A heart-felt thank you - to everyone in the Gastown Hospitality Family who came to help us lay our Bar into its new home. I love the look on peoples faces when they get their first peek at the finished wood. We still shake our heads in disbelief; grateful and bewildered that it all happened so ideally. This past weekend, I finally got a chance to try to give back to Vista D’Oro and Patrick & Lee Murphy for their priceless contribution to Pourhouse.

Every Bastille Day for the last three years, the Murphy’s have gathered their extended family of friends for the Annual Vista d’Oro Walnut Harvest. The family’s flagship wine is the port-style “D’Oro” - and truly tastes like it’s made of gold. To create the unique profile of this gem, winemaker Patrick Murphy follows the time tested method laid down by the Dudicourt family from Northern France - the recipe dating back to 1796. This incredibly delicious style of wine was introduced to the Murphys by friend Jerome Dudicourt of Oyama Sausage Company; a regular face at the annual harvest. The property of Vista D’Oro Farm is a beautiful sight indeed - the landscape marked by an endless variety of prolific trees and vines. Standing high above the homestead, are the mighty Walnut Trees. For each vintage, thirty thousand nuts must be harvested; a daunting task, but an army of eager helpers would make surprisingly short work of it. Two tasks for the day: picking nuts, and chopping nuts. I arrived unfashionably early, but was rewarded for my punctuality with taking the first shift in the “Man-Lift”. For those afraid of heights I suppose the idea of going three stories high in a wee metal basket might not be so enticing a perk.

While Patrick and I furiously foraged for fruit from high above, the business of butchering our buckets of bounty began below. Fresh Green Walnuts are not good eating - trust me, I tried one. There is quite a process to go through in order to extract the goodness dwelling deep within them. Each nut harvested had to first be inspected for quality, then cut in quarters - accessing the vibrant and intense juice inside.

Chopping Green Walnuts is a tad arduous, as you really need to concentrate your technique on stabilizing the fruit while attempting to accurately hack through the dense exterior. Gloves were distributed to keep hands from being stained black from the insides of the nuts - I chose to go bare-handed, as didn’t feel I had a safe grip on things through plastic. If my hands got a little dirty it would be proud evidence that I was part of the harvest effort. I was then informed that the walnut stains got rather deeply entrenched, and would take about a month or so to fade away - no amount of soap doing any good. Looks like the timing might work out for me to have my hands back to normal just in time for opening day at Pourhouse.

Though trying my darnedest to be quick yet precise with the knife, I still felt like a rookie - surrounded by the familiar faces of some serious Chefs. Next to me was Chef Ann Kirsebom (Toast of the Town Catering & Tequi-Lime Sauces). One particular table notably featured Robert Clark (Executive Chef of C, Nu & Raincity Grill) flanked by wife and Pastry Goddess Maureen Seay (Pastry Chef at Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts), and Julian Bond (Executive Chef & Program Director at Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts). I’d peek over to compare my progress to theirs - the flurry of slain walnuts and flashes of furious steel quickly discouraged me from trying to keep up with their pace. I was not worthy.

Six hours later, and work in the orchard was done. Lee had graciously been keeping us laughing; quenched with humour and fresh farm Lemonade - hand squeezed and garnished with fragrant Lemon Verbena, right from the garden. Charcuterie, cheese, olives and fresh bread were our fuel through the afternoon, and we were ever so grateful. The time flew, as it didn’t really feel like work - we knew we were all part of something special. The wines at Vista d’Oro are made with great ingredients, and great passion. Now that the knives were put away, Lee brought out the Sangria; made with Vista d’Oro Pinot Noir 2007. I’ve never really been a fan of Sangria, but I sure am a fan of Lee’s recipe (can’t give away the secret though) - It was the perfect treat. After a quick break, the wine making process would begin, as Lee put together the feast for dinner.

Patrick’s trusty tractor took the tubs of walnuts over to the winery - 1,200 liters of Brandy were waiting to be be wed. This rather large tub of tipple was made from premium Okanagan Valley Gamay grapes for Vista d’Oro, by none other than Master Distiller Frank Dieter of Okanagan Spirits in Vernon, BC. Patrick enlisted us in different roles in the winery - each of us keen to assist, but fearful of buying the farm; literally. Hoses were attached to pumps, and clamps fastidiously put in place as Patrick jumped around the vats and barrels feverishly orchestrating us through the transfer. This is a man who loves what he does, and is happiest sharing every part of the process. The Walnuts were split into two containers, and each batch then submerged in Brandy - drowning the gorgeous green beauties in booze. That’s how I want to go.

A thorough stir for each of the tubs to get things going, and our work is done for the day. The walnuts however, are just getting started; for the next nine months, these little guys will kick back with the brandy. Over that time, something wonderful happens - the volatile oils and acrid personality of the fresh nuts will mellow and change, revealing its friendlier personality to the liquor. Their relationship starts slowly; growing more harmonious with every passing month. Meanwhile, the wine component of D’Oro matures on a parallel path. A mix of Marechal Foch from the North Okanagan, with Cabernet Franc and Merlot from the Central Okanagan have been sitting impatiently in American Oak Barrels for nine months - alongside the tubs of walnut brandy. When Patrick decides the time is right, the forces are joined: the wizened walnuts are pressed and removed from the brandy; having achieved their goal of full maceration (These little walnuts aren’t quite done yet though - soon they will find a further purpose in Patrick’s other unique wine: the Vista d’Oro Pinot Noix - their flavour and residual brandy creating a sherry-like sensation with Okanagan Pinot Noir). The walnut-steeped brandy is added to the red grape blend, fortifying it and thereby retaining the seductive sugars. Another five months in American and French oak Barrels, and D’Oro will be ready for bottling.

Back at the house, Lee and the Chefs are rubbing seasoning into racks of ribs and shucking corn for the BBQ, while the other harvesters get a tour around the barrels and happily taste from Patrick’s array of barrels and tanks. The drive back to the city looms, so I regretfully have to take a pass on the magnificent and generous feast. I think Lee is still mad at me for having to go.

We spend our lives behind the Bar, and sometimes forget the visceral satisfaction of manual labour and a hard day’s work. Part of the thrill for me in building Pourhouse is that sensation of physical accomplishment. From demolition, to building the Bar, to working with the Murphy’s on their wine - I get to enjoy the wonderful pride and fulfillment of truly being part of creating something. The wines of Vista d’Oro taste of the passion and hard work they are made with. We hope you will feel the same about what we do at Pourhouse.

Cheers,

J

I have been lucky to help launch a lot of great Bars. Since getting into the hospitality industry in 1996 - I have had a hand in bringing 7 different Bars to life. Writing opening wine lists, hiring and training Barkeeps and creating cocktail programs is one thing; but building your very own Bar is quite another. I may have assisted before in the physical execution of an architects fantasy; but to design the layout, source the materials and manually create my own vision is the euphoric experience I had always dreamed of. Most Bars in Vancouver are afterthoughts - born of fashion and aesthetics alone, but any veteran of this fair city’s watering-holes will attest to the disfunction of pretty much every Bar they’ve worked in. If the Bartenders at Pourhouse hold any ill-will to the ergonomics of our Bar, I have only myself to blame.

Sourcing materials for the Bar was serendipitous in the very definition of the word. We had agreed long ago that a proper “wood” was indeed made of wood. Our century-old style influence dictates that the Bar reflect our devotion to that era - enter Patrick and Lee Murphy, and Vista d’Oro Winery. The Murphys have been making lovely wines and hand-made preserves for many years - hidden near the border in the sleepy, rolling hills of Langley. Their honest efforts in culinary agritourism are matched only by their incredible hospitality and generous spirit. Chef and I spent a great day out at their farm and winery in May for their 1st annual Greenhouse Cocktail Throwdown. It was a remarkable day of friendly Bartender competition, vibrant wines, hearty food, happy dogs and the simple pleasures of being in the country.
So here comes the serendipitous part - Not only is Patrick Murphy a skilled winemaker, but also a talented wood-worker with a substantial collection of hand-crafted furniture to his name. Patrick and Lee just-so-happen to have a circa 1890s dairy barn on their property, and that barn just-so-happened to have massive lengths of Douglas Fir inside it - floor joints from Fraser Mills factory, made in the 1920s. We had always discussed implementing reclaimed building materials, and this fit the bill to a tee. The rest of the team needed to see this, and experience the farm; so we made a return trip to Vista d’Oro two weeks later with our Pourhouse Partner, Chuck McIntosh. Another two weeks later we returned for the ceremonious selection of the wood - Pourhouse Partners Jennifer Forster and Nick Rossi joining us for the special occasion. With Patrick’s guidance, we inspected every plank for integrity and trueness. Soon, we had our four perfect pieces, each a 4-by-12, and up to 27 feet in length.

A few days later our wood was delivered to the Pourhouse work site, and building could commence. Patrick made the time and effort to be on-site and physically guide us through the stages of what we needed to do to achieve the look and feel we wanted. After cutting and fitting, on went the glue and clamps - the wood was now becoming a Bar. Two impatient days later, the clamps came off, and we could begin the tedious but rewarding process of sanding and shaping. This was uncharted territory for me, as hadn’t used a sander before, much less take on the responsibility of evening and smoothing 38 continuous feet of 100 year-old Douglas Fir - the cornerstone of Pourhouse. I have permanent goose-bumps: not only do I get to design the layout of the Bar, but now we have ancient Fir lovingly pieced together, and I get to finish the woodwork myself. Somebody pinch me!

Our team is a family, and we see our new home as exactly that. We are delighted and honoured to now know Patrick and Lee Murphy - our gratitude for their invaluable contributions to Pourhouse is beyond words. We hope seeing our finished Bar will put a smile on your face too, and that you will love spending time drinking on it. We look forward to introducing you to Patrick and Lee - our newest members of the Pourhouse family.

Cheers!

Jay

Technorati Tags: Building the Bar, jay jones, lee murphy, patrick murphy, pourhouse, pourhouse bar, pourhouse vancouver, vista d'oro, vista d'oro winery

The satisfaction of destroying the tragically ill-conceived backbar at Flux was quite significant - as the fear of being crushed by its hideousness was keenly balanced with the savage thrill of seeing metal and wood spark and splinter under the oppression of my mighty smasher. Taking pause, I look through fogged-up safety goggles to see my counterpart Chef Chris Irving jig-sawing through helpless drywall with great enthusiasm. I’ve helped with demolition on friends establishments before, but doing your own is a much more fulfilling experience. Demolition is like a drug - we are high with testosterone as remnants of unwanted structures fall in humiliated piles. We are grateful to the many offers from friends and industry colleagues for assistance, but we selfishly hoard the destructive joy for ourselves. There is no grudge held against the business here before us - like us they took a chance on creating something that would inspire. We cut and rip at the modern bistro shroud covering the venerable bones of 162 Water Street. There is an old soul to this Leckie Building, and we are determined to let it speak again. 1910 saw the birth of our new home - we feel serendipitous and honoured to have found each other.

I have spent my adult life behind Bars, and most of that life attempting to share the joy of pure spirit. The modern journey of the Bartender (and drinker for that matter) tends to follow a predictable path: We discover booze at a young age, then quickly abuse it. This youthful misconduct tends to lead to an extended fear of certain bottles - Tequila and Rum often taking the blame for our indiscretion. Then we play with Vodka - he seems nice enough; hiding under friendlier flavours with invisible intent. There’s only so many flaccid concoctions we can endure until the craving for substance of spirit prevails. Cocktails should taste like liquor. A good drink should challenge your taste-buds and let you know it was there. I take a shot of whisky because I WANT that gorgeous burning sensation. This is the feeling we hope to inspire at Pourhouse; a desire to taste liquor in its pure and unadulterated form - to savour cocktails for their complexities, and the fire at their core. This is the 100 year old style that inspires us.

As we build our new home in the Leckie Building, please feel free to try the door and pop your head in. I look forward to sharing our vision and hope you’ll agree our intentions are good ones.

J.Jones

Technorati Tags: 162 Water, Add new tag, bartender, chris irving, cocktails, jay jones, leckie building, pourhouse, pourhouse bar, pourhousevancouver, whisky