top of page
GINGER GOODWIN
Captain Morgan Spiced Rum, pineapple juice, cranberry juice and orange juice
Albert "Ginger" Goodwin was a British coal miner who worked from Nova Scotia to Vancouver Island. He was known for advocating unionized labour and an 8-hour work day. His controversial death sparked a general strike in 1918.
COLLIERY DAM
El Jimador Reposado rum Blue Curacao 7-Up and bar lime
The Colliery Dam was built during the years of 1910 and 1911 by the Western Fuel Company to supply water for coal washing and use by the miners. It remains today with walkable trails, waterfalls, and a cool graffiti tunnel!
COCKTAILS
2oz
Discover the history and region of Nanaimo with our themed menu! Click the available links in the drink descriptions to explore new parts of our city!
1887 EXPLOSION
EL Jimador Reposado, Vodka, Gin and White Rum. Chambord Blackberry Liqueur Soda and 7-Up
The 1887 explosion was a tragic event that claimed the lives of 150 coal miners, and remains the worst mining disaster in the history of British Columbia and the second largest industrial accident in Canada’s history.
HAREWOOD MINE
Triple Sec, gin, rum and vodka Amaretto grapefruit juice and apple juice
The Harewood Mine originally opened in 1875 and was operational until 1894. It ran again from 1902-1904. In 1917 it was reopened yet again and in the following 6 years it produced 769,500 tons of coal.
THE CIVIC
El Jimador Reposado Triple Sec soda and fresh mint
The Civic Indoor Arena was built in 1939. It hosted both the BC hockey League's Nanaimo Clippers and the Nanaimo Timberman Lacrosse Club. The arena offically closed on September 9, 2006.
NEWCASTLE
Vodka Galliano raspberry liqueur pineapple juice
Coal was discovered on Newcastle Island in 1849. The Canadian Pacific Railway purchased it in the 1930s and built a steamship resort. Newcastle Island is now a Provincial Park.
AMMONITE FALLS
Vodka rum El Jimador gin Blue Curacao, lime Juice and soda
A local waterfall named for the fossils often found in sedimentary stacks of rock underneath the flowing water. The ammonite resembles the nautilus of today, a pelagic marine mollusc of the cephalopod family Nautilidae.
THE PORT
Vodka Advocaat orange juice
The Nanaimo harbour grew from a Hudson's Bay Company outpost to a thriving port city.
JAMES DOUGLAS
Vodka Triple Sec ginger-ale lime juice and fresh mint
James Douglas was the governor in 1854 when he ordered the first census to be conducted. Nanaimo had 52 houses, 6 Outhouses, 3 shops and 1 school.
OCCIDENTAL
Captain Morgan spiced rum Malibu orange Juice and ginger ale
The Occidental Hotel was very popular destination due to its proximity to the train station.
NANAIM-A-RITA
Jack Daniel's Old #7 Triple Sec bar lime and salted rim
THE NANAIMO BAR COCKTAIL
Vodka malibu Advocaat Dark Cacao
J.D. DOWNTOWN TEA
Jack Daniel's Old #7 Triple Sec Pepsi and bar lime
Martinis
2oz
There's even more to discover about Nanaimo with our themed martinis menu! Click the available links in the drink descriptions to explore new facets of this city!
NEWBURY
Grand Marnier gin orange Juice and fresh lemon juice
The Newbury Farm House is a one and one-half storey Craftsman bungalow located in one of Nanaimo's oldest neighbourhoods. The Farm House is significant because it speaks to the direct role local coal companies played in shaping the physical and social development of the Nanaimo area
THE NANAIMO BAR MARTINI
Vodka Malibu White Cacao dollop of chocolate syrup
The Nanaimo Bar isn't a historic Nanaimo landmark yet, but it is the sweetest bar in town. And hey, here's hoping!
COLVILLE
Captain Morgan Van Gogh Espresso Vodka
Colville was the original name of the mining settlement where Nanaimo is today,. The name was changed to Nanaimo in 1860 and is a rough adaptation of the original First Nation's name: Snuneymuxw.
WESTWOOD
El Jimador Reposado cranberry juice and bar lime
Nestled in the foothills of Mount Benson, Westwood Lake is a favourite destination. It is popular with swimmers in the summer and the 6.1km trail around the lake makes it popular with walkers and runners year-round.
SWAY-A-LANA
EL Jimador Reposado Chambord Blackberry Liqueur Triple Sec bar lime
A small manmade salt water lagoon connected to the ocean during high tide and situated in Maffeo Sutton Park. The park features a covered band shell where music and dance events take place in the summer.
PRINCESS ROYAL
El Jimador Reposado Grand Marnier Elderflower lemon juice and lime juice
Princess Royal was the name of the ship that carried the first immigrants to Nanaimo from England in 1854. The journey took 179 days!
HARBOR CITY MANHATTAN
Jack Daniel' Old #7 Red Vermouth dash of bitters
Nanaimo was previously known as the "Hub City" in recognition of the streets radiating out from the shore line like the spokes of a wagon wheel.
1860
Vodka, Red Alize pineapple juice and cranberry juice
The year that "Colville" was officially renamed Nanaimo.
BASTION
Vodka Frangelico Baileys
Built in 1853 to protect the harbor. In 1985 it was designated an official heritage site.
BOCAS de WINTHUYSEN (BOCAS)
El Jimador Reposado grapefruit juice fresh lime pinch of Salt
Areas including Northumberland, Nanaimo Harbour and Departure Bay were named Bocas de Winthuysen by a spanish naval officer named Juan Carrasco in 1791.
CHINATOWN
El Jimador Reposado cranberry juice and a splash of 7-Up
Nanaimo has had four distinct Chinatowns. The first was founded during the gold-rush years before the 1860s. In 1884, the Dunsmuir Company helped move Chinatown to a location outside the city limits. With the help of 4,000 shareholders from across Canada, the community combined forces and bought the site for the third Chinatown at its Pine Street location, which burned down on September 30, 1960. A fourth Chinatown, or New town, also boomed for a while on Machleary street in the 1920s.
bottom of page