Vancouver Has A New Cocktail & Coffee Bar and it is 100% Plant-Based

Vancouver continues to be on the of the fastest growing cities in the Pacific Northwest while also, growing their vegan options.

You walk along Main Street and suddenly, you see a black house on the corner of 21st and Main. You notice patio chairs, an image of a wolf on the windows, and you wonder, “what could this be?”

Brandon Rush, owner of the popular Thirsty Sasquatch and a Vancouver native, has seen the building in its different incarnations, but once the building became available again, Brandon jumped on the opportunity to buy the building. One of the most noticeable changes him and his team made that has sparked quite the conversation, was painting the building’s exterior black.

“We’ve been very intentional with our decisions to pay homage to the Victorian heritage of the space but it definitely has a darker vibe,” says owner Brandon. “I wanted to have something that was culturally relevant and combined my favorite things, which is a little more dark, Victorian Gothic aesthetic with a plant-based menu and a good night life scene. We worked really hard, we initially thought our build out was going to be 4 months, but it took us almost a year. We’re really proud of the results and it feels like the community has embraced us so far.”

One thing Brandon makes clear is that 3 Howls Remedy House is a tasting room for his distillery, 3 Howls. “It used to be out of Seattle in the SODO (South of Downtown) district. But we recently just moved the entire thing out to Battleground, Washington. With the space, we wanted to highlight the uniqueness of our spirit brand as well as local ingredients in our food menu. Our spirit brand is unique in that we are running still that have been extinct since prohibition and we have very laborious steps in creating these spirits. Which a lot of these distilleries don’t.

With 3 Howls, we want to make spirits that are truly unique and we’ve gone through extreme lengths to acquire flavor profiles, which we feel are different than almost every other spirit brand in the country. We actually just acquired a 3 chambers still. Which is one of only 3 in the world. This is pre-prohibition technology that was used to make rye back in the day but it’s a big oil extractor.

Also, with things like vodkas and gins. We’re doing things macerations, vapor infusions, using rotary evaporators, and the highest quality ingredients as possible.”

Not only is 3 Howls Remedy House craft cocktail bar, which also offers non-alcoholic cocktails but it’s also, a coffee bar that opens at 8 am. The space is a place that takes you from morning to night. “One thing I love about this space specifically is that it has little quadrants and nooks. We want this to be a hideaway. So if you want to come and sit during the day and have coffee and have a little breakfast and have that transition to your midday cocktail while you’re working. We want this to be your home away from home,” says Brandon.

The menu is a rotation of classic dishes for brunch and dinner. From curries and burgers to standouts like their jumbo cinnamon roll that is probably bigger than your head and their chicken and waffles. Which instead of using a faux meat alternative, the “chicken” is made with jackfruit.

When it comes to the ingredients used, Brandon mentions, “We’re not just using faux proteins from other places, we’re actually making the majority of our stuff in house, which is special. Plant-based is my personal ethos but it’s not something we’re trying to force down the throat of everyone. We just want to create a space for the community that’s an alternative and it’s exciting and fun.”

“We want this to be a place of learning, not just a place to have fun. We’re going to start having Remedy Hour. Where people are going to come in and learn how to make a cocktail, with locally sourced ingredients and our spirits. Or you can learn about distillation technology. That’s going to start next month (June 2024). We really do want this to be about education as well.”

“We spent a long time curating this space. We want this to be a special experience. We want people to come back multiple times during the week. If they live in the area, we definitely want this to be a hometown eatery and bar. But at the same time, we want there to be an elevated expectation when you walk in the door.”

Interview with owner, Brandon Rush, of 3 Howls Remedy House

Ashley, also known as Vegan Ventures has been vegan for over 6 years and loves find the best eats and experiences.