The Keefer Bar

A cocktail revolution is happening in Vancouver’s Chinatown under the skillful guidance of award-winning bartender Dani Tatarin and her trophy-bagging team at The Keefer Bar.

At this popular bar, traditional Chinese apothecary herbs meet classic cocktails with a twist in a delicious cross-cultural blend that draws a loyal all-ages army of locals and a regular influx of visiting cocktail fans from around the world, lured by the bar’s reputation and its many international magazine write-ups and awards. “The concept of the bar was to pay homage to Chinatown,” explains Dani. “We incorporate herbs used in Traditional Chinese Medicine into house-made bitters, teas, syrups and tinctures, which gives unique flavour combinations with classically inspired cocktails.”

The Keefer Bar’s cocktail list features beloved "alumni" drinks, classics like the herbacious Rosemary Gimlet or the Dragon Fly, a tart combination of magnolia bark tincture, dragonfruit gin, lemon, ginger syrup and pearl sake. Dani and the team also create new "seasonal prescriptions" at least four times a year to reflect the changing seasons and to reflect the mood of the city. “We draw inspiration from the seasons,” Dani says. “We incorporate different teas and herbs into our drinks, such as the cherry blossom-infused syrup that we make after harvesting blossoms in the neighbourhood. In winter we love using cinnamon, anise and immunity-boosting TCM herbs, and we’ll have hot drinks and our almond nog.”