Sippers rejoice! The craft cocktail scene continues to thrive in Toronto with new bars and restaurants upping their game. There’s no shortage of top mixologists who are shaking things up with specialty ingredients, new twists on old favourites and diving deep into one great drink done a myriad of ways.
The proof comes with tipping back a glass filled with one of these winning creations.
Finally, Yorkville’s fun factor received a boost with the opening of Figures. It looks like a comic book store from the outside with colourful illustrated pages adorning its walls and shelves stocked with collectibles for sale inside. That playfulness doesn’t mean cocktails aren’t treated seriously. Take a sip of The Maleficent, a flaming concoction made with double still rye, single malt scotch whiskey, pineapple, lime, sage and bitters, plus activated charcoal to give it a dark inky hue.
Peruvian food has left its mark on the international culinary scene, so why not its cocktails? At Ritz Bar (inside the Ritz-Carlton, Toronto), a perfectly balance pisco – Peru’s beloved brandy – gets the cold shoulder when it meets passion fruit puree, simple syrup and fresh squeezed lime juice, then chilled to the max using liquid nitrogen. It arrives to tables with icy wisps swirling around the tall glass, creating the kind of drama that causes fellow bar patrons to turn their heads.
The internet lost its collective mind when news of a Harry Potter-themed bar opening on Dundas Street West started to spread. Don’t let the fact you’re not a Potter fan scare you away. It’s not Disney-esque and the references are pretty dang subtle. The other good news is that the cocktails are solid. The boozy and robust Blood Magic taps into the flavours of Crown Royale rye, vermouth, cherry and Angostura bitters and creates a grown-up drink that Muggles will appreciate.
The Maple Leaf Tavern brings elevated cocktails to Leslieville. It’s the former home of the Maple Leaf Hotel (opened in 1935) and the kind of sketchy bar your mother warned you about. Fast forward to its newest incarnation – a bright, sophisticated space with a strong cocktail program. The classic Caesar gets fresh with house-made vegetable-clam juice, fresh dill, gin and coriander salt. Banning the bottled juice means this version is light, fragrant, and slightly sweet. If you could drink a (boozy) garden, it would taste like this.
BarChef on Queen West has done wonders to give the city’s cocktail scene an international profile. Fans flock to the dimly lit space to experience mixology as art – as seen with the vanilla- and hickory-smoked Manhattan. What goes into the glass – Crown Royal Special Reserve rye, vanilla-infused brandy, cherry and vanilla bitters, hand-chipped ice and hickory-smoked syrup – is just part of the picture. It also requires a blowtorch, a vanilla pod and an antique glass bell jar to prep. It’s quite the production and not likely to be repeated at home, so enjoy it prepared by the masters.
Honolulu might be almost 7,500 kilometres away, but does that mean Torontonians should miss out on the joys of slurping down a perfect Mai Tai. Not a chance. The Shameful Tiki, located in Parkdale, makes no apologies for its kitschy, tropical vibe. Naturally, its drink menu is chockfull of tropical classics, including the Mai Tai, invented by Trader Vic in 1944. This version ticks all the boxes for the classic made with rum, zesty orange liqueur, fresh lime and house-made orgeat (a sweet syrup made with almonds).
In Mississauga, &Company Resto Bar goes for glamour a la 1960s Hollywood with a rich décor palette that feature antiques finishes, leather and stone. It serves as both restaurant and nightclub with ease. The cocktail list is well curated with a mix of modernist and traditional offerings. The standout is Desert Daisy, an easy-drinking combination of tequila, lime, pink peppercorn salt rim and strawberry cordial. It’s a party of the tongue with sweet, salty and sour flavours.
No nonsense ingredients are the focus at The Good Son, a cozy neighbourhood restaurant in Beaconfield Village. That kicks up the taste on whatever lands on tables, from starters and mains to cocktails, like Savage Blonde. It’s a bright sunny combination of Casamigos Blanco tequila (George Clooney’s entry into the spirits market), pineapple, yuzu, banana-retsina (a Greek wine), spicy bitter and absinthe. Those tropical fruit, yellow citrus and anise notes make the tequila shine. After it’s chilled, the libation is aerated to create a bubble layer on the surface, prompting those lovely aromatics to go from supporting player to superstar.
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