Stirred, Not Shaken: The Avocado Gimlet is L'Abattoir's signature sip
A locally made Mediterranean-style gin features in the Vancouver restaurant’s most popular cocktail
Photo by Laura Leyshon
Stirred, Not Shaken is Stir’s cocktail series featuring locally made drinks with a focus on B.C. ingredients. Sometimes, the beverages are shaken.
THE AVOCADO GIMLET is the unofficial mascot of L’Abattoir.
Shaun Layton, who was the Gastown restaurant’s original head bartender when it opened in 2010 (and who now co-owns and operates ¿CóMO? Taperia) was big into avocado smoothies in the morning, which was what sparked the idea in the first place, explains Alexis Cooper, L’Abattoir’s director of marketing and communications.
Since then, Layton’s drink has made it into bars and onto cocktail lists all over the continent—“which only goes to show how intriguing and delicious it is,” says L’Abattoir head bartender Dave Butlers. “To this day, it is our most requested cocktail.”
The Avocado Gimlet has gone through a few of minor changes over the years, with the current version combining a locally made Mediterranean-style gin, fresh lime juice, apple liqueur, a touch of sugar, and fresh avocado. Everything gets shaken with ice then fine-strained into a chilled coupe.
A balance of tart, savoury, sweet, and strong, it works as aperitif, digestif, or even as a pairing with some of chef Lee Cooper’s signature French-inspired West Coast dishes, like pan-fried sweetbreads with pickled shallots on toast or fresh spring and summer seafood plates.
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