You won’t be bitter once you try these Alberta-made beverage enhancers.
Token Bitters launched its first physical storefront as part of the Vignettes Brick & Mortar Festival, in collaboration with the Downtown Business Association. The lifestyle brand sells a variety of locally produced aromatic bitters. Add a few drops to any drink for enhanced flavours.
“The best way to describe bitters is it’s kind of like a spice rack for your beverages,” says Keenan Pascal, CEO of Token Bitters. “You can mix them in cocktails, you can put them in your coffee, you can put them in soda water.”
Token Bitters has reached international markets as far away as Japan, all without having a physical retail space. Pascal says the challenge of not being able to interact with customers face-to-face is not being able to sell the product to those who aren’t quite sure what bitters are.
“You don’t get that interaction with the customer where you get to own the experience from the point of them walking into the store, making the purchase and leaving,” says Pascal. “So, I think for us, it’s really more about the community building side of things.”
While there, don’t forget to look for the hidden door that leads to the speakeasy where customers can try handcrafted cocktails made with Token Bitters.
Token Bitters is selling four bitters at the popup including lavender, cherry, orange and chai. Merchandise created for Token Bitters by local artists is also for sale, as well as products from other local businesses that Token has invited to share the space.
“It’s a community pop-up so we’re going to be giving some of our days to different local craftsmen that want to have a storefront and give it a try with a little bit less commitment,” says Pascal.
The Token Bitters storefront is located at 10035 – 108th St. NW. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday until August 27.
