The Vancouver-founded bottled cocktail brand opens its first permanent cafe on Adanac Street.

Known for its pocket-sized, vibrant pink bottles of Cosmopolitans and Espresso Martinis, Duchess Cocktails is opening its first permanent brick-and-mortar space, Duchess Cafe.

Opening Thursday, Sept. 3 at 8 a.m., the cafe sits at 1249 Adanac St., along East Vancouver’s popular Adanac bike route and just off Clark Drive. The storefront occupies the front of a repurposed door factory, sharing a roof with Coupe Beverages, Duchess’s parent production company.

I’ve admired Duchess for years, not only for what is in the bottle but for how confidently the brand presents itself. From its distinctive short bottles and saturated pink palette to the thoughtful finishing touches, the branding is exceptional. The Cosmo will always carry a little Sex and the City nostalgia, and Duchess has made that feel current and polished.

A living wage over gratuities

Beyond the aesthetic, the cafe’s most defining operational shift is its no-tipping policy.

Rather than relying on fluctuating seasonal tips, Duchess Cafe will pay staff what the company describes as a fair living wage, with health-care benefits intended to provide more stable income throughout the year. For founder and CEO Olivia Lovenmark-Hay, the model was inspired by routine outings with her family and a desire for transparent pricing.

“We want people to come to Duchess Cafe and know that things are priced fairly,” she says.

Coffee, pastries and forthcoming cocktails

The space, designed by Lovenmark-Hay and built out largely by her husband and business partner, Leighton Hay, echoes the brand’s playful aesthetic with signature pink tones, custom banquettes and touches of animal print.

For opening, the cafe will focus on espresso and Duchess specialty drinks, with coffee and pastries from Ex-Animo, including cruffins, croissants and muffins. Whisked Away will supply custom cookies, and a selection of sandwiches is expected to follow.

Later in September, the program is expected to expand to include Duchess’s 12 per cent ready-to-serve cocktails, Duchess Spritz and alcohol-free DuchessDry options. A small on-site market will also carry bottled cocktails and other Duchess products.

The lineup is continuing to grow, with a new Red Wine Sangria and Spritz Collection joining favourites such as the Cosmopolitan and Espresso Martini.

Growing local roots

Duchess launched its signature bottled Cosmopolitan in late 2020 after the company was founded in 2019. Finding a co-packer for its shorter glass bottles proved difficult in B.C. and Western Canada, where many production lines were built for cans or standard beer bottles.

The founders eventually opened their own production facility near Frances Street and Clark Drive in 2022. After outgrowing it, the company moved into the Adanac Street building in early 2025. The cafe marks the brand’s evolution from bottles, pop-ups and events to a permanent neighbourhood space.

“After years of bringing Duchess to people through our bottles, pop-ups and events, it feels incredibly special to finally have a place of our own,” Lovenmark-Hay says.

Upcoming tasting

Duchess will showcase its new Red Wine Sangria and Spritz Collection at a Sip & Share tasting at Legacy Liquor Store in Olympic Village on Sept. 17 at 6 p.m. The event is limited to 16 guests, and tickets are $35.

A fixture in Vancouver’s food and hospitality scene for decades, Cassandra Anderton tells the stories of the chefs, producers and places that define our city. She is the publisher and editor of Good Life Vancouver and a member of the B.C. chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier and Chefs’ Table Society. Whether she’s exploring B.C.’s wine regions or scouting the best new table in town, Cassandra’s work is a love letter to the “good life” in the 604 and beyond.