Commercial Design

Great Spaces: Please Beverage Co.’s Chic Tasting Room Transforms Vancouver’s Cocktail Scene

The fresh, lush tasting room at Please Beverage Co. redefines the cocktail bar aesthetic.

By Stacey McLachlan /
Photos by Janis Nicolay

Once upon a time, this high-ceilinged space in Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant neighbourhood was chock full of old Cadillacs and Lincoln Continentals: a car repair shop, albeit one that happened to be lousy with natural light. Today, the vehicles may have puttered away, but the lofty room remains open and airy—with tasty cocktails on tap to boot. It’s the home of Please Beverage Co.’s new tasting room; a space for the distillery to serve up flavourful infusions like their rhubarb fizz.

Photo credit: Janis Nicolay

Table Architecture Collective helped reimagine the space—architect Bill Uhrich has a history of working with breweries and coffee shops, making him an ideal fit for the project. “It was a little rough around the edges,” admits Uhrich. “But it felt expansive in height, which is a bit of a surprise in this city.”

Modern and airy tasting room interior with natural wood furniture, vibrant floral mural, and abundant greenery in planters, showcasing a blend of minimalist design and botanical accents.
Photo credit: Janis Nicolay

Within this expansiveness, creating moments of intimacy would be key: a space as good for team happy hours as it is for date night. A canopy adds a sense of scale and keeps the room from feeling cavernous. (Climb the stairs to find a private room for group bookings.)

Photo credit: Janis Nicolay

A visit to Please’s recipe lab (and the resident “drinks explorer,” Stephen Tufts) inspired the palette. “He had 300 samples of plants I’d never heard of, in these beautiful ambers and vanillas and pinks,” Uhrich remembers.

Close-up view of a vibrant and inviting café corner featuring sleek wooden tables, chairs, and striking orange planters filled with lush greenery, set against a backdrop of a large, colourful floral mural.
Photo credit: Janis Nicolay

The architect defined the perimeter and edges with layers of plants, and local artist Mega McGrath painted a lush mural with those lab-inspired hues. Milltown Contracting came on board to craft rolling planters and bench seating out of ash wood. Those planters shift to create spaces for groups of two, four, or longer seating arrangements.

Bright and modern retail space within a beverage company featuring an array of merchandise including t-shirts displayed on a pegboard wall, and shelves neatly stocked with gourmet food items, beverages, and assorted goods, under warm ambient lighting with large windows providing natural light.
Shop ’Til You Drop:  The takeout area features grab-and-go bevs plus merch and grocery essentials (canned fish, gourmet crackers, even picnic blankets). Photo cred: Janis Nicolay

“It was a fun project to work on,” says Uhrich. Though we can’t help but wonder: is that because of the professional satisfaction of a job well done… or the unspoken perk of designing a cocktail tasting room? “The Paloma’s my go-to,” the architect admits with a laugh.

A woman with long hair, seen from behind, reaches up to a wooden menu board listing an array of cocktails with their alcohol base and ABV percentage. Below, a bar counter displays a variety of colorful infused spirits in clear jars, with a shelf of glassware set against a tiled backsplash.

 

This story was originally published in the January/February 2024 print issue of Western Living magazine. 

Stacey McLachlan

Stacey McLachlan

Stacey is a senior editor at Western Living magazine, as well as editor-in-chief of sister publication Vancouver magazine. She loves window shopping on the job: send your home accessories and furniture recommendations over to [email protected]