The winner of this year’s Best Bartender has both the chops and experience to justify the win. Working at Mosaic since it opened in late 2006, Cooper Tardivel is a local who has been bartending for 12 years, since he was 18, in locales as far flung as Vancouver, Mexico. Australia and Fiji, and he brings all of his knowledge to bear when creating his award winning martinis. “I try to keep ahead of the curve, to challenge the customer,” he says. “If I made 100 rum and cokes every night I’d be bored out of my mind.” He’s a well of cocktail secrets: Recently, when the *Sex & The City* movie opened everyone wanted Cosmopolitans again, but apparently, no one in town makes them like they were originally supposed to be made. “In a blind taste test, people like the original,” he says. (For the curious amongst you, you muddle fresh lime and cane sugar with lemon-infused vodka, orange liqueur and fresh cranberry juice… it comes out pink.) “It makes such a difference if you make cocktails the classic way.” Tardivel recently represented North America at the the Bols Cocktail Shake-off in Amsterdam, where he brought his True North Martini (Yost maple wine, Bols chocolate liqueur, Disaronno amaretto, and candied apple balls, garnished with 4 Nova Scotian blueberries, which act as a palate cleanser between sips). He came in third place, the highest ever for a Canadian, though recommends you wait until at least the fall to sample a True North at Mosaic. “It’s a winter warm-up . It’s heavy and sweet. It’s not designed to be ordered when it’s 25 degrees.” Mosaic, 1584 Argyle, 405-4700
First runner up: Anthony Smith, StöneHäven
Second runner up: Dave Snow il Mercato
