly of all, he cares how the cocktail he makes for you tastes. But not in the sense that he will disguise the taste of the alcohol by filling it full of sweet juices and garnishes.

Instead he pairs the alcohol with something complimentary, such as a fine spritz of balsamic vinegar or a sprig of fresh rosemary scorched over a slowly burning spirit in the glass below.

In the cocktail that is part of Sip Around, called the Orgia de Fresa, 2 ounces of el Jimador are paired with Cinzano, strawberry bitters, a spray of balsamic vinegar and a dried peppered strawberry. Paired along side a wonderfully refreshing tequila-flamed shrimp tostadas, we were in foodie heaven. The cocktail reminded us both of an earlier time. Maybe it’s because we’ve been watching our own little Mad Men marathon lately, but this cocktail was definitely a classic. It wasn’t harsh or bitter, it wasn’t sweet and overpowering. It was boozy and sharp from the slight hint of Cinzano. It was slightly sweet from the balsamic vinegar, and it was altogether sippable.

The tostadas were delicious. A crisp housemade (though not to order) tostada was layered with an avocado, black bean and mango (maybe pineapple) salsa, fresh cilantro and three plump and juicy prawns. It was a perfectly sized little nosh to enjoy with our drink.

Probably the best part of the whole evening though, was sitting at the bar chatting with the impassioned Ogden. Every other bartender I’ve ever met seems only like a spirit slinger stuck in a meaningless job they hate. No offense to any of them. He told us of his passion while he made drinks for the other patrons, how he makes drinks you can taste so that you know you are drinking, how he has been doing this for twenty-some-odd years, and how he would never do anything else.

Then he told us of his favourite activity while keeping bar. Ask the patron their favourite spirit and whether they enjoy a sweet or bitter drink, maybe they like an herbal accent? We were intrigued. We demanded an example! We said gin! We said herbal! We said not too sweet!

And so we were treated to a new creation that was swiftly named “Rosemary’s Baby.” A swig of gin, Chartreuse liquor (an herbal concoction), A sprig of rosemary roasted over the flame lit right in the glass. There were other ingredients too I am sure, but I was lost in capturing the moment…maybe it was the first cocktail…

What I took away from this experience and what we discussed all the way to our second location (Sips Artisan Bistro) was that we will be back. This was my second time at Veneto, but by far the best expreience I’ve ever had at a lounge/bar. This is a place to drink, a place to socialize, to nosh on little nibbles, but mostly to take in the passion and electricity happening behind the bar. To see the hustle, the bustle, the quick movements, a ballet of spirits as each bartender creates magic.

Veneto Tapas Lounge will now be my starting point. Whenever I can get away with my love, this will be the place we hide away. A place where our passion for food is equaled by a similar passion for the spirits that go so well with them. We will be back.