Happy hour in the Bugaboos

Happy hour after heli-hiking goes something like this: Grab a beer from the bar at the Canadian Mountain Holidays (CMH) Bugaboos Lodge, take it to the rooftop hot tub to enjoy with a view of the mountains, and then — at 5:30, or sometime before dinner — order The 5:30 cocktail.

Bartender Rob Vinson shakes his version of a Sidecar with pear brandy instead of cognac and lime juice rather than lemon. You wouldn’t think that a bunch of hikers would be ordering cocktails in the backcountry of British Columbia, but the surprising thing about heli-hiking — using a Bell 212 helicopter to access alpine ridges for hiking that would otherwise remain inaccessible — is it empowers you to try new things, whether it’s a via ferrata, or a dry, citrusy and strong sipper at day’s end. And if you line up your glass just right, the impressive Houndstooth Spire makes a great garnish!

The 5:30 is a twist on a Sidecar, with pear brandy instead of cognac. It’s just the thing to take you away after a day hiking from a whirly bird.

The 5:30

• 1 oz Okanagan Spirits Poire Williams (Pear Brandy)
• 1 oz Cointreau
• 1/2 lime, muddled

Method: Muddle half a lime in the base of a cocktail shaker. Add pear brandy, Cointreau and ice, shake. Double strain into a chilled martini glass.

— Cocktail courtesy Rob Vinson, bartender at CMH Bugaboos