Owen and Lana Laviolette are no slouches when it comes to being “home bar” hosts.

The couple, who is well-known in town for the “Secure Mobile Shredding” and “Reliable Electric & Communications” businesses amongst other community endeavours, opened Yukon Cocktail & Bar Supplies early in 2020.

“This concept all started when Lana and I would wander around town looking for ingredients to make a good cocktail, and although we did find a few items, nobody could tell us how to use them,” said Owen.

“We had recipe books, but we would spend a bunch of money getting those ingredients only to find we did not like them. It was hit and miss but more miss.”

They found a small treasure of a store in Toronto that was doing something similar to what Yukon Cocktail & Bar Supplies is offering now, and what they knew would fulfill a need in a key Whitehorse market: Everything the home bar host wants, along with spectacular, knowledgeable customer service.

That’s where Brandon Laviolette comes in. “There are plenty of home bar hosts and liquor connoisseurs in Whitehorse,” said Brandon, the manager and Owen’s younger brother.

“Everything from the size and shape of the glass to the type of ice cubes used will have an impact on your drink, and that’s before things like bitters, syrups and garnishes are even added.”

Owen goes on to specify further. “Take a popular drink like a Cosmopolitan, which will cost you up to $15 in many local establishments.

You can find different recipes online. You might even find information on which glassware to use and why, but it can all be a bit of an experiment. It’s more helpful to have someone say: ‘Smell is a large part of the taste experience of a drink. You can make an impressive Cosmo by taking an orange peel and squeezing it so the oil from the peel shoots through the flame of a lighter and lands on top of the drink, enhancing the taste,” he adds.

“It is those little tricks that bring your cocktail experience up a notch.”

Owen, Lana and Brandon have all taken or are taking certification courses in mixology so that they can share this expertise with customers, but also for their own home bar mixing.

“We are enthusiastic weekend taste-testers,” says Lana with a laugh.

“We have taste-tested the bitters, the skinny mixes and everything else. It’s important to know what you are selling.”

Stop by and say hi to the gang at Yukon Cocktail & Bar Supplies at 2157 Second Avenue in the Lattin’s Place building. It’s open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday. Find them on Facebook @yukoncocktailandbarsupplies 867-667-BEER (2337) or email: yukoncocktails@gmail.com

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